The Archmage unbound

Chapter 41

In the relative silence of my bedroom I stared at the wall where the picture of my mother Elena had been placed. Studying her features I wondered what she would have thought of the situation I was in now. Even more I wondered how she might have judged my actions up until now. She saved her child while mine has yet to be born and is already in danger, I thought. I had never known her in life, so even her features were strange to me. I couldn’t possibly guess what sort of advice she might have given.

“Think,” I said aloud. I had always taken my mind for granted, but now that I needed a truly inspired plan it was coming up empty of solutions. “I have two intelligent and gifted friends,” I said to myself, referring to Marc and Rose. “I have a wizard with strong reasons to want me to succeed in liberating the King’s hostages and a nearly invincible warrior armed with magical arms and armor. On top of all that I have a strong ally back in Lancaster willing to assist with men and support.” I finished listing my assets and considered the goal.

More than anything I wanted Penny and Dorian back, safely and unharmed. Once that was accomplished I could easily dispatch my largest current problem, the King himself. And civil war be damned, I thought. Edward had elevated himself to a level of threat that I no longer considered him to be the lesser of two evils. Another thought occurred to me then, what about Illeniel’s Doom? That was the true motivator behind the shiggreth making a deal with the King to begin with and I still hadn’t begun making a search for it. Hell, I had no idea what it looked like or if it was even a physical object.

“I’ll set that aside for now. My only concern at the moment is Penny and Dorian, and once that’s taken care of, the King. I can worry about the rest afterward,” I said to myself. Pacing the room I enumerated the obstacles to rescuing them. Most importantly I couldn’t be entirely sure where they were located. Our best guess lay in the secret compound that the Doronites had. Yet even if we could be sure they were there we didn’t know have precise directions to find it. Marc’s information regarding its location was good but he had never been there.

To make matters worse I had less than twenty four hours. Roughly twenty one hours now, I estimated mentally. It was past six o’clock now and my meeting with the King was set for three tomorrow afternoon.

I became still and felt my mind grow calm, filled by a clear silence that brought everything into focus. An idea took shape and I carefully pruned and shaped it until I thought it gave me at least a chance of accomplishing my goal. I can’t be certain of anything, so lacking surety I must simply act decisively, I thought. Taking a deep breath I went back downstairs.

The others were deep in discussion when I found them. They had moved into the parlor and I could tell by their voices that there was nothing approaching a consensus among them. In fact they seemed on the verge of an outright argument.

“Well if you have a better damned idea why don’t you spit it out Lady Rose!” Marc declared, raising his voice and putting an ugly emphasis on her title.

Rose was glaring daggers at him. “It isn’t that I mind regicide, you bloodthirsty sot, but it won’t solve anything. Even if we managed to kill him the hostages will still die. Edward isn’t a fool and I’m certain he has contingencies set up to ensure his revenge in the event of something drastic happening to him.” Her voice was level but the words left little doubt she thought Marc was reasoning poorly.

“We could just cooperate,” said Walter quietly.

“That’s worked out rather well for you all these years hasn’t it?” Marcus interjected sarcastically.

I coughed loudly from the doorway to get their attention. None of them heard me. “At least he’s thinking of his family’s well-being instead of seeking blind vengeance,” sniped Rose.

“That’s enough!” I barked and this time I got their attention. Walking into the middle of the room I looked around me. “We don’t have a lot of time. Marc, you did say you aren’t certain of the location of the Doronites secret compound, correct?”

He nodded, “Yes.”

“Do you know who would know?”

“The high priest surely, along with the supply master and some of the clergy responsible for rotating there for duty,” he responded.

“And which do you think would be easiest for us to lay hands upon?” I asked.

He put a hand to his chin. “None of them really, but the only two I know on sight would be the supply master and the high priest and of the two of them the supply master might be easier. Plus he might not be missed as quickly.”

“How long is the trip to reach this place? Or have you heard?”

He frowned, “I’m not certain but based on the few comments I’ve overheard I would guess about a half a day’s travel on horseback.”

“Rose, I need a place outside of the city. Something close by where we can move people without being too obvious,” I said shifting my attention.

“None of my properties outside of the city are that close,” she answered.

“It doesn’t have to belong to you,” I explained. “I just need something where no one will be watching and we can count on some privacy for a day or so.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Would something like a barn be sufficient?”

“That would be perfect. Can you show me where it is?” I asked.

She shook her head, “Not yet, I need to talk to someone first, but I’m sure I can set something up within an hour or two.”

I thought for a moment. “That will work. Go now. Don’t worry about being seen leaving, just don’t let them follow you.” I turned back to the others. “I want the rest of you to acquire this supply master from the Doronite temple.”

Marc looked concerned, “If we go in there and kidnap him from the midst of their temple it will cause a huge ruckus.”

“You know the layout of the temple,” I reminded him. “With Walter you can find him without anyone seeing you. Find him and remove him from his bed tonight. If he merely vanishes they won’t know enough to suspect what we’re doing.”

“What will you be doing?” asked Harold suddenly.

I smiled, “I’m going to Lancaster but I’ll be back in less than an hour. Once Rose returns I’ll go to her house and wait for the rest of you there. After that we’ll be moving to this barn or whatever she can find for us.”

I was back long before Rose was so I started work on another piece of my plan. James had readily agreed to my requests but he had been somewhat surprised when I asked him for two small boxes. I had thought that two small matching boxes would be fairly easy to find but they turned out to be extraordinarily difficult. Genevieve had solved the problem by emptying two of her ring boxes.

I had taken them begrudgingly, since I knew she treasured the boxes, but even after I had told her I would ruin them she insisted. The two boxes were actually smaller than I had planned but they met my most important criteria, they were nearly identical in size and shape, each being three inches square and one inch deep.

Since I wasn’t sure how much longer Rose would be I began by using some paper to do calculations and plan out my runes before attempting to do anything to the boxes. I had learned from my prior work that it didn’t do to start inscribing runes before I had them exactly planned out.

Rose returned before I had quite finished working out the details, so I had her wait for a few minutes. It would have taken me longer to regain my train of thought if I had tried to stop and start again later. Once I had the runes diagrammed I double checked my notes and put them in my pouch along with the boxes and my stylus.

“Alright, I’m ready to go now,” I told her. She had been watching patiently while I worked at the kitchen table.

“I don’t suppose you’d like to share the significance of your arcane scribbling?” she said with an anxious tone.

I winked at her. “You’ll see,” I said with more confidence than I really felt. Picking up my staff I headed for the door.

“Are you worried about being seen leaving?” she asked as I set my hand on the door.

“Not this time,” I replied. “In fact it may be beneficial to have them follow us to your house.”

She gave me another of her raised eyebrow looks, “I don’t suppose you plan on explaining any of this beforehand do you?”

I gave her a steady look, “Sometimes it’s better to act decisively. With some luck and quick action I think we can save them and put Edward in his place, but I won’t explain it all now. You will have to trust me.”

She nodded thoughtfully, “I like it when you’re assertive and confident Mordecai, but I do have one question.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“How did you regain your confidence? When you left our little meeting earlier we all thought you had finally cracked under the load, but when you came back downstairs you were commanding and assertive. What set you in motion again?” Her blue eyes were full of curiosity. That and her intelligence were the two things that had always defined Rose in my mind.

I thought about her question seriously for a moment before replying, “I finally realized that no matter what happened I had to do something and the only person that could make those decisions was me.”

“I agree, you needed to snap out of your self-recriminating and take action, but why would you say that you are the ‘only’ one that could make those decisions?”

I blinked, “Because it’s my wife and my friend that are being…” Before I could finish her hand came up and I thought for a second she would attempt to strike me. Her eyes were full of fury.

She took a deep breath and settled her hand by her side again. “Sometimes Mordecai, you go from being brilliant to being a moron in the span of two seconds. Don’t ever make the mistake of thinking that you are the only one that cares about those two. It’s insulting to the rest of us.”

I realized the truth of her words even as she said them. “I apologize Rose. That was thoughtless of me. I thought you were about to take a swing at me for a moment there.”

“I almost did,” she said, “but I remembered your shield. Doubtless I would have only bruised my hand.”

I nodded in agreement and then smiled at a sudden thought.

“What was that smile for?” Rose asked as she saw my expression.

I laughed, “I was just thinking that Penny would have taken a shot at me anyway.” I opened the door and we both stepped out.

As we made our way toward her house we didn’t bother trying to evade the men that followed us even though I could clearly see them with my magesight. Instead we kept up a brisk pace and followed the most direct route. Those following us kept to a respectful distance.

After we reached Lady Rose’s home the men following us took up positions to keep an eye on the house. They did their best to remain inconspicuous but since I was already following their movements mentally they didn’t really have much chance of hiding from me.

“Do you have a quiet place I can work until Marc and the others get here?” I asked Rose once we were inside.

“You seem very confident they’ll actually find the man they need,” Rose observed.

I shrugged, “I have other things to worry about. Between the three of them the worst that can happen is they could be discovered and have to fight their way out and with Harold there that wouldn’t be a problem.”

“Wouldn’t that ruin the rest of your plan?”

“Only if their identities are discovered and the news is carried to the palace before tomorrow morning. With Walter there I don’t think there’s much chance of that happening,” I replied.

Her eyes narrowed, “You mean before tomorrow afternoon don’t you?”

“No, I mean before three in the morning,” I said giving her a tight smile. “I really need to get started. Do you have a place I can work? I only need a desk or table and some quiet.”

Rose sighed but led me to her study and gave me the use of her desk. Then she found her maid, Angela, and gave her stern instructions to make sure we weren’t disturbed.

“We?” I asked amusedly.

“Yes, I plan on watching you,” she answered.

I sat down and drew out the silver stylus and the two boxes. “Suit yourself,” I said. “Personally I think you’re going to be very bored.”

Rose sat down and fixed me in her gaze. “I doubt that. Very little that you do fails to keep me entertained.”

I ignored her after that and set about inscribing the two boxes with the rune diagram I had planned out earlier. It was a basic variation on something I had already done so I wasn’t worried that it wouldn’t work, rather I was more worried I would slip up and have to start over. I didn’t have enough time to waste it correcting errors.

Two hours went by and I had nearly finished when I realized I needed something else. I set my stylus aside and glanced around. “Rose…” I began slowly, “do you have any glass beads or cut glass jewels lying around?”

She gave me a funny look, “Do you think noblewomen just keep such things lying about?”

I had encountered the difficulty finding cut glass or beads previously, when I had needed them to make explosive iron balls that I could detonate at a distance. This time I had a different use in mind but I still needed something clear and gem-like. “It doesn’t have to be glass per se,” I explained, “just something like glass.”

“Do you mean something like a gem?” she said with a mischievous grin.

I answered a bit reluctantly, “Well yes, but I wouldn’t want something as valuable as that.”

“Goodness darling! Why didn’t you simply say so? Let me check the cushions over here. I’m sure there must be a few. I’m constantly losing them you see,” she said with an air of nonchalance. “Would you prefer a diamond or something with more color?” She rose and pretended to fluff the cushions of one of the chairs in the room.

“Very funny,” I replied dryly.

She straightened up. “All jokes aside, I don’t have any glass here but I do have a few cut gemstones that might do. If you had to choose between a ruby or a sapphire which would you prefer?”

I stared at her for a moment before answering. “I guess if I had to choose… a ruby. Red would be a better color for this I think. Surely there’s something else…” She was gone from the room before I could stop her. What sort of woman keeps cut gemstones lying about? I wondered silently.

She returned a minute later carrying a ring and an ornate letter opener. Using the letter opener she bent the soft gold setting as she tried to prize the stone free.

“What ring is that?” I asked in alarm and I felt suddenly foolish for having thought she might actually have loose gemstones in the house. Obviously she would be removing the stone from something else.

She turned her head my way and I noticed she had her tongue sticking from the side of her mouth in a particularly unladylike expression as she concentrated. I had to stifle a laugh. A few seconds later the stone came free and she caught it before it fell to the floor. Placing it in my hand she spoke again, “Will that do?”

I held in my hand what appeared to be a sizable square cut ruby. I didn’t know much about stones but I would have guessed it to be at least three or four carats in size. “It should work perfectly. Are you sure?”

Her eyes met mine. “Yes, now finish your work, your work that you have steadfastly refused to explain thus far.”

“Your wish is my command,” I replied in an overly formal tone. Resuming my seat I held the gem in the palm of my hand and focused my attention firmly upon it, listening until I could hear its voice. Once I had it firmly fixed in my mind I spoke to it and a moment later it split cleanly in two. The division was so perfect it looked as though a master jeweler had cut and polished two separate stones. The two parts were identical and each had a flat side, the side that had been where they were joined.

I placed one on to top of each box, in the middle of the lid and listening more closely to the wood I caused them to sink in a bit, until they were firmly affixed. Sometimes being an archmage had its advantages. Using normal wizardry I would still have needed a separate spell or even mundane glue to join the gems to the boxes. Doing it this way they were joined so perfectly it almost seemed that the gems had grown directly from the wood.

From that point it only took me another half an hour to finish my enchantment. Finally I looked up at Rose, “Do you have a small piece of paper I can use?” As I asked the question I noticed she was no longer watching me. She had been staring at the ring and its empty setting.

“Certainly,” she said and moved to open the drawer next to me. I was sitting at a writing desk after all. I immediately felt foolish.

“Where did you get that ring?” I asked her.

She put her hand up to brush her hair back, a gesture I wasn’t used to seeing from Rose. She was normally far too poised to fuss with her hair like that. “It was in my jewelry box.”

“No, I mean before that. How did it come to you originally?” I clarified though I already knew she was avoiding the question.

“My grandmother gave it to me,” she replied smoothly, “as a present when I turned sixteen.”

The look on her face gave away more than she intended. “And where did she get it?” I asked.

“My grandfather gave it to her as an anniversary present one year, or so she told me. She’s dead now so I can’t ask her how long ago it was,” she answered. “Is that what you wanted to know?”

I felt terrible for destroying her grandmother’s ring. “Rose why?! I could have used something else!”

Before I could continue she put her hand over my mouth. “Don’t Mordecai. If there’s one thing you need to learn it’s that other people have a right to make sacrifices too. My grandmother would have been proud to see her ring used so, and I am more than ready to give it, if it will bring Dorian and Penny back.”

I stood carefully and studied the woman in front of me. I had always known Rose was beautiful, but the past few days had shown me the depths of her spirit more clearly than ever before. She was more than simply lovely, she was a creature of compassion and possessed of a nobility of spirit that was seldom seen, in anyone, man or woman. “I can’t be certain any of this will work Rose, and if it fails there won’t be any second chances.”

She never faltered, “I am not a child Mordecai. I know there are no certainties. I know what will happen should things go badly tomorrow.” She stared upward at me and for a moment our faces were so close I could feel her breath on my face. A long moment passed before she looked away and I let out a sigh of relief… and to my eternal shame, some regret. “What will you use the paper for?” she asked suddenly, breaking the tension in the air.

“Let me show you,” I said and folding the sheet into a small square I opened one box and put it inside. The ruby set in the lid of the other box began to glow with a soft red light.

“What does that mean?”

I pushed the box with the glowing gem toward her. “Open it.”

Lifting the lid she looked inside and gasped softly when she saw what was inside. Reaching in, she pulled out the small folded piece of paper. “That’s very clever!” she announced. “Does it work both ways?”

I nodded and she placed the paper back in the box she was holding. As soon as she closed the lid the light on its gem went out and the gem on the first box lit up. She opened it and removed the same piece of paper. “So using this you can send messages between the boxes,” she observed.

“Yes… and whoever has one of the boxes can tell by the ruby on top whether a new note has been placed inside,” I added.

Rose’s face grew thoughtful. “What happens if both boxes are opened at the same time? Can you see between them?”

I shook my head negatively. “Only one can be opened at a time. If I had done things differently I could have made something like what you described, which is essentially a portal between places, but it’s more difficult. Instead I used a simpler teleportation enchantment. If both boxes were to be opened at the same time it would break this enchantment entirely, so I added another that will lock one lid in place when the other is open.” In fact I was rather proud of myself for finding a novel use for the ‘self-locking door’ schemata I had read about.

“You plan to use them for passing messages I suppose,” Rose surmised sharply and before I could reply I heard a sharp intake of breath. Looking up I saw her mouth had formed a round ‘o’ and her features were lit with a realization. “That’s why you said three in the morning. You can’t be in both places at once, so you intend to send them after Dorian and Penny tonight.”

I struggled to keep my features calm, which wasn’t easy considering the accuracy of Rose’s guesses. “You’re right,” I told her. “I’ll send them after Penny and Dorian tonight, so they should reach them before any alarm can be raised. Even if the priests or the King realize what we’re about they should be hours ahead of any pursuit or counter-measure.”

“You keep saying, ‘they’,” Rose observed. “Obviously you don’t intend to go with them. Do you mean to go to this meeting with the King? Why? Penny and Dorian would be better served if you are there to make sure they are rescued.”

“My role is secondary,” I answered. “Once I receive the message that they are safe I will visit the King, whether it is time for our meeting or not. Afterward he will no longer be king.”

“And if they don’t find them? When the King learns of the attack on the Doronite compound he will assume it was you. Do you know what he will do?” she said with an alarmed look on her face.

I winced, “I can’t be sure.”

Rose glared at me. “He will punish you, through them. Have you considered all the various ways they could be mutilated?” she said in a harsh tone.

“Yes,” I replied, “as a matter of fact I have given it a lot of thought. That is the second reason I will be remaining here to meet with the King. If I receive word that Penny and Dorian haven’t been found I will make sure he can give no orders of retribution. They may die by some precontrived plan, but they won’t be tortured.”

Her face was stern but it softened after a moment, “Are you sure?”

“If it were you Rose, what would you want me to do? Wait in fear and submit to the King’s demands, or risk everything on the chance of freedom?” I asked seriously.

She paused, thinking and I held my breath until she answered. “I would not wish to be used against my friends and allies,” she said finally. “I would rather you took the chance.”

“Even if the chance carried a great risk of your death if I failed?”

“Yes.”

“Then I have chosen correctly. Until this moment I wasn’t entirely sure,” I admitted.

Rose stood and held out her hand abruptly. “When did you last eat?” she asked.

That was a good question. “Sometime around noon perhaps?” I said tentatively.

“It’s after eight o’clock now, let me feed you while we wait,” she suggested. I could only hope she didn’t plan on cooking though, her last attempt had almost put me off sausages entirely.