The Huntsman of Adamos (Quartet)- draft

CH THE LUMBER HARVEST

Three days later, two men arrived in Lumberton. They had traveled the southern Midcoastal Road after arriving in Port Arbor on the morning ferry with a large group of Lumbermen from Arborea and Olympia. Dressed as common travelers, friendly, knowledgeable about their crafts, they blended in well and no one realized the raven-haired metalsmith was the First Protector of Aetheria or that the caramel skinned, jade-eyed lumberman was the Headmaster of the Huntsmen’s Academy on Meridian 4. They walked through the frozen streets of the small community looking at the buildings and shops with the curiosity expected of all new arrivals, even asking locals where to find a certain wood shop. A young boy named Nick, led them to the shop and refused a coin offered, saying any family of the Whispering Woodsmith was a friend of his.

Entering the shop, they were called to the next room. The boy went in with them and stood next to another boy and a large wolfhound. As the juveniles greeted each other, the men tried not to stare at the white-haired woman standing in front of a pair of carved doors. They knew her well, but they had been told she would not know them. She was touching the carvings with her fingertips and sighing with delight.

“When you traced the images out to me, I thought it would just be lines. I wasn’t expecting it to be so dimensional. You even have Fish and his bowl on them.”

The tall, dark haired shopkeeper wrote on a tablet and the blond boy read. ‘Fish’s ego isn’t big enough yet.’

They all laughed as she bent to trace the rest of the doors. An old man with a cane spoke, “You have customers, Rieth.”

Rieth turned and grinned broadly at his brother and brother huntsman, going over and hugging them happily before he made the whispered introductions. “My brother Brie and best friend Siger.”

Both were staring at the scar on his neck. Brie touched it with a shaking hand as Siger declared, “When you said you almost lost your head, I thought you were kidding.”

“Fleur and Yuli saved me,” Rieth managed to rasp out, holding his hand toward the mother and son.

Brie held out his hand to Fleur like he didn’t know she was blind. “I am Brieles, son of Riles, call me Brie, and my thanks, my lady, for saving my brother.”

“It was my honor and my duty,” Fleur smiled, “I’m Vinterfleur of the House of Valent, just call me Fleur and this is my son Yuli.”

“Hold out your hand, Mom.” Yuli said mildly as he clasped wrists with Siger.

“Oh sorry,” she flushed slightly and felt for Brie’s hand, clasping his wrist and bobbing it once. “I lost my sight in the war.”

She was radiating kindness and welcome like the soft warm glow of sunlight. As she shook Siger’s wrist, he bowed deeply, “Siger, son of Sulu, my thanks also, my lady.”

“You are very welcome, good sirs, but I am no lady. I carry a sword and I work for a living. This is our neighbor, retired Sergeant-at-arms Banth of the House of Batan.” Fleur introduced.

Banth clasped their wrist with a firm shake, “You traveled a long way to see your brother.”

Brie nodded bowing his head in respect. “Sergeant-at-arms. There was a communication delay with the comms on Meridian 4, I just got his message a few days ago. I contacted Siger on Olympia, he was on his way to Arborea to join a group of Lumbermen coming for the harvest. It was the blessing of the Light that I was able to join him and gain passage on the Starship Wanderer to come so quickly. Rieth is the only family I have left since the Blind Oracle rescued us.”

“It is fortunate that you were able to come.” Fleur agreed.

They all nodded as Fleur ran her hand over the carving of a cat with its paw held over a green bowl in raised relief. “Woodsmith, you have made my year. Thank you. When can you bring them?”

Rieth looked at Yuli and the boy tipped his head as his eyes glow slightly. “The freezing rain will start again before sunset and turn to snow overnight. It will last through tomorrow, then on and off for a few days, but the sun will be back by the rest day, I think.” The magic faded from his eyes, “But I’m not sure, the weather in the isles is always unpredictable at this time of year.”

Brie and Siger stared at the boy in shock, then Siger burst out laughing. “Young man, if you ever want to earn coin, the farmers and lumbermen of Olympia and Meridian will pay you well for that trick.

Fleur smiled fondly toward Yuli, who was blushing at the praise while Nick bumped his shoulder. She revealed, “It does come in handy in Soldiers Cove. Yuli’s ability to feel the weather has saved our crops and small fishing fleet more than once.”

Yuli shrugged. “It’s no big deal, Mom.” He had always been able to feel the weather since he was a small child and never thought it was any different than Nick being able to feel what kind of rock was below their feet.

She hugged him and smiled at Nick too, “It is a big deal. In the old kingdom, not all children were born with the blessings the ones of the Southern Star have. Come on, we’ll see if we can borrow your bestie for a few days or if Vela would prefer to keep you both here.”

Rieth scribbled something quickly and handed it to Banth. “Rieth says if Yuli stays he will bring him out when he brings the doors.”

“That would be most kind of you, but don’t let him bother you. If he stays with our cousins, he has chores to do to pay for filling up that hollow leg of his.” Fleur teased then Yuli groaned while the others chuckled in amusement.

Rieth whispered, “He’s no trouble.”

After one last lingering touch over the doors, Fleur followed Banth and the boys out into the light drizzle. When they made the end of the street, Rieth flipped his window sign to closed and the men went upstairs. He offered them a local ale. His brother and friend both looked shocked.

“By the light, Yurieth! Your son’s magic is so strong!” Regis blurted out in ancient Aetherian. They often fell into the old dialect when it was just the three of them. In his disguise as Lumberman Siger, son of Sulu, Regis looked very different; his long braids and full beard traded for short silky black hair and a neat goatee. Serapha had even lightened his dark skin to a caramel color.

Abrieth looked just as different, with only a mustache and the shorter hair of a tradesman. An enchanted comb made his hair as dark as Yurieth’s and drops changed his eyes from brown to navy blue. “And she truly doesn’t know you?”

Rieth shook his head slowly, whispering quietly, “She remembers almost nothing, and when she does she has fainting spells, terrible headaches, and sometimes seizures.” He went to a drawer and pulled out a bottle of liquid and packet of pills. “I think the healers are keeping her dosed, so she won’t remember because the magic restraining her memories is failing. If she misses more than one or two doses, she has withdrawal symptoms. Can you give these to Serapha? I need to know what is in them and how long it will take to get them out of her system. I don’t think we have much time before Serapha needs to come and harvest her grief or we may lose her.” He coughed as he finished, it hurt so much to talk.

Abrieth’s mouth made a thin line. “Serapha told Asha about that but both she and Shadz seemed to think it was impossible and Shadz even suggested it was a deception to discern Daisy’s location. They had a huge fight and Serapha refused to teach at their school any more. Karstien sided with his sister, so if we heal her it is going to have to be on our own.”

Regis sniffed the medicines and sneezed. “There are a dozen ingredients, even two mild poisons. What are they thinking?”

Rieth shook his head, then rasped out. “I think they are as desperate to save her as we are. They have just kept adding things over the years as Fleur built up a tolerance to others. I am so afraid she is going to die.” Again, he coughed as he finished, it didn’t seem to matter how softly he spoke, it was painful and felt like he was being choked.

“Speaking of dying, Kalen and Jenna were worried sick about your injury.” His brother’s eyes squinted at the scar only partly hidden by Rieth’s beard. “How did you survive this? I have never seen anyone come back from a wound like this, especially not someone who was sewn back together by a blind woman.”

Rieth shrugged as his eyes began to glow. His throat hurt so he spoke to their minds, ‘I can only guess that it was part of the old protection magic, after the trip, my body certainly wasn’t strong enough on its own. I had lost over half my weight on the journey here.’ They felt the stress of his concern as he sighed. ’We have a group of brigands using cursed weapons and ambush attacks. They are moving between the islands and I have not been able to find their camp, if they have one on Arbor or Golden. But I feel like it is here on Arbor. I have also sensed something like one of the shadows. The brigands wounded Paulos and killed one of his companions. That’s why everyone is under order of law to travel in groups with guardsmen escorts, for a fee of course.”

“I thought paying a travel tariff just to walk the roads was odd," Regis injected into the conversation.

‘There is much I have to tell you but first we need to be seen and heard so the rumors will get back to my enemy that you are who your papers say you are. And do not react or be shocked by who will be serving us dinner tonight.’ Rieth stood and pulled his coat off the hook.

Abrieth tipped his head at his older brother. “What does that mean and who did you upset?′

Rieth smirked and sent the thought to them that had them both looking shocked again. ’The local Protector thinks he can win Fleur but she dislikes him, so he stalks her and hates me for also pursuing her. Vole of Valent is Master and Commander of the Southern Fleet and will be here in a month or two for the crab and fish harvest. And Vela of the House of Valent owns the Slumbering Pines Inn. That was her son who lead you to my shop. Don’t worry, Nevin is only in Lumberton on the Ninth day and restday, so we will stay in Soldiers Cove on those days.”

Abrieth slapped his forehead hard enough it left red mark as he exclaimed, “By the Light, Brother! Are you trying to get caught!?!”

Regis just laughed. “Since he only got caught twice in the entire last war, he’s gotten cocky.”

Reith shook his head and whispered, “Hiding in plain sight isn’t cocky.”

Regis looked at Fleur’s doors as they walked past them. “I can’t believe she doesn’t remember herself.”

Speaking to their minds, Rieth lamented, “It is worse than that, she believes she was all the terrible things our father’s words convinced her of. That everything the darkness once told her was true. That she was just a concubine in our house and that I have always hated her. She believes she is of the lowest rank because she was an owned person, and because she is a never-wed single mother. She faces hardship, even though everyone here believes she is a decorated veteran of the war. One night we stayed up late talking, I dosed her with truth potion. She truly hates herself and fears me as the Huntsman of Adamos but before she could tell me why she fell into a seizure and I feared she would die. I have not tried to find out more. Come, we must go, and I can’t use my magic to talk to you outside the shop. No one here knows I have any magic and I don’t want my eyes to give me away.”

He led them through the streets, around the market square, very obviously scribbling notes on a small handpad for them to read before leading them to the Slumbering Pines Inn. The whole time a pair of young guardsmen followed them.

The Innkeeper Vela grinned at Rieth as she held one of her infant daughters on her shoulder. “Hello, Rieth, here for an early dinner?”

Rieth nodded and bowed slightly, holding out his notepad.

She read it and smiled brighter. “Welcome to Arbor, Brie, son of Riles, and Siger, son of Sulu. I am Vela of Valent, the owner. Meals here are buffet style, you may have two servings of each dish and the boys will clean your tables when you are through. They won't need rooms, will they, because I am completely full?” She made an apologetic face.

“No, my Lady Vela, we will be staying with my brother,” Brie answered respectfully.

Vela giggled, “You don’t have to call me my lady. We don’t stand much on formality and rank in the Isles, Vela is just fine. Enjoy your meal.”

At dinner, several people approached their table to be introduced. Many people had returned in the previous two weeks to prepare for the upcoming harvests and the town had more than tripled in population. The end of winter harvest looked like it would start early because the weather was unexpectedly warmer. The mill owners of the Isles had pled to Oceania’s governor for help get the needed skilled workers before the sap began to run, but only half were available due to happenings on other planets.

Abner, the owner of the Southern Sun Mill stopped by their table, and after being introduced, offered both Brie and Siger jobs for the early harvest when they revealed their trades. Now, both would have a reason to travel around the community and island without seeming suspicious.

Rieth had developed such a comradery with the two guardsmen surveilling him that he would invite them inside to stay warm and dry when the weather was worst. The next morning when they came in from the wet snow, Rieth wrote for them his plans for the rest of the week and Brie asked to see their swords. The weapons were in such disrepair he feared they would fall apart if the novice guardsmen encountered the brigands. Brie offered to repair the weapons and to give them some basic sword training when he learned they had none.

The next day, Brie made an arrangement to with the old Gand, the blacksmith across the street from Rieth’s shop, to use his forge to make handles for Fleur’s doors and to repair the swords of the two young guardsmen. He had taught a sword-smithing class to his junior Guardsmen only last year. As he worked he explained about the dangers their weapons presented when they failed and the importance of weapon maintenance.

Protector Corbin was disgruntled to find all four of his guardsmen sitting in Gand’s shop learning from the Swordsmith and not doing the job they were assigned. He demanded they return to their duty office, where he was still ranting at them when Brie brought the repaired and sharpened swords. Protector Corbin could not refuse Brie’s offer to train them in sword skills during their off-duty hours and off days as Brie smoothly assured the Protector that he understood how busy the Protector must be as the only trained person protecting the town and island. Brie also promised to send a letter to the First Protector Lord Abrieth whom he personally knew and ask for a proper trainer to be sent to isle to ‘help’ Corbin train his men. After Brie left, Corbin couldn’t decide if he hated Brie more for training his men to ruin his other source of income, or Rieth for bringing his brother here under the suggestion that he, Corbin, was incompetent.

Siger and Rieth walked the harvest area with the Southern Sun Mill owner, looking at the trees and tagging the ones that would have to come down in sections first before the others could be felled. The rules for harvesting the rare wood were very strict, only hand tools could be used, no mechanical saws. Abner admitted that he had had known nothing about manual lumbering or forest management before coming to the Southern Star with his brother. He talked with great admiration about Fleur’s Aunt Meara and admitted he was hesitant to hire Rieth after the things he had heard but he was glad the rumors were wrong. Rieth shrugged it off, writing on his notepad that newcomers were often the subject of malicious gossip. Siger just said gossip was a vine that had its thorns in every community.