Chapter Five
In which the young master brings an accomplice into the works…
Finally, Soryn was alone after his meal and nightly routine with Jori. A tingling sensation in his stomach caused him some considerable discomfort. He felt sure that having a girl as a friend would come with some rather undignified side effects. The Night Bells rang faintly outside his window from the village church. Lord Maslyn could almost see the ancient Father Kimbli padding his way down to the altar to make his prayers to the empty crucifix hanging on the wall. Though Soryn had not been to the church since he was a young boy, he still remembered it well. As he listened to the plaintive chimes, he wished—not for the first time—that he, too, could go to the church altar and pray. Soryn had never been overly religious, but with all of the changes in his life, some direction and guidance would not go amiss.
When Soryn was young, his father, the Maslyn, would take him and his brothers each week to the church services. Sometimes Father Kimbli would speak, and Soryn remembered how wise and kind the old man sounded. He was glad that the priest still visited him each week, even if Soryn did get bored every time. There was something extraordinary about the kindly old man, something vibrant beneath those aged eyes.
The Night Bells ended their homage to the dying day and Soryn went to the table to wait for Arna. He had no real idea of when she would be coming. Jori had only left about twenty minutes previous, so he knew a long wait might be in store. At first, Lord Maslyn drummed his fingers on the table. Then, he shifted in his chair for a while. After it had been almost an hour, he tired of sitting and went again to the desk. Though he had searched it thoroughly during the afternoon, he was still drawn to it like he was to Ulla and the books in his room and the study. Soryn bent down to look underneath the desktop drawers. Perhaps he would find something he had missed.
Though it was hard to see with only the red light from his lanterns, Soryn used his fingers and was able to discern markings on the wood above him. The carvings were fluid—almost like a water pattern. They were very difficult to make out, but he traced them and thought he made out a swirled image.
“Want some help?”
Soryn was so startled by Arna’s voice that he sprang up, instantly smacking his head on the underside of the desk drawers.
“Aggh!” Soryn yelped.
“Sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you!” Arna exclaimed.
Soryn nodded while he plastered his left hand over a scratch just above his hairline. Arna extended her hand and helped him up from the floor. When Soryn brought his hand away, he saw a dark swath of blood.
“Ouch.”
“Here, sit down and let me take a look. Let’s make sure it isn’t deep.” Arna shuffled him to a chair and began to examine his head.
Soryn had not even heard her come into the room. He wondered what sort of training serving girls underwent to be so graceful…and stealthy.
I told you she might be useful. If she can move that quietly, she may be able to help you get out of the tower, Ulla suggested.
Soryn was surprised that Ulla had spoken after nearly a day of silence.
I was busy today, Ulla said in response to the boy’s thought.
Lord Maslyn refused to comment on Ulla’s words. Instead, he spoke to Arna, “I didn’t even hear you come up.”
“Ah, sorry about that. I have always been quiet,” she replied.
“Really?”
“I guess I take after my mother. Before she married my father, she was a maid for Governor Frey and they had the best training in treading lightly through a household. I suppose I just picked it up from watching her.”
He felt her small fingers pick through his hair and rub his scalp. When she came across the spot Soryn had wacked on the desk, he winced.
“Be still. I think you’re alright. You might want to have Jori bring up some ointment tomorrow. I’d get some for you, but serving girls aren’t allowed in the medicine cabinet.” She removed her hands from his head and sat down at the table.
Soryn realized once she sat down that he had not honestly looked at her until this moment. He hardly recognized her. Instead of her uniform, she had on a simple wool skirt and a tunic tied with a burgundy belt around the waist. Instead of her cap, he saw her hair for the first time. In the dim light, he guessed the color to be ashy blonde. It was cut short about her face and was somewhat boyish, but he thought it suited her. He blushed again.
“I hope you don’t mind my casual dress. I just get so bored wearing the same old thing every day. I do apologize about not wearing my cap. I hate it and refuse to wear it after I have finished work for the day. It makes my head itch.”
“Oh, no, it’s fine. I mean, uh, I think you look very natural this way,” he stammered.
“Well, thank you.”
They sat in silence for a few moments. Arna did not seem uncomfortable in any way. She smiled and looked about the room. Soryn noticed her prettiness and the relaxed way in which she carried herself. This satisfied him for some reason. Since he hoped they would be friends, it was important that she felt comfortable around him.
“So, what were you looking for under the desk?” Arna asked pointedly.
Soryn did not know what to say or how to start the conversation about his adventures.
“Go on,” she prompted.
“I thought I saw some markings under there. Something like a swirl pattern.”
“A swirl pattern? That’s not so unusual. Lots of furniture in the house has swirl patterns. It’s a popular motif for carvings in our country.”
“Really? I just don’t remember much about the rest of the furniture in the castle, I suppose.”
His response triggered some emotion that registered on Arna’s face.
“What is it?”
“I just wish you didn’t have to be up here,” she sighed.
“Do you know why they keep me here?” Soryn asked, instantly forgetting what he had intended to talk about with her.
Arna looked away, seemingly pained by his question.
“Please, Arna, if you know, tell me. I can’t remember much about the night of the fire.”
“You really don’t remember what happened?” She was shocked by his admission.
“I remember fire, screams, and my mother sheltering me. And then…nothing. Everything went black and I woke up here with Father Kimbli staring over me with the saddest eyes.”
Arna seemed uncomfortable and looked around as if someone was watching. Soryn grew pensive and images from that terrible night flooded his mind.
Unpleasant memories won’t help you with escaping from here. Forget those things and talk with her about more important matters. In time, I’m sure you’ll find out more about that night, Ulla scolded him.
For once, Soryn was relieved to hear Ulla’s intrusive dialogue.
“Anyway, that’s not really what I asked you here for,” Soryn brought up.
Arna exhaled, apparently relieved at the subject change.
“Arna, I don’t really know how to say all of this, but I suppose I’ll just get to it. I found a secret door in my fireplace over there. That’s why I asked you for the candles and flint box. That’s why you saw the black clothing on the floor when you came for the laundry earlier. I’ve explored where the door leads and I want to show you what I found.”
He looked into her grey-blue eyes for some reaction. What he saw filled him with hope.
“You found a secret passage, didn’t you? What did you see!? Did you find a way out of your tower?”
Soryn laughed a little at her obvious interest.
I thought you might find her a valuable friend in all of this. See how interested she is? Ulla couldn’t help but appreciate Arna’s zeal. He was growing deeply interested in her.
“Well, there’s a staircase in the fireplace that goes down quite a ways. That’s why I was interested in the carvings on the desk—they seem to be the same as the sorts I found on the stairs in the passage. A
lthough, I think you’ll be far more interested with what’s actually down there.”
“What’s down there?” she asked, intrigued.
“In all honesty, it would be far easier to show you than to tell you about it. Do you want to see?”
“Of course!”
She hopped up and elegantly pushed her chair in before heading to the hearth. While Soryn retrieved his flint box and candle stand, Arna peered around the inside of the fireplace at all of the bricks and iron fixings. When Soryn reached the hearth with his candle accoutrements, she had the glowing aura of adventure about her.
“Bialas, this is an amazing find. I had always suspected there were secrets in this castle, but everyone laughed me off like a silly child. I knew they were wrong. Thank you for including me.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, feeling that he was truly the thankful one.
He believed, somehow, that he and Arna would be spending a lot of time together from now on. He could tell from her exuberant interest in the passageway. He just hoped she would be as interested after she met Ulla. The pig was unusual to say the least.
Lord Maslyn bent down and lit his candle—quickly this time—and activated the secret door handle, swinging it open. He stepped in first so he could offer his hand if she needed it. Arna accepted his help down to the steps. Reaching past her, he closed the door. The candle created a warm, comforting bubble of light around them and her pretty face gleamed with excitement. She looked all around at the purplish walls and at the stone steps below their feet.
“What a wondrous place,” she commented.
Oh I like her, Ulla said to Soryn.
The boy could not tell if the pig was joking. Soryn merely smiled and guided her down the stairs. When he saw the glow from the miniature sun, he stopped and blew out his candle. Arna gasped, alarmed. Soryn pointed down towards the bottom of the staircase and she saw the amber light spilling into the passage.
“Feel that?” Soryn asked her.
Arna stood very still.
“It’s warm here,” she observed, astonished.
“Yes.”
At this juncture, Arna seemed a little uneasy, so Soryn took a huge gamble and reached for her hand. His stomach fluttered when she squeezed his in return. They continued towards the light and turned into the small alcove that led up to Ulla’s study. Soryn looked at her to make sure she still wanted to go. Arna nodded. Their hands remained clasped as they walked up the few steps into the room. Arna gasped when she saw the cluttered room and the mysterious, floating orb on the table. She let go of Soryn’s hand and explored the space. Her fingers gently brushed some of the piles of papers and instruments on the center table.
“What is this place?” she asked.
“I don’t really know,” Soryn admitted. “I suppose it’s a study of some sort, or it used to be.”
What an informed guess, Soryn. I’m impressed.
Soryn could practically see Ulla’s rolling eyes accompanying that statement.
“It certainly seems as though no one’s been here in a long time.” Arna’s remark seemed to drift from her lips halfheartedly.
Soryn saw her staring, fascinated by the miniature sun in the corner of the room. He watched her carefully, knowing that she might try to touch it as he had the first time he visited the study. Slowly, she edged towards it.
Keep an eye on her, little Maslyn. We don’t want her to lose all of those pretty fingers.
He knew Ulla’s words were the truth and when Arna raised her right hand, Soryn warned, “You probably want to follow the ‘look but don’t touch’ rule in the case of that thing. Trust me.”
As if in a trance, Arna moved her hand away and looked at the floor. It seemed to Lord Maslyn that she was deep in thought.
“Is everything alright, Arna?”
“Yes, I’m alright. It’s just such a fascinating little thing.” She continued to gaze at it with bemused eyes.
Better go ahead and prepare her for meeting me. I can’t exactly let her leave without seeing me. It would be a terrible injustice to her. I am quite dashing, after all.
This time, Soryn rolled his eyes and went to Arna. He gently nudged her and jerked his head in the direction of Ulla’s perch on the top shelf. She glanced up.
“See anything interesting up there?” Soryn asked.
Arna could see a spot on the top shelf that did not seem to fit. It was very dark there and she saw a statue of a pig, but the area around the pig was most interesting.
“Why would someone have a statue of a pig down here?” She was puzzled.
I’m not a statue, my dear.
Soryn saw her eyes go wide and she backed away from the direction of the shelf. Arna looked at Lord Maslyn in apparent horror.
“D-Did you hear that, Bialas!?” she sputtered.
“Yes. Just stay calm. He’s what I wanted you to see down here. Well, him and the sun.”
Soryn is rather besotted with that old thing over there. I think I’m far more interesting, personally.
It was clear that Arna had heard Ulla speak again. Soryn could tell from the terrified look on her face.
“Who are you?” she whispered in Ulla’s direction.
My name is Ulla and I have lived in this study for a long time. Who are you?
She gasped, her eyes almost as round as saucers.
“Don’t let him fool you, Arna, he knows very well who you are and he can read your mind, too.”
“What!?” she shouted.
Oh, don’t be so put out. As I explained it to Soryn, it would be as unnatural for me to avoid reading minds as it would be unnatural for you to dispense with breathing and sleeping and so on. I have very little to do down here and a gift like this certainly makes life a little less monotonous.
She stared at Ulla. At this point, he had not yet melted from his rigid stance on the top shelf. Soryn wished that he would just hop down so she could see that he was alive and harmless.
“Ulla, come on down. You’re scaring her to death,” Soryn demanded.
Oh, you’re no fun, little Maslyn.
The pig’s body unfroze from its statuesque state and Arna watched in amazement as Ulla hopped down from the shelf to the table, then neatly to the floor. She had never seen such a small pig before, much less one colored jet black. She knew most animals talked of course, but she had never met the kind that could read minds or had such apparent interest in humans. Most animals kept to themselves, preferring not to converse with humankind.
Yes, it is true most animals keep to themselves, but you can see that I am quite different from most of the livestock around here. An altogether different animal.
“How can you read our minds, Ulla?” Arna asked, boldly standing free from Soryn.
Ulla liked how the girl challenged him and how she stood so defiantly strong—obviously an empty posture. She was frightened of him.
As I said, it comes naturally to me. When you have a thought, I know it.
“Then can you hear everyone in the castle? If you could, wouldn’t that get rather frustrating?” she countered.
You misunderstand. I cannot read everyone’s minds. I can only read those minds that are within a certain radius; those who are in close proximity to me. In Soryn’s case, I can hear him and anyone else who walks into that tower, because they are within my telepathic radius.
That seemed to satisfy Arna, though she still looked incredulous. “How big is your radius?” she wanted to know.
Oh, I am not sure. Obviously not farther than Soryn’s tower. As you can imagine, the extent of my acquaintance with Soryn’s mind is only because no one has spent much time with him up there. When you started talking with him, it made for something very interesting to listen to down here.
“So you’ve been spying on us, haven’t you?” Arna quipped.
Now, now, Arna, I am hurt that you think me a spy. Who would a pig like me be reporting to if I’m a spy? I assure you that my atte
ntions are innocuous. I am merely a curious creature at heart.
This conversation agitated Soryn a bit, so he decided to inform Arna about the link between the books in his room and the contents of Ulla’s study.
“Arna, other than the pig, my room upstairs and this study share an interesting link.”
“What sort of link?” Arna turned away from Ulla, much to the pig’s chagrin.
“The books on the bottom shelf of my room and the books in here are all about the Seidh. Have you heard much about anyone in the castle who might practice magic?”
“Books about magic? Here? In this castle?” Arna’s doubt was clear in her response.
“Well, yes. Don’t the servants talk about magic or the Seidh or whatever one should call it?” Soryn was surprised by her reactions.
“Bialas…you really don’t remember much about what happened that night, do you?” She looked at him with a sad, melancholy expression.
“I told you what I remembered and I’m sure Ulla knows by proxy.”
Indeed I do know what you remember. I also know what happened in actuality.
“You do?” Arna and Soryn asked together.
Mmm. I was there, you see. It was quite a spectacle.
“You call the death of my whole family a spectacle?” Soryn whispered.
No, not that. Death is tragic, of course, and worth getting upset over. I just meant that there was a most extraordinary use of magic that occurred that night.
Soryn was not sure that Ulla found death tragic at all. Anger building, Soryn shouted, “Tell me, Ulla!”
Soryn, my boy, you have far more pressing matters at hand. I know you want to discover the truth about what happened the night your family died, but you will not be able to wrap that hotheaded brain of yours around the facts unless you know more about the Seidh. As much as you think they might help you in learning about magic, these books are mostly useless to you.
“What do you suggest, then, if you’re so smart?” Arna tilted her head and raised an eyebrow at the black-eyed creature.
Soryn nodded in agreement.
Well, it’s obvious that you must escape the tower.
“He’d never make it out by sneaking through the castle. Someone would most certainly see him,” Arna scowled.
Did I say anything about methods, yet? Give me time, give me time.
Arna rolled her eyes and looked over at the sun on the desk. It seemed to momentarily calm her nerves.
“Go on, Ulla.” Soryn grew impatient.
Thank you. As I was saying, these books will not truly help you. They are for those who already know the depth of the Seidh and are looking for some development in their craft. Aside from that beginner’s book, you need someone able to show you the power of the Seidh, if you are to learn anything.
“What if I can’t learn?” Soryn huffed. “What good would it do me anyway?”
Soryn, how many times have I heard your impotent thoughts upstairs drifting towards desires to alter the world around you? I’ve heard your thoughts as you peer over those books up there. I know you would like to know more—
“Why do you want to help me?” Soryn interjected.
Arna thought this a very good question. She did not trust Ulla.
Arna, Soryn, I guarantee you that I am trustworthy. The fact that I know you do not trust me makes me want to prove even more that you can. I want to help you. Soryn, I have seen you suffering in that tower. I know your loneliness. I share in this loneliness myself. Not many people make it down to my study, you see. In fact, Soryn was the first in eons. I want to help, because I have a vested interest in your future, Soryn. I want to see what you will do when you are out of that stone prison.
“Why? How is my future interesting to you?”
Oh, that is unimportant. What is important is that you need to get out of this tower in a secret fashion that would allow you to return each day unnoticed. Then, no one will suspect you are leaving.
“Why not let him escape once and for all? Why should he come back once he’s gone?” Arna asked, miffed at the pig’s suggestion.
Because. This will take time and Soryn needs a stable, structured environment to return to in order to keep his wits about him. As well, has Jori or Father Kimbli ever treated you with anything but kindness? How would the manservant and the priest feel if you left them like that? They have been your only family after the incident. It would be rather cold to leave them all at once, don’t you think?
Soryn had to admit that Ulla’s words made sense. “You mentioned that we would need someone to show us things about the Seidh. Do you know someone who could help us, assuming, I could in fact get out of the tower?”
I hear of an old snow woman out in the forest behind the castle. Fanndis is her name. My friends tell me that she is one of the most respected practitioners of magic in these parts. She won’t let just anyone into her inner circle. You may need to bargain with her.
“What could I have that she wants?”
Not important right now. You can cross that bridge when you come to it. What you do need to worry about at the moment, is escaping.
“Well, if he can’t sneak through the castle and he can’t climb out the window, what do you suggest, Oh Wisest Swine?”
I do not appreciate your rudeness, little girl.
“And I don’t appreciate your tactics. Come clean and tell us how to get out, since you obviously know.” Arna’s distaste for the pig grew with every minute.
Soryn, have you ever thought if one side of the fireplace has a secret door that the other side might as well?
It was as though a white light struck Soryn’s mind and he felt exceedingly foolish. All that time he spent checking his room he should have spent inspecting that fireplace from top to bottom. He wanted to get up there immediately.
Without so much as a “goodbye” to the black pig, Soryn grabbed Arna’s hand and said, “Let’s go!”
Up the stairs they went. Soryn took them two at a time in the dark. Arna was too preoccupied with the thought that they would to die a horrible death from falling down the stone steps to protest Soryn’s abrupt exit. After they had lost sight of the sun’s glow, Soryn slowed down and stretched out his left hand (his right was holding Arna’s) and felt for the door. It was still some time before he came to it.
He opened the latch and let Arna go through first.
Lord Maslyn’s room was quiet. Everything looked the same as when they left earlier. Arna quickly skirted to the other side of the fireplace so Soryn would have room to come out of the passage. When he did, he silently closed the false door and knelt in front of the right-side fireplace panel. Arna made sure he had enough room to access the area by moving onto the hearth. The red lanterns made it difficult for them to see what was right in front of them, but Soryn kept feeling around with his hands looking for a hidden latch.
“I don’t feel anything yet,” he muttered, disappointed.
“It’s strange that it isn’t symmetrical with the other side. I wonder if maybe it’s a hidden brick or something this time around,” Arna offered.
“Maybe.”
Soryn felt into cracks between bricks to see if he could feel any that were loose. No areas of interest surfaced. Arna realized they had left their candle stand below and mentioned that she could go back for it, but Soryn shook his head. He wanted her close, in case he found it in the next few moments.
Arna felt jittery waiting for Soryn and decided to examine the center panel of the fireplace while he focused on the right. She heard his frustrated scowls while her deft fingers roamed over the back panel behind the log stands. There was a smudged spot that did not quite match the others. She reached towards it and as soon as she touched the smudge, the brick slid further into the wall. They both gasped in astonishment when the right panel of the fireplace swung open to reveal another staircase. Excitement splayed on both of their faces when they looked at one another. But Soryn’s expression grew wor
ried when a thought occurred to him,
“What time is it, Arna?”
“Perhaps six hours or so from Morning Bells.”
“If we did discover a way out, we would want to check into it. We wouldn’t get much sleep. I wouldn’t want you to appear too sleepy tomorrow. I don’t want you to get into trouble.” As much as Soryn wanted to go immediately, he stifled a yawn and knew he was too sleepy.
“Why don’t we go tomorrow night? We can go get some sleep and then meet again. Same time?” Arna was tired as well.
“Sounds good. Be careful going to your room.” Lord Maslyn had no idea where she lived in the castle.
“I’ll be alright. This was a very interesting night, Bialas. Thank you, again, for bringing me along.” She leaned down and patted his shoulder, then put the hand to her mouth to cover a yawn.
Watching her leave made Soryn melancholy. He had enjoyed her company far more than he had anticipated. It was intoxicating. Already, he was dying to see her again the next night. His curiosity about the second passage was somewhat dulled by his extraordinary sleepiness. Crawling to the four-poster, he threw all of his clothes at the foot of the bed and kicked them underneath the frame before donning his nightshirt.
Once the covers were securely over his head, he thought about Arna and her pretty hair and eyes and skin and clothes. With the chill in the air it was easy for him to tell he was blushing.
Don’t get distracted now, Soryn. You have an important iron in the fire already. Besides, you’re far too young to think of entangling yourself with some female.
“She’s just a friend, Ulla,” the noble whispered dreamily.
Within seconds Soryn was asleep and Ulla chuckled to himself before propping up against the wall at the top shelf. Satisfaction curled behind his pig lips and he closed his eyes. The next steps in his plan formed in his mind. His attention was broken when his two feline underlings caught his mind’s eye. They were within his telepathic radius, but still outside the castle walls. Ulla focused on their thoughts. Geri was thinking about a fish she was hoping to catch for breakfast later. Freki was imagining a long nap by the fire in the woodshed. Ulla smirked at their petty preoccupations. Though he was not sleepy, he was far too tired to be bothered with his informants at present. If they wanted to talk, he had already chosen not to listen and would pretend to be asleep instead. With that decision made, he became very still, like a stone, and all the while kept his mind engaged in thought.