Chapter 8

Two clan chiefs, the Kahn (who was the leader of the clans), and the representative from the Tidus principality stood staring at the smoking remains of the star. Five bodies were laying dead and were still smoking. The star had been destroyed by some spell cast in response to the attack on the enemy's leader.

The Kahn was not a happy man. He had been told that the book of magic they had used to create the star of five was a most ancient and powerful magical instruction. It was true, that with the books help, the five shamans had accomplished incredible feats of magic.

Still as he stood looking at the five bodies that had comprised the star, he was worried. Someone from the enemy camp had great power. The remaining shaman had been watching. He said a great spell came from the north, and caused this.

"My Kahn, our strongest shamen are dead. When the clan chiefs discover this, they will think treachery. We must sue the north for peace, and dissolve our agreement with the prince of Tidus," the Coyote clan chief said.

"There was no treachery on our part. If a battle plan goes wrong, do you kill the war leader? No, this is but a minor setback," the Tidus messenger rejoined.

"I agree, mighty Kahn", responded the other clan chief. "I do not see treachery anywhere. Someone from the northern kingdom is very powerful in magic, though. We must be cautious," the Snake clan chief finished.

The Kahn turned and walked away from the bodies of the five shamen. Five of the most powerful shamen from all the clans were dead. As he strode toward his lodge that had been made for the winter, he considered his options. They appeared to be as bleak as the winter weather.

Roland was brought in from the field to reside with the Duke, while questions and tests were done to the ring, and performed on both. Roland was getting just a bit surly with the whole thing. Once again, his ring had put him into a position of having suspicion thrust upon him, simply because of his abilities with the ring, and its known history.

What was even more of a problem, was the ring had a spell of true ownership, or something like that, on it. It would not work for anyone else. As a matter of fact, it would not accept anyone else's touch, physically. It slipped from the grasp as if you were trying to grip water.

While Roland understood the intellectual reasons for some of the doubts, he was feeling resentful all over again. He had thought this was behind him. But it appeared that what his teachers and masters of magic-craft could not understand or directly control, raised their suspicions. Not an unusual thing to happen, but annoying none-the-less.

The Duke's palace or castle was a very old building. It had been added to over the years, but had basically retained its ability to be what it once was, a fortress. Within its walls were the living spaces for the castle workers. Over two hundred men and woman worked and lived in the castle, while another fifty to seventy five men would report from the city to take care of the huge grounds and gardens.

Since Roland had not been given any official duties, he asked for and received permission to see how the Duke's castle was run.

The Chamberlain oversaw the Duke's schedule, and was also in over-all charge of the castle. While there were various men in position to order things done, the Chamberlain oversaw those men. They made the Chamberlain's job easier, by free-ing up the Chamberlain to do his main job: making sure his Duke stayed on schedule with whatever the Duke wanted do.

Spring came and there was a profusion of growth. Wild flowers sprang up everywhere, and the farmers were busy plowing and planting for the season. The news from the south was good. The clans had withdrawn, and without their support, the Tidus principality did not wish to carry on hostilities by themselves.

The Duke released most of the army to go back home, while keeping some posted at the garrisons in case of a surprise attack. Roland asked for and got permission to move to his new castle that was almost completed, and that would soon be his new home.

The Duke, had been patient with the guild's representatives. He declared Roland fit, not a threat to anyone, and free to do as he pleased. What 'pleased' Roland, was taking up his new duties as Baron Talvon of Talvon Barony.

He was still impressed that he had a title and was a member of the nobility. In all honesty, he was still a bit uncomfortable with it. So far, all he had been was a soldier who took orders. This would be his first time as the ruler of everything he surveyed... that is, when he got to his new home!

It was a ten day ride by horseback. The small group finally arrived at Roland's new home. The morning had given way to early afternoon, the day they came into sight of the castle. Roland was stunned at the size of the castle! It was huge, and they still had a goodly ride to get there.

As he got closer, more detail was revealed and became clear. First was an outer wall about a thousand feet from the castle or fortress. The castle was actually both, as it was supposed to withstand a siege, if it had too.

The first line of defense was a wall built at the base of the bluff upon which the castle was built, overlooking the river. An enemy would have to go through that twenty five foot high, three foot thick wall, first. Then they would have to pass through the thousand feet of cleared space 'killing field', between it, and the castle/fortress proper.

The castle/fortress had a wall that was twice as high, and twice as thick protecting it directly. Roland listened to the man telling him of the defenses, and looked anew with better understanding. He had been briefed on this before, but seeing the magnificent reality in front of him gave him a new and better understanding. Also, his stint with the Duke's army gave him an eye to appreciate the construction and capabilities as they were pointed out to him.

He could see that the first outer wall had been placed to utilize natural terrain features, helping with the defense of the castle. The wall was built across a gap that led up to the castle's second defensive wall.

To the right, the outer wall curved and followed the hill up and it met and joined the other wall. To the left, it ran almost to the edge of bluff, where it seemed to turn and join into the natural facing of the rock wall of the bluff. Whoever had built it had done a good job.

The road leading to the outer wall went to it at almost its dead center. There was a large gate, which was open. Roland could see that the gate was large enough for people to be entering and leaving at the same time. The city that was located close by was just that, a city. His city!

The city started about five hundred paces from the wall or gate. Roland was informed that the Duke required a space before the wall, for his archers and spear men to have a clear field of fire upon any advancing enemy. Therefore, nothing was closer than one thousand feet. No structures were allowed within the space between the two walls at all, except the guard house and barracks, which were built along the inside of the wall, near the gate.

It took some time to make their way through the city, then to the gate in the wall. He learned that this cities name was Darmalon. As his party got closer to it, less of the whole castle was seen, but the details of what could be seen, were clearer.

There was scaffolding still, on one corner. Workmen, looking impossibly small were working on the walls and the roof. The closer they got to the castle, the more they lost view of the lower parts of it.

Finally, Roland rode through a large gate in the wall protecting the castle itself, and gasped! The width of the wall had to ten feet wide if it was a foot. The curved roof of the small tunnel they were in was still a good two yards above him, even though he was on horseback.

Roland stood in a tower within the castle and looked out one of the windows in wonder. From this height and position, he could see most of the castle keep itself. The last tower was still being worked on by what appeared to be hundreds of workers.

The castle keep was formed in the shape of a huge rectangle. The first floor all the way around had few windows, and they were placed high up, for security sake. The walls at first floor level, or so Roland was informed, were a uniform two and a half feet thick.

The castle keep had three floors, with the four corner-towers rising two stories higher than the rest of the castle. This put the towers at a level to see over the fifty foot high protective wall that surrounded the castle proper. The view of the surrounding country side, and the river Darm, for which the city was named, was fantastic.

Roland did not see how an enemy could take the wall close to the castle. The further wall, yes, but that would be difficult at best for the enemy. To hold the outer wall against an attacking force would not be too difficult.

As for the inner wall, as thick as it was, and with the magical spells built right into the wall itself, as well as the castle, made it seem an impossible task to Roland. The more he learned, the more convinced he became that this position was almost impossible to take at all. The Duke had planned this well, and he was grateful that the Duke had entrusted him with it.

For several days, Roland learned his way around the castle, and its environs. He also leaned the names of the servants who had been hired to serve within the castle. He quickly established that he would accept a more experienced persons opinion, even over his own. This very quickly won him their respect.

He also wrote to the city council that he wished to meet with them, and introduce himself to them. This too was something that was rare. Most lords could care less about how those under them thought of the lord, just so they obeyed. This caused the council to rally behind Roland very quickly indeed. They were particularly pleased he not come in demanding a raise in taxes right away, which is something new lords often did.

Roland still had to come up with soldiers to replace the ones the Duke was loaning him, and he also had to reimburse the Duke for half the cost of building the castle.

While he could come up with the money for all of this, it would stretch his remaining fortune a bit. He made a partial payment with some gems, which were valued at two thousand golds. The Duke accepted that, with a proviso that he pay the remainder within the year.

He approached several of the Duke's guards who were already stationed at the castle for this year, and asked if they would care to remain as his own soldiers. One person he courted was the guard captain, who was preparing to retire at the end of this very year.

He offered to give the man a gold a month more than he was now making, if he would stay and organize his own guards. The man quickly agreed, and soon the two were closeted together, while Roland and his new captain of the guard (Moran Dontal) made a list of likely people to keep; and where to look for new guards, besides inside the local city.

Another consideration was taxes. Roland himself was exempt from being taxed, but that was not the case with his people. They still had taxes to pay to the Duke. The Duke had been getting tax money twice from Roland's citizens.

The Duke stopped that, saying the tax money that was being paid to him, as Duke, would be enough. The taxes that had gone to the Duke in his other guise as Baron Taft, would end. Roland could do with that tax money as he wished, but the taxes that were owed the Duke as Duke Taft, must still come in on time.

As time went by, Roland took over paying the wizards guild for the magic being used help finish up the tower. It was magic he could have done himself, but it would have taken all his time, and he was fast becoming very busy.

The day arrived when the last stone work was done, the roof was finished, and the last spell cast. The scaffolding came down. Most of the workers left, with the exception of a few that Roland had approached to work there permanently, to maintain the castle.

Roland climbed to the top of the tower once again. It was winter now, and the first snow was falling. Roland looked out in the direction of the city, but already the snow was heavy enough to obscure his vision. He shivered, and pulled his cloak closer to him, basking in the warmth of the spell he had placed upon it to help fight off the cold.

Edited by TeNderLoin

The End