Mercedes Lackey - Castle of Deception

Bards Tale, Book 4

Mercedes Lackey and Josepha Sherman

V2. Lots of scanning errors, many fixed. Spell-checked.

Roong.

The lute string snapped, whipping across Kevins hand. He yelped, just barely managing not to drop the lute. Instead, he placed the instrument gently down on his cot, then brought his stinging hand to his mouth. Blast it all, that had hurt! Of course it had. He knew better by now than to try tightening a string too far. After all, hed been a bardling, an apprentice Bard, for what seemed like all his nearly sixteen years.

The welt finally stopped smarting. Kevin got to his feet with an impatient sigh. He didnt really mind practicing; it was something every musician had to do every day, even his Master. He didnt even mind being stuck in his cramped little room. Or at least he wouldnt mind practicing and being cooped up in this stupid room in this stupid inn if only he knew this was all leading somewhere!

If something doesnt happen soon, something exciting ...

Picking his way across the piles of clothes and music scrolls uttering the floor, the bardling stared out the one window, down to the Blue Swans cobblestone courtyard. A merchant was climbing onto his fine bay horse, his traveling robes rich purple in the springtime sunlight. With him rode his bodyguard, two men and a woman in plain leather armor, straight-backed and alert as falcons, hands never straying too far from the swords at their sides. Kevin sighed in envy. They were probably nothing more heroic than common mercenaries, and the journey they were taking was probably nothing more exciting than a ride to the next town, but at least they were goingsomewhere, they were doing something! While he

Blast it! the bardling swore under his breath.

He couldnt stand being stuck here a moment longer. Clattering down the inns wooden staircase, Kevin hurried across the common roomempty at this early hourand headed out into the courtyard. But then he stopped short on the cobblestones. What was he hoping to see? The merchant and his party were already out of sight, riding down the old North Road that ran just outside the inns gateway, and there probably werent going to be any more travelers today. Discouraged, the bardling turned and went back through the inn to the back entrance, stepping out into town.

Ha. Some town.

Bracklin was little more than a collection of a dozen small, thatched-roof houses clustered behind the inn. A neat, pretty, orderly place, one where nothing different had ever happened and nothing ever would.

And people here actually like it thatway!

Kevin leaned back against the inns half-timbered side, the wall chilly on his back, the sun warm on his face. There had never been a day he could remember when he hadnt dreamed of being a Bard, of singing wonderful songs and traveling to wonderful places, maybe even working the rare, powerful Bardic Magic, healing people with his music or even banishing demons. How could those dreams have turned into something so unbearably dull?

Morning, Kevin, a womans cheerful voice called from across the unpaved street

The bardling started. Uh, good morning, Ada.

Thats just like you bard-folk, always off in a world all your own.

Ada was a round, chubby, middle-aged hen of a woman. Right now her brown hair was tucked up out of her way in an untidy bun, and the sleeves other plain white blouse were pushed back above the elbows as she filled a washtub full of soapy water. Come for Master Aidans clothes, have you? Told you they couldnt be ready till this afternoon. Had to spend all day yesterday washing the travel dust off the robes of His Nibs. Adas jerk of the head took in the departed merchant and his party. Eh, wont bad-mouth the fellow; paid me down to the last coin, with extra added. Her bright black eyes studied Kevin. Whats with you, lad?

Nothing.

Oh, dont give me nothing. What is it?

Kevin sighed. Ada, you remember when I first came here.

The woman smiled warmly. Dont I, though. You were such a little boy, almost too small for the lute on your back, clinging to your music teachers hand and all wide-eyed with wonder.

Mistress Malen was very kind.

Well, of course she was! Imagine after all the years of having to teach merchants kids without a drop of talent to them coming across someone like you with the true gift for music! No, no, dont start blushing like that You know its true.

Ada plopped a shirt into her washtub and started scrubbing. Look you, lad, before she left. Mistress Malen told me all about you: how you were plucking at the strings of your familys old lute the minute you were old enough to hold it, making up your own little tunes till they didnt have a choice but to hire her.

Kevin had to smile. Mistress Malen had been a wonderful first teacher, endlessly patient with her eager pupil. She had also been honest enough to admit his talent was more than she could shape. A little shiver of wonder raced through the bardling as he remembered how shed shaken her head and told him, You have the makings of a Bard, boy, a true Bard.

Adas chuckle dragged him back to the present. So there you were, poor chick, standing in the courtyard of the Blue Swan, fall of wonder, yes, but maybe just a touch scared, too. And no surprise, being apprenticed to Master Aidan like that, a Bardan^ a hero as well!

Kevin glanced up at his Masters room. You remember how it was, dont you? When my Master helped King Amber keep his throne, I mean.

Bless you, child, how old do you think I am? That was a good thirty years ago! I was a chick myself back then, much younger than you. She paused thoughtfully. But I do remember all the celebrating. My, yes! Everyone couldnt stop chattering about how it had been a Bard, your Bard, whod used his magical songs o> stop that witch of a would-be usurper.

Princess Carlotta.

Oh. she might have been a princess, the nasty little creature, but she was a sorceress, all right, dark-hearted as they come! She turned our good king into stonestone, can you imagine that! And if it hadnt been for Master Aidan, stone. King Amber would have remained. Bah! Good riddance to her, I sayand all praise to Master Aidan for stopping her.

Kevin sighed. That must have been a wonderful time ....

Wonderful! Those were the most dangerous days nobody ever wanted! And 1 dont blame your Master for coming here after it was all over. If anyone ever earned some peace and quiet, it was he!

That wasnt what Kevin wanted to hear. At first every day with his Master had seemed wild with excitement After all, with a hero Bard to teach him, why shouldnt he, too, do great deeds someday! But it hadnt taken long to learn that his Master had, somewhere over the years, forgotten all about heroism.

Ada, youve lived here in Bracklin all your life, havent you?

You know it. Never left this town. Never saw any need to.

But dont you ever want to meet new people?

I do! Enough travelers come into the inn for that.

Thats not what I mean. Dont you ever get bored? Want to see new places, do new things?

Ada looked at him as though hed gone mad. Why should I want something as foolish as that? I have a nice house, good, steady work. Love you, lad, I think the springs gotten into you. She shooed him away with soapy hands. Now, get along with you, Kevin. I have work to do.

The bardling wandered on down Bracklins one street to the end. It didnt take long. He stood looking out over the fields beyond the edge of town, each neatly plowed strip of land exactly like the next, and shuddered. Making his way back towards the Blue Swan, Kevin politely returned the greetings of baker and seamstress and butcher. All of them, he realized, were quite peacefully going about their various tasks just as they did every day. And not a one of them seemed to mind! Suddenly frustrated to the point of screaming, Kevin hurried back into the inn and his room. At least he could learn a new song!