Techromancy Scrolls: Soras (6 page)

Tennison fell back as a forward scout, an archer named Francis I believe was her name, rejoined our task force. They exchanged some words and she nodded and silently disappeared back into the woods in front of us. The huge knight asked Celeste, “The way is clear to Owensdale.”

I perked up at that, it was the largest township in the realm of Wexbury. It was founded by the miners and loggers of the Whispering Walls who provided most of the raw construction materials and metals for the realm. It had grown to the unimaginable size of fifteen thousand people. More than twice the size of Wexbury Keep.

I have not been to a settlement larger than that before unless you count Flatlash Keep. But there, they were constrained by the walls of the Keep so instead of spreading out, they built up. Almost all the structures in Flatlash were two or three stories tall, with living spaces and businesses, built on top of other businesses and services. So there was this sense of claustrophobia like everything was packed into a small space, like chestnuts in a small sack.

Tennison asked, “What do you think?”

Celeste saw my excitement and smiled. I blushed and looked down. I know it was funny to everyone how I got so excited about new things. As nobles their entire lives, they had all been well traveled and had experienced so many wonders that it seemed silly to them the wonder I saw in commonplace things to them.

But I was naught but a serf just two years hence and we could never dream of affording to leave home to travel the realm, not to mention we had animals to tend and they wouldn't tend themselves if we were to attempt to holiday. My entire life had been the Keep.

She was still smiling at me when she spoke toward Tennison, “Let's overnight in the township.”

He glanced at her with an eyebrow cocked in surprise, then followed her intense gaze to me then he smiled in understanding, which just made me blush more. She added with a mischievous smirk, “But you are in charge of this expedition, so it is your call.”

He rolled his eyes, we all knew who was really in charge. Then he loudly spoke for all in out party to hear, “I have made the decision to overnight in Owensdale... with no input from the pretentious Gypsy Princess in our midst.”

I had to grin at the silly man as everyone chuckled.

There was some murmuring. I knew that they all preferred to keep any village on the horizon and break camp where things were more defensible. That is normal procedure when escorting a noble, but I think Celeste thought it to be an acceptable risk on this occasion as the ones being escorted this time were trained knights of the realm.

I looked down at the reins in my hands bashfully as I added, and she wanted me to see more of the village than simply passing through without stopping. No to mention, Owensdale had a large constabulary established to police and protect the people therein. And two knights of the realm were rotated through every two weeks in most of the villages in the realm to help defend against marauders.

I looked over at my heart, and saw her sitting high in her saddle, almost regally, and I sat up straight, following suit. I was rewarded with a sly smile curling up on her lips while she started straight ahead.

Dru was looking between the two of us then he slowly smiled and trotted off to the front of our procession to engage Tennison in tales of valor again as we made our way down into the little valley at the base of the foothills to the towering mountains that now dominated the eastern sky.

Before long, we started passing outlying cottages with huge gardens, then more tightly packed cottages. Then we emerged into a large clearing, and my eyes widened at the buildings built on either side of the Ring as far as my eyes could see.

There were trees and large yards between every building, giving the impression that the township had grown up through the forest itself. I realized it was almost the case, this really wasn't a clearing as it looked from above, this town which was bordering on the size of a proper city as they had in Solomon or Highland, had incorporated itself into the nature of the very valley. And it was gorgeous, not utilitarian at all like the Keep.

We passed many of the outlying cottages and more and more businesses started popping up between them. There were dozens of tree-lined winding lanes on either side of the highway that disappeared into the township. We had traveled over a mile into the village, passing dozens of people along the way who looked up at our group in awe,

We came upon a wide courtyard, in a group of large two story buildings. It reminded me of our market back home, only three or four times the size, with hundreds of people hustling around the vendors to make purchases before closing bell.

Men running around lighting oil lanterns along the roadside as the light of Father Sol burned orange and red as he said goodnight to the land. I narrowed my eyes. This great metropolis was using oil to light their nights, and not magic spark vessels. This was such a waste of resources. Resources that were hard to come by. Was the Duke aware of this? Why hadn't Owensdale been supplied at least enough vessels to power their streetlamps for the safety of their people?

Celeste must have seen my consternation and said softly, “To light this metropolis, it would take thousands of vessels. Our techromancers work tirelessly to supply the keep and the villages of the realm, but they can only do so much. Only a couple dozen a month get shipped to each village. It is slow progress, but it is progress, eventually all of the townships will be modernized.”

I understood now, but it still made me scowl over the fact that even though I had lived in Cheap Quarter, we still had the modern convenience of electric streetlamps. I felt almost guilty that just because I lived in the keep, I got to enjoy the privileged before the rest of the serfs in the realm.

She narrowed her eyes in realization of what I was thinking then she whispered, “With your grand experiment at the Dig, the modernization of all the townships in Wexbury can be accelerated almost exponentially.”

I narrowed my eyes at her, she knew I felt ill-educated whenever she used big words I had not been taught.

She corrected herself, “By an order of magnitude...” She trailed off and gave me a soft smile then said, “Tenfold?”

I grinned and nodded and whispered, “Better.” I didn't mind as much as she thought I did because now I knew two more big words I hadn't before. Knowledge is power.

Then I thought about what she had just said and I couldn't help but smile at the thought that something I did might help others throughout the realm. If it proves out large scale like that, I'm sure the other realms won't be far behind in adopting it. It took only months for the other realms to harness wind power with windmills once Wexbury started using them at our castle.

I felt a warm pride in the fact that Wexbury seemed to lead the way in modernizing the habitable lands.

We held there. I wondered why for a moment until five mounted men rode up to Tennison, who moved forward from our group. All of the men wore cloaks in the colors of Wexbury. Ah, it was the constabulary coming to challenge us.

One man with a sash that had the crest of Wexbury on it rode up next to Tennison and said, “Salutations Wexbury.” The two men grasped arms.

Our Sir Tennison inclined his head in respect and said, “Salutations Owensdale.”

I blinked, the man must have been the magistrate here if Tennison addressed him as the township.

Two more riders joined the other five and I smiled, the Wexbury Knights assigned to this rotation. I knew the one who leaned on the pommel of his saddle and gave me a silly grin. Sir Kenneth. He was the prankster of the mobile battalion and my small stature and Anadele's pride were frequently targets of his tomfoolery. I had to regrettably admit, he was pretty funny.

I rolled my eyes at the man and smiled. He gave a toothy grin and turned his attention to the Magistrate as the man spoke, “What can our humble village do for you, Sir Tennison.”

They apparently knew each other.

Our big man supplied, “We are seeking respite for the night in our travels to the Whispering Walls.”

The other man seemed surprised we were going to overnight in the town. He seemed a little embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his neck and said, “I do not know if I have a secure location large enough for all...”

He trailed off as Verna trotted slowly forward to stop on the man's other side, wordlessly staring straight ahead. The man's eyes bulged when he saw the royal crest on her sash and started rushing out, “Yes! Of course. Ummm... the town hall! We can pull in trusted men in the constabulary to stand watch.”

Verna didn't even look at the man as she continued to stare off into space as she backed her charger back to our side. I glanced at her and Celeste, and if you didn't know the two women as well as I did, you wouldn't have caught their barely restrained smiles.

Tennison spoke as if they hadn't been interrupted. “Grand. Wexbury appreciates your hospitality.”

The man nodded and said to one of the others, “Bring in four men to guard the town hall and get cots brought in for our guests.” Then to another after he looked back at Celeste and me, “Have the steward give another hour before closing bell in the markets for our guests.”

Then he asked Tennison, “Who are you escorting? Mountain Gypsies?”

The big knight nodded with a cheesy grin splitting his face, “Indeed, Gypsy royalty.”

The other man's eyes bulged again and our two knights looked puzzled, they knew who we were.

Then Tennison said, “Magistrate Hans, I'd like for you to meet Sora Laney of the Lupei.”

I lowered the hood of my cloak, the scars on my face casting a faint white shimmering light, and gave the man an acknowledging bow.

He bowed much deeper on his horse in return as he said, “My Lady.”

Then the big man continued with a touch of humor coloring his words, “And Sora Celeste of the Lupei.”

Celeste lowered her hood with a shit eating grin on her face as the man said, “My La...” He stuttered then said, “Lady Celeste?”

She shook her head. “Sorry Hans, but in this instance, I am in the capacity of a Sora of the People. My commission from Wexbury is suspended until the conclusion of our business.”

He narrowed his eyes and looked over at Sir Kenneth like it was one of his pranks, then back at our knight. “She's kidding right?”

The big man just shook his head, his grin not wavering, “No, it is true. She had unwittingly instigated a blood bond between her house and Mother Udele of the Lupei. They are princesses of her house now. Our mission requires them to wield that title instead of titles of the Altii, of Wexbury.”

The man processed that then his eyes snapped over to me. “So that is Lady Laney!? Do you yet wield Anadele?”

Oh, Mother Luna, the tales have spread here too?

I nodded once and reached to my hip and drew my blade smoothly to hold her before me, she seemed to both glow and not glow at the same time as the runes power gave her a ghostly appearance in the night.

The man furrowed his brow and then asked apologetically to Tennison, “That... toy, is the Anadele that split lightning? I thought Lady Laney was seven feet tall.”

I blurted out an explosive giggle before I could stop it as I sheathed Anadele. Oh to be so tall.

Sir Tennison, with all his chivalry, defended me, “No, the runt is Lady Laney, and that toothpick she wields is indeed the Anadele you hear whispers about.”

I blurted, “Hey!”

He chuckled and added, “And we all love her fiercely.”

This made me smile and feel the warmth of family spread through me. I guess I could survive a little teasing. I concentrated for a moment, questing out for something... something small to level the playing field. I felt it and tugged then let my power fade before Celeste noticed the amber sparks in my eyes.

Magistrate Hans inclined his head in respect to me then turned as he said, “Let's get you situated and your horses tended, then your... Princesses might enjoy the market. We have traveling minstrels this week.

We all started to follow and Tennison slipped off his horse and thudded on the ground in a tangle with his saddle. Oh my, the buckle on his billet strap must have come loose somehow. I grinned smugly as our group laughed at the big man's folly as we rode past.

He grinned up at me as he hoisted his saddle back up onto his charger. “Why you little sneak.” Which got more laughter from the knights. He was nothing but smiles.

I said as I passed him, “I'm sure I have no clue what you are talking about, Sir Knight.”

We came up to a large stone and wood structure a couple lanes past the market square. The pretty building had dozens of paned glass windows in it and a large clock face tucked under the eaves of the third story of the building.

Porters met us at the large steps into the building and took our belongings and supplies in and others led our horses away. Nobody moved except Verna, who took Bowyn with her. They cleared the building then rejoined us and we went inside.

As we were shown to the cots they laid out in a large meeting hall with over a hundred chairs moved off to the side, the Magistrate stopped me and said, “No offense was intended, you were just not what I expected.”

I grinned, shrugged, and assured him, “I'm not quite what I expected myself.”

He smiled in understanding, I liked the man. The stout man had salt and pepper hair, and an oddly square jaw that looked to be made of granite. He walked with a slight limp in his powerful stride. His eyes held the dangerous hardness of someone who had seen too much violence but was capable of visiting that same violence on any who crossed him. His measured movements told that man was well trained and had seen battle.

But on the same token, he had laugh lines and those wrinkles you get at the corners of your eyes from smiling a lot. My eyes drifted to his scabbard at his waist. Though worn with age and use, I could still just barely make out the crest of Wexbury on it. Hans had been a knight of the realm, had his injured leg made him retire? I smiled over the fact that he still found work protecting the people he had sworn to protect when he was a knight.

He inclined his head in acknowledgment and excused himself to see to it everyone got settled in, “Sora.”

I inclined my head a little deeper and said so only he could hear, “Sir Knight.”

He paused, gave me a sad smile, then stepped away.

He had a little spring in his step, Celeste looked at me with a twinkle of approval that made me blush as she whispered, “He stood with us in the bloodiest sortie of the Battle of York. He took down seven marauders before a cowardly blade to his leg from behind, took the man down.” She had pride in her voice for a comrade in arms.

She had finally confided in me the true events of the Battle of York after we agreed to live together after I had been knighted. Nobody would ever say a word about it, they would only swear by the bravery of Sir Edwin. She had looked so haunted when she shared with me the day her mentor had fallen, and her, a mere Squire had called out the leader of the marauders, the Reaper, and bested him in single combat.

We got situated then she smiled hugely at me. “The market for supper? I'd like to hear the minstrels.”

I nodded enthusiastically and she offered her arm, which I took instantly. I felt so bashful as she lead me to the door like a princess. I always felt special around her, like I was actually someone, like I mattered, and it warmed me to my very soul.

Someone cleared their throat and we turned to see Verna standing there with her arms crossed, tapping her foot expectantly. Bex, Bowyn, and Kristof were behind her. Oh yeah... them.

Celeste sighed and said, “Please, by all means our escort, lead the way.”

Verna bumped her shoulder as she passed by with a smirk, causing my Lady to stumble back a bit. Celeste called after her after Bex followed her. “Moose.”

Verna chuckled back, “Chicken.”

I heard Kristof chuckling as the women bantered back and forth, “Cow.” “Mouse.” While Celeste and I followed our friends back out into the warm night air with Kristof and Bowyn in tow. They certainly took their jobs seriously even though my Lady and I could defend ourselves.

I was amazed at the variety they had in their market. They had things that I hadn't even dreamed of in the Keep. We stopped at one vendor to get snaps for everyone. It was a treat mother sometimes made, wrapping ears of corn in wetted husks and steaming them until the kernels snapped and turned inside out, puffing up. Then she would melt butter on them and you ate it on the cob. It was a treat that commoners could afford to make cheaply.