The Mages' Winter of Death: The Healers of Glastamear: Volume Two (8 page)

“For my sake, and the sake of the twins who will be born this summer, you must learn to control your aggression and anger. You are a healer, not a warrior. All of Glastamear needs you, and I need you.”

“I swear to be more careful.”

They kissed and parted. Michael flew back to Azure Falls and joined his friends on a trip to his former home in Hearthshire Town.

Chapter 10

Michael and his friends camped for three nights on the ride to Hearthshire Town because every village had barred the gates to their stockades and every remote farmhouse had refugees crowded around it. The massive flight from the chaos of Hearthshire Town had occurred more than a month earlier, but many city dwellers preferred camping in the fields near any stream or well to the terrors of the nearly deserted city they had fled. Everyone they saw on the road was wary of six armored men, and Michael made no attempt to interact with the frightened and demoralized refugees who hid at the sight of them. They no longer transported food or other supplies to offer the refugees since the wagons had headed back to Southport a week earlier, but Michael, Jacob, and Roger still got close enough to heal anyone who showed the signs of the pneumonia when they cast
fever search
.

The epidemic seemed to be receding in this area. Many of the survivors camping in the countryside had survived the white pneumonia and were now immune to this specific version of the epidemic. Unfortunately, immunity to this version of the pneumonia did not guarantee immunity to all future versions. Unless healing magic was returned to Glastamear, plagues and epidemics would be likely to return on a regular basis.

As the group of friends neared the city, Michael noticed the weak manna of a low level priest. He was walking the road with two other priests who showed no sign of manna. They all wore the brown robes of the lowest level of the priesthood.

“Greetings good men, I am Michael Son-of-William, a merchant of Southport. We’re traveling to Hearthshire Town on behalf of High Priest Simon of Southport to see how the province fares in this terrible winter. Are you from there?”

The priest who showed some manna replied, “Greetings Michael, I am Goodman Kyle of village of Peeps Crossroads here in Hearthshire Province. In great sorrow, I must tell you that chaos rules Hearthshire Town. With both the high priest and governor dead, the knight protectors now subjugate the weak and steal their food and property. Even the King’s Own Guards, who should keep order in the city, have fled from the knights. The soldiers are now camped outside the city and provide no help to the suffering citizens. With the governor dead, they seem to have no one to direct them. These scoundrel knights lord over everyone. Six days ago, they expelled all of the priests who had followed the Holy Son’s orders to spend the winter in the compound from the Great Temple and murdered any who resisted. They want to retain all of the stores of food and the church’s chest of golden crowns for themselves.”

“I’m sorry to say, we are faced with rogue knight protectors throughout central Glastamear,” Michael said.

Goodman Kyle replied, “Priests are not welcome anywhere in the villages in this province because the citizens blame us for the Pogrom on the Healers’ Guild, even though it was King Richard the Vengeful who ordered those executions. My Friends and I can’t return to our own village shrines. Now, rogue knights who rape and pillage the weak rule the nearly abandoned province capital. Do not go there. Tell High Priest Simon that most of the citizens have fled and that evil has overcome Perry’s church in that lawless place. What of Southport? Is it safe there?”

“Southport Province offers refuge to all who can reach the Green Mountain Pass,” Michael explained. “The white pneumonia is uncommon there and food is abundant. A gift of food and supplies has already reached Broken Arrow and Marigold Meadows. If you travel south, take word of what has happened in Hearthshire Town to High Priest Simon. He is a good man, and he will surely help you.”

After they rode on Michael explained to his friends that four nights ago, he had enchanted the Perry’s Hand symbol over the door of the Great Temple of Hearthshire Town with a spell that would prevent any fire magic. The rogue knights would still be formidable warriors, but not fire mages.

“I suggest that we go to this camp of the King’s Own Guards and find out if they are willing to try and bring order to the province.”

Later that day, they saw the encampment of the guard units who were assigned to Hearthshire Province. The soldiers had built earthen berms and trenches around their camp. Sharpened stakes made from small trees guarded the berms from horse charges, but the whole place looked temporary and disorderly. Recent rains had flooded areas of the camp and mud clung to everything and every soldier. Their misery in the cold and wet of winter was obvious.

They rode to the gates of the makeshift ramshackle encampment, and Michael removed his helmet. “Soldier of the King’s Own, I am Michael Son-of-William. I’ve been sent by Governor Talton of Southport to see how this province fares in this terrible winter. Refugees on the road claim that the knight protectors have gone rogue and driven you from the city. I would like to speak to your commander.” Michael gave the soldier a copy of the letter from Governor Talton appointing Michael as his agent in distributing aid to the provinces of Northport, Briarton, and Hearthshire.

“You don’t look like a merchant in that armor, good sir, but only a merchant would have a sword that elaborately jeweled. I’ll send someone to check with Double-Cohort Commander Farrier.”

“These troubled days, even a merchant with five guards needs armor,” Michael replied and the guard nodded.

The commander’s title would normally indicate the commander of four hundred, but there could hardly have been two hundred soldiers in this camp. Michael sat on his horse and talked with the guard about how these troops ended in this rough and muddy camp rather than in their barracks in the city. He expected to learn more from the common soldiers than the unit’s commander would be likely to explain.

A guard returned, gave the document from Governor Talton back to Michael, and escorted him to a large tent with the purple banners of royalty flying in front. A huge ancient oak tree stood behind the tent, its fallen leaves littering the ground. The tent’s banners still bore the insignia of King Justin who had been murdered that past summer on Perry’s Day Eve, and Michael didn’t know if the heraldry was intended as a statement, or merely the unit had not received new banners from Min Hollow before winter closed the only route into the great city. His five friends remained outside when Michael was escorted into the tent.

Commander Farrier, a stout man with a military bearing, greeted Michael. “I know both Governor Talton and High Priest Simon because I served in Southport for five years when I was younger. They are good men. It does not surprise me that they would send what aid they could north.”

“Yes, they are good men, and they’re preparing another shipment to send north. So far they have delivered provisions to Marigold Meadows, Broken Arrow, Oxbow Narrows, and Azure Falls. The next shipment would have come here, but if rogue knights control the town, I assume they will bypass Hearthshire Town and send the aid to Northport or Briarton.”

“Even the King’s Own grow hungry. We’ve been foraging to supplement the meager provisions that we were able to gather before we left Hearthshire Town; actually it was before the knights drove us out of the unfortunate city. We have no way of fighting fireballs. Until more knight protectors can come from other cities or from the capital when the Snow Pass Road opens, we’ve no choice but to remain outside the gates. I lost fifty-two men in the battle that drove us out and even more than that to desertion since then. Men fear for their families and go home to look after them. I can’t even track them down for punishment in this lawless land.”

“How many rogue knights remain in the temple compound?”

“They got into fights with each other and with the priests. All of the priests and some of the knight protectors fled. At last count we believe that thirty-one or thirty-two are still in the temple. By day, they roam the city taking whatever they want; at night they gather behind their walls and post guards. It would be suicide for my men to attack those walls manned by over thirty knights. They’d kill every single one of us before we touched the stones of that six-paces-high fortress wall. The leader, the degenerate scum, calls himself the Lord of Hearthshire, but he’s merely a knight turned brigand.”

“You said they are in the compound at night with only a few guards on the walls. They must take that steel-plate armor off to sleep. If we could get in at night, we could take them.”

“I know you are a merchant and probably a good one, but you’d best leave the military situation to professionals. They’d burn all of us when they awakened. Maybe we could kill a few while they slept, but it would be carnage among my men when they use those fireballs.”

“I believe that the Church has a way of taking the power of fire away from those who disobey the hierarchy. I have seen rogue knights lose their fire magic. If there is no high priest or even any ordinary priests left in the High Temple, it has been deconsecrated by the act of driving them away. If they have desecrated Perry’s temple, there will be no further fireballs from these knights.”

Commander Farrier merely looked at him as if he’d lost his wits, and Michael continued, “Commander, it’s easy enough to find out if they can still cast fire. Send some archers in to loose arrows from longbows at the guards on the wall, and then, they must immediately run for cover. We’ll know soon enough if fireballs follow in response.”

Commander Farrier replied, “Even if they no longer have fire, their armor is so superior, that it would be a terrible risk. Even if most are sleeping when we attack, they’ll put on their armor before we can breach those gates. I’d like to do more, but not by getting all of my men killed.”

“If I could open those gates for you, would you at least attempt an attack?”

“Yes but how would you open them. Are you a burglar rather than a merchant? The walls are six paces high”

“In my youth, I loved to climb almost anything, walls, trees, even mountain cliffs. My father nearly despaired of me ever taking up the family profession. I’ll climb the postern wall and knock out the guards one by one. After that, I’ll just open the gates from the inside and your men can rush in and attack the unarmored knights where they sleep. Simple?”

“If I had not read your letter from Governor Talton, I would assume you’d escaped from some hospital for mental problems or head injuries. Nevertheless, I will send some archers tonight. If they are not roasted, we’ll talk some more tomorrow. Good day Michael Son-of-William.”

Michael and his friends made camp upstream from the King’s Own Guard. As they roasted a brace of rabbits over a pecan wood fire, Michael explained his discussion with Commander Farrier.

Jim laughed and said, “It’s not difficult to scale a wall if you’ve got wings, nor difficult to sneak around while invisible.”

Jacob added, “Nor difficult to put a guard to sleep with a cast of
surgery sleep
.”

Roger added, “Just think of the reputation you’ll build since no one knows you’ll do all these things the easy way - by cheating.”

Michael said, “I’ve never tried to cast a sleep spell on a man in full armor. I’m not sure if it will work.”

Peter commented, “You master healers can reach directly into a person without cutting into their skin and pull out the cancer. Can you do the same through armor?”

Michael leaned over and cast
cancer reach
. He reached through Peter’s armor and wiggled his fingers to tickle his insides. It worked.

They all laughed and told jokes until late in the evening. Although everyone was ready for sleep, Michael still longed to see Diana. Unfortunately, he was now too far away to fly to Southport as an eagle and return the same night. Seeing her would need to wait, but he used mage’s thought-talk to contact her with an update and to say goodnight.

Chapter 11

Michael and his friends woke before dawn on that cold morning. Peter built a fire of twigs ignited by flint because not even Michael could cast the fire spell he often used as a shortcut. The enchantment that eliminated fire magic reached even to their camp, two thousand paces from the city walls. They were eating a breakfast of boiled oats and dried sweet red berries when a messenger from Commander Farrier arrived on horseback.

He spoke in the accent of the far north, probably the White Plains where this epidemic had originated. Those who chose the life of a soldier never knew if they would see their home provinces again. On this wintry morning in Hearthshire Province, when Michael’s water jug was frozen solid, it would feel like a summer’s day to a hearty man of the White Plains where it might snow even in summer.

“Greetings honorable Michael Son-of-William. Commander Farrier said to tell you that you were correct about the fireballs and that he would like to meet with you at your earliest convenience.”

“You are from the far north I think, White Plains?”

“Yes sir. I’m Eric from the village of Great White Bear. Do you know it?”

“I knew a healer named Otto who was born there.” Michael had rescued Otto and his friend Trucha. They were now safe in the village of Rock Point on Mitchell Island where many other healers were hiding from the pogrom.

“Aye sir. Otto was a close friend and a cousin. I heard he disappeared somewhere south of Snowport. I pray to Father God that he escaped and found a safe place in these terrible times. He would never have had anything to do with a plot against good King Justin. It was unjust that they took him from our village.”

“Eric, I hope he is safe as well. Please tell Commander Farrier that I will come to his camp immediately.”

The conversation helped Michael realize that anyone with a friend or relative who was a member of the Healers’ Guild, would know that the King’s accusation that all healers were part of a conspiracy to kill King Justin was a pack of lies. Most people already knew that the person who benefited from the death of the late king as well as the deaths of most of his relatives was the man who took his place.

King Richard the Vengeful was only thirteenth in line of succession until all of those ahead of him died from poisoning at the same Perry’s Day Eve feast, which he didn’t attend for some unexplained reason. The conversation with the soldier from the far north reminded Michael that King Richard’s crown was not at all secure. Michael wondered who would be next in line of succession. It had been over eight hundred years since there was a change of dynasties, but it had happened twice in Glastamear’s history and might happen again.

This time when they rode up to the camp, the guards ushered them through. Commander Farrier came from his tent as they road up and dismounted.

“Well met, Michael Son-of-William. You were correct about the fire magic, at least as far as we were able to determine. I will consider your dangerous plan if you can convince me that you have any chance of actually climbing the fortress wall to open the gates.”

“Well met, Commander Farrier. Excuse me a moment, there is an acorn I fancy high in that oak.” Michael secretly cast an
alter weight
spell that he’d learned from the fairies at Fay Woods. It reduced his weight by two thirds. He ran to the ancient oak and scampered up to one of the highest branches, grabbed an acorn, and hopped from branch to branch on his way down. He ran back to the commander and handed him the acorn.

The commander looked at the acorn in his hand and said, “Are you willing to attempt this tonight.”

“Yes sir,” Michael replied.

“If you get in, how will you deal with the men on the walls?”

“The same apothecary who developed the cure for the white pneumonia, Gertrude of Southport, has given me four glass bottles that will release a gas that causes sleep to anyone who inhales it. The guards will sleep until well past dawn. It’s expensive stuff, and I have only the four doses so I hope there are only four or fewer guards.”

“If we get through the door, I will have your guards in the vanguard so they can come to your aid and get you safely from the combat. I assume your jewel-encrusted sword is for show. You hope to blind your adversary with the sparkle, but that will do no good in our nighttime attack. Michael, I am truly most impressed that you climbed this tall oak tree in your full armor, perhaps like a warrior monkey from the ancient tales of the Kingdom of Green Jungle.”

“As far as I know, I have no monkeys in my ancestry, but I wouldn’t rule that out completely. I am no professional soldier, commander. I will gladly leave the fray after your two hundred professional soldiers enter the temple grounds.”

“Seriously Michael, I’m certain that Governor Talton would be most annoyed if I got his emissary killed. Get safely out as soon as you open the gates. I will be leading my men personally. Since to camp here and do nothing would be the end of my career, I might as well go for victory and redemption or death in battle. Meet us at sunset at the main gate to Hearthshire Town. I will have every man in my command ready by then. May Father God and Perry’s Light guide your climb.”

Once they were back in their own camp, Michael commented, “The clouds are closing in quickly; it looks like snow by nightfall. Snow will dampen my sounds but leave footsteps of my passage.”

Gregory Oxbow said, “Seeing steps approaching in the snow would certainly cause me to draw my sword even if the person making them was invisible.”

Although Michael knew that fairy magic could reduce his weight so that he would barely touch the snow, in that condition he could not carry anything substantial or wear armor. They would just drop through his insubstantial form. He couldn’t appear at the opened temple gate in the nude and explain that it was a part of forest magic. He thought it over and decided that life was full of risks, and the footprints were a risk he would have to live with.

That night as darkness approached, Michael, Jim, and the four Oxbow brothers broke camp and rode their horses to the main gate of Hearthshire Town. It was a town that both Jim and Michael knew well since they had spent their apprenticeships here. Michael expected to keep his helmet on most of the time, but there was still some risk that a townsperson would recognize him.

There was something very important to him still in this nearly empty town. His mentor, the murdered master healer William, had owned a library of over a thousand books. They contained much of history of the seven kingdoms. There were detailed accounts of Glastamear’s early history and even books that described the seven kingdoms before the religion of Perry Ascendant. It also contained hundreds of books on healing magic. He wanted to take many of those books to the healer enclave at Rock Point. None of the fleeing healers there had brought books, but the island town would be the location for the training of most future healers. It needed that library.

Waiting at the gate was Commander Farrier and about twenty soldiers. He spoke to Michael. “I’ve been infiltrating small groups. They’ll be in the buildings that overlook the square in front of the temple fortress. With this new snowfall, it will be easy to see when the gate opens because of the reflected light. As soon as that happens we’ll be charging into the temple compound. I know where the barracks and apartments are located, and we still hope to take them without their armor. Almost all of us have been inside at one time or another so we know the area.”

Michael nodded to show he understood the plan.

“Michael, I was serious about your moving to safety once the gates are open. Father God willing, I’ll see you before dawn. Thank you Michael Son-of-William. You show unusual bravery for a merchant.”

Jim and the Oxbow brothers took their horses to a nearby empty stable and followed the commander to a hiding place near the temple. Michael walked through the rapidly falling snow using the spell
night surgery
to improve his vision so that the scene was as clear as in full daylight. Michael climbed to a manor house rooftop near the temple where he could get a good view of the walls surrounding the temple compound. There were three knights on guard; mostly they kept to the covered walkway and guard huts rather than make a full pass along the walls on this cold and snowy night. He saw an obstructed corner where he could climb the wall once he reduced his own weight. He would leave tracks as he walked to the spot, but he hoped they would not be visible to the nearby guard.

He climbed down from the manor’s roof and cast the naiad spell
transparency
. With his body invisible, he walked quietly to the wall, reduced his weight and began to search for handholds in the wall. The snow made many handholds and cracks visible by highlighting any small defect in the wall that could hold the snow. Fifteen minutes later he climbed over the crenellations onto the archers’ platform. He could still detect the manna of the guards even though their spell casting was blocked, so he knew the exact location of everyone in the temple compound who had manna.

The first guard he reached was sitting in a straight chair with his legs up on a table. He was barely awake. Michael cast
surgery sleep
and caught the chair as the unconscious guard fell backwards. Michael needed a cast of
dwarfish strength
to lower the armored knight’s heavy body without the clang of steel on stone.

He made his way slowly to the section of wall with the second knight. As he got near, he saw the guard stand on a platform that lifted him a pace above the archers’ platform. It was only as Michael reached for him casting the sleep spell, that he realized that the knight had stepped onto the platform to relieve himself through the crenellation in the fortress wall. Once unconscious, the knight fell over the wall slamming against the wall three times before thudding to the snowy town square in a broken tangle.

Michael could see that none of the manna signs within the sleeping quarters showed movement, but the manna of the third guard was charging over to the location of the fall. When he rounded the corner, the knight was running with sword drawn holding it in the ready position with both hands. Michael had to do something to keep him from calling for help.

The guard could see his footprints, and Michael recognized the signs of recognition when the guard realized there was an invisible attacker nearby. The knight protector swung his two handed sword as he approached, and the narrow archers’ platform gave Michael little room to dodge. A few seconds later, as the second swing missed, Michael dived toward the knight’s feet, passing under his third swing. With a quick cast of his sleep spell the knight began to slump down, but as he did he fell forward, his body pushing against the unbalanced healer who was trying to stand.

The fall from the archers’ platform was so quick that Michael hardly realized that he was falling into the temple courtyard before he impacted on the granite surface. Pain engulfed him, and he fought it down with a
healing hands
spell. His right leg was broken in a difficult compound fracture and bent at an impossible angle. He struggled until he was able to align the bones in his broken leg, nearly passing out in pain. After he moved the broken leg into the proper position, he began the difficult master healer cast of knit bones. About ten minutes later he was able to hobble over to the main gates using his sword for support, remove the bar, and push one side of it open while reversing his
transparency
spell.

He fell face first in the snow as the soldiers charged forward. He saw the commander followed closely by his friends. Commander Farrier said only, “Take care of him.” His friends picked him up and rushed down a side street. By the time they were two blocks away, they could clearly hear the clash of arms. Michael saw where they were and said, “That house, I need to go to that house.”

Jim replied, “It’s William’s house. I can get us in if it still recognizes my hand.

The door was locked, but Jim reached to put his hand on a metal plate and it opened. The house had been built twelve centuries earlier when magic objects like this lock were more common. Since both Michael and Jim had been apprentices at this house, the ancient enchanted lock knew them.

They carried Michael inside the house that was his home for many years before the pogrom began. A woman came out of the first floor kitchen prepared to defend herself holding a long kitchen knife. Both Michael and Jim had their helmets off, and she ran forward to embrace Sir James Neville and then she hugged Michael. She was the housekeeper Megan. She began to boss everyone around insisting that they take Michael up to his former room while she made some healing soup and then built a fire to warm his fourth floor bedroom. The house was very cold. Since the death of William last summer, no coal or firewood had been delivered to the house in preparation for this bitterly cold winter.