The Master of Fotheringale

The Master of Fotheringale

By

Kim Ravensmith

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2011 by Kim Ravensmith

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Chapter 1

In the far eastern mountains of Fotheringale, which served as a barrier between the fertile farmlands of Fotheringale proper and the Eastern Sea, a miner named Ferrus Bolt had just risen to meet the day and was beginning to prepare breakfast before descending into the mine he had excavated with his bare hands. As on most mornings, he was humming to himself and occasionally breaking into song. He loved to sing and found that it made his solitary life more tolerable. When he was a younger man, he had learned the joys of singing while working in the coal mines of the mountains to the south of his rustic cabin, where crews descending into the dank and lightless tunnels would sing together to steel their hearts as they marched down into the earth. Ferrus had lived that life for seven years before setting off to diggings in the northern part of the Eastern Range, where it was said that veins of gold awaited any miner who dared to venture into the wild forests there to dig his own shaft, picking his way through the hard-packed soil and stone.

Ferrus had been moderately successful on his venture, following the lead of an older miner who showed him where to dig his shaft after the younger man helped him extend the shaft he had been digging for twenty years or more. The old man’s shaft was nearly played out by that point, and though the old man had found enough ore to allow him to continue, the shaft was too deep and the air was stale, and it could not be worked for more than a few hours before the miner had to return to the surface. One day the old man did not return from the depths of the earth, and Ferrus went down into his shaft and found his body at the bottom. He covered the old man with some pieces of canvas and left him there in the mine he had spent the greater part of his life excavating, and returned to the surface, where he loosened some rocks at the top of a ridge, causing them to roll down toward the mine entrance, creating a landslide that sealed the entrance to the old man’s final resting place. Once the mine was sealed up, Ferrus stood in front of the rock pile and sang the man a final song, and then returned to his own diggings.

On this morning, as he dumped a mixture of beaten eggs, vegetables and pieces of meat into a frying pan where a piece of lard he added earlier had melted down to liquid, Ferrus kept an eye on the edge of the forest near his cabin, wondering if he would see the girl again. He had first sighted her two months ago as he was emerging from his shaft to have some lunch. She stepped from behind a tree for just a moment, and he spied her, and then she disappeared back into the forest. He saw her two more times after that, once when she was standing at the edge of the trees when he came up to the surface at the end of the workday, and once in the morning, when she seemed to pop out of the ground not more than 50 yards from where he was standing. Again, she had melted back into the trees before his eyes and he had wondered for a second if he had really seen her. He realized then that he had only seen her because she wanted him to see her, and now he waited again for her to appear.

As he stirred his breakfast, he began to sing an old song about a young woman who had been married off to a boy who was the son of a prosperous businessman only to lose him in battle.

‘The trees grow high and the leaves are green, and many a cold winter’s night I’ve seen,"

He stopped for a moment, thinking that he saw some movement in the forest, and then resumed.

‘And though my love is young he is a growing.’

This time he knew he saw movement amidst the trees and called out to her.

Come and share my breakfast with me, young traveler. he called out. I am a lonely miner and long for some company.

Receiving no response, he called out again.

Come now, nymph of the woods, he cried, I will do you no harm, and you will leave my company well fed.

He waited for a moment, and then she stepped out from behind a tree and watched him for a moment before approaching. She was wearing a mottled jacket, so colored that it matched the hues of the forest well, and as she neared him Ferrus could see that there was the number 13 on a patch on her shoulder. She had a sword hanging at her side and pants of a tartan or plaid material tucked down into her black boots. Her hair was brown and cropped close to her head, and as she drew nearer, Ferrus could see she had the face of an angel, even covered as it was with splotches of earth-toned paint of some kind.

She stopped ten feet or so from him and spoke.

I am no nymph of the woods. she said. She seemed to be eyeing him with suspicion and did not smile. Ferrus had no doubt that she was ready at any second to draw her sword and defend herself if necessary.

I can see that you are no spirit. he replied. I thought you might desire some sustenance now that you have wandered my way.

I was attracted by your singing. the girl said. It is pleasing to hear it as I make my way through the forest. At first, I didn’t know what it was, but as I listened further, I recognized some songs that are familiar to me. I’ve listened to you several times from my place of hiding in the woods. You have a very fine voice.

Thank you. Ferrus replied. It helps to pass the time. I live here by myself and spend my days alone in the mine.

Come, he continued, I’ve made some eggs with meat and vegetables and there is enough for two.

Ferrus crouched down and removed two dishes and some eating utensils that were wrapped up in a cloth, sitting on top of a stump next to the fire.

These dishes are clean. he said. I am the son of a miner and his wife, and my parents taught me how to be clean. I think it was because my father was always so dirty when he came home from work.

He spooned some of the omelet he had prepared onto one of the dishes and handed it to the girl along with a fork.

Thank you. the girl said, and she took a seat on one of the logs Ferrus had rolled up next to the cooking pit. He loaded a dish for himself and sat down on another log across from her.

She eyed him warily as she ate, but he continued to smile at her and to hum a tune.

This is quite tasty. she said once she had consumed half of what was on her plate.

I know my herbs. Ferrus said. I find all that I need in the forests around me.

Why do you live out here by yourself? the girl asked him.

I live here because it suits me. Ferrus replied. I was a coal miner for seven years and I came north to find my fortune. I’ve found enough gold to keep me happy. I might ask you the same question. Why are you wandering the woods out here all by yourself dressed the way that you are? I am curious to know why you have the number 13 on your shoulder.

I am a far scout of the 13th Army of Fotheringale. the girl replied. We are called ‘far scouts’ because we wander into the wild for great distances. Our job is to view what is happening in the countryside, often without being seen, and to report back what we observe.

The Army of Fotheringale? Ferrus said. I am glad to hear that we still have an army. Some of the older fellows I worked with when I was but a lad used to speak of the Thirty-Year War. I assume we have not had a war since then. News doesn’t always make it to this part of the country.

There has been no war since then but there have been several engagements. the girl said. Before they became part of the army, the Kellis Corps defended the country from barbarians at the Battle of the Western Pass. After that battle, cadets from the Kellis Academy explored the land of Farben, where the barbarians came from, and fought several times with the barbarian tribes there. Faren Kellis became the head of the Army of Fotheringale after that, and the Kellis Corps became part of the army. A few months later, the Sians invaded Galeia, and a battle took place in the streets. The Sians were defeated and units of the Corps sailed to the Sianlands and installed Won Do as Regent there.

You have added to my knowledge of our history. Ferrus said. I knew the Sians had invaded and that they were defeated, and I know who Faren Kellis is. Everyone knows that he is the leader of our country.

Faren Kellis is a great man. the girl said. He made us what we are.

There was a break in conversation as the two finished off their meals, and they were both content to sit quietly for a while and listen to the morning birds calling from the trees. Finally, the girl put her dish down and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

I must go now. she said I have a way to travel. Thank you for feeding me.

May I know your name? Ferrus asked. Mine is Ferrus.

My name is Delva. the girl replied. I am pleased to have met you.

You can return here anytime you wish. Ferrus said, rising as Delva was standing up. You can also stay her if you need shelter. I would appreciate the companionship, and you would be safe here.

Thank you. Delva said. I will remember that. Thank you for singing. It makes the world more pleasant.

Thank you. Ferrus said.

Delva smiled slightly and turned and walked toward the woods. She turned and gave Ferrus a little wave before entering the forest, and then she was gone, and there was no sign that she had ever been there. Ferrus stood and watched for a moment, and then he sighed deeply and realized that meeting the lovely creature had caused his heart to ache. To relieve himself of the feeling of emptiness, he again began to sing, first softly and then heartily as he stacked the dishes and recovered the utensils and carried them back to the cabin. In the forest, Delva heard him singing and smiled as she began to lope along the trail.

***

Far to the north of the mining area of East Fotheringale, another far scout of the Army of Fotheringale was laying in a thicket above an encampment of hunters. The hunting party had entered Fotheringale though a gap in the Mur mountains discovered by a servant searching for berries to serve at the table of Prince Voy of the Niks, who was leading the party. The servant had informed the prince of the path he found, and the prince, being a curious man, led his party through the gap, not knowing that he was entering the Sovereign Nation of Fotheringale. The party had set up their encampment and the next day they had gone into the woods with dogs to seek out game.

It was the dogs who had discovered the young man named Tellen, who was now lying in the thicket, along with his partner Wen, as they were resting in some woods before setting off to the south. They heard the dogs before they saw them, and took off at a run to escape them. Tellen realized that the dogs were closing in and managed to climb up into a pine tree, but Wen was not as quick and he was caught by the dogs, who set upon him. Close behind were the hunters, who pulled the dogs off and bound the young man, taking him back to the camp to show the prince.

Tellen and Wen were Wildhearts, soldiers belonging to a unit that was part of the 3rd Army of Fotheringale. The Wildhearts were originally a group of young men raised and trained by the Spirit Club, an exclusive men’s club in the Center City of Galeia. A year after the unit was formed, membership was opened to young men from any of the men’s clubs and the size of the unit expanded from five to more than twenty platoons of 25 soldiers each. By the time Tellen and Wen were sent out to explore the far northeast of the country, the ranks of the Wildhearts had surged to nearly sixty platoons, and they were assigned to every post throughout Fotheringale and the Land of Farben, which was administered from Fotheringale.

Tellen had lain motionless in the thicket for most of the night. Once Wen had been taken away, he watched from the tree for a long while, until he was certain that the hunters and their dogs were gone, and then he descended and followed their trail. When he reached a spot where he could observe the goings on in the camp below, he was horrified to see that the hunters had strung up Wen on a framework of branches cut from the nearby trees. As night fell, the men below started to drink, and as they became more inebriated, they began to torture Wen. Tellen had to lie silent and watch as they burned his comrade with hot embers from the fire, sometimes using a spoon filled with embers to deposit them in his shirt or pants pockets. The hunters laughed and gestured as Wen, who could not help but scream, was burned again and again. Several times his clothes were set afire, and the drunken men would slap him to put out the flames, not wanting their subject to pass out or die before they were finished with him.

Once they started slapping the young scout to put out the flames, they started to punch him, and each man in turn stood before him and punched him as hard as they could. Many were too drunk to land an effective punch, and instead they took up tree branches that were lying on the ground and hit him with those. Eventually, as the night wore on, the men became too drunk to stand, and that was the only reason they stopped their horrible abuse.

Now it was morning, and Tellen, who had observed the campsite all night, looking for an opportunity to free his wounded comrade, was wondering if his friend was still alive. He could see servants making their way around the tents, preparing food and delivering it to the men who had awakened, and he could see the prince sitting at a small table outside his tent sipping at some tea and sampling some cakes that were placed before him. Men from the party who had passed out on the ground the night before began to awaken, many holding their aching heads. Over the next hour all members of the party roused and ate the food presented to them, and finally the prince and several of his guests turned their attention to the young man they had strung up the night before.

Tellen could hear some of their conversation as they stood before the wretched scout, whom Tellen knew was still alive from the occasional groans he let out.

Did he ever tell you why he has a heart pieced by a sword on his breast pocket? the prince asked one of his guests.

He told us nothing. the man replied. We asked him why he was dressed all in black and he did not answer.

Perhaps, he will answer me. the prince said, and he approached the bound man and spoke to him.

Why do you have a heart pieced with a sword on your breast pocket? the prince asked. What does it mean?

The young man did not reply and did not open his eyes. His head was sagging over his left shoulder.

Is he alive? the prince asked another of the men.

He’s alive. the man replied. He groaned a moment ago.

Why won’t he answer my questions? the prince asked, speaking to himself more than to anyone standing there with him. He still carried a tea cup in his hand and sipped at it now and then.

Why are you dressed in black? the prince yelled at the young man.

The young man opened his eyes and looked down at the prince standing below him, and he mumbled something.

You see? the prince said. He will provide me with an answer. What did he say?

We couldn’t make it out, your highness. one of the men replied.

Just then the young men said something louder, and the prince still could not make out what he was saying.

What did he say? the prince asked again, and his men just shrugged and shook their heads.

Wen suddenly raised his head up, and Tellen could tell that it was taking all of his strength to do so. Then he spoke quite loudly and clearly.

The Master of Fotheringale will come for you. he said. Watch for him.

The prince was taken aback.

Who is he talking about? the prince asked those around him. Who is the Master of… what did he say?

The Master of Fotheringale will come for you. the young scout said a second time, and when he was finished speaking, his body went limp, and it was obvious to all that he had expired.

Who is the Master of Foth-er-in-gale? the prince said, and again his men shrugged their shoulders.

I suppose we won’t get anything more out of this one. the prince said, with a little laugh, and his men also laughed in a fawning manner. I have tired of this game anyway. We will break camp now and return to the north.

Hearing that declaration, the hunters began to scurry about the camp site, instructing the servants that they were to pack up and gathering their belongings together. The pack horses were brought forward and loaded up with tents and the other accoutrements needed to establish the camp. Then the mounts the hunters had rode in on were brought up, and the prince and his men mounted up, still laughing and jesting amongst themselves, and completely ignoring the now deceased young man lashed to the tree limbs. Without looking back at the result of their grim work, the party set off back down the path that had led them into Fotheringale, and were soon out of sight.

Tellen lay in his place of concealment for some time to make sure that the hunters did not return. After nearly an hour, he climbed out of the bushes and made his way down to where Wen was hanging. He used the short sword he wore on his waist to cut his friend down, gently supporting his weight as he lowered his body to the ground. All the while, he was whispering to his comrade, telling him that his troubles were now over and that he would live in a better world in the afterlife. He also made certain to express to his friend that his final proclamation would become reality.

"The Master of Fotheringale will come for the men who did this to you Tellen told his friend as he laid his body out on the ground. I will speak with him myself and make sure he hears your entreaty."

Tellen used tree limbs and his sword to carve out a depression in the ground below the framework Wen had been strapped to. He laid Wen’s body in it and covered him with as much soil as he could and then searched through the woods for rocks to pile over him so the beasts of the forest would not disturb his remains. It took most of the morning to find a sufficient number of rocks to cover the grave, but by noon the job was done, and Tellen knelt down next to the pile and held his hand out to touch it.

I will never forget you, my brother. he said. I will not rest until I stand before the Master and tell him what they did to you. Then I will ride with him as far as we need to ride to find those men and send them on their way into the next life. We will meet again.

Tellen stood up and looked down at the grave of his comrade one more time, and then he turned and headed off into the woods, toward the south.

Chapter 2

When Delva left the company of Ferrus Bolt, she began to run west on a path that would take her to a farm outside of the town of Vanlandam, where she would recover a pony she had left there, and then set out for her ultimate destination. She would reach the farm by mid-day if she ran at an even pace, and there she would have some lunch with the old man who cared for the horses before setting out again. The scouts of the 13th and the Wildhearts had arrangements with farmers throughout the country to tend to their horses when they needed to move on foot. Much of their time was spent on foot in the forests, but they could never cover the distances they sometimes needed to cover without travelling on horseback. Many of the farms had herds of horses or ponies that were available to the far scouts at all times, though most of the scouts had a particular horse or pony they preferred or one they had developed a relationship with.

The weather was cool and dry, and Delva enjoyed running along the trail through the woods. She loved the area that she was assigned to cover, because it included the farmlands outside of Vanlandam, the low mountains east of the town, and the forests all the way to the Eastern Sea. Much of her personal time was spent near the sea, which she loved the best, and she had made contacts in many of the fishing villages along the coastline. The fishermen there would bring in their catch and almost immediately load their wagons and set off down the road to Vanlandam, where they would sell their wares. More than once, Delva had ridden with one fisherman or another when they were delivering their wares rather than follow the forest paths alone to return to the town she was based out of.

On this day she emerged from the forest as the sun was reaching its highest point in the sky, and she slowed down to a walk as she crossed through a field that lay fallow. In the distance she could see the farmhouse and barn owned by a man named Docket. Mr. Docket, which was what everyone called him, was of an indeterminate age, but he was old enough to have served in the Thirty-Year War that had ended almost thirty-five years ago. As he had gotten older, he had planted less and less of his fields and now was only planting enough to provide fodder for the horses he kept for the scouts, and to provide himself with some vegetables in the fall. The money paid to him by the Army of Fotheringale was enough to sustain him and more, and he enjoyed the irregular visits by the young men and women who came to his farm to drop off or pick up their horses.

Mr. Docket! Delva called out as she neared the house. She did not want to startle him, and knew he was probably outside in the yard or in the barn. He was working in one of the stalls when he heard her call out, and he came to the door of the barn to see who it was.

Delva! he said when he saw her approaching. How are you this fine day?

I’ m just fine, Mr. Docket. she replied. I’ve come for my Pie.

That Pie is an ornery one, Docket said, but he seems to like you. Come, let’s have some lunch and then we’ll see about the Pie.

Docket led the way toward the house, and Delva fell in beside him.

Has anyone passed through since I was here last? Delva asked him. She had left the farm a week before to travel to the Eastern Shore on foot.

Not a soul. Docket said, holding the door open for her. I was half expecting Forbus or Milla to be back by now. Haven’t seen them for almost three weeks now.

They went to the North. Delva told him as she sat down at the kitchen table. I may see them this evening.

Well then, if you see them, let them know that all is well. Docket said.

Docket went to the cupboard and fetched a loaf of bread and some gooseberry preserves. He brought them over to the table and then went over to the counter where a pitcher of milk was standing, and poured some into two wooden cups and brought them back to the table. There was already a block of cheese on the table, which was set with two dishes and some utensils, and he unwrapped the cheese and broke off two pieces, placing one on Delva’s plate and one on his own. Docket was not expected to feed the young scouts who boarded their horses with him, but he did it anyway, knowing that his late wife would have chastised him for not feeding his visitors. Feeding the young people also gave him more time with them, and he enjoyed conversing with them and hearing the news from the places they travelled to.

I’ve been watching all the horses that are brought here very closely. Docket said as he sat down. I’ve seen no sign of the sickness.

The year before, a sickness had swept through the farmland to the west of Vanlandam, and there was great fear that it would spread to the local horses. The sickness did not affect the cows or sheep kept on the farms, but horses were particularly susceptible to it, and many had been lost. Delva had kept her Pie with her for a long period of time that year, hoping to spare him from the sickness if it moved east, but after several months she finally had to bring him to Docket’s farm so that she could proceed on foot up into one of the rougher areas of the mountains. The whole time she had been overwrought, and was much relieved when she finally returned and found that he was well.

I hope the sickness has run its course. Delva said. I’ve heard no talk of it since late last year. I think it died out before it reached us.

Perhaps you’re right about that. Docket said as he spread some gooseberry preserves on a piece of bread and handed it to Delva. Delva accepted it from him and began to munch on it, breaking off a chunk of cheese and eating that at the same time.

What the young scouts loved about Docket was that he treated them as if they were his children. Cutting a slice of bread and spooning some preserves onto it before handing it to Delva perfectly illustrated the treatment he provided to them. It was a gesture one would perform for a child, and Docket did such things without thinking. The scouts didn’t know that there was another reason he treated them in that manner. During the Thirty-year War, he had taken care of many wounded young soldiers and these who boarded their horses from him were no different in his eyes. He could not tell them that he saw on them the faces of the dead that he had seen in that war, faces he had carried with him all these long years since the war ended.

When she had her fill Delva waited patiently until Docket finished eating and cleaning up the plates.

Come now, he said when he was done, I’m sure you want to be on your way. Let’s go and find the Pie.

Docket led the way out the door with Delva close behind, and they walked around the barn to the paddock that was behind it, and there was the Pie with another, larger horse. When the Pie saw Delva he snorted and neighed and came trotting over to her.

Hello, my good boy. Delva said, kissing him on the snout. Have you missed me?

The Pie continued to snort and to rub her with his snout.

Like I said, Docket noted, He seems to like you, but he’s just as ornery as he can be when you’re not around. Let me get your saddle.

Docket opened the paddock gate and walked across it and into the barn. Delva followed him with the Pie close behind, and stood outside the door caressing the Pie, who moved up close to her, still bobbing his head up and down. Docket came out of the barn with a blanket and a saddle and the reins. He attached the bit and the reins and threw the blanket and saddle over the ponies back without any resistance from the Pie.

Now that was easy. Docket said when he finished strapping the saddle to the horses back. It wouldn’t be so easy if you weren’t here, Delva.

Delva grabbed the pommel and pulled herself up and adjusted her seating position until she was comfortable.

Thank you, Mr. Docket. she said.

You be careful out there. Docket said as he walked over and opened the gate for her. Come on back whenever you can.

I will, Mr. Docket. Delva said. Thanks, again.

Docket watched as she rode off, and when she turned around to look back, he gave her a wave and Delva responded. He watched until she was out of site and then went back to repairing one of the stalls inside the barn.

***

The place that Delva was headed to was referred to by the far scouts as ‘the Place of the Rocks’ due to the preponderance of large outcroppings that surrounded it. It was located on the western side of the eastern mountains and was an area dotted with pine trees where flowing waters emerged from the ground