Berlina's Quest Read Free Page B

said, “The Crown Prince? They have kidnapped the Crown Prince? Then, they slaughter half my men and take over my castle just to have a place to imprison him? This is evil incarnate.”
    â€œYes, My Lord. It is, but what about the sorcerer?”
    â€œFind a sorcerer, a witch, or some other magic user in the village. See if they can sense what their sorcerer is doing. Also, if anyone leaves, keep track. Count any soldiers who leave, and if the carriages go, use magic or whatever to see if anyone is in them.”
    â€œYes, My Lord.”
    A few more days passed before the Castellan tallied up his information and presented it to the prince. “Your Highness, many of the soldiers have departed but not the carriages. As far as our observer can tell, there are only about twenty of the soldiers remaining in the castle…and the sorcerer.”
    â€œOnly twenty? Why can’t we gather up our remaining castle guards, and perhaps some militia troops from the villagers, and retake the castle?”
    â€œBecause, My Lord, the sorcerer remains and is using magic against us. Our watchers said he was there when the soldiers left. Before they went, he waved his wand around, as if to open an invisible gate for them. He stood in this gate, if such it was, and watched them. When they had reached a distance of six or seven furlongs, he waved his wand again. Here is where our observers all began to doubt their senses, as the moving troops disappeared.”
    â€œDisappeared? What do you mean?”
    â€œThere is disagreement, but the prevalent story is that they turned into smoke or clouds and faded from view, leaving an empty road.”
    â€œI would say impossible, but who among us truly knows what a sorcerer may be capable of. Well, continue.”
    â€œYes, My Lord. After the soldiers vanished, the sorcerer stepped backward a few feet and waved his wand a third time. Then, he turned, walked across the courtyard, and entered the castle. Shortly after that, one of our observers tried to enter, but he ran into an invisible wall that stopped him from going any further.”
    â€œAn invisible wall? What sort of thing is that?”
    â€œMagical wards, My Lord. I have here a witch from the village, Madam Clotilde, to explain to you.” He turned and gestured to a woman near the door.
    The witch came forward and curtsied. “Your Highness, wards are a form of magical wall that prevent the passage of men or arms. They cannot be seen by those not possessing magical power, but they are effective.”
    â€œYou say they are created by a magic user, a sorcerer, or a witch? Can another magic user overcome them?”
    â€œIn theory, Your Highness, another magic user can penetrate the wards, but only if that person is more powerful than the one who set them up.
Far
more powerful.”
    â€œCan you do anything about the wards around the castle?”
    â€œA thousand pardons, Your Highness, but my feeble powers do not even come close to what is needed for that. Perhaps some of the witches in the Order of the Flowers could do it. They are very strong. There are rumors that some of those trained by the Order are also extremely strong, but to my knowledge, there are none of them around here.”
    â€œMadam witch, you need not apologize. You cannot be other than what you are. Thank you for your information. Please stay in touch with my Castellan or my other men, in case we have further need of your services.”
    The witch curtsied again and left.
    â€œDamn! I suppose there is nothing we can do but sit here and curse that misbegotten Prince Drailsen. State visit, indeed! Make sure everything is kept at the ready. Should an opportunity arise to retake the castle, we must be prepared to seize it.”
    â€œYes, Your Highness.”
    * * * *
    Crown Prince Darvid rattled the bars of his cell. Of course, they didn’t give way. He had been doing it for two weeks now with no results. He yelled,