The Mages' Winter of Death: The Healers of Glastamear: Volume Two (9 page)

Chapter 11

Even though Jim, Jacob, and Roger were healers, they did not know the master skills needed to stop the internal bleeding, finish knitting the broken leg, or repair the spine damage from the fall. Michael would have to work on himself. With his friends help, he stabilized his own condition and decided to sleep for five hours before beginning the most difficult part of the healing. He cast
surgery sleep
on himself.

When he woke near dawn, he contacted Diana with mage thought-talk. “Oh it was nothing really dangerous. I was invisible and a guard fell and knocked me off a wall.”

The return thought was sharp. “And just what were you doing sneaking around on top of that wall?”

“I opened the gates so that the local commander’s cohorts could enter the compound and root out the rogue knight protectors. Their commander needed to take back the city by catching them without their armor. Jim, the Oxbow Brothers, and I didn’t take any part in the fighting. I promised I’d try and be a real healer and not a warrior hero.”

“I love you and was worried when you didn’t contact me last night. Keep safe my love.”

An hour after dawn, Jim, Peter, and Gregory decided to discover if the attack against the knight protectors was a success. Jacob and Roger stayed with the sleeping Michael, while Megan busied herself with trying to make a breakfast for everyone using the meager provisions remaining in the basement storerooms. She had lived alone in the house with the doors locked and windows barred since William’s death, and during that five months, she had used most of the stored grain, dried fruit, preserved vegetables, and all the smoked meat from the larder.

Jim and the Oxbow brothers had been playing the role of the bodyguards of a wealthy merchant. Michael had done all of the talking, but they would be recognized by their armor, a distinctive style of hardened leather and chainmail with eagle helmets displaying flowing black plumes. When they approached the temple compound, a guard recognized them.

“Guards of Michael Son-of-William, greetings. Commander Farrier has been asking if we’ve seen any of you. Please go to the office he’s using on the third floor to talk to him. I salute you and your employer, we owe Michael thanks for our victory against these rogues.”

The temperature was still below freezing and the snow was about one hand deep in the courtyard when they entered through the open gates. They found a pile of about twenty-five bodies in nightshirts tossed haphazardly into a pile that was being slowly covered with the falling snow. These knight protectors had never gotten their armor on before the onslaught of two hundred soldiers of the King’s Own.

There was another row of perhaps thirty bodies covered in hastily made shrouds, which Jim assumed were the soldiers killed in the ferocious battle that had taken place a few hours earlier. Even in their nightshirts, knight protectors were so well trained that they had taken a greater number of lightly armored soldiers into the shadowy pit of reincarnation with them. The smell of blood and death was strong even in the cold, but scores of soldiers were busy cleaning the temple area and taking care of their fallen friends.

When they reached the third floor of the temple dormitory, a guard pointed them toward an office at the end of the hallway. Jim removed his helmet and knocked. Peter and Gregory remained outside.

“Enter,” the gruff voice of Commander Farrier called out.

“Sir, we were told you wanted to see us,” Jim replied.

The commander looked at him long and hard. Jim’s accent had given away his origin as part of the Glastamear gentry. Finally, the commander showed recognition and nodded.

“How is Michael Son-of-William? When I inspected the courtyard after the battle, I saw where he fell. We found two sleeping knight protectors still in their armor and another one who had fallen to his death, so I know Michael’s potion worked, but I fear some of it got into his own lungs causing him to fall.”

“We have put him in an empty house a few blocks away. He’s sleeping. We think he will be able to travel in a week or less.”

“Good. What is your name, do I know you?”

“Sir my name is Jim. I don’t believe we’ve ever met.”

After a pause he smiled and said, “You have no need to equivocate. Your secret is safe with me. I recognize now that you are Sir James Neville, fourth son of the baron of the Red Marshes and champion of the Grand Tournament of Min Hollow about ten years ago. I also know you as a healer who trained here in Hearthshire for four years. Sir James, how the mighty have fallen, from the son of a famous and prominent family with a history of service to the crown that goes back for twenty centuries to a lowly guard for a merchant. I will keep your secret if you will help my injured. I always disapproved of the pogrom. King Justin would never have inflicted such a horror; killing harmless healers led to this anarchy, death, and collapse of order.”

“Commander, I would be most grateful if you keep my secret and very willing to help your injured.”

“Good we have a deal. Your merchant employer has done the crown a great service. As acting governor, I owe him a reward. He’s a merchant, not a noble; he will expect something for his service.”

“The house where he is resting was owned by William a master healer who died without heir. The house now belongs to the crown, and as acting governor you have the power to give it to Michael as a reward; we could also use some fuel and food.”

“It will be done. I will come to the house in a few days and tell him about the gift. Now my injured men need your help. Go do it.”

Jim left the office in a daze. He’d been a fool to be the one to take the lead in talking to the governor while Michael was not available. He was a head taller and much heavier than most men, and it hadn’t occurred to him that his accent would immediately identify him as part of the gentry. He had been very young when he won a tournament, and he thought no one would even remember the victory. He knew that he had looked very different ten years earlier.

Jim was pleased at the chance to use his healing skills, but if he tended the soldiers for a week, everyone in the King’s Own unit would know he was actually a healer. Today, there were no knight protectors or priests left in the whole city, but in the future it might be very dangerous for healers in Hearthshire Town.

In any case, he was pleased that Michael, Jacob and Roger had not been recognized as healers. Michael had grown a beard, and he was of rather slight build and ordinary height so people were much less likely to recognize him. Jacob and Roger had only been occasional visitors to the city, they were not known to many outside the Healers’ Guild. He sent Peter and Gregory to pick up the supplies he’d requested and take them back to the house. They would also let Michael know of events if he awakened. Jim went to the injured and began to heal them.

It was two days later when Commander Farrier with an escort of ten men knocked on the door of William’s large four-story townhouse. Megan answered the door with Peter and Gregory standing with her. They were not wearing armor, but it was obvious that they were formidable men.

Megan spoke first, “Welcome Commander Farrier. Michael was hoping you’d visit today. He’s much better and reading in the library on the second floor. This way please.”

She led the commander to a spacious room lined with books and scrolls and decorated with precious objects from all of the seven kingdoms and even some ancient paintings from the legend times. Peter and Gregory showed the acting governor’s escort to the large kitchen for some hot cider and goat cheese biscuits.

Michael stood as the commander entered, but he motioned Michael back into his leather chair and took the one next to him. “Michael Son-of-William, you made our victory possible. I thank you both for your plan to get us in, and your daring climb that made our surprise entrance possible.”

“Commander, I should say governor now, I am very pleased at your victory even though I know the cost was great. Jim said thirty-two dead.”

Farrier nodded with a sad expression, and then smiled and said, “I see you are healing well from that fall. I’m sure it helps to have a secret healer in your guard escort. I wish I had the foresight to have hidden one or two among my men. Seriously, Jim has nothing to fear from me or my men. He’s saved at least a dozen of us. I will always keep your secret.”

“Thank you governor. Jim is a friend as well as a guard.”

“We have enough food for the King’s Own for the next month. We can also help those few citizens who remain in the city, but it would be a great kindness if Governor Talton could send us food aid. With enough provisions, we could encourage the residents to return to their homes and make things right in this city.”

“My men and I will ride south in two days. We hope to meet the wagon caravan from Southport Province and direct it here.”

“You’re well enough to travel?”

“Yes, with Jim’s help.”

The governor handed him a scroll. “This is the deed to this house. When William the healer died, he had no heirs. You are now the owner of this house and its contents. I hope you will return to us on a regular basis to trade once the epidemic is past. May Father God be with you on your travels. If you see High Priest Carson, please ask him to send one of his senior clerics to begin the re-consecration of the Temple.”

“The former High Priest of Snowport is in the province already; I saw him near Swamp Ford on my way here. He is a just and intelligent man. Perhaps he could take charge until word from Min Hollow about an official replacement can reach us.”

“Excellent, as you head south, try and find him and ask him to come here. I know nothing about church politics, but if he’s been a high priest in a city as big as Snowport he must know the job.”

The new governor left and headed out for his inspection of the city he now governed. Michael got up and put the deed into the safe behind a row of books. The house was one of the most ancient and prominent in town, but it was these books that would be important to the future of the guilds. Michael recognized the value of establishing relationships with important people no matter the future course of Glastamear, and he was pleased how things had turned out here.

The following day, the four remaining knight protectors were tried for treason and hung. Michael was at least satisfied that the two men he had rendered unconscious had met a quick death because the verdict of treason could result in a horrible nightmare death.  Their deaths were much easier than the atrocities the church had inflicted on his guild mates during the pogrom.

Chapter 12

The day following the executions, Michael and his friends rode quickly south toward Swamp Ford. Michael wanted to see if High Priest Carson would take the temporary role in Hearthshire Town. They rode directly to Azure Ford, where the wall had been mostly finished and the townsfolk were busy building stone watchtowers along their new wall. They spent the night there and Michael had further discussions about the warehouse the workers would construct for him starting within a week.

The next morning, they rode quickly up the switchbacks into the Blacksmith Hills toward Swamp Ford, reaching it the following afternoon. Michael explained the fallen state of the church in Hearthshire Town and the complete lack of priests at the deconsecrated temple.

High Priest Carson said, “Michael, I’ve never heard of Holy Perry taking away the power of bring forth his fire, and I know of no way to reverse this state of affairs. There is a ceremony for dedicating a new temple, but I doubt it will change the fire suppression.”

“My lord, the naiads of Black Sand Beach can suppress fire magic with their water magic. I am certain they will allow the rituals of the church to be practiced if a good man is in charge at Hearthshire Town. If you tell me the day you plan the ceremony of dedication, I can ask them to remove their spell on your behalf.”

“I have heard rumors of the debacle at Black Sand Beach where two hundred knight protectors lost all power to cast their fireballs. Do you believe this is the naiads punishment for our invasion of their territory?”

“I cannot speak for the naiads with certainty, but I do know them and trade in their territory regularly. I also know that both you and High Priest Simon can still bring forth Perry’s Fire in your temples while the priests and knights in Broken Arrow, Hearthshire Town, and several other places have lost their powers. I think the naiads will allow good men of the church to stabilize the situation in our suffering kingdom. The naiads are never evil, and they are not vindictive like some humans. I know the acting governor of Hearthshire Province will welcome you. Do you have someone to leave in Swamp Ford in your place until the spring thaw when Min Hollow can appoint an official high priest?”

“I have four priests who have fled from other towns. I can leave two here and take two with me. I’ll do it if you’re certain that the acting governor will approve.”

They agreed on a time and day when the temple would be dedicated, and Michael and his friends headed for Broken Arrow to intercept the second wagon with provisions. When they reached the city, they found Southport soldiers guarding the main gates. They recognized Michael and his guards. Since Michael had been appointed by the governor of Southport Province to oversee the distribution of relief supplies, they opened the gates immediately and directed him to Commander Tallfellow who was using the Inn of the Recumbent Damsel as his base of operations.

“Well met, Michael Son-of-William. Did your trip to the eastern part of the province go well?”

Michael provided an account of their travels. Of course, he left out details like how the knight protectors had lost their fireball spells. Commander Tallfellow knew Commander Farrier well because he’d been Tallfellow’s superior in Southport many years earlier. He expressed his support for Farrier assuming the provisional title of acting governor and said that he and his troops would respect the acting governor’s authority.

“Michael, I believe that the knight protectors and priest here in Broken Arrow have also lost their power of Perry’s fire. They don’t even seem able to bring forth Perry’s Fire at the weekly service or even provide the warmth they usually have inside the temple. They’ve been building bonfires in the courtyard for cooking and warmth. We’ve made no attempt to take control of the temple compound or interfere in their activities. The temple is very large for the size of the town, and I have no instructions regarding it, but I can tell you that the town’s citizens hate everyone in that compound. Before we arrived, the knight protectors would kill anyone who even approached the walls to plead for help.”

“You have brought food and coal to the citizens. Gertrude’s potions should have brought the epidemic under control, but perhaps you should stay and safeguard the supplies and control their distribution. They are intended for the citizens of Broken Arrow not for distribution by the church. Have you word on the next caravan of relief supplies? Is it coming with a military escort?”

Commander Tallfellow explained, “Since your group destroyed the Swamp Brigands and we occupied Broken Arrow, there seem to be no major threats to the wagons. The current caravan has only twenty soldiers as guards. It should be here tomorrow about midday.”

“Do you have any news of Northport?” Michael asked.

“I interviewed several refugees from there. It’s been a brutal winter with deeper than normal snowfall, and the harbor has frozen one palm deep for the first time in five decades. The Temple has been locked and barred, and no residents have seen a priest or knight protectors in six weeks, although people claimed they could hear ribald songs and the sounds of feasting coming from the temple precincts at night. I don’t know if Perry has withdrawn the power of fire from them, but they will have a difficult time rebuilding trust with any of the residents. Food seems to be in better supply because enough boats have been transported over the ice to clear water to fish, but thousands have died of the white pneumonia. I have heard nothing of conditions even farther north. Snow is too deep on the Snowport road for horses, and conditions have been too cold for even travel by ski or snowshoe for a week. We would have no hope of getting wagons farther north than here, but we might send help to Northport by ship if their harbor thaws or we have a way of getting supplies past the ice along the shore.”

Michael knew more about the temple in Northport than the refugees had explained to the commander. He realized that all of the major temples in northern Glastamear had huge stone slabs, which were warmed by casting fire magic. The radiant heat from the stones was normally the only source of heat because the temples had always been under the control of fire mages. Even the kitchens used ovens heated by priests using their magic. Now that he’d enchanted the Perry’s Hand symbol above the main entrance to the temple, there would be no fire magic to warm the temple or dormitories. He was fairly certain that the priests and knights were no longer feasting and singing songs. They would be shivering in the cold and cooking with firewood or coal, that is if they could find it without leaving the protection of their enclave.

After his discussion with Commander Tallfellow, Michael walked to the street of the armorers and found Kevin the Massive who had sold him the armor that Michael and his friends wore. Kevin was busy at his forge, which had been cold for lack of business the last time Michael saw him. Kevin came over to Michael and hugged him in affection. “Michael, your gift of food came at the perfect time to get us through until the caravan arrived. Now, with eighty new soldiers with equipment needing repair, I’m back in business. I insist that you and your men have dinner with us tonight to celebrate the abundance of food that the gift from Southport has given us.”

“Yes, we’d be honored,” Michael replied without thinking of all the ramifications.

“But I see that your armor and that of your friends have seen battle and needs repair. Let me repair them this afternoon and you can pick them up at dinnertime.”

“Let us go back to where we left our packhorses so we will have something to wear. I’ll bring them all back soon. We appreciate the offer, and I would be happy to pay for your time.” Michael had realized that it would not be a good idea for the Oxbow brothers to be seen in town without their helmets. He would also need to remove all the enchantments he’d added to strengthen the six sets of identical armor.

“Michael Son-of-William, you are a friend not just a customer. It would be my pleasure to repair the armor I made for the late and much lamented King.”

They went to the inn nearest the stable they had used for their horses. They all changed into normal clothing, and Jim who was not known in town, used one of the packhorses to take all the armor to Kevin for repair. He explained that Michael’s other guards had decided to seek the company of women for the evening but thanked Kevin for the invitation. The Oxbow brothers had actually decided it would be a good idea to stay in their rooms until they could wear their armor with its eagle helmets.

The dinner with Kevin and his wife Susan gave Michael good insight into the local citizens’ view of the church of Perry Ascendant and its local representatives. They, like almost everyone in Broken Arrow, had assumed the church would tend the sick and bury the dead as it had in past times of difficulty. Hiding within the temple walls was widely condemned, and the current clergy would have a difficult time regaining the respect of the locals.

Michael enjoyed the dinner, and the discussion of local concerns. Kevin and Susan were very in touch with the local feeling regarding the church’s failure to help during the epidemic. The whole town was furious. There was a lot of talk of revenge against the local priests, but everyone also knew that High Priest Simon had been responsible for sending the food and supplies that allowed the town to begin the process of rebuilding. Gertrude, the apothecary, was a local hero; she had saved hundreds with her potions. New cases of the white pneumonia had been absent the past three days, and the local market was considering reopening.

As soon as the delicious dinner was over, Michael and Jim returned to the inn. Michael climbed the roof, transformed into a Great Ki Eagle, and flew home to Southport to spend the night with Diana. They had been able to keep in touch almost every evening through mage thought-talk, and he knew she was now certain of her pregnancy, and that twin girls were on the way by early summer.

During his visit Diana had reported on all that was happening in Southport and commented on the situation to the north.

She explained, “The purchases for this second shipment caused food prices to rise. The shipments are still popular with the growers of food and the gentry who own the agricultural land, but many of the urban citizens of Southport are opposed to more relief shipments.”

“What are Governor Talton and High Priest Simon going to do? There is still great hunger in the north, and we need to help.”

“The high priest spoke in favor of continuing our aid during the weekly ceremony of Bringing Forth Perry’s Fire. He pledged another thousand crowns to the effort. High Priest Simon is so respected that few people will oppose him in public, but I think we have only one or at most two shipments before the whole of the food surplus is exhausted. We should see that the food aid gets to where it can save the most lives.”

“Diana, please try to gather all the supplies you can without creating real shortages here in the city of Southport. Do it as secretly as possible. If it’s in our warehouses, few people can object to what we choose to do with the food.”

“Of course dear, I’ve already started buying for a future shipment. We’ve sold over half of the apartments in this building, and we now have enough cash to buy whatever we need.”

Michael replied, “I know some fairy magic that will speed crop growth. See if you can find an out-of-the-way track of land where I can experiment with rapid growth. The fairies can plant a seed and make it grow into a tree within a few days. We many be able to add to the available food before this winter is over.”

Their night together was delightful, and it was with great regret that Michael returned to Broken Arrow before noon the following day.