I would have preferred to get it over with immediately so I could return home sooner, but I had expected this. “I am not very fond of public honors and accolades, is it really necessary to have such a display your majesty?”
“You possess a keen intellect along with your many other talents Mordecai, but questions such as that one serve to remind me that you were not raised among the nobility,” he replied. I started to answer but he held up a hand before continuing, “Public ceremonies and displays are as much a part of ruling as councils and private meetings. In some ways they are more important, for they cement a ruler’s place in the forefront of his subject’s minds. They also serve to reinforce the nobility’s memory of their own standing in relation to the king and to the one being honored. Never doubt the importance of such occasions.”
I found Edward’s lecture condescending and it re-ignited my anger of the previous day. “Was Arundel’s execution also a reminder?” I asked. My tone was even but my eyes held a dangerous light.
His face took on an amused expression, “One would think that you would be more pleased at the news. We were given to understand that there was no love lost between you and the late baron.”
I fixed him with a direct stare before I spoke, “I dislike seeing people used as pawns, to be played or discarded for matters of convenience.”
Edward’s countenance grew red and his brows drew together as he heard my words. “When you have seen as many winters as I have, buried as many friends and allies as I have, been betrayed and manipulated as I have, then you may judge me. When you have grown old and jaded from long years wielding power, then you may debate my relative worth on the scale of good and evil, until then you can keep your damned opinions to yourself!”
I couldn’t help but notice the king had dropped the royal ‘we’ during his tirade and somehow it made me feel as if I had won a small victory. My own anger dissipated somewhat allowing me to think more clearly. “You assume I will live to such an age your Majesty. Considering my position, there isn’t much chance of me reaching a ripe old age.” Our eyes locked as I spoke and I was certain he could see my resolve, as well as my honesty.
His own anger flickered out as he gazed at me, to be replaced by a sardonic expression. “Don’t count on it Mordecai, I once said the same thing, yet I am here still, long past my prime.”
I gave him a grim smile. “Should I be so lucky as to live long enough to judge you I doubt you will still be alive to hear my explanation of your faults,” I said.
“Arrogant bastard!” he exclaimed. “If you do live that long you will have become just as dark and jaded as I am, and wishing you could find my shade that you might apologize for your impertinence.” We glared at each other for a tense moment before we both began to chuckle. It was a dark laughter, born of anger and tension, but it defused the dangerous emotions that lay between us… at least temporarily.
Shortly after that I excused myself. I don’t think either of us really wanted to continue making small talk. Neither of us liked the other, but as long as we could manage a working relationship that was all that mattered.
Later that same day I took the opportunity to do some research in the library. I was hoping to find another book about illusions, or possibly some explanation for how someone could hide from my magesight. The memory of the stranger in Cameron Castle still bothered me. However such a thing was accomplished it should be something the wizards of old would have known about.
I spent a fruitless span of hours looking for the information I wanted before I stumbled across something unexpected. I was replacing books that I had taken down earlier to peruse, when I noticed something odd about the wall behind the bookshelf. The pattern of runes there was different.
Every stone that formed the house was enchanted, which meant that spotting something simply by virtue of the presence of a magical aura was useless. In this case however I could discern a very different pattern to the runes woven into these particular stones. There seemed to be five specific points within the pattern that were unconnected, but I wasn’t sure why.
I studied it for a long time before I decided to do something foolish. I knew Penny wouldn’t have approved, but since she wasn’t there to give advice I figured I’d have to do the best I could. And my best was telling me that the five points were meant to be connected by using the fingertips of my left hand. I really couldn’t be sure what would happen then. Surely it wouldn’t be anything bad… right?
I started laughing softly to myself. “It takes a special sort of fool sometimes,” I said to no one in particular. Then I reached out and carefully placed my fingertips on the appropriate spots. The pattern around the five touch points began to glow visibly, rather than just in my magesight, and I could feel a tingling in my palm. For a second nothing else happened and I discovered I was holding my breath, I let it out with an audible sigh. Then I removed my hand and stepped back.
The glowing faded quickly and I thought I must have done something wrong when I heard a click and the wall began moving silently aside, taking the bookcase with it. Seconds later I found myself staring into a small but brightly lit room, one that had been hidden within the library despite all my previous searches. “Well I’ll be damned,” I said to myself.
I stepped inside and the wall closed silently behind me. That worried me a little, but I hoped that getting out would be as easy as entering had been, otherwise I was in for some fun later.
The room I was standing in wasn’t large, being only around six foot by six on each side. It was brightly lit by enchanted lamps that weren’t too dissimilar to the ones I had created for my workshop at home, though I could tell at a glance that the patterns were slightly different from mine.
A long low bench was built against the far wall, and it held an assortment of small tools, hammers and chisels primarily, things that would be useful shaping small pieces of jewelry, or perhaps wood, if one was into carving. None were magical in the slightest, except for one small silver implement. I drew closer to examine it.
It was perhaps the size of a small quill pen, if most of the feather had been removed. At a guess it was about six or seven inches in length and less than a quarter inch in diameter. One end was blunt and the other end tapered gracefully to a fine point. The entire thing looked to be fashioned of pure silver, though it hadn’t tarnished in the slightest. It was also completely covered with tiny and intricate runes, from one end to the other.
At first I was completely mystified regarding its function, until I realized the pattern of runes was familiar, though they were much smaller than the ones I had seen before. They were nearly identical to the runes that formed the main shaft of my staff. The tiny silver implement was a rune channel, created to facilitate the focusing and fine control of power. Its size still puzzled me though.
My staff was large, and rightly so, I could use it to channel a blast of energy over much greater distances, or use it to focus my power into a razor sharp beam, for cutting through an enemy’s shields. Creating a rune channel this size made little sense. I picked it up and held it carefully in my hand, as I would a pen or brush. As I considered its function I moved it idly over the surface of the bench and channeled a tiny bit of power through it. It left beautifully graceful lines of energy across the wood, much finer and more delicate than any I had ever managed using my fingers alone; and as simply as that I understood its function.
It was a stylus of sorts. At least that was the only name I could think of to call it. Historically ancient man had used similar metal implements to incise letters on clay or wax tablets, back before paper had come into wide use. This was similar to that, except it was used to create magical runes, quickly, easily and more precisely than could be done using bare hands. Having seen it I could hardly believe I had never thought to make one for myself before now. It was such a plainly useful thing I felt like kicking myself for not having done so already. Think of the time I could have saved! I thought to myself.