Sword & Flame: The Sara Featherwood Adventures ~ Volume Two Read online

  After a full day of classes, Sara sat at a desk in the Foyer when Klark Brownhill appeared at her side.

  “Where have you been? I haven’t seen you since Brightlings.” She took a few long slow breaths at the shock of Klark appearing by her side, hoping he wouldn’t notice.

  “I’ve been home, finishing up my schooling from there. Anton Rider sends you his regards. He tutored me in my last few courses.” Klark smiled at her and then said, “Sara, I wanted to say goodbye. I told you I wanted to graduate at the end of fall and I’ve graduated even earlier. Took my last exams and I came up here for my two First interviews. Practical Mathematics and Practical Politics. I’m headed to Parth.” He beamed with pride. “I had a few meetings and some personal items to pick up and now I’m ready to go, but I couldn’t leave without saying farewell.”

  An unexpected feeling of loss overtook her. Klark had given her the only kiss she’d ever had. She thought that once she had emerged from whatever state she was in, that they might become better friends and now that she felt in control of her life once more, the opportunity was slipping away.

  She looked up and said as steadily as she could, “I’m sorry to hear that. We’ve had… we’ve had.” The words wouldn’t come.

  Klark gave her a sad smile and put his hand on hers. “I know. We’ve had something that hasn’t yet developed while we both studied here. I wish it could. My future lies in Parth and with Lord Northcross. I will work with him until after spring when I hope to enter into the University of Parthy.”

  His dream fulfilled. What kind of dream did Sara have? “I wish you well, Klark Brownhill. Perhaps we will cross paths again,” She gave him a weak smile.

  Klark pulled out a small box. “I know we will. You’ll be eighteen in a few weeks. You probably won’t be getting any presents from Brightlings, so I thought I’d give you one before you go. I’d like you to open it now.”

  Sara didn’t know what to say. She certainly couldn’t tell him how guilty she felt about not pursuing their relationship. She opened it up to reveal a gold necklace with a little carriage in gold and silver. “A carriage? I thought you didn’t want to have anything to do with your father’s shop.”

  “Blow on the end with the little hole,” Klark said, grinning.

  Sara could hardly refuse him. She blew and a high-pitched whistle disturbed the placid atmosphere of the Foyer. She couldn’t help but laugh. “What is this for?”

  “If you ever need help, just use it. If I’m around, I’ll be there to help.” Klark again put his hand on hers and kissed her lightly on the lips. “Remember me, Sara.”

  She ran the little carriage along the strand of the necklace. “I will, Klark. Good luck in Parth.”

  “We’ll see each other there some day soon. Have faith, I do.” He picked up the bag that he had left on the floor. “I have to go.”

  Sara watched him walk out of the Foyer. He turned around and gave her a little wave as he went through the door to the outside. She played with the necklace. No one other than her family had given her jewelry before. His gift was no cheap bauble. She put the carriage to her lips and smiled, despite the loss she felt. A deep feeling of disappointment hit her. How could Klark just walk out of her life?

  Putting people off seemed to be an ever-strengthening talent of hers. She had antagonized all of Belting Hollow, but Klark had been there for her and his gift proved that he still cared for her. She cared for him, but Sara had never been able to really open up to him. Not yet—perhaps not ever.

  ~

  A note scraped across the stone underneath the door to her room. Sara never did like notes because they always had brought some kind of unpleasantness attached. This one seemed to be no different. Lisha Temple wanted to see her first thing in the morning in the faculty dining room. Sara would have to skip class to do so.

  What did Lisha want? Sara’s work was way ahead in each class, even with the huge load she had taken during this Winter Term and at this stage of her studies, she felt she could be down at the bottom of the lecture hall giving a better lecture than her professors. No, thinking that way led to arrogance and would only make others think of her as a threat. Resentment was not something she sought and she had to remember that as she participated in her classes.

  Lisha and Banna sat together at a finely finished wooden table. Sara always felt like an intruder when Banna invited her to a meal in this place. The room served the faculty, not the students. Sara still marveled at the thick carpets and drapes that muffled all of the noises she found normal at the Refectory. Banna motioned for her to sit down.

  “I have a proposition to make, Sara. Lisha has talked to all of your professors and they have agreed to test you early, even before mid-term, a month before Winter’s Rise.”

  Sara furrowed her brow. “Any reason why?”

  Both of the older women laughed. “They can tell you are farther ahead than the others. All you have to do is read a book or listen to a lecture and you know the material,” Lisha said. She spoke the truth and it made Sara a little uneasy. School was not difficult for her at all, but Obridge was now her home and she didn’t want to upset the routine.

  “The King of Parthy is entertaining the thought of creating a Women’s College as an adjunct institution to the University of Parthy.”

  Sara felt excited for Banna. “You’ve always wanted that to happen and now it is. That’s wonderful news.” Still that didn’t sound like a proposition to Sara.

  “He has asked for me to travel to Parth and help Lady Grianna Worthy develop a plan. I can’t go until Summer Break. I wonder if you could take my place? The sooner the proposal is completed the better. You placed as high as anyone in Strategic Planning in Practical Mathematics and we know each other well enough that I trust your work. All you have to do is spend a few weeks or so of concentrated study and take your exams early. You will be interviewed for four Firsts and Perry left me with a recommendation for one in Chemistry, and then you head for Parth. You can be there the week before Winter’s Rise. You will be Lady Worthy’s guest.”

  “But that means I’ll have graduated and my time at Women’s School is over.”

  Banna put out her hand. “I know, but don’t worry, you have a place here as a student or as a teacher as long as I’m the headmistress. I’m not aware of any plans you have after you finish here. You’d be done with your schooling by the end of Spring Term anyway.”

  No plans at all. In fact, Winter’s Rise represented a challenge for Sara. Her brothers had already planned well in advance to leave for Brightlings early.

  Parth. Klark. Women’s College. She couldn’t help but grin. “I’ll do it.” The easy part was accepting. Sara’s mind exploded with things she’d have to do to get ready.

  “You can leave for Parth in two weeks?” Banna looked at Lisha and giggled. “Imagine a Women’s College!” They all laughed.

  The food came and they all talked about the wonderful possibilities. The distraction filled Sara with a new purpose—more distractions, so she could dwell less on the past.

  ~~~

  Chapter Three

  The Grand Duke’s Court

  Stonebridge came into view as Sara’s coach approached the capital of Shattuk Downs. Where the Abbey dominated the skyline of Obridge, a dozen or more buildings, both larger and newer thrust up with spires, towers and domes looking over a city more than four times the size. Sara had never traveled this far south in Shattuk Downs before.

  Her mother grew up on Goldfields, by far the larger of the two Ducal estates in Shattuk Downs. The placid atmosphere of Obridge and Belting Hollow seemed worlds away as the coach slowed up in the traffic coming in and out of the city.

  A tall wall wound around the inner precincts of the city but Stonebridge had long since expanded past the fifty-foot high wall. She remembered from her classes that the wall was thick enough so ten men could walk abreast around the entire perimeter. She never really believed the claim until now. The light yellow stone that domin
ated Obridge gave way to the gray granite facades of most of the Stonebridge buildings. On the way in, the carriage passed tents outside the city and soldiers now filled the streets while she observed the passing sights and smells as the coach clattered on the cobbled streets.

  The coach stopped at an inn. Sara planned to stay in Stonebridge two nights so that she could take an express coach all the way to Parth, the capital city of Parthy and the location of the University. Klark’s family owned a carriage shop in the city somewhere. She wondered if she would have enough time to visit. The excitement of living in Parth for a season or two swept away Sara’s chronic anxiety that now only intruded into her thoughts at idle moments.

  The coach driver helped Sara down off of the coach. The city even smelled differently from Obridge, since a number of breweries made Stonebridge home. The smell of malted hops and the yeasty aroma of fermented beer seemed to assault her nose as she stepped into the dark confines of the inn.

  “Sara!” Anton Rider rose from his chair in the lobby. He waved a letter in his hand. “Banna told me you were coming and suggested that I escort you around the town tomorrow. I wondered if you’d like to have dinner with me tonight? I know of a wonderful little restaurant.” The former Traveling Scholar, who had spirited her away from Belting Hollow after her father’s marriage to Vesty Stone, looked as fit as ever.

  A smile crossed Sara’s lips. “I just left your wife and children in Obridge not three days ago and they are all doing well.” When Sara first came to Obridge from Belting Hollow, Anton took Sara out to lunch, except the meal was at his own home before she knew he was married. She’d never been out to eat with the handsome History professor.

  “I’m thrilled to hear that, I miss them. We can talk about what you’d like to see in Stonebridge.” He glanced at a clock on the wall. “Two hours? The eatery is within walking distance. Just take a cloak. I’ll escort you from here.” He bowed to her and left.

  Sara hadn’t expected to tour Stonebridge and felt comforted that Banna had gone to the trouble to reunite them. She hadn’t seen Anton since their adventure in Dry River and seeing a familiar face made her trip seem even more exciting.

  Sara had a chance to change her travel worn clothes and freshen up a bit after her trip before Anton picked her up. They walked through the streets of Stonebridge. The city definitely had a different feel—it seemed larger and much more impersonal.

  “I can’t say I like the atmosphere here better than Obridge,” Sara said.

  “Obridge. I can’t wait to go back, but unfortunately, I’m afraid I’m stuck here indefinitely. My other profession,” Anton worked for the Duke’s intelligence arm, “will keep me from teaching until summer or maybe fall. I’ve been tempted to bring Vanna down here, but she’s safer in Obridge.”

  “Safer?”

  “Uh,” Anton had obviously made a slip of the tongue of some kind. “The streets are safer up there.” He looked at Sara.

  “That’s too bad, but I can see your point. A larger city breeds more crime. I think you told us that last year when you were in Belting Hollow. Can you believe it’s been a year?”

  Anton shook his head. “Much has happened in that year—to you, to me, to Shattuk Downs. Life changes whether we will it or not.”

  “That’s the truth,” Sara said as Anton opened the door to a small restaurant that reminded her ofThe Purple Pig, the gathering place for students at the Abbey College. “Here we are. The specialty is beef, served in many different ways. The best beef other than the Grand Duke’s own table.”

  “And you’ve eaten with the him to know?” Sara said, wondering what Anton would say.

  “More times than I had wished. But I am sometimes in council meetings with the Grand Duke and my superiors. There are too many cabals in Shattuk Downs to suit him.” Anton adjusted his collar. There was more to that statement but she didn’t pursue the subject.

  Sara enjoyed talking to Anton, as she always did, especially when talk turned to Parth.

  “Do you know Lady Grianna Worthy? I’ll be working with her.”

  “Banna mentioned her. I’m surprised she’s taken up an academic project. It seems out of character. I don’t know her personally, but she does have a bit of a reputation for flightiness and taking on lost causes.” Anton took a sip of his wine. “You should disregard what I said.” He waved away his words. “Make your own judgment. Just bear in mind that Parth is like living in a foreign world, you learned that in Practical Politics. Remember all that you learned in School, for it will serve you well. Observation, Sara. Be an observer and you will learn more than you want to know. Resist being a participant in such a place, as it will only cloud your mind and cause you to lose perspective.”

  “That’s a rather serious piece of advice, Scholar. But I will do my best to follow it.” The wine provided Sara with a mellow feeling, but she took notice of the warning in Anton’s words. “Now, what should I see tomorrow? If it’s convenient I’d like to see Klark Brownhill’s family business.” She pulled out her carriage necklace. “Klark gave me this as a birthday present and I should feel remiss if I don’t visit where these are made.”

  Anton looked at the carriage whistle. “That’s quite a present, Sara. I think we can arrange that. Would you like to see the townhouse that your mother used to live in when she was in town as a girl?”

  Sara nodded. “The name died out when her father died. The Duke of Goldfields is the family title. A Goldagle does not hold it presently. I don’t even remember his name or anything about him. Maybe I can crawl inside the University archives and find out while I’m in Parth.”

  “Jeramy Hardwell’s his name. I don’t know anything about his family, other than I believe he’s like you, the last of his line. Finding out more would be a good task for a wintry day. Parth is on the sea, so it doesn’t snow as much as it does in Shattuk Downs, but there are enough cold days that are every bit as bitter as they are here. Would you like to meet the Grand Duke of Shattuk Downs? He holds court tomorrow afternoon. Perhaps if you make an impression he might offer an endowment to the Women’s College when it starts up.” Anton lost eye contact after he asked her to meet the Duke. He had something else on his mind and he really didn’t seem to be serious about the endowment. Sara would play along, for sometimes she regretted taking Interpretive Listening, because it often took some of the fun out of conversations. Anton had definitely communicated something in his words, if only Sara knew what.

  “That would make for an interesting day, then,” Sara said. “Klark’s business, the Goldfields townhouse and the Grand Duke, but I only have one barely-presentable gown to wear before his Excellency.”

  “You are pretty enough to be presented to the Duke the way you are,” Anton said. Sara had long learned that Anton’s compliments were harmless and innocent, yet sincerely given.

  “Why thank you and that was indeed a wonderful dinner. If you don’t mind, I think my eyes are beginning to droop.”

  ~

  Anton hired an open two-person carriage for the day. They bundled up beneath blankets and drove through busy cobbled streets. Obridge boasted one large market. In Stonebridge, they had already passed four markets of equal size and each one specialized in what the vendors had to offer. He drove along a fence that bordered a series of large buildings and turned into an impressive entry. The gate was made up of shiny black iron that opened up to a large courtyard. Over the gate arced the words ‘Brownhill Coach Works.’ Open-faced sheds flanked the stone paved yard holding shiny new carriages.

  “This is Klark’s family business?”

  “It is. What did you think it was?”

  “I thought of a much smaller operation, like a coach or two at a time.”

  “No, Brownhill Coach Works is the largest carriage manufacturer in Parthy. Let’s go inside the showroom. One can always dream.” Anton grinned at her.

  He parked the carriage in the middle of the yard and they walked into a large showroom. Five coaches of various types f
illed the space. Sara saw a red carriage that looked like the one Vesty and Ben had wrecked. She inspected the design and convinced herself that her father had purchased a yellow model just like it.

  “Can I help you?” The man seemed pleasant enough but distracted. Perhaps they didn’t look like they could buy one of the coaches.

  “I think my father bought one of these nine months ago. A yellow one,” Sara said. When he heard that Ben had bought a Brownhill coach he became much more attentive.

  “Brightlings? Up north? I remember the purchase. I think he said his name was Featherwood.”

  “Yes. Ben Featherwood,” Sara said. “Do you know how much he paid?”

  “Well, since you’re family, five hundred crowns.”

  Sara wanted to sit down. Nearly the value of a full harvest on a coach that now consisted of colorful splinters on the mountain road leading to the Brightlings mines. How could Ben spend so lavishly? What could have possibly possessed him? She reached for her necklace and ran the carriage along the length.

  “You said you are a Featherwood? That necklace.”

  “This?” She showed him her carriage whistle.

  “Only three of those exist and they belong to Brownhill family members.”

  “Oh. Klark gave this to me.”

  The man turned red and straightened up his appearance. “You know Klark Brownhill?” Evidently that meant something to this man, but then he was an employee of the Works.

  “Yes, he gave me this just before he left for Parth.” The significance of the gift dawned on Sara. He had given her something much more special than she realized.

  “Do you wish to see others of the family? His father is up in his office. I’ll go get him.”

  Sara colored. “No. I’ve never met him, only Klark. Thank you for attending to us.” She turned around and left the showroom, trying to keep from shaking her hands in embarrassment. The cold suddenly didn’t bite as blood rushed to her now-hot face.

  When they were outside, Anton laughed. “Oho! You mean quite a bit to that young man.”