The Four Swords

Chapter 37: Possible Connections

The majority of petitioners wanted to know what was being done to better protect the city from men like the unknown archer. The increase of guards at the city gate and more rigid training regiments did not satisfy the vulnerable mob.

As part of every speech, the king did make sure to mention that the injured parade guard had recovered nicely. It seemed to be the most comforting thing that King Caderyn could think of. From where I sat, it just seemed to remind people that getting an arrow in your shoulder with little warning was a strong possibility.

One petitioner from the north caught my attention. The man wore simple clothes with a deep green cap. He removed it, holding it in his hands to appeal to our sovereigns.

The customary greeting was said smoothly, but I barely heard any of it. I was too focused on the man's worried expression.

"I thank thee for listening to the petition of your humble servant. I own a saw mill to the north, west of the town of Lorcan. There is something happening that is affecting my business. It might seem odd, but I think it might merit the attention of the Throne." The weary miller pursed his lips. I think he didn't know where to start his tale.

Queen Valerie has a sharp mind and a knack for names. "Good countryman, there was a neighbor of yours who petitioned a few days ago. I believe his name was Bartlet. Might this be another account of his petitioning about a fire?"

The man looked taken aback. His slack jaw hung open for a moment. He gathered himself shaking his head. "I do not know the man, Your Majesty. If he has scorched property, we might have similar problems"

The man cleared his throat and continued. "I have a section of land that is highly forested. It has been in my family for generations. My ancestors planted many of the seeds. I know these trees well. When more lumber is needed, we cut down large trees and plant new ones."

All of this seemed pretty standard. I don't think the man came to tell the royal family how he does his job. He fiddled with the brim of his cap in his hand.

"Lately, there are parts of the trees that have been scorched. From the ground, there is no sign of fire. The canopy of the trees is always left untouched as well. It can generally be found on the first sturdy bough that is out of sight from the ground." The man waved off this thought as if it was too much sharing. He needed to get to his point.

"How does this affect your business, good countryman?" Queen Valerie tried to coax a reason for this petition out of him.

Glancing toward my future family, King Caderyn seemed lost in thought. Alina's face seemed pinched in thought. I turned to look at the man again.

"The wood in the charred section is unusable so must be removed,Your Majesty. I've dealt with that before with trees that have suffered from lightning strikes, however these trees are different. Once the char is removed there is a strange sap that spreads throughout the rest of the tree. It makes the wood brittle and crumbles upon touching it," The cap in the man's hand was crumpled into a ball.

"That is distressing. Maybe this is a new blight. Is there anything about this sap that might help others identify it?" The Queen was always thinking.

"Yes, my Queen. It has a vague glow about it," the man looked down at his hands for the first time during his petition. His hat was almost unrecognizable from how tiny it now appeared in his clenched hand. He released it and started trying to fix the misshapen headwear.

"Thank you, good countryman. We will investigate the matter," The Queen decreed. Her voice boomed with authority.

Alina caught my eye. She gave me a quizzical look. She spun her finger in the air, indicating she wanted to tell me something later. She repeated the motion to Cali. My curiosity made my mind run wild and I heard nothing of the other petitions.

I need to get better at focusing on others. If I were presiding over this petitioner's court, there would be absolutely nothing done. I would be asking people to repeat themselves far too often.

The petitions came to a close around supper time. My stomach growled loudly in protest of missing yet another midday meal. I guess I should start eating more whenever I have a chance.

Alina pulled me to the side of the room where we were met by Cali as the room started to empty. My shadows followed me. Alina let out a heavy sigh as hers started to make their way over to her.

My swarthy shadow heard her breathy display of discontentment. He stepped to the side. With a wink to me, he turned around as if to check the room for threats. He stood as a blockade between us and the overly enthusiastic guards, giving us only a moment of privacy. I smiled. I should get to know these men better.

"I think the petitions from the north have something to do with our archer," Alinas hushed tones were rapid fire.

"Fire and smoke go hand-in-hand. I had not thought about it until the petitioner said that the sap glowed. Think about the smoke where he disappeared," Alina finished the statement as her hulking lead guard finally reached us.

"Your Highness and Lady Calista, we are to escort you to dinner. Sir Jacobson is wanted in the council chambers," The man bellowed.

My stomach would have to wait to be satisfied. But maybe I'll have something to tell the council.

Alina might never know how brilliant she is. I had not thought about the smoke related to the archer since the attack. There was almost a glow to the smoke. She had not been present in the council meeting to know that it left behind scorch marks.

"Think about it Jack!" She said as she and Cali were swept away in a diamond formation of uniforms.

The two petitions and the attack could very well be connected. Maybe the Norads were closer to our doorstep than we thought

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