The Tales of the Wanderer Volume One: A Book of Underrealm (The Underrealm Volumes 4) Garrett Robinson (poetry books to read TXT) 📖

left home, and I was very anxious about the wending, as most are. And in walked a young woman in a medica’s robes, who had seen only twenty-two years, and who looked even younger than I was.

“Well, I must have seemed nervous, because Dawan laughed out loud. ‘You think I am young, do you?’ she said. ‘Well, you are right. But I am one of the High King Enalyn’s personal medicas. Masada, the one who performed Enalyn’s own wending, was my mentor, and when he passed into the darkness, I took up Enalyn’s service myself. If I am good enough for the High King, I daresay I am good enough for you.’

“Her manner was so forthright, and yet so friendly, that I was immediately put at ease. We got along famously after that. And though she had to travel often, being a medica, we always stayed in touch—better, in fact, than I would stay in touch with Mag in later years. And whenever I was due for a new visit, to ensure my health had remained good since the wending, I would always seek her out if I possibly could.”

Sun was staring at him in fascination now. To have the High King’s own medica … she would not have been more surprised if Albern had revealed that he and Enalyn were closely related by blood. Albern was looking at her carefully, and he continued studying her while she attempted to gather her thoughts.

When Sun spoke, it was not about Dawan. “What happened in Opara next?”

Albern chuckled. “In Opara? Not a great deal. But on the road north, and in Tokana … why, yes. Quite a bit happened.”

As I have mentioned, my family has long dwelled in our stronghold in the city of Kahaunga. And in Kahaunga, while Mag and I were returning from our fight with Riri and the Shades, the Lord Telfer received dire news.

She was in her council chamber, poring over the map of her lands. Her lead ranger, a man named Maia, was by her side. He stood off to the side, leaning against the wall, one hand idly toying with the hilt of the sword on his hip. He knew better than to interrupt his lord when she was deep in thought. She had been a stern woman as long as he had known her, and she did not take kindly to being interrupted.

There was another woman in the room, waiting somewhat less patiently than Maia. Her name was Callen of the family Incab, and she was a representative of the Calentin king. One such representative is stationed in the home of each Rangatira, to provide counsel and to send independent reports to the king. Callen was a reedy woman, and Lord Telfer had never liked her—a sentiment that Maia fully shared. They particularly resented the woman’s presence in the room at that moment, but Lord Telfer could think of no proper way to dismiss her.

A knock came at the chamber door.

Lord Telfer growled as she looked up. “What is it?”

The door swung open, and a messenger made her hasty way inside. She pressed a fist to her forehead and bowed.

“Lord Telfer,” she said. Her voice was too loud in the modest chamber, full of the frantic energy of one who is both eager to please, and terrified because they bear ill news. “The trolls have attacked another village.”

Callen’s brows rose in faint surprise. “Sky save us,” she said in mild worry, turning to regard the Rangatira.

Lord Telfer ignored her. She straightened, her hands gliding across the smooth parchment of the map before her. “Another? Which one?”

The messenger shook her head. “No name, my lord. It was little more than a collection of homes. One of the survivors is here.”

“Here?” snapped Lord Telfer. “Why would you bring—”

The door swung a bit wider, and another woman entered the room. It was Whetu, the woman who had once been one of the Lord Telfer’s rangers, but long ago.

“Whetu!” cried Maia, stepping forwards to embrace her. They pressed their foreheads together for a brief moment. “It is good to see you once more.”

“If only the circumstances were otherwise,” she replied. Stepping past him, she put a fist to her forehead and bowed to Lord Telfer. “My Rangatira.”

“Be at peace,” said Lord Telfer. It was a soldier’s command, and Whetu had not been a soldier for a long while, but Lord Telfer did not much care at the moment. “Report.”

Callen looked at her Rangatira in faint surprise. “But this is a villager.”

Maia’s eyes flashed with anger. “She was a ranger.”

“Was,” said Callen, tilting her chin up ever so slightly.

Lord Telfer slammed her hand on the desk, and the room fell silent. “Report,” she snapped. “The rest of you, keep your flapping lips shut.”

“The trolls destroyed our village,” said Whetu. “Every building was torn down. Our crops and any stores of bread were raided. The trolls ate most of them before we managed to escape.”

“Was anyone slain?” said Lord Telfer.

Whetu shook her head. “No, Rangatira.”

“How many trolls?”

“I did my best to count. I saw at least a dozen, but there might have been more.”

A dozen, thought Maia. That was a sizable pack.

“Why did you not get a full count?” said Callen sternly.

Whetu did her best not to glare at the representative. She pointed to a bandage on her leg, red with blood. “I was injured. And my husband and I had our daughters to think of.”

Callen snorted dismissively. It was a rich reaction, coming from her. Maia knew full well that the king’s representative would have fled at the first sight of a troll, and likely kept running until her heart gave out.

But Maia had a thought, and he grew troubled. “Whetu,” he said quietly. “Where was your village?”

“Ten leagues out.”

Lord Telfer’s eyes shot wide. “Where? In which direction?”

Whetu met her gaze with a grim look. “North, Rangatira.” She came forwards and pointed to a spot on the map. “There. It