Ch. 5

 

5

Except being followed by a group of guards specially selected to lurk in his shadow Max had been free to roam as he pleased outside of the castle he had dwelled in for thirteen years with the High Mage and various others significant to the kingdom’s and castle’s upkeep.

After so long being haunted by the same men it came to pass that Max spoke with them creating friends and drinking partners. One of whom, the most significant, was called Spinner. Some said he had earned his name by being the best at throwing knives, others that he could spin his gladius so quickly it was a blur to the naked eye. One man, who was known as the joker of the crew, said, “He’s called Spinner because all that learned talk of his sounds like tales he spun up just for us.” Whatever the reasoning behind his name, it was what he was his name.

He was a quiet man with rare outbursts that proclaimed his playful nature. Spinner was rather large, standing over most men’s heads and broad shoulders, but none the less gentle and kind as opposed to his appearance of being intimidating. As his job required he wore the dark insignia of the High Mage on an orange cloak over chain maille and a claymore strapped slantways across his back. In his opinion to have more than just the large and hindering blade he also carried an array of small, flat throwing knives and a gladius on his belt.

Max had caught Spinner trailing him about three years ago after he had managed to slip behind the rest of the men.

“It’s a shame, they’re good men but they still haven’t learned to look in every direction rather than just ahead,” but, despite his stumping them once again, he felt watched. Max stopped at an apple cart, feigning to look through the vender’s goods while really searching the area for the obvious sign of being pursued by the High Mage’s colors, the orange cloak with the head of a black crow and people parting almost unknowingly to make room for the feared uniform.

He caught a flash of orange slipping into and alley and the end of a converging where only moments before the crowd consciously could not be. Max put down the apple he had been inspecting then struggled his way through the crowd. The flash of orange was just vanishing over the lip of a roof as Max stumbled into the alley and without a moment’s thought he began his ascent.

When he finally reached the top Max saw the man just sitting there waiting for him. Instead of speaking immediately like he usually did before thinking, Max sat a couple feet away from him in silence, gathering his thoughts. When it seemed he wasn’t going to speak first Max made a pointless observation as an opening to begin, “It was you who was following me.” He nodded, neither frowning nor smiling.

Max, determined to make the man break the second silence, clasped his mouth shut and contemplated the sun set. After a while the man motioned for Max to come closer then Spinner spoke for the first time to Max.

“The guards had been ordered to follow you some time ago and, as any good guard would, they asked no questions but it bothered them all the same. Why is it they need to watch your every move? You’re not much older than their youngest recruit, but the High Mage fears you.”Max stared at Spinner trying to see if he was a trust worthy man.

“My name is Max Aili, who are you?”

“Spinner is what the guards call me by my true name is Vincent Carroway.”

“Well then Vincent Carroway would you mind if I entrusted you with a secret?”

“I have been called trust worthy,” Max looked for any sign of a lie but found none. Believing this man to be honest Max introduced himself properly.

“Maxwell Aili, heir to the throne after Zukantor Julius the Great.” With a flourish of his hand, Max bowed.

Spinner nodded then gazed at the setting sun lost in his own thoughts then, after the cloud over his face had passed, he said almost to himself, “The tide ebbs and flows to the moon’s will. Could that be why the moon is made man or woman in our world’s myths?”

Max, caught unawares, answered in much the same way he would answer his long ago history tutors,
“I haven’t the slightest clue.”

The big man smile and stood, “The setting sun means my shift has come to an end,” he took long strides to the edge of the roof, stopped for a moment, “Find me tomorrow and I will tell you my guess.,
 and climbed over the edge out of sight.

The rest of the night passed by completely normally, jumping from bar to bar and ‘playing’ with a couple brothel girls but Max realized it was far from normal. Sure, his actions were but on this night he could only think about the strange conversation, if you could call it that, with Vincent Carroway.

It was earlier than usual the following day when Max woke and began his wanderings. The streets were just as packed, the hawkers just as loud but Max was subdued, not bothering to lose the guards trailing him. Sensing the young man’s mood people parted for the noble and his entourage without so much as a glare, unaccustomed to the attitude gulf between them and Max.

With a sudden sense of urgency Max whirled around and sped towards to the guards so he could face them, “Where is Spinner?”

All of the men blinked in surprise and remained silent until the shock faded letting a recruit, a rather new one, step forward, “Captain Spinner said he would be Hawk Eye.”

“I imagine that means the roofs.” Before the young guard had a chance to correct Max’s assumption Max was climbing up the wall of the nearest alley. The guard clambered after him and over the edge attempting to grab Max’s attention.

“Sir,” no response. “Sir?” again, no response. “Sir!” a response.

“What is it guard?”

“The Hawk Eye means he’s watching at headquarters from the eyes of a hawk.”

“Oh,” Max sighed, “I see. Well then, please lead the way.”

After Max and the guard had touched ground and the rest of the guards were briefed they began their way to headquarters, located t the center of the Guard’s Barracks next to the hawk pen.

When they got there Max ordered the young guard to escort him inside and the others to remain outside to keep anyone else from entering.

As they walked through the halls Shawn, as the guard introduced himself as, had anyone inside exit upon request by Maxwell Aili, a name they all knew and respected.

Max and Shawn entered the center room, a large dome with a hole at the top large enough for two hawks to enter or leave simultaneously, and found Spinner staring into the depths of a polished, light green gem slightly larger than his fist.

“I’ll be with you momentarily, Prince Maxwell and Novice Shawn.”

“I wish you would stop calling me that, Captain. It’s so ego-deflating, I should be a Knight’s apprentice by now.”

“You’re handier to me as a novice, Shawn. Your title says nothing of your skills. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll be finishing up.”

Shawn ground his teeth but remained silent, clasping his hands behind his back while Max stood in confusion.

Little time had passed when Spinner tore his eyes away from the gm and greeted them properly. After dismissing Shawn Spinner took Max through a back door into a small room with a glass ceiling and motioned for him to take a seat as he removed a large tapestry. The tapestry fell to the floor revealing to Max a wall of clear glass that showed an unblocked road that ended where the sun would set each night.

“For the guards the setting sun is a very important symbol and as all symbols are it is a great aid. In our situation though it is a literal aid. You see, our…group, for lack of a better term, has gone on for far longer than people imagine collecting much knowledge. We may wear the colors of the High Mage but he is in no way our highest commander and he never will be. We are the King’s Guard a name long forgotten except to us; every recruit is taught out ways and will not be knighted until we are sure he is loyal to only the king.”

“And with no king?”

“At this time the Guard is split in two, those loyal to our ancient ways and waiting for the throne to be filled again and those who are placed here by the High Mage.”

“Doesn’t that worry you?”

“For the time being it is of no matter. If we suspect someone to be a spy they only go on unimportant missions.”

At this Max was aghast, allowing spies of the High Mage to remain in such an honorable society, “And you make no attempt to rid them from your ranks?”

“Those we have found guilty of treason against the throne have been punished but we cannot take action against all of them or out position would be thrown away. If the King’s guard be disbanded…Why, I cannot bear to think of it.”

They were both silent, contemplating the city without the King’s guard. The moment slipped by and Max recalled an earlier comment, “You said the sun set gave literal aid.”

“That ties into our conversation yesterday, but let me explain something first.

“I told you that I know why we put so much power into nature and not our fellow man.” Spinner chosre this time to pause, seeming to search his mind, “I spend much of my time thinking, sometimes I fancy myself a philosopher. I once wondered why nature was so powerful, was it because we, man, needed something to rule us? Or perhaps is it because at one point we were part of nature, bonded so closely we were one. They are both good thoughts and seemed correct to me in their time but then someone asked me what I fear most. A simple question really but it set my mind on a whole new track. We put so much power into nature because we fear it, because we hold no power over it. We can build on the land but plants can grow in our homes. We can build dams but the water can break through them. Nature is our superior and we have no way to push it beneath us. We need an excuse for that, one created by man So with the magic discovered within us we created items that were directly connected to some part of what’s natural,” he gestured to the sun, now close to setting, “giving us the sense of being mightier and the illusion of complete control. But it’s only that, false. We hear the true power of nature because we have no way to hold that power or more within ourselves.”

Max held his silence as Spinner spoke the words of a truly thinking man not the words of a guard. Although the guards were educated he had never heard such from any of them, what Spinner said made sense to Max.

“Vincent Carroway, you and your mind has earned my respect and admiration, leaving me in need of a silent night alone. Join me for a drink tomorrow at the Weeping Willow after I lose your comrades.” Max watched the sun until it set then escorted himself out.

The following day, after a night of thought filled dreams, Max lost his shadows amongst the throbbing crowds and made his way toward the Weeping Willow.

He chose a table far from the other inhabitants but still in sight of the door. Max noted a man watching him, with glances meant not to be seen, mostly hidden by a cloak and hood but the flash of a scar across his face was evident.

Soon Spinner stopped in the doorway noting the people and their positions as Max had done before he joined Max at the table. As they exchanged greetings the waitress came to take their orders, “Just mead for myself, Get this man here,” pointing to Spinner, “Whatever he wants, my treat.”Max cast a glance at Spinner saying order something or something will be ordered for him. In the end Spinner chose mead as well.

They sat in companionable silence preferring to watch the mess of people around them. The man with a scar had moved closer but other than that it was drunken play all around.

“Spinner,” Max broke the silence first deciding the speech yesterday was a great deal of talk coming from the big fellow, “you once told me why man puts power into nature. In so doing you earned by respect and friendship. Would you perhaps help me?”

“By listening to me and looking at me with the eyes of a fellow man and not the eyes of a Lord you have earned my respect and friendship as well. If I can I will help.”

Max broke into a grin hope filling his soul again, “I need to find someone, her name is Rosalyn and she disappeared two years ago during the night. She never reached the High Mage.”

Spinner sat in silence for a moment as his want to do often before responding, “We should leave here, unwanted ears may be listening,” meaning the man in the cloak and, perhaps, others. When Spinner stood a change in the atmosphere made Max pay closer attention to the tavern’s guests. The drunken fools were suddenly silent and sober and the women all seemed more menacing instead of fresh and innocent. All eyes rested on Spinner, daring him to move and Max knew he wouldn’t sit back down so he stood as well. In silence they began walking toward the door, their primal instincts hewed and pulsing. Half way through the room a knife was embedded in the wall, barely missing Max’s ear by a hair’s breath.

Calming taking the knife in hand he turned and addressed the group, “Who owns this blade?” All were still except for one who began fidgeting and sweating. Seeing this and thinking it to be a sign of guilt Max threw the knife embedding it, barely missing the man’s head, “That, friend, was intentional. Are there any others who wish to try? No? Then sit down and keeps your hands where I can see them clearly.” As each person found a seat Max motioned for Spinner to leave while he watched for any sign of suspicious movement. When Spinner was clearly out of harm’s way Max tipped his head, “Good day,” and left.

“Someone’s following us and she carried a sword.” Using Spinner’s glance as a guide Max spotted the woman behind them.

“Spinner, that is the one with the scar across her face. She is no longer a he.” The two men locked eyes and fell to a stop and watched the woman continue walking, visible tensing as she grew closer. When she was close enough to only slightly raise her voice to speak she stopped. “What is your name, Ma’am?”

She started walking again until she was as close as Spinner and Max were to each other, “I am known as Gwendolyn, my good Lord,” she gave a graceful bow with her hand still on the hilt of her sword, “And I wish to find my sister Rosalyn.”