Arrows Of Change (Book 1) (11 page)

Tant was already moving as she explained, bending one knee
and offering her his hands as a support. Ashlynn took the hands, gripping them
firmly, then put her boot on his upper thigh and boosting herself up.

Guessing what she would do next, Riana put a steadying hand
on her waist so that Ashlynn could free up a hand. She would need at least one
to do any spellwork with. Ashlynn nodded absent thanks to both of them even as
she weaved a magical path in the air. With a sharp word, a gust of wind flew
past them, and the thick smoke that had been billowing over their heads died
down to mere tendrils.

Riana breathed a little easier seeing that. At least the
place wouldn’t be in danger of coming down around their ears.

Tant let Ashlynn down easy. “Sheriff, what do we do?”

“How far spread is this?” she asked.

“Just Main Square.”

Ashlynn rolled her eyes to the heavens and repeated, “Just
Main Square, he says.”

“Large area?” Riana asked Tant timidly.

“It’s not small,” he answered grimly. “And right now, it’s
packed with people. This is the height of the day for shopping.”

“How many guardsmen do we have right now?”

“Thirty or so, I think.”

“Thirty.” Ashlynn bit on her bottom lip, thinking hard.
“Alright. Five of you hold your position and don’t let anyone through. Mark,
Seth, Konrath, you come with me. We’re going to push these people up against a
wall and force them to stand down. If anyone resists you, break an arm, but
otherwise try not to hurt them. Clear?”

A chorus of assents answered her.

“Let’s try this first.” Ashlynn pointed at her own throat,
and her next words boomed like a thunderclap. “EVERYONE IN THE SQUARE! THIS IS
SHERIFF FALLBRIGHT. GET ON YOUR KNEES IMMEDIATELY, AND PUT YOUR HANDS ON TOP OF
YOUR HEAD. I REPEAT, GET ON YOUR KNEES IMMEDIATELY, AND PUT YOUR HANDS ON YOUR
HEAD.”

Ashlynn gave them a full thirty seconds before she said,
“They’ve had their chance, let’s go.”

They pushed through the guards and Riana could finally see
what they were truly dealing with. It made her heart sink. Saying that people
were ‘harming each other’ was a mild way to phrase it. People openly attacked
each other, screaming, cursing, swinging fists. None of them were truly armed,
so Riana had hopes that no one had died yet, but it was not a pretty sight.

It was a madhouse of limbs and heads and bodies all tangled
in with each other. It was hard to discern one person from the next. People
were shouting, cursing, wailing, pleading, and the voices rose and fell like an
approaching thunderstorm, the sound blasting her ears. She tried to pick out
individual words, understand at least some of what they were saying, but
couldn’t.

Riana felt like she had waded into a sea of rage, and it
made her heart leap into her throat even as her stomach rolled and knotted.
Never in her life had she seen this many people crowded together at once—that
alone was nerve-wracking—but the way they pressed against each other and shoved
at one another made her instincts jangle in warning. If she came too close, there
would be no buffer between her and that enraged mass.

The guards formed a wedge shape with Ashlynn at the point,
and then tackled the first person in front of them, catching brawlers and
forcing them to the ground. When they were down, Ashlynn would speak some sort
of spell, which bound their hands to the cobblestone. The guards worked
quickly, seamlessly, but Riana could tell that even at this pace it would take
most of the day to subdue the crowd.

Riana couldn’t simply let them fight alone. And simply
standing here wouldn’t calm this mob either. Taking in a deep breath for
courage, she ignored the way her heartbeat pounded in her ears, and turned to
step just outside of the wedge, focusing on the people the guards couldn’t
readily lay hands on. In this thick press of bodies, it took careful aim on her
part, but she went for the people that were near buildings. She shot arrows
that caught the edge of their clothes, nailing them to the wood. If that wasn’t
possible, she would shoot a warning arrow between two fighters, forcing them to
flinch and back away from each other.

From across the square, a voice she knew well boomed out,
“KNEEL ON THE GROUND NOW, OR YOUR LIFE IS FORFEIT!”

This threat worked where Ashlynn’s words hadn’t. People
started kneeling quickly, afraid of the anger that rang in their ears. Edvard
had arrived. He must be with Ash to be able to shout that loudly, which meant
that her da was likely here as well. Riana felt beyond relieved, but didn’t let
it distract her. She focused on the people that weren’t obeying, firing arrows
that would subdue, or pin them to something. A few she actually wounded by
aiming at their arms. She had no choice on some of them—it was either hurt
them, or watch them fatally hurt someone else.

The time passed quickly for her, living moment to moment as
she was, but the sun had moved to stand high in the sky by the time that they
had everyone sitting quietly on the ground; or quietly bleeding somewhere, as
the case might be. She and Ashlynn stood back to back, looking at the damage
done, and Riana couldn’t help but wince. The glass windows of every shop were
broken out, the main posting board in the center of the square was nothing more
than charcoal, and the whole square was covered with people.

“What happened?” she asked faintly, overwhelmed.

“I want to know that too.” Ashlynn turned to the nearest
person and kicked them in the leg, none too gently. “You. What started this?”

“There was a man near the board reading the martial laws out
loud,” the man answered with a nervous look up at the wizard. “But he was
reading them wrong. Adding in words, taking out words, making them sound
different. A few of us tried to correct him, but then there were others that
said he was right and we weren’t, and the new king was worse than the old one
we’d left, and…well…”

“And a fight broke out, and it somehow escalated to this
madness?” Ashlynn bit off, looking ready to lynch someone.

He nodded miserably.

Ashlynn blew out a disgusted breath. “Ignorance always
breeds madness and violence. We’ve got to do something about this.” Turning,
she pointed to a woman that was crouched nearby. “You. Did the fight start out
near you for the same reason?”

The woman shook her head miserably. “My husband was arguing
with one of the guards about the housing deeds. Our deed is for a family house,
but we have seven children. The house is too small. I was wrapped up in that
argument and wasn’t paying attention. I can’t tell you how it started.”

The man sitting behind her timidly raised his voice and
offered, “It was the bit about the Bindings being reinstated at the end of the
month that started people fighting.”

Riana and Ashlynn shared a startled look. What?!

“The Bindings aren’t going to be reinstated!” Edvard denied
hotly. He might have been ten feet away, but he could clearly still hear from
there. Raising his voice to a thunderous level, he repeated himself, “THE
BINDINGS WILL NEVER BE A PART OF ESTOLE LAW! Do you understand me? The martial
law is also temporary until we can write new ones!” When he got no response
except confused looks, his brows slammed together in a fierce frown. “Answer
me!”

People quickly nodded or spoke quick words of reassurance.

Riana felt a headache brewing. Just how had the Bindings
come into play into all of this? Had this riot been a case of three different
arguments all breaking out in the same place, at the same time?

Ashlynn turned back to the first man she had questioned. “Can
you describe this man to me?”

“He was too far away for me to get a clear look. I think he
was a farmer or something. He dressed like one.”

Ash and Broden weaved their way toward them, stepping over
bodies when needed. Riana waved a reassuring hand at her da, telling him
silently she was fine. And she was. Heartsick at what had happened, dangerously
low on arrows, but fine.

Her wizard, of course, didn’t understand such signals and so
demanded of her, “Are you alright? Ashlynn, Riana?”

“Fine,” Ashlynn groused. “I hate people more now than I did
this morning, but other than that, fine.”

Ash blew out a relieved breath, slumping forward for a
moment. “We saw what was happening from the window and got down here as fast as
we could. I’m glad you got it contained before it spread to the whole city. But
the question is now, what do we do with them?”

“Hard labor and fines for all of them,” Edvard answered,
coming up to join them. “Some of them were simply caught in this madness, and those
you can let go. But the rest get hard labor and fines.”

Ashlynn’s mouth peeled back in a particularly evil smile.
“Understood, sire. I have just the job for them.”

“Garbage duty?” Broden guessed dryly.

Her smile widened. “You amazing man. You read minds, now?”

“Do no’ need to with ye, lass. It be clear enough on yer
face.” Broden looked around him for a long moment, turning in every direction
to see it all. “I will stay and help ye sort it all out.”

Riana couldn’t help but bemoan, “I suppose the shopping will
have to wait.”

Ashlynn turned to her, eyes narrowing in renewed anger.
“That’s right. We were about to have some fun and shop for a few hours. Macha
take them! How dare they ruin my plans! The punishment just doubled because of
that.”

“Ashlynn!” Ash objected, spluttering.

“What?”

“You can’t do that!”

“Why not?”

“Isn’t that an abuse of authority?” he beseeched her, trying
to get his twin to see reason. “Edvard, help me out here.”

Edvard regarded Ash in surprise. “You think
I
can
reason with her when she gets in that mood of hers?”

Ashlynn turned to Riana with an arched brow. “Well, what do
you think?”

Riana’s mouth flattened. Now that she thought of it, the
whole situation was making her angry as well. “I be with ye.”

Satisfied, Ashlynn turned back to the men. “There you have
it.”

Ash threw his hands into the air. “I give up. I’ll start
over on the northern side. Try not to let your anger get the better of you,
sis.”

Not fazed by his words, Ashlynn turned to the man she had
questioned earlier and said mockingly sweet, “The punishment for angering a
wizard is either dismemberment or a month of cleaning the city garbage bins.
Which do you prefer?”

Riana sat on her rooftop perch and watched the city lights
go out one by one as people turned in for the night. Oh, the streets lights
were still lit—and having street lamps at all was an odd thing for her—but the
windows in the homes and businesses were going dark in quick succession. Then
again, it was near the witching hour, so anyone sensible should be in bed by
this point.

Being around Ash, Ashlynn, Edvard, Gwen, and Miss Haley was
a fine thing indeed, but after a certain point, Riana found it overwhelming.
Most of her life she’d only had her father for company. She’d had her
grandparents until she was seven, but lost them to the epidemic. Her mother was
lost when she was barely a year old to a flash flood in the mountains, buried
under a landslide. To go from the company of one to being surrounded by a whole
city was quite the change, and she wasn’t used to it yet.

When it became too much, and she found her head spinning,
Riana would find a quiet place that was up high. The roof above the suite’s
window was a fine perch for her, with easy access in and out. It also gave her
a commanding view of the city. The sight in front of her settled her heart in
many ways. In spite of all the trouble they had on a day-to-day basis, and the
riots, and the trouble that Zelman tried to cause for them, Estole still stood.
Seeing it spread along the horizon was reassuring in ways that words were not.

“Ah, there ye be, daughter.” Broden’s head appeared below
her boots, half his body sticking out through the window. “Be it a good perch?”

“Come up,” she invited, scooting over so he had enough space
to climb and sit next to her. This was something of a tricky maneuver as the
roof was tin, and slick, but she managed to keep her place and not slide off.

Broden pulled himself out and up the wall like a squirrel,
movements nimble. Within a thrice, he was seated next to her and gazing at the
same section of the city. “Ah, fine view.”

“It be that,” she agreed.

For a time, they sat there in amiable silence, neither
feeling the need to speak.

“Da…” she said slowly, the realization just now coming to
her. “Did ye know we have no’ had a conversation just atween ourselves ever
since Ash took us from Cloud’s Rest?”

Broden blinked at her, then a chuckle shook him as he
silently laughed. “We be in high demand, daughter.”

“Well, aye, but this be ridiculous. From morning to sunset
we do nothing but run from pillar to post.” Shaking her head at the situation,
she added, “Although it be a fine change from being run out of the village at
every turn, so I can no’ complain about that.”

“Aye,” he agreed. “I be no’ sure at first of staying here.
It be just as dangerous as home, in some ways.”

She couldn’t argue about that. “But ye have changed yer mind
since?”

“Ye’re happy here, daughter,” he answered quietly.

In those four words, she heard the answer to every question
she’d ever had on why they had stayed in Cloud’s Rest even after it became
dangerous for them, truly dangerous, instead of uncomfortable or hazardous. Why
stay? Why not go? But the journey to Estole had told her that Broden had not
been content to simply leave their home. No, he wanted something better, and
blindly striking out on their own didn’t guarantee that. Finding a place that
would accept them, that would offer them a true future, was the real goal he
had in mind. It was why he had taken Ash’s offer even though they hadn’t known
much about the man. It was why he was willing to try a new country even though
it was unstable. This place, at least, offered them a chance for the future and
real happiness.

Broden hadn’t wanted her to have the same miserable start in
life he’d had, where he was forced to watch every loved one live without
knowing if he could get any help for them if they needed it.

Of course, Riana had wanted the same for him, but hadn’t
known how to go about finding it. Not until Ash came along, anyway. “I think,
Da, that ye be happy here as well.”

“Aye, well…” he trailed off, a grin quirking up the corners
of his mouth. “When a man be respected, happiness comes.”

“There be truth,” she agreed. “So what think ye? After the
past few days of working with Ash, do ye prefer him over working with Ashlynn?”

“Hmm, hard to say. Ash be a gentle soul. He be easy to work
with and guard, simply because he no’ be the sort to go looking for a fight.
Ashlynn, on the other hand…”

“She be a firebrand.”

“Oh, aye, no doubt on that. In truth, it be the lass I worry
about most. Ashlynn be the sort to stride right into danger without blinking or
thinking about how much harm can come to her. That one needs three partners,
no’ one.” Broden rubbed at his chin, his hand rasping against his stubble.
“What do ye think, daughter?”

With a sigh, she admitted candidly, “I think Edvard be
right. I think it best I go with Ash and ye go with Ashlynn. We can handle the
criminals on the street just fine, but I have to riddle people with holes to
get their attention. Ashlynn says ye just shout them down and they cower. Ye
make her job easier.”

“I be afraid that would be the skinny of it. In truth, I
feel better about ye being with Ash.”

She jerked her head around in surprise. “I thought ye did
no’ like it as he was near to flirting with me.”

“He
be
flirting with ye, daughter,” Broden said in a
long-suffering tone. “Ye just do no’ see it for what it be. But the last few
days of working with the man have shown me that he be an honorable one, and I
trust him to treat ye well. But also, he be so focused on building, like as ye
will no’ face much danger while with him.”

Well, that was truth. “So should we switch back tomorrow?”

“Aye, I would prefer it.” In a casual tone that didn’t fool
either one of them, he asked, “Do ye prefer that sort of man, then?”

Riana snorted. “Da, I would like to meet a woman daft enough
to turn him away.”

“Ah. Well.”

Looking back out over the city, she added softly, “But even
if we did no’ stay with them, I think I want to stay in Estole. With every day
that passes, this place feels more like home to me.”

Broden nodded in understanding. “Me too, daughter. Me too.”  

Watching anyone build a wall, even a wizard, became
mind-numbing very quickly. At first it was entertaining enough, to watch the
chips fly about as he milled the wood to the length and width he wanted with
just a word. Riana had to stand well back to avoid getting covered in wood
splinters, though.

Then he started raising one board at a time, directing into
the right place with a motion of his hand, like a man herding sheep. The boards
seemingly leapt to obey him.

Aye, it was entertaining enough at first. But after about an
hour of watching boards come together to form a very tall wall, it got boring. But
they had been at this for nigh on two weeks now, and whatever interest she had
at first quickly faded. She had to admit, though, she preferred being out here
than facing another riot in the city. Mayhap Edvard had been right, and it was
best if her da was next to Ashlynn. He seemed to take the riot more in stride
than she had.

Riana turned her attention away from what Ash was doing and
instead looked about.

They were well away from the city. The land here was mostly
flat, rich and green, and perfect for farming. Why all them folk always wanted
to live right next to the city, well, she could not ken. Unless it was the lack
of water out here. Belike it was easier to find water over there. A man would
need to dig a well to have water handy if he got too far from the gates.

Estole Town sat right next to the Narrow Channel, and the
scent of saltwater stirred the air and set the fine hairs about her face
dancing. It was the only thing that kept the heat off as the day warmed up.

She spent the time thinking, as her wizard-partner worked.
This crowded city life seemed strange to her. All her life had been spent in
woods and mountains, after all. To have this many people this close, well, it
grated along her nerves. Mayhap that was why things were such a fashrie inside
the city—the people that lived there didn’t care for it either.

Not that Riana disliked the people that she’d met so far.
They’d been right welcoming, in fact, and likeable. If she’d had a choice on
who to work with, she like as not would’ve chosen the people about her. They
were far better than the thrawn group she’d left behind in Cloud’s Rest. Glad
she was to have left them behind, too. Her days there had been focused on
survival only. But here, here she was building something. Ash had not been
joking about that. And he had not been joking about them being shorthanded
either. They’d been put to work the minute they’d arrived, after all.

The riot of a week ago had been sorted without much issue.
Even most of the damage had been fixed by now. After speaking to everyone there,
it’d started because of an argument about the martial law in place. Some had
said they were worse than the Bindings, not understanding it was a temporary
measure. Then, somehow, a mass confusion had taken place that the Bindings were
going to be reinstated. That just escalated the whole thing until it became an
outright riot.

Edvard had vowed that he would create new laws, good laws,
as soon as he could, so they could avoid having another riot in the city.

For hours, Ash worked without a complaint. The sun rose,
stood high in the sky, then started back toward the far horizon without him
once quitting. He milled four of those big trees, and had every scrap of lumber
in place before he finally dropped his hands and announced, “That’s enough for
today, I think.”

Riana looked at the long stretch of wall he’d built,
impressed in spite of herself. He’d made a twenty-foot tall wall, with lookout
towers, on a twenty-five foot stretch of ground in just under eight hours. If wizardry
ever failed the man as a career, he’d make a fortune as a carpenter. “Shall we
return, then?” she asked.

“Yes.” His footsteps were slower than normal, almost weary,
and it was clear from the slump in his shoulders that building had taken a toll
on him. But there was a quirk to his mouth and a satisfied look in his eye that
said he hadn’t minded the work. “Riana, you must be quite bored just standing
around watching me build.”

“Aye,” she admitted easily. “But I prefer boredom over
dodging bandits and riots.”

He chuckled. “I must agree. By the by, Captain Bragdon had a
firm word with me last evening.”

“About?”

“He reminded me that I’m supposed to be sharing you and your
father.” Ash shook his head, amused. “Apparently he was serious about the two
of you coming in and teaching his trainees archery.”

In all the madness and confusion of the past several weeks,
she had forgotten about his offer completely. She lifted a hand and stroked the
smooth wood of the bow and tried to imagine teaching someone else all that she
knew. “Ash, I do no’ think I know how to teach.” Hastily, she added, “Oh, me da
can. After all, he taught me. But I do no’ have a clue how to go about it.”

“Then follow him over there when he does stop in to teach,”
Ash encouraged. “Watch how he does it and learn. Your skills are too valuable
to die with you, Riana. If you can pass them onto others, that would be for the
best.”

Well, she could not argue with that. “But when could we go?”

“Early in the morning was his request. Apparently he has
duties that take up the bulk of his time in the afternoon, as you two do, but
if you teach right after breakfast, it should work out well.” Ash contradicted
his own words by adding, “At least, I hope it will. Sometimes Ashlynn gets
emergency calls before she can even finish breakfast.”

At which points, Broden would have to go with her. Riana
nodded understanding. “Still and all, ye be right. That probably be the best
part of the day to teach in.”

“If you and your father agree, then tell the captain so he
stops giving me dirty looks, alright?”

She grinned at him. “Aye, that I will do.”

His hand came up and wrapped around his magical necklace.
“Yes, Ashlynn? No, we had a very quiet day out here and got a good section of
wall built. How was yours?”

He stopped dead, and his head whipped around to stare
disconcertingly at Riana. “Edvard wants Riana? Why?”

The king wanted to talk to her? Why?!

“Ashlynn says that Edvard was impressed with your common
sense earlier,” Ash relayed, becoming more amused with each word. “He also
thinks that the three of us have thought about this too much and need a fresh
perspective. He’s requesting that we join him in his study before dinner so
that we can talk about the new laws.”

“What new laws?”

“The ones he’s determined to make up today.” Ash shook his
head. “Impatient man. I guess he’s tired of not having true laws to enforce.
Yes, Ashlynn, I’m aware that we’re past due in needing them and it’ll make your
job easier. That’s not what I’m saying. What? Oh.
Oh
. Fine, we’ll be
there shortly.” His hand dropped and Ash abruptly picked up the pace, his
fatigue from earlier dropping away. “Be thinking while you walk, Riana. Edvard
has declared in all his kingliness that we don’t get supper until we’ve thought
up at least the basic laws necessary to run this town with.”