Page 10 of Tides of Shadows

Iskareth lifted his chin and adjusted his ruby clasp, the stone flashed like a glowing coal.

“Our cattle have taken a sickness,” he said. “Calves fell first, then the cows. The meat stinks, the milk turns to yellow water, and the malady spreads faster than we can stop it.”

A younger lord spoke next, his motions nervous, his voice near a whisper.

“The soil on our fields is dying,” he said, and swallowed. “The grain will not sprout. We pull the potatoes from the earth black and rotten. Even the weeds wither. The peasants fear there will be nothing to eat.”

After him a woman in an emerald gown, a delegate from the valleys, stood.

“Wolves have come upon our lands,” she said, and paused to let the words hang. “Not common beasts, but demon wolves. Their coats are black, their eyes burn red. When we wound them, tar-black blood oozes.”

A hiss came from the crowd, others took to whispering.

“They hunt not only our herds.” lady continued. “They attack villages now. Slaying them borders on miracle. It takes several men to kill one.” Her gaze hardened. “The worst are the wounds. Those bitten sicken. Bodies convulse in fits, agonized moans lasting days before death claims them.”

The words hung over the court like a thundercloud.

This was no longer mere talk of sick animals or tainted wells. It was a sign that the Plague was turning into something worse, something that had begun to reach for human flesh.

When the speeches ended, silence followed. None wished to be first to break it. Everyone was waiting for Cassandra to act. In the end, it was her who stood as Regent now.

“I understand your concerns,” Cassandra said at last, her voice measured and calm. “But let us not give ourselves over to excess fear. We have known years of poor harvests before. We have faced sickness among our cattle.”

She lifted her chin slightly, eyes sweeping the gathered lords.

“That these troubles arise at once does not mean we are beset by some mystic affliction creeping through the land.”

A pause. Deliberate. Reassuring.

“Still,” she continued, “to ease your minds, I will commission our best medics and alchemists to examine the infected carcasses in the lands surrounding White City. If there is a common cause, we shall find it. If there is a remedy, it will be forged there.”

Her mouth curved into something almost like confidence.

“As you well know, White City holds the finest healers in all the Dominium.”

At last, Eric Salvadore couldn’t resist himself. His voice was deep and steady, filled with concern.

“We should seek the wisdom of elder days,” he said. “We long ago forgot the gods. But as we see before us”, here his eyes moved to Dricus and to Aidenar. “Power returns to the Dominium, kind and cruel. Let the scribes and sages be gathered, and let us search the books of the White City’s library. If knowledge of such a pestilence lies anywhere, it is there.”

Heads nodded, and a rumble of assent went round. At last there was something firm to grasp.

Cassandra rose with her pose unbroken and spread her hands to close the meeting. “I thank you for your voices. I declare the first day of the Gathering concluded.”

And so it was. The day had grown long. Weariness showed on the faces of lords and ladies, and the marble benches felt harder than they had in the morning. Some began to converse in hushed tones, others silently made their way toward the arcades. The crowd slowly dispersed through the gardens and corridors of the palace, each lost in their own thoughts, each with a hint of anxiety in their eyes.

I sat a moment longer on the marble bench and gathered my thoughts. Then a shadow fell across my vision. A tall, dark figure halted before me.

I lifted my head to meet the heir of Cineris.

“Dricus Cineris,” he said, low and even, offering his hand. “Now in a more fitting fashion.”

“Nerissa Veymaris.” I rose, smiled a little, and tipped my head as I returned his clasp. “You know, you might have given me your name in the tavern.”

“It was not the place for formalities,” he answered. “And I would counsel you not to wander the dark corners of the White City again. You are of more worth than you reckon.” His gaze held on me too long. Did he suspect anything?

“You are the more renowned,” I said, coolly. “The whispers about you did not end.”

A hint of a smile touched his mouth.