Fimbulwinter (Daniel Black) by E. William Brown

Author:E. William Brown [Brown, E. William]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-06-12T07:00:00+00:00

installing a portcullis, along with quite a few arrow slits and murder holes

covering the approach to the gate.

They also pointed out some of the practical problems inherent in living

in such a structure, which convinced me to go ahead and install fireplaces on

each floor and a few privies in discreet locations. It was far from ideal, but

that way they’d be able to get by if I never got a chance to put in magical

heating or plumbing.

Later that afternoon, once I’d finally finished the gatehouse and started

on the next stretch of wall, I got my next visitor. This time it was a burly fellow

with graying hair and a scraggly beard, carrying a weathered-looking spear

and bundled up in a coat and cloak that seemed quite well-used. He was

accompanied by a couple of younger men, also armed with spears, but from the

way they focused on surveying the snow-covered fields around us I surmised

they were here as his bodyguards.

I was raising a new stretch of wall when I noticed them, and dropped

back to ground level to see what they wanted. As the older man approached I

noted that he wore a large silver amulet outside his cloak, bearing an odd

knotwork symbol that looked sort of like three overlapping crescent moons.

118

“Any idea who that is?” I asked the leader of my current bodyguard

squad. What was his name, again? I’ve never been good with names, and there

was so much coming and going it was getting hard to keep track.

“That’s Holger Drakebane,” the soldier explained in a low tone. “He’s

the High Priest of the temple here in Lanrest.”

Sadly there was no time for further questions.

“Ho there, wizard! I’d like a word with you.”

Well, that was different. What was the proper form of address for a

high priest, anyway? Heck if I know, and guessing wrong would look pretty

strange. I’d have to wing it.

“Ho yourself, priest! I suppose I can spare a few minutes from the wall.

What brings you all the way out here?”

He pulled up in surprise, and for a moment I thought he was going to

take offense. But then he laughed.

“‘Priest’, indeed! That’ll show me. Holger is the name. I understand

you go by Daniel the Black?”

“Close enough,” I replied. “Black is actually just my family name, but

people keep trying to make it into a title. What can I do for you?”

“It’s more a matter of what will you do, and whether you ought to. I’ve

been hearing some disturbing rumors about your apprentices, and the scale of

this wall project is a bit disquieting as well. But perhaps we should discuss

this privately? I know how you wizards are about protecting your secrets.”

“Good idea. How about the top of the wall, then?”

“That would work”, he nodded.

I’d been keeping the face of the wall where I was doing construction

pretty vertical, since it was a lot easier to start a new section and just stand on

it as I grew it to full height than it would be to walk back and forth along an

incline. That meant there was no easy way for anyone else

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