Chapter 1, pt. 7
Allandres reached the palace as darkness fell. Whatever battles had been fought here, they were long over. The gates stood open and people came and went. The only outward sign that there had been any confrontation was a small hole in the palace wall that had, for the most part, been repaired. That and the pyres.
A dozen funeral pyres burned outside the walls of the palace. The sickly sweet stench of burning flesh filled the air. Priests and priestesses of the death-god Hardor prayed over the pyres and recorded information about the dead. Survivors wailed over the loss of loved ones. It was heart wrenching, yet Allandres had seen it all before. She was unmoved.
She attempted to enter the palace unobserved, but her attempt at stealth caught the attention of a guard. He stopped her and asked what business she had at the palace. Why had her first thoughts been to kill him and enter anyway? That course of action gained her nothing and probably would get her killed. Yet she thought of that before giving credence to the thought of telling the truth. She had to calm herself.
She explained, calmly, that she was a refugee from Pearfall. He looked at her skeptically.
"The caravan from Pearfall is not expected for two hours. Why are you so far in advance?"
The urge to kill him grew...she must remain calm. If she told him the truth, she would be arrested for murder. If she lied he wouldn't let her in and could call a mind-mage to confirm her story. She didn't have to work hard to feign anger.
"I had figured-, " she searched wildly for something demeaning to call him, but only had to look as far as his rank insignia, " recruit, that I would avoid the suicide of walking straight into a well armed and murderous human army. Now, if you are through questioning my, rather intelligent I believe, decision to NOT get myself killed, may I enter the palace?"
He stepped aside.
She entered the palace gates to a large open area. Six buildings were inside the main walls. All were well lit and she could see activity. The largest of the buildings, and the most extravagant, was also the most well guarded. People begged the guards to let them in to speak to the Duke and Duchess. The cries fell on deaf ears. One of the two large storage buildings had been quickly transformed into a makeshift hospital. Every so often a Hardoran priest would take a covered stretcher out to the pyres.
The guard had mentioned a refugee caravan from Pearfall. Allandres held onto the fleeting hope that her parents and brother had survived, but for now she had to plan that they had not. She made her way to one of the other large buildings. The guards parted at her passing, they knew her well.
She entered an elegantly appointed entranceway. Framed paintings of wizards lined the wall. These were the quarters of the Duke's Mage. Allandres waited silently until she saw the glow of magic in the middle of the room. A Var male appeared within the magic. He was dressed in the finest robes. He was older, yet still extremely attractive. Allandres smiled.
"Master Drouth." she said with reverence
"Mi'lady Allandres." he responded "I am happy to find you well this day. I had worried for your safety with all of this."
She had been secretly apprenticed to him for 2 years now. He had seen her at a faire, performing tricks for an audience. Even then he noticed her incredible talent. He asked her parents if he could take her on as apprentice, but they were concerned about costs and refused him. So he approached her and she jumped at the chance. He told her that the costs were negotiable, and he would allow her to apprentice for free until her ascension. Then she would work for him in projects unrelated to his post as Imperial Mage. She happily accepted his terms. Under Drouth's tutelage, she had grown far more powerful than the now deceased woods-mage would ever have allowed her.
She refused to fall apart in front of this man. She wanted desperately to run to him, to embrace him and ask him to make it all better. But she would not. He had taught her that to allow herself to fall apart in regards to anything was to allow that thing to control her. He also told her that control was a good thing so long as she were not the one being controlled. She would not fall apart.
He took notice in her attire, and her armament. But before he would remark upon them, he took her to his study. There were no prying eyes there. She sat in a deep, comfortable chair and he offered her hot tea and a meal. It was the first time she noticed how hungry she was. She ate heartily.
This room seemed so far away from the chaos outside. Everything was in it's place, everything ordered. It was quiet in here, magically quiet. Allandres felt she could almost sleep in this chair, almost. The rush had worn off, now it was time for the weariness to set in. Drouth sat down in another chair in front of her. With a mere word from his lips, there was fire in the fireplace. He poured himself some tea and leaned back.
"So, what has transpired today? You wear the armor of a warrior and the sword of a Knight. Pray, do tell the story."
Allandres told him everything. From the first encounter with the humans to the murder of the woods-mage. She knew she could trust Drouth. She had heard rumors that he too had a darker side, but she had never approached him about it. She knew in her heart that there was something this man kept secret, and everyone should be allowed their secrets.
He asked no questions, only listened intently. She could have sworn she saw a slight smile cross his face when she told him of murdering the woods-mage. Drouth had not agreed when she first told him of her apprenticeship with the woods-mage. He knew well what the mage would attempt, but did not tell Allandres. He considered it a test of the girl's resolve, a test of her faith. A test she had passed with flying colors, in his opinion.
After Allandres finished with her story, she asked Drouth a question.
"What am I to do now, master? I have no place, and I do not know who is alive or dead"
"Well, I can answer in part. You parents fell in the battle of Pearfall. This you have already assumed, I'm sure. Your brother lives, and has done an amazing thing. People hail him as a hero. He has not, however, come out of this unscathed. He is wounded, in body and mind. He rides the caravan right now. You have seen and caused more death this day than he, but he suffers far more from his experience. His faith is shattered. I fear there is much for the young man to conquer before he is well."
Allandres asked what she felt was a stupid question in light of Drouth's brooding words. She requested a small container of milk for the kitten squirming in her money pouch. Drouth smiled, stood and personally attended to the matter. When he returned, he brought with him a small bladder filled with milk.
Allandres pulled the animal out of the pouch and began feeding it. The kitten ate ravenously. Drouth watched intently. His attention turned to the animal. He had never seen anything like it. The baby was all white. Was it albino? No. The animal had one blue eye and one green eye. What matter of parentage could produce this? He looked at the wound on the beast's throat. A thought grabbed him. He took a pin and stabbed the animal. Not so much as to injure it, but enough that he should get a response from the kitten. Allandres looked at Drouth evilly, then realized why he had done it.
The animal squirmed. It opened it's mouth to squeal, but no sound came forth. The animal was mute. The spell the woods-mage had cast should have healed this creature of all wounds fully. This wound was magical! No Var could have done this, not in battle anyway. The humans had battlemages! Such a thing was unheard of. Drouth immediatly took his leave of Allandres. There was much to do.
"Battlemages! Darhelion be damned." he mumbled.
A dozen funeral pyres burned outside the walls of the palace. The sickly sweet stench of burning flesh filled the air. Priests and priestesses of the death-god Hardor prayed over the pyres and recorded information about the dead. Survivors wailed over the loss of loved ones. It was heart wrenching, yet Allandres had seen it all before. She was unmoved.
She attempted to enter the palace unobserved, but her attempt at stealth caught the attention of a guard. He stopped her and asked what business she had at the palace. Why had her first thoughts been to kill him and enter anyway? That course of action gained her nothing and probably would get her killed. Yet she thought of that before giving credence to the thought of telling the truth. She had to calm herself.
She explained, calmly, that she was a refugee from Pearfall. He looked at her skeptically.
"The caravan from Pearfall is not expected for two hours. Why are you so far in advance?"
The urge to kill him grew...she must remain calm. If she told him the truth, she would be arrested for murder. If she lied he wouldn't let her in and could call a mind-mage to confirm her story. She didn't have to work hard to feign anger.
"I had figured-, " she searched wildly for something demeaning to call him, but only had to look as far as his rank insignia, " recruit, that I would avoid the suicide of walking straight into a well armed and murderous human army. Now, if you are through questioning my, rather intelligent I believe, decision to NOT get myself killed, may I enter the palace?"
He stepped aside.
She entered the palace gates to a large open area. Six buildings were inside the main walls. All were well lit and she could see activity. The largest of the buildings, and the most extravagant, was also the most well guarded. People begged the guards to let them in to speak to the Duke and Duchess. The cries fell on deaf ears. One of the two large storage buildings had been quickly transformed into a makeshift hospital. Every so often a Hardoran priest would take a covered stretcher out to the pyres.
The guard had mentioned a refugee caravan from Pearfall. Allandres held onto the fleeting hope that her parents and brother had survived, but for now she had to plan that they had not. She made her way to one of the other large buildings. The guards parted at her passing, they knew her well.
She entered an elegantly appointed entranceway. Framed paintings of wizards lined the wall. These were the quarters of the Duke's Mage. Allandres waited silently until she saw the glow of magic in the middle of the room. A Var male appeared within the magic. He was dressed in the finest robes. He was older, yet still extremely attractive. Allandres smiled.
"Master Drouth." she said with reverence
"Mi'lady Allandres." he responded "I am happy to find you well this day. I had worried for your safety with all of this."
She had been secretly apprenticed to him for 2 years now. He had seen her at a faire, performing tricks for an audience. Even then he noticed her incredible talent. He asked her parents if he could take her on as apprentice, but they were concerned about costs and refused him. So he approached her and she jumped at the chance. He told her that the costs were negotiable, and he would allow her to apprentice for free until her ascension. Then she would work for him in projects unrelated to his post as Imperial Mage. She happily accepted his terms. Under Drouth's tutelage, she had grown far more powerful than the now deceased woods-mage would ever have allowed her.
She refused to fall apart in front of this man. She wanted desperately to run to him, to embrace him and ask him to make it all better. But she would not. He had taught her that to allow herself to fall apart in regards to anything was to allow that thing to control her. He also told her that control was a good thing so long as she were not the one being controlled. She would not fall apart.
He took notice in her attire, and her armament. But before he would remark upon them, he took her to his study. There were no prying eyes there. She sat in a deep, comfortable chair and he offered her hot tea and a meal. It was the first time she noticed how hungry she was. She ate heartily.
This room seemed so far away from the chaos outside. Everything was in it's place, everything ordered. It was quiet in here, magically quiet. Allandres felt she could almost sleep in this chair, almost. The rush had worn off, now it was time for the weariness to set in. Drouth sat down in another chair in front of her. With a mere word from his lips, there was fire in the fireplace. He poured himself some tea and leaned back.
"So, what has transpired today? You wear the armor of a warrior and the sword of a Knight. Pray, do tell the story."
Allandres told him everything. From the first encounter with the humans to the murder of the woods-mage. She knew she could trust Drouth. She had heard rumors that he too had a darker side, but she had never approached him about it. She knew in her heart that there was something this man kept secret, and everyone should be allowed their secrets.
He asked no questions, only listened intently. She could have sworn she saw a slight smile cross his face when she told him of murdering the woods-mage. Drouth had not agreed when she first told him of her apprenticeship with the woods-mage. He knew well what the mage would attempt, but did not tell Allandres. He considered it a test of the girl's resolve, a test of her faith. A test she had passed with flying colors, in his opinion.
After Allandres finished with her story, she asked Drouth a question.
"What am I to do now, master? I have no place, and I do not know who is alive or dead"
"Well, I can answer in part. You parents fell in the battle of Pearfall. This you have already assumed, I'm sure. Your brother lives, and has done an amazing thing. People hail him as a hero. He has not, however, come out of this unscathed. He is wounded, in body and mind. He rides the caravan right now. You have seen and caused more death this day than he, but he suffers far more from his experience. His faith is shattered. I fear there is much for the young man to conquer before he is well."
Allandres asked what she felt was a stupid question in light of Drouth's brooding words. She requested a small container of milk for the kitten squirming in her money pouch. Drouth smiled, stood and personally attended to the matter. When he returned, he brought with him a small bladder filled with milk.
Allandres pulled the animal out of the pouch and began feeding it. The kitten ate ravenously. Drouth watched intently. His attention turned to the animal. He had never seen anything like it. The baby was all white. Was it albino? No. The animal had one blue eye and one green eye. What matter of parentage could produce this? He looked at the wound on the beast's throat. A thought grabbed him. He took a pin and stabbed the animal. Not so much as to injure it, but enough that he should get a response from the kitten. Allandres looked at Drouth evilly, then realized why he had done it.
The animal squirmed. It opened it's mouth to squeal, but no sound came forth. The animal was mute. The spell the woods-mage had cast should have healed this creature of all wounds fully. This wound was magical! No Var could have done this, not in battle anyway. The humans had battlemages! Such a thing was unheard of. Drouth immediatly took his leave of Allandres. There was much to do.
"Battlemages! Darhelion be damned." he mumbled.