The Sorcerer's Vengeance: Book 4 of the Sorcerer's Path (40 page)

Jansen spoke up, breaking his usual silence. “A heavy cavalry-equipped army you can figure perhaps five footmen and one archer per cavalryman; a standard army—perhaps two to three times the ratio of men afoot to horses.”

Alex concurred with the bodyguard’s estimate with what he learned in his years at the Martial Academy.

Rusty sighed at the sound of those numbers. “Let’s hope it’s a cavalry oriented army then.”

Aggie spoke up. “Let’s see if I can get a better look at what Wolf saw.

The senior wizard grabbed a shallow, silver dish from beneath the bowl of potatoes, filled the bottom inch of it with water, and recited a spell. She gazed into the reflected image for several long minutes before finding what she was looking for.

“Oh dear,” she mumbled then spoke up. “It would appear our wild young friend is quite correct. There are several thousand men in a large encampment just days to the south.”

“I think I had best go see the duchess immediately and warn her,” Azerick said as he stood up.

Whether he had eaten his fill or not Azerick suddenly found himself without an appetite.

“And maybe Lady Miranda?” Colleen asked teasingly as she sipped at her goblet of red wine.

“I had best go with you, lad, just so you don’t ruffle any feathers while you deliver your warning,” Allister said and rose with him.

Azerick had Peck bring Horse and a well-tempered mare around and they were on their way. Azerick summoned his staff to hand even though he could have left it at the keep and called it in an instant. He liked the feel of it in his hand and the impression the powerful weapon made.

Was it always that way or was this a new feeling? He usually just left it behind, not bothering to encumber his hands needlessly. The sorcerer ran his hand over the smooth, burgundy wood, tracing the patterns of the many runes carved in its surface and felt the thrumming power just waiting to be unleashed upon a deserving foe.

Stop it, you demonic cesspool. I know what you are doing,
Azerick ordered his unwelcome parasite.

And I know what you
will
be doing and I like it! I can smell the blood on the air. Death is already being carried on the winds of fate and it brings the sweet smell of wanton destruction and brutality! Finally, after weeks of this pointless existence we can get back to doing what we do best—killing those who stand against us!

I thought maybe I would just sit this one out, stay in the rear and provide defensive support and let Allister, Aggie, and Rusty handle all the unpleasant stuff.

No, you cannot deny me this nor can you deny yourself! I know you; you could not just stand by idly while others threaten those you
love.

It was amazing how the demon could make the word love sound so disgusting. He was right though, he could never just stand aside even if he knew that his friends could handle it themselves. Azerick could hear the demon’s gleeful laughter in his head and could almost picture him rubbing his palms together like a child waiting to open his winter fest gift.

The sun was down and the gates were closed by the time they reached North Haven proper. A guardsman called down a challenge from atop the gates.

“Ho, who goes there?”

“Magus Azerick and Archmage Allister, we have urgent news for the duchess.”

“Oh, good evening to you magus, archmage. Come ‘round to the sally port and we‘ll let you in.”

Azerick could already hear the large crossbar being raised from the smaller gate a few yards ahead. The two mages walked their mounts through the single gate into the open area beyond. Another guard rode up on a horse as two men lowered the stout crossbar back into its support brackets.

“Good evening gentlemen. I will escort you to the castle. I am—holy halberds in heaven, it’s you!” the guardsman shouted in shock.

“Captain Cruthers?” Azerick asked, recognizing the former watch captain of Sandusk. “What are you doing here?”

The man ran a hand over his face and groaned. “It’s lieutenant Cruthers now. I took your advice and moved north with my wife where it is nice and quiet and safe like you suggested. It’s not going to be quiet for long is it?”

“I don’t think so,” Azerick admitted.

“I should have known better, I really should have. I should have stayed in Sandusk where I only had to worry about killer dust storms, nomadic raiders, murderers, and thieves. It was so much safer. Follow me please. Try not to kill anyone on the way to the castle,” John said in resignation.

“You sure have a way of making friends wherever you go,” Allister whispered with a grin.

Guards took hold of their mounts at the gates of the castle as they dismounted. Lieutenant Cruthers handed them off to the castle guards and returned to his duty at the gates. The duchess’s seneschal met them just inside the castle entrance in the lavish reception hall.

“Good evening, gentlemen, to what do I owe the pleasure of your distinguished presence?”

Before either Azerick or Allister could answer, the hall echoed with hurried footsteps and the chiming of small bells.

“Good evening, Captain Brague,” Azerick said without turning his head to see whom it was that approached.

“What are you doing here?” Captain Brague growled.

“I have urgent news for the duchess; news that is best not delayed by petty rivalries,” Azerick intoned as he turned to face the obstinate captain.

“Then you can tell me and I will decide if it is worthy enough to excuse interrupting the duchess.”

Allister stepped forward at this point to prevent unnecessary delays. “Captain, I assure you our message is urgent and we should be taken to the duchess with great haste.”

Captain Brague knew Magus Allister by reputation well enough to know that only a fool would disregard anything he had to say.

“Very well, Magus, follow me,” Brague relented.

The captain led them through the ornate marble halls at a fast, bell-jingling pace to the dining hall where the duchess was entertaining several nobles of the city. All eyes turned to watch the trio enter.

“Magus Allister, Magus Azerick, what an unexpected surprise,” Duchess Mellina said without emotion at their sudden entrance. “I must apologize for not inviting you to dinner. I did not think you would care to attend such a social function.”

Captain Brague took a single step forward. “Forgive me, Your Grace, but Magus Allister said that he had an urgent message to deliver and I felt compelled to bring him at once along with—him,” he informed the duchess with a jerk of his thumb towards Azerick.

“Good evening, Azerick,” Lady Miranda said with a warm smile.

“Good evening to you, Miranda,” Azerick returned, matching her smile with a rare showing of one of his own.

Captain Brague glared daggers at Azerick’s failure to address Miranda by her title but said nothing.

Oh you have got to be joking! Please tell me we are having relations with that!

We
are
not
having relations or anything else with that! You will have no part of anything with Miranda! I will push you so far back in my mind that your entire world could be encompassed by a speck on a grain of sand!

My, what a complete over-reaction for someone not having relations. Oh, this is fantastic! –Hey, stop it, nooo
! The demons voice trailed away and disappeared behind an iron wall of absolute nothingness.

“Perhaps you would like to discuss this privately,” Azerick said.

“Is it a personal matter or does it involve the city?” the duchess asked.

“I believe there is a great threat to the city and possibly the entire kingdom.”

Worried mutterings erupted around the table but a frigid look from Mellina quickly silenced them. “Then please proceed. Everyone at this table has a large stake in the safety and success of the city and has a right to know about anything that threatens it.”

“Very well, Your Grace,” Azerick replied with a nod. “We believe a large group of soldiers are no more than three days march from here, possibly only two. Several hundred cavalry could reach the city in less than a day.”

Miranda threw a delicate hand to her full lips with a gasp of shock. Duchess Mellina reacted with the same cold, calm demeanor she granted any other sort of news.

“Do you have an approximation of their total numbers, Magus?” Mellina asked after once again silencing the worried mutterings of the nobles with a steely glance.

“At least three thousand; perhaps as many as twice that.”

The mutterings took on an air of panic at Azerick’s words. All the nobles voicing their fear and shock sounded like a gaggle of frightened geese, honking wildly without coherent purpose or direction.

“Silence!” the duchess shouted in a rare show of emotion. “I thank you for this information, magus. Once again, you have proved yourself a valuable friend to the city. Captain Brague, head the readiness of the city’s defenses. Double the watch and rouse the militia. Unlock every weapons store we have and put them into the hands of every able bodied man and woman in the city. If these men do indeed plan hostilities towards North Haven, we will repel them just as my grandfather and his father before him repelled the pirates and barbarians.

“Chamberlain, have my armor readied. If North Haven falls it will be atop my cold, dead body. I want buckets and cisterns filled to fight fires and barricades erected along the streets to channel anyone who breaches our defenses into killing zones. It looks as though this year’s winter festival will be celebrated in a display of blood, valor, and heroism.”

An older, heavy-jowled noble cleared his throat. “Your Grace, perhaps it would be prudent to evacuate Lady Miranda and as many non combatants by ship as we can. Most every merchant ship that calls North Haven home is docked for the winter. We could move several thousand if necessary.”

Azerick answered the nobleman’s suggestion for the duchess. “I would strongly advise against taking to the sea. One of my ship captains reported that Southport had numerous warships standing ready and closed its harbor as well as its gates. It is quite possible that those ships are to be used to invade North Haven by sea, or at the very least, provide a blockade against anyone escaping to seek aid and could at this moment be waiting to capture or sink any vessel heading south.”

“That vile, treacherous snake!” Miranda shouted in fury. “I never thought that even he would sink so low as to take North Haven by force despite all his treacherous ambitions!”

“Chamberlain, send a runner to the harbor master and have him raise the chains to seal off the harbor. Have the harbor fortifications put on alert and see that the weapon emplacements are ready to engage any ships attempting to invade us by sea,” Duchess Mellina ordered.

“We do not know if that is Ulric’s plan, but we will be prepared and I would not put such treachery as being beneath him. If he is behind this, I will do everything in my power to see that he pays a reckoning for it. Magus, can we expect any magical aid from you and your people in our time of need?”

Azerick looked into Miranda’s beautiful, liquid emerald eyes. “Your Grace, I am afraid my people and I will all be fully engaged defending the keep. If North Haven comes under attack, particularly if Ulric is behind it, they are not likely to leave us alone and risk us going to Brelland or Brightridge for help.”

“You selfish, cowardly bastard!” Captain Brague shouted in rage. “You would allow the city that is your host and home to crumble about you just to save your own worthless hide! If you are truly worried about them and not just yourself, why not move the lot of them inside the city walls?”

Azerick did not return the captain’s vitriolic accusation but calmly replied, “The citadel is home to over three hundred of this city’s displaced youth and dozens of men and women. It is
my
home, they are
my
family, and I will defend it and them with my very life. I will abandon neither for anything or anyone.”

“That is enough, Captain. Magus, I thank you for your warning and I wish you well in your defense. If there is nothing else, I will bid you good evening while I and my counselors further discuss the defense of the city.”

Azerick and Allister gave the duchess a small bow and departed the dining hall. Miranda caught up to them in the hall a moment later.

“I will wait for you outside, son,” Allister told Azerick as Miranda came running after them.

“Azerick, I heard only recently that you had returned. I am sorry that I have not found time to see you myself. This winter was every bit as difficult for us as the last one was. I had hoped you would come to see me when you returned.”

“I am sorry, Miranda. I have been—preoccupied. I did want to see you, but things have been out of sorts for me since I got back. I wish I had come under more pleasant circumstances,” Azerick replied.

“Is there nothing you can do for the city against these invaders?”

Azerick sighed and replied remorsefully. “I wish I could, but I must defend the citadel. It is possible that whoever it is does not fully understand the nature of the school and will greatly underestimate our resources. If we break free of any siege, I promise you, I will come to the aid of the city—and you.”

Miranda smiled warmly at the sorcerer. “I know you would never abandon us, Azerick, and I know you are the least cowardly man I have ever known despite Captain Brague’s rather harsh opinions.”

“I am glad you feel that way. I would not like you to think poorly of me. I will do what I can.”

“I know you will. Good luck. I will see you after the battle,” Miranda said and looked at Azerick expectantly.

Azerick looked into her jade-flecked eyes, longing to feel her sensuous full lips against his, but Klaraxis’s mocking words haunted him and made him pull back.

“I need to attend to other matters in the city, Lady Miranda. Forgive me, I must go,” Azerick said and spun on his heel and departed with haste.

Damn that man and his aloofness! What do I have to do to get his attention, club him in the head?
Miranda wondered in frustration.