Jarvit

Jarvit Ch11 p3

Back at the Hall of Listening Tiatra stood by the fire in the Interpreter’s office trying to warm up and to dry the snow soaked hem of her robe. Ciara and Silva hurried into the room almost as soon as she sent for them. Tiatra told them all that had been said.

‘I am unsure if this was even the boy that left the prophecy here let alone if it was this Jarvit,’ she concluded in a sad tone. She watched Silva slowly pace the room her head down in thought. The girl turned back to her.

‘It must be Jarvit, it must. He told me he worked in a kitchen before he was taken by Lord D’Braggatio. He came from Ludhigh he said and was a drudge for some magistrate there. He did say his name but I can’t remember.’

‘It wasn’t Hep was it?’ Ciara's quiet voice put in. Tiatra turned to look at her.

‘Hep? Hep - Yes, that sounds familiar, how did you know?’

‘My father was a magistrate in Ludhigh, D’Braggatio appointed him after the so called purging. I remember the cook was given a baby to look after in the kitchen just before I became a Devotee. Father said the boy was an orphan to be raised as a household servant. I was leaving, I didn’t pay much attention, my mother had just died – I’m sorry that’s all I can remember,’ Ciara finished close to tears. Tiatra put a hand on her arm to comfort her.

‘It was a hard time for you my girl, I well remember the sad child who entered my Hall. You were grieving and homesick. Yours was not an easy induction into the way of the Worthy. I am proud of you, proud of your success and strength and I honour you for all you have undertaken, best of girls,’ Tiatra put her arms around the pretend Hearer. The three stood in silence for a moment, then Silva spoke again.

‘Jarvit was sent away by D’Braggatio in the middle of the night. I never even had a chance to say goodbye. I learnt soon after that he had been sent to Quilp Spellbinder-’

‘That odious man! I had hoped he was dead!’ Tiatra almost spat venom in her anger at the name. ‘He was the worst of all and a leader in the foulness of the purging. He put our Hearer on the pyre, he tortured, mutilated. Oh he was cruel. Quilp! Detestable, filthy,carrion that he is. Pity anyone sent to him, the poor boy can not have escaped from him. His powers, even back then, were great and he tutored D’Braggatio in his foul arts.’

‘But you see Jarvit was a prisoner then – so perhaps he did escape – if he had why would he tell people his real name? Who would you trust if it were you? The scroll!’ Silva clapped her hands to her cheeks and stared at Tiatra.

‘What scroll? What is it?’

‘So much has happened I’ve never even read it. You see there were these scrolls Jarvit told me about. D’Braggatio had taken them from him when he captured Jarvit,’

‘What was in them?’ Tiatra was curious.

‘I don’t know, Jarvit didn’t know, he couldn’t read – I was going to teach him- he wanted to steal the scrolls from D’Braggatio and run away. But he never got the chance. The next day, after he had gone I was so angry at his grace that I decided to take the scrolls and so I crept into D’Braggatio’s study. I managed to find them but did not have time to gather them all up before Edwerd discovered me.’

‘Edwerd?’ Tiatra queried.

‘Lord D’Braggatio’s head servant, he is sort of a personal assistant. I think he hopes to succeed D’Braggatio. Anyway I had to run. He threw a curse at me but fortunately for me his powers are weak and so, though I was ill, I did not die.’

‘That was when you came to the Hall of Listening and Ariena tended you,’ Tiatra put in and Silva nodded. Tiatra turned to look into the fire, tears had stood into her eyes as she had recalled her former pupil.

‘Shall I fetch the scroll?’

‘You have it?’ Tiatra turned back to Silva and Ciara. Silva nodded.

‘Go then and bring this document to us,’ Tiatra said in an urgent tone. She felt as though pieces of a puzzle were being brought together.

‘I don’t know what it may contain Executioner but if you recall my father gave me a package when we met him on the road,’ Ciara put in. ‘I thought it was about his wealth and paid it no heed but – though he bid me keep it safe I am willing to open it to see if it there is anything in it that would help us.’

‘I had forgotten, yes Ciara, I would ask this of you. Let us see what your father thought so precious he travelled hard to reach you and give it to you before he stole our ponies to get away.’ Ciara bowed and hurried from the room.

Tiara gazed into the red and gold flames that spluttered and spat from the burning logs in the hearth. Her head was almost bursting with the things she had heard in the last two days and she cursed the snow for making it impossible for them to follow after this boy who, unknown yesterday, was now so important. She could hear the routine of preparation for the evening ritual going on outside the room. But in here she felt that her world was suspended for a moment and was waiting for the next revelation.

Silva returned first carrying a flattened rolled piece of parchment with worn and bent edges. Ciara came in just after Silva with the small package her father had given her. Both put them down on the desk and Tiara looked from one to the other. At last she took up Ciara’s package and handed it her.

‘We will open this first. Ciara it is yours and I beg you would look at the contents first in case there is information there that you would not wish us to see,’ Tiatra said and sat at the desk. Ciara shook her head.

‘No Executioner, I bend to the Will of the Worthy who knows all. I do not want any material things and I would have the package open to you both so that it may not be said I hid anything.’ Ciara tore the wax seal off and unwound the parchment wrapping. A large brooch fell to the ground and a small silver seal on a chain slid with it. Silva stooped to pick them up as Ciara took out a folded letter and put the wrapping down on the desk. With careful and hesitant fingers Ciara unfolded the letter and stared at it.

‘Is it from your father?’ Tiatra asked and Ciara nodded. She sat down and Silva drew a chair closer to sit clutching the two items in her lap.