The Weapon Bearer (Book 1) (27 page)

“Yes, that is understood. I ask that you provide a written schedule so that I may know when he would be normally leaving. The house master keeps a close watch on servants and would like to know where Leroy has gone to at all hours.” Horval had stuck his ladle under his arm and now stood wringing his hand towel for something to keep his hands busy. Kilen couldn’t believe that he had become a person who would intimidate strangers at a whim. He would have to rectify the relationship with the castles’ chef.

“I will provide it as soon as I can. With a new town and new training schedule we will have to make some adjustments over the next couple of weeks. I am sorry at the lack of help you will have in the kitchen without him until then. I would suggest that you provide him with less menial tasks next time. You would be pleasantly surprised at his abilities in the kitchen. Now if you excuse us, we have things to attend to.” With that Kilen turned his back and walked out the way he had come. Leroy followed behind until they were both in the training grounds.

“That was magnificent! You put him in his place. What excuse are you going to give me for keeping me out of his care?” Leroy was positively excited jumping sideways as he kept up with Kilen.

“No excuses. You will have to help me quite a bit. I will need eyes and ears everywhere. My mentor tells me there are spies and plots everywhere in this castle.” A silver dagger flipped out of Leroy’s sleeves and rolled across his fingers at the mention of spies. “Most of all, I need to have more of that tea you made us when we were on the road. That kept me awake, alert, and able. I’ll need all the help I can get to keep my strength up during the weapons and magic training.”

“Kilen, the tea was only one solution to your problem and only because I couldn’t cook for a sustained period of time on the road. I have plates that will put thick muscles on your bones without slowing you down. Of course it will take some rare herbs. We will have to go into town to get a supply ready. I have salves and herbs to take for sore muscles and pains in the body, too.”

“If you have time to prepare those that would be helpful but not necessary. I need other help also. I need more training in herbs and cooking. I need your expertise in knives for the next couple of weeks. Whatever you can teach me would be helpful. You visited me at my room in the wielders barracks. Our house sergeant is named Ted. From now on he will admit you to my room. You’re supposed to play my servant so you had better make an attempt to tidy up and keep my things in order.” Kilen felt like he was lecturing but he knew that it was necessary to lay out everything that he needed. “Leroy, I am truly grateful for everything. If you find a moment in town when I send you for things or in my room to sleep a bit I would say it was well earned. Is there anything else that I can arrange for you to have in my room for delaying time?”

Leroy said nothing for a moment in deep thought. “If you don’t mind, I would like to grow a couple plants in pots.”

“You like to grow plants?” Kilen had stopped walking when he realized what he had asked for. It should have been a strange request for a boy of his age to grow plants. Kilen thought growing plants was a past time meant for those finishing life rather than starting it.

“Well, if I find the right type I would like to grow them and gather the seeds for my father. I’ve heard they have rare plants here in the Earth Realm that we can buy cheaply this far in. If I can bring them back to Keepers, my father would be very pleased with me. Don’t worry about payment. Getting out of the kitchen is worth all the gold in your purse,” he said smiling. “Where are we off to first? You said we had some things to take care of.”

“I was hoping to get some of those herbs for the tea. I also want to find Bowie and see how he’s holding up, and if he needs anything.”

“Sounds good, I saw an herb shop on the way to the castle had some fresh herbs growing in pots instead of being all dried. The effects of herbs are more potent when they are fresh instead of dried. I think we might be able to find what we need there, but it will probably be more expensive because it is fresh.” Kilen nodded in understanding at his friend. He knew that Leroy would like to get back to chatting with Bowie and he needed a bit of the hometown feelings that exuded from his friends also.

Leroy began to take a piece of paper and charcoal from his pocket and jot down different types of herbs he would need with measurements for each beside them. When they passed through the front gate to the castle Kilen had to guide him through the guards because he was so focused on his calculations of herbs. Once through the gate Leroy lead the way through the noble’s quarters and finally to a corner shop with a sign that had a bunch of plants hanging by a noose painted on it in dripping red. Leroy was right, the shops windows were covered in planters of every shape and size with green, red, and brown plants in each one. When they walked through the door the shop smelled of dampness and depending on where you stood, a variety of spices. Leroy started muttering under his breath in excitement at the different types of plants in the shop. Kilen was mad at himself for leaving his book behind. He would be able to make rubbings of the leaves for identification later.

Kilen heard shuffle of shoes approach from the back of the shop, and a sweet voice sing from behind the plants. “May I help you boys?” They rounded the corner to see a woman standing behind the counter in a brown dress that was tightened snugly in the back to bring in the waist and accentuate the chest that was already showing more cleavage than he had ever seen on a woman in Humbridge. Her blonde hair was in a tight bun with a large wooden stick sticking out the side. Her fingers were caked with dirt and her fingernails were worn down to the tip of her fingers. She smiled at Leroy, whose mouth was hanging open until Kilen could nudge him with his elbow.

Leroy’s mouth seemed to have run out of saliva so Kilen spoke instead, “We need to restock our supply of herbs. My man here would like to purchase some for making tea and what not.”

“You better not be here for medicinal herbs to treat the nerves. I get a lot of that from kids like you and I won’t sell em unless I am to administer them myself.” She placed her hands on her hips and breathed deeply, getting agitated at them still standing there. The action made her chest swell even more and that distracted Leroy even more. When he noticed that she saw where he was staring, he turned bright red in the cheeks and promptly handed over the list of herbs.

She snatched up the note and took glances at it and back to Leroy as she read it out loud. “Some of these are very rare but I am able to help you. What is it you are making with these?” The agitation seemed to leave her voice at the extensiveness of the herbs.

Leroy’s tongue was still stuck in his mouth, Kilen sighed. “I do believe that he is making me some kind of food for restoring strength and stamina. I’ll be starting my training soon and need all the help I can get.”

She looked over the list and nodded, “Krechen Roast I think. That is a Kaple recipe if I’m not mistaken. If he knows how to make that properly it should keep you healthy and strong.” She moved about the shop with a sort of floating grace, she picked leaves from plants without even looking up from the list. “How many other Kaple recipes does he know? I know there are a few people that would love to try Kaple delicacies.”

“Uhm, I’m not sure. I’m sure he could bring you some of the meals he makes me if you would like to try them milady.”

“The name is Izabel Grace. This is my shop. It looks like I will have all of what you need. Let’s weigh it out and I’ll let you know the price.” She rounded the back side of the counter and lifted the box off a small table revealing a scale and small weights. She started placing on herbs and weighing them out. Jotting down the cost, she worked in silence. Finally Leroy decided to speak up and say something but it was the wrong time to speak up. He reached across the counter to help with the herbs.

“You’re going to put on too much,” he said before Izabel’s hand slammed the stick from her hair through his hand pinning it to the counter. Surprisingly, the wood stick was just a handle for a long thin pin that was holding up her hair. Leroy screamed and Kilen moved to take her hand from the pin. Kilen didn’t see her produce a small curved dagger from somewhere on her tight dress and put the point under his chin. Her hair had come out of her bun and now hung down to past the middle of her back. She had the most intense look on her face and was glancing back and forth between a struggling Leroy and a distressed Kilen.

“DO NOT TOUCH MY SCALE,” was all she said accenting each word slowly. She was now breathing hard which made her chest heave. Leroy had no eyes for it now.

Leroy cried out to the woman still pinning his hand on the counter, “Sorry I was trying to help.” She looked from both of them and pulled the pin from Leroy’s hand, letting him loose of the counter. Blood had pooled on the counter and was now dripping from the boy’s hand as he tried to stop the bleeding. In a flash, Leroy’s hands found a knife and pitched it. The tiny silver blade knocking her blade away from Kilen’s chin. Kilen quickly pulled his sword from his sheath and filled the room with fog almost instantaneously.

“Stop this NOW!” he shouted to the room. He heard a pot fall over in the way Leroy had gone and could feel Izabel moving through the fog with his water vision. She was on the floor blindly searching for her knife. “I said stop. We mean you no harm. I want to apologize for my friend.” Kilen pleaded into the fog, as Izabel seemed to take a hold of his words and stopped searching.

“Let the fog up weapon bearer and I’ll hear your apology.” Kilen let the fog go slowly and she rose and faced him from across the counter. Leroy was still holding his hand, but now he was surrounded by a broken clay pot, soil, and some herbs. “I am truly sorry. I’m sure he had the most honest intentions. I will pay for the broken plant, and add 2 silver for your trouble.”

“Do not touch my scale again,” was all she said looking from between them checking their eyes for understanding. They both nodded, Leroy a little faster and in pain. Kilen used his sword to seal shut the wound on Leroy’s hand. He held it in front of his face and turned it to make sure it was whole. Kilen helped him up and started to clean the mess. Izabel stood behind the counter holding both Leroy’s knife and her own. “Fine assassin’s blade for such a poor servant’s man. I’d say you have more skills than in just cooking.” She smiled and placed the blade on the counter, until Leroy snatched it back and flipped it back into his sleeve.

Finally when Kilen was done, she resumed weighing the herbs. She was a little wearier of the two men in her shop and glance up at them frequently. Finally she totaled the amount, “four gold crowns.”

“WHAT!!! That is not right. Those herbs are nowhere near that price.” Leroy’s tongue had been loosed somewhere during the struggle.

“For what damage and energy you have caused me today you will pay me that much or leave and never return. But I tell you this much, you will not find all these herbs in all of Deuterium. So pay the price or leave.” Kilen was just about to pay the price so that they could be on their way, but instead came up with an idea.

He closed his eyes and used the elements to reach out to all the plants in the room. He pushed them and urged them to grow. The aisles between rows of plants seem to shrink as all the plants burst with life filling the room with more pungent aromas. Flowers bloomed and dropped seeds to the floor, the knives in Izabel’s hands followed soon after. She covered her mouth as she turned to observe all the growing plants. “That I do for the damage to the store. I will return next week for another growth to apologize for the energy you have to expend cleaning up. Now I ask, is the price still the same as before?” Izabel stopped looking about the shop to face Kilen in wonder.

“I do not know if I should make deals with such men. You grew my plants only as a last resort and only after you have offended me.” She tapped her dirty fingernails on the countertop and stared at both of them. “I’m going to cast lots for each of you to see if you are honest men.” She reached into the folds of her dress and pulled out a small pouch, dumping the contents onto the counter. Then she scooped up the bones that had spilled out and looked into Leroy’s eyes. He seemed to get nervous as she raised her face to the sky and rolled the bones out on the counter. She narrowed her eyes as she examined the bones then spoke directly at Leroy, “You are honest enough to deal with for now.” She rolled the bones again after looking at Kilen and once again raising her face to the sky. She looked at the bones and at Kilen and back again. Nervously she repeated the casting, and observed the bones lay in the same formation. She gasped and reached under the counter to pull out a book with a violet cover. She flipped through the pages and examined the bones. “Can’t be right,” she said before scooping up the bones again and repeating the ritual. Leroy and Kilen looked at each other then back at the bones that laid once again in the same formation.

That is impossible
, Joahna said before retreating back into Kilen’s mind. Kilen wondered if he would ever have a conversation with the people inside his head. He didn’t need to worry them right now. Right now he had to deal with a lunatic of an herbalist that could help them as easily as slit their throats.

“I don’t think that turning you away would be a good idea, now that I’ve cast the lots.” She seemed to ponder an argument in her own head. “Yes, I will charge you seven silver pieces and I will see you next week for another growth. I will also like to cast lots with you again when you come back. Take the agreement or leave.”

Leroy spoke up first, “We’ll take it. We will see you in a week.” She put the herbs on the counter along with Leroy’s dagger whom very promptly tucked them all away in his various pockets. Izabel seemed to take notice of his apron and she gave an approving smile. They left the shop feeling a bit strange about the whole experience. Kilen wondered what it was she had seen in the bones laid out on the countertop. As they walked away from the storefront he searched the feelings coming from Joahna, confusion is the only emotion that he could feel. If Joahna knew what the casting had told of him, Kilen felt the need to know as well.