Chapter Sixteen
Wolf III
“So what is this place exactly?” Damon asked Gentler as they made their way down the stone spiral stairs into a chamber of dust and darkness. They were investigating an underground storehouse that some of the royal knights had discovered the night before, one that had been housing orphaned children.
“Not exactly sure. From what I can gather from Ser Linkoln’s report, a group of inner-city bandits going by the name ‘Birds of Prey’ were using this as a hideout. He believed that it could be linked to the Shadow Fox.”
“But wasn’t it just a bunch of a children? A noble find no doubt, but I can’t see how it connects to the Shadow Fox. You’ve said yourself the royal knights are not the keenest bunch.”
“Not exactly sure. From what I can gather from Ser Linkoln’s report, a group of inner-city bandits going by the name ‘Birds of Prey’ were using this as a hideout. He believed that it could be linked to the Shadow Fox.”
“But wasn’t it just a bunch of a children? A noble find no doubt, but I can’t see how it connects to the Shadow Fox. You’ve said yourself the royal knights are not the keenest bunch.”
“Well, that is for us to decide,” Gentler declared, waving his torch around the corners and lighting the one hanging on the wall, “so let’s see what we can find here.”
“What connection have these knights made with the Shadow Fox? Seems like they’re just wasting our time,” Damon asked as he searched through moldy barrels of spice. Though the goods they held were valuable, it was clear that they had been there for some time, and there was an obvious overabundance.
“What connection have these knights made with the Shadow Fox? Seems like they’re just wasting our time,” Damon asked as he searched through moldy barrels of spice. Though the goods they held were valuable, it was clear that they had been there for some time, and there was an obvious overabundance.
“They claim the leader of this gang broke into the keep earlier yesterday morning, through some sort of underground passage. Were he just your average criminal, it’s doubtful he would attempt such a maneuver.”
“Everything they have here is quite old. These silks are dusty. They have all these stolen goods, but it seems like they are simply hoarding them. Why?”
“Curious,” Gentler said while searching through documents that had been left on a chipped wooden desk. “All children here, they said. Whoever this ‘Eagle’ is was taking advantage of their misfortune. It’s a shame he would use them so.”
“Everything they have here is quite old. These silks are dusty. They have all these stolen goods, but it seems like they are simply hoarding them. Why?”
“Curious,” Gentler said while searching through documents that had been left on a chipped wooden desk. “All children here, they said. Whoever this ‘Eagle’ is was taking advantage of their misfortune. It’s a shame he would use them so.”
“Many of them likely have no choice in the matter, my lord. It’s this or starvation. They had a lot of food here too. Probably filled a lot of empty bellies.”
“Perhaps at the next council meeting I will suggest lowering the minimum age of conscription. More soldiers for the royal army, and it could solve our problem of hungry youths. Gets the boys working for their food and allows us to focus our relief efforts on the starving girls. In the Rye Wood, once a boy is old enough to hold a sword, he is old enough to join my guard, but you know that of course. How old were you when you came into my service, Damon?”
“Around twelve or so, my lord. It was right after you returned from the Pegasus Civil War. My father died in the war and left just me behind. Saved my life.”
“A senseless war really, a foreign matter we had no business in. My father died in that war too, burned alive by the fire of a dragon. What did your father do before the war? Was he a soldier, or did he volunteer to fight?”
“No, my lord. He was a simple wheat farmer. He was conscripted into your lord father’s service.”
“Perhaps at the next council meeting I will suggest lowering the minimum age of conscription. More soldiers for the royal army, and it could solve our problem of hungry youths. Gets the boys working for their food and allows us to focus our relief efforts on the starving girls. In the Rye Wood, once a boy is old enough to hold a sword, he is old enough to join my guard, but you know that of course. How old were you when you came into my service, Damon?”
“Around twelve or so, my lord. It was right after you returned from the Pegasus Civil War. My father died in the war and left just me behind. Saved my life.”
“A senseless war really, a foreign matter we had no business in. My father died in that war too, burned alive by the fire of a dragon. What did your father do before the war? Was he a soldier, or did he volunteer to fight?”
“No, my lord. He was a simple wheat farmer. He was conscripted into your lord father’s service.”
“Yes, well, he fathered a good man. I am glad to have you as part of my guard. Your presence the other day saved my life. Rest assured, a knighthood is on the horizon for you, Damon. When we return home next, I plan to knight and honor you in front of my whole family.”
“Thank you, my lord.” Damon bowed his head, now digging through a heap of garments to hide his flush of pleasure.
“Did you know my wife well when you served at the garrison?”
“Not really, my lord. I was nothing until they recognized my skill with a blade, and then Ser Barbos sent me north to you and here I’ve been.”
“A good find by Ser Barbos, then. I miss my wife and my youngest son. He was just a babe when I came to the capital and even though it’s only a few days on horseback, they hardly come for visits. I saw my wife three years ago, maybe. She looked more divine than ever. Ebony flowing hair, deep brown eyes. She is quite beautiful, my wife, and if you knew her well, you’d know she is quite fiery and protective of her children. When I told her Marcelo was to come live in the capital and serve the king as his squire, she nearly tore my heart out. ‘He’s my baby,’ she cried, ‘you can’t take him.’ But I did. ‘You have another baby,’ I told her, ‘and it will serve our son well to serve under the king. Take his letters, sit in on his meetings, squire for him in battle if needed.’
“I hoped it would make a man of him so that one day he could take my place as grandmaster, as I did for my father. But no, I do not think Marcelo will make a good leader. He is too...too awkward, clumsy, and foolish. More interested in masquerades and balls than governing, and of course my father-in-law constantly pushes for me to make him a beneficial match. Ellen Nands he wants, but how can I?”
“Thank you, my lord.” Damon bowed his head, now digging through a heap of garments to hide his flush of pleasure.
“Did you know my wife well when you served at the garrison?”
“Not really, my lord. I was nothing until they recognized my skill with a blade, and then Ser Barbos sent me north to you and here I’ve been.”
“A good find by Ser Barbos, then. I miss my wife and my youngest son. He was just a babe when I came to the capital and even though it’s only a few days on horseback, they hardly come for visits. I saw my wife three years ago, maybe. She looked more divine than ever. Ebony flowing hair, deep brown eyes. She is quite beautiful, my wife, and if you knew her well, you’d know she is quite fiery and protective of her children. When I told her Marcelo was to come live in the capital and serve the king as his squire, she nearly tore my heart out. ‘He’s my baby,’ she cried, ‘you can’t take him.’ But I did. ‘You have another baby,’ I told her, ‘and it will serve our son well to serve under the king. Take his letters, sit in on his meetings, squire for him in battle if needed.’
“I hoped it would make a man of him so that one day he could take my place as grandmaster, as I did for my father. But no, I do not think Marcelo will make a good leader. He is too...too awkward, clumsy, and foolish. More interested in masquerades and balls than governing, and of course my father-in-law constantly pushes for me to make him a beneficial match. Ellen Nands he wants, but how can I?”
“I’m well aware of that,” Damon said. “Lord Aleer almost always brings it up in passing. If you don’t mind my asking, my lord, why do you not just make the boy a match? Lord Aleer is correct. Joining houses with the Nands would give three Leones lordship over three regions in the future.”
“That’s just it, my boy: the future. Do I really want the future of my house, my father’s house, to be carried on by Marcelo? Were the boy more like—well, like you, then it might be possible. But even if I wanted to wed him to the Nands girl, Sissold knows my son. He knows what he is and what he isn’t and when legacies are on the line— Well, this is curious.” He pulled out a scribbled-on parchment from the stack of documents he had been fingering through.
“What is it, my lord?”
“It appears to be a drawing of sorts, but here, look. It shows the bank that we are building. Goes into some detail about the layout and the location.” He began to stroke his bearded chin. “Where would a gang of orphaned children come across this, and what did they plan to do with it?”
Damon scratched the back of his head. “Few people know of the bank, my lord. Was it not to be built in secret?”
“It was...”
“And to have such detail...”
“I know.”
“The only person I know of that would even have that kind of information is—”
“Do you mean to insinuate…” Gentler interrupted.
“That’s just it, my boy: the future. Do I really want the future of my house, my father’s house, to be carried on by Marcelo? Were the boy more like—well, like you, then it might be possible. But even if I wanted to wed him to the Nands girl, Sissold knows my son. He knows what he is and what he isn’t and when legacies are on the line— Well, this is curious.” He pulled out a scribbled-on parchment from the stack of documents he had been fingering through.
“What is it, my lord?”
“It appears to be a drawing of sorts, but here, look. It shows the bank that we are building. Goes into some detail about the layout and the location.” He began to stroke his bearded chin. “Where would a gang of orphaned children come across this, and what did they plan to do with it?”
Damon scratched the back of his head. “Few people know of the bank, my lord. Was it not to be built in secret?”
“It was...”
“And to have such detail...”
“I know.”
“The only person I know of that would even have that kind of information is—”
“Do you mean to insinuate…” Gentler interrupted.
“I do not mean to insinuate anything, my lord. It is simply a puzzle and I wish to put the pieces together. When I connect the corners they form an arrow that points to—”
“Lord Aleer. My father-in-law.” Gentler bit his lower lip and dropped the parchments to the desk.
“I did not mean to offend, my lord. That is to say, it may seem one way, but there is no motive for Lord Aleer to sell crown secrets. It is not in his character, surely.”
“He betrayed one king, Damon. Would he not betray another? When Daerunt approached my father-in-law twenty years ago and proposed a coup against Pedigran Lagrest, he was quick to accept the terms. I remember him telling me how easy the decision came to him. ‘The Lagrest for my family, our family,’ he told me. ‘They wanted to mine all the gold in our mountains, for the crown only. If not for the coup, then my family would still be jailers with the title of lord, and yours masons.’ What if someone made him a better offer, a better way to further his house? Would he take it?”
He paused, lost in thought. “I will need to speak to the king about this…in private. Not a word to anyone of what we found here, Damon. Not a word!”
“My lips are sealed, my lord,” Damon replied, holding his hand to his mouth.
“Lord Aleer. My father-in-law.” Gentler bit his lower lip and dropped the parchments to the desk.
“I did not mean to offend, my lord. That is to say, it may seem one way, but there is no motive for Lord Aleer to sell crown secrets. It is not in his character, surely.”
“He betrayed one king, Damon. Would he not betray another? When Daerunt approached my father-in-law twenty years ago and proposed a coup against Pedigran Lagrest, he was quick to accept the terms. I remember him telling me how easy the decision came to him. ‘The Lagrest for my family, our family,’ he told me. ‘They wanted to mine all the gold in our mountains, for the crown only. If not for the coup, then my family would still be jailers with the title of lord, and yours masons.’ What if someone made him a better offer, a better way to further his house? Would he take it?”
He paused, lost in thought. “I will need to speak to the king about this…in private. Not a word to anyone of what we found here, Damon. Not a word!”
“My lips are sealed, my lord,” Damon replied, holding his hand to his mouth.