CHAPTER SIX

Lantira. Spring 5454 Tempus Parallel

Outside Ruth’s room they were met by a young boy dressed in a brown homespun tunic and leggings. He had been slumped against the wall next to Ruth’s door and judging by the rapid blinking of his eyes as he leapt to his feet, he had been quietly dozing.

“So, young Todi, is this what you call protecting our guest? If Madame Fey and her sisters had come this way you would have been about as much help as a mewling babe. Richard didn’t bring you here so that you could sleep your days away. You’re supposed to be learning to be a page.”

Todi looked sheepish. “I’m sorry, Amariel. It’s just that I had to do extra work in the stables yesterday because Frin the stable boy’s gone and broken his leg. The stable master kept me past dusk because he said I had no more idea about how to muck out a stall than a spider. He made me do it all twice. Then I had to get up and help cook this morning. She said that we were all at sixes and seven’s because the Security Council were here and there was the new mage who was going to be fussy about her food no doubt. Cook said that being foreign she was going to want the sort of things that caused cook extra work to make…”

Todi paused for breath in the middle of this catalogue of woe and Amariel rapidly interrupted.

“All right Todi. I understand. But it is important that you stay awake in future. You have to help Ruth by running her errands and by keeping unwanted visitors away. Do you understand that?”

“Yes, Amariel. I promise I won’t fall asleep again”

Amariel turned to Ruth “ Ruth this is Todi. He is a page here at Bardshelm and for the moment he is assigned to you. If you need to speak to anyone or want anything then ask Todi.

Ruth looked at Todi who had been surreptitiously eyeing her from under his fringe of mousy brown hair. He looked about twelve or thirteen, and like all boys that age appeared to have slept in his clothes and last brushed his hair a week ago.

“Hello Todi”

Todi bowed “Greetings noble Mage, I am honoured to serve you.”

“I beg your pardon? Firstly I am not a noble and secondly I am certainly not a Mage,” said Ruth tartly. “And please call me Ruth.”

Todi looked across to Amariel in fright. “I can’t call the Mage by her name. His Grace would murder me.”

“I suggest that you do as Ruth asks for the moment. I will explain to His Grace” Amariel turned to Ruth “ I apologise again for not having explained things to you. We simply haven’t had the time. You say that you are not the Mage but I have to tell you now that the position we recruited you for is that of Mage Prime of the Multiverse.”

Amariel started to lead the way down the passage with Todi trailing after Ruth.

Ruth looked at Amariel in disbelief “Mage Prime of the Multiverse? I’m sorry but I don’t think this is a very funny sort of joke.”

Amariel said over her shoulder “It is no joke, I assure you. There has not been a Mage Prime in the Multiverse for over eighteen hundred years. Our need has become so desperate that we had to search the parallels for someone who we weren’t even sure existed. Look – I am not the best person to explain all this. My mother and Orselon have a much better grasp of the history that has put us in this position.”

“Okay” said Ruth “ I am about as confused as I want to be now. I’ll wait, but the explanation had better be a good one.”

They continued along a maze of passages, went up and down several stairs and crossed at least two vast halls hung with banners. Ruth was completely lost.

They saw no one else during their journey although occasionally Ruth could hear voices from behind doors or from people out of sight down passages. Once she heard a clashing noise as they passed a series of high arched windows that let a dusty light stream into the passage they were travelling. She assumed that it was the sound of swords. A practice session she hoped but she couldn’t see out of the windows because the sills were too high.

Eventually, after what seemed like half an hour of walking they came to a simple wooden door set at the end of the passage.

Todi rushed forwards and got his hand on the latch before Amariel could reach for it.

“Please let me do this bit,” he pleaded. “Then His Grace can’t say I wasn’t doing my job right.”

“All right,” sighed Amariel “but make it short and then make your peace with Ruth later.”

Todi made an unsuccessful attempt to smooth down his hair and straighten his tunic. He pulled himself upright, squared his shoulders and assuming an expression of lofty distain, opened the door.

Amariel held her hand out to stop Ruth stepping into the room. “Let him do this. Just play along for the moment.”
Todi took up station to the side of the open door. His normally childish voice suddenly took on the timbre and polish of a practised toastmaster.

“Your Grace, Lady Darantiel, Noble Orselon, Sir Thomas, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Security Council,” He paused and then having got the attention of the room’s occupants continued “The Lady Amariel and the Lady Ruth, Mage Prime of the Multiverse.”

Todi bowed and with a wide arm gesture indicated that Ruth and Amariel should enter.

“I’ll speak to you later about that,” whispered Ruth as she passed him.

Todi let a small grin escape before assuming his official mask of inscrutability. He took up a position just inside the now closed door.

Ruth came to halt after a couple of steps into the room. Before her were about eight people. Two she recognised. Thomas Dextermann, in human form but with a deep scratch across his neck and a dark bruise on his cheekbone. He was however wearing very different clothes to the last time she had seen him. Gone was the city suit, replaced with black leggings and a deep red tunic with slashed sleeves showing an undershirt of black silk. All this was set off by a much slimmer sword than she had seen Richard, the Duke wearing. Thomas’ sword had an elaborate hilt and guard of worked silver filigree.

While the weapon looked very decorative, something about the way Thomas wore it with his hand held casually close to the hilt suggested that it was not merely for show.

Richard, Duke of Bardshelm stood to one side. He bowed slightly to Ruth and Amariel but his face remained closed and stern. The charming smile of earlier was not in evidence. To his right was a small woman dressed entirely in silver grey-tunic, leggings and soft leather boots. Her greying red hair was twisted into a knot and pinned on top of her head. A narrow, plain silver circlet was her only ornament. The neatly folded wings proclaimed her faerie blood.
Cool blue eyes appraised Ruth.

Thomas Dextermann came forward and put his hand under Ruth’s elbow to move her forward.

“May I introduce Darantiel, Leader of the faerie?”

Ruth didn’t think that shaking hands was quite the thing here so she restricted herself to what she hoped was an aristocratic nod of the head as she said, “Delighted to meet you.” The absurdity of the situation nearly shattered her aplomb at that stage, as she realised how pompous she sounded. But she managed to keep her face straight as they moved to the rotund, balding gentleman standing next to Darantiel.

“Ruth, this is Orselon. He is the Senior Wizard in the College of Wizards.”

“My dear,” Orselon positively twinkled at Ruth. “I can’t tell you how pleased I am to see you. Now, we shall be spending many a delightful afternoon together as I am to provide you with your tuition on using your talent. Can I suggest that…”

“You wittering old fool” Darantiel interjected, “let the poor woman get her bearings. You will have plenty of time to bore her to tears later.” The words were harsh but the affection Darantiel held for her companion was clear in her voice.

“Oh dear, there I go again. Of course, my love, you are right.” Orselon adjusted his belt around the middle of his brown robe and smiled fondly at Darantiel.

Ruth realised that these two old friends must be Amariel’s mother and her partner.

Thomas introduced her to the rest of the gathering. “These are the other members of our Security Council. Lady Mycele of Orla, Guardian of the Crystal Isle and head of the Order of Loci.” Ruth nodded at the elegant woman in the deep purple cowled robe and received a warm smile in return.

Thomas moved on.

“This is Brake, Thane of Krakor, he may look a little barbaric but let me assure you he has a sound grasp of tactics and commands the majority of fighting troops on this benighted world of ours as well as leading the military alliance of the sentient member worlds of the Multiverse.”

“Lady,” Brake bowed awkwardly as he acknowledged Ruth. She had the sense that this giant of a man with the bushy brown beard and plain, serviceable leather clothes was more comfortable in the company of his troops and used words sparingly in any social context.

The person standing next to Brake couldn’t have been more different. Ruth gazed in awe at the elegantly cut green velvet coat and breeches. The perfect white silk stockings with embroidered leaves winding around the well shaped calves. The luxuriant falls of intricate white lace at neck and wrists. The matching handkerchief flicked nonchalantly backwards between the finger and thumb of the left hand. The buckled satin shoes with jewelled high heels. The cascade of pale copper curls reaching well below the shoulders, but tucked behind the right ear, which sported a large emerald set in a drop earring.

This vision looked at Ruth from beneath lazily drooping eyelids.
“Your beauty can only be exceeded by your talent, lovely lady,” the man drawled as he swept an extravagantly low bow, dusting the floor with the ends of his curls and waving the ridiculous handkerchief in the air behind him.

“Oh, for goodness sake, Gillano, don’t be an idiot,” exclaimed Thomas. “Ruth, this is Gillano, Earl of Parnasia. He is hopelessly rich because he owns the best vineyards in all of Lantira and dresses like a fop because his father once said he would never amount to much more than a dandy. He has determined to live down to his father’s expectations ever since, even though the previous Earl has been dead for ten years. That veneer hides one of the best business brains in Lantira and he’s not bad with the epee as well, although I can still best him,” Thomas said with satisfaction.

“Ah, you have spoiled my chances of wooing this lady with the passion of my poetry, the richness of my wardrobe, the sheer marvel of my musical skills…”

“Shut up Gillano” Richard interrupted “ We have no time for your foolishness. Ruth needs to understand what is going on here very quickly.”

Gillano winked at Ruth “Perhaps later we can share a bottle of my very best Parnasian Claret.”

Ruth had the feeling that there was indeed a great deal more to the foppish Gillano than met the eye. She would need to keep an eye on him.

The final member of the party was a taciturn man of middle age and plain dress who responded with a brusque nod when Ruth was introduced to him. The main thing that Ruth noticed about him was the nervous habit he had of clicking the fingers of his right hand. He was named as Gramas, Earl of Roth.



CHAPTER SIX

Lantira. Spring 5454 Tempus Parallel

Outside Ruth’s room they were met by a young boy dressed in a brown homespun tunic and leggings. He had been slumped against the wall next to Ruth’s door and judging by the rapid blinking of his eyes as he leapt to his feet, he had been quietly dozing.

“So, young Todi, is this what you call protecting our guest? If Madame Fey and her sisters had come this way you would have been about as much help as a mewling babe. Richard didn’t bring you here so that you could sleep your days away. You’re supposed to be learning to be a page.”

Todi looked sheepish. “I’m sorry, Amariel. It’s just that I had to do extra work in the stables yesterday because Frin the stable boy’s gone and broken his leg. The stable master kept me past dusk because he said I had no more idea about how to muck out a stall than a spider. He made me do it all twice. Then I had to get up and help cook this morning. She said that we were all at sixes and seven’s because the Security Council were here and there was the new mage who was going to be fussy about her food no doubt. Cook said that being foreign she was going to want the sort of things that caused cook extra work to make…”

Todi paused for breath in the middle of this catalogue of woe and Amariel rapidly interrupted.

“All right Todi. I understand. But it is important that you stay awake in future. You have to help Ruth by running her errands and by keeping unwanted visitors away. Do you understand that?”

“Yes, Amariel. I promise I won’t fall asleep again”

Amariel turned to Ruth “ Ruth this is Todi. He is a page here at Bardshelm and for the moment he is assigned to you. If you need to speak to anyone or want anything then ask Todi.

Ruth looked at Todi who had been surreptitiously eyeing her from under his fringe of mousy brown hair. He looked about twelve or thirteen, and like all boys that age appeared to have slept in his clothes and last brushed his hair a week ago.

“Hello Todi”

Todi bowed “Greetings noble Mage, I am honoured to serve you.”

“I beg your pardon? Firstly I am not a noble and secondly I am certainly not a Mage,” said Ruth tartly. “And please call me Ruth.”

Todi looked across to Amariel in fright. “I can’t call the Mage by her name. His Grace would murder me.”

“I suggest that you do as Ruth asks for the moment. I will explain to His Grace” Amariel turned to Ruth “ I apologise again for not having explained things to you. We simply haven’t had the time. You say that you are not the Mage but I have to tell you now that the position we recruited you for is that of Mage Prime of the Multiverse.”

Amariel started to lead the way down the passage with Todi trailing after Ruth.

Ruth looked at Amariel in disbelief “Mage Prime of the Multiverse? I’m sorry but I don’t think this is a very funny sort of joke.”

Amariel said over her shoulder “It is no joke, I assure you. There has not been a Mage Prime in the Multiverse for over eighteen hundred years. Our need has become so desperate that we had to search the parallels for someone who we weren’t even sure existed. Look – I am not the best person to explain all this. My mother and Orselon have a much better grasp of the history that has put us in this position.”

“Okay” said Ruth “ I am about as confused as I want to be now. I’ll wait, but the explanation had better be a good one.”

They continued along a maze of passages, went up and down several stairs and crossed at least two vast halls hung with banners. Ruth was completely lost.

They saw no one else during their journey although occasionally Ruth could hear voices from behind doors or from people out of sight down passages. Once she heard a clashing noise as they passed a series of high arched windows that let a dusty light stream into the passage they were travelling. She assumed that it was the sound of swords. A practice session she hoped but she couldn’t see out of the windows because the sills were too high.

Eventually, after what seemed like half an hour of walking they came to a simple wooden door set at the end of the passage.

Todi rushed forwards and got his hand on the latch before Amariel could reach for it.

“Please let me do this bit,” he pleaded. “Then His Grace can’t say I wasn’t doing my job right.”

“All right,” sighed Amariel “but make it short and then make your peace with Ruth later.”

Todi made an unsuccessful attempt to smooth down his hair and straighten his tunic. He pulled himself upright, squared his shoulders and assuming an expression of lofty distain, opened the door.

Amariel held her hand out to stop Ruth stepping into the room. “Let him do this. Just play along for the moment.”
Todi took up station to the side of the open door. His normally childish voice suddenly took on the timbre and polish of a practised toastmaster.

“Your Grace, Lady Darantiel, Noble Orselon, Sir Thomas, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Security Council,” He paused and then having got the attention of the room’s occupants continued “The Lady Amariel and the Lady Ruth, Mage Prime of the Multiverse.”

Todi bowed and with a wide arm gesture indicated that Ruth and Amariel should enter.

“I’ll speak to you later about that,” whispered Ruth as she passed him.

Todi let a small grin escape before assuming his official mask of inscrutability. He took up a position just inside the now closed door.

Ruth came to halt after a couple of steps into the room. Before her were about eight people. Two she recognised. Thomas Dextermann, in human form but with a deep scratch across his neck and a dark bruise on his cheekbone. He was however wearing very different clothes to the last time she had seen him. Gone was the city suit, replaced with black leggings and a deep red tunic with slashed sleeves showing an undershirt of black silk. All this was set off by a much slimmer sword than she had seen Richard, the Duke wearing. Thomas’ sword had an elaborate hilt and guard of worked silver filigree.

While the weapon looked very decorative, something about the way Thomas wore it with his hand held casually close to the hilt suggested that it was not merely for show.

Richard, Duke of Bardshelm stood to one side. He bowed slightly to Ruth and Amariel but his face remained closed and stern. The charming smile of earlier was not in evidence. To his right was a small woman dressed entirely in silver grey-tunic, leggings and soft leather boots. Her greying red hair was twisted into a knot and pinned on top of her head. A narrow, plain silver circlet was her only ornament. The neatly folded wings proclaimed her faerie blood.
Cool blue eyes appraised Ruth.

Thomas Dextermann came forward and put his hand under Ruth’s elbow to move her forward.

“May I introduce Darantiel, Leader of the faerie?”

Ruth didn’t think that shaking hands was quite the thing here so she restricted herself to what she hoped was an aristocratic nod of the head as she said, “Delighted to meet you.” The absurdity of the situation nearly shattered her aplomb at that stage, as she realised how pompous she sounded. But she managed to keep her face straight as they moved to the rotund, balding gentleman standing next to Darantiel.

“Ruth, this is Orselon. He is the Senior Wizard in the College of Wizards.”

“My dear,” Orselon positively twinkled at Ruth. “I can’t tell you how pleased I am to see you. Now, we shall be spending many a delightful afternoon together as I am to provide you with your tuition on using your talent. Can I suggest that…”

“You wittering old fool” Darantiel interjected, “let the poor woman get her bearings. You will have plenty of time to bore her to tears later.” The words were harsh but the affection Darantiel held for her companion was clear in her voice.

“Oh dear, there I go again. Of course, my love, you are right.” Orselon adjusted his belt around the middle of his brown robe and smiled fondly at Darantiel.

Ruth realised that these two old friends must be Amariel’s mother and her partner.

Thomas introduced her to the rest of the gathering. “These are the other members of our Security Council. Lady Mycele of Orla, Guardian of the Crystal Isle and head of the Order of Loci.” Ruth nodded at the elegant woman in the deep purple cowled robe and received a warm smile in return.

Thomas moved on.

“This is Brake, Thane of Krakor, he may look a little barbaric but let me assure you he has a sound grasp of tactics and commands the majority of fighting troops on this benighted world of ours as well as leading the military alliance of the sentient member worlds of the Multiverse.”

“Lady,” Brake bowed awkwardly as he acknowledged Ruth. She had the sense that this giant of a man with the bushy brown beard and plain, serviceable leather clothes was more comfortable in the company of his troops and used words sparingly in any social context.

The person standing next to Brake couldn’t have been more different. Ruth gazed in awe at the elegantly cut green velvet coat and breeches. The perfect white silk stockings with embroidered leaves winding around the well shaped calves. The luxuriant falls of intricate white lace at neck and wrists. The matching handkerchief flicked nonchalantly backwards between the finger and thumb of the left hand. The buckled satin shoes with jewelled high heels. The cascade of pale copper curls reaching well below the shoulders, but tucked behind the right ear, which sported a large emerald set in a drop earring.

This vision looked at Ruth from beneath lazily drooping eyelids.
“Your beauty can only be exceeded by your talent, lovely lady,” the man drawled as he swept an extravagantly low bow, dusting the floor with the ends of his curls and waving the ridiculous handkerchief in the air behind him.

“Oh, for goodness sake, Gillano, don’t be an idiot,” exclaimed Thomas. “Ruth, this is Gillano, Earl of Parnasia. He is hopelessly rich because he owns the best vineyards in all of Lantira and dresses like a fop because his father once said he would never amount to much more than a dandy. He has determined to live down to his father’s expectations ever since, even though the previous Earl has been dead for ten years. That veneer hides one of the best business brains in Lantira and he’s not bad with the epee as well, although I can still best him,” Thomas said with satisfaction.

“Ah, you have spoiled my chances of wooing this lady with the passion of my poetry, the richness of my wardrobe, the sheer marvel of my musical skills…”

“Shut up Gillano” Richard interrupted “ We have no time for your foolishness. Ruth needs to understand what is going on here very quickly.”

Gillano winked at Ruth “Perhaps later we can share a bottle of my very best Parnasian Claret.”

Ruth had the feeling that there was indeed a great deal more to the foppish Gillano than met the eye. She would need to keep an eye on him.

The final member of the party was a taciturn man of middle age and plain dress who responded with a brusque nod when Ruth was introduced to him. The main thing that Ruth noticed about him was the nervous habit he had of clicking the fingers of his right hand. He was named as Gramas, Earl of Roth