“I thought I’d disguise myself as a King’s Ranger seeing as I am so experienced,” Jerrol said. “No one will recognise me. It worked quite well earlier.” He grew serious. “We need to check out the King’s Watches; it appears the administration is under threat. Too many have forgotten the promises, the guardians are failing, and we need to discover why. A gentle jaunt exploring the countryside, what more could you ask for?”
“Less mud,” came the grumpy response.
Chapter 6
Greenswatch
Jerrol waited his turn at the water hole, digesting the news that Lord Hugh of Greenswatch had travelled to Deepwater for the confirmation of Lord Aaron. Zin’talia had tugged her reins free and wandered over to the pond whilst they had been talking to the teamsters and was now cropping the short, wiry grass around the edges. He could sense her impatience; she wanted to get off the road and find a warm stable.
Frowning, he squatted down at the water’s edge to scoop up a handful and splash his face. What to do next? He rubbed his face over and rinsed again. He unstopped his water skin and dunked it in the pool. Jennery leaned against his horse, as he too drank from the water. Birlerion hovered on the edge of the road, watching the wagon train disappear around the bend.
“I think we’ll swing around south by the Grove before heading across to Stoneford. No point going to Greenswatch if Lord Hugh isn’t going to be home. We can stop off there and report to Lord Hugh on the way back.”
“I can’t wait. I need a bath; all this dipping in rivers can’t be good for you.” Jennery bared his teeth. “I need a few comforts on this merry jaunt of ours. Can’t you find a hostelry for once? There’s one about ten miles further on, Mucky Duck or something; it’s on the outskirts of the Lady’s Grove. Let’s make for that and have a good meal; you’re wasting away, lad.”
Jerrol tilted his head, a slight smile on his face. “You mean the Black Hen? I assume it has a taproom?”
“It would be rude not to, now wouldn’t it?” Jennery grinned.
“Alright,” Jerrol agreed. “Let’s do that. The horses could do with a rest; we’ve covered some miles this last week. Now we are in the Greenswatch we need to keep a closer eye out, ask a few questions. Though that does not mean we are going to crawl from one taproom to the next,” he said with a mock scowl as Jennery’s grin deepened.
Jerrol shook his head, stoppered the water skin and hooked it back under his saddlebag. “You all finished here? Birlerion, do you need to top up your water?” He gestured to the pool as he prepared to remount Zin’talia.
Birlerion took his place at the water’s edge as Jerrol swung himself up and Jennery gathered up his reins and pulled his horse away from the pond. Jerrol turned onto the muddy track that would lead them north towards the tall sentinal trees that stood in the Grove.
Jennery glanced at the mysterious Sentinal as they rode. He rarely spoke. On occasion, he graced them with his presence, like now, but usually he was a shadow on their trail, silent and deadly. “So, Birlerion. Where were you from? Where did you call home?”
Birlerion hesitated before answering. “I was born in Vespers, but I called Greens home.”
“Vespers. Yeah? Which one? Old or New?”
“There was only one Vespers.”
Jennery nodded sagely. “Old, then. What was it like three thousand years ago?”
Birlerion’s face was stiff, but he answered. “A lot smaller.”
“We could’ve guessed that. Tell us something we don’t know.”
Birlerion glared at Jennery, and Jennery gave him a bright smile. He made a silent bet the Sentinal wouldn’t tell them anything. He rarely spoke as it was.
Birlerion gritted his teeth and stared ahead over his horse’s ears. After a moment, his shoulders relaxed and he began speaking, his voice low, and both Jerrol and Jennery listened.
“Vespers was more compact than it is today. Narrow twisty streets that led down to the harbour, which wasn’t much more than a beach and a jetty, with a few barns behind it, nothing like your warehouses. Leyandrii’s palace was closer to the city than the King’s is, closer to her people. Her temple was newly built. She was always present, part of daily life.
“Guerlaire was her Captain. He was an intense and practical man.” Birlerion grimaced. “Stubborn too; once he made a decision, he wouldn’t budge. Very clever. He built Leyandrii the most breathtaking bridge, connecting her palace to the Chapterhouse, a sparkling edifice that amazed everyone, even his harshest critics. You had to see it to believe it; it was breathtaking.” He paused a moment, remembering, a slight smile on his face.
His voice softened as he continued. “She watched over everyone, and you could feel her presence. Her roses grew everywhere; the scent was relaxing at times, and at others uplifting, but always comforting.” His lips quirked. “Depended on what she thought you needed, I suppose.”
“So you were based at the palace with Leyandrii?” Jerrol asked.
“Yes, with a few others.”
“How did you become a Sentinal?” Jennery asked, trying to keep the conversation going. “Did she have a recruiting effort going?”
Birlerion’s lips tightened, but he answered. “She asked very nicely.”
Jennery snorted. “That was it? She just asked?”
“That was all that was needed,” Birlerion replied.
“And you dropped everything? What were you before you were a sentinal?”
“A ranger.”
“And they just let you go?” Jennery asked, the disbelief evident in his voice.
Birlerion cast him a withering glance. “It was different then. The rangers were hers, too. The Lady was part of our daily lives. It was an honour to serve her, as it still is.”
“No one would just walk away from the rangers. Not after the effort it takes to get in in the first place.”
Birlerion shrugged. “If the Lady asked you, and you heard her
