B3 Chapter 16

Lucan woke up in a tangle of limbs, his and Lilian’s. He was under a heavy quilt, but it was not the only source of warmth. The softness that touched him was bliss before warmth. He wrapped his arm around Lilian and drew her closer, caressing her gently. She moved and mumbled something but didn’t wake up. Thankfully, she wasn’t the kind to startle awake easily, at least not with him.

He extricated himself from his wife’s arms. He was reluctant to do so, but time was his ever-looming watcher. It had been a fortnight since their wedding, and though he would have wished to have more time with her, he had to consider that the end of winter was fast approaching. Spring would soon be upon them, and armies would begin to march shortly after. He had to be in the Union by then, and hopefully back before any great battles had taken place.

He dressed himself and walked out into the corridor, heading to the study. Once there, he arranged the sparse parchments on his desk, finishing any missives that were due and getting his affairs in order.

It didn’t take long for Cordell and Thomas to join him. The steward spoke first then. “Lord Ravencroft has sent his acknowledgment.”

“Good,” Lucan said without looking up while scribbling on a small piece of parchment. “Are the men ready?”

Cordell answered, “They are. Are you certain that only taking two of them is wise, my lord?”

“It is my only course,” Lucan said. “At least if I want to keep to my plans. Fear not, my friend.” He looked up, meeting the sergeant-at-arms’ eyes. “I will guard my health well. And until I come back, I will rely on you to see to the estate’s safety.”

“I will protect it with my life,” Cordell said.

“Hopefully, it will not come to that,” Lucan said. “I intend to return soon. Until then, don’t start any wars.”

All three of them shared a chuckle, then it was back to more solemn matters, discussing his coming journey and the particulars of his plan. After he’d reassured them, particularly Thomas, he took his leave to meet his father.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to invade another bout of self-imposed solitude, as he met his father in the training yard after the latter had finished a spar with Aldous, the master-at-arms giving Lucan a nod before leaving.

Lucan sat on two stacked stones beside his father, who undoubtedly recognized his arrival even without words.

“So you are set on your path?”

“Yes,” Lucan answered.

“Remember your first ventures?” The former lord–no–knight, for that was who he was at heart, smiled. “The road and the refugees. You truly rode the estate to the edge then.”

“I remember,” Lucan said, returning his father’s smile, even if the latter couldn’t see it. “We survived.”

His father sighed. “We did.”

“I hope you have more faith in me than that now.”

His father turned to face him. And even though his eyes did not exist, Lucan could feel the knight’s attention wholly on him. “Now I am proud of you.”

Lucan held back a hiccup and nodded several times, eventually realizing that, in truth, he was nodding to himself, not to his father. “Thank you, Father.”

The knight gave him one heavy nod then turned away once more. “What brings you to me now, then?”

“Only to bid you to be well until my return.”

“Fear not, I will be.”

“And…” Lucan paused.

“And?”

“I wished to ponder something with you.”

“Ponder then.”

“The Orb.”

His father huffed with some knowing amusement. “The thrice-souled Orb, yes?”

“Yes.”

“What of it?”

“I believe it would be best to give it to Lilian.”

His father’s grave voice answered him. “And why so?”

“She is a mage, and she has proven more loyal and courageous than some of our allied knights out there.”

“The Orb is a family treasure. It is for the progeny of our line to pass down until such a time when a worthy heir can make use of it.”

“And is Lilian not part of our family now?”

His father scoffed. “And do you intend to take her to every battlefield with you to make the best of that which you wish to bestow upon her?”

Lucan was taken aback, growing silent. “I…”

“Have you pondered the wisdom of this pondering, Son? Or have you only been thinking with your heated heart?”

Lucan swallowed. “Perhaps I ought to think more about it.”

“Perhaps,” his father said. “And as you do, I, too, will think about it, for it is not a matter lightly decided.”

He left his father with a jumble of thoughts. From there, he headed to the armory. There, he met his two accompanying men-at-arms, Ryder and Tomis. They all donned thin leather and padding to hide under their travelers’ clothes. They couldn’t be spotted with proper armor or apparel for their stations. They would need to keep up appearances, at least for a time.

By the time they were prepared for their journey, Lilian was waiting for them outside the keep, all awake. Beside her were Thomas and Cordell, though they stepped aside with his two men-at-arms to give them a moment, and they took it.

“Are you certain I can’t accompany you?” Lilian said.

Lucan gave her a pitying smile. “There are no womenfolk travelling the roads, my love. It is already difficult to make this ruse believable with all three of us.”

She sighed. “I only wish that I could lend my strength to yours.”

“You have done plenty,” Lucan said, stepping closer, his hands resting on her waist. “For the time, hone your spells, and perhaps magick us a child.” He smiled.

She giggled and said, “I will endeavor to discover this unheard-of spell.”

“Meanwhile,” Lucan said with a smirk, “I will be seducing Unioners into a trade alliance with us.”

“Well, you'd better keep your seductions to the studies of merchants and guildsmen. And should you promise to stay away from any loose women,” she produced an embroidered handkerchief from her dress, “you may have this.”

He snatched the handkerchief away faster than she could think and hummed. “I will consider it.”

She glared.

He smiled. “You have my word.”

She smiled back. “Good husband.”

Lucan chuckled then said, “I will miss you dearly.”

“Your adventures will keep you occupied at least,” she said. “I, however, will only have time to worry and miss you.”

“The garden behind the keep should be flowering soon,” Lucan said. “You bear much responsibility.”

“I suppose I do.”

“You’ve wished for one for a long time,” Lucan said. “Delight in it.”

“I will, my love,” she said, standing on the tips of her toes and kissing him on the cheek.

He pecked her back, and then they embraced. After a moment too short, they separated, and Lucan joined his aides.

“They know their duties,” Cordell said, and Lucan nodded.

“I suggest speaking with Lord Ravencroft on the way,” Thomas said. “It will be difficult to persuade him when wealth is nearly at his door.”

Lucan rubbed his chin then nodded. He would need to speak with the lord about keeping their docking fees on par with each other’s, so that Silvergate would not suffer.

Once their farewells were seen to, Lucan departed discreetly with his two men. Avoiding the gate, they were led to one of the platforms along the wall where they climbed down a rope, heading east towards the forest once they reached the ground.

They entered wooded lands without preamble, and then Tomis took the lead, guiding them through the shrubbery. Surprisingly, Lucan didn’t feel the whole venture foreign to him. Instead, he felt at ease in such a sparse forest, as though he’d faced a far greater enemy in the past.

They cut through the forest on foot at a punishing pace, hoping to avoid the patrols of bordering knights, and they did, reaching the edges of Lord Ravencroft’s territory by sunset. They camped in the woods, and Lucan sent Tomis out to get word to the lord as discreetly as he could. That ended up being a rather humorous affair, as Tomis sent a letter by arrow into the man’s keep, which only alarmed the lords’ guards, at least until the man himself got to see the letter.

Afterwards, Tomis returned with word that the lord was riding towards the forest with only two guards. Once Tomis told him how he’d delivered word to the lord, Lucan regretted not simply sending a rider before he left the estate. He’d wanted to keep matters swift and discreet, not wishing to even give the lord word ahead of time. Considering that he needed to discuss the matter of the docks with him, however, that might not have been his wisest course.

Lucan met Lord Ravencroft under the boughs of a tall oak, their audience guarded by the forest’s greenery more than it was by arms.