“Oh, he’s yours alright,” Silene chuckled. “The Lady’s Captain always had an Arifel. They act as messengers and are very intelligent as you can tell; he brought you here.” She looked up as the door opened and Reese strode in on a blustery gust of damp air. He ducked through the door; straightening up, he barely missed the beams in the ceiling. He shucked off his boots and coat and turned towards the fire, rubbing his hands.
“You lads alright? It’s a wild night out there,” he said, running his hands through his windswept hair.
“Yes, thank you, sir, it’s kind of you to take us in,” Birlerion said as he stood and extended his hand.
Reese shook it firmly. “Silene wouldn’t hear of leaving you out there, not after that young chap turned up.” He grinned, his blue eyes crinkling. “She wanted to speak with him further, I think,” he teased his wife. He waved Birlerion back into his seat.
“You,” said Silene pointing her finger at Jerrol, “don’t move until I tell you. Drink your coffee, it is well sugared, it’ll help with the blood loss.”
Reese pulled up a chair and sat as Silene handed him a mug of steaming coffee. “Ah,” he sighed, gratefully taking a sip. “Blood loss? What happened? I didn’t realise anyone was injured.”
“We were set upon about half a mile back down the track. Jennery suffered a bad blow, but we were fortunate to fight them off. I’m afraid there are a couple of bodies left out there.” Jerrol glanced across at his friend. He didn’t look the part, drooping in front of the fire, periodically sneezing.
“How did you know I was the Lady’s Captain?” Jerrol asked, turning back to Silene.
“Not only does your appearance shout it to those with eyes to see, the histories tell us that when Lady, Land and Liege are under siege, then look out for the Lady’s Captain who will lead the charge to reverse the threat and restore that which was sundered back to its former state. There have been multiple signs, and the Arifel confirms it. Birlerion here, well, he seals it. He wouldn’t be awake if there weren’t a Captain.”
“Why does the Arifel confirm it?” Jennery asked, drooping over his bowl.
“Because there has been no magic in this world since the cracking of the stone, but the magic must be leaking back in if the Arifel can appear. When the people desperately need help, when the Liege is struggling to hold his oath, when the Land itself is under threat, then the Lady will step in and appoint a Captain. A Captain who will protect the Land from those who wish to destroy it; who will protect the Guardians from those who do not understand and support the Liege to reassert his power.”
“I’m supposed to do all that?” Jerrol gasped, appalled, watching Birlerion lean back in his chair and rub a hand over his face.
“That and more, but not on your own and not tonight! There are many here to help you. The Guardians will help, we will help you.” She indicated Reese and herself.
“Do you know who or what is threatening us?” Birlerion asked, staring at the fire.
Silene shook her head. “That is for the Captain to find out.”
“Can you tell me more about the role of this Captain. I mean, are there any instructions captured somewhere?” Jerrol asked, a plaintive note creeping into his voice.
“The Lady will reveal what you need to know when the time is right. She will provide you with the companions you need; you have Birlerion, and Ari here, for example. They are both living myths and quite unexpected. I’m sure Birlerion can tell you more.”
“And your white mare,” Reese interrupted, “she has got to be a gift of the Lady; you don’t come by Darians very often.”
Silene looked at Reese. “A Darian?” She was shocked. “In our barn?”
Reese took up the conversation. “A right beauty she is too, and she knows it.” He grinned. “The councils are where you should start, lad. They are undermining the Lady, targeting Guardians. You need to discover what their purpose is. Deepwater lost its Lord recently, and the heir will not pick up the mantle. Word is that he turned away from the Lady; the councils’ influence, we believe.”
“We saw signs of that at the Grove, histories twisted, unexpected advisors, the smithy was set on fire, and we were unable to save the Guardian, Sylvie.”
Silene gasped, raising her hands to cover her mouth. “No, not Sylvie, you think it was deliberate?”
“Even more so now. If what you say is true, and we have a coordinated threat from the councils to overcome, then all Guardians are at risk. Yourselves included.” Jerrol paused. “How far are we from Greenswatch?”
“Not far, only a couple of miles as the crow flies. Lord Hugh keeps an eye on us. He values our knowledge, we tutor his children, though not so much Simeon of late.”
“Maybe you should consider asking Lord Hugh if you could stay at Greenswatch for a while,” Jerrol suggested. “You are not safe here.”
Reese shook his head. “We can’t leave here. We have animals to look after. Anyway, no one will bother us here. We are out of the way and, if necessary, I can protect us.”
Silene shifted in her chair. “There are many pointers in the histories. You should visit the records room at Greenswatch; you might find something there. I remember there being a record of all the holdings and their grants of land. It was organised by events rather than dates, events like the great Vesp flood or the storm that felled the King’s Oak. It had descriptions of the events and notations about the Guardians and who they were. The best records house is the Scholar House in Old Vespers; your challenge will be the fact that much of it is still uncatalogued. You need a seer who can find the
