The Defender Chronicles: Volume 4

By Robert Collins

Allan began life poor, and knowing that magic was the stuff of ancient legends. One day he discovers that the magic never went away, and that he has the gift of using magic.

He decides to fight injustice as The Defender, and fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. His wife Nancy joins him as The Moon Spirit. Although she can’t cast spells, she can fight and use the enchanted equipment Allan crafts.

This volume contains Defender stories 31 to 35. Also included are four novellas set in the same world. Two take place in the Witch Lands, and two take place in the distant past, when magic was in decline.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert Collins
• Release date: Apr 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370561094

Robert Collins

Two people with different cultural backgrounds and ethnicities met at a European and Balkan music and dance ensemble named Koroyar and their lives became intertwined, combining their gifts to continue exploring life as an avenue of creative expression. Robert Collins has a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, and has been an educator in the Los Angeles area for thirty years. He studied writing with Joan Oppenheimer in San Diego, with Cork Millner privately, and also in the Santa Barbara Writer's Conferences. Elizabeth Herrera Sabido, at the age of sixteen years, began working as a secretary at the Secretaria de Industria y Comercio in Mexico City where she was born, then she was an educator for twenty-six years, and a teacher of international dance for The Los Angeles Unified School District. She has also studied Traditional Chinese Medicine, and is a Reiki Master Teacher. Attracted by the Unknown, the Forces of the Universe, and the human psyche, during their lives they have studied several different philosophies. Elizabeth has been involved with various religions, Asian studies, and Gnosticism with SamaelAun Weor, and Robert has explored spiritual healing practices in Mexico, and studied with Carlos Castaneda's Cleargreen and Tensegrity. Elizabeth and Robert start their day at four-thirty in the morning. They enjoy playing volleyball and tennis, and in the afternoons play music, alternating between seven different instruments each. Their philosophy of Personal Evolution has led them to explore over 110 countries between the two of them such as Japan, Nepal, Egypt, Bosnia- Herzegovina, the Philippines, Turkey,Russia, etc.

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the fourth ebook collection of Defender tales; included are numbers thirty-one to thirty-five. These stories range from short-novel to novella length. If you haven’t yet read about the mysterious mage known as The Defender, read on!

Also included in this collection are four stories set in the world of the Defender. There are two stories set long before the first Defender story, and two stories set in the Witch Lands.

The ebook edition of first book in the series is still free, in case a reader prefers to dip their toe into the adventures of The Defender, rather than leap in all at once. Whether you’re dipping your toe in, or taking the plunge, I hope you enjoy these tales, and you’ll want to keep reading more.

And yes, there are more. There’s the first three collections, and there might be more other stories with other characters coming out sometime. Click the link to my blog in the final section to stay up to date on all these works.

Thanks for your support!

Robert Collins

Spring 2018

THE DEFENDER

NUMBER THIRTY-ONE: PROMISES AND LIES

ONE

Miles bowed to Lord Randall. A pleasure to meet you, My Lord.

A pleasure to meet you as well, Defender.

For a moment Miles was distracted by the Lord of Centerport. He’d grown up knowing that every Lord was older than he was. It was a truth of life, like the seasons or the return of magic. Yet here was Lord Randall, who was perhaps a few years older than he, if that. Miles had only just left the Royal Academy of Magery. He expected to meet a Lord he might impress but also learn from, not a young man like himself who needed to to learn things as much as he did.

You seem surprised by something, Defender. Lord Randall’s voice was no more certain than the young man sitting in front of Miles.

To be honest, My Lord? It’s your age.

Lord Randall sighed. Yes, I know. I hadn’t thought I’d assume the title until I was married at had a child or two. I take it you’re not from here?

We’re never assigned where we grew up, My Lord. That way no one knows the face behind our masks.

I have so much to learn. I suppose, so do you. The reason why I’m here is that my father, Lord Richard, died only a few months ago.

I’m sorry to hear that, My Lord. What happened?

He was sailing on the Great Lake with my brother when something happened to the boat. My brother said a wave overtook them.

A wave?

That’s what he said. Father was a fair sailor, but the boat he had was small. Three or four could fit in it, but they’d have no room for food. Father tended to take it out alone, or with just my brother or myself.

Was there a storm that day, My Lord?

No, but that means little around here. A boat can sail a long ways away in a morning or an afternoon. It was quite the windy day, and the air was cold. The boat was in poor shape when Rudolph brought it back to our dock. He was in bed for three days with chills.

I’m sorry to hear that, My Lord.

Thank you for saying that, Defender. Before I speak more, I’d like to know what’s going on in the world. You came here from Crown’s Hold. What news of the other Defenders?

Well, My Lord, the original Defender and the Moon Spirit have announced that they will no longer wear their masks.

Meaning?

It is up to those of us who graduate from the Academy to carry on their legacy of using magic and our wits to protect the land.

What of the first Defenders they taught?

They’re approaching the middle years of their lives, My Lord. I believe some wish to put aside their masks and allow newer students to replace them.

Are there enough students? I hear there are only a few in Crown’s Hold at any one time.

Miles took a breath before answering. He took a sliver of time to consider what he would say, as the question touched on a topic that wasn’t usually discussed beyond the Academy.

"It seems, My Lord, that not every child born with the ability to use magic lives to adulthood. You may have heard that, over the years, there were one or two young men who became problems to be dealt with. Only one woman who came here from the Witch Lands stayed in the Kingdom, and she too is close to the middle of her life. At least one student moved to the Mountain Kingdom to assist the Black Fox.

As to other reasons why there are always so few students, to be truthful, I shouldn’t say much more about the subject. We know there are other reasons, but we don’t like to talk about them. I suppose I myself am glad there aren’t more young men born to use magic. It makes me special.

Lord Randall nodded. I suppose it does. What of Queen Elspeth?

Her Majesty is sharp as ever, My Lord. She is in good health.

"Good. I suppose there will be chances later for us to talk about gossip. For now, let me tell you why I asked Queen Elspeth to send you to me once you arrived in Centerport.

Rudolph is two years younger than myself. He was never the typical younger brother. He was a moody boy, and he’s growing into a sullen young man. He leaves here at sunset sometimes, and doesn’t return until the middle of the night. I thought he was jealous of me, but he’s not jealous at all.

No, My Lord?

No. He doesn’t wish to help me rule Centerport. He doesn’t want to replace me. But for the last year or so, he has seemed to take pleasure in being the son of a Lord, and now the brother of a Lord.

What do you mean?

He talks down to the advisors, to all but the oldest tradesmen and merchants, even to the other folk of the town close to us in age. He makes demands on everyone. I heard some complaints about him to Father, and some of those same men have complained to me.

Have you spoken to him, My Lord?

"Father did. I have. He appears to listen, and is a better fellow for a week or so, then falls back on his old ways. I worry about him, Defender. I worry that he’s fallen in with bad men. I worry that it’s just him alone that does these things. I especially worry about where he goes on those nights when he leaves here.

I know that the Defenders are not protectors of the nobility. You uphold justice to all, noble and common alike. Yet I wish to ask you to protect Rudolph. I don’t what is endangering him, but I’d like him protected, even if it’s from himself.

There’s not much I can do, My Lord.

You are supposed to fly over the town some nights to keep watch, yes?

Yes, My Lord.

Then while you’re doing that, might you keep watch on Rudolph?

Miles gave the request a moment’s thought. He had trouble thinking of good and simple reasons to turn down the request, and plenty of reasons, simple and otherwise, to accept. I can do that when I’m out, My Lord.

Thank you.

I’ll also keep my ears open when I’m around town, My Lord. There must be someone who knows where he goes and what he does.

Someone who can’t talk to me?

Common folk rarely ask to speak to their Lords, My Lord.

Oh, yes. And I suppose some might not want to speak to me.

Just so.

All right. Let me know the moment you learn anything.

Miles bowed his head. I promise I will, My Lord.

TWO

Miles took a breath, raised his flying wand, and tapped it. He rose into the air above Centerport, watching folk wander to and fro without noticing the masked man in leather armor above them.

Allan, the first Defender, had told him and the other students early in their time at the Academy of his own elation at being able to fly. He’d said there wasn’t just the excitement at being in the air. He had felt a sense of freedom as well. He’d been liberated from walking, which is what everyone did, and riding, which was something only the nobility and the wealthy could do. He’d said he felt ecstatic at the notion that he could go anywhere, and go there faster than anyone could dream of traveling.

Miles had similar feelings the first time he flew. He became aware later that Allan, and most of the other Defenders, lost those feelings over time. The more you flew, the more routine it became. Routines removed the joy and pleasure from most things, and flying, though it wasn’t all that routine, became to them something more than ordinary, but no longer extraordinary.

Miles had the same sense of a looming routine during his time at the Academy. For now it had diminished since moving to Centerport. This was a new place to him. If he was to live there he needed to become familiar with it. That meant flying in different patterns, at different heights, and at thinking about which buildings he was flying over. The process of discovery had, for the time being, restored some of the joy and was holding off the routine.

His first goal was the area around the docks. That was where the boats that sailed the Great Lake of the West with goods and passengers tied up. It was where the warehouses full of freight sat, as well as the taverns and inns that catered to sailors and the poorer folk.

It was important for any Defender in a port city to learn the streets, alleys, and buildings of the dockside. If a fight broke out, it would be there. Warehouses were tempting targets for thieves. Outlaws could blend in with the rough common folk at the inns and taverns. Almost two decades of accumulated Defender wisdom said that, in port cities, half the trouble a Defender would deal with would be in that city’s dockside.

Early in that night, as had been the case since Miles had come to Centerport, the dockside only needed a bit of watching. Boats were coming and going more now that spring was about to turn into summer. However, the change in the seasons also meant that more boats and wagons were heading from Centerport up the Green River to Greenwood. From what he’d heard, it wouldn’t be until well into summer that the folk in that part of town would have more idle time, and that he’d need to be more vigilant.

From there he flew over the business district just past dockside. The merchants and tradesmen who lived and worked there were always vulnerable. He took time to follow one man who seemed to be wandering without much purpose. He wondered if the man might be thief. Then the fellow ran into one of the Lord’s Guards. Miles couldn’t hear the encounter clearly, but what he saw told him that the man was drunk, and the guard would help him stagger home.

From there Miles flew to the Lord’s Manor. He hadn’t expected to patrol there all that much. Every Lord’s Manor had at least one guard on the front door. Several also had other guards walking the manor grounds. But the request from Lord Randall was still clear in Miles’ ears a few days later. He chose to devote some time each night to going there and keeping watch for a time.

He was about to give up and move on when he saw a figure climb out of a window and hop to the grass. The figure was hooded, and he took the time to close the window behind him. Miles tapped his wand to move to get a better view of the hooded figure. All he could see was that the fellow seemed to have dark hair, probably the dark brown that Lord Randall had. He turned in the air so he could follow the figure as he left the Lord’s Manor.

Every Defender was taught to read and write. Miles had a bit of schooling as a boy, so his instruction didn’t go as slowly as it usually did with students at the Academy. It wasn’t enough for Defenders to be able to write reports and read messages. These skills helped them get jobs in the towns and cities they moved to. Those jobs gave them the connections to their community that the Great Mages from the Second Age of Magic had lacked. In Miles’ case, those skills get him a job with Master Steven, the town’s printer. That was helpful in dealing with Lord Randall’s request, for it gave him access to someone who’d know town gossip.

Master Steven had told him that Rudolph was handsome for being such a young man. He seemed to use his good looks to his advantage, and not just in getting his way. He’d been seen dancing with more than one young lady at town social events. The rumor was that, unlike his older brother, Rudolph had come to manhood almost as soon as he was old enough to engage in such behavior.

Miles followed the hooded man as he wound his way behind the houses of the town. Every time the fellow came to a street, he’d look both ways before crossing. Once he stopped and backed behind a tree. Miles noticed that a few moments later, a guard came walking down the street.

If the hooded man is Rudolph, Miles mused, he isn’t using his position to get around. He must not want anyone to tell his brother that he’s about.

Finally the hooded man came to a house. Though it was night, Miles could see that the house had two floors, was whitewashed and had colored trim, and had a garden of some sort in front of it. It was clearly the house of someone of means.

The hooded man made his way to the rear of the house. He picked up something, and threw it at one of the windows on the second floor. The window opened a moment later. A figure with long hair looked out, nodded, then went back inside and closed the window. Several moments later a second hooded figure came through the back door of the house. Miles could tell there was a dress under the figure’s cloak, which told him the figure was a woman.

The two hooded figures moved at a slow pace from there through that neighborhood, through a second, and to a third. The third neighborhood had rougher homes that belonged to the residents of the city that lived from day to day. They stopped behind a house with uncut grass around it and tattered cloth covering the only window. They made their way to the front a step at a time. The hooded male came to the front door, pushed on it, then let the female go in first.

Miles wondered if he ought to remain nearby to find out what happened inside the house. Then a wave of mild weariness crept though him. He had a long day at the print shop, and the next day promised to be just as long. Using magic was also wearing him out. He couldn’t stay out too late so soon in his life in Centerport. He had to be at the shop as soon as it opened. As there wasn’t any looming trouble near the docks, Miles decided to return home.

I can tell His Lordship about this tomorrow night, or the night after.

***

Miles couldn’t help but hear the news as it traveled through the town the next day. An abandoned house caught fire in the night. A guard sounded an alarm, and neighbors were able to prevent the fire from spreading. One of the other young men who worked in the shop was the first with the tale. Everyone who came in after that mentioned the fire.

What no one said was that the fire had killed anyone. That gave Miles some relief during the day. He feared, the instant he learned what had happened, that Rudolph or the girl were killed or injured in the fire. He was terrified that their deaths would be on his consciousness. But there was no word of any bodies found, and no one was reported as missing.

While that reassured Miles somewhat, he was still puzzled about the matter. There weren’t all that many abandoned houses in Centerport. There wasn’t always a steady population, or so he’d been told at the Academy. Sometimes the town did have a fairly steady population. It wasn’t the sort of city that went through good times and hard times as businesses came and went. It wasn’t subject the rises and falls that farming towns were when the weather was too wet or too dry. It wasn’t so large a city that there were always folk living on the streets who were looking for warm places to sleep and caused accidental fires.

Once he was back home from the printing shop and had eaten dinner, he dressed in his leather armor and took to the air. He flew straight to the Lord’s Manor. From there he tried as best as he could to retrace the route Rudolph had taken the previous night. He went the wrong way once or twice, but he was able to recall the route to the house where the young man had met the woman.

Following the next part of the route was harder. It took him three tries to get in right. When he finally was on the proper track, he was stunned to see that the previous night’s path led directly to the ruins of a recently-burned home.

There has to be a connection between the meeting here last night and the fire.

The first connection that came into his mind was the obvious one. The woman either lived alone, or had left a note for her family to expect her to be gone. She and Rudolph got into some sort of fight. He killed her, either on purpose or without intending to, and set the fire to get rid of the body.

Miles landed behind the ruins. He cast a small light spell when he was on the ground to help him see. A look around, and a walk through the burned beams and walls, told him that it was unlikely that a body could have been missed. Three of the walls were lost, as was the roof, but one wall was only mostly scorched, as was the floor. A body, or anything large like a bed, wouldn’t have been so consumed by the flames that it could have gone unnoticed.

If not in the house, then what? Under?

It would have been easy or anyone but him to dismiss such a notion. The poorest folk in the Kingdom lived in houses with dirt floors. Folk who were a better off could afford to put down boards on the dirt to give them an actual floor. Only the nobility and the wealthiest merchants could afford to construct cellars under their homes.

But there was one section of society that did tend to build something under their homes: criminals. Most of the time they would have only a tiny hole under their floorboards to hide a weapon or stolen loot. There were those who had enough room beneath their house to hide, if not a whole body, then something close to that size.

I suppose it’s not too hard to think that the son of a Lord would be able to learn if there was such a house in their city, and where it was. Knowing about such a place would be helpful if you were having an affair with a man’s wife, or seeing the daughter of someone you weren’t supposed to see. You could hide gifts there, or letters, or even a change of clothes.

Miles closed his eyes. One of the many spells he’d learned was one to allow a mage to locate empty space. It was an important spell for the Defenders to know, as it was the best way to determine if there was a hidden section behind a wall, and if that section contained a trap. This time he concentrated his effort on the floor.

He thought the spell had worked; his magical vision suggested a square of space beneath the floor. But that space was mostly full. It’s almost as if something is stuffed into a hiding hole.

Something, or someone.

He recalled one of the cases he and the students had studied. The son of a merchant had seduced a young woman, the daughter of a man who worked for his father. He’d arranged for the young woman to disappear once she started to appear pregnant. The father thought his daughter had been taken, and he demanded the local Lord do something. The Lord called on the Defender in the city. The Defender was able to find the girl, but she was barely alive. The young man had induced labor early so that she gave birth to a stillborn child. He’d left the girl to die, but the Defender was able to use his magic to keep her alive and eventually heal her. She told her story, and the young man was executed for his crime.

It’s not hard to believe that the same thing might be happening here. The young man falls for a local girl, or he seduces her. They’re not careful, she gets pregnant, and he has to get rid of the child so his mistake doesn’t ruin his chances of marriage to a proper young lady.

That means I’ll have to use the Casting of Lost Life.

It wasn’t a spell he wanted to use. Everyone was warned about it by S’Lora, the great teacher from the Witch Lands at the Academy. She wasn’t clear on how or why she’d learned of the spell, but she was clear about what it did. If cast within a handful of days after a death, it would detect the location of a corpse. She’d said that it would take up some energy to cast, and could cast a pall on the mage. It seeks out death, which is never good for your skills or your soul, she’d cautioned.

However, it was clear to Miles that he had no other option. There seemed no reason for the fire, unless it was an attempt to destroy some sort of evidence. The only evidence that made sense, except for the woman Rudolph had been with, was to get rid of the offspring of an affair. He closed his eyes again, and put the runes together in his mind.

A chill washed over him immediately. His body felt coldness radiating from the floor. An inky blackness overwhelmed his magical vision, centered directly on the space he’d found. He dismissed the spell as quickly as he could. He slumped to the floor, managed to sit down, and gave himself several moments to recover his senses.

When he no longer felt cold or nervous, he took off his gloves. He crawled to the spot he’d detected and touched the floor around it. He found a hole large enough to stick a finger through. It was facing him. He moved so he could pull on the hole. Doing so brought up a square of boards joined together by a strip of wood opposite the hole. In the hole was a lump. He cast a light spell. It shone on a tiny, bloody body. He dismissed the light and put down the cover of the hole.

It’s true, then. Rudolph got the girl pregnant. He brought her here, forced her to give birth, and either the baby was stillborn, or he killed it.

Wouldn’t losing her child make her upset? Probably, but what could she do? Rudolph is the brother of the Lord of Centerport. He could promise her anything to keep her happy, and threaten her with anything to keep her quiet. Should I even ask her to tell me what happened, much less ask her to come forward?

Wait. Rudolph is the brother of Lord Randall. If he forced her to come here to get rid of their baby, or he killed it himself, that says he’s not a man to be trusted. He betrayed a trust, or he lied to get the woman in bed. If a man like that doesn’t turn dark, then it’s easy for someone else to turn him dark, or use his secrets against him. There are far too many terrible roads that lead away from this for me, a Defender, to ignore, or to say it’s too hard and not try to do something.

But what can I do? What should I do?

THREE

Miles thought he’d have a few days to figure out what he ought to do about his discovery. The next day, just before noon, one of Lord Randall’s friends came into the printing shop.

His Lordship is making the announcement as we speak, the man said to Master Steven. Master Rudolph, the brother of His Lordship, is to meet with Lady Jennifer, the daughter of the Lord of Southwood, here in Centerport in three weeks time. If all goes well, Master Rudolph will be engaged to Lady Jennifer.

Express my good wishes to His Lordship, Steven replied.

Certainly. His Lordship wishes to know long it would take for you to print broadsheets announcing any engagement, and how long you’d need to print formal invitations.

We can do broadsheets in a day or two. Invitations might take a few days, depending on how long they are, and how many we have to print. If His Lordship knows how many invitations he plans on sending out, and what he wants them to say, I can give him more exact numbers.

I’ll pass that along, Master Steven, and someone will return with what you need.

With that the man was gone. Steven told Miles and the others to take time for lunch, then come right back so the shop could finish the jobs it already had more quickly.

Miles used the free time to ponder what he had to do. It seemed clear that he had to report to Lord Randall, and that night. He had to know what his brother was suspected of doing. Master Steven and the others were certain to gossip about the visitor to the shop and his news about Rudolph. Until there was a formal announcement of an engagement, gossip was all that this was.

But the gossip would reach the ears of the woman he’d seen Rudolph with sooner or later. The question on Miles’ mind was what she might do once she found out. Would she feel betrayed? Abandoned? How would she react to such feelings? Would she come forward? Would she run away?

Those questions brought up to Miles the matter of how Rudolph would react to her reaction. Had he made promises to her? Did he intend to keep those promises? Had he made threats? If she reacted badly, would she be in danger from him? Would he be in danger from her?

There are too many ways all this could go wrong. Lord Randall doesn’t deserve to be surprised by whatever happens. He needs to know.

Miles returned to work. The rest of day crawled by, but at last it came to an end. He ate dinner as quickly as he could, then dressed and flew to the Lord’s Manor. He told the guard at the front door that he needed to speak to Lord Randall. The guard found another guard inside who escorted Miles up the stairs to Lord Randall’s bedroom. It was a large room, with a big bed with curtains, a large dresser, a desk and chair, and a rug and an animal skin on the floor.

Lord Randall hadn’t yet changed into his night clothes when Miles was allowed in. All the same, he appeared surprised to see him. Defender, what’s this?

I have to speak to you about your brother, My Lord, Miles answered.

Leave us, and speak to no one about this, Lord Randall said to the guard. The guard nodded and closed the door.

My Lord, is your brother’s room close by?

No. This is the master bedroom. Rudolph’s room is down the hall.

Good.

Why?

Two nights ago, My Lord, as I was patrolling Centerport, I saw your brother sneak out of the manor.

Out of his room?

No, My Lord. Out one of the ground floor rooms.

I see. Go on.

He took something of a odd route to get to a house, My Lord. He threw a small stone at a window. A woman came out the back door of the house.

A woman? Young or old?

That I couldn’t tell, My Lord. All I saw was her long hair, and a dress under her cloak.

What did Rudolph do?

The woman lives in one of the better neighborhoods in town, My Lord. Your brother took her to a poorer section, to an abandoned house.

Lord Randall swallowed. Which house?

The one that burned down later that night, My Lord.

But I’ve seen Rudolph! The guards said no bodies were found in the ruins!

Not where a body would be easily found, My Lord, but there was a body.

The woman?

No, My Lord. A baby.

Lord Randall gasped. A baby? Are you certain?

I found it with magic, My Lord. It was placed in a hole, covered by boards that could be pulled up. It’s the sort of hole that an outlaw might make to hide things.

Lord Randall looked away from Miles. He sat down on the bed for a moment, then leapt back up. Take me there!

Miles was about to nod when a thought burst into his head. No.

No?

No, My Lord. I found the corpse last night. I wasn’t seen because my armor is dark, I didn’t create much light, and I was quiet. If we both go there, we’ll be seen.

What of it?

Folk will wonder what we are doing. If we’re seen removing the baby’s corpse, folk will talk. If we don’t, they’ll poke around, find it, and talk.

Lord Randall opened his mouth, closed it, then sighed. Damn. Can you go back alone? Bring the body here in the morning and report?

I can’t disappear from my job for that long, My Lord. Besides, what could I say?

Tell everyone what you saw!

What did I see, My Lord? I saw your brother meet a woman in secret. I didn’t see if she was pregnant. I didn’t see or hear her give birth. I didn’t see or hear your brother do anything to any child she might have given birth to. I didn’t even see him start the fire that burned most of the house down. The law is very clear about what we Defenders can say before witnesses, or in court. We can only testify about what we see or hear, or what our magic can relate.

Folk can determine the truth.

What about the young woman, My Lord?

What about her?

It’s possible your brother had given her coins to lie if she’s forced into court, My Lord.

Oh, yes. Lie about them.

About them, My Lord, or about anything. That it wasn’t your brother that got her pregnant, but some other man. That it was you that got her pregnant.

I don’t know the woman.

That’s because I don’t know her. She might be someone in your circles, My Lord.

Yes. You did say she came from a house in a better part of town. Would you be able to find the house again?

Certainly, My Lord. When I followed her and your brother, it was to that abandoned house. I followed their path the next night, last night, because I was worried. I wasn’t certain if the house that burned was the one that I’d seen them go into. Whoever she was living with might not have worried about her, if she’d left a message, or was expected to be away. I followed their route from her house to the one that burned. I wanted to make certain she hadn’t been killed and no one was missing her.

Which is when you found the baby.

Not quite, My Lord. As it was the house where your brother and the woman went to, I wondered why anyone would set fire to it. It seemed to me that the only reason was to get rid of evidence. I used magic to find the covered hole, and another spell to find out what was in the hole.

That’s when you found it.

Yes, My Lord.

Do you think the woman would talk to you?

I can try, My Lord.

Please try, Defender. Lady Jennifer and her family will be here in three weeks. Unless their meeting goes rather badly, she and Rudolph will become engaged. If he’s made promises, or threats, I want to know before she comes here. I have to know what’s going on.

I’ll speak to her, My Lord.

Good. Ask her to come forward.

Miles shook his head. One step at a time, My Lord. I have to get her to talk to me first. Once that happens, I’ll see if she’d be willing to speak in public.

Why?

We need to know what Rudolph has said to her, My Lord. We need to know if he was just foolish and got in over his head, or if this a darker matter.

Darker? You mean Rudolph killed his child? Lord Randall frowned and shook his head. He’s not a pleasant young man, but he’s no murderer.

Miles took a moment to think of the best words to say to Lord Randall. Foolish men, and especially foolish young men, can get carried away with their foolishness, My Lord.

Lord Randall nodded. I suppose things can be said in the heat of the moment.

Indeed, My Lord. We must know the truth of this before your brother can be confronted.

Perhaps we don’t have to confront him in public. Perhaps this can be kept something of a secret after all.

We’ll see, My Lord, Miles said with the most reassuring smile he could manage. He bowed, then strode to the door. He opened the bedroom door.

Lord Randall told the guard to escort the Defender out. The guard led Miles down the stairs and to the front door. Before he went outside Miles turned to the guard. Make certain no one knows I’ve been here, unless ordered otherwise by His Lordship.

Yes, Defender.

Miles went out the door and took to the air. It took him a moment to recall the path Rudolph took. He followed the route to the house where he’d seen Rudolph meet with the woman. He flew around the house once to remember which window the young man had thrown a stone at. When he found the window he hovered just past it and tapped on the glass.

The window opened a moment later. Facing Miles was a pale young woman with dark hair. She shuddered at the sight of him. Are you the Defender? Her voice was high and unsteady.

That I am, Miles replied, keeping a calm and low tone. We need to talk.

The young woman glanced behind her, then outside. I don’t know.

Miles tapped the club attached to his belt. This will allow me to put you to sleep. We’re going to talk. You can choose to come with me, or I can carry you out.

Did Rudolph send you?

No.

Did His Lordship?

Let’s go.

Her lip shuddered for an instant, as if she was going to cry, then she nodded. Miles held out his free hand. She took it. He pulled her through the window, then clutched her close to him. He tapped his flying wand. They rose up and over the city. He steered to a field just past the town. He brought them down to the ground, and let her go.

What’s your name? he asked her.

Cynthia.

I take it your father is a man of means, yes?

She nodded. My father is Nelson, the owner of the Centerport Shipping Company.

Is that how you met Rudolph?

Yes. He was taken by me at one of the dances, or so he said.

In the moonlight Miles couldn’t tell if she was attractive or not. She had something of a round figure, but that was almost certainly due to her being pregnant, if the child he’d found was hers. Otherwise she looked like any daughter of a respectable man about town.

I take it Rudolph seduced you.

He did.

You became pregnant with his child, yes?

Yes.

Did he make any promises to you?

Promises?

To support you and the child?

She shook her head.

What did he ask of you?

He said I had to be rid of the child before I gave birth.

Why? Was it because of this arrangement his brother made?

I don’t know.

Miles raised his hands. No one is accusing you of anything. I want the truth. If I know what happened, I might be able to help you.

How can you help me?

I am the Defender, Cynthia. If what happened two nights ago is making you ill, I can heal you. If you feel hurt, or frightened, I can protect you.

Protect me? From Rudolph?

From anyone. Please, tell me the truth of the matter.

She nodded. Rudolph said I must get rid of the baby before my parents became suspicious. He said he knew how to do it, and he’d be the one to get rid of it.

Did you want to get rid of it?

I don’t know.

Why did you go along with his wishes?

He promised to make me a maid of his household once he was married.

Did he threaten you if you didn’t go along with him?

He said I’d be on my own. No one saw us together. If I tried to make a claim against him, it would be my word against his.

That’s all he said? He didn’t threaten your life, or your parents’ lives?

No.

Did any of his friends know about you and him?

I don’t think so.

Where did you meet in secret?

There’s a place, along the road up to Green River. It’s between the road and the river. He said it was our spot. A half-smile formed on her face.

How often did you meet there?

Once or twice a week. She glanced down for a long moment. Until I started to show.

I see. Did your parents know you were pregnant?

She shook her head. I was able to hide it from them. My younger sister suspected, I think, but Catherine is keeping it our secret.

Did you tell your sister that Rudolph was the father?

No.

Why didn’t you tell her?

Rudolph said what went between us had to be our secret. He was the son of the Lord of Centerport, and brother of the new Lord of Centerport. He said all the Lords and their sons and brothers had mistresses. We had to keep quiet to avoid scandal.

Did he kill the child?

She nodded.

Did he set the fire?

She nodded again. Am I in trouble, Defender?

No, Cynthia. You were taken advantage of.

I was?

Yes. I can tell you one thing for certain. Not every man in the nobility has a mistress.

They don’t?

No. Mistresses can get pregnant, and thus give birth to bastard children. Such children can demand an inheritance from their fathers, if they have proof of their parentage. That can go all the way up to contesting the succession of a title. It’s safer to remain with your wife. Failing that, you take precautions.

I was foolish.

You were lied to, by a young man who preyed on you, like a wolf stalking a deer. I wonder if he planned to keep any of the promises he made to you.

Not keep any of his promises?

Not a one. I’m surprised he didn’t let you die in that house with the baby.

He gave me a cloth to help with the bleeding, plus a potion.

Magic?

I don’t know. He said to drink it, and I wouldn’t die.

What did he do to keep you from screaming?

He gagged me. He said it was for the best.

For the best for him, I’d wager. Miles put his hands on his hips. Tell me, have you heard from him since then?

No. Should I have?

When did he say he was going to speak to you again?

He said I should write to him in two days. Tomorrow. Let him know how I was doing. If I needed another potion he’d give it to me.

An idea started to form in Miles’ mind. That might be a chance to get something to use against that bastard. Did you write to each other often?

At least twice a week. Why?

Did he write to you?

Yes.

Did you write to him?

Yes.

Good.

Good?

I’m going to give you a letter to write him.

A letter? You’re going to tell me what to write?

Yes.

When?

Tomorrow night. I’ll want you to copy what I write in your own hand. You’ll also need to add any personal touches that were in your letters to him.

What sort of touches?

Pet names for each other. Love symbols. Whatever you added to make the letters yours.

All right. What am I to write?

I’ll take some time tomorrow to think about it. I have an idea, but I want to get it just right. I’ll come to your room, like I did tonight, but I’ll try to be earlier. I’ll let you know what to write. I’ll want to see it before you send it the following morning.

Then what?

Then we’ll see what happens next.

Should I be scared?

Miles smiled. You’re under the protection of the Defender. I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.

She took a step towards him. Thank you.

Now, before I return you home, I’m going to have to ask you to lie down, and let me look under your nightgown.

Her eyes widened. Whatever for?

He started taking off his gloves. I’m not going to let you rely on potions from Rudolph, or simple bed rest, to heal what happened to you. I’m going to use my magic to properly heal you.

I don’t know.

Cynthia, whatever potion he gave you might not be enough. I hate to say this, but it might even do you more harm than good.

Harm? Like poison? Wouldn’t I already be dead?

At the Academy in Crown’s Hold, we learned of poisons that took days to take effect.

Oh.

Cynthia, I wish the Moon Spirit was here, or Mistress S’Lora. But they’re not. I am. I promised you I’d protect you. You have to trust me to do that. He patted the handle of his club. If you’d feel it would be more proper if you were asleep, I can stun you.

She sighed then shook her head. No. I suppose I must remain awake for this. I guess I have to be more awake from now on, yes?

We all make mistakes. We don’t stop making them as we grow older. We just shouldn’t keep making the same mistakes over and over.

FOUR

Miles waited behind a tree. The day was cool, and he was in the wilderness, so it wasn’t too warm for him to be in his armor in the middle of the day. It was still an unusual situation for him to be in.

The day after he’d found and spoken to Cynthia, he started pretending to be ill. Mainly he coughed every now and again. One of the others in the shop noticed, but Master Steven didn’t. That night he flew back to the house where Cynthia lived and gave her the letter he wanted her to write. The next day he coughed a bit more. Master Steven noticed but didn’t act too concerned. That night Cynthia told him that Rudolph had replied to her message, and was willing to meet at their spot in the day after the next. The following morning Miles put on a full coughing fit the instant he came into the printing shop.

Master Steven told him to go home. Take a day or two to get well. Then you’d best be well and back at work, or I’ll find someone to replace you.

So it was that, after breakfast but before dawn, he dressed in his mask and armor and flew to the edge of town. He waited close to the road for Cynthia to arrive. When she did, he walked with her to the spot. It was a place about half an hour past the town. The river road went over a rise while the Green River flowed several paces below. A clearing along the road opposite the river told him that this was a preferred spot for all sorts of folks.

Sit in the clearing and wait, he told her.

Where will you be?

Hidden behind the trees.

Is that as close as you can be?

He smiled to her. Magic spells are cast along a straight line that you can see. We call it ‘line of sight,’ much as skilled archers call such shots. I can direct a spell to protect you, so long as I can see you or him.

Oh.

You also don’t have to shout. He looked at the ground. He found an especially round and dark stone. He took off the glove on his right hand, concentrated on it for a moment, then traced runes on the stone. He put it down at her feet. That stone will hear what’s said. Don’t stand over it.

Yes.

Don’t look at it, either.

I won’t.

And don’t look back to the trees. Listen to what Rudolph says, and speak to him normally.

I will, I promise.

You’ll be fine. He patted her on the shoulders, gave her one more smile, then made it into the wilderness.

He was still watching her when he heard the sound of a horse approaching up the road. In the light of day, she turned out to be attractive to him. She had brown eyes, a small but sharp nose, and full lips. The time he’d seen her smile, her face seemed to come alive with brightness. He’d never heard her laugh, but her voice made him wonder how pleasant her laugh might be.

It took him a moment, but at last he stopped staring at her, and focused on Rudolph. While she was dressed in a common dress, he was wearing shiny riding boots, leather breeches, a bright red shirt, and a dark green cloak. The young man’s attire was certainly dashing and stylish, but it seemed to Miles almost as if Rudolph had dressed to impress a young lady he’d just met, not speak with the young woman who he knew intimately.

At least he’s not wearing a sword.

Miles was of average height for a man. Cynthia was also of average height. Rudolph, by contrast, was taller than average. He seemed to tower over the young woman once he was standing in front of her.

I received your message, my dear, Rudolph said. He voice sounded calm. What’s all this about being found out?

The Defender knows about us, Cynthia replied.

I didn’t tell the mage. I haven’t even met him yet.

He came to me a few nights ago.

What could he possibly know?

He told me he saw us, going to the house.

The house?

"That house."

And?

What about our child? What if he tells your brother what you did?

Rudolph glanced around. Is he here?

Your brother?

The Defender. Hey! Masked mage! Why don’t you prove to us what you know?

Rudolph, what are you doing?

Is he hiding in the trees? Rudolph pointed at Cynthia. Are you wearing something to let him hear what you say?

No.

Then how do I know you really spoke to the Defender?

Cynthia opened her mouth. She seemed confused to Miles for an moment, but then she frowned. My word has been good enough for you before.

Not any more.

No?

No. If you think throwing about the Defender’s name will scare me, it won’t. Unless the Lady Jennifer looks like a horse, I’m going to marry her. I no longer need you around.

What do you mean?

Rudolph let out a laugh. Oh, don’t fear. If you’re telling the truth, I won’t harm you. Of course, if you’re lying about having heard from the Defender, you’re placing yourself in great danger.

I’m not lying, Rudolph.

Then you have nothing to fear from me.

But you made a promise to me!

Did I? Do you have it in writing?

No.

Of course not. Were there any witnesses to me making you that promise?

You know there weren’t any.

Yes, I do. Rudolph grinned. Miles was tempted to cast a ball of fire at the young man for the grin alone. I appreciated you making a man of me, Cynthia. I’m sure whomever you marry will appreciate you having some experience in bedroom.

What?

This is where I must leave you. He pointed at her, and the grin disappeared. I won’t answer any more messages from you. I expect you to leave me alone. He started to turn away, then stopped and looked at her again. On second thought, I won’t be that severe.

She shook her head. You won’t?

No. I may have need of a mistress once I’m married, and my wife is with child. If you’re not married by then, I’ll contact you again. He bowed his head. Good day, and goodbye. He turned around, strode back to his horse, mounted it, and rode back towards the town.

Miles waited until the other man was out of sight and he could no longer hear his horse, before walking from his hiding spot to where Cynthia still stood. It wasn’t until he was next to her that she face him. Tears had welled up in her eyes.

Are you happy? she asked. She sounded both sad and angry.

He gripped her shoulders. Yes, I am. You did well.

But he’s abandoned me.

He bent down, picked up the stone, and tapped it. That’s not so bad, Cynthia. The young man is an ass.

He won’t even keep his promise.

He shook his head. "I doubt he was going to keep it even if I hadn’t stumbled upon your affair. Men like him take pleasure in lying to young women like you. They tell you what you want to hear so they can get you into bed. They make you promises they have no intention of keeping, because all they want is a few moments of physical pleasure.

We learned all about young nobles like Rudolph at the Academy. They take advantage of their looks, their status, their coins, perhaps all three, and do what they want with whomever they want. You’re not the first young woman treated so badly. In fact, one of the older Defenders married a young woman whose father behaved much as Rudolph did.

He did?

Yes. The Defender met her trying to protect her from an unknown assailant. It turned out that the assailant was related to a woman her father had abandoned. Perhaps someday I’d tell you the whole story.

If you wish. But what am I supposed to do now?

He looked at the stone for a moment. He said there were no witnesses to the promise he made you, and it wasn’t in writing.

What? Does that matter?

He looked at her. I think it does. It wasn’t in writing, and it wasn’t witnessed, but he didn’t deny making it, did he?

Surely that doesn’t matter.

Oh, but it does, Cynthia, it does. He promised you a position in his household. He held the stone in front of her face. This is the proof that he made the promise.

But he said no one knew about it.

No one did, until today. I heard him tell you that he made you that promise. This stone heard him.

So?

He tapped the stone again. He let it speak what it heard, until the conversation ended.

He made you a promise, Cynthia. He hinted at one, the one you told me he’d given you about a position in his household. He then made another.

Another?

Being his mistress once his wife became pregnant.

If you’re right about him, he wouldn’t keep that other promise.

No. That said, he is the brother of the Lord of Centerport. His word does carry a great deal of weight.

Against me?

He shook his head. No. What he promised you. The first promise, to get you into bed, or to make you give up your child. This stone is proof he made some sort of bargain with you. He then said he was refusing to honor his bargain. That suggests to me that you might have cause to sue him.

Sue him? For what?

Breach of promise.

I can’t do that!

Yes, you can.

"His Lordship would