Dexter of Pozzelby

  “Yes, I mean, economically there are great riches in Scrytch that go untapped. Do you know that the mountains of Scrytch are filled with gems and precious metals that we don’t mine?”

  “I understand that there is mining in Scrytch,” I said, recalling some things that Brin had told me.

  “Yes, but the best mines are closed to us.”

  “Because,” I said, “They belong to the Blue Mountain Dwarves. The mountains in Scrytch are part of the dwarfs’ traditional homelands and are theirs by treaty as well.”

  “Those treaties were made hundreds of years ago. They could be renegotiated. Or perhaps re-evaluated; by today’s legal standards they might be found...invalid?”

  “Earl, I have never met a dwarf, but I wouldn’t imagine that they would take kindly to our attempting to take their homelands. I haven’t been king for long, but I wouldn’t be surprised if such an action precipitated some resistance on the part of the dwarves. Armed resistance, I shouldn’t doubt.”

  Brin’s father sneered as if he found the idea of angry dwarves with battle axes somehow amusing.

  “These are details that can be worked out. Great gain always requires some investment, and in this case the potential gains are tremendous. The kingdom would be greatly benefitted.”

  “Hmm, perhaps you’re right. I will speak to my advisor on Scrytch and see what she thinks.”

  “Your advisor on Scrytch?” He was truly puzzled.

  “Yes, her name is Brin; I believe you know her.”

  He was taken aback. The earl’s face fell as he scrambled to come up with a response. He looked from side to side and then forced a smile and an insincere laugh.

  “Ha, you have met my daughter then. I hope that she hasn’t been too much trouble. King Ardwulf was kind enough to foster her here. She was unhappy at home after her mother passed away and has flourished here.”

  “How do you know that she has flourished here? When was the last time that you have seen her or even written to her? You were here all day; did you see her today? Did you make any effort?” I asked angrily.

  “Sire, I assure you my daughter means everything to me. I certainly intend to visit with her before I depart. Err, it is alright if she continues to foster here, isn’t it?”

  “I insist that she does. She has shown herself to be intelligent, resourceful, and has been extremely helpful to me and the staff during this trying time. Earl Horace, I find your ideas about the resources of Scrytch intriguing, but as I said I will have to run your ideas by your daughter. She has been acting as an advisor in a limited way.”

  Horace leaned in and his face assumed a serious countenance. “King Dexter, while I appreciate that my daughter has a sharp wit and keen mind, she is also...poorly balanced. Her mother’s untimely demise affected Brin quite severely. As a father, I hate to say it, but as your loyal subject I must—my daughter should not be entrusted with any kind of important duties. Emotionally, she is ill-equipped to handle responsibility.”

  “Thank you, Earl, for your loyalty. How do you like the truffles?” I said, hopefully ending the conversation.

  It worked. He said something to which I did not pay attention and Ardbeg took advantage of the lag to jump into the conversation.

  “King Dexter, how are you holding up?” With anyone else, I might have been annoyed by the question, but Ardbeg was so obviously sincere in his concern.

  “I am managing,” I said, rubbing my tired eyes. “Thank you. I have been too busy to grieve properly yet.”

  “Your father was a good friend of mine. I did not want to believe the news when I heard it. And your brothers—it is beyond belief. I had to come. I just saw your father last month. He came to Mirall and stayed for two days. We fished on Stirrup Lake...” He paused, momentarily overcome with grief. I briefly felt guilty that he was displaying the emotion that I had forced myself to shut off. His raw feelings, so genuine and strong created a sympathetic reaction in me and threatened to tear through the walls that I had built around my grief to deal with problems at hand. Tears blurred my vision and almost spilled out. I blinked them back and stuffed down my feelings. This was no time to succumb. My father would have been so proud.

  Ardbeg recovered and continued. “I think that it is a disgrace that so few among the nobility have come for the funeral. They are scared sheep! The fact that four members of the royal house were murdered should be a call to arms, not the sign to run and hide.”

  “I heard that Duke Grimwulf had come to Pozzelby Castle,” said Belle de Venie, “but I have yet to see him.”

  I did not bother to ask her how she had heard. She could have easily been told since she arrived, or she might have had her own intelligence. She might even know that Grimwulf was currently under arrest in his quarters. If this reception had been a breakfast and if I had been fresh, I might have prevaricated. But it was dinner, it was late, and I was very tired.

  “Duke Grimwulf arrived three days ago. Yesterday, I arrested four of his men for murder and detained the duke and his advisor for suspected involvement in the murder of King Ardwulf and the rest of my family.”

  The room got very quiet. Most of the surrounding tables had been eavesdropping on our conversation. Only the back tables had been unable to hear and continued talking, until they noticed the silence that prevailed on the rest of the room. Then they too were quiet.

  “Now, if you will excuse me; it has been a long day and I am tired. Feel free to remain and enjoy the entertainment that Tayu has arranged. I believe there are musicians and Augin Dan is going to recite,” I announced. “Castellan, if you and Myrick will join me.” I made eye contact with Francis and indicated that he should he also come.

  Everyone stood when I stood and remained standing until I had left the room. Tabor Till glowered in silence, undoubtedly annoyed at not having been asked to join the conference. Perhaps my departure had been premature, but I recognized that my fatigue had rendered me incapable of diplomacy at the moment. Besides, the whole affair seemed of paltry importance compared to everything else that was afoot. Still, they were here for the funeral rites; those were scheduled to occur in two days. By Pozzelbian tradition the rites were to be held thirteen days from the time of death and the bodies cremated on a pyre. I would do everything in my power to uphold tradition. The only thing that would stop me was if I was dead myself.

  We went back to my quarters. Inside, I outlined what I had learned in my conversation with Andyn Hull. I also told them about having seen Tabor Till burning papers in his chamber.

  “The general said himself that we should suspect everyone,” Myrick said. “I wonder if he ever thought suspicion would fall on him?”

  “I am of two minds,” said Layred Vu. “While we need to be prudent in our investigation, we really have no hard evidence of General Till’s involvement. It is no secret that I have never cared for Tabor Till personally, and I am sure that the feeling is mutual—though who can tell with him; he has put in a lifetime of service to Pozzelby and has proven himself an able commander. The army, especially those who serve under him directly, may prove to be more loyal to Till than to King Dexter. I don’t know.”

  “Yes, but everything points to his involvement,” I said. “He has tried to misdirect our investigation away from Grimwulf, whom we know to be involved in the plot.”

  “Not for certain,” Myrick said. “Two of his officers have confessed to killing Tern, claiming they did it on their own because he insulted them. Neither Captain Fenris, nor any of the others, have yet to admit involvement in carrying messages for delivery to Pozzelby Castle. Grimwulf has steadfastly maintained his innocence. I have yet to speak to his advisor.”

  “Speaking of his advisor, I think that it is possible that Doctor Ahem could be involved in all of this too. Brin saw him interacting suspiciously with Callis. And he also keeps a store of night irises, which Francis tells me were used to make the candles we found i
n the perfume storeroom,” I said.

  Francis nodded. “That is correct, but when I went to Dunlevy I found a dye maker there who also uses the flower and one of the candle makers even admitted using the flower to make black candles for the Eridanite winter solemnities. I am sorry to say it, but Doctor Ahem seems like an unlikely suspect to me; anyone could have acquired those candles.”

  “I have to agree,” said Layred Vu. “As he has gotten older, the doctor has gotten slightly senile. I can’t see him being involved in something like this.”

  “But you said that he leaves the castle every month or so to tend to the needs of the commoners living nearby. Was he away when the king was killed? And if he was, who went with him? Who did he see? Can anyone vouch for his whereabouts?” I wanted to know.

  “I don’t know if he was here or not when the murders took place, but I should be able to find out,” the castellan told me.

  “Tomorrow, first thing.”

  “Yes, Sire.”

  I did not have anything else to say. Myrick and Layred Vu left and Francis stayed behind. I was not really satisfied with the outcome of the meeting, but I was confident that my trusted aides—yes, I did trust them—would be cautious and take what I said into account.

  Francis looked at me from across the table. “I am sorry that I hadn’t told you about my trip to Dunlevy. Things have been so chaotic around here and I haven’t seen you since I went.”

  “It’s alright, but I still think that Doctor Ahem is involved.”

  There was a slight clicking sound near the sofa by the fireplace. We both turned to look. The hidden panel opened and Brin came out; I had given her the key when she had left.

  “Hi, Dexter. Hi, Francis,” she said. “Your dinner is over?”

  “It is for me,” I said. “I’m tired and came back to get some sleep.”

  “Me too. I was spying on Callis some more, but he wasn’t doing anything but sitting in a chair, staring straight ahead. It’s creepy—he never even blinks. I watched Duke Grimwulf for a while, but he went to sleep so I left.”

  “Thanks, Brin. I met your father. I have to say that your descriptions of him seem spot on. He wanted me to break the treaties with the Blue Mountain Dwarves so he could expand our mining operations in Scrytch; never mind that it would probably spark off a war, as long as it made him a profit.”

  “He never liked the dwarves. He always said that they were...”

  My bedroom door suddenly blew open and cold wind poured in, extinguishing the lamps and blowing papers from desk to the floor. An indistinct howl that could have been caused by the strange, unnatural wind but was not, sounded from somewhere inside of the castle and on the grounds at the same time. From below and in the hallway outside of my suite, there were shouts of alarm and fear.

  “What is it?” Brin asked.

  “I think we’re being attacked,” I told her. “We can see what’s going on from my bedroom window.”

  My bedroom was better lit than my sitting room as some moon and starlight filtered in through the window. It was just light enough to see the black shape, darker than the shadows, slither through the window as we entered my room. It moved like a snake and radiated a soul-numbing chill.

  “Withsperi!” cried Francis. “The castle is being attacked by shadow monsters!”

  Chapter Nine

  Pozzelby’s High Coven, sometimes called Feyette’s Coven, after its first high priestess, has existed since approximately 3750 and has been steadfast in its mission over the six centuries since then. The High Coven maintains a membership of thirteen witches, mostly women, but men have sometimes been invited, and is dedicated to the protection of Pozzelby, all of it, not just its human residents. Primarily, the coven works toward keeping a balance between all of the various species in the kingdom and guarding against the incursion of the unnatural. Despite their long existence and their mission, most Pozzelbians are not aware of their existence. This is due to their penchant for subtle interventions and working in a manner that keeps them mostly behind the scenes.

  Excerpted from J. R. Grimble’s Pozzelby: A History

  The shadow asp quickly crossed the room. We backed out and slammed the bedroom door shut. We were in near total darkness, but could feel the cold presence of the shadow monster as it slid easily under the door.

  “Brin, your crystal!” I said.

  A second later, Brin’s gem flared to life and brightly illuminated every corner of the room. As I had known, the shadow monster was there, a scant five feet away, poised to strike at me. The light hit it like a physical blow. It twisted in silent agony and melted away to nothing.

  Now I was aware of shouting right outside my door. There was a shriek of pain and then Myrick’s voice could be heard ordering the guards to disengage. Francis opened the door and revealed Myrick with a torch in one hand and his enchanted sword in the other engaged with a second shadow asp. One of the guards was dead and the other three had their backs to my door.

  “You men, get into my quarters,” I told them.

  Brin, Francis, and I stepped out into the hall to assist Myrick. When the enchanted light encroached the shadow asp it fell back, hurt but not destroyed as the other one had been. Then there was shouting in my suite. Another shadow monster had entered through the window.

  “They seem to have originated from somewhere inside of the castle and on the grounds simultaneously,” said Myrick. “I’m not sure how many points of attack there are.”

  “Let’s concern ourselves with this one,” said Francis. “Back into the suite.”

  We retreated back into my suite where the guards were under attack by another withsperi. When the edge of Brin’s light fell on it, the asp quickly pulled back to the bed chamber. But as it did, three more came in through the hallway door and more were pouring in through the bedroom window. We were backed up against a wall with Brin and Myrick in the front holding them off with sword and crystal. Francis opened a bottle that burnt with a fizzing, bright, white light. But now there were over a dozen shadow asps crowding the edges of our light. Worse, the intense darkness of the shadow monsters was actually counteracting our light. Even Brin’s crystal seemed to be glowing less intensely. We had them at bay, but only for the moment. I thought about trying to make for the passage behind the sofa, but I didn’t think our light would hold out even that long. More asps were coming in and our light was nearly gone.

  Suddenly, my bed chamber lit up like day. The light spilled through the door into the room where we were. It engulfed several withsperi and they shriveled in silent death. With fewer asps surrounding us, Brin’s crystal glowed a little brighter. A woman appeared in the doorway; she had a gnarled staff in hand, the top of which was glowing like a small sun. Several more shadow asps perished immediately. The others cowered in the corners and some tried to flee into the hallway. The woman pointed her staff at those and missiles of golden light and fire burst forth and destroyed the withsperi. She turned the staff on those asps that remained in the room and soon those were slain as well.

  The woman dimmed the light of her staff. Brin’s crystal was shining as bright as ever now. I took a better look at the strange woman. She was dressed in a long, black dress that was covered by a dark green cloak. She appeared to be middle-aged and there was a familiarity about her. All of a sudden, I had a strong hunch as to who she might be.

  “Francis,” she said. “It looks like I got here just in time.”

  “I would not have complained if you had arrived just a few minutes earlier,” Francis said. “I think introductions are in order. Dexter, meet Emily—your mother. Emily, this is Dexter.”

  I stood mute. I had suspected when I had seen her, but never in any of my imaginings had I pictured our meeting like this. All of my questions and anger were momentarily forgotten. She looked at me with chestnut eyes that were filled with love and pain. I hugged her to me tightly. She hugged me back just as ti
ght and I dissolved into tears, not caring that there were others present. When we finally broke our embrace, I saw tears in the eyes of many in the room.

  It was Myrick who broke the silence.

  “Dexter, I am very happy for you. However, we need to see if the castle is under attack anywhere else. I will attend to it.” Myrick ordered the two remaining guards to carry the body of their fallen comrade to the hall. “I will send men up to reinforce you and carry away the dead.”

  “Myrick, wait. We should go with you, in case there are any more shadow monsters. No one else can fight them,” I said, ignoring the fact that I couldn’t really do anything about them either.

  ****

  “Captain Talon, report,” Myrick said as we walked into the guardhouse.

  “My lords, I have reports that the withsperi appeared near the courtyard, and also near Duke Grimwulf’s quarters and the Tower Imbroglio. The asps in the courtyard made directly for the windows of the royal suite. King Dexter, I am glad to see you alive and unharmed. The asps that appeared inside of the castle attacked the guards stationed outside of the duke’s room and that of his advisor. All of those men, ten men total, were killed. Eight more were killed in the tower and the duke’s officers are missing. The asps then went toward the royal suite,” said the captain of the guard.

  “What happened to Grimwulf?” I asked. “Is he still secured?”

  “Unfortunately not, Sire. I had men stationed in the hidden passage, as you had ordered, observing the duke and Callis. The men who were watching the duke said that his advisor came into Grimwulf’s bedroom where he had been sleeping told him that assassins had been sent to kill him. Callis told Duke Grimwulf that he was there to free him. My men entered the room at that time through the hidden entrance. Only one, Sergeant Serria, survived,” Talon told me.

  “And the men who were observing Callis?”

  “All five were found dead inside of Callis’ room.”

  “There have been no further signs of the shadow asps?” asked Francis.

  “None.”

  “Bring on extra squads. Seal the castle. Grimwulf should still be here,” I said. “I want him found.”