Chapter Six: Servants
The de'Arnise keep, 3 Nightal, 1369 DR
The servants had done their work well.
The keep had been thoroughly cleared of all traces of its occupation by bloodthirsty goblins and gnolls. The charred remains had been placed into the pit outside, and the pit had been filled in and marked with a slab of rock that Nalia had crafted into an image of Kathryn, with her harp, standing over the body of Cyric. The work of a stoneshape spell, it allowed the inhabitants of the keep to see the victory that music could have over the power of madness itself.
About a week had passed since Nalia had killed the wraith, and faced the horror in her dreams, and the place was unrecognisable. The forty thousand golds from the Council had arrived days ago, and had been placed along with a good seven thousand gold and many hundreds of gems found on the bodies of the goblins, into the family vault.
They had paid for new tapestries which had been placed along the walls; new carpets in some rooms, and heavy wooden floorboards in others; the rebuilding of certain areas of the walls which had fallen into disrepair, and the plans to rebuild all the farmhouses on her lands, which amounted to about thirty homes, with acres and acres of land to be re-fenced.
The farmers who had fled her lands had now returned, and were rebuilding those homes themselves. It looked like the de'Arnise lands were truly recovering. Cernick and the guards, numbering about twenty-eight travelled with Nalia daily, to ensure that every area of her land was freed from potential threat.
All those threats had now been removed, and the section of the Eshpurta road which ran through her lands was now being used by trade caravans once more, which did no longer have to worry about bandit raids.
It was a new spring at the beginning of winter.
Nalia stared out of her bedroom window, at the courtyard of the keep, which had been completely cleared of debris yesterday. It was looking hospitable again. She smiled. Finally. Six months ago, when Kathryn had delivered this keep from the trolls, she had been able to enjoy its recovery, for she did not have the strength to stand up to Roenall.
Now, she had no Roenall to worry about. The remaining members of that family had disassociated themselves with the de'Arnise keep and lands and the horrifying fate of Isaea that had occurred within its bounds. This meant that Nalia could finally become the Lady de'Arnise in truth, not just in name.
And it felt good.
Three days ago, with the keep completely safe, Nalia had sent ten guards to bring her equipment from Athkatla. Tomas had gone with them, intending to visit the playhouse in the city while he was there.
When Nalia gained her more powerful equipment, and all her scrolls and books, she could begin making herself more at home. Like Imoen had, in her planar sphere, according to the rumours floating through Amn originating from the artisans employed within the sphere.
There was a polite knock at her door, and Nalia said calmly, "Enter."
The door opened, and a small servant girl entered, carrying a tray on which was placed a bowl of porridge with a light drizzle of honey. Looking at the breakfast, Nalia was reminded of one of the few problems that remained to her.
Food.
With autumn swiftly disappearing, and winter setting in, food was needed for the farmers that resided in her lands. They would not continue to re-settle if there was nothing for them to eat.
Watching silently as the girl placed the tray on the small desk, Nalia smiled. The girl left the room. Whistling quietly, the wizard de'Arnise sat down on the stiff-backed chair, and slowly, carefully, spooned the porridge gently into her mouth, her eyes frowning with thought as she did so.
It was strange.
When she was younger, she had hated the idea of ruling these lands, preferring instead to help the poor and unfortunate. But now, having had her brief experience of ruling, she could see that far more could be done to help the poor if she was in a position of power.
Questions of food and supplies, once dry and boring, had now become a matter of importance. Everything was interlinked, sometimes tenuously, but interlinked nevertheless.
Having finished her porridge, Nalia stood. She had a busy day to get through.
* * *
In the late afternoon, Nalia watched as Tomas and the guards arrived back. Their horses were lathered in sweat and rain, and their breath came as mist- something she was becoming accustomed to seeing as winter started to set in.
She noticed about six new people who had arrived Tomas, riding on horses that looked scraggly and road-weary. Four of them were children, one was an old man, and the other was a relatively fat woman.
Nalia walked down the steps into the courtyard, and raised a hand in greeting to Tomas, the guards, and the newcomers. The bard stepped forward, moving his wet hair away from his eyes as he spoke, "Lady Nalia, I have brought people willing to convert to the faith of harps. Have I your permission, as apostle to the goddess, to bring them into the Church?"
She resisted the urge to frown. Apostle? Hardly, she was just a mage who had happened to encounter a particular bard at the right time… but if it made Tomas happy, then apostle she would be.
"They have my permission, First Harpist. Perhaps you could introduce me?"
Tomas nodded, "Yes, perhaps I could. Lady Nalia, this man is Gullyver Toad, an aged and wizened rogue who has been visited for the past four weeks in his dreams by a harpist shining blue."
The old man bowed, and Tomas continued, "This venerable matron is Madame Marian Gables, who started receiving dream visions of the Harpist the same time as Gullyver. Her children, Elisia, Martin, Tompson and Freddy have also been experiencing dreams. It is my belief that our goddess calls them to be part of the Church of Harps."
Nalia smiled graciously, "Welcome, faithful of Kathryn. It is an honour to meet children so enamoured, and adults so wise. Your courage in joining this faith is a shining example, and beacon to us all. Make yourselves at home within my keep. Tomas no doubt, will teach you the ways of Kathryn, which are simple at heart."
She paused, and then turned back to Tomas. "Now, I hope you have brought my equipment with you. It will be good to be reunited with my gear after these past few weeks."
The bard laughed, "Yes, though I doubt it will do me much good. I quite enjoyed having powerful weapons, but the magic I can sense in these packs makes my teeth itch. It is a wonder we were not attacked as we travelled through Amnwater."
Nalia shrugged, "It might have something to do with the masking spell I cast on you as you left. To all hostile scrying, you and any magic items with you would have appeared non-existent. I thank you all," she said, looking at the ten guards as she did so. "I feel that we can make a proper start here, now."
Tomas nodded. "Yes. As do I."
* * *