The Farthest Edge of the World: The Sapphire Dagger Quartet, #4

Emery Gallagher

The Farthest Edge of the World

Book Four of the Sapphire Dagger Quartet

Copyright © 2024 by Emery Gallagher

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

Emery Gallagher asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

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Contents

1. Accolades

2. Guests

3. Harvest Time

4. Amicable Relationships

5. Jealousy and Destiny

6. Wild and Wondrous

7. Journeys Home

8. Obligations

9. A City Found

10. A City Lost

11. Wherever You Are

Epilogue

1

Accolades

The capital city of Tandora was a maze of tiny buildings crammed shoulder to shoulder along twisting streets to the horse and rider looking down from a high hill above the city. Up close Andari was crowded and dirty, a garden patch grown wild with lack of tending, but from afar some remnant of the city’s original plan could still be seen. The high curtain wall bounded the edge of the city like the rim of a wagon’s wheel, meant to protect the city but now keeping it from growing large enough to accommodate the burgeoning population. The main avenues formed the wheel’s spokes leading to the royal palace at its hub, safely encircled by a wall of its own.

Charlie steadied her impatient horse as she gazed down at Andari, remembering when she had seen the city though a haze of battle and chaos. She had arrived as part of an invading war party then, but she was here now to be welcomed and applauded. She had lived at the palace for months after the battle, but this was the first time she had returned since she had gone home to Windsong. After only two days, she was already restless to move on.

As if feeling her tension, her horse shifted uneasily beneath her, and Charlie patted his neck to calm him. The big, raven-black colt she had named Eclipse had been a gift from Nyktilos when she had left the Palace. He was a gorgeous horse, tall and elegant but sturdy enough to cover miles of rough ground with ease. He was also stubborn and mercurial to the point of being dangerous. After a number of eventful rides and a few injuries on Charlie’s part, Eclipse had decided to consent to being ridden. Even if her pride had let her ask someone else for help training him, the temperamental horse had decided he liked no one but her. Charlie had cursed Nyktilos’s gift as often as she had been grateful for him. Sometimes the horse’s presence felt like the only tangible reminder of her time spent in the otherworldly Palace Behind the Sky, as if he might be the anchor that kept all of her strange memories from fading into a dream.

As Charlie rode back into the city, she felt heads swivel her way and eyes bore into her back, though no one met her gaze outright. She told herself it was just Eclipse—the horse certainly drew attention—but she knew it was really her. Though the actual role she had played in the war was known to only a few, the new king had acknowledged her openly as having been one of his most vital supporters. Charlie had gone from being unknown to either the daughter of the traitor who had organized the coup to overthrow King Villavis and a conspirator in her own right, or the daughter of the most powerful man in Tandora, who had restored the lost prince to his rightful throne. No matter their political leanings, most people thought her an odd girl who played with swords and dressed like a boy, and she had heard enough rumors about herself to fill a book. She ignored the stares and let Eclipse run through the streets at an injudicious speed, sending up a cloud of dust that settled over the hapless pedestrians.

Beth, Charlie’s younger sister, was waiting outside the stables when she returned, looking impatient and out-of-place in her fashionable gown and delicate slippers in a way that made Charlie smile. Charlie was the wild one who spent her time galloping about the country and lingering in dirty stable yards; Beth was the good, traditional daughter who spoke politely and embroidered flowers onto garters.

Beth shielded her cornflower-blue eyes with one hand to squint up at Charlie. Everyone is rushing around to find you, she said. You were meant to be back an hour ago. I laid your things out for you on your bed, she added in a softer tone. You just have to put them on.

Thank you, Charlie said as she dismounted. She patted Eclipse’s neck. I was rather hoping I’d miss it entirely, but I see I timed my return too early, she grumbled.

Beth smiled. Are you that nervous, Charlie? You fought in a war, and you are worried about walking down the length of a room?

This is far harder. I don’t suppose you’d do it for me?

I wish I could, Beth sighed. The gown I picked out for you is divine. Better hurry; you wouldn’t want to keep His Majesty waiting.

* * *

An hour later, Charlie stood outside the doors of the palace’s audience hall, dressed in the finery her sister had chosen for her. Over a gown of deep blue silk, she wore a surcoat of cloth of silver embroidered with a pattern of roses and briars worked in matching blue thread, the neck and large armholes trimmed with white fur. She had been adorned with what felt like half the contents of her jewelry chest; sapphires glittered from her throat, ears, and hair. It was the most finely-dressed she had ever been, and she felt simultaneously ridiculous and also strangely grateful for Beth’s careful work, as if the outfit were armor that would deflect any sly comments whispered her way. As she stood there fighting the urge to rub her head where it was beginning to hurt from her elaborate hairstyle, Charlie could hear the low buzzing of the courtiers crowded into the king’s audience hall. Flies around a cowpat, she thought to herself. Her disdain for the court didn’t make her any less nervous about having to walk the length of the hall in front of them.

Are you really sure this is necessary? she asked her father, trying to keep the pleading from her voice.

Yes, it is, Arathis replied with irritating calm as he leaned on the gold-tipped cane he used when his leg was stiff. He had suffered a wound during the war, but Charlie thought he mostly liked to carry the cane because it was useful for making grand gestures and doling out occasional smacks. You deserve to have your contributions recognized.

"But I do not want them recognized, Charlie muttered under her breath. She was already getting too much attention as it was. I know what I did, she added in a louder voice, and Justin knows what I did. Isn’t that all that matters?"

No, he said cheerfully. It matters much more that the court sees that you have great value to the Crown and that they see the king has many powerful and useful friends. Besides, you have to be officially given your new post.

Justin signing it would make it official. But she knew it was no use.

Why are you suddenly so frightened? her father asked, amused. You walk into strange lands with fewer nerves than this.

"I am not frightened, she protested. I just don’t see the point in all this." But even as she finished speaking, the steward was gesturing for her to come, and her stomach did a flip. She might be a little frightened, she realized as she stood in the doorway.

Go, dearest, Arathis said. I’ll see you inside.

He disappeared into the hall with surprising speed for a man who used a cane, and Charlie at once felt a little lonely. She looked at the steward. I really hate this.

Everyone who is sane does, he replied. He gestured for her to approach the doorway.Ready? Just look straight to the end of the room.

The two great doors into the hall swung inward, opening to the carpeted path down the center of the room. The dais where the throne stood seemed far, far away. She heard the herald shout her name over the buzzing of the crowd. Lady Tatiana Arabella Sophrona of Windsong.

Charlie took a deep breath and stepped into the room. Despite her apprehension, she walked down the long carpet bisecting the hall at a sedate pace, her head high. She kept her eyes fixed on the dais where Justin waited for her at the other end of the room instead of looking at the courtiers gathered on either side of her, whispering behind their hands and exchanging looks. He was certainly easy to see; the shy young man she had first seen sitting on the ground and wearing homespun wool was barely recognizable now beneath the weight of his embroidered robe and the sunrise-shaped crown resting on his brow.

When she reached Justin, she curtsied deeply, her head lowered demurely. She couldn’t resist a sneaky glance up at him, and he winked at her solemnly. Charlie, he said as he stepped forward and took her gently by both arms, his tone full of warmth and familiarity that was meant only for her, though she knew those close by were intended to overhear and marvel that she was on such intimate terms with the monarch. He kissed her lightly on each cheek, then pulled her to her feet so that she had permission to stand.

Charlie barely listened as Justin expressed the Crown’s thanks for her efforts during the war. They had rehearsed this enough times that she had his speech memorized. She knelt at the appropriate time on the conveniently placed cushion so that Justin could gently tap her shoulders with his scepter as he bestowed the role of Royal Ambassador upon her. There was a murmur from the crowd at that as few had been expecting it. The king placed the scepter on a cushion held by an attendant, then took a broach from a second. They had decided against a ring as Charlie didn’t like the idea of something as clunky as a signet ring weighing down her hand. The Mistress of the Wardrobe who chose the king’s clothing had suggested a broach as an alternative and even designed it herself. Charlie held still as Justin leaned down to pin it to her surcoat. He had been so worried about sticking her with the pin that he had insisted on practicing that too.

She waited to be told to stand, then felt a small bubble of panic rise when Justin turned away from her slightly instead. Had he forgotten the plan? She was going to be stuck kneeling here awkwardly until everyone got restless and left. But her panic quickly turned to curiosity as she realized Justin had turned to accept something from a third attendant. Had they changed the ceremony after the last rehearsal? She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to respond.

When Justin turned back toward her, he was holding a long, thick sheet of vellum. Even with him holding it facing himself, she could see that it was heavily covered in large writing, the title letters illuminated and the margins elaborately bordered. He looked over its edge at her, and Charlie felt a sudden suspicion.

In light of the gratitude of the Crown toward your tireless service, Justin intoned, not meeting her eyes, and in honor of your new position as ambassador, it pleases the Crown to present you with the Fiefdom of Havenhalh, including all property and titles associated with its name. Please rise, Lady Tatiana of Windsong and Havenhalh, Royal Ambassador to the Crown of Tandora.

Charlie stood, simultaneously trying to keep her face neutral and burn a hole in Justin’s head with her eyes. He was being careful not to look at her now. He kissed her cheek again quickly and pressed a scroll into her hand—her copy of the deed to her land. She tightened her fist around it until it bent as she curtsied. She now had to leave the room the way she had entered; a long, stately walk past the gossiping court that was no longer even bothering to whisper. She could swear they had multiplied while her back was turned. Fortunately, this time several people started clapping, and within seconds the applause and cheers were enough to drown out the voices. A few endless steps later, and she was out of the audience hall again in the cool solitude of the entry way.

She didn’t have long to catch her breath though. The feast and entertainment for the evening were both in her honor, and Charlie was whisked away to wait outside the great hall until the other guests had been seated. She would be sitting at the high table with the king, and she fully intended to give him an earful when she got there. But by the time she had been announced with her new string of titles and endured what felt like a hundred toasts to her name, it became apparent that there was no time to have a heated conversation with Justin. She was so busy fielding the well-wishes of courtiers that she could barely eat, and she wouldn’t have been able to hear him even if she had gotten a minute to confront him as the music she had requested instead of dancing was loud enough to require speakers to nearly shout. Charlie had to settle for shooting Justin meaningful looks he pretended not to see.

Her next plan to corner him after the dinner was over was also thwarted as, being the king, Justin was the first one to leave. He bid her a cheerful goodnight and hastened to a side door, his guard falling in around him.

Arathis had watched Charlie’s growing irritation with amusement throughout the evening. Let it go for tonight, Charlie, he advised as they rose to leave the table. You’ve had a busy enough day. Talk to him about it tomorrow if you must, though there’s not much point. You can’t refuse the gift.

Charlie supposed she had to concede his first point, though she was not yet convinced about the second. She could wait to yell at Justin tomorrow.

* * *

A liveried servant hauled the heavy door of the king’s private chambers open and announced her arrival with what Charlie always considered unnecessary zeal. Lady Tatiana of Windsong and Havenhalh, Your Majesty! he bellowed, then bowed and stood at attention. The palace staff had been informed of her new title, it seemed.

Justin, Charlie said casually as she stepped into the room without waiting to be invited and approached the table where the king was perusing a pile of papers.

Charlie, Justin greeted her pleasantly as he scrawled something across the bottom of the page. He raised his head to look at the servant. Thank you.

The servant bowed again and launched himself back into the passageway, pulling the door shut behind himself.

Stars above, Charlie said incredulously as she settled in the chair opposite Justin.

I know, he agreed glumly. I don’t know how to ask him to stop. He seems to enjoy it so.

They both stared after the man a moment, then looked back at each other.

Was there something you wanted to talk about? the king asked when she only gazed at him.

Charlie leaned her elbow on the chair’s arm and rested her chin in her hand. Justin, she said. You gave me a castle.

He settled back in his own chair and smiled, clearly pleased with himself. Yes, I did. I hope you like it. I picked that one for you because it’s close to the northern gate, but if you don’t like it, there’s a fair few available at the moment, he added in a more subdued tone. The noble families who had refused to pledge their allegiance to the new king had had their lands and holdings seized by the Crown. Others had been killed in the war, leaving no heirs to their titles.

You’re offering me a choice of castles? she echoed. "A castle. Why?"

Justin shrugged. Why shouldn’t I give you a castle? he reasoned. I’ve given out land and titles to many people who helped the army during the war. I made your father a duke and gifted him more property. There’s no reason you shouldn’t be included. You’ve more than earned it. He hesitated. And honestly, Charlie, it seems like there might be some tension for you at Windsong in the future.

Tension? What do you mean by that? she asked cautiously.

He paused again. I just mean that I know you’ve grown very independent and self-reliant over the last few years, and I think perhaps that causes some—disharmony for you now that you’re back at Windsong with your family. He gave her a sheepish look. I know young women from good families usually don’t have their own households and are almost thought of as children until they marry, but I don’t think that lifestyle suits you. You’re easily as capable as any man, and I don’t think you should have to marry someone to have a home of your own just because you’re a woman.

Charlie was surprised by both the perspicacity and the kindness of his reasoning. She was a bit touched as well, particularly because he wasn’t exactly wrong. She had butted heads with her father when she had first reunited with him after three years apart; she had grown accustomed to making her own decisions, and he had expected her to be obedient. They had mostly managed to adjust to each other again, but Charlie’s willfulness was still often at odds with Arathis’s orders. It was certainly at odds with her mother’s idea of a well-behaved young woman.

Who was the fiefdom taken from? she asked quietly. Being given someone else’s ancestral home was an uncomfortable thought.

No one, actually, Justin assured her. The last known heir died twenty years ago, and no one has ever bothered to trace the fourth cousin by marriage that might have inherited it. I’m afraid you’ll find it rather abandoned, he apologized. But go have a look at it and see what you think. If it’s too dilapidated, you can look through the list of fiefdoms still in the hands of the Crown and chose yourself another.

Privately, Charlie knew that even if she arrived to find the castle a pile of stones on the ground, she wouldn’t request an exchange. She was sure Justin was sincere with his offer, but she was also sure that requesting an improvement on a gift the king had given her publicly would not be well-regarded. Besides, having never expected to be given a castle in the first place, she would not be particularly disappointed in not having one. Aloud, she merely agreed. All right. I’ll go look at it before I decide anything. I don’t suppose you have any ambassador duties for me yet?

I’m afraid not. But speaking of ambassadors, we’re expected a few ourselves. When she raised an inquisitive eyebrow, he continued. The Shalans are sending a contingent as part of our attempts to repair relationships between our two countries. They’ll arrive close to the end of summer and stay at several fiefs on their way to the capital where they will arrive in time for the harvest celebrations. Your father has put forward Windsong to be a host.

Now Charlie was surprised. Really? He hasn’t said anything to me at all.

Well, it isn’t decided yet, Justin said. There’s a lot of debate about whether allowing the Shalans to stay at the home of the king’s chief advisor is a great honor that demonstrates our desire to become allies, or if it is an injudicious risk to the safety of your entire family.

Naturally, Papa thinks it is the former.

Yes, because much like you, he was born without the capacity to feel fear. Justin was joking, of course, but they both knew Arathis would take enormous risks if he calculated the outcome could be worth it. Fortunately, he was also excellent at predicting when the coin would land on his side. Justin changed the subject. Do you have plans now that you’re getting settled back into life in Tandora and your final obligation here is finished? Or are you just going to enjoy being home for a bit?

Charlie leaned against the arm of her chair and sighed. I have a few plans, though I suppose they are more vague desires than plans. I want to keep researching the Order of the Dagger when I can, and I want to find the rest of the gates. I’ll need to find more if I’m to be as useful an ambassador as we intended.

Seems like two thing that will likely be accomplished in tandem, he observed.

Yes, she agreed. And as the Order is meant to be a group of women, not just me, I have to somehow find or recruit the other members. I don’t understand how to do that at all yet, so I’m hoping perhaps that might become clear from something I read in some hidden book in a library somewhere.

Maybe you’ll get volunteers? Justin suggested. I’m sure quite a few little girls want to be you right now.

That’s because they don’t know what a heavy burden it is to be me, Charlie sighed, affecting an expression of noble suffering.

* * *

Charlie didn’t stay long at the palace after her recognition at court. If she had been the subject of whispering and rumors before, she was now the recipient of insincere well-wishing and insipid flattery. Courtiers trying to befriend her for her relation to her father and her proximity to the Crown wasn’t new, but her recent show of favor by the king had only amplified their efforts. After she had nearly tripped over enough girls with wide smiles and icy eyes trying to compliment her taste in gowns and enough young men lingering in her path with some fabricated excuse for conversation, she decided she needed some time away from Andari.

The most obvious place to go seemed to be Havenhalh. Her curiosity about this castle and land she had just been given had only grown after her initial uncertainty had faded. When she told her father her plans, he expressed interest in accompanying her, if she would delay for him to finish with his business at the palace. Because traveling with her father always involved a contingent of soldiers and their associated accoutrements, she declined and told him she would meet him back at Windsong. A few days traveling alone was beginning to seem more and more enjoyable by the day.

Her trip from the capital to Havenhalh was easy and uneventful. Charlie was surprised at how quickly she settled back into the habit of riding all day and camping under the stars at night. Even performing simple tasks like gathering firewood or setting up a tent felt like a balm to her soul. The late summer air was warm during the day and pleasantly cool at night, and she rarely encountered other travelers. Eclipse even behaved himself admirably. He seemed to enjoy the traveling, and he covered ground with a speed and tireless efficiency that impressed her. In a little over a week, she had reached the edge of the fief.

As she rode over the land that now belonged to her, Charlie studied the dense forest around her with interest, eager to get to know the surroundings. She turned first toward the village and its farmland, curious about her tenants. Havenhalh’s holding looked large on the map she had brought along, but she was still surprised by how long it took her to reach the village itself. She came upon it rather suddenly out of the trees and found it much smaller and more dilapidated than she had expected. She thought it was deserted for a brief moment before she saw a few villagers moving about and noticed a thin trail of smoke from a fire. A few of the fields had been planted with crops, but others had been allowed to go wild and were being reclaimed by the forest. The villagers had noticed her now and had stopped to stare up at her in silence.

Charlie felt a growing sense of unease as she neared the village; it seemed everyone who lived there had stopped to watch her approach. A woman on a tall black horse was probably not something they saw every day, she reasoned; they probably rarely had visitors at all. Their expressions certainly suggested they expected nothing good to arrive along with her. She drew her horse up at the village’s edge, a judicious few yards away from the nearest people.

Hello, she called in what she hoped was a friendly tone. There was no reply. Is this the village of Havenhalh? she tried again, though she knew full well that it was.

Yes, one of the nearby men said cautiously. What business have you here?

She took no offense at the curtness of the reply. I am your new lady, she told them. His Majesty has granted the fief of Havenhalh to me. I am Lady Tatiana, she added, deciding not to complicate matters further with more of her titles. Her name had been overlong when she was born; it was bordering on disastrous now.

The unease at this statement was obvious. She waited while looks and murmurs were exchanged. She had brought life-altering news, and they had every right to their shock and concern. She studied them as she knew they were studying her. They were a rather sorry lot up close; most too thin and poorly-dressed. The buildings were in rougher shape than they had appeared from afar, with holes in roofs and cracks in walls left un-mended. There were few animals present, and those she saw were in as starved a state as the people. The village was not doing well.

I know this is unexpected, Charlie said when she thought they’d had enough time to consider her words, but you needn’t concern yourself much with it now. I don’t intend to disrupt your lives. She hesitated a moment, then went on. I do see that some repairs need to be made here. If you would like to compose a list of issues, we can begin to work on resolving them together. I’ve only owned this property for a few weeks, but I mean to be an involved lady.

The villages stared back at her in silence.

Charlie sighed. All right then. I see this is a lot to take in at once. We can talk again later when you’ve had time to think and discuss among yourselves. Where is the castle? She was sure it should have been visible from the village at one time, but the forest had grown up between the two.

The man who had spoken before raised a hand to point, and she saw a faint trail forming a tunnel through the trees. Thank you, Charlie said, trying not to sigh again. Good evening.

There was no response.

Her misgivings about the village lasted only until she caught a glimpse of the castle through the trees, a dark, imposing structure on a hill as a castle should be. Even from a distance she could make out several tall, narrow towers jutting from above the wall, at least one beginning to crumble.

As she drew closer, Charlie could see part of the moat that surrounded the castle and the high outer wall beyond it, wreathed in a layer of vines. The moat formed only a semicircle around the front of the castle where the entrance was manageable by horse and wagon; both of its ends terminated in the rocky hill upon which the castle was built. There was no need for any barrier apart from the sheer surface of the hill after that. The drawbridge that had connected the road to the castle had collapsed into the moat, but the moat itself was empty and shallow. It had been been lined with stone along the bottom, but the grass had grown over it so thoroughly it looked more like a lawn.

Charlie stood at the edge of the moat for a long moment, studying what she could see of the castle. It was above her now, and she could make out both the first gate directly across from the fallen drawbridge and the towers that flanked the second further up, though the offset angle hid the gate itself. Two large rectangular towers formed the corners of the inner wall that faced her, and beyond them she could see the roof of the keep, though not much else.

Eclipse pawed the ground and shook his head.

Shh, Charlie soothed, but she understood his unease. She could hear the wind stirring the trees in the forest, but the air around them felt curiously still. The castle was dark and mysterious in the fading light, and a chill went down her back.

Let’s go inside, she said, whispering.

She dismounted and led Eclipse down into the moat. He followed her reluctantly up the other side and onto the path that led to the gate. The great wooden and iron door had been left open just enough for a person to squeeze through. Charlie wedged herself into the space and used her legs to force the rusty hinges until she created a gap large enough for her horse to fit through. Eclipse was not impressed with her efforts and continued to look around as if expecting hungry lions to emerge from the shadows.

There was a guardhouse directly to the left of the entrance, its shuttered windows like sleeping eyes. The path continued sharply to the right over a narrow bridge designed to squeeze would-be attackers and straightened out again as it approached the forework. The second gate was more imposing than the first, a series of portcullises housed by a deep, rectangular gatehouse and flanked on either side by a slender, round tower. Two larger, oval towers book-ended the round towers, all four capped with elegantly-pointed roofs and slit by narrow windows.

Fortunately all three portcullises were open because if their gears were as rusted as the door hinges, she never would have cranked them open enough to admit a horse. The gatehouse was so dark it was like riding through a tunnel, and Charlie felt both a twinge of relief and a fresh wave of amazement when she reached the courtyard on the other side.

Seeing the castle from below had concealed how large it was. Now that she was seeing it up close, Charlie wondered how thoroughly Justin had read the description of the property before he had given it to her. The layout of the courtyard started out square but was forced to narrow to a more triangular shape toward the back by the steepness of the hill it had been built into. There were barracks for housing men-at-arms directly against the front wall on either side of the gatehouse. Staircases from their roofs would have allowed soldiers to access the wall directly, but they were badly crumbled. To her right was a stretch of stables, and past them another block of buildings she couldn’t identify. A large hall had been built across the far side of the courtyard where it narrowed, obscuring any view past it. It would be a later addition to make up for the original keep not having one large enough, she assumed.

The keep itself took up the greater portion of left side of the courtyard, opposite the stables. It had been built on a practical square plan, but every wall and tower had been gently curved to give the illusion that it was round. It had a tower at each of its four corners, a matching pair on either side of the main entrance, and a seventh tower rising alone from somewhere behind the entryway. With only a modest footprint, it been given greater size by its considerable height, the gentle reduction of size in each rising level giving the whole structure a lightweight, elegant appearance. Charlie thought it beautiful.

Like the outside of the castle, the inside was showing the alarming effects of years of neglect. Grass, vines, and even trees had taken over the courtyard. Stone was crumbling and wood was rotting on every building. Her own ease at entering made her leery of who else might have done the same, seeking a comfortable place to sleep or hide, but she saw no evidence that anyone else had been there. She suspected wild animals had also found the castle a useful refuge, but they were hiding from her presence.

A distant boom of thunder reminded her that she would need to set up camp for the night soon. It was nearly dark, and rain was coming. Charlie looked around uncertainly at the buildings, all blank-faced and dark as caves in the dim light. She didn’t particularly want to go inside any of them. She wasn’t sure what she would find, but she did know they would all be very dark without an armful of torches. But if she wasn’t going to stay, she would need to decide quickly before it began to rain

After a moment’s deliberation, she turned toward the stable where there was an overhang to stand under. She raised an uncertain hand to the door, then banged on it loudly. When nothing rustled inside, she set about making her camp. Charlie tied Eclipse where he could stand under the eave or eat the grass growing through the cobblestones as he wished, then went in search of water. She found the castle’s well easily enough, though she was lucky she didn’t step into it as the cover had rotted through, but there was no bucket to reach the water with, assuming there was water somewhere down in the murk. She dragged an old trough under the eave of the barn where it would catch the rainwater rolling off the roof and settled into her bedroll as the drizzle began.

* * *

The castle grounds were more sadly dilapidated than eerie in the sunshine of a cloudless morning. Charlie drank some of the rather unpleasant water she had collected overnight, moved Eclipse to a new grazing spot, and started a more intensive survey of her new property.

The building next to the stable was a set of kitchens, one with a great hearth for cooking and roasting and the other with deep clay ovens for baking bread. Charlie looked inside only briefly before moving to examine the great hall. Unlike the keep, it had been built to impress rather than to protect, and it had large windows to let in light—a few even still had glass. She stood on tiptoe to peer in through one empty window and got a glimpse of the grandly-proportioned space inside. It had two modestly-sized hearths on the opposite wall, and she suspected they were mirrored by two more on the wall she was standing against. There was another larger fireplace at the far end behind the raised platform where the high table would sit. Of furniture there were only a few broken bits left behind.

Now that she had walked around the outside of the hall, Charlie could see that its placement had concealed the entrance to the lower bailey circled by the outer wall. This was where the smaller outbuildings for storage should have been and where the animals kept inside the walls were raised. Having been an outdoor space to begin with, it was wildly overgrown, so Charlie climbed the steps to the low wall and walked along its walkway instead of trying to fight her way through the vegetation. From that vantage point, she saw a few collapsed structures that might have been bake houses or breweries dotted around the large space, but she didn’t feel inclined to investigate further. On the other side of the wall, the ground dropped steeply away, and she had an expansive view of the forest. She suspected in the castle’s more functional days that the land had been cleared to prevent enemy soldiers from approaching unseen.

She returned to the inner courtyard and the keep. While she may have told herself that she had been conducting her examination in a logical manner, truthfully she had saved the keep for last because something about its dark, silent presence made her heart quicken. Though she really didn’t need it to see, Charlie lit a candle and wrapped her hand around the iron circle that served as the handle to the main door. With a loud scraping noise, the door swung slowly on its stiff hinges,