IABD 42: A Trusted Friend

Jan Eklund shivered like a mouse caught between a cave-lion’s front paws. “G-give me a moment, I will get dressed and—”

“That will not be necessary,” came a voice so deep, it seemed to rise from the netherworld itself.

Jan Eklund knew it well…and could not deny the order.

 “Y-yes, archlord!” he stammered. “Open the door!” he hissed to his servant.

The terrified servant scurried to the bedroom door, unlocked it and flung it wide.

Hot light poured into the room, stinging the earl’s eyes as a pair of titanic greatfolk ducked through the doorway: a man and a woman, even larger than Bregindoure Stonebreaker. Both were clad in thick, plate armour designed to shrug off a battering ram, crafted from dwarven steel shaped by the melders of the Aecorum, as were the broad-bladed swords belted at their waists. 

The giants moved to guard either side of the door.

Another man stepped through next: an eagle-nosed individual with sharp features dressed in robes of black and crimson. A hawk was perched on his shoulder; it watched Eklund with cold eyes.

The earl knew the man well: Kadan, the personal mage of the Dramagnus family. Powerful and sinister rumours swirled around him.

Yet, it was the next man entering the room—his every movement unnaturally smooth—who the earl feared most.

Though not as towering in height as his former wife, Archlord Eaderic Dramagnus’ tall, black-haired figure still stood above most men. His lean and muscular form held itself with iron straight posture, and his white bearskin cloak was so carefully brushed, bleached and cared for, that it showed few signs of its decades of use.

His eyes—pale as ice—were fixed on the earl.

A trembling Eklund bowed before him.

“M-my lord, I was not expecting you,” he stammered.

“That would be the objective of a surprise visit,” the archlord said. “Rise.”

Eklund scrambled to his feet. “W-was your travel difficult? Do you need food or wine. I-I could send—”

The archlord held up a hand, stopping the earl’s flood of chatter.

“Jan, I did not come here for wine or food or entertainment. This is not a visit of pleasure, but one of focus.” Eaderic Dramagnus glided to the window, facing it as the moon shone over the perfectly symmetrical, oiled black moustache above his mouth. His body became as still as a steel statue. “Jan, my trusted friend, can you guess what the objects of my focus might be? For, there are two.”

“Erm, your daughter for one,” Eklund whispered. “B-but archlord—”

“There is no need to waste words, you have already correctly named the first object of my focus. I would congratulate you, but unfortunately, I find myself disappointed: are you aware that the home of my former wife is empty? Imagine my surprise upon arriving to find my child gone and then to hear from my guards that Dagma, her brothers and Beggahasta had gone away with the mage, Mistress Polla. She has not been involved in their affairs for the better part of a decade. I was also informed that nothing was done to prevent their departure.”

“M-my lord…I could do nothing to hold them here!” Eklund stammered.

Silence dropped like a hammer.

“I see.” Eaderic Dramagnus turned slowly, those cold eyes meeting the earl’s. “My guards said the same, which is understandable. My former wife wields enough power to rip them apart like parchment. But I do not blame them: their purpose was not to stop her, but to watch her. And that they did admirably.”

He did not approach Eklund, but it felt like he was suddenly…closer. “Do you recall your purpose here, my trusted friend?”

“I-I was to obtain your daughter,” Eklund’s voice squeaked.

“And so, we come to the second object of focus for my visit.” Eaderic watched him closely. “Your explanation. Your letter was filled with such ravings that I thought it had been intercepted by one of the realm’s many jesters. Upon reading it, I recognised your handwriting and could only assume that you had either taken to whimsy or dotage as you aged. Perhaps, you had taken to jesting, so that is why I came, so that you might tell me your tale in person.”

“Everything I said was true,” Eklund cried. “Matthias developed power out of nowhere and then Bregindoure gained the Rune of Clarity! With that…I could not hold any of them by law. What was I to do? Beggahasta was in her full right to throttle me if I tried to take Lady Dagma or to waylay them: they had committed no crime!”

“I see.” Eaderic remained still. Like steel. “Eklund, do you know why I chose you for this task? It was because you are a cautious and patient man. You are a man who prides himself on his intellect. On his cleverness. If I wanted someone to simply ‘waylay’ my former wife and take Lady Dagma, there are any number of mercenary bands, assassins, and other assorted individuals of violence that I could have hired. I chose you because I believed you could outwit Beggahasta with ease. I afforded you resources and nearly a decade because I was assured that the task was well within your capabilities. It was my belief that I could leave things to you, allowing me to turn my attention elsewhere. And yet, here we are.”

“What was I supposed to do?” Eklund cried. “Please, mercy!”

“Hold now, you will not be punished.” Eaderic turned back to the window.

“Please, have merc—What? Not punished?” Eklund asked.

“No. Despite this failure, you have proven a competent ruler of these lands. I see no need to remove from you, an arm or a leg or an eye. Besides, I do not think that my wife would approve of such things being done to her brother.”

“Th-thank you! I will get your daughter for you, my merciful lord!” Eklund cried out. “First, I have already come up with another plan, and—”

“That will no longer be necessary.” Eaderic cut him off.

Eklund’s words stuck in his throat. His stomach began to drop. “But, ten years—”

“Yes. For ten years, I have strived for the child. She is gifted, Jan, and gifted in a way that is very useful to me.”

“Her talents would bring prestige,” Eklund bobbed his head gratefully.

“Prestige?” Eaderic turned slightly. “Is that why you thought I wished for her this entire time?”

Eklund nearly yelped. “Well, I don’t know. It was not in my place to question, s-so forgive my assumption.”

“It was surprisingly incorrect. Jan, my house is the second most powerful house in all of Evalmera: my word can only be countered either by the laws of our land, by two or three kings of the five kingdoms banding together or…” he paused. “…a direct command from the High King himself. I rule over one of the greatest cities in the north, ruling from a castle that has never been breached. My bloodline has produced some of the finest warriors in our history, including Gift Wielders and the finest commanders the high kingdom has ever seen, going all the way back to when Eval and Mera united the five realms and granted them their names. My own twins, your favoured niece and nephew, show incredible promise: Aldred will make for a fine knight with his affinity for Life Enforcement and skill with the blade, while Katia has a perfect mindset for The Gift. She was born to command. She is much like her mother: your sister, Ingvil, is a perfect wife, inspiring to the people, strong in spirit and has a mind sharp enough to split steel. Dagma is not needed to bring prestige, Eklund. Dagma is needed to make sure we do not lose prestige.”

“I, um, fail to understand, archlord,” Eklund mumbled.

“Jan, the rate of children dying in this country is high. Very high. Especially if certain events that I suspect will be coming, actually do come to pass. If either Aldred or Katia fall, I am left with only one potential heir. I do not like those odds. Dagma will serve not only as an excellent mage-knight in my house, but—when moulded properly—an extraordinary spare should something grim befall the twins. One must hedge one’s bets before gambling, Jan, and life is an eternal gamble with ever-changing winds.”

“T-then why don’t you need me to claim her any longer?” Eklund pushed.

“Because the winds are changing and changing greatly. There are matters presently at work that will change this kingdom, I believe. Once that wind has blown, Beggahasta will be in no position to object to, or interfere with anything. Dagma will have no choice but to accept my protection. You will have a different task.”

Eklund’s heart leapt. 

If he could succeed at this, he could win the archlord’s favour again. “I will do anything, my lord!”

“Excellent. In one week’s time, I will need you to lead a patrol into the Wolfwood. There are happenings there that require investigation, they call for a cautious and patient man with a clever mind, such as yourself. You will be stationed in the camp east of here for six months.”

“Six months?” Eklund gasped. “M-my lord, I am not a fighter!”

“Then I am sure your clever mind will make up for any such deficiencies, my trusted friend.”

Horror filled Jan Eklund.

He had not wielded a sword since his blood duty, which he’d done in a quiet fort on the southern border, many, many years ago. In his entire life, he had not needed to swing a weapon to defend himself. Now, here he was, at this stage in his life, being sent deep into that monstrous place?

“Might…might I have more warriors?” he trembled, a cold bead of sweat running down his spine.

“No. You have your own, and it seems to me that the way your subordinates view you is slipping. This will inspire them.”

“But, my warriors might be killed!” he moaned.

“And I am sure Amon Koth’s boatmen will take them, and Enheduanna will welcome them into her Haven as they die protecting you; there is victory in such a noble death.”

Eklund barely resisted the urge to wail like a child. He swayed, reaching for support to steady himself.

Six months, deep in the Wolfwood, with only his own warriors to defend him: Haakon had been his best champion but was now utterly ruined. How could he survive the terrible beasts waiting to taste his flesh without him?

He could do nothing but hold his tongue. Swallowing, he hung his head low. “A-as you command, my lord.”

“Do not despair, Jan. Victory in the Wolfwood will give you a much-needed boost to your prestige and re-establish my trust in you. I will need to trust you if you are to have a place by my side when the coming wind changes. In the meantime, I will withdraw my personal forces: they are obviously no longer needed here. I will depart with them in the morning.” Eaderic frowned, changing focus. “Odd.” he said to his mage. “I sent for your apprentice, did I not? Does she have a habit of being late?”

“No,” came Kadan’s gravelly voice. “Elreke is always prompt and professional, I—”

“My lord Eklund!” someone shouted from the hallway, the sound of running feet echoing across the stones. “You must come at once! Murder has been done! Everyone, arise from your beds!”

A bell sounded in the castle.

“Murder! Murder has been done within these walls!”

###

Jan Eklund had thought things could get no worse for him.

He had been wrong.

The earl stood at the foot of a bed belonging to the Gift Wielder, Elreke, apprentice to Kadan. 

She had been a talented mage who was also known for her loyalty and subtlety: it had been her magic that had weakened Bregindoure’s tower under the cover of darkness. Keeping to herself for the most part, she had proven to be a discreet guest and an excellent resource that Eklund had hoped to make use of in the future.

Unfortunately, she was now very dead.

Her body was twisted, her skin pale and her lips drawn back in a grimace of agony beneath staring eyes. Red drenched the bed; gore was congealing around her mouth.

It appeared she had vomited up much of the blood in her body.

Kadan was stooped over the corpse, his face a contortion of towering rage and grief.

The archlord---standing behind him—was unreadable.

“What happened to her?” he asked.

Kadan sniffed. “Poison. Her blood reeks of it. From the scent...a combination of fire henbane seeds, lime, an anti-clotting substance and... some type of venom I can’t quite put my finger on... Ah, look!”

He reached down, shifting the covers and exposing a single dead honeybee on the mattress. Its stinger dripped a dark, viscous substance.

“This was how it was done. The poison was taken into the insect’s body through its stinger, and it was then commanded not to kill the bee until the task was done. It must have flown in...” the mage turned. “Ah, yes there. Through that pane of glass.”

The glass was cracked along the bottom left corner, wide enough for a small insect to enter.

Like a bee.

Kadan’s frown deepened. “The glass was reinforced by Elreke’s Gift, and the air and stone in this room were commanded to defend her against all threats.”

“Was some trick used to penetrate her defenses?” Eklund asked.

Kadan’s eyes became unfocused. “Tell me your secrets.” He commanded.

Whispers rose from every corner of the room, too low for Eklund to hear clearly.

“The protections were overcome through brute force. The will of a mage—a very powerful one—entered the room,” Kadan whispered. “But I do not recognise their touch of magic.”

“So it is not the mage Altaizar or his mother, Mistress Polla?” Eklund asked.

Kadan did not answer.

“Answer his question,” Eaderic commanded.

Kadan looked at Jan as though he were a particularly enraging cockroach. The raptor on his shoulder seemed to mirror his emotions. “I am not sure...but I do not think so. It is hard to tell...there’s an aspect of this magic that is familiar to me, yet there are parts I do not know. But what matters is that my apprentice died under your care.”

“What? You cannot possibly think this is my fault!” Eklund screamed.

Eaderic held up a hand. “Jan?”

“Er-yes, archlord?” Eklund yelped.

“It is quite clear that more is going on here than I first thought. We will investigate this,” Eaderic said. “As for you? Pack. Your timetable has changed. I can no longer afford to send you on your patrol a week from today. You depart for the Wolfwood tonight.”

Eklund stiffened, images of great wolves, other beasts, vicious fae, and the undead rising in his mind.

His scream of despair echoed through the night.

###

Author's Note

And so we meet Eaderic Dramagnus. So fun fact, Elreke was actually a different character in an old version...who died after one scene.

Here, she didn't get scene. Elreke stocks dropping.

Alright, cya tomorrow!