A Spell Misplaced, page 25
part #4 of Gags & Pepper: Protection Agents Series
“That’s in Greystone, isn’t it?” one of the other bandits said to the leader.
“It is,” Darlia said. “I was undefeated until Gags won.”
“Undefeated?” the leader said. “Perhaps we will let you through.”
“Your choice,” Otto said.
The leader stepped aside to let them pass.
Gags still had his hand on his new ironwood staff when the robbers attacked from both sides. The fighting was fierce, and the bandits tried to take the wagon and Ann, but Darlia on one side and Lucian on the other kept them from getting close.
Gags confronted the woman.
“No fair,” the woman said, “you are mounted, and I’m not.”
Gags shook his head. “Are you that stupid?”
“It’s gotten me this far.”
Gags laughed. “A leader of a small pack of thieves? Let’s see how good you are,” Gags said as he dismounted.
He let the woman swing her blade. She was more interested in flashy moves than paying attention to the fight. Gags stepped in when the woman reared back in a vicious swing and snapped the staff’s metal tip on the woman’s wrist. He hit her hard, and the sword dropped to the ground.
“My wrist is broken!” she said, her eyes welling with tears.
“You don’t get much competition from the local guard, do you?”
The woman pursed her lips. Gags took the expression to mean she bribed local law enforcement.
He punched her in the stomach, causing her to fall on her rear. “It’s time to end this,” Gags yelled to the others. The fight lasted about a minute after that. Three bandits were killed, and the rest were injured. Gags and Otto dragged the bodies and those that couldn’t walk to the side of the road.
“I warned you,” Gags said, nodding to the woman as they passed them.
“You should have killed them all,” Otto said once the bandits were out of sight.
“It’s not in me,” Gags said. “Lord Carl was an exception. The way he treated Ann and Miria….” Gags shook his head. “I have to get the anger out of my mind.”
“Some men would use that anger to fight harder,” Otto said. “I would.”
“I fight hard enough. I still have my magic to rely on.”
“I’ve seen that, but you are an expert with that staff.”
Gags managed a smile. After traveling with Gags for weeks, Otto still didn’t understand him. “Let’s pick up the pace.”
A week later, they stopped at a fishing village in the country just east of Baxter. Although they tried a few ports, none would take them to Peria. Plying the northern coast of Oroia was profitable enough without worrying about the high seas and pirates, they all said, proving Otto right.
“Now what?” Lucian said. “Do we roll into Baxterton and park the wagon in front of Lord Pearton’s mansion?”
Gags wasn’t sure. His goal was thirty miles on the other side of Baxterton.
“Why don’t you stay here while Darlia and I enter the capital? I can visit Father to see how safe Baxterton is,” Ann said.
“I have a variation on that,” Gags said. “Why don’t we sail to Baxterton? We can sell the horses and the wagon and hire a fisherman to take us to the city’s docks. Eliza Farris can tell us what is happening. She might have a better idea than your father.”
Otto raised his eyebrows. “I think that is an excellent idea. Anything can happen on the way traveling Baxterian roads, and I’m not thrilled about riding past Admiral West’s hunting estate and its rebel camp.”
“Then we have a plan for entering Baxterton,” Lucian said.
~
Fishermen called the little ship they chartered a “bucket.” It had two masts and a single deck. The ship's sides were high, giving it its name, and the captain used the vessel for fishing in the deep sea.
The trip would take a day, but they had to pay for two, the voyage to Baxterton and the captain’s voyage back to the fishing village, but the captain accepted the horses and the wagon as payment. Everyone would be rowed to the wharf to avoid docking fees. They stayed the night in a shabby little inn, but Gags was excited to get closer to the Sea Tears plant in Browning’s conservatory.
The seas weren’t kind, and Lucian’s seasick spell helped but didn’t eliminate the upset stomach everyone had. Miria seemed to withstand the voyage, but she had to be tied up in the hold and stand during their journey for her safety.
In the early morning, as dawn began to color the buildings surrounding the harbor, they landed on a little beach at the east end of the harbor. Miria would have to walk through Baxterton in all her unicorn glory, but there wouldn’t be many up at this hour.
They walked across the harbor to Eliza’s warehouse and living quarters. Otto was able to get them inside, and everyone was shown to the conference room where Otto and the late Tom first met Gags.
Eliza was out, but someone went for breakfast, and Eliza returned before they finished.
“Your group has changed,” Eliza said as she saw a unicorn and Darlia among the group. “This is your girlfriend?”
Gags blushed. “She’s a friend,” Gags said. “We were close, and I’ve spent the last years finding a way to rescue her.”
“Not quite rescued, as I see it,” Eliza said. “Your timing isn’t the best. We are in the midst of a civil war.”
“Which side are you on?” Ann asked.
“I try not to take sides, but I’m not in Paul Browning’s camp if you are worried about that,” Eliza said. “Your father will be glad to see you, but he will likely ship you to the south for safekeeping.”
“And my death sentence?” Gags asked.
“Still in effect, I’d say. On both sides, too. The king would like your head for the scepter fiasco, and Browning wants to kill you to satisfy his animal impulses,” Eliza said. She turned to Miria. “Sorry for the ill-chosen term.” She looked at Gags. “Does the unicorn speak?”
“With a little magic using a communication device,” Gags said. “There are some complications, such as her poisoning.”
“Poisoning? On top of everything, we have a poisoned unicorn?” Eliza said.
“We do, and the missing ingredient of the antidote is growing in Paul Browning’s conservatory.”
“And the royal army is heading north as we speak. There will be a big battle in Browning’s fief. At the same time, West’s army is expected to move toward Baxterton from the south.”
“And Julius’s army?” Lucian asked.
“Lord Benjamin Julius is keeping his army in reserve. No one knows who he supports, and there seems to be some friction between Admiral West and Lord Browning,” Eliza said.
“What’s this about the scepter?” Gags asked. “Didn’t he get the real one?”
“There is a real one? Rumors say there are two copies and that you stole Baxter’s treasure,” Eliza said.
“I’ll have to retrieve it,” Gags said.
“No, you won’t,” Eliza said. “Otto can go, perhaps with your new fighter.”
“That won’t work. It will take Lucian or me to retrieve it.”
“Where is it?” Eliza said.
“Lucian knows. He can go with Otto.”
Eliza pursed her lips. “That will serve. I can take Ann to her father. The invasion hasn’t happened yet. How did you ever evade the blockades? They are everywhere but to the north.” She laughed. “I don’t even know where you’ve been.”
Otto told Eliza the story while the others sat back and finished their breakfast. Gags cut an apple into quarters and gave it to Miria, who nudged Gags for more.
“You killed the man you saved?” Eliza said to Gags as Otto reached the Castlewhit part of the story.
“He had escaped from the mine, and by helping recapture Eno in Castlewhit, we were able to make a deal to join Ann and Darlia as soon as we could.”
“It wasn’t soon enough,” Ann said.
Otto wrapped up the story with Lord Carl’s death and the revelation that the little man fancied himself a wizard.
“Perhaps wizard-like,” Gags said. “But then, I am wizard-like.”
When Otto was done, Eliza clapped her hands. “What an adventure! But it isn’t over until it is over, and it’s not over yet.”
“Three steps not in any particular order: The first step, retrieve the scepter and stabilize the throne. Second step, help with the fighting if we can be pardoned. The third and most important step is transforming Miria,” Gags said.
“Sounds simple enough,” Eliza said. “But things are never that simple.”
“Then Lucian and Otto need to take the scepter to King David,” Gags said.
“You will pay for this, of course.”
“Of course,” Gags said.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
~
G ags paced the conference room. Darlia accompanied Miria for a walk in the warehouse, and when they returned, it was time for a dose of the antidote. Gags went to get the jar from his bag, but it was missing. He dumped the contents on the table, but there was no jar and no purse. As far as he could tell, that was all that was taken.
“Check your bags,” Gags said to Darlia.
“My golden jewelry and money are gone,” Darlia said.
Gags sighed. The sailors, and maybe the captain on the bucket, had stolen valuables from their bags while they slept or were on deck, enduring the passage.
The others would have to return to see what else was missing. The pages Gags had copied in Carl’s manor were also gone. He remembered some of the antidote formula, but he couldn’t be sure he had it correctly.
“The poison antidote and the formulas are gone,” he said to Darlia. Miria walked over to them.
“I am glad you tried,” she said. “At least I can die free from bondage. I’d like a bath, and my coat groomed properly before I go.”
Gags put his hand on her back. “I’ll find a way,” he said. “I didn’t come to Oroia to see you die.”
“You don’t owe me anything,” Miria said. “I was captured on my own and have accepted the consequences.”
“You never deserved those consequences,” Gags said.
Eliza and Flora Baker entered the conference room.
“I need to have someone groom the unicorn,” Gags said. “A good grooming is long overdue.”
“I’ll do it,” Darlia said.
“Come with me,” Flora said. Miria and Darlia left with Flora, leaving Gags and Eliza looking at each other.
“Is it tough to see your lady love like that?”
“Lord Carl of Amering poisoned her, and the fishermen who brought us here stole the antidote and the formulas for the antidote along with most of our money,” Gags said.
“You have credit with me,” Eliza said.
“I will need to take Miria north immediately.”
“Possibly through the battlelines?” Eliza asked.
Gags nodded. “If we stay here, Miria will die. If we avoid the battles, I stand a chance to recover the key ingredient of the de-transformation potion in Count Browning’s conservatory. I can’t wait for developments in Baxterton.” He stared at Eliza and said, “Uh oh. I need to look through Darlia’s things. She had the potion ingredients.”
Gags didn’t like going through the women’s things, but at the bottom of one of her bags was a false bottom where the potion ingredients had been hidden. He pulled them out. “I have the recipe memorized.” He shook the individual packets out and checked the ingredients. Everything was there except water, which was never a problem for Gags, and the two Sea Tears blossoms.
Gags put everything back.
“You look desperate,” Eliza said.
“I am,” Gags said.
“You really love the unicorn.”
Gags sighed. “I loved the woman who became the unicorn, but I’m not sure what has happened to Miria. Originally, Browning had both unicorns and tried to mate them. I was told it didn’t work, but I can imagine Miria's indignities. Even though she has been freed, she hasn’t shown any excitement. My only hope is to convert Miria back to her human shape.”
“I’m sorry,” Eliza said, looking affected by Gags’s story.
Gags asked her what route to take to Browning’s estate. Eliza left the room and returned with a detailed map of Temperton, Browning’s fief, which showed most of the way to Baxterton.
Gags had taken most of the same route when they escaped from Browning’s estate with Eno Banban. “We can get there if we’re not stopped. I’ll need lots of food. Magicians need food to fuel their magic,” he said.
“I know,” Eliza said. “You need a wagon for Miria, and I have just the one available, plus horses for Darlia and you. I’ll get my people busy.”
Food was delivered to the conference room, and shortly after that, Miria, in her unicorn shape, Darlia, and Flora returned.
Gags had to smile. The bedraggled unicorn now looked white and pretty. Someone had put a wide ribbon around Miria’s neck.
“We trimmed her mane and tail,” Flora said.
“She is ready for whatever happens,” Darlia said, handing the communication dagger to Gags.
“Sit and eat,” Gags said. “You’ll need all the energy you can absorb. The sailors stole everything valuable before we left the ship. We were all too sick to check, including Lord Carl’s jar of antidote and the recipe.”
“We only have a few more days before the poison takes effect?” Darlia asked.
“Maybe, but it forces you and me to take her to Lord Browning’s estate and grab a few flowers from his Sea Tears plants,” Gags said. “Our biggest hurdle will be avoiding two armies spoiling for battle.”
“It isn’t something we haven’t done before.”
Miria jerked her head up and down. Gags touched the dagger to her head.
“Will the transformation cure me?” Miria asked.
“It made Eno seem much younger, and I was injured before my transformation, and when I returned to me, the injuries were gone. I don’t see another way.”
“Then, I will go with you,” Miria said. Her body shook. “Even if I spoil my new look.”
The shaking was laughter, Gags guessed. He smiled back. “Another adventure.”
“I’m ready,” she said.
An hour later, Gags drove out from the warehouse in a harvest wagon with high sides behind four horses. His mount was tied behind, and a saddle was in the wagon in case Miria was transformed. Darlia and Flora had found a riding outfit for Miria and a large sheet to cover her transformation.
Gags munched on an apple while Miria had a bucket of grain and a basket of apples, and Darlia ate jerky, which provided more energy.
“I’m going to fill myself on the way north,” Darlia told Gags and Miria. “I’m sure I’ll be using my magic.”
“Hopefully, as little as possible,” Gags said.
The guards at the gate only checked incoming visitors to Baxterton, so they were waved through. They traveled for an hour before the road became crowded, with people heading in the opposite direction.
“Is something happening up ahead?” Gags asked as he stopped on the road.
“Of course, there is,” said a man carrying a stuffed blanket roll. “Both armies have spread their scouts from the sea to the southern border of Temperton. The big battle will happen soon, and I’d rather be gone when that happens. I hope my shop will be intact when the fighting’s over.”
“Do you care who wins?” Gags asked.
“Not at all. Nothing will change for the common person.”
Gags had seen plenty of battles before, and sometimes nothing changed for the commoner, and sometimes life became more arduous, but it rarely improved.
“Good luck,” Gags said before snapping the reins.
Their trip became more like swimming upstream, but they made progress, and when darkness fell, they continued deep into the night until they came upon a village with a lit-up pub.
Gags went in to see if they had food they could take with them, while Darlia agreed to stay by Miria. He stepped inside the pub and stopped. Gags didn’t know whose soldiers these were, but all ten wore the same uniforms, and the server was being teased by three of them. Gags looked deeper into the pub to see the bartender was laid out on the bar with a knife sticking out of his chest.
“Where is the enemy?” Gags asked.
“A few miles to the south. What is it to you?” one of the soldiers asked with a slurred voice.
Another soldier laughed. “Which enemy, Pat?”
The soldier who answered Gags shrugged.
“Are you King David’s men?”
“Not Browning’s boys, either.” The men laughed.
“Ah. You fight for Admiral West!” Gags said it like he was a West supporter. “Won’t Valerie be disappointed in you?”
“You know the Admiral?” another soldier asked.
Gags nodded and kept half an eye on the soldiers teasing the young woman. The experience might be a source of the girl’s nightmares for years. “I do. What’s going on at Browning’s estate?”
A few soldiers frowned. “Another unit got the privilege of looting the place.”
“The count is dead?”
“With his army, with the admiral’s daughter. That is where Lady Valerie is. It’s a spit in the eye to the admiral,” a soldier said. “We suppose the admiral’s operation at Browning’s estate is to send a message.”
Gags had heard enough. He backed up to the door and opened it. “Darlia, I’m going to need your help! Bring my staff.”
Darlia rushed in and tossed the ironwood staff to Gags.
“Another woman. She’s a bit worn and toothy,” one of the soldiers said.
“Are you keeping her?”
Gags shook his head. “No, she’s not very domesticated,” he said.
Gags grabbed a few bolts and said quietly to Darlia, “The ones with the girl are yours,”
“Right!” Darlia said, drawing her sword. “No magic until my rage settles down.” She ran to the group that had just torn a sleeve off the girl’s blouse.
Gags pushed bolts into the three soldiers he had talked to before he leveled his staff at the rest of the soldiers. “Actually, I suppose I am a king’s man after all,” Gags said as he attacked the drunken soldiers. Few of them could grab their weapons, and none put up much of a fight.
