In The Shadow of the Red Castle

Chapter One Smoke and Mirrors

It was a Corporal on Patrol that spotted the smoke first as it rose above the twisted and gnarled trees of the Tulgey Wood. The smoke was light in color, indicative of a small fire burning, and came from the direction of the long abandoned castle, Salazen Grum. No Underlander had set foot, paw, or flipper into the Castle since the Exile of Iracebeth fifteen years ago, and the castle had fallen into disrepair and decay. But now, smoke was rising from nearby, and the Corporal felt a sense of unease stirring in him. The Red Castle had always been a morbid place, even before the bloody specter of Iracebeth tainted it, and the blood red shadows cast by the setting sun lent an eerie and unearthly aura.

The Corporal was brought out of his reverie by a firm hand descending on his shoulder. He gave a little yelp of fright, and turned to stare into the eye of his Captain, Ilosovic Stayne. Stayne stared at him, slightly startled, and then spoke in a calming voice.

"Corporal, you're more nervous than Mctwisp. What's wrong?"

The Corporal had recovered from his initial fright, and spoke quietly. "Begging yore pardon, Captain, but I think I see smoke coming from Salazen Grum."

Stayne looked in the direction the Corporal indicated, and gaped. Smoke was indeed rising from the direction of the Red Castle. He bit his lip, and came to a decision. "Patrol, saddle up. We're heading to Salazen Grum."

There was a chorus of "Why's", and Stayne smiled grimly. "Because I need to see where the smoke is coming from. If it's a fire, then we'll have to try and make sure it doesn't endanger a wide area. It hasn't rained in three days, and the Tulgey Wood is a giant tinderbox. I've seen the damage fire can do. So, quit complaining and saddle up. It should only take us about an hour to arrive at the Castle."

When they arrived at the Castle, Stayne felt even more confused. The smoke was rising from the parapets, and the Castle gates were flung open wide. He dismounted, giving the silent order to his men to remain behind, then took a deep breath and walked up to the door, banging with his sword hilt, feeling like a fool. So no one was more surprised than him when the door swung open, revealing a tall, elegantly dressed man.

Stayne staggered back in shock and surprise and gawped at the man before him. He was tall, with slicked back brown-blond hair and an open, pleasant countenance. He had on a long cloak that hid his chest and arms, and trousers of the deepest green. He smiled at Stayne, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth. "Well, a visitor. I haven't had one of those for some time now. Welcome." His voice was oddly muffled.

Stayne tried to gather his thoughts, and finally he succeeded. "Who the blazes are you?"

The man laughed pleasantly. "Forgive me, I neglected to introduce myself. Lord Stephan Lumley, late of the King of Diamond's Court at Loch Bui. And from your stature and your patch, might I assume that I am addressing Ilosovic Stayne, former Knave of Hearts to the late Red Queen?"

Stayne nodded, still wary. "That's me. Tell me, My Lord, why are you here?"

Lumley grinned wider, and Stayne felt a distinct sense of unease. "Why, I live here, of course."

Stayne gawped at him, and managed one word. "Why?"

Lumley chuckled. "Well, I got tired of the staid and boring life at Court, and wanted a castle of my own. This place was unoccupied, and I knew that the owner had long since died, so I have made it my home. Would you care to see the repairs I've made?"

Stayne shook his head. "No, some other time. I need to be getting back home or my wife will send Chessur after me. But thank you for the invitation."

Lumley looked at Stayne avidly. "You are married?" At Stayne's nod, he beamed widely. "Then I invite you and your wife to dine with me on Friday. You may bring guests…tell me, do you know Tarrant Hightopp?"

"Yes, quite well. Why?"

Lumley tried not to look too excited. "Well, I think he would like to see the changes I've made to the castle. If possible, invite him to come along as well."

Stayne nodded. "I shall. Lord Lumley, it was nice meeting you. Until we meet again."

Lumley shook Stayne's proffered hand. "Likewise, Stayne."

Three days later, a carriage pulled up in front of Salazen Grum, and four people stepped out, gazing in a mixture of fear, nostalgia, and revulsion at the red stones of Salazen Grum. Tarrant was the first to speak, and his brogue colored his words. "I don' like this, not one bit. We don't know anything about this Laird, ye ken? How do we know what his intentions are? An' why is he livin' in this wreck of a castle when he could live at Marmoreal? I'm telling ye, something's not right. Why invite the four of us, and not Mirana?"

Stayne, Alice, and Alannah exchanged glances, silently agreeing with each other-Tarrant was right. It was rather odd, even in this odd land. But before they could turn around and climb back into the carriage, Alannah spotted Lord Lumley walking up the path towards them, a huge smile on his handsome features. He pumped Stayne's hand enthusiastically, speaking in a joyous tone. "Thank you so much for coming, Sir. I'm so pleased to see you, so pleased." He released Stayne and turned his gaze to Alannah, and she felt a shock of pure terror race through her. She mentally shook herself, and allowed Lumley to shake her hand.

"This must be your wife, Sir Stayne. I must say, I have never seen a more exquisite beauty in all my life. And her name must be as lovely as she is. Might I be so bold as to inquire…?"

"Alannah." Stayne spoke curtly, slightly peeved at the attention Lumley was paying to Alannah. "Her name is Alannah. Would you care to meet the others?"

Lumley turned away from Alannah, who cast Stayne a grateful look. Stayne grinned back and mouthed 'You're welcome.'

Tarrant's greeting towards Lumley was cool but polite, and Alice found herself feeling nervous when he held her hand for just a fraction too long. "My Lord, it is nice to meet you, but could you please release my hand?"

"Of course, my dear. Come, we will have drinks before dinner."

Lumley led them into the castle, and Stayne gawped. The whole place gave off an air of decayed elegance. Rotted tapestries hung from the walls, and layers of dust were everywhere. The air was thick with the smell of mold, age, and rot and Stayne felt an alarm in his head. "Lord Lumley, you said earlier that you had made repairs. Why didn't you start with the Main Hall?"

"Because that will take a long while, as it was in worse shape. I like to start small and work my way up. But here are our drinks."

He smiled at the servant, a small man with a mousy face. The man held a tray on which rested five golden goblets. Lumley smiled. "Thank you, Trevor. Please, friends, take a drink. It's an old recipe I found."

Alannah took a goblet and was about to drink when she caught a whiff of sour apples. Her eyes widened in alarm and she opened her mouth to warn the others when she noticed Lumley glaring at her. He turned to her and spoke pleasantly, but his hard eyes betrayed his anger.

"Lady Stayne, you are not drinking. Is the taste unpleasant to you?"

Alannah gulped, realizing she was trapped. "No, it's…it's fine." She waited until Lumley had turned his back, and then took a swallow of the drink, holding it in her mouth. She then counted to ten, swayed, and dropped to the floor in a pretend faint. The goblet fell from her hands to smash onto the stones below.

Stayne's eye widened in shock at Alannah, and he tried to make his way over to her. But before he made it two steps, he collapsed, followed minutes later by Alice and Tarrant.

Alannah watched through lidded eyes as Lumley carefully examined them, smiling and humming to himself. "Perfect. I set the trap, and the prey falls in." He whistled, and four servants came running, bowing so low their noses almost touched the floor.

"Gora, Josa, take these two men down to the dungeons and lock them in separate cells. Uriah, Toby, take the women and lock them in the upstairs room."

Bowing and scraping, the servants did as they were told. Unbeknownst to anyone, Alannah had heard everything, and now she kept careful track of the path taken by Toby and Uriah as they dragged her and Alice through the castle, up a flight of stairs, and then into a small, windowless room. They flung their burdens carelessly on the floor, then left, locking the door firmly behind them.

As soon as they left, Alannah spat out the potion she had been holding in her mouth and scrubbed her lips with her hands. She looked around, sighing as she realized she and Alice were effectively trapped. She looked over at Alice, sighing ruefully. It would likely be hours before the potion wore off, and until then, all she could do was wait.

She settled back against the wall and began the waiting game.