Lady Shilight - Lady Warrior 5i4

LADY SHILIGHT LADY WARRIOR

by Sheril Lee

This edition includes the first three books in the Lady Shilight Series Lady Warrior Royal Auditor Taskmaster

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Other books in the Lady Shilight Series by Sheril Lee Giant Slayer A Regal Dilemma Three Kingdoms

1st Edition Copyright © 2015 Sheril Lee All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-312-91280-9 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike3.0 Unreported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ or send a letter to: Creative Commons 171 Second Street, Suite 300 San Francisco, California 94105 USA

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This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, without the written permission of the publisher, Sheril Lee, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in the context of reviews.

ACKNOWLEGEMENTS

Many thanks to the following people who helped me get my book ready for publication.

Thanks to DUNE, T.J.O. and C.A.T. for editing my book.

My beautiful book cover is from “Cover Design by Melody Simmons of eBookindiecovers”

Formatting by Jason & Marina Anderson of Polgarus Studio.

Table of Contents

Book 1 LADY WARRIOR Chapter 1: And So It Begins Chapter 2: Military School Chapter 3: Hevarah and Turloola Chapter 4: Castle Goings Chapter 5: Love or Die Chapter 6: Dragoats Attack Chapter 7: Esglund Chapter 8: Informer

Book 2 ROYAL AUDITOR Chapter 1: Lady Shilight Official Title Chapter 2: Witch Ommalo Chapter 3: Royal Confidant Chapter 4: Curses Revealed Chapter 5: Royal Auditor Chapter 6: City of Huntirrplan Chapter 7: Murder Accusation Chapter 8: Guilty or Innocent

Book 3 TASKMASTER Chapter 1: Grunpland Chapter 2: Harbor City of Gladebend Chapter 3: Duke of Gladebend Chapter 4: Archery Contests Chapter 5: The Giants are coming Chapter 6: Idzot Chapter 7: Return to Dovonshar Chapter 8: Zarhaven Appendix: Map

LADY WARRIOR BOOK 1

CHAPTER 1

There I was stuck in a duck pen. The pen was too short for me to lie down, and not tall enough for me to sit up comfortably. If I did sit up my head was bent down to where my chin almost touched my chest. If I curled up tightly in the fetal position I could almost fall asleep. Why could I not have been born petite like my younger sister? Instead I grew tall and at five feet ten inches I towered over most women. Heck, I was as tall as most men. King Hakurt was trying to break my spirit by putting me in this small, smelly pen. It would not work. My father raised ducks along with chickens, goats, and horses. I was raised around a potpourri of animal smells. Lying in this duck poop with its strong poultry smell did not bother me. I had smelled worse. I was upset that the stuff was staining my skirt and that putrid smell would linger in my hair for days. If King Hakurt thought he could break me, he would have to wait a long time. I had been in tougher situations. Somehow I would get out of this one too! While sitting there I started thinking about my childhood and how I grew up to be in this situation. I was born in Dovonshar, a large city located in a land full of castles, kings, witches, and giants. The city of Dovonshar was the heart and seat of the Dovonshar Kingdom. The Kingdom covered a vast area of land. In addition to the city of Dovonshar the kingdom included multiple hamlets, villages, and towns. Two of the towns were harbor towns located on the coast of a beautiful sea. The king and queen lived in an imposing castle on the northernmost end of the city. The castle, along with the entire city, was surrounded by a large impenetrable wall. Dovonshar stood near the edge of rolling hills and within sight of a large forest. It was a safe place to live and grow up. Our ruler, King Kuandel, made sure of that. He had the finest military in the land. Although our city had been attacked before, our military was victorious. My father was a military man. He had slowly risen in the ranks until he became a military advisor to the king. Everyone led a relaxed life because the last war happened long before I was born. Nevertheless the military met regularly to

‘keep sharp’ as my father liked to say. Most people lived within the fortress walls. Those who lived outside the stone walls grew crops or raised larger animals. My father owned a bit of land within a few minutes ride from the castle. He built a home on a parcel of land where my mother preferred to stay. She said she did not want to live in the castle where people were willing to ‘smile to your face and then stab you in the back.’ If the top military officials wanted to gather and meet, my father would ride into the city and stay in the castle overnight. It was an idyllic life. Father was blessed with three daughters, but no sons. It soon became apparent I was not like my sisters. They were more petite in size. I was tall and slender with a generous sized bosom. But what people ed the most about me were my spellbinding, dark green eyes. No matter who I met they always ed my piercing green eyes. Mother thought my eye color came from her side of the family, but she was not sure. My father did not care where my eye color came from; he just liked to call me his little green eyed hawk. I idolized my father and I tried really hard to be like a son to him. I followed him everywhere. He taught me how to throw a knife and swing a sword. At the age of thirteen my path in life was set in motion by two events. The first one started when my father arranged for me to go to a special military school. It was located in a city far from home. Before I left for school the second event happened. The day before I was to leave for school, I walked over to a nearby stream. It was my special place to go to think and be alone. The stream was down a ways, and across the main road that led to the castle. The stream was lined by thick bushes and tall mature trees. You could not see it from the road, so I felt safe going there alone. I wanted to bathe in it one more time before I left. I slipped out of my clothes and gingerly walked over the rocks to get to the knee deep water. A few minutes later I was surprised to see a man ride his horse through the brush. He was headed toward the stream, and me! Already at the young age of thirteen I was five feet, eight inches tall and blossoming quickly into womanhood. There I was, naked as the day I was born. The man and I locked eyes. I was not scared or embarrassed, but I did feel uncomfortable. “A gentleman usually looks the other way!” I shouted loudly.

Quickly he turned his horse around and mumbled some sort of an apology. The walk from the water to the spot where I placed my clothes seemed like a hundred miles away. He was such a handsome man. He had dark hair and deep set eyes. I did not have enough time to see what color they were, but they looked kind. I could feel my cheeks blushing pink because I found him so handsome. As fast as I could I pulled on my clothes. It was not easy because I was dripping wet. When I was decent I asked him, “Who are you and what are you doing here?” The stranger turned around and replied, “My name is Bardeth. My horse needed a drink of water. I had no idea you were bathing here. May I know your name?” My body was trembling inside. I knew if I tried to speak my voice would be high and squeaky. Narrowing my eyes I glared at him and stormed off towards home. Bardeth gave his horse a drink of water then proceeded to catch up to me on the road. “Would you like a ride?” he asked politely. “NO!” I shot back angrily. Secretly I wanted to look at him again but I did not want to be obvious. I stopped walking. He stopped his horse beside me. My heart was racing as I looked up at him. As I was looking deep into his eyes I growled, in a deep, serious voice, “Go away.” “Tell me your name, and I will go away,” he replied. I did not answer. I spun around on my heels and continued walking home. He followed. My father was outside when we arrived. He greeted me as I walked up to him. “Shilight, who is that with you?” Silently I thought Thanks father. Now he knows my name. “So this is where you live, Shilight,” Bardeth said with a grin. “Yes,” I replied and walked into the house.

My father and Bardeth sat down on the porch and began talking as I looked inside for something to drink. When I returned with drinks for everyone, I noticed they were getting along quite well. Bardeth gladly accepted his drink. As the men talked I learned Bardeth was in the military stationed at a military camp on the far eastern border of Dovonshar. The King ordered the military to secure the border closest to the Dragoatin border. He wanted to keep a sharp eye on the Dragoats after his forces defeated them in the last war. The Dragoats are a sneaky, cruel, warring people. It seems as if they enjoy war as much as we love peace. Bardeth had been stationed at the border for the past two years. He was now eighteen years old. He was given leave to come home to see his uncle who was ill. He had traveled many days and nights to get here. He was tired, and was grateful for a chance to rest before he rode into the city to see his uncle. When he left our house he looked me in the eyes and said we would see each other again. As he rode away, he took part of my heart with him.

CHAPTER 2

The next day my parents saw me off to the military school. The schools heaster, Ufsant, was taking me and six boys to the school. The school was a three day ride away from home. Ufsant assured my father I would be well cared for. He personally would make sure all my childish and girlish ways would be gone when I returned. Little did I know truer words had never been spoken. We traveled in a horse drawn wagon. Everyday we were bounced and jostled around in the back of the wagon. Almost immediately I got a lesson in how cruel six boys could be to a girl. They took turns picking on me. They laughed at me for wanting to be a swordsman, and they tormented me endlessly about it. I tried not to cry, but words can hurt, and I was hurt. If I thought things would get better once I was in school, I was wrong. It was harder than I could have imagined. I had never felt so alone, and I cried myself to sleep frequently. The school made little effort to accommodate me because I was a girl. Everyone at the school slept in one big long room. They had an older man sleep, like a sentry, between the boys and the girls. When I say girls I mean three girls opposed to twenty-three boys. Our ages ranged from twelve to fifteen years old. At sixteen we would all be considered adults. As adults we would be moved to the regular military barracks back in Dovonshar. We would receive further military training there. The school itself was in an old monastery built in a different era. The building had been built encircling a courtyard. That is where we practiced. Rain or shine, hot or cold, we trained. Periodically we would have competitive matches. The matches were a big deal and they were held several times a year. The combatants could win extra food, or an extra blanket. One of those things would be taken away from you if you lost. The matches were held indoors where a large fighting pit had been set up. The pit was filled with sand, and wooden benches had been set up for spectators. Family were notified, but few traveled the long distance to watch the matches. The men who did show up were from the surrounding communities and towns. The men booed and heckled the girls when we fought. I hated match time.

No one tried harder than I did to learn our lessons. I was not as strong as the boys, but I was more accurate. I learned archery, knife throwing, and sword fighting. We learned hand to hand combat and wrestling moves. During my first year the school let the three girls compete against each other, or against the younger boys. The older boys were too rough and too strong. As the weeks wore on, my personality started to change. I was slowly becoming cockier, meaner, and downright defiant. One day Bardeth showed up at the school. I was stunned. My mother had begged my father to please bring me home. Bardeth happened to be in Dovonshar and offered to fetch me home. There he was, with his handsome grin telling me that he and his friend were going to take me home. I told him I was staying, and that was final. He laughed a laugh that normally would have made me melt, but for some reason it made me angry. At dawn he wrestled me onto a horse, and the three of us headed home. That night, when the two men fell asleep, I put hobbles on their horses’ legs. Then I took off on my horse and returned to the school. Bardeth returned home without me. The next two years were grueling. Ufsant began to insist I toughen up. One of the tasks he made me do was to stand on a four inch wide board. The board was raised eighteen inches off the ground. I was not allowed to step down or I would be punished. If I cried or whimpered, I was punished. If I fell off the board I was punished. Foot cramps were common as were leg cramps. It hurt. It hurt a lot. “Push through the pain,” Ufsant would tell me time and time again. I grew to hate those words.

CHAPTER 3

When I turned fifteen I made a huge mistake that forever changed my life. I would never, ever be my old self again. I disrespected a witch. Hevarah, a menacing witch was known far and wide as a master swordsman. After two years of military school, I thought I was the best female swordsman. Full of bravado I strutted around all cocky and full of myself. I opened my big mouth and said Hevarah was an old hag, and that I was more skilled then she was as a swordsman. My words had just left my mouth when suddenly I was face to face with Hevarah. She was livid with rage. Somehow I had been transported to her place. There I was, sitting on the floor, looking up at her. I tried to speak but something was wrong with my mouth. I reached up to where my mouth should have been, and it was gone. My lips and teeth were gone. The lower part of my face was solid flesh. I felt sick. As Hevarah ranted and raved I noticed another witch trying to calm her down. It was her sister Turloola. My head was pounding. I did not get to hear everything that was said. Every time Hevarah raised her hands I changed life forms. I switched from a rat, to a donkey, to a toad. Turloola convinced her sister to change me back into my human form and to punish me in a different way. There was more ranting and raving before Hevarah vanished leaving me alone with her sister. Turloola explained to me how she had spared my life. How she had convinced her sister to make a game out of my punishment. While Hevarah would curse me with certain punishments, Turloola would grant me certain helpful powers. They both would keep an eye on me. Each sister would get points depending on how I handled certain circumstances. It was too confusing for me to follow. Turloola then explained Hevarah’s punishments. Since I bragged about being a great swordsman I would now have to prove it over and over again. I would become obsessed with war and fighting. To make sure I would keep moving from place to place, she cursed me with wanderlust. I would never be able to settle down in one place. She also did not want anything to tie me down and prevent me from fighting, so I would never bear children.

To counter her sister’s punishments Turloola would grant me helpful powers such as a sixth sense for danger. Strong powerful men would be drawn to me. And even though I would be a warrior, I would not forget how to be a lady. Since I would be obsessed with fighting, Turloola gave me the strength of a one hundred and eighty pound man. Turloola’s last words to me were, “Do not tell anyone what you have heard here. If you do, there will be consequences.” With all that said I instantly found myself back in the same spot I had left. No one realized I had been gone. School started changing for me after that. The added strength made it easier for me to compete against the boys. Ufsant started pitting me against the older boys, and I started winning all my matches. Overnight the men that came to the matches were cheering for me, not booing me. Match after match I defeated everyone I was pitted against. I became a local celebrity.

CHAPTER 4

At age sixteen my schooling was over and I was sent home. In Dovonshar I was hoping for a grand welcome home. There was none. I was the first girl EVER to complete all the courses at the military school. Why the king did not issue a proclamation stating this fact baffled me. Word of my accomplishments spread around the city, but people did not line the street to welcome me home. At least my mother and my father welcomed me home. That night they held a special dinner in my honor. My father was proud of me. It felt good when he told me so. The next few days I tried to settle into a normal routine. Things brightened up when I was notified that the king and queen wanted to meet with me. King Kuandel was a young king who ascended to the throne after his father ed away. Queen Bonasha was only a few years older then me. The queen and I were able to speak to each other before the king arrived, and we immediately felt a kinship. We promised to meet again for longer conversations. The king advised all in attendance that I had brought honor to the kingdom. He looked directly at me and said I could ask for anything I wanted, and he would grant my request. No doubt he was thinking I would ask for a few gold coins, or a horse. Perhaps I would ask for a position somewhere in the castle. My request completely caught him off guard. It caught everyone off guard. “I want to General Helzmis’ regiment,” I said. The whole room was silent. Then the silence turned into whispers, snickers, and laughter. While the entire room was absorbing what I had said, I watched the kings face. His face changed from surprise to amusement. After he quieted the room down, he spoke, “Shilight, we have never had a woman warrior. Your presence would be quite disruptive. I cannot grant this request. However I will speak to General Helzmis to see if something can be worked out to further your military training.” With that answer from the king I returned home.

Secretly I could tell my father was pleased with me, and my accomplishments. My mother and my sisters were embarrassed. It was hard for them to understand why a woman would want to be like a man. My little sister tried to understand. She had a little bit of rebel in her, but even she did not understand. If only I could have confided in her about everything. Two days later I was summoned to the castle. The king and General Helzmis had come to an agreement. I would move into the castle where I would eat, drink, and sleep. Five days during the week General Helzmis would help me hone my fighting skills for one hour. The rest of the time I would work in the horse stables. I was thrilled. At least I had my foot in the door. Have you ever cleaned out a stall full of horse manure? It is hard work. It is fly filled, and it stinks up your boots. I did not care, but I pretended it was disgusting. Figured I had to start at the bottom and work my way up. Mark my words. I was going to work my way up. The first day of training with General Helzmis was rather awkward. Everyone could see he was not happy with his assignment. Training a girl for combat was demeaning to him. It was demeaning to the whole military. He handed me off to a captain, who pawned me off to a lieutenant. Lastly the lieutenant turned me over to Sergeant Capilas. Unfortunately Sergeant Capilas had no one below him in rank. He was stuck with me. The training area was much larger than at the military school. Sergeant Capilas walked me to the middle of the field. He wanted me to fight someone who was near my height and weight. I was now five foot, ten inches tall, and weighed one hundred and forty-five pounds. My clothing, that I tried to keep as masculine as possible, could not hide my ample bosom. No one wanted to fight me. If a man lost to a girl he would never live it down. From across the field Bardeth showed up and volunteered to fight me. The relief on the Sergeant’s face was immediate. In the center of that field is where Bardeth and I first crossed swords. We were the main focal point as all the soldiers on the field gathered around to watch us. Never had they seen a woman wielding a sword. Bardeth spoke, “Ladies first, green eyes,” and he stuck his sword out toward me.

I tried to swallow, but my throat was dry. I slowly raised my sword and in a half hearted attempt swung it toward him. He easily blocked my move. My next swing was a little faster and a little harder. Once again it was blocked. We exchanged thrusts and blocks for thirty seconds or so. The soldiers gathered around us started making kissing sounds, and suggested Bardeth was actually a girl himself. The heckling continued nonstop. After twenty minutes we both needed a break. Bardeth suggested I get a sword that was a better fit for my hand. The one I was using was actually my fathers and his hands were larger then mine. The next thirty minutes we practiced our archery skills. Once again we drew a group of soldiers who watched us practice. I did not have my own bow and arrows. I had to pick mine from a raggedy group of spare weapons. A small bow looked good but the string wasn’t taut enough for me. Reluctantly I chose a larger, heavier bow. Our first target was placed fifty feet away. Bardeth motioned that I should go first. My first shot landed low and to the left. It was not a good shot, yet it was not a bad shot. All the elite archers had their own bows. It looked like I needed my own bow too. That night I slept like a log. The next day, after mucking out the stalls, I look a long bath and then headed to the kitchen. I did not go there to eat but to learn all about cooking from the head cook. I had never learned how to cook and I really did not want to learn. But the spices the cook used fascinated me. If used properly they could turn a bland stew into a hearty stew. Thankfully the cook did not allow me to touch anything in the kitchen. That was fine by me. All I wanted to do was to observe and learn. The next several days were a blur. I practiced my fighting skills, pitched manure, and learned about spices. One night when I was returning from the kitchen I ran into Bardeth. He said I smelled like deer stew, and we both laughed. He took a step closer to me. I felt weak in the knees. Gosh he was handsome. When we parted he kissed me on the cheek. I touched that cheek all the way to my room. Two weeks later we met again when I was returning from the kitchen. This time he said I smelled like bacon fat. When we said our good-byes he kissed me on the mouth. His lips were soft, warm, and slightly moist. I kissed him back then spun around on my heels and hurried off to my room.

On the practice field we were all business. At night we talked, and kissed. The night he followed me to my room was something I wish I could relive over and over again. He was very gentle and patient with me. I had never been with a man. Somehow he knew it was my first time. We took our time and enjoyed each moment. When he left I snuggled up to the pillow inhaling the smell of his body. There was no doubt in my mind. I was in love with him. In a society dominated by men, I knew it was not going to be easy to earn their respect. Eventually the novelty of a woman warrior faded as the days wore on. The men slowly lost interest. Most of the heckling stopped. Weeks of training turned into months. In early spring Bardeth told me he was returning to the Dragoatin border. He had found another fighting partner to replace him. Those last few days sped by. Bardeth and I made the most of our nights together. We tried to memorize every curve and line of each others body through touching and caressing. Each night our ion would grow in intensity until we were both satisfied, and collapsed into each others arms. I would miss him desperately.

CHAPTER 5

My fighting continued on with another soldier. He was a skilled fighter, but he was not Bardeth. Time dragged on without him. It had been almost three months since Bardeth left, when without warning, Turloola stood before me. She told me I had three days left to live. Why was I not trying to get a man to bed me? Taken aback by what she said I blurted out, “What? What are you talking about? Do not mock me.” Somehow I had missed one of Hevarah’s punishments, but how could I have missed one this horrible? If I did not get a man to bed me once every three months, I would die! There was one big stipulation. I could not initiate the actual act. I was allowed to choose the man, and flirt if necessary, but no words or actions of mine could encourage the man to act. Turloola warned me to heed her words, and not to challenge Hevarah. After Turloola left I had to sit down. I could not believe this was happening to me. How could I let another man touch me, and touch me in that way? What about my love for Bardeth? I was numb the rest of the day. The room I lived in was on the second floor of the castle. It was a spacious room. When you first entered the room there was a small visiting area. The area contained a low table, a chair, and a sofa. Further into the room were my bed and a dressing area. If you walked forward off the end of my bed you would find yourself standing on a balcony. It was an open balcony. There were no walls or doors between the bed and the balcony. The average temperature in Dovonshar was seventy-eight degrees. During the coldest winter months the temperature rarely fell below sixty degrees. Normally there was no reason to close off the balcony. However floor length tapestries could be pulled across the balcony opening should there be a strong windstorm, or rainstorm. On the left side of the balcony you looked down into a courtyard. Two guards were always posted there for the king’s safety. On the right side of the balcony you could see part of the city. Beyond the city there was a clear view of open land all the way to the horizon. Down below in the courtyard I watched the two guards. I had spoken to them

many times and gotten to know both of them. However tonight was going to be different. The older guard was short, round, and older then my father. The other one was young and cute looking. His name was Kilmire. Since both of us were young, we were naturally drawn to each other. Our conversations were sweet and playful. One night Kilmire scaled the balcony walls to give me a flower. He said he had found it in a thicket of weeds. It reminded him of me. A beautiful flower surrounded by a thicket of male soldiers. I thought it was a beautiful sentiment, and kissed him on the cheek. Tonight I had to make more happen with Kilmire or Hevarah’s curse would come true. Tonight my love for Bardeth had to be set aside. The last few nights had been unusually warm. Without any wind blowing through the courtyard it had to be stifling hot down there. Reluctantly I knew what I had to do. That night I put on a long, flowing silk nightgown. The sheerness of the fabric left nothing to the imagination. The stonework ledge around the balcony was thick enough for a person to sit on it. There I sat, and called down to the guards. We engaged in small talk about the weather and how hot it was that night. Without warning I fell off the ledge onto the floor. The guards heard a big thud as I hit the floor. Kilmire shouted, “Is everything okay up there?” I told them I had fallen, and to please lower their voices. I was not hurt badly, but I could not get up. I begged them to keep this quiet. Otherwise it might be embarrassing for me in the morning. In a soft voice I asked for help. Kilmire climbed up the balcony walls to check on me. When he saw me in the moonlight, and took a stumbling step towards me, I knew he was mine for the taking. Kilmire walked over to me and knelt down beside me. He whispered, “Are you okay?” I assured him I was fine but my ankle was hurting. He reached down and touched it. I winced a little and gave him a feeble smile. I asked him to tell his cohort I was alright. Then I asked him to stay with me for a minute. When he returned, he put his hand on my ankle again. Without thinking I put my hand on his. Is this against Hevarah’s rules? I thought. I hoped not. I gave him my sweetest smile, but I did not remove my hand. Kilmire moved away and

suggested I lie down on the cool floor. We both lay down on the floor face up. I could only wait now and hope he would do more. It was nerve racking. We talked for awhile, and then he asked if he should rub my ankle some more. Trembling, I said, “Yes.” This time he slowly ran his hand up from my ankle to my knee. When I did not protest, or try to pull away from him, he moved his hand up to my inner thigh. I was taking quick short breaths when he leaned over and kissed me. My long return kiss proved to him my willingness. We were both as quiet as mice. We did not want anyone to hear us. Afterwards he put on his clothing and asked, “Will you be alright?” I said, “Yes”, and he climbed down off the balcony. My demise was postponed this time. Mentally I thanked Turloola. The next day instead of going to the kitchen I went to the War Archive Room. An old cranky guard shooed me away saying the room was no place for a woman. After all, what would a woman want with the books? Women didn’t know anything about war. It would be a miracle if I understood what I was reading. Fuming mad I stomped off to see the king. Would he deny me access too? Thankfully the king saw no good reason why I should not have permission to read all of the books. Take that, cranky guard! I thought. The king told the guard I had permission to read any of the books! I wanted to understand war strategies, and all the thought processes that went into making war decisions. Luckily I had my father to help me think things through. His tutoring was invaluable. He was impressed with my dogged determination to learn everything military. He asked the king if I could sit in on the military meetings. Many men were against having a woman in the room - unless she was serving ale. However the king said it would be so, and that was that. Time after time I would sit silently behind my father and listen to everything that was said.

My mind was like a sponge. My memory was like a steel trap. Once I heard information, or read something, it was stored in my memory for the rest of my life. Things were going along splendidly. I received a new sword, as well as a new bow, from my father. They were both made especially for me. My love life with Kilmire was secure, and I had been promoted in the military. It was not much of a promotion, but it was my first step up. It seems one of the dreaded punishments in the military is being assigned to cleaning out the horse stalls. Now I realized why I got the job in the beginning. Anyway, the stable master discovered that I had a way with horses so I was allowed to help take care of them. Perhaps oiling and mending saddles and bridles does not seem like a step up to you, but believe me it is. The queen and I met often. She had married the king when she was very young. At the age of twenty she desperately wanted a friend closer to her age. She was tired of listening to the tiresome old biddies that were around her all day. She was young. She wanted to feel young, and do young things. That is where I came in. Excitement was my middle name. We practiced horseback riding until she became quite proficient. We would ride through the fields and through the woods. Her favorite spot to relax was alongside a small stream. There I helped her walk over several small flat boulders to a spot where we could sit and watch the fish swim below us. She said it gave her a sense of peace. We arranged several social balls with lots of music and dancing. She and I laughed and twirled around the floor, much to the dismay of the older court . King Kuandel did not mind. He loved to see his wife in a happy mood.

CHAPTER 6

Right before my seventeenth birthday word came to us that the Dragoats had attacked our border camp. All we knew was that there were many men killed and wounded. The men could not hold their ground so they were retreating, and coming home. I hoped Bardeth was among them. The king addressed his people and told them to get ready for war. The Dragoats had taken over our furthermost outpost, and a border city had just fallen to the enemy. The border city was the only barrier between the Dragoats and the castle. My heart soared when I heard Bardeth had survived the attack and was back in the city. We did not have much time to be together. Every single person was needed to prepare for a siege or a full out war. Father wanted me to move home and be in charge of the home front while he was in talks with the king. I pleaded with him to let me sit in on the meetings but he stood firm on his orders to me. My mother and older sister gathered food and drinks. My younger sister and I took care of gathering up and moving all the animals. We had to take everything with us into the city. It was fortified with large masonry walls. The walls encircled the castle and the entire city. We had to go there for protection. Being captured outside the city walls would mean certain death. Once our family was safely inside the city walls I went to the king to see what I could do. He wanted me to protect the queen. Although she had a male guard assigned to her, he wanted me protecting her too. I was allowed to sit in on the last meeting held by the military’s top generals. As I sat listening I heard something that alarmed me. Someone had made a miscalculation. I realized our soldiers were going to be positioned in a way that hundreds would be killed. I waited and waited for someone to catch the error. The meeting was concluding and I could stay quiet no longer. “General Helzmis, you have made a profound miscalculation.” Several generals told me to shut up. Even my own father told me to sit down and to be quiet. But I could not. I would not back down.

This time I went to the war table full of small wooden soldiers, archers and horsemen. I loudly proclaimed, “Our men will die because the sun will be directly in their eyes.” A hush came over the room. General Helzmis asked me to explain myself. I pointed out the flaw in the plan, and how it could be corrected. It did not take long for my statistics to be proven correct. I had averted the possible slaughter of our men. Quick praises and thanks were directed my way. The military prepared for war. The generals ordered their men to dig trenches eight feet wide and twelve inches deep, in the fields far outside the city. Oil soaked straw was put in the trenches as well as extra oil. As the Dragoat soldiers marched through the oil soaked trenches our archers would launch fire arrows. If the arrows did not kill them, the fire would ignite the oil on their boots and pant legs. Those soldiers who made it through the oil trenches faced our catapult of fire balls. Should they make it past our outer defenses and get closer to the city walls they would face our foot soldiers and horse soldiers. Thanks to the war plan corrections all our soldiers had a visor affixed to their helmets. A slight tip of their head would keep the early morning sun out of their eyes. On the northeast side of the city one of the Dragoats battering rams broke down a small service door. That door unfortunately was the closest door to the castle. Although it was fiercely defended by our soldiers, several dozen Dragoats made it through to the cities interior. They headed towards the castle. Their goal was to capture, or kill the king and queen. The sounds of the Dragoats outside the city caused a small shiver to go down my spine. I took up my place beside the queen. The enemy would have to go through me before they could touch her. As we listened to the sounds of fighting we realized some of the enemy had breached our walls. The queen’s personal guard wanted to move her up to a higher floor. We headed out the door with her male guard going first. The queen and I followed with me leading the way. The noise at the end of the hall told us several Dragoats were coming our way. The guard shouted for me to take out the men on the right, and he would take those on the left. It was the first time I was going to kill a man. At the school I had

injured and seriously maimed opponents, but I had never killed one. My Sergeant’s words rang loudly in my ears, “Do not think. Fight! It is you or him.” I steeled myself for what was to come. One by one the guard and I removed each Dragoat that got in our way. The queen was safe. That was all that mattered. The Dragoats were not successful inside the city or outside the city. Like the ebb and flow of the tide, the Dragoats would advance forward and we would push them back. This happened time and time again. Finally our soldiers held the enemy at bay. The Dragoats were defeated and driven back to their homeland. The war took a heavy toll on both sides. After the Dragoats retreated, the city broke out into cheers. The king ordered the ale casks opened and ale distributed to anyone who wanted a celebratory drink. I stayed with the queen and watched from the tower. The dead were buried and the townsfolk were slowly getting back to their regular routine. After a proper mourning period the king announced an award ceremony. Everyone was invited. My mother had a special outfit made for me. My father knew I was going to be recognized for my part in the war. Perhaps I would receive a medal, or a ribbon. Who knew? That is what made it so exciting. The day of the ceremony the king and queen, along with all the generals had special seats at two long tables. One by one all of the generals were called up to receive a medal from the king. Thunderous applause was heard after every name was announced. The list of people who would receive ribbons was read by the king. The queen’s guards name was on the list, but no where on that list was my name. Not even a thank you came my way. I went home feeling dejected and angry. It was like my contribution did not matter. My father tried to justify my oversight by saying the older men usually receive all the credit, as did the king. Two days later I announced I was leaving Dovonshar. I was going to Esglund, a kingdom north and west of Dovonshar. My mother did not want me to go. My father thought I was pouting and acting like a spoiled brat. Looking back perhaps I was, but at the time my feelings were hurt and I did not want to look at anyone I knew. I rode into the city to say goodbye to the queen. We had become great friends. She begged me not to go as tears streamed down her face. I told her I had to go and she knew the reason why. I promised to return someday.

The king came into the room before I was able to leave. No doubt some handmaiden overheard my conversation with the queen and went running to tell the king I was leaving. He told me he understood how disappointed I must have been at the ceremony, but he had good reason not to reward me. His trusted advisors told him giving a reward to a woman for finding an error our trusted generals did not notice would only undermine the trust his people had in him and his military. I asked the king if I could speak frankly. He nodded yes. “The only reason you would not honor me is because I am a woman. Your people have all the faith in the world in you. At the minimum you could have given me a ribbon for protecting the queen.” He looked down at the floor and said, “You might be right.” His next statement caught me off guard. He wanted to send three good men along with me on my trip to Esglund. As a valued friend to his wife and a loyal subject I must accept his offer. I asked if one of the men could be Kilmire. I knew him and trusted him. The king agreed. That afternoon the four of us left the city. As we rode away I wondered if I was leaving because I had been snubbed, or was I leaving because I was feeling the curse of Hevarah’s wanderlust?

CHAPTER 7

The trip to Esglund would be a long one. Finding food along the way might be difficult. Thanks to the head cook we took along a bag of deer jerky. The cook and I had experimented with various spices until we created a flavorful jerky. It was ten times better tasting then the old, bland way. It would not fill us up but it would tide us over until we could get a good meal. Off we went. We were making good time. We were about two thirds the way there in record time, because I pushed the men to ride faster and harder then they were used to doing. While we were riding through the woods, I could see a bend in the road ahead. The closer we came to the area the harder it was for me to breath. Right before the bend I motioned to my companions to stop. I felt like I was going to faint. Was it something I ate or drank that was doing this to me? Words of Turloola came drifting through my mind. “I will grant you a sixth sense for danger.” Was this her way of telling me there was danger ahead? I wondered. It took a few minutes to convince the men we should dismount and investigate the next section of road on foot. We traveled through the woods parallel to the road and soon discovered a band of robbers a mile down the road. They had stopped an old farmer driving a wagon. With him was a young boy. Two of the four robbers were searching the wagon. They were tipping over barrels of grain onto the road. They found nothing of value. The other two robbers were shouting at the farmer “Where did you hide your money?” The farmer said he had no money, and would not have any until he sold his grain. The robber closest to the boy held a knife to the boy’s throat and threatened to “cut the boys head clean off” if the farmer did not give them what they wanted. If there is one thing I hate it is an armed man taking advantage of an unarmed man. Without thinking, I swung up onto my horse and charged into

the middle of the group. I rode into their midst swinging my sword and hollering at the top of my lungs. With my men right behind me the robbers took off running as far away from us as possible. When the farmer and the boy were safely on their way, we continued on our journey. Esglund was the largest city in a kingdom that was almost as big as Dovonshar. It took several minutes to stable our horses and make our way to the castle. Our wait was short before we were escorted into the king’s chamber. King Verzdon greeted us warmly, and asked why we had come to see him. Before we could answer he asked us to dine with him that evening. We could discuss everything over dinner. That would give us time to rest from our long trip. After we all had bathed and rested we went to dinner. King Verzdon again greeted us and introduced us to the queen. He also introduced us to his cabinet and other nobility in attendance. He began dinner by saying he was eager to hear about our victory over the Dragoats. He wanted to know all the details. During dinner we answered all his questions, and questions from those seated around the table. They were relieved we had defeated the Dragoats. After all they might have kept marching on to Esglund. I also told the king I would like to be given a chance to relieve them from the troubles they had been having with the Ridzen tribe. They were a small tribe of uncivilized marauding people who lived to the north of Esglund. For two years the Ridzen had been sneaking into an outlying town and killing both animals and townspeople. Soldiers sent there to stop the killings were unsuccessful time after time. If the king would give me six of his best soldiers, who would take orders from a woman, I would put an end to the killings. The king had a hard time taking in and processing what I said. “You want to stop the killings? How do you plan on doing that if my finest soldiers have not been able to stop them?” he asked. “I understand how the Ridzen think and what scares them,” I answered. King Verzdon said he needed time to think about this. Before he left the room he asked me what I expected in return. “I want a military title and complete authority over a group of soldiers. Soldiers who will answer to me, and me alone.”

It was impossible for the king to suppress a laugh. “You show more grit then some of my men,” he laughed. Although the king expressed doubts of my abilities to prevail, he agreed to give me six men. He also agreed to grant my request, IF I was successful. The next day I left with a total of nine soldiers. Three men from Dovonshar, and six men from Esglund. We loaded a wagon with all the white paint I could find in the city. Upon arriving in the border town, I met with the town elders. I requested that they set up a meeting with all the town’s inhabitants as soon as possible. While we waited for the meeting day, I had the guards gather up materials that would be needed. We needed more white paint. We used lead plates and very strong vinegar to make more. The steps needed to make the paint were not hard but the whole process took a month. In the meantime I borrowed a bow and arrows and headed off into the woods with Kilmire. My skills with a bow allowed me to knock a squirrel out of a tree with ease. To make sure we would not remove all the squirrels from one area we scouted out multiple wooded areas. In the military archives I read about several conflicts with the Ridzen tribe. The paperwork mentioned that the Ridzen were a superstitious people who framed their lives around their beliefs. To this information I added the life experience of a young boy I had befriended at the military school. The boy was a student there. He was from the border town and had been captured by the Ridzen, and lived with them against his will. Years later he was able to escape and return home. The boy told me at length all about their most sacred beliefs. He even taught me their language. At the town hall meeting I explained my plan to everyone. Amid shouts of disbelief and confusion, I continued to explain my plan. Each goat, each sheep, and each horse was to be painted with a white star. Actually two white stars, one white star on each side of the animal. The front door of every house was to have a round, white moon painted on it. A squirrel’s tail was to be hung in the center of the moon. The soldiers handed out the tails we had collected. We wanted the Ridzen to believe this part of the land was sacred. Their beliefs would cause them to see the markings as a sign that their gods wanted this area for themselves. No Ridzen would ever venture into this land for fear of

offending their gods. It took a couple of months for the Ridzen to completely leave the area. The soldiers and I rode back to the city of Esglund. The king was astounded to hear we had driven the Ridzen out of the border town so quickly, and without bloodshed. I reminded him of our agreement. With a twinkle in his eye he said the men that would answer to me, and me alone, were the men I had charge of going to the border town. As far as giving me a title, he wanted to mull that over for a day or two. Just as I was settling in to my new life in Esglund, I learned King Kuandel had sent a messenger to King Verzdon. My king wished for me to return home to Dovonshar as quickly as possible. Reluctantly I began the trip home. It was not an easy decision to make. In Esglund I had finally received a small amount of respect, and for a brief moment I had power. If I left I would leave with only the soldiers from Dovonshar. How quickly I went from commanding nine soldiers down to three. On the way home I was pretty grouchy. We traveled home as fast as we could.

CHAPTER 8

The mood inside the castle was tense. Whatever was going on had people on edge. The king looked drawn and tired. His eyes were narrowed above the scowl on his face. Something was seriously wrong. King Kuandel got right to the point. He wanted me to take a scouting party to Dragoatin. Information had been sent to the king saying the Dragoats were gathering forces again. King Hakurt, king of the Dragoats, was furious after his defeat. He vowed to wipe Dovonshar off the face of the earth. His soldiers were screaming for revenge. King Kuandel needed people he could trust to sneak inside the city and bring back more information. He knew I spoke their language. It would be easier for me to blend in and go unnoticed. Without any hesitation I agreed to go. Dovonshar was my home. It was my kingdom. What else could I do but say yes. The king wanted me to leave as soon as possible. The three soldiers who had traveled with me to Esglund volunteered to go with me. All three of them were extraordinary men. They were loyal, experienced soldiers. However, one of them would have to stay in Dovonshar. To travel about Dragoatin as inconspicuous as possible we would have to travel with an odd number of people. Everything we did had to be done using odd numbers. That is how the Dragoats did it. If a tavern had ten people in it, someone had to leave. If no one left voluntarily, someone died. It was that simple. After we left the king, Kilmire asked me if I really spoke Dragoat. I answered yes, and explained. My father spoke several languages. He pushed me to learn as many languages as possible. He thought it would open up doors for me with the powerful people if I spoke multiple languages. My father taught me the languages he knew, but he did not speak Dragoat. An older boy at the military school did. His family had fled Dragoatin and settled near Dovonshar. Day after day I would pester him to teach me the Dragoat language. I told Kilmire if I traveled to Dragoatin I would be able to hone my language skills. Kilmire shot me a questioning glance at that last statement. I winked back at him, and laughed out loud.

Bardeth was waiting for me when I returned to my room. We flew into each others arms. He felt strong and warm in my arms. Our lips met and we kissed for a long time. We slowly sidestepped to the bed, ripping off our clothes along the way. We came together in a moment of ecstasy. We rested for a little while, and then came together again, only slowly this time. Each touch gave us quivers of delight until it was all over. We said our good-byes as I dressed to leave for Dragoatin. The best way to go unnoticed in any city is to dress like the residents. Before leaving for Dragoatin, Kilmire, Zelern, and I changed into simple clothing. We also stopped taking baths, and ate food with a lot of curry in it. The Dragoats like curry. They eat a lot of it. So much so that if you blindfolded me, and put me in a room with ten men, I could pick out the men from Dragoatin. Their bodies literally reek of curry. At least to my nose they do. The city of Dragoatin was east of Dovonshar. As we rode east the landscape slowly changed from rolling hills to a more desert like landscape. After arriving in Dragoatin we looked for our local s. They were local Dragoats who hated King Hakurt. Unfortunately their eavesdropping had aroused suspicions, so they stopped sending information to King Kuandel. Thankfully they had agreed to help us with lodging and show us how to get around the city. To explore a city quickly I have found the easiest way is to use the rooftops. People rarely look up, so it was a safe way to get around. I used to run across the rooftops in Dovonshar all the time. This would be a snap. The view from a rooftop also allows you to see a larger area. There were several camps set up outside the city. All the camps were full of soldiers. A quick head count told me this was a gathering of men set up for war. I had just sent off a message of what I saw to King Kuandel when I got stopped by a guard. I was trying to convince the guard I was from the city when Kilmire stepped forward to help me. His knife fell out of its sheath and fell on the ground. The guard grabbed the knife and shouted, “Intruders!” Kilmire’s knife had a Dovonshar marking on it. Thankfully I saw Zelern disappear into the crowd before Kilmire and I were surrounded by a wall of

guards. Trying to protect me, Kilmire shouted out that I was an advisor to King Kuandel. He did not realize how that statement had put my life in danger. The guard who tied my hands together called me a green eyed mongrel. I was pushed and shoved around while being dragged to the main hall. Pushed to the floor I was told King Hakurt would deal with me later. Where was Kilmire? He had not been brought into the hall with me. Later that night I was dragged to another room and left alone. The next morning I was taken to see King Hakurt. He was actually pleased to see me. He now had a mongrel from Dovonshar to show off to his soldiers. Then he would kill me. He had me placed in a duck pen. So there I was stuck in a duck pen wondering how the blazes I was going to get out of this situation. I was fed twice a day. If you could call the slop they fed me food. Once a day I was let out of the cage to go to the bathroom, and stretch my legs. On the fifth day the guard who let me out of the cage asked me why I did not beg him to help me, or cry out to my gods, or try to break out of the pen. “Would it do me any good?” I asked. “No,” was the answer. Having opened up a conversation, of sorts, I asked the guard if King Hakurt would be angry if I died before he killed me. “What do you mean?” the guard growled. “Have you not noticed? I have not eaten anything in five days since I have been in the pen. The slop you feed me is not fit to eat. If I die before he gets to kill me, will you get blamed?” I said sweetly. That night I was given a little stew, and a morsel of bread. The guard also let me out of the cage. He allowed me to stretch and jog in place for ten minutes. The food quality improved, and my time out of the cage increased each night. Eighteen days later a different guard came to get me. The guard tied my hands together and half dragged me to an area at the base of a hill. King Hakurt was there. We were standing in front of his soldiers. On the left were the mounted horsemen. Behind them and to the right were the foot soldiers. I could see in one area battering rams and catapults. His soldiers were all gathered together, ready to march on Dovonshar.

King Hakurt stood on a raised platform. When he spoke, certain designated men would turn around, and shout what he said to his section of men. As each section heard what the king had said they would send up a cheer. When he was done speaking he grabbed me by the hair and pulled me up the hill. Another platform had been set up fifty feet or so up on the side of the hill. There King Hakurt and I stood. He was a mountain of a man. His ruddy face was framed by his long, half grey hair. His unkempt beard still had crumbs of bread in it. He raised his knife above my head. He told his men I was a Dovonshar mongrel who had come into their city to spy on them. The only thing better then capturing a Dovonshar mongrel, was to kill a Dovonshar mongrel. His men cheered. He had a hold of my hair but he was not paying attention to me. He was more interested in the adoration from his men. As he slowly lowered his knife to slit my throat, I intertwined my fingers together and swung my fists into his face. He took a slight step backwards. I quickly kneed him in the groin and swung my fists into his face time and time again. The ropes loosened up enough on my wrists for me to free my hands. His knife had fallen to the ground when I hit him. I grabbed the knife and slit King Hakurt’s throat, and then stabbed him in the heart. He pitched forward and fell to the ground. He did not move. All around me there was stunned silence. In any other kingdom I would have been killed right then and there. Not in Dragoatin. The people of Dragoatin valued cold heartedness and ruthlessness over anything. King Hakurt’s son, Glundor, immediately stepped forward to proclaim himself the new king. He commanded the men around us to do me no harm. No one was to touch me. King Glundor advised his generals to standby for further instructions. There would be no soldier movement today. He was now in charge and he would decide when to march on a kingdom. King Glundor had me hustled away from there and into the main hall. Since the new king had decided to postpone the war with Dovonshar, the outlying men who had come to King Hakurt’s war effort began returning home. There was a lot of grumbling going on in the kingdom. The king promised me, as soon as things settled down I would be free to go home. He wanted me to tell King Kuandel that he had only postponed the war, not cancelled it. However he might be willing to negotiate a truce between our two kingdoms. I asked the whereabouts of the man who had been captured with

me. After speaking with his advisors I was told I would be reunited with my colleague soon. When I saw Kilmire I was relieved that he was still alive. He had lost a lot of weight and looked haggard, but he was alive. A week later Kilmire and I were escorted to the border of Dovonshar by King Glundor’s soldiers. He had sent me on my way with a reminder to his words on to my king. Although Kilmire was still weak, he insisted we leave Dragoatin as fast as possible. He did not trust King Glundor or anyone who lived in Dragoatin. Once we were safely inside our kingdoms border, I started wondering how my king would greet me. What would the king say about King Hakurt’s death? His maniacal reign was over. He would never threaten Dovonshar again, and I had a hand in that. How would the generals treat me? Would they give me the respect I deserved? Would I finally be recognized as a warrior? A lady warrior?

ROYAL AUDITOR BOOK 2

CHAPTER 1

Terteff and I were sitting at his table looking at two books when we heard a loud cracking noise. Someone had kicked in his door. Two men burst into the room and headed straight for us. Their swords were drawn and at the ready. We knew instantly they were there to kill us. Why did they want to kill us and why was one of them holding my sword? were questions that flashed through my mind. Terteff and I jumped up and scrambled to get out of their way. I grabbed one of the books off the table and ran. The only exit door was blocked so I headed toward the nearest window. I threw the book out the open window and tried to climb out as fast as I could. The killer’s sword ripped through the back of my clothes. How did I come to be in this situation? Why was I jumping out of a window? To better understand my predicament I must go back in time and tell you what led up to this day. King Kuandel, the ruler of the Kingdom of Dovonshar, had asked me to go to the Kingdom of Dragoatin. My king asked me to observe our enemies troop movements and send back King Hakurt’s war plan information. As luck would have it, I was captured by King Hakurt’s guards. Captured along with me was Kilmire, a soldier and a lover of mine, who had traveled to Dragoatin with me. King Hakurt underestimated me as a threat to him and in a moment of life or death I killed him. Glundor, King Hakurt’s son, spared my life. He allowed Kilmire and me to return home safely. Kilmire and I were on our way home when I wondered how I would be received in Dovonshar. Would I be proclaimed a hero by the King? Would I finally receive the respect I deserved? Would I, at long last, be considered a lady warrior? Only time would tell. Once inside our kingdom’s border we both breathed a sigh of relief. That night we ate a rabbit I had killed and cooked over an open fire. Kilmire had lost

weight in Dragoatin and was still feeling weak but he had enough energy to lean over to try to kiss me. I rebuffed him. He reached out again to grab me and kiss me. I rejected him for a second time and shouted at him to stop. Kilmire and I had been lovers in the past so the cruelty in my voice when I lashed out at him startled him. Kilmire asked me why I was angry. Unable to control my emotions anymore I burst into tears. He wanted to comfort me but I would not allow it. I made it clear to him that he was not to touch me. Now we both felt uncomfortable. Saying nothing more, we both untied our bedrolls and prepared to go to sleep. The next morning we saddled our horses without speaking. In silence we rode off headed home. When we approached a long straight section of road I began to speak. There was something I wanted to tell him, but first he had to agree to a blood oath. He had to promise that whatever I was going to tell him would never be shared with anyone else. He agreed and pulled out his knife at the same time I pulled out mine. We both made a small cut on our arm that drew blood. Then we touched arm to arm, blood to blood, to seal our word. Before I began I told him there were two conditions. He could not look at me and he could not say a word to me even after I was done speaking. Kilmire agreed to my conditions. I took a deep quivering breath and told him my story. Back in Dragoatin when I had been captured I had been held in a small room. In that room, against my will, three of the guards had their way with me. I had braced myself for torture but not for being violated in that way. I tried to fight them off, but I was not strong enough. Kilmire did not speak. What could he have said anyway? With tears streaming down my cheeks I told him I was mad at all men, including him. On that long dusty road I told Kilmire our nights together were over. It was time for him to find someone else. Minutes ed before Kilmire spoke. “I will always love you Shilight, and if you ever need me to fight by your side I will be there.” The rest of the ride home we traveled as two soldiers would travel together. Before we went into the city to see the king I wanted to stop by my father’s house. It was on the way and located a short distance outside of the city. Word of our arrival must have preceded us. When we turned onto the road leading to my

father’s house the whole family rushed out of the house to greet us. News of what happened to King Hakurt had arrived days ago. It seemed the small border village, where we had stopped for the night, had sent a rider on their fastest horse to tell the king the good news. The news that King Hakurt was dead and there would be no war. Once again it looked like my participation in his death was overlooked. My father greeted us and motioned for me to come to him. It was not easy getting past my sisters and my mother. As I hugged my mother, I could see my father over her shoulder beaming with pride. Eventually my mother let go of me and I stood in front of my father. He shook my hand then grabbed me in a big bear hug. He kept repeating, “Nicely done,” over and over again. Everyone insisted we tell them everything even down to the color of King Hakurt’s clothing. Unbeknownst to me or my father, King Kuandel had sent a group of mounted horseman to my father’s house. They were ordered to escort Kilmire and me into the city and onward to the castle. When the horsemen arrived father insisted they allow me time to eat and rest before going to the castle. Today there would be no arguing with my father. Kilmire and I told our stories as we stuffed our faces with food, lots of food. We had not eaten this well in a long time. After supper, my mother insisted both Kilmire and I take a bath before seeing the king. No doubt we smelled quite foul. The road to the castle should have been lined with people welcoming the conquering heroes’ home. There were none. I did receive a few waves from people in the fields but they were waves from people who always waved to me. That did not count. Inside the city there was a festive atmosphere. People were smiling and giving each other approving head nods. Were the people who waved and smiled at me really smiling at me or at the group of horsemen with me? Kilmire and I dismounted and walked into the castle. The mood inside the castle was jubilant. When King Kuandel saw me enter the room he stood up and started clapping his hands. Soon the whole room was standing and clapping. When the king quieted the room down, he beckoned us to step forward. Kilmire bowed

down to the king. Instead of curtseying or bowing down to the king, as was customary, I turned my head to the right and bowed my head down for a moment. That seemed to amuse the king. Thankfully it did not make him mad. In my anger with all men I had made a decision to never again curtsy or bow to any man. No matter what his title or how powerful he might be. King Kuandel asked us to share every detail of our encounter with King Hakurt and our time spent in Dragoatin. When we were done telling everyone everything we could , the king asked me to step forward. He asked me to kneel down on one knee. My mind shouted, I am not kneeling down for anyone! I started to protest but a quick look at the queen made me hush up and kneel. She had her two palms together with her fingers pointing upward. She was begging me to cooperate. The king was handed his ceremonial sword. He raised the sword and brought the side of the blade down on my left shoulder and then my right shoulder, and pronounced me Lady Shilight. I was stunned. This was a big honor. Most of the people who held the title of Lord or Lady were born into a family with this title so it was indeed an honor. The most I could muster was a weak “Thank you, Your Majesty.” The queen began clapping. Soon the whole room ed in. I could see Queen Bonasha was smiling as were my parents. The pride in my father’s eyes gave me a lump in my throat. Family and friends quickly surrounded me with their congratulations and hugs. The entire castle celebrated the rest of the night with food, music, and free flowing ale. I had to grit my teeth when several of the soldiers I had befriended put their arm around my shoulder to congratulate me. It took a lot of restraint on my part not to punch them in the face. I did not want any man touching me. As the night wore on I slowly started to relax. Copious amounts of ale helped. The next day I woke up with a terrible headache. It is amazing how loud people talk when you have had too much to drink. Even the handmaiden walking across the marbled bedroom floor sounded like a stampeding herd of horses. I was a disheveled mess until midday.

CHAPTER 2

After a long warm bath I was ready to visit with the queen. She was grinning from ear to ear when I entered the room. She congratulated me again and said, “Since you are now officially a Lady I expect you to look like one. No more pants. I expect you to wear a dress or a skirt with an appropriate top at all times inside the castle. There will be no exceptions my dearest Shilight.” I looked at her in astonishment and blurted out, “I can neither ride a horse in a dress nor sword fight in a dress.” We were both quiet for a few minutes. Putting our heads together we eventually came up with a compromise. Queen Bonasha would ask her seamstresses to create a dress or skirt I could be a lady in as well as ride in. We were not very optimistic but we both hoped it could be done. At the end of our time together the queen said she hoped my dressing like a lady would keep me at home, here in the castle. If only I could have told my friend about, Hevarah the witch, and the curses she had cast upon me. One of them included the overwhelming urge to travel, so there was no way I would ever stay home here in the castle. When I reached the outside hallway I spoke into the air, “I would like to speak with you Hevarah.” After leaving the queen, I set off to find Bardeth. I needed to tell him we could no longer be lovers. I sought out Sergeant Capilas. To my delight I learned Sergeant Capilas had been promoted to Lieutenant. When we met he greeted me warmly. We congratulated each other on our new titles. We were now Lady Shilight and Lieutenant Capilas. He asked, “Will you continue your sword fighting regiment?” I replied, “Yes, of course.” When I asked the whereabouts of Bardeth he told me he was not in the city.

Bardeth was out with a scouting party looking for poachers. He would be back in a couple of days. Since I could not speak with Bardeth I returned to my room for the night. The next day I went to see Ableish. To me, he was a mathematical genius. We used to sit for hours talking about the use of math in practically everything including war planning. He used to give me math problems to work on. Many times while riding long distances I would mentally work on the problem he gave me. When I had an answer or a solution we would sit down and dissect everything. Ableish was also the king’s auditor. He had the responsibility of keeping track of the king’s gold and his treasury. Every year Ableish would travel, along with his assistants, to several cities in the kingdom. They would look at the books and make sure each city paid a certain percentage of their taxes and earnings to King Kuandel. Ableish’s job was to make sure the king received his just dues from each city. It was a hard job. Few places wanted someone meddling in their affairs. Even if it was for the king’s benefit. Ableish asked me if I wanted to travel with him to see what he did. I politely declined. Out in the hallway I spoke out loud, “Hevarah, I really need to speak with you.” I wondered, Why has she not answered me? During the next couple of days I resumed weapons training. I tried to work out my anger over what had happened to me in Dragoatin. However, the angrier I got the worse my sword fighting became. I carried a big chip on my shoulder and I fought with more ferocity then usual. For the first time in my life I was cut by my opponents. I received two slashes across the top of my right arm. One was a shallow glancing blow; the other was more serious. The cut was deep and the bleeding continued until tight pressure was applied to the wound. The sword mark that disgusted me the most was the one I received on the tip of my chin. How ironic that I caught the tip of a blade on the tip of my chin. No one knew why my fighting had changed but something was different. Early one morning I took my horse out for a ride. I liked riding through the forest north of Dovonshar. On that day I did something different. I rode toward the forest west of the city. Over the years, rumors had spread throughout the city that the western forest was a bad place to go. Strange things happened there.

People went into the forest but never came out. Silly superstitions, I thought. I followed a doe into the forest, and continued following her through the woods. The area was teeming with small game. There was an abundance of blackberry and raspberry bushes. I made a mental note to stop by soon with a container and collect the berries. Further into the woods I came upon a small creek. If I turned right, I could follow a path that ran alongside the creek. I turned left. If offered a choice between left or right, I always turn left. There was no path to follow so I made my own. Eventually I emerged out of the woods into a large clearing. On my right was the forest. To my left was a flat open area that continued until it ended at the base of a small hill. Ahead of me was a flat area that led to a shack. However, to get to the shack I had to under a wooden arch, through a gate, and over a rickety, floating, wooden walkway that crossed over an area of quicksand. There was a wooden sign on top of the arch that read “Go Away” What could go wrong here? I thought sarcastically. Wondering what to do next I thought I heard a woman’s voice say, “Come here.” Feeling pretty invincible I dismounted and opened the gate to the walkway. Slowly and carefully I tested each board as I made my way across the quicksand to the shack. The door was open. Who ever lived here did not have to worry about strangers stopping by for a visit. Well, except for me. I watched several cats going in and out of the door opening. From inside the shack I again heard a woman’s voice call, “Come here.” With my hand on my sword handle I entered the shack. It was dark inside. At the back of the shack I could see the figure of a woman. She was hunched over a table. When she stood up she still looked hunched over. She beckoned to me, “Come closer Shilight.” “How do you know my name?” I asked.

“I know many things,” she replied. “Who are you?” I asked. “Ommalo,” she answered back. That was my first encounter with Ommalo, a local witch. What is it with me and witches? I thought. Ommalo got right to the point. She poked her gnarled finger into my chest and told me she needed certain herbs. They could not be found near Dovonshar so I would have to look far and wide for them. I started to speak but she poked me in the chest again and told me I needed to find certain animal and insect parts for her. Hurriedly I interrupted Ommalo and stated I would not find her animal or insect parts. Herbs I would look for, but nothing more. “What do I receive in exchange?” I inquired. Ommalo walked over to a low table and grabbed something and turned back to me. She quickly reached up and rubbed a greenish grey paste like concoction on my chin. Next she pushed my right sleeve all the way up to my shoulder. That done she put more of the paste on my two sword scars. “Speak to Idzot,” she told me. “Who is Idzot?” I asked. Ommalo did not answer. She placed a small packet of rolled leaves in my hands. “Treat the scars every night,” she advised me. “Now go.” “Where do I find Idzot?” I inquired. Ommalo repeated her words. “Speak with Idzot. Now go.” She turned her back to me and I realized I would get nothing more out of her. On my way out the door I thought to myself, Are all witches this mysterious and incoherent?

Retracing my steps I found my way back to the beginning of the forest. It had been days since I had first called out to Hevarah for a face to face meeting. Why did she not answer me? I wondered. Still feeling invincible I made another numskull decision. I shouted out loud that I was going to tell all of Dovonshar that Hevarah closed her eyes when she swung her sword. As quick as two shakes of a lamb’s tail I was in Hevarah’s place. Hevarah was shouting and shaking her fist at me. Why was she looking up at me? I wondered. It did not take long for me to figure out I was not my normal self. I was in a cage hanging from a roof rafter. My feet were gone! I had claws and feathers! Looking around I saw my image reflected in a mirror. I was a vulture. A vulture! Like my last encounter with Hevarah I did not hear half of what she was saying. How could I concentrate on her when I knew I was a vulture? Turloola heard Hevarah’s tirade and rushed in to see what had her sister so enraged. She let out a long sigh when she saw me in the cage. Turloola had Hevarah change me back into a human again. The last time I angered Hevarah she had totally removed my mouth. When I reached for my mouth this time all I could feel was a tiny hole where my mouth should have been. I could almost fit my little finger into the hole. I tried to speak but the only sound I could make was a whistling sound. Eventually Turloola calmed down her sister. My mouth was retuned to its normal size and I spoke to Hevarah. “I tried to get you to see me several times but you ignored me. I said what I did so you would talk to me. I did not really mean it.” Hevarah glared at me but her demeanor softened a little. “I need to know if I can tell someone about my situation with you and Turloola. If I did tell someone what would be the consequences for the both of us?” Turloola grabbed her sister’s arm and pulled her from the room. When the two witches returned I held my breath for their answer.

Turloola spoke. “Everyone needs a confidant. Someone they can tell their deepest darkest secrets to. Should you tell someone about Hevarah’s curses or my involvement they must agree to follow one simple rule. The person you tell must never tell another person anything or your situation. If they do they will die before the last word comes out of their mouth. You will not suffer, except for knowing the person you confided in died because you had to unburden yourself to them.” Turloola’s words were like a hard blow to my stomach. Her reply was not what I had anticipated. “Did you get your answer?” Hevarah asked harshly. I nodded yes and I was instantly returned back to the forest. Unburdening myself could cause a friend’s death. I was feeling shaky and needed to get off my horse before I vomited.

CHAPTER 3

The city marketplace was buzzing with people when I returned to the castle. Today I was on a mission to find Idzot. On the way back to the city I had stopped and asked several farmers if they knew him. No one did. Certainly I would find him in the city. Most of the merchants knew me but they did not know Idzot. Fellow soldiers and friends I saw that day had never heard of him. Who was he? Where was he? Late for lunch I hurried to my room to change clothes. Right before I left to eat, a handmaiden came running into my room breathlessly saying, “Lady Shilight, the queen needs to see you now!” We left together and quickly made our way to the queen’s sitting room. Queen Bonasha was pacing back and forth. I could tell she was bursting with excitement about something. “Lady Shilight I have the most exciting news to tell you. The head seamstress has created a special riding skirt for you. I am happy with it and I hope you will be too!” gushed the queen. With a grand sweeping motion the queen showed me the skirt. The head seamstress had created a new garment, a split skirt. It looked like a woman’s skirt but it had wide pant legs. When I tried it on it looked like a skirt. Only when I walked quickly would you notice I was wearing wide legged pants. Once again I agreed to wear exquisite dresses to any balls or royal gatherings held at the castle and wear the new skirt for daily wear. The garment was not a perfect solution, but for the time being we were both cautiously happy with it Queen Bonasha had another surprise for me. She proudly told me that because I now bore the title of Lady Shilight my status within the court had been elevated. Henceforth I would also bare the title of Royal Confidant to the Court. To be given the title of Royal Confidant was a prestigious honor bestowed upon but a few people.

The news was almost overwhelming. Did I hear the queen correctly? I thought. All the other Royal Confidants were men and much older then me. “Your Majesty, I am more then honored to receive this loftier status but are you sure this will not cause animosity or a backlash from those who currently hold this title?” I asked meekly. “The king and I discussed that in depth. It is clear your loyalty to your king and this kingdom are unchallengeable. Therefore we could not deny you the title just because you are a woman,” answered the queen. I smiled a big smile and bowed my head in acknowledgement. My heart leaped with joy. What the queen said next completely baffled me. She instructed me to see the Royal Physician. “But I am not sick,” I protested. She let out a little giggle and said, “Of course you are not sick. You need to go to the Royal Physician to get a tattoo. It is a tattoo of the Royal Crest of Dovonshar. All the Royal Confidants have them. The king and I both have one. Here let me show you my tattoo.” With that said, the queen pulled her dress hem all the way up to her waist and exposed her inner left thigh. There, as clear as day, was a beautiful color likeness of the Royal Crest. My mouth must have dropped open with amazement because the queen teasingly told me to close my mouth. She laughed and said I looked like a little girl who had been handed her first rag doll. “Now off you go, my dear Shilight, to get your tattoo.” We hugged and laughed together as girlfriends often do. I left the queen and took off to find the Royal Physician. Walking across the courtyard I could see the physician’s door was open. I was close to his door when Ableish approached me.

“Congratulations Lady Shilight on your new title and higher standing with the court. With your new duties I hope you will still find time to see this old man once in awhile.” I assured Ableish that I would continue to stop by for our chats. He continued, “Are you aware this will be my last trip outside of Dovonshar as an auditor? You could make an old man happy if you were to accompany me to my first city. It would be the highlight of my life if you were to travel with me and see what my job truly entails. Would you grant me this small favor, Lady Shilight? Then I could die a happy man.” He was pleading with me in his own inimitable way. He was such a dear friend; how could I deny him this one small favor? “All right Ableish. I’ll clear my schedule and accompany you to the first city on your trip,” I replied. He was visibly pleased and the smile on his face made me know I had made the right decision. “By the way, what city would you be traveling to?” I inquired. He told me Huntirrplan. I am sure I heard him humming as he walked away. I turned and entered the Royal Physician’s room. He was not very welcoming. He was upset that a girl such as I would be allowed to receive a royal tattoo. He loudly proclaimed to me, “You were born a commoner! You were not born with the title Lady Shilight; instead it was given to you by the king. Your family does not carry the bloodline of an aristocrat. My action of giving you the tattoo would debase the supreme honor of receiving the Royal Crest Tattoo.” With that said he ordered me out of his room. Seething with anger I stomped off to see the king. How dare that pompous old man belittle me and my family! I literally burst into the king’s hall demanding to see the king immediately. The king’s advisor tried to calm me down but I would have none of it. Looking back on that day I must have looked like a raving madwoman. My actions, however, did get me in quickly to see the king. I

explained to His Majesty the reason for my agitation. I told him the cruel words the physician had said to me and how I had held my tongue even though I wanted to lash out at him. The king understood why I was mad and promised to rectify the situation as soon as possible. Later that day the physician started my tattoo. I found out later that King Kuandel had personally ordered the physician to create a tattoo for me as clear and beautiful as the one he had given the queen. Inferior work would be considered an affront to the Monarchy and would require retribution against the offender. It took several visits for the Royal Physician to complete the tattoo. He used tiny needles as he worked. They felt like tiny bee stings except the bees continued to sting me over and over again. When he was done it was a beautiful work of art. It was a permanent work of art that would forever be on my upper left thigh.

CHAPTER 4

Eager to show the queen my tattoo I hurried to her room. She was in a disagreeable mood and ordered me into her bedchamber. What had made her so agitated? When she closed the door she angrily yelled at me, “What is wrong with you? What are you hiding from me? I thought we were friends. I thought we confided in each other. Did I misjudge you?” I let her get all her anger out before I asked, “What are you talking about?” “You have not been the same since you returned from Dragoatin. You are angrier, meaner, and more distant then you were before you went there. I spoke with Lieutenant Capilas about you. He told me your sword play has become erratic and undisciplined. You have been wounded many times and yet your arm scars appear to diminish day by day. What are you not telling me?” snapped the queen. For the first time in a long time I felt embarrassed. Her words cut deeply. My closest dearest friend had doubts about my honesty. Months of keeping secrets from loved ones and not having anyone to confide in caught up to me. Tears welled up in my eyes. My emotions were no longer mine to control. I sank to the floor. My hands covered my face as I leaned forward over my knees and sobbed uncontrollably. All of my life I had strived to hold back my emotions. Warriors did not cry. Warriors controlled their emotions. Yet there I was blubbering like a child. Queen Bonasha moved quickly to comfort me. She wrapped her arms around me and slowly stroked my hair. All she could say was, “Please do not cry.” I was grateful the queen had ordered everyone from her bedchamber. It was embarrassing enough that the queen saw me cry. The depth of my despair would have been greater if others had seen me cry.

Several minutes went by before I was able to collect myself. Queen Bonasha softly said, “Whatever is troubling you my dearest Shilight, we will work it out together.” Eventually I stood up with the queen still holding on to me. I sat down on a chair and looked at her. What I said next barely came out as a whisper. “I wanted to tell you, but I did not want to see harm come to you. To tell you would put your life in danger and I cherish you too much to do so.” “You must be exaggerating Shilight. How would my life be in danger? There are guards everywhere to protect me,” she said with a nervous laugh as she waved her arm in the direction of the door. “You would die instantly if you were to slip and reveal any of what I told you. You would die before the last word came out of your mouth,” I sobbed. The queen drew in a short breath of air but her eyes never wavered from mine. “Must I keep everything from the king?” she asked. “Yes. You can only discuss this information with me and me alone. You can not discuss it with anyone else or tell any other living soul. Not now, not ever!! You must take everything to the grave with you.” Visibly shaken, the queen walked over to her bed and sat down. She motioned for me to come closer. We both knew a handmaiden or some other member of her staff had their ear pressed against the door hoping to hear what we were saying. “Is there witchcraft involved?” she whispered. I did not answer. I lowered my eyes and looked at the floor. She knew right away the answer was yes. We both sat on the bed in silence for what seemed like hours. When Queen Bonasha spoke she did so with a steady voice.

“I want to know everything and I promise I will keep secret whatever you tell me.” “Do not take this lightly Bonasha. This will change your life forever. You will be keeping a secret within you forever. Are you sure you want to take on this heavy burden? Are you absolutely sure?” I inquired. “Yes,” she answered firmly. The next part of the afternoon I shared my secrets with the queen. The relief I felt sharing them with her was immense. I had been holding my emotions inside for a long time. I was full of hate and anger. Now for the first time I could let my emotions go. First I told Bonasha about my run-in with Hevarah. How my ridiculing of Hevarah had brought me face to face with her and her sister, Turloola. She learned of the curses, both good and bad, that had been placed upon me. Many things became clear to her as I spoke. She learned of Hevarah’s curse regarding my obsession with sword fighting and with war. She began to understand why I had feelings of wanderlust, and an irresistible urge to jump on my horse and head out somewhere. She cried tears with me when I told her I would never have children. Sadly I would never know what it was like to be a mother. Never would I hold a baby of mine in my arms. We cried together and hugged each other closely before I continued. I mentioned how men would be drawn to me. Bonasha laughed and told me she knew from our very first meeting that I had a way with men. She had observed how men reacted when I first entered a room and how their eyes followed me around the room. They tried to conceal their interest in me but she could see right through them. She confessed how her own husband, King Kuandel, had been immediately drawn to me. She clarified her statement by saying, “But not in a romantic way, of course. He ires your spunk and your tenacity.” My last secret was my most unsettling one. I told Bonasha about the three guards in Dragoatin. How they had taken turns with me, against my will, and how degraded it made me feel. I told her about Kilmire and how we would never be close again. I told her I wanted to do the same with Bardeth but he had not returned home.

Queen Bonasha verbally scolded me. “I forbid you to break off your association with Bardeth. He loves you and you love him. He has done nothing to hurt you. Your anger is aimed at the wrong people. Your hatred must be aimed at the three guards who hurt you. They are the ones who must pay.” She was right, of course, but it was hard to lash out at someone who was not there. She made me promise to stop blaming the innocent. It was not going to be easy but every part of my life was suffering because of this built up anger. We had been talking a long time when we realized we were hungry. Queen Bonasha opened her bedroom door and ordered a handmaiden to bring us food. It was amazing to see how many people rushed into her room to fuss over her. One of her close confidants flashed me a disapproving look. After eating she ordered everyone out of her bedchamber. There were multiple protests and complaints, but she stood firm. After everyone left, Bonasha asked me a tough question. “If I am forbidden from telling the king about our talks, what do I tell him?” “I have given this a lot of thought and you should tell him I have a womanly problem. Men hate that kind of talk. They would rather pull their chest hairs out one hair at a time then listen to a woman’s problem. Should he press you further tell him it has to do with my monthly curse. I feel confident that the last answer should stop all further questions.” We looked at each other knowingly and giggled. When we were done laughing I told Bonasha that I would be taking a short trip in the next couple of days. I reassured her that this trip had nothing to due with Hevarah’s curse. An aging auditor wanted me to see him at work auditing the king’s books. We would be traveling to a nearby city so I would not be gone long. We both smiled at each other and held hands before I left the room. The words the queen had spoken kept coming back to me. “Your anger is aimed at the wrong people. Your hatred must be aimed at the three guards who hurt you. They are the ones who must pay.” Feeling guilty about the way I treated Kilmire I had to find him and apologize

for my behavior. His status as a warrior had been raised after we returned victorious from Dragoatin. He was now a falconer. He was in charge of the king’s hawks and falcons. Only certain warriors with a higher rank were given this elite position. When I found him in the barracks I asked if we could speak privately. Along with his new title came special benefits. He had his own private room in the barracks and we moved there to be alone. I told Kilmire I had been wrong to lash out at him instead of the three guards who had hurt me. It felt natural for me to lean close to him and give him a kiss on the lips. He returned my kiss. I stiffened up when he started to pull me closer. Kilmire stopped and asked me if I was alright. I was conflicted. I wanted him to hold me, but at the same time I did not want him to touch me. I could not get the three guards out of my head. Again I heard the queen’s words, “Your anger is aimed at the wrong people.” Those three brutish Dragoat pigs were not going to control my life. I took a deep breath and put my arms around Kilmire’s neck. Our long and gentle kiss slowly led to another. Eventually we ended up in bed together. Afterwards we did not say anything. It was not necessary. Our loving friendship was back to where it should have been. In addition to our continuing friendship, Kilmire had given me another gift. Our time in bed together took pressure off of me to fulfill one of Hevarah’s curses; the one that dictated I seek out a man’s desire every ninety days. For now I could breathe easy and delay thinking about her curse until later.

CHAPTER 5

Two days later word came to me that Ableish and his assistants would be leaving for Huntirrplan at dawn. Huntirrplan was a smaller town located to the southwest of Dovonshar. Perhaps in that area I might find some of the herbs Ommalo had requested. I rushed off to the boot maker’s home. He had offered to make a special herb belt for me. Arriving at his home he proudly showed me the belt. It had several compartments that could hold different herbs. It could be attached to the back of my saddle or easily removed to carry by hand. Before I left I asked him if he knew a man named Idzot. He shook his head no. Where was Idzot? No one knew him. Was I ever going to find him? That afternoon the king requested my presence. He advised me that Ableish would be in charge of auditing the king’s books but I would have other duties. I would be in charge of inventorying certain items. King Kuandel wanted a comprehensive list of all things military. That included the number of horses, swords, knives, and men who were available to be soldiers. His next order shocked me. I would be responsible for grading the soldiers’ readiness. That would include all areas of war readiness. The king would leave the details up to me. He wished me a safe journey and asked if I needed anything. I asked for a young soldier escort. Ableish and everyone who would be accompanying him were as old as the hills. I was seventeen and I wanted someone my own age to talk to during the ride to Huntirrplan. The king said he understood. He would personally see to my request. The next morning I was waiting outside the stables for Ableish. Waiting along with me were his two assistants, one man servant, one coach driver, two old soldiers, and Gusplat. He was the young soldier the king had sent to accompany me. Of all the soldiers to pick from, the king picked a short, pudgy, immature boy soldier to travel with me. I guessed the queen had something to do with his picking Gusplat. No doubt Her Majesty was trying to make sure I would not be tempted to stray from Bardeth. It was my fault. I chose not to tell Queen

Bonasha about one of Hevarah’s curses. A big one that forced me to have an intimate encounter with a man every ninety days, or I would die. The next time I saw the queen I had to tell her. We were all anxiously waiting Ableish’s arrival when a man servant arrived with news. He was obviously in great distress when he told us that last night Ableish had died in his sleep. The assistants immediately began wailing over his death. I lowered my head and said a quick goodbye to Ableish. He was a good friend and mentor. I would miss him. We all stood silently wondering what to do next. Certainly our trip to Huntirrplan would be delayed. As I started to unsaddle my horse a soldier from the castle arrived with news from the king. The soldier advised us that our trip would not be cancelled. Our trip arrangements had been made a long time ago and we were to carry out our duties despite the death of Ableish. I wondered how we could continue under these circumstances. The soldier handed me a rolled up piece of parchment with the king’s seal on it. “What is this?” I asked. “Your new orders, My Lady,” he answered. On the paper the king had written my name as the new Royal Auditor and Royal Taskmaster for the entire kingdom. “Is this a joke?” I asked in astonishment. My mind was racing; Did the king want me to replace Ableish? I was good with numbers but I was not as qualified as an auditor. “What is your name?” I barked at the soldier. “My name is Salturn, My Lady.” “I asked you a question soldier. Is this a joke?” I shouted at him. Salturn replied “No, My Lady. His Majesty made it clear to me that in addition to your new job as Royal Taskmaster you were to replace Ableish and do his job

with the help of his assistants. The king also stressed that you should not dally. There was no time to mourn. We were to leave immediately.” “What do you mean WE?” I asked. “King Kuandel has assigned me to be your personal guard so I will be accompanying you on your journey,” Salturn replied. Even in my state of agitation I took a moment to size up Salturn He was a good looking older man. I guessed his age at around thirty years old. I was five feet ten inches tall and he was a little taller then me. He had a nice muscular build and he had a fetching smile. Under normal circumstances I would have been pleased to meet him, but this was not a normal circumstance. It was time for me to take charge. I ordered the coachman and the soldiers to get ready to move out. Since I was not a true auditor I would need help from the assistant auditors. I mentioned to them that if our audits went well that no doubt promotions would be in their futures. By stroking their egos I hoped I would receive their complete cooperation and assistance. I also gave the assistants my word that our group would hold a remembrance to honor Ableish. I asked if they had extra pieces of paper. They nodded yes. The paper, I told them, would be used later to honor Ableish. A loud racket turned our attention to a fast moving wagon. It was coming our way at a fast clip. The driver was waving his arms and shouting, “WAIT!” The wagon was full of crates and when it stopped it stopped beside the carriage. The crates were full of homing pigeons! What else could go wrong today? I wondered. The pigeon driver told me the king wanted us to take three of the crates with us. One crate for each place we would be visiting. King Kuandel wanted to replace the old pigeons with new ones. “What a farce all of this has become,” I moaned. When the three crates were securely tied to the top of the carriage we left the

city. I was traveling with pigeons, old men, and an immature youth. All of that added up to a long, agonizing journey for me. The horses plodded along. Each step deepened my boredom. I asked Salturn to tell me how the king had chosen him to be my protector. He told me the king had asked for volunteers. They had to be experienced soldiers who were willing to travel outside Dovonshar with a group of old men and one woman. King Kuandel did not tell anyone that the woman was a beautiful young lady. He looked over at me and grinned. He continued on by telling me about his wife. She had died in child birth during the early spring. The child would have been their first one. His wife’s unexpected death was a terrible blow to him. He loved his wife and wanted to see her happy. Both families grieved for a long time. Soon after his wife’s family came to him insisting that he marry his wife’s younger sister. They kept telling him his wife would have approved. They were becoming so persistent that he knew he had to get away from their daily pleading. That is when he volunteered for the assignment. The first day of travel went slowly. The horses never moved faster then a walk. With our late start we did not travel far. The light was beginning to wane when I decided it was time to stop for the night. There was no lodging in sight so we had to camp overnight by the side of the road. When the horses were secure for the night I examined their teeth. The more slanted the teeth the older the horse. No wonder they moved slowly. Both horses were very old. I made a mental note to buy two new carriage horses as soon as possible. One of the old soldiers started a fire. One by one we all sat down together. No one was happy. It was still light outside so I asked one of the assistants for a piece of paper, a pen, and some ink. I wrote Ableish’s name on the top of the paper along with a simple message of iration and respect. I announced out loud to everyone, “I thought it would be nice if we all signed our names on this piece of paper and then burned it as a way to and honor Ableish.” While I was saying that I looked at Gusplat. He had a look of panic on his face. In that moment I ed that the majority of soldiers did not know how to read or write. Thinking quickly I corrected myself.

“Wait a minute, I have a better idea. Signatures are so impersonal. We should put ashes on our thumbs and press it to the paper.” With that said I reached down by the fire and pulled out a small burnt branch. I pushed my thumb into the ashes and then pressed my thumb onto the side of the paper while saying, “Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust. Rest in peace Ableish.” After I was done I ed the paper and the branch to the next person. When everyone had put their thumb print on the paper I asked the assistants if they would like to say a few parting words. Their words were simple and touching. I handed the paper to the oldest assistant and asked him to place the paper in the fire. We all watched as the paper slowly caught fire and burned. Nature called and I started walking into the woods. Salturn was right behind me. I turned around and asked him what he was doing. “Following you, My Lady,” he answered. “I can mange this by myself,” I replied. “The king made me swear on my life that I would never be further then a swords length from you. Where you go, I go,” Salturn declared. I walked right up to him and leaned in closely to his face. “What if I take a bath?” I asked. “Then I will turn my back when you step into the water, My Lady,” he answered. His eyes told me he was serious. “We will see,” I teased. The next morning everyone woke up hungry. Thankfully the Royal Cook had prepared several jars of food for us. As we split up the food and the bread I made an announcement. “We are all on this trip together whether we like it or not. I expect everyone to get along and cooperate with each other,” I stated emphatically. I explained what I expected from each one of them. The coachman was ordered

to teach Gusplat how to handle and harness the horses and how to drive the carriage. The two assistants were ordered to teach everyone how to sign their name. The two older soldiers were ordered to teach everyone how to gather wood and to start a fire. I dared not go against the king’s orders to Salturn so I insisted he and I hone our knife throwing skills together. My next statement drove home the point that I was serious about my orders. Before we would leave Huntirrplan for our next city I would give everyone a test. If anyone failed my test, their instructor would be sent home immediately with only a one soldier escort. As I turned away I heard, “Yes, My Lady” and “As you wish, My Lady.”

CHAPTER 6

Days later we arrived in Huntirrplan. This medium sized city was governed by The Count of Huntirrplan. When The Kingdom of Dovonshar was preparing for war with the Kingdom of Dragoatin thousands of soldiers from Huntirrplan arrived to us in battle. Their soldiers were well organized and well trained men. It would be interesting to see how they reacted to a woman taskmaster. The city itself was a smaller version of Dovonshar. Our little group of nine was escorted to the Count’s residence by several of his palace guards. The Count of Huntirrplan greeted us. He expressed his condolences upon hearing about the death of Ableish. I handed him the scroll from King Kuandel and studied his face while he read it. “You are both an Auditor and a Taskmaster?” he inquired. I replied, “Yes, Your Lordship.” “This is highly unusual for a woman to oversee both the Royal Auditor and the duties of a Royal Taskmaster,” he said tensely. “Excuse me Sir, but perhaps you might wish to reread the paper. I will not be overseeing anything. The king has elevated my position to that of the Official Royal Auditor and Royal Taskmaster. Therefore I will be in charge of both tasks. I hope I can rely on your cooperation. I would like to begin the auditing process as soon as possible. Tomorrow morning would be a fine time to look at the books if that is agreeable to you?” I asked politely. The Count agreed begrudgingly. A man servant beckoned the men in my group to follow him. A handmaiden led the way to my bedchamber. Salturn followed behind me. On the way, I asked various people if they knew a man named Idzot. No one knew him. True to his word about staying close to me, Salturn followed me into my bedchamber. The handmaiden tried to show him to another room but he refused

to leave. “This is rather awkward,” I said to Salturn. “Where do you plan on sleeping? It will certainly not be in my bed with me,” I told him. He asked the handmaiden to bring him sleeping material. He would sleep at the end of my bed. With our sleeping arrangements settled we went to sleep. The next morning I woke up as the sun began to rise. There was no way I was going to start the day without taking a bath first. After I requested a bath be drawn for me, I asked for new clothing for all nine of my troop. I also asked the handmaiden if she had ever heard of a man named Idzot. She answered, “No.” The Palace had a woman’s bathing area down the hall from my room. Heads turned to follow us as we entered the bath area. A handmaiden pointed to where Salturn could find the men’s bathing area. He smiled and told her he was staying with me. Salturn leaned against a wall while he waited for me to finish bathing. When I was getting in and out of the water he momentarily turned his back to allow me a bit of privacy. What would he say and do when I ordered him to take a bath? My early start was further delayed because I was famished and needed a big breakfast. Salturn was amused by the amount of food I ate although he said nothing. After breakfast I was ready to begin work. Before going to the auditor’s room I walked into the kitchen. I asked the head cook if he had any of the herbs I needed. The ones Ommalo wanted me to obtain. He had one herb on the list called Mugwort. The head cook suggested a servant deliver the herbs to my chambers. On my way out of the kitchen I asked the staff if they knew a man named Idzot. They did not. The Royal Auditor’s room was filled with people. There were assistants, guards, man servants, and other unnecessary people in the room. It was a chaotic scene. Moramick, the Royal Auditor of Huntirrplan, was flitting around the room in a big show of authority. No one was really doing anything so I asked Moramick to send away most of the people. When that was done I asked to see the King’s Books. By the time the books were located and brought to me it was time to stop

for a midday meal. When I returned to the room to continue my audit I noticed a leather bag on the table where I had been working. Someone had accidentally left their money pouch on the table. I moved it to the far edge of the table and started to work. While I looked at the books everyone else was standing around dilly-dallying. My assistants were no where to be found and the local auditors were doing their best to distract me. I left that day having accomplished little. The next morning I noticed the same leather pouch was again in the middle of the table. Was that meant for me? Was someone trying to bribe me? My two assistants were sleeping in their chairs more then they were working on the books. The local assistants were back to distracting me. Slowly it dawned on me. The money must be a bribe. Had Ableish or his assistants accepted bribes in the past? Were Ableish’s assistants so used to being paid off they literally stopped looking at the books? Guess it was up to me to find out. On the third day I ordered everyone out of the room except for Moramick. The books he had insisted were the king’s books were too perfect. There were no cross outs and no corrections to be found. There were no notations along the edges of the book. No one could keep such clean perfect books. When I asked for more books I was told there were none. I sent Moramick away and asked to see his assistants. I asked Salturn to corner one of the assistants at the far end of the room so I could talk to them one at a time. The first assistant sat down and we had a conversation about the harvest and how the taxes were collected. His name was Terteff. He hinted that something was wrong and if I helped him he would help me. He told me he was privy to information about Moramick, the head auditor. “What do you want in return for this information?” I asked. It was simple. He wanted to be the head auditor. I assured Terteff I would do what I could to make that happen.

Terteff told me the Count had no knowledge of what was going on and that Moramick was taking money out of the coffers for himself. Not a small amount but a rather sizeable amount was taken. To cover his tracks he had two sets of books. One book he showed the Count and one book Moramick kept hidden from everyone. That book had the real numbers in it. I told Terteff, “If you can produce the book with the unaltered numbers I will personally see to it that you become the new head auditor.” I motioned to Salturn that I was ready to speak with the other auditor. We spoke of the harvest and how the taxes were collected. I did not want to raise any suspicions by treating one auditor differently from the other. When I was done questioning the second assistant, I dismissed them both.

CHAPTER 7

A day later Terteff got word to me that I should come to his house. He wanted me to arrive after dark so there would be a less chance of anyone seeing me. He showed me the two books he had managed to take out of Moramick’s room. I skimmed over the books and realized that these were the real Royal Books. They listed far more money received in taxes then he had listed in the fake books. Within minutes of looking at the books Terteff’s door was kicked in and two assassins entered the room. Terteff and I jumped up and tried to flee. As I grabbed one of the Royal Books I saw one of the killers wielding my sword. I ran to the nearest window and threw the book as far out the window as I could. The assassin’s sword ripped through the back of my clothes as I was climbing out the window. I spun around and grabbed the sides of the window frame. Lifting both of my feet off the ground I kicked my assailant in the chest as hard as I could. He went flying backwards. When he fell I spotted Terteff on the floor. He had been stabbed to death and my bloody sword was lying next to him! The assailant was getting to his feet so I had no time to think of anything but getting away. I threw myself out the window and fell two floors to the ground below. Luckily I was not injured. It had been raining all night and everything was wet. In the faint moonlight I saw the book lying in a puddle of water. I grabbed it and ran. Turning several corners I spotted a blacksmith’s wagon. I threw the book under the wagon and continued running. When I arrived back in my room I was soaking wet. Salturn was waiting for me and he was not happy. “Why did you leave without me?” he demanded. “Two people would have attracted attention so I went alone to Terteff’s place,” I answered. “It is my job to protect you. You could have been killed,” he said angrily.

“Well I wasn’t, but Terteff was,” I answered back. I decided to tell Salturn everything that had happened. He deserved to know how much trouble I was in. He listened intently as I told him about Terteff’s death, my sword, and the book I had hidden. After our talk I examined my back where the sword had struck me. There was a thin line all the way across the small of my back where I had been cut. Thankfully it was not deep. If the killer had been one foot closer my wound would have been a serious one. When I went to bed the events of the night kept replaying over and over in my mind. It took a long time to fall asleep. The next morning palace guards arrived at my door. They accused me of murder, tied my hands together, and placed me in a dungeon cell. That afternoon I was taken before the Count and interrogated. Moramick was there and he accused me of murdering Terteff. He had a witness who saw me go into Terteff’s place. One of the guards told the Count how he had found my sword beside the dead body with blood on it. Moramick pointed at me and told the Count I was a murderer. “Why would Lady Shilight want to kill Terteff?” asked the Count. Moramick replied, “Do not let her lying green eyes bewitch you, My Lord. Lady Shilight sought to impress King Kuandel. He had placed her in a powerful position and the power went to her head. She could strengthen her position and impress the king by creating a false report about our treasury finances. When Terteff would not cooperate she killed him.” “I did not kill him!” I proclaimed loudly. I looked at the Count and asked “If I killed Terteff why did I leave my sword behind? My initials ‘LS’ are on the handle. Why would I leave it behind to incriminate myself?” Moramick spoke up saying, “The answer is simple. She panicked. She is a young girl who found herself in a terrible situation. After killing Terteff she ran away like a scared little girl.” I thought, How dare you insult me by calling me a scared little girl. To the Count I replied, “Your Lordship, perhaps Moramick’s memory has faded because of his advanced age. It seems he has forgotten that I was the one who

killed King Hakurt in a life or death struggle. I would never run away from anything like a scared little girl.” A faint smile crossed the Count’s lips. “I did not kill Terteff,” I said emphatically. The Count refused Moramick’s request that I be thrown back into the dungeon with all the other murderers. The Count said I would be treated as anyone of nobility would be treated. I would be kept under guard in a tower cell. Palace guards led me up a flight of stairs to a room in a tower. That is where I would be imprisoned until sentencing. A guard would be posted outside my door at all times. Moramick insisted Salturn be barred from visiting me. His loyalty to me might drive him to help me escape. However, the other of my Dovonshar group would be allowed to visit me but only two at a time. Within hours of my imprisonment the two Dovonshar assistants came to see me. They advised me that they were leaving for home immediately. They did not want to be caught up in my scandal. They hoped I would understand and not judge them too harshly. I told them I understood and wished them a safe journey. After the assistants left my next visitors were the Coachman and one of the old soldiers. They were leaving too. Someone had to escort the assistants home. After a few moments of silence the Coachman spoke, “My Lady, I thank you for helping me learn how to sign my name. From now on I will stand taller and feel a little prouder because of it.” The old soldier told me, “I am an old illiterate soldier, but I can do what most soldiers cannot. I can sign my name. For that I am grateful, My Lady.” I wished them a safe journey and dismissed them. My last visitor was Gusplat. He stood in front of me looking down at his feet. He did not speak. I broke the silence by asking him if he too was leaving for home with the assistants. He looked up at me and said, “No, I want to stay with you. You have been kind to me. I learned how to drive a coach and sign my name because of your kindness. Please let me stay.”

His request took me by surprise. “Of course you may stay. You can be a liaison between Salturn and me. Gusplat, this assignment may carry danger with it. Will you help me?” I swear I saw him square his shoulders before he answered with a definite, “Yes.” “Good,” I replied. My first order for Gusplat was to tell Salturn to fetch the book I had thrown under the blacksmith’s wagon. Neither Salturn nor Gusplat were to tell anyone about the book. Satisfied that he understood the need for secrecy, I sent him away. Waiting to hear any kind of news from Salturn was agonizing. Pacing back and forth became my regular daily routine. A guard came to my door to tell me a dove had been sent to notify King Kuandel that I had been accused of murder. What would the king think of me now? His trust in me would be destroyed. My friendship with the queen would be over. How would my father react? He had proudly given me the sword with my initials on it. This news would break his heart. I did not cry for my plight but for letting my father, my king, and my dearest friend down. Gusplat came to see me with bad news. The auditor’s book I had taken was unreadable. When it fell in the puddle the pages got wet. The ink ran together, and all the writing was blurred. I felt sick to my stomach. There was nothing more to say. I was going to be hanged as a murderer.

CHAPTER 8

Several days later the palace guards came to get me. They escorted me to an official hearing in front of The Count of Huntirrplan. Gusplat was there but I did not see Salturn anywhere. Even he had given up on me. Once again Moramick accused me of murder and brought forth his witnesses. After he had presented all of his incriminating evidence the Count turned to me and asked me to defend myself. At the back of the room we all heard loud noises. A squad of Dovonshar soldiers was making their way into the room. Oh no! I thought, I am going to be taken back to Dovonshar and hanged. That is when I saw Salturn. Beside him was one of the assistants who had left to return to Dovonshar. What was he doing here? What is going on? I wondered. Salturn stepped forward and announced to the Count that I had not killed Terteff but that it was Moramick who had hired men to kill him. The room exploded with shouts of protest. The Count yelled at everyone to shut up and let Salturn continue. Salturn proceeded to tell the Count what he knew about the night Terteff was murdered. “Without my knowledge, Lady Shilight had taken off to Terteff’s place. I soon discovered she was gone and I was able to figure out where she was going. When I got to Terteff’s place, my arrival scared off the two killers. They rushed out the door past me and got away. When I entered the room I saw Terteff dead on the floor. I grabbed the book that was on the table and took off with it. When Lady Shilight told me about the book she had hidden, I went to look for it. The book was unreadable. The entire book was wet and the ink figures were all smeared. That is when I realized the book I had grabbed off the table was the only thing that could prove Lady Shilight was innocent.

I rode out to catch up with her Dovonshar assistants who were returning home. I handed one of the assistants the book. I asked him if this was an official auditor’s book and if he could tell if money had been pilfered from the King’s Treasury.” Moramick objected by calling Salturn a liar and insisting he had made everything up. “What about my witnesses and Lady Shilight’s sword that was found beside his body dripping in blood?” Salturn ignored Moramick and asked the Dovonshar assistant to come forward. The assistant told the Count how he had spent the last two days comparing the numbers in the book Salturn had given him and a similar book he had found in the auditor’s room. Both books were written in the same handwriting but the books told two different stories about Huntirrplan’s finances. In his humble opinion the person who kept the two books had stolen money that was due the king. Salturn spoke up and reminded the Count that Moramick was the Royal Auditor in full charge of the King’s Books. The Count looked at Moramick and asked him who was responsible for the books? Moramick did not answer. He responded by exclaiming, “Do not tell me you believe all of this nonsense! I have been a loyal subject of the king, and of you, My Lordship, for many years. My reputation as Huntirrplan’s Royal Auditor is above reproach. Lady Shilight’s sword was found beside Terteff’s body. How can you not find her guilty?” The Count called a halt to the proceedings saying he needed time to think about everything he had heard today. Sadly I was returned to my tower room. Later that day Gusplat came to tell me that Salturn had ordered the Dovonshar guards to spread out and find the killers. Salturn had convinced the Count to order his own soldiers to help in the search. Salturn found out later that King Kuandel had requested the same thing. When Gusplat left my room I felt cautiously optimistic. Days later Gusplat rushed up the stairs to my room. Before the guards could

unlock the door he shouted to me that the soldiers had found the murderers. When the door was opened he rushed inside. Both of the men had confessed to killing Terteff. They were instructed to steal my sword and use it in his murder. He blurted out, “Lady Shilight you are exon… exoner…” I finished the word for him, “exonerated.” I put my hand on his shoulder and thanked him for his hard work. He blushed as he walked away. The guards stepped away from the door and allowed me to leave. I went to see the Count. Moramick was in irons when I entered the room. Salturn walked over and stood beside me. The Count asked for quiet before speaking. He addressed me first, “Lady Shilight, it is with great pleasure that I release you from the accusations of being a murderer. I apologize for any embarrassment and inconvenience this must have been for you. You are free to continue your audit and other duties within our city.” I thanked him and told him I would tell the king how gracious His Lordship had been to me. The Count then addressed Moramick, “You have been found to be a thief and a murderer. You have sullied your family name and brought dishonor to our city. You have robbed your king and your kingdom. Your house, horses, carriages and all other valuables will be sold to make up for the money you have pilfered. Guards take him away!” Salturn, Gusplat, and I left the Count and returned to my palace bedroom. The next days were filled with audits and creating inventory lists. All war items from the number of horses to the number of arrows were included in my inventory. The soldiers from Huntirrplan had ed Dovonshar in our last battle with Dragoatin. There was no need to test their fighting skills. They had proven themselves in battle. My duties were coming to an end and it was time to move on. In addition to sending a troop of soldiers to Huntirrplan, King Kuandel had sent along two young assistants and two middle aged soldiers to replace the older men in my group. The two old assistants, their man servant, and the two old

soldiers would be traveling home this time with the troop of Dovonshar soldiers. I convinced the auditors to give up the road trips and share their knowledge with the younger auditors. The two old soldiers were convinced it was time to stop traveling and guard the local merchant shops. The Coachman begged me to let him stay. He had no family and no reason to return home. So the four new of my group ed Salturn, Gusplat, the Coachman and me on our continuing journey. The carriage pulled away from the palace and we were off to our next town. Would I find Idzot there? Only time would tell.

TASKMASTER BOOK 3

CHAPTER 1

The arrow sliced through the air making no sound. One might expect a whoosh noise but there was none. The only sound I heard was a thud as the arrow pierced my leather jacket and went deep into my chest. Out of the corner of my eye I saw an archer’s bow being lowered. The archer was on top of the fortress wall that surrounded the city of Zarhaven. As I looked down at the arrow shaft protruding from my chest, everything started to go black. I slowly pitched forward on my horse and lost consciousness as I fell to the ground. How did I come to be in this terrible situation? I was too young to die. I was only seventeen years old, yet I had just been shot in the chest. To better understand my circumstances I must go back in time and tell you what led up to that day. Months earlier my ruler, King Kuandel, had issued a decree that pronounced me the king’s Royal Taskmaster. I received this prestigious honor due to my unquestionable loyalty to the crown and to my kingdom. My duties required that I travel to various cities, towns, and villages in the kingdom to take inventory of all things military. I was also required to note the war readiness of each city’s soldiers. When the king’s Royal Auditor unexpectedly died, King Kuandel gave me his job too. I had fought long and hard to be recognized as a warrior and a swordsman, not an inventory taker and especially not an auditor. The king had given me a distinguished title that I did not covet or want. Nonetheless I did the kings bidding and traveled south to a city named Huntirrplan to audit the King’s Books. Unbeknownst to me the Grand Auditor of the city was stealing money from the King’s Treasury. To prevent me from discovering his larceny the Grand Auditor, Moramick, hired two killers to frame me for murder. Thanks to my personal guard, Salturn, the killers were caught and found guilty. After being exonerated of murder I finished my work in Huntirrplan and quickly headed to my next stop, a village named Grunpland. The faster I accomplished my duties there the faster I could return home and ask the king to find someone else to replace me as the Royal Auditor.

A group of old soldiers and even older assistants had started the journey with me. We slowly traveled from Dovonshar to the city of Huntirrplan. Due to their advanced age and their inability to travel fast enough for me, the old men were sent home and replaced by younger men. Three men who had been with me from the beginning continued on with me. Salturn was a soldier handpicked by King Kuandel to be my personal guard. He was a handsome man in his early thirties who was always by my side. Gusplat was a chubby, immature, young soldier who tried his hardest to earn my praise. The Coachman, a middle aged man, was the carriage driver who had proven himself a dependable man. Early in the morning my group left for Grunpland, a small village south of Huntirrplan. The village did not have its own auditor, for all the money due the king was collected by the tax collectors from Huntirrplan. Hence there were no books for me to audit. As the Official Royal Taskmaster I was required to take inventory of all their weapons and make note of all things military. That included a head count of all their soldier aged men. My most difficult task would be evaluating the soldier’s fighting skills. After arriving in the village, Salturn and I were invited to The Baron of Grunpland at his home. The Baron introduced us to the Baroness and to his only son, Efrunt. His Lordship asked why we had stopped in his humble village. “To do the King’s business,” I answered. I handed him the Official King’s Scroll that introduced me and spelled out my official duties. I waited for him to speak again. “We have no books for you to audit. All of that is handled by the Huntirrplan tax collectors,” stated the Baron. Turning to Salturn he asked, “Are you the Taskmaster?” Salturn said, “No, that is the charge of Lady Shilight.” Hearing Salturn’s words the Baron broke out into laughter saying, “A woman Taskmaster? What foolishness is this?” I spoke up, “I assure you Sir, I am as qualified as any man.” “Yes, yes no doubt you are, My Lady,” he said in a mocking tone. “But you will not be performing any such tasks with my men. You are a woman and I will not

allow a woman to judge the readiness of my soldiers. To do so would make Grunpland the laughingstock of the kingdom. Do not bother me with such nonsense. Guards, show our guests out!” he commanded his men. The Baron’s guards began to shove us out of the room forcing me to speak up loudly. “My Lord, as a Royal Confidant to the Court I have the king’s ear. Your refusal to allow me to fulfill my duties might be seen as an affront to our king.” My last statement took him aback. A moment later he addressed me. “Lady Shilight, according to the king’s law I have the right to see your Royal Tattoo to confirm that you are truly a Royal Confidant to the Court. Prove to me you are a rightful member of the King’s Court. Will you agree to my request?” Now it was my turn to be surprised. The Baron wanted to see my Royal Tattoo! The one located on my upper left thigh. Salturn spoke up abruptly and dismissed the Baron’s request stating outright that he would not allow it. Above Salturn’s protests I agreed to the Baron’s request. I agreed to show the tattoo to the Baron and his physician. No one else, except Salturn, would be allowed in the room. No one. The Baron’s son Efrunt spoke up and protested saying he deserved to be included. The Baron ignored him and accepted my . With that settled Salturn and I were taken to a small side room. I asked for a long thick blanket that I could use to cover every part of my body except for the tattoo. The two men were allowed into the room with the forewarning that no one would be allowed to touch the tattoo, the blanket, or me. Within minutes the Baron left the room calling for his son to follow him as he stormed outside. Now my work began. Efrunt was in charge of the soldiers and all things military. I soon discovered he was more then inept. He was an arrogant narcissistic man whose only military experience came from playing the game of chess. He had no field experience. His sword skills were laughable. Although I wanted to accept Efrunt’s challenge to cross swords with him so I could humiliate him, I politely refused his request. Instead, I fought the soldier Efrunt said was his finest warrior, after himself of course. The soldier’s stance was all wrong. He held his sword like he was going to split firewood. We raised our swords and within three swings of his sword I had flipped the sword out of his hands and into the air. Efrunt rushed forward screaming at the soldier. He berated him for several

moments before he called on another soldier to take his place. The second soldier was not any better. I had him down on the ground, with my blade at his throat, in no time at all. If these two men were Efrunt’s finest swordsmen then I had seen enough. A tall slender boy stepped forward to challenge me. Efrunt shouted at him to get back but I motioned for him to come closer. To my surprise the boy was holding a wooden sword! I asked Efrunt why one of his soldiers was brandishing a fake sword. “The boy is a gutter rat and does not deserve better,” Efrunt snarled. Holding back my anger I asked Efrunt to find another wooden sword that I could use. Begrudgingly he found one. Curious I asked him, “Do all of your gutter rats carry a wooden sword?” Efrunt answered, “Of course, they have no money to pay for a true sword.” The look of astonishment on my face made him bristle and he shouted, “Why should my father throw away his money on a steel blade for lowlifes like them?” Disgusted with Efrunt I turned to the young boy and asked, “What is your name soldier?” “Nowellar,” he replied. I allowed him to make the first move. Our wooden swords clashed together again and again. That day I discovered a boy with the heart of a lion. With a proper instructor Nowellar would make a fine soldier. Throughout the day I asked the house servants and several people in the village if they knew a man named Idzot. No one did. Ommalo, a witch in Dovonshar had told me to speak to a man named Idzot. He was not in Dovonshar, Huntirrplan, or here. Where was he? While questioning soldiers about Idzot, I learned information about the young soldier, Nowellar. He was an orphan. His parents had been dirt poor and had died many years ago. Living mostly in the gutter outside the tavern he yearned for a better life. Because of his lowly status he would never be able to fulfill his dreams in Grunpland. I offered to take him with us to our next city. Once there I would do everything I could to help him get into their military training. All he had to do was say, “Yes, My Lady.” His answer was immediate - “Yes, My Lady.”

The Baron and Efrunt met with me to hear my findings on their soldiers’ skills and war readiness. They were not happy when I told them. “My Lordship, I am sorry to say your soldiers are woefully inadequate in all areas. Their fighting skills are shameful. They do not have enough weapons or body protection to ward off an attack. Efrunt has taught your soldiers as best he could but your soldiers need a higher level of training. I have asked two of my soldiers to remain behind and temporarily take over. When I arrive in Gladebend I will have one of their commanders send you a qualified instructor who will then relieve my men.” Efrunt protested and called my findings false and exaggerated. When I mentioned that the beggar boy Nowellar would be leaving with me to Gladebend, Efrunt blurted out a mocking farewell of, “Good riddance!” His father told him to stop talking and asked me when I would be leaving. “Tomorrow morning,” I replied. The next day I left with my group of men, minus the two soldiers who would remain. Several days into our journey we were attacked by highwaymen. At first glance they appeared like a small group of horsemen who were riding in the opposite direction we were headed. I should have paid more attention to them. How could I have become so lax? Where was Turloola’s gift of forewarning? The witch had given me the ability to know when danger was approaching. In the past I had felt a shortness of breath as a warning. This time I had no idea the approaching men meant trouble. Turloola had failed me. The men rode close to us before they drew their swords and began attacking us. Salturn and I, in unison, pulled our swords and fought back. The man who charged me raised his sword over his head and aimed it at my chest. I blocked his blow and spun my horse around to face him. Urging my horse forward he leaped forward like a battering ram and crashed into the attacker’s horse. The move unseated my attacker enough for me to swing my sword into his mid section. My sword cut into him with the force of a one hundred and eighty pound man. Only Turloola’s helpful powers could have given me that amount of power

in my swing. The highwayman was seriously wounded but he struck back at me. I countered his blow and drove my sword through his belly ending his life. Looking around I saw three attackers in a battle with the Coachman and Gusplat. Nowellar was throwing stones and sticks at the attackers trying to distract them. I called out to the nearest highwayman. He turned to face me. My blade sliced through his sword hand forcing him to drop his weapon. By this time Salturn had ed me and we ran off the last two attackers. I looked around to survey the damage to my men. Gusplat and Nowellar were shaken but okay. Thankfully the assistants had stayed inside the carriage and were unharmed. Only the Coachman was seriously wounded. He was bleeding from a deep cut to his shoulder and from a gash in his side. I got the bleeding stopped and attended to his wounds as best I could. We placed him inside the coach for the rest of the trip. Gusplat would have to take over driving the carriage to Gladebend. The training the Coachman had given him would surely be put to the test. Out of the five highwaymen who had attacked us, one was dead, two had escaped, and two were now our prisoners. The two captives begged us to let them go but their pleas fell on deaf ears. They could beg for mercy in Gladebend. I felt like tying them to the back of the carriage and letting them run behind it all the way to Gladebend. Instead I hogtied them to the top of the carriage right next to the pigeon crate.

CHAPTER 2

We stopped on top of the hills to look down on the harbor city of Gladebend. We were high up on a road riding down toward the city. The hill sloped down sharply and ended as the land flattened out and stayed flat all the way to the city. We looked at the panoramic scene below us. We could see the walls around the city of Gladebend and the harbor behind it. The entire city was teeming with activity. There were several merchant ships moored in the harbor. Other ships were anchored further out to sea. The setting sun spread its golden rays dancing across the surface of the water. The sea looked endless as it stretched all the way out from the harbor to the horizon. The view was breathtaking. The sun continued its downward path sinking into the sea as we continued our ride down the hill to Gladebend. The sunlight was almost gone when we entered the city. We were all tired and hungry. The coachman needed a physician and we had two prisoners that had to be imprisoned. A lot of pressure was lifted off my shoulders when Salturn approached a nearby guard and took care of securing the prisoners for the night. I was in no mood to talk to anyone that night, especially someone of nobility, so I decided we should stay at a nearby inn. The minute we entered the inn I asked the owner to fetch a physician as quickly as possible. Gusplat and Nowellar carried the Coachman into the inn on a makeshift stretcher. The innkeeper had two rooms available but I needed four. Offering him a few extra coins I convinced him to move two of his patrons to another place. To ease the indignity of being forced to move I paid their lodging bill for a week. While waiting for the physician to arrive we ordered food, ale, and settled down for the evening. We all breathed a sigh of relief when the physician said the Coachman was going to be fine in a week or so. Salturn and I had spent the last several evenings on the road sleeping on the hard ground. He had sworn an oath to the king promising to never be more then a swords length from me. It would have been heartless of me to expect him to sleep on the hard floor, at the foot of

my bed. It would have been even crueler knowing everyone else was sleeping in comfort. I invited him to lie beside me as long as he remained fully dressed. He could, however, remove his boots. At first he refused my offer but changed his mind after he spent half the night on the floor. We fell asleep side by side but with our backs to each other. The next morning, at my request, the innkeeper prepared a bath for me. Despite their moaning and protests I insisted everyone in my group take a bath that morning. Since Salturn had sworn an oath to the king promising to stay close to me, he requested I sit on a chair near him. He looked rather alluring as he sat there in the water with his sword balanced across the top of the tub. I tried not to stare at his body but for an older man he was quite attractive. iring Salturn’s muscular arms made me think of Bardeth. I ed the way he used to hold me tightly in his arms and the love we felt for each other. I missed Bardeth. It was amazing how fast word spread throughout the city that a group of royal dignitaries had arrived from Dovonshar. Men of distinction who had titles and money began arriving at the inn. Soon the inn was overflowing with important people. When I stepped into the main room of the tavern two official looking men approached me. Salturn placed himself between me and the approaching men. “Declare your business,” he demanded. The men explained that they had been sent by the Duke of Gladebend to greet us. His Lordship had extended an invitation to him as soon as it was convenient for us. With their chests puffed out they proudly advised me that there was a royal coach outside the inn waiting to whisk us away to the Duke’s castle. Before I left the inn I made an effort to greet everyone who had come there to meet me. I asked them their name and what position they held. It took a long time to greet everyone but I figured the information might be helpful later. My father said to gain a person’s respect it was important to learn their name and use it every time we met. After speaking to everyone inside the inn I stepped outside. To everyone’s surprise, I dismissed the coach driver and said I would prefer to walk. I had to smile to myself when I watched a couple of the older greeters scramble to get

into the coach for a ride back to the castle. Salturn and I proceeded to walk through the city with a throng of men following us. Bringing up the rear was the carriage filled with older men. The inn was located at one end of the city and the Duke’s residence was at the other end. It must have been a curious sight for those who watched our small procession through the city. In a poor section of town I was approached by a young beggar. He stepped in front of me begging for money. Salturn swept him aside time and time again, but he kept returning. At a young age I learned that a young street urchin knows more about their city then most people. Perhaps this forward young boy knew the whereabouts of Idzot. “It takes one to know one” was an old saying in Dovonshar so I motioned for Nowellar to step forward. Although he had been a beggar in his home village of Grunpland, I trusted him. There was a fire burning deep inside him to have a better life. I asked Nowellar if he would be willing to help me by working with this local boy to find Idzot. He answered, “Yes.” Turning to face the boy I asked him his name. “Why do you want to know?” he asked in a snotty voice. “I prefer to address a person by their name but I will make an exception for you. I will call you Beggar Boy,” I replied. My answer unsettled him enough that he blurted out, “My name is Janoket.” I told Janoket that I would give him money, but he had to earn it. Would he be willing to work with my friend, Nowellar, to find a man I was seeking? His answer was yes. To earn the money he had to show Nowellar where the man lived. I instructed Nowellar to keep me posted.

CHAPTER 3

Eventually we arrived at the Duke’s castle. We were led inside to a large drawing room. Our long slow walk from the inn to the Duke’s castle had given his staff plenty of time to get ready for their guests. The Duke of Gladebend was a tall stately man. He had been wounded during a battle so he walked with a slight limp. The Duke greeted us and said word of our travels had preceded us. He already knew we had been in Huntirrplan and Grunpland. It seems I had stirred up quite a bit of excitement in both cities. First being accused of murder in one, and then having stripped command away from the Baron’s son in the other. He hoped my visit to Gladebend would be less volatile. He asked about the king’s health, our visit, and the prisoners we had turned over to his guards. First I told him how the highwaymen had attacked us on the other side of the Gladebend Hills. The two men we caught were to be brought to justice and tried as robbers. My men and I would testify against them if the Duke would see to all the details. He agreed to handle everything. Next I explained how I was forced to take control away from an incompetent leader in Grunpland. Two of my soldiers had been left behind to teach their soldiers the basics of sword fighting. The Duke expressed disgust when I told him a couple of the soldiers had been given wooden swords to use as weapons. I formally requested that the Duke send as many of his men as he deemed necessary to Grunpland to train their soldiers properly. When his men took over, my two soldiers could then return to my command and protect the auditors. The Duke assured me that one of his commanders would meet with me later to discuss the matter. With that said, I handed the Duke the King’s Official Scroll. Normally I would have studied his face for a reaction but he already knew what our visit entailed. The Duke knew well how books were audited but he was unsure about my duties as a Taskmaster. All I thought about on my ride out of Grunpland was how I would measure the

readiness of the soldiers in Gladebend. I explained to the Duke that my duties would involve taking inventory in two different areas. The first part of my inventory would involve war readiness on the water. The second would entail everything that covered a land battle. Although I was unfamiliar with sailing ships and warfare played out on the seas, I expressed hope that The Duke and all of his commanders would assist me. Their cooperation would be needed to help me take inventory of all war items for both land and sea. The Duke assured me of their total cooperation. I wished to start right away so I requested we begin first thing in the morning. The Duke would not hear of it. My tasks would have to wait. It was not often Gladebend had royal visitors. Two days hence he would throw a banquet in my honor. It would be an official day of celebration filled with food, music, and entertainment. There was plenty of time to do the king’s bidding. What could I do but smile and agree to delay my tasks. The banquet would be attended by important lords and ladies, the military hierarchy, religious luminaries, and other well-heeled and influential people. Turloola’s words about being a lady kept coming back to me. Although her sister had cursed me with a life of fighting, Turloola insisted I retain my feminine ways. I wore a long flowing dress that hugged every curve of my body. There would be no doubt in anyone’s mind that I was a woman and not a warrior that night. The Duke spared no expense to put on a memorable banquet. He had a delightful minstrel show to entertain his guests before and after the feast. There was music, juggling, a puppetry show, and poetry readings. The amount of food was immense. Rabbit, pheasant, boar, venison, and mutton were aplenty. It took a lot of willpower not to overeat that night. It was a lovely evening. The next morning I had a hearty breakfast. It was going to be a long day full of work with little time for food. Salturn and I would be spending the entire day with the iral learning all about Gladebend’s sailing fleet and its war readiness. While we were eating Gusplat begged me to let him accompany me to the harbor. He had never been on a ship. Gusplat promised to clean and oil all of the tack for the carriage and all of our personal saddles and bridles if he could go with me. The tack did need a good oiling, so I agreed to let him me. Actually no one in my group had ever been on a sailing ship. Dovonshar was

completely landlocked. It was surrounded by forests, meadows, and rolling hills. Any body of water big enough for a sailing vessel was miles and miles away. I made a mental note to make arrangements for the assistants and the returning soldiers to be brought aboard a ship too. Salturn, Gusplat, and I walked down to the docks where we were greeted by a high ranking officer of the iral’s crew. We were escorted to a manned rowboat that was tied to the dock. The rowboat would take us out to a large sailing ship that was sitting in deeper water. The iral was onboard the ship awaiting our arrival. When the rowboat was beside the ship we were welcomed aboard by the iral. All the sailors were standing at attention on deck. After all of the introductions were made the iral showed us around his ship. That day I learned a whole new vocabulary used by sailors. Bow, stern, mainmast, and jib are only a few of the words I learned. We used the stairs, known as a companionway, to walk down to the lower part of the ship. Below deck I was shown the ship’s cannons. Throughout the day the iral bragged about his fleet’s readiness. We set sail for another area of the sea where the iral showed us the power of his ship’s cannons. He fired the cannons for several minutes. For a bunch of landlubbers it was an impressive show of power. The iral was surprised when I asked if I could go down into the bowels of the ship to observe what was happening below. There are few words to describe the ear ringing noise the cannons made when fired. There was an overpowering smell of saltpeter and a haze of coal dust I experienced down below. It was quite a show the iral gave us. Over the next several days I learned everything there was to learn about a ship. I learned all the parts of a sailing ship and how to navigate one using a sextant and the stars. However when I asked the iral who I could speak to about the city’s readiness for a land battle he would change the subject. Time and time again I broached the subject but I could not find out who was in charge. I approached the Duke and asked for his help. Who was in charge of training the new recruits and teaching them sword fighting? Who trained the horsemen and where and when did they practice? Where were the shields for the field soldiers stored and who was in charge of them? Was the armory fully stocked? The answers we received concerned the both of us.

Salturn and I returned to my room. It had been a long day. Suddenly I began to feel sorry for myself. I was tired of fighting pigheaded men and I missed my family and friends. Hevarah’s curse was hanging over my head and that angered me. There was no way I was going to get home before Hevarah’s ninety day deadline was up. If a man did not bed me within the next few days I would die. All of Hevarah’s curses came flooding into my head. My mind started ticking off her curses one by one. Like my inability to have children, my unstoppable impulse to travel, and my overwhelming urge to fight. No wonder I was feeling anxious. These curses would have been unsettling for a mature woman let alone my having to deal with them as a seventeen year old girl. “I need a drink,” I told Salturn. “Let us go to a tavern and share a tankard of ale.” Leading the way I headed out of the castle and into the Mermaid Tavern. Salturn tried his best to talk me out of going inside. He kept telling me the men inside were a rough bunch of tomcats. With a wave of my hand and a flip of my head I walked past him into the tavern. The bar smelled like fish, ale, and dirty unwashed men. It was dimly lit so it took several moments for our eyes to adjust to the darkness. Most of the patrons had turned to look at us when we walked inside. All the tables were taken but Salturn found an open one. He stood behind a man seated at a table and shoved the back of his chair into the table edge and slowly squeezed the breath out of him. The man eventually gave up his seat and left the table. We sat down. Two rough looking sailors came over to our table. One was a large boxy looking man. The other one looked like a tall skinny weasel. The big one approached me asking, “What are you doing here Princess? Did your father not warn you about sailors?” I stood up to face the man and answered, “He told me they could not hit the broadside of a barn with a dart.” By this time Salturn had stood up beside me and was standing with his hand on the hilt of his sword. I watched the eyes of the man closest to me follow Salturn’s hand. The man let out a sly laugh and slapped me on the back saying, “He got that wrong missy. I will bet you an ale I can beat your sweetness at a game of darts.”

Salturn kept trying to tug me away from the two men but I would not budge. I turned toward the bar and shouted, “Barkeep, a round of ale for everyone, if I win!” Mugs were raised in my direction acknowledging my wager, and fists were pounded on the table with chants of “Let her win! Let her win!” Never wanting to start a fight on purpose I made an offer to the big man standing next to me. “How about you and I take on my friend and your friend in a match? If we win there will be ale for all. If they win, my friend here, will buy a round for everyone. I knew he could not turn me down because everyone got free ale no matter who won. If he accepted he would be a hero. If he refused to be my partner and he won, there would be no free ale. He would have to endure the ire of his peers. He accepted my offer. The sailors of Gladebend had recently brought the game of darts back home from another seaport. A round flat piece of a tree trunk was hung on a wall. Each participant would throw a thin nine inch spear, or dart, at it. The trunk had ring like circles on it allowing points to be awarded to each player depending on where their dart landed. The game had caught on quickly and many hours were spent challenging one another. My large partner and I won the first match and many more after that. Each time we won, I bought everyone in the tavern a drink. A few hours later my sailor friend laughingly told me I was three sheets to the wind. I had no idea what that meant until his inebriated skinny friend told me it meant I was drunk. Salturn finally convinced me it was time to go back to the castle. Stumbling and holding on to him we made our way back to my bedchamber. I dismissed the chamber maid and asked Salturn to help me take off my boots. Plunking me down on a chair he started to pull off one of my boots. I tried to help him by lifting my leg up high in the air but when I did so I lost my balance. Giggling, I fell sideways off the chair onto the floor. I raised my arms up so Salturn could pick me up. I clasped my hands behind his head as he gently picked me up into a standing position. There we stood looking into each others eyes. My hands were still clasped around his neck and his arms were still holding me lightly around the waist. Neither one of us moved. I wanted desperately to kiss him but Hevarah’s curse prohibited me from doing so. He had to make the first move.

I could tell Salturn was uncomfortable. He started looking around the room for the chair. When he took a step back from me his grip around my waist loosened, and like a sack of potatoes I fell to the floor. He let out a gasp along with an apology and reached down to grab me again. This time his grip was firmer. There was no way I was going to fall a second time. Once again we were face to face looking at each other. Ever so slightly I tilted my head to the right while keeping my eyes on his. Salturn leaned in closer to me and let his lips softly brush mine. I closed my eyes and he kissed me lightly on the lips. Now I was free of Hevarah’s restrictions so I pulled him closer to me and returned his kiss. He carried me to the bed where he gently undressed me and we became one. The next morning Salturn was gone and an unknown guard was standing outside my door. “Soldier, where is Salturn?” I asked the new guard. “He went to the Soldiers’ Hall, My Lady.” was the answer. I dressed hurriedly and headed there. Salturn was sitting alone at a table when I entered the building. “Running away are we?” I asked. He replied, “I was out of line, My Lady, and I have put my word to the king in jeopardy. You have a new guard who will protect you from here on out.” “You mean you are unable to protect me because we lay in bed together?” I inquired. “Yes, err no,” he stammered. “I was sworn to protect you, not warm your bed,” he answered. “Are you telling me that you are unable to protect me because of our intimacy?” I asked. He looked down and mumbled, “No, err yes.”

Exasperated with him I asked, “Salturn if the new guard is supposed to protect me as you would, then where is he? He was outside my bedchamber this morning but I do not see him here by my side. I order you to resume the duties your king gave you or face a charge of desertion. When we return to Dovonshar I will ask the king to relieve you of your duties. Then, and only then, will I no longer be your responsibility. Do I make myself clear?” “Yes, My Lady,” Salturn answered. With that said I returned to the castle to eat breakfast. Salturn followed behind me.

CHAPTER 4

The military command in Gladebend appeared to have a blatant disregard for field training. That lackadaisical attitude prompted me to act. I advised the Duke it was time for me to take note of his city’s war readiness on land. I wished to schedule several contests that would include multiple competitions. The first test would consist of hand to hand combat, and the second contest would be an archery contest. There would be two divisions in each area. The first would be for those men in the upper ranks, the other one would be for the lower ranking soldiers. At the end of all the contests the winners of the upper ranks would compete against me. My last statement caused a bit of commotion in the room. It was unheard of to pit a woman against a man let alone Gladebend’s best fighting men! There was a lot of muttering and protesting as I gave my respect to the Duke and left the room. Later that day it was requested that I attend a meeting with the Duke and his commanders. They had questions about my challenges and what they would involve. I explained there would be two areas of testing. The hand to hand combat would be exactly that. The choice of weapons would be left up to the combatants. Archery would consist of two challenges. The first one would include stationary targets set at specific distances. The second part would include a moving target. I would assist in setting up everything. The archery challenges would start in three days time. The hand to hand combat would begin after the archery competition. There was a small amount of grumbling as I left the room. I had no idea how my words and actions in Gladebend would affect my life. It is amazing how clear things become after the fact and after things have been put into motion. My heart was not into looking at books all day long so I turned most of the duties over to the two assistants. They were delighted when I said I was entrusting them with auditing the King’s Books. I was a warrior not a bookworm, so I was happy to leave the auditing to them. With the book work out of the way I concentrated on my job as Taskmaster.

The morning of the challenges Gusplat came to my room. He had a serious look on his face. He wished me luck then looked down at the floor. After several minutes of standing quietly and looking sideways at me I asked him if he had something to say. He asked, “My Lady, if they paint a red bull’s-eye on a target and a blue bull’seye on another one would you know which one was red?” His question stumped me so I asked, “What do you mean?” “Do you see the same colors I see?” he asked. “Why of course I do,” I answered. “Why do you ask?” Sheepishly he responded, “My Lady, you have green eyes. I have never known anyone with green eyes. I thought perhaps you saw things differently from me.” I had to stifle a laugh before I could reply, “Gusplat, be assured that I see the world exactly the same way you do. My eye color does not change the way I see colors or objects.” He seemed relieved and embarrassed at the same time. I added, “Your concern shows me what a loyal soldier you have become.” As he left the room I could see he was grinning from ear to ear. Gusplat was such a simple boy who had a deep desire to please me. Ever so slowly I was beginning to think of him more as a younger brother then a soldier. Gusplat, Salturn and I walked to the competitors’ field together. The targets for archery were in position. The closest target was one hundred feet away. The farthest was one thousand feet away. The final challenge would be the most difficult. The archers would have to hit a moving target. Soldiers stood in a line along the left side and the right side of the field. The Duke and I, along with other dignitaries, sat on a raised platform directly behind the contestants. The Duke stood up and announced the beginning of the challenges. The soldiers cheered and shouted the names of their favorite champion. When the cheers died down he announced that the soldiers in the first category would begin the completion. The first group included men who had

been farmers, woodsmen, and just plain folk before becoming a soldier. Trumpeters sounded their horns and the contests were officially under way. Slowly the number of contestants was whittled down to one. The Duke rose off his chair and motioned for the winner to climb the stairs onto the platform. In a loud voice he announced the name of the victor. He then placed a ribbon, with a large golden medal attached to it, around the man’s neck. The soldiers cheered their winner. The Duke announced the next group of contestants. This group of men was more experienced and well-off. Many came from well-to-do families or had years of war experience. Again the trumpets sounded. It did not take long before a winner was declared. The victor stood before the Duke and he too had a golden medal placed around his neck. Now it was my time to compete. What I should have done was to take on the winner of the lower ranked men. I never gave a thought to how I would be received and treated in the city if I was the winner. Instead I challenged the city of Gladebend’s top archer. Dressed in my finest ladies pant-skirt I was ready to begin. I was determined to win. My victory would show all of the military men that a woman could be as skilled as a man. The contest began. Both of us stood behind a line and took turns shooting at the same target. There was no difference in our accuracy at hitting the center circle on the one hundred foot target. It was the same for the one thousand foot target. The tie breaker would be the moving target. Both of us would take turns shooting. The winner would have to win two out of three hits. The competition would continue until there was a winner. The moving target was a goat’s bladder filled with air. Multiple bladders were attached to the top of a forty foot pole. The sea winds were blowing that day and the targets were flipping and moving all around the pole. In order to hit a zigzagging target the archer would have to correctly predict where the target was going to be after the arrow had been released. It might have been an easier shot if the wind had remained steady. That day the wind was not consistent. My opponent was a skilled archer but that day I was more accurate. It took multiple tries for the both of us but eventually I won. When I took the air out of the winning bladder I also took the air out of the soldiers watching the contest. Throughout the competition there had been shouts of encouragement and cheers from the other soldiers. Their shouts were not for me but for their local

champion. When I won the event all the cheering died down. Eventually they began shouting again only this time the shouts were shouts of disbelief and anger directed at me. The Duke moved his hands in a downward motion repeatedly to stop the soldiers’ protests. He motioned for me to come up onto the platform. He gave a short speech noting the strong showing from both competitors. He then placed the golden medal around my neck. The silence that followed was an uncomfortable one but it did not surprise me. That was the usual response I received after achieving anything against a man. Each time it happened I became more and more callous and hardened. Looking back at that day I often wondered if Hevarah’s curse, that gave me the strength of a one hundred and eighty pound man, had somehow given me an advantage. The accuracy was definitely mine. But was my stamina and endurance mine or Hevarah’s?

CHAPTER 5

The soldiers were still standing around the field when a rider was spotted riding toward them. He was riding fast and hard and waving his arms frantically in the air. The rider was shouting something at the top of his lungs but we could not make out what he was saying. When he rode closer we could hear him yelling “RUN! The Giants are coming!” The rider reined his horse toward the raised platform. Jumping off his horse he ran toward the Duke. The Duke shouted to his guards to let the man . I was still on the platform after receiving my medal and I could hear what the Duke heard. The rider was shaking and still shouting something about the Giants. The Duke learned the rider was a boy from Grunpland. He had watched in horror as the Giants destroyed his home and the entire village. The soldiers who were supposed to protect them ran away leaving everyone to fend for themselves. Many people were slaughtered as he watched in horror. The boy told the Duke, “You have to leave or they will kill all of you too!” I turned to the Duke and said, “My Lord, how can this be happening? We left Grunpland a week ago. My men and I should have stayed there. We could have helped them fight the Giants.” He shook his head and said, “No one could have seen this coming.” Word quickly spread among the soldiers that the Giants were headed to Gladebend. The Duke stood on the platform and ordered his soldiers to get ready for war. He wanted to see all of his top commanders in his meeting room immediately. He turned to me and told me to stay close and follow him. News of the Giants approaching had spread like wildfire throughout the city. In the short time it took us to walk from the field outside the city to the city itself, we could see panic in everyone’s eyes. The Giants lived on the other side of the Ablakun Mountain range that was located several miles west of the Gladebend Hills. The mountains were a natural

barrier that ran along the complete western edge of the Dovonshar Kingdom. It started in the northern part of the kingdom, around the swamp area where the witch Ommalo lived, and ran south all the way down to the sea. The Ablakun Mountains were a natural barrier that normally kept the Giants confined to their own lands west of the mountains. The ferociousness of the Giants when they were on a rampage was well known far and wide. The devastation that followed their arrival was staggering. Few people, animals, or buildings survived their onslaught. The Duke had his maps and war preparations spread out on a table as his top commanders gathered around him. His Lordship wanted to know what preparations were being made for the battle. How many soldiers were there to protect the city? What weaponry would be used against the Giants? He pounded his fist on the table and demanded answers. The first man to speak was the iral. His ships were ready for anything should the Giants try to approach the city from the sea. “Fine, fine,” shouted the Duke, “but the Giants are coming over THAT hill!” as he pointed toward the Gladebend Hills that were directly opposite from the sea. The officers argued back and forth while pointing fingers at each other. No one in particular was in charge of the soldiers on land. All of the city’s fighting power had been centered around a battle on the sea. I shook my head in disbelief as I looked at the chaotic scene before me. Someone had to take charge, now! The Duke asked, “Are your sailors capable of defending the castle on land? How many cannons and catapults do we have at the ready?” The iral said he would order his men to remove the cannons from the ships and relocate them to the top of the fortress that surrounded the city. A commander stepped forward and volunteered to man the catapults. He also wanted to send a scouting party out to see exactly how far away the Giants were from Gladebend. The Duke knew I had recently been to Grunpland so he requested that I speak with the scouting party before they left. I hurried down to the stables. The streets were becoming crowded as people from outside the city walls were seeking safety within the city walls. I felt sorry for them. Preparing for war was never easy. I had a quick conversation with the two soldiers who were riding off

to find the Giants. While at the stables I took note of the mounted soldiers and what they were doing to prepare for war. When I was done at the stables I went to see how the catapults were operating. On the way I stopped to watch the cannons being refitted to be fired from the fortress walls. Things were not going smoothly. Several cannon mounts were missing or rotted out. One was too big to fit on the mount that was available. The catapults were not much better. Many of the leather straps were brittle and cracking. They needed to be replaced and quickly. Several wooden beams on the catapults had dry rot. Could those areas be replaced before the Giants arrived? I hoped so. One of the Duke’s assistants was on top of the fortress wall trying to get my attention. The Duke urgently wanted to see me in the war room. The tension in the war room was palpable. The Duke pulled me aside and told me he was going to stop everything. He had learned what he wanted to know and enough was enough. All the war preparations had to be stopped. For a second I felt sorry for him. He was in charge of one of the largest seaports in the Dovonshar kingdom. If Gladebend fell to an invading force he would be blamed for the fall. The shame he would feel would be immeasurable. He thanked me for my help and promised me things would change. You see the Giants were not coming to Gladebend. It was all a lie. I had approached the Duke and told him about my concerns. My interactions with his iral and the iral’s subordinates had troubled me. The entire time I spent with his commanders was spent on fighting a seafaring war. When I inquired about their land readiness the conversation was deftly brought back to their sea battle readiness. I poked around the stables, the armory, and looked at the catapults. What I saw was disturbing. If an enemy attacked by land, Gladebend would fall. The timing of Nowellar’s visit to my bedchamber was perfect. He was just what I needed to put a plan together. Nowellar and Janoket had come to me to give me an update on Idzot. They were told there was a hermit named Idzot who lived far up in the Gladebend Hills. They were going to travel there to find him. Since Nowellar and Janoket were headed out to the hills I asked Nowellar for a favor. He was virtually unknown in Gladebend so I asked him to ride in from the hills yelling the Giants were coming. The dignitaries who might have seen him near the tavern certainly would not a disheveled beggar boy. I wanted his horse breathing hard and lathered up when he arrived, so we set up

a signal that would alert him as to when he should start his ride. The signal had to be given at the right time. If my calculations were correct, and I hoped they were, Nowellar would arrive at the end of the archery contest. When the commander decided to send out a scouting party, the Duke asked me to intercept them. We could not have them reporting back that there were no Giants in the vicinity. My methods might have been harsh and unsettling but they worked The Duke learned his city was not ready for a land battle and that he had to make changes immediately. The Duke thanked me again for opening his eyes. There was no good reason he could think of for telling anyone the sighting of the Giants was a lie. He would advise everyone that a different scouting party had witnessed the Giants returning to their homeland. Therefore Gladebend was no longer in immediate danger and there was no need to prepare for war. He made the announcement to those gathered in the war room. A battle had been averted because the Giants had returned home. Nonetheless he saw many areas of safety that needed to be reinforced or changed should the Giants return another day. Salturn and I returned to my room. It had been a long day. I was exhausted beyond the ability to fall asleep. Even the sideways looks I received from a couple of the soldiers were draining. “I need a drink,” I told Salturn. “Quick, find another guard to take your place and escort me to a tavern.” Salturn turned to face me and said quietly, “After my wife died I thought my life was over. I moped around for months feeling it was my fault she died. Then King Kuandel gave me a chance for a new beginning and I became your personal guard. I pride myself as an honest man who seeks worthy praise from his king. In a moment of weakness I stepped over the line and entered your bed.” Before Salturn could continue I interrupted him and said, “Salturn, I am the one who should apologize to you. I am the one to blame for our moment of ion. The ale went to my head and I was the one to cross the line. I miss our friendship. Please forgive me. May we start anew?” Salturn responded quietly, “There is nothing to forgive Lady Shilight. What is

done is done. I too wish to start again.” We looked at each other in a way that told us we both were going to let bygones be bygones.

CHAPTER 6

The next day Janoket returned from the hills to tell me he had found Idzot. Janoket was told that if I wished to speak with him I would have to come to him. Before I left the Gladebend area I would stop to see Idzot. Janoket held out his hand and demanded money. He was a little spitfire but he had done me a big favor. I reached into my money pouch and gave him what I had promised him. His mood lightened and he actually mumbled “thank you.” My job in Gladebend was done. I had finished what the king had commanded of me and I was eager to return home as soon as possible. Early the next morning the assistants were packed and ready to go. Nowellar decided to stay in Gladebend. The Duke had offered to train him as an armory guard. That was an offer Nowellar could not turn down. He shook my hand and thanked me for helping him begin a new life. The two soldiers I had left behind in Grunpland had reed my group. When the carriage was loaded we left Gladebend. There was one place left to go before we could leave for home. I had to stop and see Idzot. Janoket rode along with us to show me the way. I felt satisfied that he would have a better life when he returned to Gladebend. He had my coins in his pockets and the innkeeper had hired him to do odd jobs around the inn. We arrived at Idzot’s dwelling in the late morning. We would never have found his cave without Janoket’s help. I made a mental note to hand him an extra coin before he returned home. Salturn and I had to leave the carriage behind and climb up a steep hill to find Idzot. Entering the cave I could feel the warmth of the fire he had burning inside. He greeted me by name. “Shilight, finally we meet. I have been waiting for you for a long time. You are younger then I thought you would be.” I replied, “Ommalo told me to find you. Here I am. What do you need to show me or tell me?”

Idzot took his time before he answered, “Sadly you are not ready.” “I am not ready for what?” I inquired. “You are not ready,” he said flatly. Here we go again, I thought. He makes no sense whatsoever. Just like Ommalo the witch. Idzot offered us something to drink but we declined saying we were in a hurry to return to Dovonshar. In a fatherly voice he said to me, “That, my dear child, is one reason why you are not ready. You will see me again one day when you are ready.” Before we left, Idzot gave me chamomile leaves to take back to Ommalo. He told me the leaves made a delightful tea and that I should make some for myself. Salturn and I climbed down the slope to the carriage. At last we were on our way home. The trip home was going to be a long one. I had the Coachman urge the horses along at a fast pace. Within a week of leaving Idzot we were attacked by a group of marauders. The attack was brutal. Many men were killed on both sides. The carriage was torched and burned. I had been cut on the thigh and stabbed in the side. I held my side tightly hoping to stop the blood flow as I looked around to see who in my group had survived. Three of us were injured, four had been killed, and one of us was hanging on for dear life. I ran to the Coachman’s side. He had a serious wound. He had been stabbed in the stomach. He was in great pain and was bleeding profusely. I had to stop the bleeding or he would die. He grabbed me screaming, “I do not want to die! Help me! Help me!” The more he struggled the more he bled. I grabbed his face in my hands and shouted, “Coachman look at me! Look into my eyes. I am here and I will not leave you. Look into my eyes.” He slowly calmed down while I quickly bandaged his stomach as best I could. He needed more help then I could give him. Gusplat kneeled down beside me.

He had been wounded too and was trying to stop his own bleeding. He begged me to help Salturn who had been struck in the head with the broad side of an axe. Gusplat had propped Salturn up against a tree where he sat unable to see. He was bleeding from the ear and was having difficulty hearing. Gusplat and I turned toward the sound of a wagon approaching. Instinctively we both reached for our swords. Thankfully the wagon was being driven by a local peasant. His wagon was full of hay and he was headed home to unload it. He agreed to return and take the wounded to the nearby hamlet for help. Gusplat stayed by Salturn while I sat next to the Coachman. The Coachman asked me to talk to him. He said listening to my voice helped him ignore the pain. As I started to speak he interrupted me and said, “Before I die I want to tell you my name. It is Gritfan, but call me Coachman. It has a noble ring to it.” I picked up his hand and held it in my own. He closed his eyes and his arm went limp. I put my ear to his chest. His breathing was shallow and barely detectable. I put my lips next to his ear and said, “Fight Coachman. Fight to live. Do not give up, my friend.” Feeling heavy-hearted over the Coachman’s and Salturn’s condition I got up and walked a few feet away. Where was the witch Turloola and her forewarning when I needed it? Angrily I shouted into the air, “Turloola you are no better then your sister, Hevarah!” Instantly I was transported to Hevarah’s place. Turloola was there standing in front of me, and she was visibly upset. She shrieked at me “I am not like my sister!” She started in on a tirade about how she was nothing like Hevarah. Mentally I blocked her out briefly to check to see if my body was still in human form. As far as I could tell she had not changed me into another life form like her sister Hevarah had done… twice! I turned my attention back to Turloola.

I heard her demand, “What horrible thing did I do to you for you to compare me to HER?” I replied tartly, “Turloola you told me you would give me a sixth sense for danger. Today my men and I were attacked. Four died and two are gravely wounded and might die. You let me down. Did this win you extra points in the twisted game you and your sister are playing?” An exasperated Turloola snapped back at me, “Were you not listening to me? I already told you Hevarah is constantly trying to undermine me. She is more powerful then I am and she keeps trying to block anything I do to help you. What more can I do?” “You can heal the two men who are dying. You owe me that. Two times I was attacked and two times you failed me,” I retorted. Turloola looked at me and said simply, “It shall be done.” The next thing I knew I was kneeling beside the Coachman. The peasant kept his word and returned to take everyone to the nearby Hamlet. Gusplat and I put the bodies of the two young soldiers and the two assistants into the wagon. The assistants were mortally wounded when one of the young soldiers shouted for them to get out of the carriage and run for their lives. They got out and ran but they were struck down a short distance from the carriage. They had no chance. The two young soldiers fought valiantly but ultimately lost their lives. When everyone was in the wagon the peasant took us to his home. His wife and daughters removed our makeshift bandages and cleaned our wounds. The hamlet had no physician of its own, so a man rode to a nearby village to fetch theirs. While we waited for his arrival the peasant’s family looked after us. When the physician arrived I begged him to look at the Coachman first. His wounds were the most life threatening. Next he looked at Salturn. Only time would tell if Turloola had kept her word. Over the next week both Salturn and the Coachman’s health improved. Night after night I would sit by their bedsides. To help the time I would either entertain them by spinning a tale of adventure or sing to them. During the day Gusplat and I would help the peasant by gathering and chopping firewood.

Things slowly began to look up for the Coachman and Salturn. One night Salturn asked me to lean closer to him so he could see my face. That gave me hope that his eyesight was returning. Eventually the Coachman was able to sit up and sip liquids. He told me he had fought to live after he heard me whisper in his ear, “Do not give up my friend.” While I was thrilled for him and Salturn, I was becoming more and more restless to get home. I ordered Gusplat to stay behind and protect both men. If anyone was unable to sit a horse, the peasant would drive them home to Dovonshar in his wagon. I paid the peasant for his hospitality and left for home. On the road I thanked Turloola for keeping her word and healing my men.

CHAPTER 7

With no carriage to slow me down I swiftly made my way home. It was near evening when I galloped up the road to my father’s house. It was wonderful to be home. One of my sisters saw me coming down the road and let out a scream of joy. It was so loud my mother heard it on the second floor of the house. My mother came running as did the rest of my family. I was peppered with questions. Tired from my journey I limited each person to two questions. The remainder could wait until after I had rested. One of my first priorities was to take a bath. When your sisters wrinkle up their noses as they hug you, you know you reek. When I stepped out of the bath my mother saw my wounds. She pleaded with me to stop trying to be like a man. I wish I could have said something comforting to her, but I could not. I got dressed and hurried downstairs to eat. After dinner my father said he wished to speak to me before I left to see the king. We withdrew to the sitting room. He wanted to warn me that there was a hostile mood in the castle toward me. He had heard there were several angry conversations about the way I had handled my duties as the Taskmaster. Rumors were running rampant that I had overstepped my bounds. Words such as arrogant, overbearing, condescending, and disrespectful had been thrown around. My father looked me in the eye and asked me directly, “Did the power of being the Taskmaster go to your head?” His question was like a slap in the face and it rocked me back on my heels. If my own father, who loved and respected me questioned my integrity, what must others think of me? I assured my father I had acted in the best interest of the kingdom. Perhaps I had ruffled a few feathers but I did exactly what any male taskmaster would have done. With my father’s words burning in my ears I retired to my bedchamber for the night. I left my father’s house early in the morning. However, it was not early enough to catch the king before he went hunting for wild boar. Several men had ed

His Majesty’s hunting party and Bardeth was one of them. The men would be gone for hours so I decided it was the perfect time to visit Ommalo, the witch. Checking to make sure I had my special herb belt with me I headed to her hut. From the city I traveled due west and through the forest until I arrived at the clearing near Ommalo’s hut. Carefully I made my way across the boarded walkway and over the quicksand. The walkway ended at the door to her hut. Standing at the edge of her door I heard Ommalo say, “Come in child. I have been expecting you.” It was so dark inside and I could barely see anything. I felt her tug the herb belt out of my hand. “What did you bring me?” she asked like an excited child. Before I could answer she screeched with delight, “Mugwort and Chamomile. Did Idzot give you this?” “Yes, but he would not speak with me. He said I was not ready. Whatever did he mean?” I asked. By now my eyes had adjusted to the darkness and I could see Ommalo. She peered at me and said, “He was right. You are not ready.” “Not ready for what?” I asked impatiently. Ommalo ignored me and pulled the blouse out of my skirt and looked at my sword wound. “You cleaned it well,” she said. She handed me a jug filled with some unknown liquid and advised me, “On your trip drink it.” “What trip?” I asked. She turned away from me and said, “Now go.” After speaking with Ommalo I felt like I had been spun around in a circle until

dizzy. Why was she so frustratingly vague? I slipped the jug into my saddle bag. More confused then ever, I returned to the city. Inside the castle I was directed to go to the king’s meeting room. King Kuandel entered the room along with several of his advisors. The king’s face looked dour. He demanded to know why I had returned to the city alone. Where were the rest of the men he had sent along with me? I advised him that we had been attacked on the road. Four of the men had perished and three were recovering from their wounds. When the men recovered sufficiently to travel they would return to Dovonshar. I had returned early to apprise the king of our situation. Quite unlike himself the king lashed out at me for leaving his men behind. He was extremely disappointed in the way I had conducted myself throughout my travels. Every locale I had visited had sent a note on a homing pigeon back to the castle. Each note had something unfavorable to say about my conduct. The king made it clear to me that he was not happy. I noticed his advisors were all shaking their heads in agreement with him. They urged the king to strip me of my duties. Calling for silence he sent me away telling me we would discuss the matter later. Whatever good mood I was in before I saw the king was gone. I needed to speak to someone who might me so I went to see the queen. Queen Bonasha squealed with delight when she saw me. She had the most amazing news to tell me. She blurted out, “I am with child, Shilight!” I was stunned. At that moment you could have tipped me over with a feather. The best reply I could muster was, “What?” She giggled and said again “I am with child. Is that not the best news?” I flashed her a weak smile while thinking, Oh no! If she breaks Hevarah’s rule and tells anyone about my situation she would loose her life, and now the life of her unborn child! I broke into whatever the queen was telling me and said in a shaky voice, “Bonasha, you must NEVER reveal my secrets to anyone or you could loose your life and that of your unborn child.”

“Shilight, you worry too much,” she answered. “Trust me, I have no intention of telling your secrets to anyone.” I did trust her, but I also knew how easy it was to let something slip in the heat of a moment. The queen was radiantly happy. I refused to burden her with my problems so I kept my trip details to myself. We could discuss them later. We hugged and I left the room. I headed to my room. On my sitting table was a note. It was from Bardeth. He was glad I was home and he could not wait to see me. I was eager to see him too but my stomach was growling. It was late afternoon and I had not eaten in awhile. I headed to the kitchen. The cook greeted me with a hearty hello. When he heard I was hungry he brought out all my favorite foods. He beamed with pride as I wolfed down his food. He was an exceptional cook and I told him so. His eyes lit up when I mentioned I had brought back small packets of herbs for him. I would drop them off as soon as I got a chance. Walking down the hall outside the Royal Physicians office I spotted Bardeth. I let out a whistle to get his attention. He smiled and walked over to me. It had been over five months since we had last seen each other. He spoke first. “It is good to see you Shilight, or should I say Lady Shilight.” The way he jokingly said Lady Shilight made me reach out and punch him lightly in the chest. He grabbed my arm and pulled me close to him. I leaned in and kissed him. His arms moved around me and our next kisses were long ionate ones. In his embrace I felt loved and safe. I grabbed his hand and we ran to my bedchamber where we rediscovered our love for each other. After we got dressed Bardeth told me he was leaving the next day for Zarhaven. He had heard about a black stallion that was for sale and he wanted to take a look at the animal. If the price was right he might be interested in buying it. Would I like to come along with him? Nothing in the world, but a chance to see a black stallion, would make me want to travel so soon after returning home. I said, “Yes,” I would go with him. Early the next morning my horse was saddled and I was ready to go. A soldier approached me and said the king wanted to see me before I left.

WHAT NOW? I thought. There were no advisors or staff in the room when I met with the king. He got right to the point. “Lady Shilight, the mood in the castle concerning you and your place in my hierarchy is grim. I hope you know I believe in you, but I am fighting on many fronts to preserve your jobs as Royal Auditor and Royal Taskmaster. I have decided to give you one more chance to redeem yourself in the eyes of the Royal Court.” Somehow King Kuandel had heard I was going to Zarhaven. Since I was going to be there anyway he wanted me to audit their books and take inventory of their weaponry. The king asked me not to conduct any special tasks or contests. He expected me to perform a simple audit and create a simple inventory list. I was to do nothing more. I began to protest but he cut me short and gave me a direct order. All I wanted to do was look at a black horse. I did not want another go around with a job I hated.

CHAPTER 8

A carriage with two assistants and three soldiers headed north to Zarhaven along with Bardeth and me. I was so angry I could have choked a bear to death with my hands. I ordered the carriage driver, along with the three soldiers, to head to Zarhaven without me. Bardeth and I would ride ahead to look at a horse and meet up with them outside Zarhaven. As I rode away I heard, “Yes, My Lady” several times. The owner of the black stallion was pleased to see us. We were two finely dressed individuals who wanted to look at his horse. He jabbered on about the horse and the people who “didn’t have a pot to piss in” pretending they had the money to buy his horse. Bardeth grabbed the halter and walked the horse around the fenced enclosure. The stallion was a spirited animal. The man hesitated when Bardeth asked to ride him. The owner made excuse after excuse as to why the horse should not be saddled at this time. While the two men tried to come to an agreement I approached the horse. He was magnificent. He was tall, muscular, and filled with boundless energy. Oh, how I wished I was the one who was buying him. Looking at his teeth I guessed he was four years old. Bardeth was impressed by the horse too, for he bought him right then and there without riding him. The seller was willing to take care of the animal until Bardeth concluded his business in Zarhaven. As we rode away I told Bardeth how jealous I was of his new horse, and if he ever decided to sell the stallion he must ask me first. The carriage and the soldiers were waiting for us a short distance from Zarhaven. Together we headed to the city. I watched with curiosity as the main gate to the city was closed as we drew near. Why were they closing the gate? With the gate closed there was no way for us to enter the city. I shouted, “Open the gate!” to the guards who were standing on top of the fortress walls. There were a number of guards standing on the wall, but no one made a move to open the gate. This time I shouted louder, “In the name of the king, I demand that you open this gate!”

The next thing I heard was a faint voice that said, “Go away. You are not welcome here.” “To whom am I speaking?” I shouted back. The faint voice answered, “You have wreaked havoc in every place you have visited. You will not bring dissention into my town. Go home.” I called out, “Sir, I have been sent here to do the kings bidding. I humbly request that you allow me and my men to enter your city.” After speaking I noticed a movement out of the corner of my eye. I thought nothing of it until an arrow bore through my chest. As I started to blackout I noticed an archer on top of the fortress lower his bow. Bardeth watched in horror as I slumped forward in my saddle. I slowly rolled forward over the saddle and fell onto the ground. Bardeth pointed to the archer and shouted, “Arrest that man. He just killed Lady Shilight, the King’s Royal Confidant.” Bardeth jumped off his horse and shouted to the soldiers who had accompanied us from Dovonshar to stand ready. No one was to get near Lady Shilight without his permission. He knelt down next to me. He could not tell if I was still breathing so he called for a physician. Soon after, a physician arrived and examined me. He broke off the arrow shaft that was still sticking out of my chest. He turned me over so he could grab the arrow tip and pull it out. He moved deftly to stop the blood that flowed from my wounds. He advised Bardeth that he needed to get me inside the city so he could clean my wounds. Under Bardeth’s watchful eye I was carried into the city. The Earl of Zarhaven insisted I be taken to his residence. The physician called for hot water and bandages as I was placed in a bed. He cleared the room of people, except for Bardeth, while he cleaned and dressed my wounds. Bardeth was relieved to hear that my injuries were not life threatening and that I should recover in a few days. Two things ultimately saved my life that day. The first was the angle at which the arrow pierced my chest. I was still alive because the arrow missed my heart and lungs. It entered my chest slightly below my left collarbone and came out under my left armpit. It might have broken a rib or two but it punctured no vital

organs. The second thing that saved my life was the physician who came to my aid. I would have bled to death if he had not acted as quickly as he did. The next morning I began to stir and look around my unfamiliar soundings. Bardeth was asleep in a chair he had placed right beside my bed. My head hurt as did my left shoulder. It hurt too much to roll to my left so I rolled to my right and tried to get out of bed. When I moved to get out of bed I bumped into Bardeth’s chair. He woke up and pushed me gently back down onto the bed. “Where do you think you are going?” he asked. “Help me up,” I said. “The physician said you were to stay in bed,” he answered. Normally I would have tried to get up again but I felt a little dizzy. I asked Bardeth, “Why does my head hurt?” “When you fell off your horse, My Lady, you fell on your head,” he answered. “Who shot me?” I demanded to know. “An archer, My Lady,” he replied. “I know it was an archer!” I snapped back. “I saw the arrow sticking out of my chest. I will ask you once again. Who shot me?” Bardeth replied. “I do not know his name, My Lady. He is a soldier who serves the Earl of Zarhaven.” I was becoming irritable and I asked, “Where is he and what punishment has he received for shooting me?” Bardeth’s mood turned serious and he answered, “My Lady, I was more concerned about you living than in his dying. I will look into the matter right away.” When he said that I felt ashamed of the way I had spoken to him. I apologized to Bardeth for speaking to him in such a surly manner. Nonetheless, I wanted to

know who shot me, and why, and under whose orders. Later that day the Earl of Zarhaven came to see me. He informed me that the perpetrator had been caught and was currently in a dungeon cell awaiting his punishment. It was regrettable that the Earl’s own Sergeant at Arms had taken it upon himself to block my entrance into the city. The sergeant had ordered the archer to fire a warning shot to discourage me from proceeding any further. The arrow was meant to land in front of my horse. The whole ordeal was an unfortunate series of events that should never have happened. The Earl hoped I could see it in my heart to not to judge him and the entire city by the inappropriate actions of one man. We both knew what he said was a pile of bull dung, but protocol dictated that I accept his laughable explanation. I told the Earl how much I appreciated his swift investigation into the matter and how I looked forward to resuming my duties. The next two days were not what I expected. Day one the physician checked on my wounds twice a day. Overall I was not feeling better. After dinner my stomach started hurting and I was experiencing stomach cramps. On day two I had cramps and I was throwing up. After dinner the cramps were so intense I was doubling up into a ball to try to make them stop. The physician told me I had developed gangrene deep inside my wound and that the stress of being shot was magnifying my symptoms. His explanation did not sit well with me or Bardeth, but he was the expert. Desperate to help me feel better Bardeth brought a musician into my bedchamber. He had heard the old man playing his lute outside a nearby tavern. The old leather faced man played for food and spare coins from ersby. The musician was blind but he played his lute as well as a sighted man. Bardeth thought his soothing music might help me relax and feel better. Bardeth felt sorry for the blind man and allowed him to stay in a corner of my room by the door. There the old man could eat, sleep, and play his music. When I was conscious I would talk to him. We discussed his life, his blindness, and his music. The way he gently and lovingly plucked each string produced a lovely soothing sound. I ordered Bardeth to find him new clothing to wear, but only after he took a bath. Day three Bardeth sat in the bed behind me and held me in his arms as the cramps ripped through my body. I had stopped eating because I was tired of vomiting. Each day I became weaker. The physician insisted I drink liquids to

replace the food I had stopped eating. Despite his prompting I refused to eat or drink that day. My health was not getting any better. Bardeth continued to hold me whenever the cramps became unbearable. Day four Bardeth knew something more then stress was causing the cramps. His worry grew as he watched me fall in and out of consciousness. The physician kept insisting my condition was not as dire as it appeared and that I was going to get better. That evening Bardeth stopped by the stable master to pay for the horses’ feed. That is when he discovered my saddle bag and the small jar of liquid inside it. He brought the saddle bag and the jar to my bedside. He knew I had to drink something or I would continue to get weaker. He wanted to know if the liquid inside the jar was something I could drink. Ommalo’s words, “On your trip drink it.” echoed in my head. When I said, “Open it,” he helped me drink its contents. It was a dark brown liquid that tasted awful but I forced it down. After drinking I fell into a deep sleep in Bardeth’s arms. At the crack of dawn on day five the old musician insisted he speak with Bardeth. Although the man had lost his eyesight he still had perfect hearing. Last night he heard two men on the other side of the door talking about Lady Shilight. They were arguing over something she was being given. One voice said it was time for the final dose. The other voice kept saying he did not want to know the details. He said if it must be done to do it quickly. The old man suspected something was being put in my food or drink and that I was in grave danger. Bardeth devised a plan to flush out the two men. Later that morning the food served to me within the Earl’s residence was put aside. Bardeth greeted the physician when he entered my room and proceeded to lock the door behind him. Bardeth asked the physician to take a bite of my food to see if he thought it was spoiled. He politely declined. When Bardeth insisted he try a bite the physician again declined saying he was not hungry. It took a knife to the physician’s throat before he told Bardeth who had slipped arsenic into my food. It was the Earl himself. He had one of his henchmen do the dirty work but the orders came directly from the Earl. He viewed my actions as

the Taskmaster as loathsome. He did not want my insufferable demands forced upon him. He was slowly poisoning me because he wanted me dead. My arrow wounds filled with gangrene would give him a perfect cover up for arsenic poisoning. To Bardeth, I was now in enemy territory. He needed to get me out of Zarhaven as soon as possible. Would the Earl and his guards try to stop us from leaving? Bardeth did not know. He decided to take no chances. My clothing was switched with one of the assistants to help make my appearance as inconspicuous as possible. Bardeth waited until the majority of the people in the Earl’s residence had settled down for the evening. He swore the Dovonshar soldiers to silence and ordered them to bring around the carriage under cover of darkness. I was half carried and half dragged out to the carriage. Bardeth wondered whose head would roll when it was discovered that I was gone. The Earl’s wrath would certainly be aimed at the old musician so he was allowed to escape the city in our carriage. Instead of riding back home on horseback Bardeth rode inside the carriage with me. He wrapped me in his arms and held me tightly as the carriage lurched back and forth as we quickly drove away from Zarhaven. Bardeth wondered if he was doing the right thing. He believed I was in danger within the Earl’s residence but would I survive the long trip home? My breathing was labored and I continued to fall in and out of consciousness. Bardeth banged on the side of the carriage and told the driver to go faster. Getting home quickly was a matter of life or death: my life or death.

THE END