Cedric of RoseThorn

Copyright 2009 by S. Thomas Kaza

The next morning Cedric slept late. When he woke, he immediately realized the hour and quickly dressed.In the kitchen he found Veronica stirring a pot of oatmeal. Kylak stood not far away, showing his daughter how to carry plates. There were eggs frying in a pan, a chicken roasting over the fire, and the smell of baked bread filled the air. Cedric felt his stomach tighten. He wanted to eat, but last night before he fell asleep he thought of something he needed to ask Lord Bane.

“Good Morning, Lord Cedric!” both Veronica and Kylak said when they saw him.

Kylak’s little girl courtsied.

Veronica laughed. “Look at the little darling, will you, Lord Cedric?”

Cedric nodded. “Have you seen Lord Bane?” he asked them.

“He went out early,” Veronica said. “before I finished baking the bread.”

Cedric slipped out the kitchen door into the courtyard. Sunshine did not greet him this morning. Instead he found a thick blanket of grey clouds sweeping slowly across the sky from south to north. The clouds hung so low it seemed they would brush across the tops of the castle towers. To Cedric it looked as if the whole firmament was bearing down upon RoseThorn. He considered it a bad portent for the day, and that made him angry. He felt like striking back somehow, fighting against the gloom he knew this change in weather would bring. He told himself if the sky didn’t clear by the mid-day meal, he would forget his many, unfinished chores and train at weapons in the courtyard.

Cedric turned his attention to finding Lord Bane. He looked around the courtyard, but there was no sign of him. Neither did he find the dwarf in the stables. Cedric could not see the old peasant, Harold, at his post in the main guardhouse. He called up to him, but there was no answer. He started up the stairs. At the top he found the guardhouse empty.

Strange. Where is everyone?

He scanned the castle walls. Looking to the east he noticed a figure near the South guardhouse moving in his direction. It looked like Lord Bane.

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The dwarf ran as fast as his short legs could carry him. He avoided the older man’s grasp by ducking quickly around a corner.

“Get back here!” Lord Bane shouted.

The dwarf did not stop, but he knew that around the next corner the walkway ran straight for about thirty yards. He knew the old man would catch him there. Looking back over his shoulder, he could see the furious look on Lord Bane’s face. Dak ducked around the next corner without looking.

“Whoah!” Cedric shouted, trying to warn the dwarf, but he plowed right into Cedric and bounced back flat on the stone walkway. Lord Bane turned the corner. The anger left his face when he saw Cedric.

“I see you got him,” he said between breaths.

“Yes,” Cedric said, “but why are you chasing him?”

“The little idiot scared off a man I was talking to just now…..”

“What man?” Cedric asked.

“That’s just it,” Lord Bane said, “I don’t know. He appeared to be one of your peasants. I was questioning him when the dwarf scared him off. He’s gone now.”

“The dwarf scared him off?” Cedric asked incredulously.

“I gave the man my word I was alone, Cedric” Lord Bane said, “I didn’t realize the dwarf was there….. spying on me.”

“I wasn’t spying,” Dak said, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head.

“What did the man you saw look like?” Cedric asked.

“Well…..” Lord Bane thought for a moment, “He looked like a peasant. He wore a wool shirt and pants, an old coat with a button missing, an old cap…..”

While Lord Bane described the peasant, Dak climbed up onto his feet. He made sure to stand beyond the reach of Lord Bane.

“Did you see him?” Cedric asked the dwarf.

“Yes,” Dak said, “Yes, I got a good look at him. He was dressed like a peasant just as Lord Bane said. But I didn’t recognize him as one of ours.”

Lord Bane scowled. “The little imp can barely see over the wall. Cedric, I think I know a peasant when I see one.”

I won’t get anywhere this way. The dwarf always seems to get Lord Bane riled up.

Cedric turned to his stable boy. “Go mind your chores,” he said, “I will talk to you later.”

Dak bowed his head and plodded past Cedric toward the stables.

“And stay out of trouble!” Cedric shouted after him.

“In my opinion,” Lord Bane said, “the little idiot deserves a beating. I will administer it myself with your permission.”

Cedric looked sternly at Lord Bane. “There will be no beating of my peasants,” he said.

Lord Bane looked away.“Spare the rod and spoil the child, I always say,” he muttered.

“I will be the judge of that,” Cedric snapped back.

Lord Bane folded his arms and sighed.

“Lord Bane,” Cedric said, his voice softening a little, “given our circumstances, each and every one of these peasants have now become very important to the survival of RoseThorn. I need them every day in good health and in good heart. We cannot afford anything less. ”

“I understand that very well,” Lord Bane said to Cedric.

But Lord Bane told himself he would toss the dwarf from the castle walls when he got the chance.

The two men retraced Lord Bane’s steps back to the South guard house. Standing at the edge of the wall, looking to the east, Lord Bane recounted what happened.

“He was down there,” he said pointing, “standing there among those trees. He started to run, but I called him back.”

“Did he tell you his name?”

“No,” Lord Bane said. “He told me he thought I was one of the bandits. I tried to convince him otherwise. I gave him my word. I told him that Lord Cedric was still in command of the castle, but he didn’t believe me. I told him I would run and get you. He didn’t trust me. He said he wouldn’t wait.”

Cedric thought for a moment.

Why would a peasant of RoseThorn not believe Lord Bane if he gives his word? True, Lord Bane would be a stranger. But if he gave his word…..?

“I did not want to leave and have him run off without finding out anymore,” Lord Bane went on, “So I asked him if he could come back another time. He said he would not. It was too risky. He said the bandits broke camp just this morning and left the village, so he came up to the castle to find out what he could.”

Cedric rubbed his beard. He realized he would have to ride down to the village and see about the bandits for himself.

Lord Bane watched the reaction from his words on Cedric’s face. “The peasant told me,” he went on, “that he will not come back to the castle. But when he is sure there are no bandits in the area, he will signal from the edge of the forest. He said if Cedric is still lord of RoseThorn, then he should ride out and show himself to them.”

“Them?” Cedric asked.

“Yes, he said there were others.”

“Did he say how many?”

Lord Bane shook his head. “He said only that they were well-hidden in the forest, and they would not come out until Lord Cedric showed himself to them. Only then would they believe.”

“Perhaps I should ride out now?” Cedric said, “I may be able to catch him along the road.”

Lord Bane shrugged his shoulders. “I think he is gone by now. He may not have come by way of the road.”

Cedric frowned. He realized what Lord Bane said was probably true. He made a fist and pounded once on the castle wall in frustration.

“I would have talked longer with him,” Lord Bane said, “But the dwarf showed up and frightened him off.”

“Alright, alright,” Cedric said.

Lord Bane might believe the man’s story, but it seems somehow suspicious to me. If I could only see the man’s face, I would know.. As it stands now, I cannot be sure. And I will not be lead into a trap.

“Did you notice any tattoos on the man?” Cedric asked.

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “But there was one more thing. I remembered it just now.”

“What is it?” Cedric asked.

“The man said something more, but it made no sense to me.”

“What?”

“He told me that after he signals by fire, you should show yourself at the founder’s stone. Do you know what that means?”

Cedric paused for a moment.

Would anyone but a peasant of RoseThorn know the Founder’s Stone?

“Cedric?” Lord Bane asked.

“Yes, it is a large stone set in the ground halfway between the village and the forest. It is said that my ancestors founded RoseThorn there.”

“I see,” Lord Bane said.

The news of the morning visitor made Cedric forget what he wanted to ask Lord Bane. He instead questioned Harold as to why he was not in the guardhouse at his post. The old carpenter reported that Lord Bane came just before sunrise and relieved him, so he went to use the toilet. He said he expected Cedric himself, but he saw no harm in letting Lord Bane take the watch for awhile.

“There was no harm,” Cedric told the old peasant, “Only I would have liked you to see the visitor that Lord Bane reported.”

“I am sorry, Lord Cedric.”

“No,” Cedric said, “It is my fault. I was late.”

After breakfast Cedric threw himself into his chores. He tried to forget about the whole issue for the time being, but try as he might the question of the mysterious man kept gnawing at his concentration. He knew he couldn’t decide about the identity of the man. But he could ride out and see for himself if the bandits really broke camp. As the noon hour approached he remembered the question he wanted to ask Lord Bane. By then the sky had darkened and threatened to rain. But the corner of the main hall where they took their meals glowed with warmth and comfort. Cedric waited until they almost finished the mid-day meal, then he broke the subject with Lord Bane.

“I realize once the rebellion has been put down, you will probably want to tend to your business once again,” Cedric said.

Lord Bane looked up from his plate. He saw the serious look on Cedric’s face. He chuckled.

“My business? Cedric, my business is ruined.”

Cedric thought for a moment. He realized he had not said the right thing. It was not a good start to what he wanted to ask.

“I am sorry. I should have thought of that,” Cedric said, “alright, let me get to my point. I would like to make a proposal.”

“A proposal?”

“Yes, I realize you have only been here a short time. But I would like you to stay on at RoseThorn,” Cedric said, “I would like you to serve as steward.”

“Steward?” Lord Bane asked. “You want me to be keeper of the account books? You want me to manage the affairs of RoseThorn?”

Cedric considered he had gone too far with his request. “Yes,” he replied weakly.

Lord Bane looked away. “You honor me with this request, Cedric.”

“I realize this position is beneath your title, Lord Bane. My intention was not to offend you. But RoseThorn urgently needs a steward. You are the only one I….. “

Cedric paused.

“Yes?” Lord Bane asked.

“You are the only one I know that is capable. I have tried to read the ledgers left by the previous steward, but I cannot. They are in code. In my best estimate you will probably have to start over with a complete inventory of the storerooms, the cellars….. ”

Counting bottles of wine and sacks of flour until the numbers spin in my head. I cannot think of a better waste of my time.

Lord Bane turned back to face Cedric. He smiled. “I am getting old, Cedric….. old and tired. I think I must have ridden every stretch of road in these western provinces. I have spent more of my life sleeping on the ground than in a bed. Perhaps it is time I consider a more permanent position.”

“Than your answer is yes?”

Lord Bane nodded.

Placing his hands flat on the table, Cedric bowed his head.

“Thank you, Lord Bane, thank you. Of course, if you find the work not to your liking, then I only ask your services until I can secure a proper steward. But if you decide…..”

“I will stay as long as you need me,” Lord Bane said.

Cedric stood up. He congratulated himself. Things went better than he expected. He had not wanted to insult Lord Bane.

“I will be training in the courtyard this afternoon,” he announced.

“It is going to rain,” Lord Bain said.

“Yes, I know,” Cedric answered, “Despite the rain, I will be in the courtyard if needed..”

Cedric excused himself. Lord Bane watched him go. Once he was out of sight, Lord Bane turned to the peasants sitting at the next table. He raised his cup in toast. They stopped talking and hushed the children.

“Congratulations!” Lord Bane said, “….. to me. I am going to be Steward of RoseThorn.”

The peasants looked at each other not sure what to say.

Lord Bane laughed when he saw the confused look on their faces.

He needs me now, but he will cast me off later. The fool….. if he only knew what I truly aspire to.

Lord Bane got up from the table.

“Dwarf!” he shouted. “Come, show me where the Steward of RoseThorn keeps his books!”