Arrows Of Change (Book 1) (5 page)

Broden, his mouth full of bread, waved a hand to encourage
Ash to continue.

“Most attack spells are fire-based,” Ash explained, stirring
his stew to let it cool a little as he spoke. “They’re more fluid, easier to
manipulate over a distance, so it’s the perfect element to attack with. Not all
of them, you understand, but a good majority of them are. The spell I used to
log the trees is fire-based.”

Riana thought about this, comparing it with the little she
knew about magic, and asked slowly, “This shield ye will give us, will it clash
with yers? The one that ye use to protect yerself?”

“Yes,” Ash sighed. “Unfortunately. My personal shields are
wind-based, as they’re more resilient and work better against all magic.”

“So I can no’ step inside yer shield while mine be up?” she
pressed, making sure she understood.

“Right.”

Riana frowned. She didn’t like that answer one bit. “Can ye
no’ give me a shield like yers, then?”

“Unfortunately, no. It takes too much magical power to
activate. It’s something only a wizard can use.”

Well, that wasn’t the answer she wanted.

“We will take what we can get for now,” Broden said with a
long look at her. “Daughter, do no’ fret about this. We’ve done well up till
now and did no’ have a thing to shield us from harm. We will be fine.”

They also hadn’t been up against any wizards, or had the
threat of magical assassins dodging their footsteps. Right now, it was simply a
possibility and she didn’t have a shred of proof to back it up with, but she
couldn’t help but feel that danger was very close to them. This reassurance from
her da failed to comfort her.

But Da was right in the fact that they couldn’t do much
about it at the moment, not without creating a more permanent link with Ash. Which
neither of them was prepared to do. For now, the temporary shield would have to
do. So she subsided and didn’t argue the point.

Ash, sensing that they wouldn’t ask any more questions, set
his bowl aside. “Let’s get these done, then, and settle in for the night. We
have a lot of walking to do tomorrow.”

Estole did not look a thing like he’d imagined.

Granted, Broden did not have much knowledge of towns or
such. Still, when a man hears the words “new kingdom” he thinks of a small
gathering of people and maybe one major building standing with tents and such
gathered about it. This place had “age” written all over it. The town nestled
near the channel water, with solid buildings and businesses all lined up along
cobblestone streets. In the center of it, like a spider in its web, sat a large
building that bordered on being a castle. It was made of that light grey stone
he’d seen in the mountains, with two turrets, battlements, and enough space to
house the whole town without much strain.

There were tents—he had not gotten that part wrong—and they
were clustered in every available space in and around the town. They were of
every size, every color, and people could be seen coming in and out of them, their
cook fires blazing. He watched it all for a moment as they traveled down the
slight slope leading into a shallow valley. “Ash.”

“Hmm?”

“How many people did ye say abide here?”

“Five thousand at last count.” Ash paused on the roadway,
his trail of logs pausing with him, and he stared with judicious eyes. “I’d say
they’ve gained another five hundred since I was last here. Place is growing faster
than we can manage, I swear.”

Five hundred in the five days he’d been gone? That was an average
of a hundred a day! No wonder the man was desperate for help. “Yer king, he
plan to conquer any land? Mayhap move up toward the northern territory?”

“He hasn’t mentioned it,” Ash denied, a puzzled expression
on his face. “Why?”

“Ye’d best encourage him to, then.” Broden jerked his chin
to indicate the valley spread out below them. “Growing like this, soon ye will
no’ have land enough to support them all.”

Ash’s mouth opened, paused, then closed thoughtfully. “You
might be right. I’ll talk to him about it.”

They set off again, winding their way down and into the
town’s main street. Neither he nor Riana had ever seen a proper town before,
and their eyes darted hither and thither, trying to take it all in. He fancied
he did a better job of not gawking than his daughter. Her head was like to fall
off, it turned about so.

He had a notion that the first few weeks would be brutal to
his senses. Cloud’s Rest did good to have three streets to its name, so he had
no experience with finding his way in a place like this, where one street
crossed another at random, alleys poked their heads out here and there, and the
whole place looked to be a copy of some other part of town. It was like to make
a man’s head spin, it was. And that did not take into account the sheer
noise
of the place, like a gathering of angry magpies all fighting over the same
shiny thread.

From the way that Riana flinched now and again, hand half-up
to her ear, she was not faring any better than he.

Ash did not try to take the logs all the way into the town.
Instead, he found a clear patch in a woodworker’s lumber yard on the outskirts
and deposited it all there. The place had obviously been built for more than
just lumber, as Broden could smell that peculiar scent of metal being forged,
but he could not see much through all the logs. As Ash sat them neatly in
piles, he called out, “Ho, Tennon!”

“Ho, Ash!” A man that resembled a beer keg on legs came out
of the nearby building, a hammer in one hand and his beard full of wood
shavings. He had laugh lines around his eyes and a look to him that said he’d
be a fine man to know. “Well, you’ve brought me some good wood, it looks like.
But I told you to get
three
dozen trees, you young whelp, not six! What
am I supposed to do with all of this?”

“Build some houses,” Ash suggested dryly. “Unless you want
all our new citizens living in tents the rest of their lives?”

“Well, now, that’s a thought. I won’t pay you for the wood
we’ll use on the wall, but I’ll pay you for the rest of it.”

Ash nodded, agreeable. “Pay me for it as you use it. Tennon,
this is Broden Ravenscroft and his daughter, Riana. They’ve come to join us in
building Estole.”

Tennon extended a hand, which Broden took in a firm clasp.
“Welcome, both of you! From where do you hail?”

“Cloud’s Rest,” Riana responded, also clasping hands with
the man. She did not flinch under his grip, which could have crushed boulders.
“May harmony find ye.”

“Is that right?” Tennon looked them both over more
carefully. “Mostly bandits live up there, I hear.”

“Ye hear right.” Broden gave him a dry, tight-lipped smile.
Mayhap they should not have mentioned where they hailed from.

“Then no doubt you’re good with those bows.” Tennon gave a
shrewd look at them. “My son’s got a shop down this street, and he’d be a good
one to get arrows and the like from. Ryer is his name.”

Oh? Not the reaction Broden had expected. He gave the man a
grateful nod. “I will mind that. Me thanks, we be both running low.”

Tennon gave him a brief smile, barely detectable under that
thick bushel of hair, before saying to Ash, “Your brother and sister have been
scheming while you’ve been gone.”

Ash actually blanched. “Didn’t anyone try to stop them? What
did they do?”

“Oh, it’s a shorter list to say what they
haven’t
done,” Tennon drawled, not looking at all worried. “So far as I know, they
haven’t killed anyone. But I’d suggest finding them quickly. Only one that can
talk sense into those two is you.”

Growling under his breath, Ash said a quick thanks before
spinning on his heel and walking quickly toward the main street. Broden had to
stretch out a mite to keep pace with him, and Riana had to jog. It became even
more of a challenge to keep pace with the man when they entered the street
proper, as the place seemed fit to burst with people. Broden finally put Riana between
him and Ash, shielding her from the brunt of people’s elbows and making sure
they all kept together.

At some point, Ash must have realized that he could lose
them in the crowd, as he slowed his pace, glancing back over his shoulder.
Seeing them have to fight their way through, he reached back and silently
grabbed Riana’s hand in a tight grip, making sure he had her at least. Broden
grabbed her shoulder, taking the lad’s cue, and then they kept blazing a trail
forward.

It did not escape his notice that a pretty blush stained his
daughter’s cheeks. Then again, this was the first time a man had ever held her
hand, no matter what the reason. Frowning, he promised himself that he and Ash
would have a nice, quiet chat. Soon.

They skirted around something that looked like a main
market, into a side street, and then changed streets again, heading toward the
mansion-castle. Broden’s head spun at the quick changes in directions. If he
did not find a way to mark the place in his memory soon, he’d wind up roaming
the town forever and a day without an understanding of how to get back.

On the way there, they’d spoken briefly about how things
would be set up and where they’d stay when they arrived, but Ash had not
mentioned anything more than
You’ll stay with me and my sister, of course.
Broden now realized that answer left much wanting. Where, exactly, did the two wizards
stay? Surely not… His gaze traveled up the tall stone walls, and his mind
refused to wrap its way around the notion that he’d live in a castle.

No. What Tennon said had scared Ash into finding the new
king first. Aye, that be it. He’d get them sorted once he figured out what his
sister and king had been up to.

They barely breached the iron gates, which looked to be more
for decoration than protection, before a voice boomed out, “ASH!”

Ash stopped dead, head whipping about. “Edvard! What have
you been doing while I’ve been gone?”

A man of an age with Ash stepped out from behind a knot of
uniformed guards and toward them. He, too, wore a uniform of dark grey, looking
sharp and pristine. His hair was dark, eyes a penetrating dark blue, skin
tanned from many hours in the sun. He had the looks of a player, that one,
although his smile was genuine and not at all haughty. So. This was the new
king, eh?

Broden watched him as the man approached, weighing him. He
certainly knew how to carry the sword on his hip, so he was no pushover. Better
still, he was courteous to the people around him. Several times, as people
crossed his path, he’d stop to let them go or step around them, instead of
making anyone stop for him. That silent kindness spoke well of the man.

The new king took note of Ash’s hand on Riana’s, which made
Ash flush slightly and abruptly drop it. Broden found that bit interesting as
well. So, the man was not used to being in a woman’s company? Considering his
looks and occupation, Broden would have thought the man had women beating down
his door.

But no one remarked on Ash’s blush. As soon as he was within
proper hearing distance, Edvard said, “
Something
had to be done about
the crime rate, Ash. It was totally out of hand.”

“I agree, but what did you do?” Ash demanded.

“Well, after due consideration, I appointed Ashlynn as
temporary Sheriff of Estole.”

“You appointed Ashlynn as Sheriff?” Ash demanded
incredulously.

“Why are you so surprised?” Edvard laughed, not at all
worried. “She adores beating people up on justice’s behalf. The job suits her
admirably.”

“Yes, but Edvard, she has no mercy! She’s ruthless with
people that are in the wrong.”

“I know. Crime’s dropped fifty percent since yesterday. Our
sister is amazingly efficient. People are starting to tremble just from the
sound of her name.” Edvard took pride in this as well as amusement. “Now, who’s
standing behind you?”

Belatedly remembering his manners, Ash reluctantly tabled
the discussion of his twin for now and turned. “This is Riana Ravenscroft and her
da, Broden Ravenscroft. I found them in Cloud’s Rest. Riana, Broden, this is
Edvard Knolton, King of Estole.”

Edvard held out a hand to him as if it were a natural thing.
“Broden Ravenscroft, I greet you.”

Broden took the man’s hand in a firm grip, pleased with the
calluses he could feel on the other man’s palm. This was a man that knew how to
work hard. “Edvard Knolton, I greet ye. May harmony find ye.”

“Riana Ravenscroft, I greet you.”

“Edvard Knolton, may harmony find ye.”

Ash barely contained himself until the pleasantries were out
of the way before blurting, “Edvard.” His tone vibrated with renewed
excitement. “They can both be wizard-partners.”

Edvard went from polite to intensely interested in a split
beat. “Is that right? Then, you are both very welcome. I’ve worried about my wizards’
safety, what with everything going on. It occurred to me after Ash left that he
was too vulnerable to normal attacks. If Iysh thought to send assassins after
my wizards, they’d have a good chance of succeeding.”

So. The new king was not a complete fool. He was thinking
ahead, trying to anticipate what his enemy would do.

“Which of you will partner with which?” Edvard inquired.
“Have you decided?”

“Ah, no, King,” Riana responded with cautious courtesy. She
clearly had no idea how to address him. “We thought we’d try it both ways for a
while, see which we like best.”

“Edvard is fine,” he assured her gently. “After all, you’ll
be closely tied with my blood-siblings, so you’ll basically be part of my
family. Well, if you haven’t made any decisions—actually, does Ashlynn know
about this?”

“Not yet,” Ash denied. “I haven’t seen her.”

“Then I’ll let you tell her and sort things out.” He stopped
and appraised them openly for a long moment. “Those bows over your shoulders, are
they your primary weapons?”

“Aye,” Broden said. And waited for the king’s reaction.

“Forgive me for asking this, but since two very dear people
are going to be in your hands shortly…how good are you?”

“Good,” Broden said without false modesty or embarrassment.

“I can vouch for that,” Ash piped up. “I was set upon by
bandits outside of Cloud’s Rest, and these two took the whole lot of them down
before I was properly aware I was surrounded. It’s why I was so adamant about
dragging them here.”

“Is that so.” Edvard took this in, taking Ash’s word for it.
At least, for now. “Then I’m doubly glad to have you. We’ve had need of good
archers recently. I’d like to see your skills for myself soon.”

“That’d be fine,” Riana assured him.

Edvard looked at her, head cocked slightly. “I’m especially
curious to see how good
you
are, fair maiden. But I will set my
curiosity aside for the moment. I can’t stay here much longer; there’s trouble
brewing that I must deal with. Before I leave, a request. Master Broden, if you
would partner with Ashlynn for the time being? You look like a formidable man,
and our Ashlynn, while capable, is not the type to induce fear in a villain’s
heart. It’d be best if she has someone who looks strong next to her while she
deals with criminals.”

Broden could see the sense in that, if Ashlynn were the type
to look pretty and not a fighter, same as his Riana. “Aye, that I can do.”

“Many thanks. I have a million things to see to before the
sun sets, but I want you both at my table for dinner so that I can talk to you
more and get to know you. Ash, make sure of it.”

Blood-siblings they might have been, but Ash clearly
respected the man as a leader, as he accepted this order with a respectful, “Of
course.”

Edvard beamed at them and said simply, “Welcome.”

“Our thanks for the welcome,” Broden responded, hoping it
was an appropriate thing to say. Really, how does a man talk to a new king that
wants you to call him by name?

With a last smile, Edvard turned and went back to his
soldiers.