The fall of skullkeep, p.14
The Fall of Skullkeep, page 14
“What? Why? It didn’t seem like that bad of a place.”
“For you, maybe, but Lillian Mivar and the rest of your dad’s friends were ready to kill me just because of my House Glyph… remember?”
That stopped Jennifer cold. How could she have forgotten that? The meeting where her dad introduced everyone was very tense until he smoothed things over, all because Alexis was House Sivas. She still hadn’t gotten the complete story on why House Sivas had such an unsavory reputation, but she had learned that it was fairly pervasive in the magical society over there. What they called the Society of the Arcane. No one had anything good to say about House Sivas; at least, they didn’t admit it, if they did.
“Right. Ouch. Okay. Yeah… maybe you going along isn’t such a great idea, but it would be hilarious to watch your travel party in Tel Mivar. You can’t deny that.”
It took a few seconds, but Alexis’s serious mien finally cracked as she giggled. “Oh, goodness… that would be such a hoot. But as much as I’d enjoy that, I still think it’s the wiser course for me to stay here and focus on the Bar Exam. Who knows? By the time you return, I may be a full-fledged attorney, licensed to practice and everything.”
“Yeah. That will be great. You want me to hang around for moral support?”
Alexis waved that off right away. “Nah. You go visit your dad and his world. I’ve thought you were feeling a little directionless the last few times I visited the keep, so maybe this will help. You’ll have to tell me everything, too.”
“Okay. I’ll do that.”
Jennifer stood, which prompted Alexis to do the same before pulling her into another hug. Then, Alexis walked her out of the sitting room and stopped in the doorway. An agent stood not too far away and didn’t bat an eye when Jennifer invoked a Word and vanished from the hallway.
The agent turned to Alexis “Is she gone, ma’am? I mean… has she left the premises?”
“Yes.”
As Alexis returned to her studies, she heard him say, “Be advised; Glenda has left the building.”
CHAPTER 15
The portal to her dad’s world loomed before her. From what Jennifer could see, it was as nice of a day there as it was at home… well, her grandparents’ home. She had not decided yet if she would tell her dad right away that she was there, in his world. Part of her liked the idea of getting an unbiased impression of the place. She highly doubted that she would see the ‘real’ world if her father—Kirloth and the Archmagister of Tel—traveled with her.
Which was why she was traveling without her medallion visible.
Yes, she would have it and would wear it, but she had no intention of revealing her identity unless it was necessary. She hadn’t decided just what ‘necessary’ looked like, yet, but the whole idea of visiting the world was a bit of a work-in-progress.
Nothing to it but to do it. The phrase felt like a memory, but Jennifer couldn’t remember where she’d read it or heard it… which didn’t change its truth at all. She took a deep breath and released it as a slow sigh. Then… she walked through the portal.
The passage through tingled. Everything from her skin to her soul, but it was over mere heartbeats after she stood in the other world. The first thing she noticed was the air… or more accurately, how it smelled. It was clean and crisp and carried hints of horse manure but none of the industrial pollution that permeated even the ‘cleanest’ air on Earth. The dirt at her feet looked a darker, richer brown, the grass and the leaves on the trees a more vibrant green. And through it all, underpinning everything, was the sense of raw power flowing through her skathos.
She turned away from the yard to find an estate bustling with activity. People loaded and unloaded wagons. The workers in the stable cared for horses or led them to the nearby blacksmith’s shed. She caught a faint glimpse of more buildings and some fields behind the manor house, and she smiled at how unassuming the manor looked. It was a simple, two-story house, and if she knew her dad, the master suite was on the ground floor with guest rooms on the second. She surmised a good portion of the ground floor served as the office for overseeing the manor and her dad’s holdings throughout the world.
“Excuse me, miss. How did you get through the gate?”
Jennifer turned toward the gruff, weathered voice and found herself facing a man somewhere between her dad and her grandpa in age. He wore basic armor, but her skathos told her it wasn’t as ineffective as it appeared.
She gave the man her best winsome smile. “I didn’t come through the gate, sir.”
The man eyed her with a speculative expression for a heartbeat or three before his gaze flicked to the portal and back. “And just who are you that you could use that?”
“Jennifer Cross. Gavin Cross is my dad.”
“Young lady, there are very, very few who would have the nerve to claim that if it wasn’t true, but I would not be doing my job if I did not ask you for some form of proof.”
Jennifer grinned as she hooked her thumb and finger around the chain of her medallion and lifted it into view. The man took one look at it as it rose above the neck of her top and blanched.
“F-forgive me, milady. I… I—”
“No forgiveness necessary, good sir. Dad would rather you ask me for proof of my identity than let someone you didn’t know wander around the estate. You did the right thing, and Dad wouldn’t say different.”
The footman jerked a nod, but his expression—his whole demeanor—suggested he still felt more than a little fear.
Jennifer didn’t like that the man’s first and fundamental reaction toward her family was one of fear… or at least powerful unease. She gave the man her best smile and made to leave when a thought struck her.
“Sir, is it possible for me to borrow a horse?”
The footman nodded. “Have you ridden a horse before?”
“Some, but not a whole lot. Dad told me about Jasmine.”
“Ah, yes. Your father and that mare have a very unique relationship. I’ve never seen the like of it. Come, milady. The stables are this way.”
The footman turned and headed for the large building Jennifer had already decided was the stables. As they approached, her escort waved to a young man who set aside his bucket and walked to meet them.
“Yes, Garn?” the young man asked.
“This is the master’s daughter,” the footman said. “She has need of a horse but hasn’t spent much time in the saddle. Help her pick a mount that will treat her well.”
The young man nodded once. “Of course. I’m happy to help.”
Without another word, the footman left Jennifer to the young stablehand’s care.
“So, you’re Kirloth’s daughter?”
Jennifer nodded as she looked over the stables. “Yes. I know we look about the same age, but there are some irregularities there.”
The stablehand chuckled. “Milady, it’s magic, and it’s Kirloth. I don’t see how there wouldn’t be irregularities. Until Marcus the Black Robe recognized your father as his heir, the whole world believed House Kirloth had died out. I’ve heard some rumors that your father is from the Refugee World.”
“Yes, and so am I. I grew up thinking magic and dragons and all this were just stories.”
The stablehand stopped and turned to her. “Really?”
Jennifer replied with a single nod.
“That… that’s a lot to have hit you at once. Can’t imagine it was easy.”
Her mind went back to the early days of her father returning. How it felt like the world had disappeared out from under her and left her totally ungrounded all over again. In many ways, she still grappled with those feelings of not knowing where she fit in anymore and what the world meant to her and… it was a huge jumbled furball that she didn’t know how to face, let alone process.
She realized the stablehand stood in silence, looking to her for a response, and she sighed. “You have no idea.”
The stables housed and provided for twenty mount-worthy horses, and the stablehand walked her through her choices. All of them seemed very well cared for—from what little Jennifer knew—but only one seemed to connect with her. Colored like a blue roan, he stood just a shade taller than she did at the shoulder.
When she started to approach him, the stablehand tensed and lifted a hand as if to stop or caution her, but he just gaped when the massive horse trotted over to her and dropped his head low enough for her to reach. She smiled and rubbed his neck as they had something of a moment. She wasn’t sure quite how long they stood like that, but the moment broke when the horse snuffled and nudged her shoulder with his nose.
She grinned but didn’t stop rubbing his neck. “What… are you hungry?”
He nudged her shoulder again, and it gave Jennifer a very playful vibe.
“Okay. Let me see if I can get you something.” Jennifer turned to ask the stablehand about some apples or a sugar cube and found him staring at them with wide eyes. “What?”
Her question seemed to knock the stablehand out of his reverie, and he shook himself like a wet dog. “That was amazing. He’s never responded to anyone like that. He doesn’t seem to like anyone touching or petting him, and we’ve pretty much left him to himself because he gave us no other choice. He almost killed one of the new hands a few weeks ago.”
“Well, that won’t be a problem anymore, will it?” Jennifer turned to the horse who had followed Jennifer out of his stall and stopped at her side, almost like a puppy. “You’ll let these good people help me take care of you, won’t you?”
The horse eyed her in silence for a moment, but after a handful of heartbeats, he snuffled again and seemed to give a single nod.
“I’ll take that as a provisional yes. Now, how about a treat for my new friend?”
The stablehand turned and hurried over to a bucket, withdrawing a couple apples. He made quick work of cutting them into quarters and moved to hand them to Jennifer. The horse, however, had other ideas and stepped forward to intercept him.
“Here, now.” Jennifer hurried forward and put herself between the horse and the apples. “We’re friends, so you’re supposed to let me give you treats.”
The horse stopped and eyed her again, as if trying to decide whether she made any sense. After another long moment, he snuffled again and seemed to relax.
Jennifer grinned and rubbed his muzzle as she accepted an apple quarter and held it out for him, her hand as flat as she could manage it. “Thank you.”
The horse accepted her offering and made quick work of it before nudging her shoulder again.
“Oh… want some more?” She smiled and offered him another apple quarter which disappeared just as quickly.
By the time she fed him two apples in quarters, she felt they had established a rapport, and turned to the stablehand. “So, what do I need to take my new friend for a ride?”
She felt like a couple hours had passed when she finally left the estate. Learning how to care for a horse on the trail with the stablehand took up most of it. As they trotted down the road that connected the estate to the Tel Roshan highway, she decided that she’d call him Ajax. No one at the stables knew if he had a name, since he’d been at the estate since before the change-over to Kirloth’s ownership, and the horse seemed to respond to it.
The Tel Roshan highway lived up to its name. It was a wide thoroughfare with plenty of room for large freight wagons to pass side by side. A small raised ridge ran along the center and the sides, just enough to alert teamsters that they might want to pay more attention. Unreadable script decorated a signpost at the edge of the highway, with arrows pointing to her left and right. The same characters started both sets of script, and she assumed it was how the people of the area wrote ‘Tel Mivar’ and ‘Tel Roshan.’
She focused her mind on an idea and invoked a Word of Enchantment, “Zaenos.”
The script on the signpost swirled and wiggled until it shifted into English, and she saw she was right. The top line of script with it associated right-pointing arrow read ‘Tel Roshan,” and the other script with its left-pointing arrow read ‘Tel Mivar.’
Which didn’t help her all that much in deciding where to go. Oh, sure… she had told everyone that she was coming to visit her dad, and while that wasn’t a lie, it wasn’t the whole truth, either. What she wanted more than anything else was to explore the world that had turned Gavin Cross into Kirloth and see if it helped her develop any insights into her own path.
A solitary rider in armor with a surcoat bearing heraldry she knew nothing about stopped in front of her and offered a pleasant smile. “If you don’t mind me saying so, you look a bit lost.”
Jennifer chuckled, settling on a smile. “I’m pretty sure that’s a metaphor for my whole life, recently.”
The man replied with an understanding nod. “Well, I dislike leaving someone lost along the road, but I have business in Tel Roshan.”
She looked left, back the way he came and toward Tel Mivar. Toward her father and everything it meant to be a daughter of House Kirloth. Then, she pulled her attention back to him. “I haven’t seen Tel Roshan. Do you mind if I travel with you?”
His smile widened. “Not at all.”
Jennifer nudged Ajax into motion, and after a glance over his shoulder, the man moved deeper into the highway to give her room. After a short time, he glanced her way before returning his eyes to the road. “So, what has you on the road today, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Do you prefer honesty or just conversation?”
“My mother always told me honesty was the best policy.”
She smiled. Then, her smile faded, and she shrugged. “I… don’t know, really. I’ve felt lost for the last little while, and I felt like I need to get out and explore the world a bit. I’m hoping that seeing new places will help me sort out my place in life.”
He nodded his understanding. “I can see that. I can’t say I’ve ever experienced something similar. I grew up knowing my path.”
“Oh, really? May I ask what that is?”
“It’s nothing glamorous, I assure you. I’m a mid-level administrator for Mivar Province. I’m going to Tel Roshan to assist with some issues that have arisen regarding the new tax code the Archmagister established shortly after he took office.”
Jennifer pursed her lips to bite back her immediate thought. Unfortunately, he caught her at it.
“It’s fine.” He made a dismissive wave with his hand. “Most people find what I do boring drudgery. I’m used to that.”
“I really shouldn’t have reacted that way. I…” She felt a blush heat her cheeks, betraying her slight embarrassment as her voice trailed off. She didn’t know what to say.
He shook his head. “No… seriously, it’s fine. If I was the type to be sensitive about my job, I would’ve sought out something that let me boast of derring-do, carving my way through ne’er-do-wells as I swung from a chandelier… or some such nonsense. By and large, my job has me home in time for dinner without any major travel or danger. The missus likes that, and it lets me watch my children grow up. Soon enough, we’ll face a list of brave lads and lasses who will never come home again, what with the upcoming campaign.”
Jennifer frowned. “Upcoming campaign? I’m not sure I’ve heard anything about that.”
He turned his head to look at her askance. “Seriously? You’ve not heard of the campaign that’s mobilizing? Have you been hiding under a rock… or maybe chained up in a basement or something?”
“I don’t get out as much as I should, but I haven’t noticed any chains or rocks overhead. Mind bringing a girl up-to-date on current events?”
He looked her over once again, and it was clear from his expression that it was an appraising look that had nothing do with her attractiveness. After a few moments, he sighed and shook his head. “Well… it’s not like anyone who can see lightning and hear thunder couldn’t find out about it within moments of sunrise. See, the Archmagister is mobilizing the Old Alliance to re-take Skullkeep and put paid to the Necromancer for good. I don’t know any specifics, but the army fort outside of Tel Mivar has exploded with all kinds of activity.”
Jennifer wasn’t sure whether she should affect indifference or heightened interest. The last thing she wanted was for this nice fellow to think of her as spy for Skullkeep. She thought she remembered her dad mentioning it at some point, but it was such a vague thought that she couldn’t tease it into full recollection. She settled for another question.
“Have you heard anyone talking about what the Archmagister’s chances of victory are?”
Her traveling companion shrugged. “Who knows? The Archmagister has accomplished quite a bit that no one ever expected. It stands to reason that he would have a better chance than most. But who knows if he’ll even be among the troops?”
Yeah… Jennifer couldn’t see her dad sitting in a plush study somewhere while countless people risked their lives for his goals. “From what little I know of him, I don’t see him sitting somewhere behind the lines. He’ll be as close to the action as possible. After all, doesn’t he have to confront the Necromancer?”
“You’d think, but that didn’t work out so well last time. No one’s really sure what happened, but he and the Vushaari princess vanished for something like a year when the Necromancer tried raiding Tel Mivar. But everyone also says that the Archmagister went into that fight at far less than his best. So, who can say?”
It took all her willpower for Jennifer not to correct the guy on his understanding. After all, she’d heard the whole story from Kiri. Thinking of her dad’s wife, she bit back a snort. It wasn’t all that uncommon back home for someone to suddenly have a stepparent younger than they were, but she couldn’t think of anyone else whose stepmom could sink a throwing knife into a dummy’s eye from fifty feet away. Every time she thought of Kiri, the predominant thought on her mind was how she dealt with those bank robbers back home; Alexis’s travel party hadn’t even really had time to react, let alone act. But she didn’t think she should mention how the Archmagister’s chances might increase if he brought his wife along; Jennifer wasn’t sure that information was for public consumption.
