The Master's Chair (The Chronicles of Terah) (66 page)

Darrell sat quietly for a few minutes. Then he said, “How about if I agree to do it for now, until you have time to get to know some of the guards. Then, if we decide that I am in over my head, you can name one of them as Captain.”

“Okay, but I bet you find that this is right up your alley. I really do think you’ll make a good Captain. Now, let’s go over to the guard office.” Kevin stood up and led the way out of his office.

The guard who was stationed at the front desk in Captain Lawrence’s office watched as Kevin and Darrell left the sorcerer’s office and started down the hall. When he realized where they were headed, he immediately stood up and snapped to attention.

Captain Lawrence was sitting at his desk in the back of the room going over the week’s schedule when his guard’s reaction caught his attention. When he looked up and saw Kevin, he immediately stood up and walked around the desk to greet his visitors. After Kevin introduced Darrell, Captain Lawrence stepped forward to shake Darrell’s hand, and at that point, Kevin backed out of the room, saying, “I’ll let the two of you get started. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

Chris was sitting in one of the armchairs with a plate of sandwiches on his lap when Kevin got back to his office.

“What’s next?” Chris asked as he picked up one of the sandwiches.

“I don’t know. Maybe we should see what Theresa’s doing and let her in on what’s been going on.”

“Oh, I meant to tell you. Theresa’s not here right now. She and Sister Agnes took charge of Badec’s body last night and General Crandal escorted them and the body to the Chapel of Light in Milhaven. She’s still down there.”

“From what I’ve gathered, Sister Agnes has spent a lot of time at the castle over the past year. Is there another sister who’s been handling things in Milhaven?”

“According to Laryn, Sister Agnes handled both for several months but it became too much for one person, so the Sisterhood found someone to help out at the chapel. It was supposed to be a temporary thing. No one expected it to last this long. The relief sister came out of retirement and she is more than ready to go back home,” Chris explained.

“Well, she should be able to now,” Kevin said quietly. “Maybe I should go down there and thank her personally for giving up her retirement to help out. Do you know when she’s leaving?”

“If Theresa has her way, not for a month or so.”

Kevin frowned. “Why? What’s Theresa got to do with it?”

“She and Laryn talked for quite a while yesterday afternoon. Laryn feels that Sister Agnes really needs to take a vacation before she takes over the chapel again, so Theresa said that she would handle the patients and staff at the chapel if the older sister would agree to stay on as a consultant for one more month. Theresa’s not sure she’s quite ready for the full responsibility of a chapel yet, but at least this way, Sister Agnes could take a break. She’s going to talk to both the older sister and Sister Agnes about it today while she’s in Milhaven.”

“Good. At least one of us will be doing what she wants to do.”

“Yeah. She really loves it, and she’s good at it.”

“It won’t be long before the Sisterhood gives her an assignment,” Kevin said with a sigh. “I just hope it’s nearby. I’m not ready to split up our little group yet.”

At that point, Ariel knocked on the door and gently opened it. “Sorry to disturb you, sir, but you have a couple of visitors who would like to offer you their condolences. Would you like to see them in your office, or out here?”

“And so it begins,” Kevin said quietly. Then, a little louder, he added, “Thanks. We’ll be right out.”

~ ~ ~ ~

During dinner that night, General Crandal came by to tell Kevin that Badec’s body had been prepared for burial. Kevin spent a few minutes talking with him and thanking him for his service to Camden while Badec was alive. Then he asked him to continue to serve as General. Although his position wasn’t tied in to any particular sorcerer, Kevin sensed that General Crandal was pleased to have been asked to stay. 

Later, while they were all relaxing after dinner, Laryn sat back and observed the way Myron and his companions interacted with each other and listened to their energetic conversations about the future. She felt that Pallor had done an excellent job in choosing Myron’s companions, and doubted that he could have done any better if he’d had all the time in the world. She couldn’t help but wonder if the elf had had any idea how things would turn out when he arranged for this mixed group to cross through the Gate.

After one last mug of scog, Kevin told everyone good night and said that he had some things that he needed to do. Before heading up the stairs, he made a quick detour into his office to pick up Badec’s diary.

When he got to his bedroom, he opened the door only to find that none of his clothes were there, the bed had been stripped, and the washbasin and pitcher were gone. He backed out into the hall and stood there for a moment, wondering what was going on.

Chris, who had all the notes from several years of council meetings to read through, had followed him upstairs. He walked up while Kevin was standing in the hall, looking at the empty room.

“What’s wrong?” Chris asked. Kevin stepped aside and pointed at the room. After Chris saw that Kevin’s room was empty, he opened his door. His room was just as barren as Kevin’s. “Where do you think our stuff is?”

“I have no idea. Think someone’s trying to tell us something?”

“Wait a minute. Let me check on something.” Chris headed back up the hall towards Laryn’s room and opened her door. He saw his cloak hanging beside the door. The washbasin and pitcher that had been in his room that morning were now on the dresser in what had been Laryn’s room. He opened the top drawer in the massive chest of drawers and found his clothes neatly folded. He walked over to the connecting door that led from the assistant’s room into the sorcerer’s room. When he opened it, he saw Kevin’s cloak hanging beside the hall door.

Chris walked back out into the hall and said, “I think I know what’s going on. Come on.” Then he led Kevin to the door of what had been Badec’s bedroom.

When Chris opened it, Kevin looked in. The room had been totally redone. Badec’s bed was gone from the center of the room, and there was a completely different bed with its head against the north wall. Next to the bed was a massive chest of drawers, with his sword lying on the top. A new couch was on the east wall next to the door that led out onto the balcony. There were two armchairs facing the couch and between the couch and chairs, there was a long coffee table. Lamp tables were scattered around the room within easy reach of every piece of furniture. Along the south wall of his bedroom, next to the door that joined Kevin’s room with Chris’s room, was a large desk and captain’s chair, just like the one in his office downstairs.

Chris sighed and said, “Well, I guess you’re the Sorcerer of Camden now.”

“Sort of scary, isn’t it?” Kevin answered quietly.

Chris nodded. “They don’t waste much time around here, do they? It’s hardly been twenty-four hours since your father died.”

“I know.”

 “What’s that old saying? ‘The king is dead; long live the king’? I guess this is ‘The sorcerer is dead; long live the sorcerer’.”

Chapter 50

The First Week

Monday morning, Kevin woke up before daybreak. He’d been in Milhaven less than seventy-two hours and already he felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He had hoped that he’d have time to at least familiarize himself with the routines in his office before he had to jump in, but that was not to be. And after the funeral, he, Chris, and Steve would be the only Tellurians staying at the castle. All of the others would be scattered around, beginning their new lives. It was just too much, too fast.

He felt the need to do something that was comfortable, something familiar. As the sun started to rise, he made his way down the stairs and out the back door. None of the guards he passed spoke to him, they all granted him a respectful distance, but he could feel their watchful eyes following his every move as he crossed the backyard. Once he reached the river, he floated across to the other side and walked a couple of hundred feet downstream to a small grove of willow trees. Near the center of the grove was a small clearing, just large enough for him to be able to practice his magic without causing any damage. He felt completely secluded in the little clearing, free from the eyes of his guards as well as the castle staff.

It was the first time he’d had a chance to work out since leaving Willow Canyon, and although it took a few minutes to get into the routine, soon the familiar moves settled him down and he was able to close his mind to other things and focus on his magic. By the time he finished, he felt more relaxed and in control than he had since entering Milhaven.

When he returned to his room, he found Chris waiting for him. “Did you enjoy your workout?” Chris asked.

Kevin frowned. “Actually, yes, but how did you know?”

“I had a good view of the whole thing, as did anyone else who happened to be looking in that direction.”

“What?! I thought I was hidden behind those willows.”

“You were. I couldn’t see you, but I could see most of what you were doing, and it looked good. No one who was looking towards the east this morning will have any doubt that there’s a sorcerer in residence in the castle at Milhaven.”

“I’m not sure if that’s good or bad,” Kevin said as he got dressed for the day. “Did you get a chance to ask Laryn about the court records yet?”

“During dinner last night. The chairman and the court secretary are supposed to come in this morning to meet with Steve and set up a place for him to review the cases. Laryn’s going to handle the introductions.”

“I’d like for you to go with them and sort of see what he’s like. No one’s said anything about replacing the members of the court and I’d like to leave it alone for a while if I can.”

“What exactly am I looking for?”

“I don’t know. Just check him out. I’m sure Steve will form an opinion, especially after reading the court decisions, but see what you think,” Kevin answered as they headed down to breakfast.

Theresa joined them in the dining room, and after the others left, she asked Kevin if she could speak with him privately for a moment. When they got to his office, Theresa sat in one of the armchairs and Kevin sat down next to her.

“When I got to the chapel Saturday night, one of the aides handed me a letter that arrived a couple of weeks ago. I thought you might like to read it.” Theresa reached into one of the deep pockets in her smock, pulled out the letter, and handed it to Kevin.

Dear Theresa,

I hope this letter finds all of you safely settled in Milhaven.

When Macin came to Abernon in February, he lingered for quite a while in one of the taverns. After a few mugs of scog, he told those around him about a young sorcerer who had spent the last eight months in Willow Canyon, studying magic with Glendymere.

One of my aides was in the tavern and quickly came to get me. By the time I got there, Macin’s audience had bought the lad more scog, hoping to loosen his tongue, and he obliged them. He told them tales of remarkable feats of magic, and said that the sorcerer must have some elven blood in him because he could create and stop the worst of nature’s storms. He told of mock battles against bands of elves, dwarves, and dragons who came to Willow Canyon to help him train.

The longer Macin talked, the larger his audience grew. Finally one of the men asked who the sorcerer was and where he was from. Macin said that he had never heard anyone say where he was from, but he knew that the sorcerer was going to Camden and that both Blalick and Glendymere referred to him as Myron.

One of the men in the crowd asked if he meant Badec’s son. Macin said that he didn’t know, but that he had overheard his father say that Glendymere had said that Myron’s power was even stronger than Badec’s. Then another man said that Glendymere should know, since he had trained Badec. The men began to talk amongst themselves, telling newcomers the news, and repeating the stories to anyone who would listen. Soon the stories picked up a momentum of their own, and Macin slipped out of the tavern, hitched up his team, and quietly left town.

I feel certain that the evening was a well-planned performance, probably orchestrated by Glendymere. I’m not sure which of the young men traveling with you was Myron, but I felt that he should know that his reputation is growing throughout Terah as tales of his exploits spread from tavern to tavern. Before long, only the most foolhardy would consider challenging him.

According to the latest news from Trendon, Rolan has been told that the minstrels perished in a freak tornado along the Pooley River and has called off the bounty hunters and cancelled the reward. I imagine Myron had something to do with that, so I feel sure that all of you are safe.

My best wishes,

Evelyne

After Kevin read through the letter, he folded it back up and started to hand it back to Theresa. Just before she took it, he said, “I’d like for Chris and Laryn to read this if you don’t mind. I’d like to get their reaction. I think it’s good news, but I may be missing something.”

“I know what you mean. I felt the same way,” Theresa said with a nod.

“I’ll get it back to you later.”

“That’s fine. I’m going back to Milhaven this morning to help out at the chapel. I’ll probably stay there for a while if you don’t need me here.”

“As far as I know, everything here is as under control as it can be considering that none of us has any idea what we’re doing, but if anything comes up, I’ll send one of the pages to let you know,” Kevin said as he walked Theresa to the door of his office.

A few minutes later, Laryn and Chris came back from the courtroom. Once they were all settled in Kevin’s office, he looked at Chris and raised his eyebrows in an unspoken question. Chris grinned and gave him a thumb’s up.

Laryn laughed and said, “Chairman Tremayne is one of the most levelheaded men I’ve ever met, and he and Steve hit it off right away. They’ll work well together.”

Kevin nodded, but he didn’t say anything.

“I thought this morning might be a good time to go out to the family burial site,” Laryn said, changing the subject. “Everything’s fairly settled at the moment and no one who will be staying here has arrived yet, so neither of us are particularly needed right now.”

“Okay. How are we going to get there? Shall I fly us out? Or should we walk?”

“Let’s go by horseback. That’s the way we’ll go Saturday.”

Kevin walked over to his door and opened it. Ariel stepped up to see what he needed.

“Would you go out to the stable and ask them to saddle three horses?” Kevin asked. Then he turned back to Laryn. “Do you have a particular horse that you want?”

“Ariel, ask if Corin’s around. If he’s not there, it doesn’t matter. Oh, and we’re going out to the burial site. Ask Miranda to fix up a basket for me to take.”

Ariel nodded. “Shall I tell them to bring the horses to the front entrance?”

Kevin looked back at Laryn. She nodded, so he told Ariel that would be fine. “Let me know when they’re ready.”

“Yes, sir. Anything else?”

“No, that will be all,” Kevin said as he shut the door. “I have something I’d like for the two of you to read while we’re waiting. I’d like your reaction to it.” Kevin returned to his desk, took Evelyne’s letter out of the bottom drawer, and handed it to Laryn.

After she finished reading it she handed it to Chris. “I think it’s good news. Anything that enhances your image is good.”

Chris read the note quickly. “Looks like Macin took care of the problem of your reputation for us.” Then he turned to Laryn and added, “We were wondering how to build up Kevin’s reputation so that the other sorcerers would think twice before challenging him.”

“Is there something I should know?” There was a twinge of alarm in Laryn’s voice.

“Kevin’s more worried about killing someone else than he is about getting killed himself, and that’s the wrong attitude for battle. I keep hoping he’ll get over it.”

Laryn nodded. “Some of the other sorcerers may help on that score. A few of them are not exactly nice people. He’ll probably get over it before too long. Badec did.”

“I’m still here, you know. You don’t have to refer to me in the third person,” Kevin spoke up.

Laryn chuckled and said, “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you. What name do you want to use? I know Kevin was your name on Earth and that’s what your friends call you, but everyone here is expecting you to be Myron.”

“Well, since half of Terah was out there trying to collect the bounty on Myron’s head, it seemed like a good idea to be Kevin while we were traveling, but it really doesn’t make any difference to me now.”

“I would suggest that you introduce yourself to other sorcerers as Myron. They all know that Badec’s successor is Myron, of the House of Nordin,” Laryn suggested. Then she frowned and added, “Pallor was supposed to insist that your foster parents call you Myron.”

“He might have tried, but they could get stubborn sometimes. My foster father’s boss was named Kevin, and he gave my father a raise when he found out that I was named in his honor, or at least that’s the story I heard. Anyway, I’ll go with Myron officially, but I doubt if any of the Tellurians will switch to Myron.”

“Tellurians. What does that mean?”

“It’s just another name for people from Earth. We liked it better than Earthlings,” Chris answered. “We came up with it when we needed a name for our minstrel group.”

“Minstrel group?”

“Didn’t Kalen tell you? We traveled to Sheridan as minstrels. You might say we sang for our supper.” Chris grinned. “Actually, it was a lot of fun until we found out that Rolan had a bounty on our heads.”

“Rolan? You mean the Sorcerer of Brendolanth?” Laryn said with a deep frown. “Is that what Evelyne was talking about? You were the ones all those bounty hunters were looking for?”

“In the flesh,” Kevin said with a nod. “But Rolan thinks we’re dead now, and I don’t plan to tell him any different. Here’s hoping no one recognizes any of us.”

“Don’t count on it,” Laryn said, still frowning. “Things like that have a habit of coming back to haunt you.”

Ariel knocked on Kevin’s door and told them that Corin and the horses were ready and waiting out front.

“Who’s Corin?” Chris asked after Ariel had gone back to his desk.

“He’s a unicorn. We’ve been friends since I was a young girl. Don’t let his gentleness around me fool you though. He can be quite ferocious if anyone makes him angry.”

“Does he communicate telepathically like Xantha does?” Kevin asked.

“Yes, but unicorns seldom communicate with more than one human at a time.”

“By legends on Earth, unicorns bond with maidens and stay true to one until she marries. Is that the case here?” Kevin asked.

“Not quite. Unicorns do bond with women, but the bond is for life.”

When they went out the front door, Corin walked over to Laryn and nuzzled her cheek. Once they were all mounted, Laryn pulled Corin out in front and led the way down the road.

After they left the castle grounds, they rode through a countryside that was full of rolling hills backed by mountains blanketed with forests. Some of the hills had been plowed in preparation for spring planting and the smell of freshly turned soil lingered in the air. Other hillsides were dotted with cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. After a couple of miles, Corin turned off the main road onto a side road that quickly led into the forest and started up the side of a mountain.

About a mile later, the road opened into a small semi-circular glade that surrounded a gentle waterfall and splash pool. There were several small flower gardens and half a dozen stone benches scattered around the clearing, but the waterfall was clearly the focal point of the glade.

Laryn dismounted and stretched. “It is a lovely place, isn’t it?”

“It certainly is,” Kevin agreed. “How much farther do we have to go?”

“We’re here.”

After Kevin and Chris dismounted, Laryn pointed to a small shelf behind the waterfall and explained that there was a large boulder sitting on the ledge, covering the entrance to the cave that had served as the burial chamber for several generations of the House of Nordin.

“Today, you’ll need to move the boulder so that we can go in and make sure everything is ready for the burial. Then on Saturday, once you remove the boulder, you’ll lift Badec’s coffin and float it into the cave. The only people who will be allowed to escort the coffin inside are his brothers, sisters, and you. Sorry, Chris.”