All that Glitters (Stavin DragonBlessed Book 1) (34 page)

The major smiled and said, "I'm inclined to believe Friend Stavin. Make the proper entries in your book. Friend Stavin," the major said as he looked up again, "your tax will be one gold crown. Trade goods or not, all goods entering Coravia must be taxed. Sorry, but that's the law."

Stavin nodded and picked up the gold coin that was beside him on the bench. "I was prepared, Sir," he said as he handed the coin to the major.

The major actually laughed at that. "If only everyone was as honest and accommodating as you are, Friend Stavin, this would be a much more enjoyable post. Good journey to you, and safe roads."

The trooper was still staring at Stavin, and when he transferred his attention to her she spoke. "Can I touch it? Your armor?" Stavin nodded and leaned toward her as her hand came up to meet him. Her fingers brushed the surface of his breastplate and she sighed. "It's as smooth as silk. I never thought I'd touch dragon scale. Thank you, Sir. You may go," she said as she recovered her military bearing.

Stavin nodded and snapped the reins to get the horses moving, hurrying to clear the area. Most of Trader Sahren's wagons had already moved on and he joined the caravan. Barvil walked over as he stopped.

"Any trouble, Stavin?"

"No, Sir. I told them what I estimated the value of our goods to be and they took me at my word. The tax was one gold crown."

Barvil raised an eyebrow at that. "We've spent more than that, Stavin."

"Yes, Sir. But they asked what the value of the goods in the wagon was, not what we spent to get them." Stavin smiled and Barvil laughed.

"That's a fine line you are walking, Stavin," he said, slapping Stavin's arm.

Stavin shrugged. "I can't lie honorably, Sir, but that doesn't mean I have to be a fool. I answered the question I was asked fully and honestly."

Barvil shook his head in mock despair. "You've been spending too much time with Kethlan," he muttered. "That sounds like something he would say." Stavin didn't have an answer to that, so he just kept quiet as Barvil walked away.

T
HE TRADERS HAD SOMEHOW REFILLED THEIR
wagons on the Coravian side of the border and were involved in active trading just four days later. In the city of Ahram's Holding the traders began to load up again.

Barvil gathered his men briefly to give his orders. "There is no tax crossing into Kavadia, so now is the time to buy any bulky items that you wanted. There just aren't any big cities with bazaars on our route, otherwise I would have told you to wait. There also aren't any cities big enough to have a Chapter House of the Gold Merchants, Stavin, so what you have on you is all you have available."

Stavin grimaced. "That shouldn't be a problem unless I run into another bookseller, Sir. I'm still weighed down by my purse."

"Don't say that too loudly, Stavin, or someone is likely to help lighten your load," Kahndar said, dropping a heavy hand on Stavin's shoulder.

Kahndar's hand had the first watch, and watch they did as more people brought goods into the caravan than left with them. Items of every type were brought in to trade. After the watch changed, Stavin started doing some of his own trading. A pretty trinket here, a bolt of fine cloth there, and he was surprised by the variety available.

Kethlan shook his head slowly when Stavin brought the subject up, "Do you remember Dragon's Nest, Stavin?" Stavin simply nodded in reply. "Four days from the border, just like here. I suspect that's the only reason this place exists. Four days from the border you get rid of as much as you can, and then four days across the border you load up again. All of these good people will make a modest profit selling us things that they bought from another caravan. We get another load, and the Crown doesn't tax us out of our livelihood."

Stavin shook his head slowly. "There is so much more to trading than I thought. Maybe by the time I've made my fifth expedition I'll understand it."

Kethlan slapped Stavin's shoulder. "You might at that, Stavin. You keep asking why and you just might come to understand."

The caravan traveled north through Coravia, trading as it went, and the warriors all relaxed as several Coravian army patrols swept by them going in both directions. In one instance the patrol stopped the caravan for inspection.

A grizzled old major with a scar across his right eye stopped his horse by Sahren's wagon and bowed. "Your pardon, Trader, but I must ask you to allow us to search your wagons for contraband."

"This is most unusual, Major," Sahren replied, stopping her wagon in the middle of the road.

"It's training, ma'am," the major replied apologetically. "My troops are mostly new, and they need to learn what they are looking for. Will you please ask your people to cooperate?"

Sahren looked at the major, then at the sky. "It's close to mid day. We will eat and let you show your people how to do their jobs."

The major bowed once again and had his troopers dismount. "Cadre, take your subordinates and show them what to look for while you check the wagons," he commanded. The troopers split into teams of six with one veteran and five youths in each.

Stavin was once again driving the wagon and tried not to smile as a tall, exceptionally pretty woman wearing a lieutenant's insignia stepped up to the wagon.

"What are you hauling?" she asked.

"Goods that my comrades and I have purchased in the lowlands of Evandia, Lieutenant," Stavin replied.

"And that golden armor?" she asked, looking directly at Stavin.

"A gift from a dragon," he answered.

"We've heard the story. Troopers, remove the tarp," she commanded and the five youths behind her immediately obeyed. Once the wagon was uncovered she began her inspection. "When you search an open wagon like this one, you have to look for hidden panels."

"There are no hidden panels in this wagon, Lieutenant," Stavin offered helpfully.

"Never believe it when you're told that, no matter who tells you," she said to her subordinates. "Check under the wagon and look for signs of a double bottom. That's a favorite trick with this kind of wagon. Check the seat as well."

A tall, massively built young man stepped up to the side of the wagon and carefully examined the seat from where he was standing. "It's just boards, ma'am, but there's a box tucked up under it," he reported and the lieutenant looked at Stavin.

"What is in that box, good Sir?"

Stavin said, "Books."

"Books? What would an illiterate backwoods barbarian want with books?" the lieutenant sneered.

Stavin felt the adrenaline rush of rage suffuse his body and he looked the lieutenant straight in the eye as he replied, "Hav Cova Parin Kel'Kavin, Shanat. Vel Zel Ova Den Orad Bel Ova Kan."

The lieutenant was staring at him with wide eyes as she replied. "Coh Hava Bel Canat, Zel Contan," she nearly whispered as her troopers stared at them both.

"What was that, ma'am?" one of the troopers asked, drawing the lieutenant's attention.

"Old Tongue, from Imperial times. This young man is a scholar and found my comment to be rude. I guess it was. Cover the wagon and tie down the tarp. We're done here," she commanded and the troopers quickly obeyed her.

Looking up at Stavin, she offered him a slight bow. "You are a surprise, good Sir, and I offer my apologies for my poorly considered words."

Stavin bowed deeply from his seat. "I accept your apology, Lieutenant. Please remember in the future that the warriors of the Kel'Kavin Valley all learn to read, write, and speak Old Tongue at an early age."

She nodded slightly and walked away with her troopers in a file behind her, and continued until she reached her commander and saluted. Stavin was much too far away to hear what she said, but the major gave Stavin a very curious look before returning her salute.

The caravan moved on and stopped for the night at the next town. Trader Sahren planned to spend the next day trading. The town was next to the Coravian Army Fort of Kel'Vardil and shared its name.

The next morning the people of Fort Kel'Vardil, civilian and soldier alike, came out to trade, and Stavin joined the other warriors standing guard beside the wagons. The watch had just changed hands and Stavin was eating when the same lieutenant came looking for him.

"Good Sir, my commanding officer would like to the have a word with you. Will you come with me, please?"

Stavin stood and bowed. "Yes, ma'am," he replied, grabbing his helmet and Dragon's Tongue.

"You won't need those. General Zel'Enred simply wants to meet you," she said and smiled when Stavin put them down. She and Stavin then walked to the fort without saying anything else.

At the general's office the lieutenant came to attention at the desk of another young lieutenant and said, "Lieutenant Zel'Coy reporting to Lord General Zel'Enred with Friend of Evandia Stavin Kel'Aniston, as ordered."

The other lieutenant stood and bowed his head. "I will inform the general that you are here, Lieutenant," he said and walked to the door behind his desk, knocked once, then entered. He returned moments later. "You may escort the general's guest in, Lieutenant," he said, standing at attention behind his desk.

Lieutenant Zel'Coy led Stavin into the general's office and came to attention. "Sir, I wish to present Friend of Evandia Stavin Kel'Aniston from the Kel'Kavin Valley."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. Wait outside to escort him back when we are through." The general paused as the lieutenant left the room. "Welcome to Fort Kel'Vardil, Friend Stavin."

Stavin bowed deeply. "I am honored to meet you, Lord General Zel'Enred."

"I asked Lieutenant Zel'Coy to bring you here because I'm curious. You told her that all of your people learn to speak, read, and write Old Tongue. Is that really true?"

Stavin nodded. "Yes, Sir," he snapped, then added with a grin, "Not everyone remembers it after the lessons, though."

"That sounds remarkably familiar, Friend Stavin. Come over here, please. I have something I would like you to look at," the general said, motioning Stavin over to the side of the room.

Stavin joined the general and found himself looking at the tattered remains of an ancient book. "This book was found in an ancient tomb that was accidentally discovered at a rock quarry near here," the general explained. "It is written in glyphs, which I was never very good at, but the language doesn't seem to match what I remember of Old Tongue. Would you care to take a look?"

Stavin was almost shaking with his desire to look at the book and he immediately stepped forward saying, "Yes, please, Sir."

Stavin carefully opened the book and looked at the parchment pages. They were stained and tattered at the edges, and some sort of insect had burrowed into them, but most of the writing was legible.

"Ikal Intav Inatat. So Van Ikal Inatat. Doh So Invatal Sah Kaval. Cam So Lem Ikal Inatat," Stavin read aloud. "King Inatat sleeps. In sleep, Inatat dreams. Let he who discovers this place tremble. Honored is King Inatat," he said as he translated the passage. "I have only seen one small parchment in this language, Sir. Master Kel'Zorgan let me see it and taught me the difference in the glyphs. This isn't actually Old Tongue: it's older than that." He looked up at the general. "When Dandarshandrake taught the Chosen of Luxand to read and write the glyphs, he brought them from somewhere in the west. It's always been assumed that he meant another continent when he said that, but you may have proven that he meant something closer. After all, we are far to the west of the original city of Lux."

The general was staring at Stavin with a curious expression. "I thought you were twisting Lieutenant Zel'Coy's tail, Friend Stavin. How many of your people could read this?"

"Master Scribe Kel'Zorgan and my wife, Sharindis, though I doubt Shari would be able to make out the glyphs. She lost most of her sight when she fell off a horse five years ago," Stavin answered, looking at the book again.

T
HE GENERAL LEANED TOWARD
S
TAVIN WITH
an intensely curious expression. "Twenty scholars from Moravad, Twin Bridges, and Luxand have examined this book and pronounced it gibberish," the general said as he stared at Stavin. "Gods Above and Below, Friend Stavin, do you realize what this means?" he asked loudly.

Stavin was suddenly afraid that he might have been a little too proud and insulted someone. "No, Sir, I don't think I do," he said, shrinking back timidly.

"This means that the history of our people extends farther back than we've ever dreamed. My hobby is the ancient past. I've dug up and collected hundreds of items over the years, but never anything as definitive as this." He smiled broadly and grasped Stavin by both shoulders. "Friend Stavin, would you be willing to try and translate this book? Even if you can only translate part of it, it will open up a chapter of our past that we didn't know existed."

"I would be honored, Sir, but I don't know if I can. Perhaps Master Kel'Zorgan will help me."

"I had hoped that you would consent to staying here for the winter, Friend Stavin," the general said as he looked down into Stavin's eyes.

Stavin bowed before he replied, "I would be honored, Sir, but I don't think my wife would understand, and I am honor-bound to complete my five expeditions before I would be allowed to take the time away from my duties this project will require. In addition, I have to admit that I don't know if I translated that right. The parchment that I was talking about is only about half a page and is from an ancient teaching book from Old Lux, from the early years of the Empire. Only Master Kel'Zorgan knows it well enough to be sure of his translation."

The general nodded. "Would you be able to work on it during the winter in Kel'Kavin?"

"Yes, Sir," Stavin answered, coming to attention automatically.

"I am loath to allow it out of my possession, but I don't see a way around it. Given the security of the Kel'Kavin crater, and the reputation of your people, I suppose it would be safe enough. I just wish I could go along." The general shook his head sadly. "Duty forbids me that option, just as duty forbids you the other."