Mystery at Shadow Peak (1)

Writers: Estelle
Date Posted: 5th July 2022
Series: Mystery at Shadow Peak

Characters: Jorghan, Alekis
Description: A guard investigates a mysterious disappearance
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 9, day 4 of Turn 10
Notes: This follows "Fire, Smoke, Boom"

There was a place in the mountains above Garnet Valley, where the
trader's road curved around a steep cliff and the mining hold came
suddenly into view, the last of the afternoon sunlight casting
spear-like shadows from its tall tower down into the valley below. Low
stone outbuildings, warehouses and beast pens surrounded the facade of a
holding cut into the rock, a jumble of terraces and narrow slit-like
windows and winding steps, wooden frameworks above the deeper darkness
of mine shafts.

The guardsman reined his runnerbeast to a halt, dismounted and led it to
the edge of the outcropping where months before, though he didn't know
it, a woman had looked down to watch the results of her actions play
out. He did notice the newly rebuilt smithy, its walls still clean and
freshly cut compared to the weathered stone of its neighbours.

That would be where it had happened.

He narrowed his eyes, trying to commit as much of the layout as he could
to memory. It would have been easy enough to approach the smithy unseen,
particularly in the evening, with the light failing. Then he remounted
and continued on down the road, letting the runner follow the slope
downwards at a steady pace. They crossed a shallow stream, the road
flattened out and soon they were on the final approach to the hold.

His arrival hadn't gone unnoticed. A pair of guards were stationed
outside a stone hut where the road sloped upwards to the main courtyard.
They were alert and, if not nervous, at least showing a healthy amount
of caution towards the stranger.

"Good evening." He slid down from the runner's back, keeping his
movements slow and careful, and reached into the saddlebag for the
sealed papers he carried. "Guardsman Jorghan, from Garnet Valley. I was
sent here to provide assistance to your Warder."

The older man of the two nodded, his gaze taking in Jorghan's uniform,
travel-worn but neat, his knots and the guardsman's sword at his side.
"Ah. Yes, you've been expected." His lips twisted in a grim smile.
"Welcome to Shadow Peak Mining Hold, guardsman. I'll show you the way."

Jorghan followed him. A young stableboy came running up to take charge
of his runner, and he shouldered his pack as they passed through a pair
of thick metal doors and into a glowlit entrance hall. This felt like an
old holding, perhaps from the last Pass; it was certainly well protected
against Thread. Arched passages led off into what must be tunnels
winding deep into the cliff, the mountain-peak crest of the hold carved
above each. Tapestries hung between the openings, traditional scenes of
holder life in rich colours not faded by age.

"Kitchens are down that way." The guard, who'd introduced himself as
Gorwil, pointed to their left. "Straight on for the dining hall. When
you've seen the Warder and settled in it should be time for the evening
meal. Had a long ride?"

"Not too bad. I started from the tavern at Spinner's Crossing this
morning, but I took it slow. Didn't want to lame the runner."

"Wise of you. There's bandits out there, and smugglers. You try to chase
them down and they just melt away into the hills and shelter in the
caves and old mines." Gorwil shook his head. "Doubt they'd attack in
daylight, not unless you look like you're carrying valuables, but after
nightfall, well. They don't like guards."

"I'll let my captain know." Jorghan frowned. "See if we can't send some
more men out here to take care of them."

"Don't know as it'd do much good. Get rid of one and another takes his
place. You'd need an Hold's worth of patrols to clear out these hills.
Our trade wagons are well guarded, they mostly pilfer from the cotholds."

"Still. I'll mention it." He wondered if that had anything to do with
the reason he'd been sent here. They'd started up a staircase, passing
what Gorwil pointed out as the guest quarters, then continuing to climb
in a narrowing spiral. Jorghan's leg muscles, already stiff from the
long ride, began to ache and his pack felt twice its real weight. He
remembered the towers he'd seen from the outlook above the hold,
wondered how near they were to the top.

At last, they reached an open door, leading into a round chamber, warm
and lamplit with a fire crackling in the hearth. Thick rugs covered the
stone floor, and the walls were lined with shelves holding bound
Records. Fine glassware glittered in a cabinet stocked will all shades
of liquor from amber to ruby red, and behind a large desk of dark
polished wood hung a fine oil-painted landscape. Jorghan recognised the
view he'd seen earlier of the hold and the valley below.

The man behind the desk looked plainly dressed for this rich holder's
retreat, his brown hair thinning and his face careworn. He looked up
from the papers he'd been studying, and after a moment's surprise his
face broke into a relieved smile as he recognised the visitor's knots.

"You must be Guardsman Jorghan? I got the message from the Hold. You're
most welcome to the Hold. Do take a seat. I'm Alekis, warder here until
my cousin comes of age." He got to his feet, seeming slightly flustered.
"Will you have a drink? I've klah warming, or..." He blinked at the
cabinet, clearly unfamiliar with its contents. "Something from here..."

"Klah would be most welcome, thank you, sir." Jorghan set down his pack
and rolled his shoulders before taking the offered chair.

"Good. Thank you, Gorwil. If you could go to the Headwoman's office on
your way back, and tell her our guest has arrived? She should have a
room prepared for him. And ask her if she could inform Lady Cilara, as
well." Alekis fetched a jug from the hearth and poured out the klah.
"Here. I'm sorry for the weary climb. You must be worn out. I'd move
down to the lower floors if I could, but - we're all rather settling
into our new roles here, since Holder Belkas came to his - unfortunate end."

"It's no matter." Jorghan could already feel the warmth of the room and
the spicy scent of klah soothing him, after a day out in the chill
mountain air. "My Captain told me that your Steward had gone missing?"

"Yes, he vanished the same day as the accident at the smithy. I'm most
grateful to your Captain for sending you. He said in his letter you're
his best investigator, outside of sending a harper, and there are
reasons why I'd rather a trained guard..." Alekis hesitated, then set
down the klah jug and crossed the room to close the door, not without a
brief glance into the stairwell. "I didn't want to say too much in my
letter to the Lord Warder, and I haven't _seen_ anything, as such." He
lowered his voice. "But there have been rather a lot of unfortunate
events recently at Shadow Peak."

"I was told Holder Belkas died in an accident at the smithy. A chemical
tank exploded."

"Yes. A young guard, too. The journeyman wasn't there, but he swears the
tank was stored safely." The warder wiped his brow with the back of his
hand. "I've not even been able to establish why the Holder went to the
forge, when the smith wasn't there. The Steward would have known, but..."

"He's gone missing."

"The same day. He was last seen just before the evening meal. One of the
drudges said she thought she saw him leaving the hold."

"The same day?" That hadn't been in the report. Jorghan suddenly didn't
feel at all drowsy. The back of his neck prickled, and he straightened
in his chair. "That's quite the coincidence."

"Yes. And then, there was what happened to Holder Belkas' father."
Alekis grimaced. "He died falling down the staircase leading up to his
office. This office."

"You mean - just outside, here?" Jorghan glanced at the warder, then got
to his feet and opened the door, looking down to where the steps
spiralled away into the dim glowlight below.

"They found him on the next landing down."

"Recently?" Jorghan found it hard to believe the Lord Warder hadn't
intervened before, if so. Three deaths, so close together, and a missing
man.

"No, it was some time ago, last Turn." Alekis waited for him to close
the door and return to his chair. "Look, I've barely been here a month.
I was named warder because I'm first cousin to Lady Cilara - "

"Holder Belkas's widow?"

"Yes. And her son is barely turned six." He rubbed his temples with his
fingers. "It's not my home. I could be seeing shadows where there's
nothing real. But I'd like to be able to reassure my cousins that it was
all just a horrible accident, or - if Steward Sogreal _did_ have
something to do with the explosion - " He looked straight at Jorghan,
and suddenly the harried look vanished, replaced by determination. "Then
the family will want justice."

"I see." So that was why he'd been sent. Jorghan supposed it would make
sense the new Warder would want an outsider, someone with no connections
to the hold or the missing steward. "Well, I can certainly do some
digging. Can you tell me anything about his background? Is he native to
the Hold?"

The warder shook his head. "I believe he was a friend of Holder Belkas',
from when they were young men and he was travelling on his father's
business. He'd been working here for a few Turns, then Belkas named him
steward not long after he became Holder; that's all in the Records. More
than that I don't know. You might ask my cousin. I'll introduce you at
dinner." He got to his feet. "Let's go down. We can stop by the
Headwoman's office, find out where you're staying so you can get settled
before the meal."

Jorghan drained the rest of his klah, stood and heaved the pack onto his
shoulder, not without some reluctance to leave the comfortable room.

"Have you checked if there were any messages received at the Hold, the
day of the accident?" he asked as he followed Alekis down the narrow
stairs. "Any chance the Steward was called away on business?"

"Nothing like that. A runner came with three messages, but they were all
ordinary hold business. Two reports from the outlying cotholds, and one
from someone called Trader Orglev about a blackrock shipment." The
warder glanced back over his shoulder, up the stairs. "I haven't been
able to track that one down yet. I suppose the trader must have heard
about the accident and given up on the deal."

"Hmm." Perhaps, Jorghan thought. Or that message might mean more than it
appeared. He'd come across bandits and smugglers using the runner
network more than once, with coded phrases known only to them. Could the
steward have been involved in something he didn't want his Holder
knowing about?

It was too early to speculate without evidence, he told himself as he
descended the stairs behind the new Warder. But something wasn't right
at Shadow Peak Hold, he could feel it in his bones. He'd known it since
his captain told him about the circumstances of the Holder's death.

This wasn't the first explosion in a smithy. It had happened before.

Last updated on the October 30th 2022

Series: Mystery at Shadow Peak [Next: Mystery at Shadow Peak (2)]

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Mystery at Shadow Peak (1)