For Carline, dinner was an everyday affair. Her father, Duke Borric would feast and typically would be joined by Carline's brothers and Master Kulgan. Swordmaster Fannon would be there regularly alongside a few other important members of the household staff. Roland was always there, typically by her side, though lately Carline had taken to sitting next to Pug.
That wasn't the case today. Instead, Pug was sat at one of the secondary tables for some reason, alongside Tomas and her. Carline was wearing a beautiful dress that complimented her dark hair. Around her throat was a delicate chain of silver ending in a small sapphire pendant. It had been her mother's, and she cherished it, though only rarely did she wear it.
The Queen of the Elves visiting was an appropriate occasion to dress her best. Carline liked to think that the time and care she had put into her appearance that day was a nice contrast to the drab attire Tanya wore – a pale beige dress of quite conservative hem, neckline climbing well above her collarbone with a suffocating stiffness and surely strangling whatever figure she may possess.
Why am I comparing myself to a kitchen maid turned scribe of no parentage?
Carline was annoyed with herself. As she grew into adolescence, it had become clear that Squire Roland was almost certain to be her marriage partner. It was either that or leave the Far Coast completely and seek out a match in Krondor or even further east. Her father often gave her what she desired, and if she told him that she detested Roland, he would not make her marry him. She didn't, though. Roland was handsome, utterly entranced by her, and could be quite funny. But he was also boring, so when Pug had saved her life, stood up to her like so few had ever done, and been made a Squire, she dared to think of other possibilities than loyal Roland.
The problem was that Pug seemed oblivious. She knew he wasn't stupid, but he couldn't seem to take a hint. And it wasn't as if she could just come right out and say something, could she? That would be scandalous, and worse, she didn't even know if she wanted to marry Pug. While grappling with that indecision, there was the fear that the gold-hungry, blond-haired harlot would take that choice away from her. She was royal, blood of the King! How could one so lowly threaten to take away the option to choose from her?
To her horror she realized she had been glaring at Tanya from across the room and had missed what Prince Calin had said.
Blushing, she looked at him. "My apologies, Prince Calin, I didn't quite hear you."
"Quite all right, Princess Carline, I was just commenting that the food is prepared differently than in Elvandar and I quite like it," the Prince of Elvandar replied.
"Thank you. It would be nice to visit Elvandar sometime, I hear that it is beautiful." Carline wasn't sure she wanted to make such a journey. Her encounter with the trolls had frightened her dearly. Though if Pug wished to, she would feel safe by his side.
"My mother would one day, in the future, likely allow it, but humans rarely find themselves at ease in Elvandar. You must have a good head for heights for one, though exceptions exist like Martin Longbow."
"He's been to Elvandar?" Carline asked with surprise.
"He has. And the only human to have done so in a generation. Any journey now would be unwise. I am unsure how much your father has spoken to you of recent matters, but be assured that our reluctance is no slight to you and your family. Elvandar counts Duke Borric amongst its dearest non-elven friends," Calin added with a polite smile.
The meal proceeded and Carline found herself enjoying Calin's presence. The elf was polite and reserved but responded aptly to conversation. For a time, she forgot all about Tanya.
***
Tomas had really worried over nothing. I had to help him a few times, but other than Princess Carline getting annoyed at his minor culinary etiquette errors, no one paid him any mind. The whole dinner seemed to be somewhat of a waste of time, as no talk of current events was even to occur over the meal. Whether that was due to the number of people, including fellow Castle Crydee servants, or some elvish custom, I knew not. I wouldn't turn down finer food than I was used to, though. The etiquette lessons I had memorized would also serve me well in Krondor when the time came.
When the meal was over, Duke Borric offered his arm to Aglaranna and led the rest of the relevant members to his council chamber. There were Pug, Tomas, myself, the Elf Queen, her son Calin, and another advisor named Tathar. That elf was the only one with gray and age to his features. I idly wondered how old he was. Swordmaster Fannon, Father Tully, Kulgan, Prince Arutha, Prince Lyam, and Horsemaster Algon rounded out the group.
The elves were reviewing the items of Tsurani origin, of which there was a bowl, the strange lacquered armor, and sword. Father Tully and Kulgan both thought there was a lack of metal on this other world.
If the planet has green sunlight, it shouldn't surprise me if their planet was made of different elements. Though the fact it was amiable to human life meant it can't be too far from Earth or this planet.
The Duke cleared his throat, "Let us begin."
The elves took seats at the table alongside the Duke, the two princes, Kulgan, and Father Tully. I saw Tomas steal more glances at the Elf Queen, and I resisted the urge to sigh. Elvandar, and the Kingdom, had a decent history of peaceful relations, but why chance offending a non-human race with cultural elements that might be easily offended by adolescent longing?
"We have told you what has occurred with Father Tully's mind contact, Kulgan's experience with the spell, and what the two boys saw in the ship before the wreckage broke down and crashed. If you think it helpful, the boys can recount the events of the ship, and Tanya can speak of what she saw after Kulgan lost consciousness."
The Queen nodded and Tathar said, "I would like to hear the story firsthand, Your Grace."
Pug recounted his tale of racing to the beach and boarding the damaged ship. I'd heard it before and Pug did well in telling a nearly identical recalling of the events he shared earlier. He had a good memory, something that would serve him well as a magician. Despite his overall effective accounting of that day, Tathar was keen on gleaning additional information. It wasn't an interrogation but it was an effective interview and I would have loved to have someone like him on the hiring board at my old company during my first life.
Then it was Tomas' turn and that was painful to listen to. My quasi-sibling kept looking at the Elf Queen and then away. When Aglaranna gave him a reassuring smile, it just made it worse. I almost interjected and finished the tale myself, as he had explained it far better a couple of days ago, but held my tongue. In the end he muddled through and was thanked for his accounting.
Then it was my turn. I was precise in my accounting. The dimensions of the rift, the state Kulgan was in, the arms thrusting through, my actions in alerting the guard, and my efforts to move Kulgan to safety. Tathar asked me some additional questions on if I heard sound through the rift, which I did not, and why I was in the room when the spell was cast.
"I act as a scribe for Kulgan and Father Tully, and have a keen interest in magic. I do not appear to have the innate gift or spark to be able to cast spells, but Kulgan has allowed me to observe Pug's training and help quantify and classify magic. Given the nature of what I witnessed I believe I should redouble my efforts." I explained, making my voice less of a military report and more of an interview for an important position in cadence. Polite, respectful, but also not too formal and rigid.
Tathar nodded. "Thank you. We are convinced that what you believe is true. These are people from another world."
The Elf Prince Calin spoke up. "Since the death of my Father-King, I serve as Warleader of Elvandar. It is my duty to supervise the scouts and patrols that guard our glades. Several times our runners have found tracks made by men, in isolated parts of the forest. They have been found as near as the borders of Elvandar and as far as the North Pass near Stone Mountain. These people took effort to hide their tracks, but we know the forest too well."
Calin paused and let everyone digest the news before continuing.
"We followed the trail and then lost it, which should have been impossible through any mundane means."
"I think we know where they went." Prince Lyam muttered.
I was aghast. Not only could these people use rifts, essentially portals, they could do so relatively easily and frequently. That sort of ability would be disastrous if these folk were hostile. Trying to defend against an enemy that could literally pop up anywhere was a horrifying thought. Any halfway decent commander would make mincemeat out of an enemy who lacked the same ability.
"Four days before your message arrived," Calin continued, "I led a patrol that sighted a band near the place of last sighting. They were short and stocky men, without beards. Some were fair and others dark. There were ten of them, and they moved through the forest with little ease; the slightest sound put them on guard. But with all their caution, they still had no idea they were being tracked."
Perhaps forests aren't common on their world?
"They wore armor of bright colors, save for one in black robes. They carried swords like the one on the table, round shields, and strange bows, short and curved in an odd double-backed way."
Algon sat forward. "They're recurved bows, like the ones used by Keshian dog-soldiers."
There was some additional talk about the type of bows that was of some interest to me. Ranged weapons were ideal for a variety of reasons. I had trained my body as well I could, but in fights with armor, mass was a critical factor. Someone of my slight build would always be at a disadvantage. There was a reason in combat sports that there were weight divisions. Ah, but ranged weaponry, like bows or my trusty sling, delightfully evened the playing field. Even with a helmet on, a strong strike with a sling could give a concussion at the very least.
"I tracked them for two days and they made effort to leave no sign, including putting their waste in bags to carry with them. When they came to the edge of the forest, near the mouth of the North Pass, they made marks upon a parchment as they had several times during their trek. Then the one in black activated some strange device, and they vanished."
Kulgan looked as disturbed as I was feeling. This wasn't just a rift but straight up teleportation! They had formidable magic far beyond what Kulgan was capable of.
The Elf Queen then spoke. "Hearing this, I became alarmed, for these outworlders are clearly mapping the West, ranging freely through the great forest, the hills of Stone Mountain, and now the coasts of the Kingdom. Even as we prepared to send you word, the reports of these outworlders became more frequent. Several more bands were seen in the area of the North Pass."
Arutha sat forward, "If they cross the North Pass, they will discover the way to Yabon and the Free Cities. The snows will have started to fall in the mountains, and they may discover we are effectively isolated from aid during the winter."
Yabon was a northern Duchy, led by Duke Brucal. Essentially the equivalent of Duke Borric, though since he did not bear the royal name conDoin he was of lesser stature overall. Yabon was a more populous Duchy which included two Earldoms and four Baronies. Meanwhile, Duke Borric had but three Baronies under his fiefdom. The Free Cities were not part of the Kingdom but were trading partners. Their existence was a bit of an anomaly in my opinion. Effectively small city-states, the fact that they had not yet been subsumed by the Kingdom was a credit to them and the Kingdom's largesse. A fact I applaud its rulers for; people should have the right to self-determination.
Duke Borric's normally stoic visage briefly showed alarm before getting it back under control. After regaining his composure he said, "There is still the South Pass, and they may not have mapped that far. If they were in that area, the dwarves would most likely have seen signs of them, as the villages of the Grey Towers are more widely scattered than those of Stone Mountain."
"Lord Borric," said Aglaranna, "I would never have ventured from Elvandar if I had not thought the situation critical. I fear for all the free peoples of the West. While the elves have little love for the Kingdom as such, we respect those of the Crydee, for you have ever been honorable men and have never sought to extend your realm into our lands. We would ally with you should these outworlders come for conquest."
Borric gave a grateful nod and thanked her.
"I am convinced that these Tsurani plan us ill. Scouting an alien and strange land I could see, trying to determine the nature and temper of the people who live there, but extensive mapping by warriors can only be a prelude to invasion."
Kulgan grimly agreed, "They most likely will come with a mighty host."
Damn you Being X! There is no way this a coincidence. The Kingdom is a big place and Kesh is far bigger. There is no way these Tsurani just randomly decided to come to this particular corner of the world!
Tully shook his head. "Perhaps not. That is to say, I am not so certain. Much of what I read in the outworlder's mind was confused, but there is something about the Empire of Tsuranuanni that makes it unlike any nation we know of; there is something very alien about their sense of duty and alliances. I suspect they may choose to test us first, with but a small part of their might." He shook his head. "I sense that their own internal bickering may be of greater import than our world, and that we are somewhat of an afterthought."
This may be true if not for the hand of that maniacal fraudster masquerading as a deity!
The Duke sat upright. "We will act. I will send message to Duke Brucal of Yabon, and again to Stone Mountain and the Grey Towers."
Aglaranna said, "It would be good to hear what the dwarven folk know."
Borric said, "I had hoped for word by now, but our messengers have not returned, nor have the pigeons they carry."
Communication in the Far Coast was primitive. Homing pigeons were one-directional. And they generally did not have any sort of network of pigeons to regularly communicate. Most messages traveled by horseback or ship depending on their destination, with a reply coming if messengers brought pigeons with them.
"Perhaps the messengers never reached the dwarves," Lyam replied. Prince Lyam had a reputation for having a sunny disposition but the recent news was now revealing another side.
The Duke turned to Calin. "It has been forty years since the siege of Carse, and we have little traffic with the dwarves since. Who commands the dwarven clans now?"
Calin replied, "Stone Mountain is under the banner of Harthorn of Hogar's line, at village Delmoria. The Grey Towers rally to the banner of Dolgan, of Tholin's line, at village Caldara.
"They will prove fierce allies if trouble comes." Borric said, and I knew he was thinking of when the dwarves had helped the Kingdom deal with the Dark Brotherhood attacks.
Arutha spoke up, "What of the Free Cities, and the Prince in Krondor?"
Borric gave a heavy sigh. "I must think on that, for there are problems in the East, or so I have word. I will give thought to the matter this night."
The meeting was at an end and would be reconvened, probably without me, the next day. The Duke personally escorted the Elf Queen out, and then the rest of us followed. Swordmaster Fannon took Tomas with him and I was about to head out myself when Kulgan turned to me and Pug.
"Would one of you mind showing the magic books that I keep for teaching to Prince Calin? He has an interest in their contents."
I jumped at the opportunity. "I would love to show the Prince your library." I turned to Pug, "With your permission may I take him to your room?" Most of Kulgan's books were kept in Pug's room. Pug had been encouraged to read through them at his leisure, and a couple of the more dangerous ones Kulgan kept in his own quarters."
Pug looked at me and then at the Elf Prince. "Uh, sure. I'll be back in a couple of hours to sleep, though."
"Thank you." I turned to Prince Calin, "If you would follow me?"
***
I took the Elf Prince to Pug's rooms. Fantus woke up from the sound of the door opening and gave Calin a distrustful look. However, the elf spoke in another language that soothed the drake and then he scratched its head.
"Is that the Elven tongue, your highness?" I asked.
"Yes, animals are easier to soothe with it," Calin replied as he moved away from Fantus toward the bookshelf. "And please, just call me Calin."
"Can it be learned, Calin?"
Calin looked at me with curiosity. "It can be, though few humans find the need. We intend to leave in the morning, so there won't be time to teach."
I thought quickly. Languages were always easy for me to pick up. "You are familiar with our language, are the principles the same? Certain letters make certain sounds and change when combined with other letters?"
"Oh, but you are an eager one. The same principles apply, though the meaning of the word changes with the pitch and tone and how it is expressed. I can write a key for you if you desire, though it will not be easy without someone who knows the language to teach."
"Please, I would be very appreciative." At his nod, I quickly gathered a sheet of parchment and ink.
Calin quickly wrote it out in a neat hand and then perused the books again. I helped answer questions about the authors, and after a few flips of the pages, his curiosity was sated.
"I am very curious about magic, does Elvandar have magicians like Kulgan?"
"Not as such. Ours is a magic that is part of our being, strongest in Elvandar."
"So, you don't have anyone who casts spells, you just have innate features that are stronger or weaker depending on their distance from Elvandar?" I asked with interest.
"Well, not quite. We do have Spellweavers, such as Tathar. But our magic is vested in ourselves, and they only manipulate it subtly. It is more like air than anything, always surrounds us, yet unseen. But like air, which can be felt when the wind blows, it has substance. For example, Elvandar has been created by the mystery of our magic. All who dwell there are at peace. No one may enter Elvandar uninvited, save by mighty arts, and even the distant boundaries of the elven forests cause unease for those who enter with evil intent."
"How does Elvandar, or the communal subtle magic of the elves, divine intent? Does it read thoughts, or do certain emotional states resonate and trigger the defense?" I probed.
Calin looked at me and then laughed. "Forgive me, Tanya, but your questions are very un-elf-like. We do not ask these sorts of questions, and I find that I do not have the answers you may seek."
You are only the Warleader of Elvandar and responsible for the defense of your people, of course you wouldn't know how your greatest protective defense works!
"Then the creation of these rifts must be of great concern for you, as without being able to ascertain what their limitations are currently, they could potentially even appear in the heart of Elvandar!" I said with concern in my voice. I was concerned about this; losing an ally would be challenging, but I had intentionally shifted my tone for emphasis.
"I don't think they will be able to do that."
"Why?" I asked.
"It is just a feeling that I have. Like our magic, there are some things that are just known."
Somewhat annoyed, but fully hiding it, I asked other questions. I learned that elves, unless they were slain by accident or in battle, could easily live over 500 years, and some significantly longer. I also cleared up some of the myths commonly held in Crydee. I learned they had a cordial but distant relationship with the dwarves. Overall, they were like humans, but they seemed much less ambitious and more willing to "go with the flow," so to speak.
"It seems you trade little with humans or dwarves, why might that be?"
"I do not wish to offend, but there is little either group has to offer us. The dwarves have been known to craft weapons of power, but we are not a warlike people. Human commodities do not hold much interest outside of curiosity. Books are of interest to me, mainly for their novelty," Calin explained.
"Given your mother's desire to aid us, could not some of your goods be helpful? Elven bows are said to be more powerful and accurate than normal bows. Or perhaps humans could learn how to craft such weapons. Given your people's propensity to live long but not have overlarge families, it seems there could be a beneficial trade-off in which you equip us with superior weaponry while we bear the brunt of the fighting."
I also wanted to see if a bow could be created for me with a low draw weight while still packing a punch.
"We don't have others fight our battles, Tanya, nor do I think humans could learn to craft as we do," Calin replied.
"Can we test it?" I asked.
I realized I was being pushy, but since Calin's expression remained calm and free of irritation, I felt I could press on. This might be the only chance I had to speak with an elf.
"Hmm, I sense in you a great thirst for knowledge. That is to be nurtured and not shunned, but I fear the timing for such experiments is poor. I will discuss it with Tathar, but I cannot promise anything."
I would have to settle for that as Pug chose that moment to return. I thanked Prince Calin for his time, and headed back to the small section of the kitchen storeroom where I made my bed for the night.
***
The next day proved to be a busy day for me and the other scribes. The Duke had ordered messages to be sent to all the nobles of the West. All of the armies of the West were to be assembled and stand ready. I technically wasn't employed by the Duke anymore, but Father Tully had asked me to pitch in, and since I worked for him and Kulgan, I accepted earnestly. Doing favors for the boss was always wise.
The most experienced scribe got up and checked my work after I started finishing twice as quickly as the others. After doing so, and, finding no fault, he muttered something about youthful hands and went back to his seat. I wasn't bothered; a good supervisor did check on outliers for unsavory behavior. It would not do for letters to be sent with misspellings that would reflect poorly on the competency of the Duke's staff.
The word among the scribes was that the Duke was planning on leaving Crydee. He was headed to the Free Cities and then on to Krondor to speak with Prince Erland directly. Prince Erland was the nominal ruler of the western half of the Kingdom of the Isles. I say nominal because, while he did in fact have legal authority, it was not typically utilized, especially this far out on the Far Coast. It was likely different for the provinces that were closer to the Western capital. Erland was also the current King's uncle, so if the Tsurani proved to be as dangerous as I feared, I was glad the Duke was taking it seriously enough to speak with Erland in person.
The Duke would be taking a large party with him, and that party would include his son, Prince Arutha, the Huntmaster, Martin Longbow, and Kulgan. I then learned that Pug and Tomas had somehow been added to the roster. I did want to see Krondor. Everything I knew about it was secondhand; seeing it in person would let me know if my goal was a good one. Plus, I simply had to try their blends at the coffeehouses there.
Since Father Tully was not going, he wouldn't be the ideal person to ask. I could use my experiments with Kulgan as a worthy excuse, and the potential of running into another magician in a large city like Krondor meant we could make some good comparisons if we had time.
I marshalled my arguments and made my case to Kulgan.
"Ah, Tanya, I fear that would not be wise. We will be doing hard riding and the trail is no place for a lass of your age."
I felt a twitch in my eye. "I can handle myself, and you know I can be useful. Have I ever let you down in anything?" I looked him in the eye. "This is important to me. I dearly wish to see Krondor, and I believe if we do encounter another magician, the comparison will yield meaningful insights for some of our theories."
Kulgan took out his pipe and lit it.
"It will be a hard journey on horseback, do you even know how to ride a horse?"
"I do," I answered with zero hesitation. Which was only partially a lie. I had ridden a horse once and I knew the theory of it from my days as a military history hobbyist.
He puffed out some smoke. "The entire expedition will be men. We will be passing through the Green Heart, where the Dark Brotherhood and goblins are known to dwell. Were you to be taken captive, your fate would be worse than that of any of us."
In a flash I drew the small skinning knife and held its edge to my own throat.
Kulgan started and nearly dropped his pipe. I removed the naked blade at my jugular before he had a conniption.
"No need to be vague; I understand the realities, and I can slit my throat before that ever happened."
Kulgan had a pained look in his eyes. "This… this isn't something you should be so prepared to do."
In reality, there was no way I would ever off myself. That would be a form of surrender to Being X. And that would never happen. But Kulgan needed to know that I was serious and prepared.
"I am not a helpless child; if I were, you would likely be in another world. I know the risks, and while I am wary of them, I am not afraid. Please allow me to join Pug and Tomas. If they can be trusted to go, then so can I be. I'm a better hand at the sling in the event that something does happen."
Kulgan sighed heavily. "I'll talk it over with Borric. But do not get your hopes up, I cannot see the Duke being keen on taking you along."
"I'm calling in my marker then. He said I had done a great service in rescuing you from the outworlders, I'd like his favor in this matter for good service rendered." I said a bit primly.
Kulgan puffed on his pipe in consternation.
"Bah, and I thought Father Tully was stubborn! It would be wrong to split you and Pug up anyway, so I will talk with the Duke."
I thanked him profusely and returned to my work, scribing the necessary letters. It would be another four days, and then we would be off. I'd take the time to fill two pouches of good stones for my sling. It would be just like Being X to have us stumble upon a patrol of Tsurani as we made our way to Krondor!