Noble Arcana

The best time to rob someone? Probably when they aren’t home

Emeril Farlow in The Endless Gutter

The next several days passed without issue, allowing Solomon to check on the status of the road widening in the morning and continue his magical studies in the evening. He now felt that he had the tools necessary to confront the Lord of the Black Wood. His main concern was being certain of how he would use them. He continued to fill vials with blood, gathered a number of gold coins to keep on his person while practicing his aim with copper coins, and worked on the next homunculus harvest. He didn’t spend any more time in the Repository, he was worried he’d get too distracted and lose focus on improving what he’d already acquired. Along with the spell practice he managed to find an old book on firearms. It seemed a bit out of date, as the newer ones didn’t seem to require him lighting a fuse, but it did help him to feel more familiar with it. It was no substitute for practice, but given the limitations he had he’d take what he could get.

That weekend he found himself riding to church along with the majority of his servants, leaving only Felicity, who was feeling ill, and Claire behind along with a few of the temporary guards. The rest of them loaded into the wagons to attend church.

Solomon exited his carriage nodding a greeting to the men and women that were heading inside. He noted that many more of them seemed a bit better fed. They’d been generous with their wages for those working the roads. It was a temporary solution for the lack of opportunity within Moonfallow, but he hoped those that were willing to dig up old cobblestone wouldn’t hesitate to pick up an axe to chop wood, or a pickaxe to break stone.

He again hallucinated a number of them with pointed ears. He wondered if these visions would be permanent or if they would someday fade as the mana became more his and less that of the god he stole it from. Even if it remained the same, he’d still accept the tool for the benefits it granted him.

Inside the church there was more of a lively attitude than he was used to. Luterne was out in the pews, shaking hands and speaking animatedly to each and every person he could reach. He seemed to be filled with a kind of manic energy as he spoke and he sent an almost too wide smile to Solomon as he entered. It wasn’t the usual ingratiating one he tended toward, but instead on that seemed to be filled with an almost unnatural amount of joy. Either the work he’d been a part of in Etling had done him some good, or it had absolutely broken him.

He moved to the far end where he found Dame Pryor already seated with Threen next to her.

“Good morning Dame Pryor. How are you?” he asked as he gave her a light bow before sitting.

She smiled. “I’m doing quite well. Glad to see you managed to avoid getting attacked while in Etling.”

He smiled at how wrong she was. “No. It was quite a relaxing time actually. Perhaps you can accompany me next time? It may help me sell my reputation as a frontier lord to have a fearsome woman on my arm.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Perhaps next time.” She paused for just a moment. “I actually have a favor to ask.”

“Oh?”

“In several months I’ll have a large number of family visiting. I was hoping to borrow some of your servants to assist Threen. I will provide for them and pay you for their use.”

“Of course. I’m sure we can work something out… You know, I have a lot of extra space in my manor if you would like some of them to stay with me. My ballroom is also nearly done being repaired, perhaps I could host you and your family for a small party.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“That’s quite generous of you.”

“The space isn’t being used right now anyway. I’d rather it not go to waste.”

She nodded. “I appreciate the offer. I’ll certainly consider it.”

He smiled and nodded at her, catching a brief glance from Threen who gave him a subtle nod as well.

A few moments later Luterne finished his talks with the congregants and made his way back up to the altar. Hinds was a short distance behind him, sitting down. He seemed to have a more color to his cheeks. Solomon hoped that meant that he was feeling better.

“May the Herald sing you forward,” said Luterne as he took his place behind the podium.

“And may his song find you well,” replied the church.

Luterne let the echo of everyone’s words settle into silence before speaking again.

“I wish to speak today on a subject of much debate and consternation. It is something that came up again and again in Etling during my visit. Not a meal went by without the subject’s discussion nor did a walk pass without bringing it back up. What I wish to speak about today is the goodness of the gods.”

He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath.

“The gods, the true gods, those that aren’t simply local spirits or kind river fey. They can only do good. When a true god such as the Laborer, or the Herald, or even the Harbinger does something it is good and can only be good. We as mere men see goodness only through our limited frame of reference. We see a man give a coin to a beggar and praise his kindness. The gods see more than we could ever comprehend. When the Herald carries a prayer for the damnation of another to the Queen of Curses we may see it as an evil act, but it is not. And it is not only because he sees more than we do, but because it is the gods that decide what good actually is.”

Solomon resisted raising an eyebrow. He could see a number of flaws in what Luterne was saying, but didn’t want to make it obvious. At least this particular sermon was delivered with a kind of sincerity that he hadn’t believed the man to be capable of.

“When you think of good, think only of the will of the gods.”

He ended his sermon and Solomon was surprised to hear a more energetic response than usual, with loud acknowledgements emanating from behind him. There was more to impassioned nonsense than he’d given credit.

After Luterne was done he came back down from the altar and began talking to the congregation. Solomon was surprised that he’d skipped over him and Dame Pryor, but it seemed that the man had gone through some changes. Some of them even seemed to be for the better.

He exchanged a goodbye with Dame Pryor and began to head for his carriage. He was nearly there when he saw a haggard man running down the street. His boots clacking against the cobblestone. He looked at him curiously, noting that his clothes and skin seemed to have been blackened by ash. Once he was closer he recognized him as one of the guards that had been left behind at the manor.

“There’s a fire! A fire at the manor!”

Solomon felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He turned to Duncan.

“Release one of the carriage horses for me to ride.”

Duncan nodded and began undoing the fastenings on the larger gelding.

“Lord?” asked Melissa.

“I need to reach the property and ensure that everyone is okay. Send Bart to fetch the Watchmen and have Regis take everyone else back to the manor behind me.”

“Solomon,” said Melissa with concern in his voice.

He turned to her.

“What can you do alone against a fire?”

It was a logical question, and one that he couldn’t provide an answer for without putting a number of people and plans in jeopardy.

“Horse is ready,” said Duncan simply.

Solomon looked and saw that a saddle had even been affixed to it from somewhere. He carefully climbed into the saddle and grabbed the reins, kicking his feet into the horses side once as he settled into a riding stance. The horse broke into a gallop and he began carefully maneuvering it toward the manor. Now that he was looking he could see black smoke rising from its direction.

He wasn’t the finest of riders in his family that went to Vaughn or Theodosia, but all of the Morrow children had been required to endure riding lessons from a young age and as such he felt as comfortable in the saddle as some cavalrymen were. He began ascending the hilly road toward the manor and could make out a fire on the left side of it. It hadn’t burnt too far, and he was relieved to see the lack of damage. Something else was wrong though. He could sense that the fire wasn’t the only problem.