Thomas cleared his head, and the wide open expanse of the fields helped. Taking a deep breath, he soaked in the late afternoon sun’s rays against his back while he continued down the long dirt road toward town from the west.
It had been over a year since he’d last visited the castle. Those had been dark times for him. He’d vowed never to look back, never to dwell on the painful memories of that day, but when the queen sent a herald to fetch him from the fields, he instantly knew his previous life would come crashing down on him soon.
Up ahead on the path he could see the edge of the woods that surrounded the town wall, and just before the tree line he could see the bridge that passed over the stream that ran between the forest and the fields. At the bridge he could make out two men on horseback accompanied by a half dozen men with dogs. Their whining and barking slowly broke the peaceful silence of his walk, gradually overpowering the sound of his own leather shoes grinding on the gravel and dust.
As he pressed on, he began to make out some shouting and he caught glimpses of sunlight flashing off the group’s armor. Odd, he thought, for soldiers to be out with dogs this late in the afternoon. His heart jumped when he saw their colors. They were from the neighboring kingdom of Thornburn, an oppressed and angry group known for violence and cruelty. What are they doing here? he wondered.
He would find out soon. As he approached one of the men on horseback rode up to meet him. “Ho there,” he called.
“Ho,” Thomas replied. Normally, in the presence of soldiers from Thornburn, he’d be afraid for his life, but something about this situation intrigued him. He doubted they meant him any harm. He could make out their equipment from where he stood. Swords and crossbows mostly, and of course the dogs. They were hunting dogs, but he saw no hunting bows or spears. “Fine afternoon for a hunt,” he suggested, knowing it wasn’t true.
“Indeed,” the soldier said suspiciously. “It is by the grace of your good Queen Julia of Riverwood that we have been granted permission to track our quarry beyond our own borders. We mean you no harm and wish you well on your way.”
Odd, he thought, watching the dogs sniff around at the edge of the river. Whatever or whoever they were tracking must have gone through the river and it wasn’t recent or the dogs would have been able to follow the scent. He’d seen good hunting dogs track game across rivers even after an hour or more. “Well,” he said, smiling, “I hope you can pick up the trail. If I see any wounded game I’ll send word.”
The soldier nodded and rode alongside Thomas for a distance, bidding him farewell at the bridge. As he walked through the group of soldiers he took in the scene, sighed, and immediately understood why he had been summoned.
“No,” he said, rising after a long, deep bow.
The queen’s eyebrows lifted almost imperceptibly. “No?” she repeated gracefully.
“Respectfully, your highness, I am afraid I cannot assist with the issue of the missing children.”
The queen smiled broadly, something she rarely did for others. Thomas had only ever seen her smile like that when he and his wife, Emma, used to help in matters of civil justice. “Who said anything about missing children?” she asked innocently.
Bartholomew, the head of the royal guard, shifted uncomfortably on his feet, standing by the throne. He had always hated Thomas, often accusing him of being a wizard, or at the very least a soothsayer who dabbled in evil magic. He’d at least been respectful of Emma, but only because he was smitten with her beauty and refused to attribute anything dark or unsavory to the woman.
“I passed an ill-equipped hunting party at the west bridge. They wore Thornburn colors and had their hunting dogs sniffing children’s clothing. They claimed they had your permission to search in our kingdom, and unfortunately I believed them.”
“Limited permission,” she asserted. “But yes, as I understand it they had no fewer than a dozen young children go missing recently. They’ve scoured their kingdom and found nothing, though the trail does appear to lead into Riverwood.”
“And of course,” Thomas added, “you want me to find the missing children.” He paused and squinted at her, then a sick feeling washed through his stomach. “But not just to appease our neighbors, there are Riverwood children missing as well.”
“Yes. Two went missing in the night. One of them is Adelaide.” The queen’s voice quivered subtly, and the icy shield around Thomas’s heart cracked. Princess Adelaide was the queen’s niece. Her father, the queen’s brother, had died the same day as Emma. When Thomas was a regular in the queen’s court, Adelaide had taken to Thomas like he was her favorite uncle.
He clenched his jaw while tears welled up in his eyes. The thought of performing his old duties without Emma horrified him. He had sworn that he’d never assist in matters of the crown again. But if there was any chance at all that he could help Adelaide…
“Thomas, can we go for a walk?” the queen asked kindly, getting to her feet. He could see the tears shimmering in her eyes despite her warm, royal smile.
Bartholomew stepped forward to accompany her, but she waved him off and shot him a stern look.
“I’m just as safe with Thomas. Go and see to the search for the princess.”
“My lady,” he began, but she glared at him and he froze. “Yes, my queen,” he said finally, turning on his heel and marching off. The clanking sound of his armor disappeared around the corner and the queen threaded an arm through Thomas’s elbow.
“Come,” she said, guiding him out a door that led to a small, beautiful garden in the castle’s inner keep.
They walked in silence, both of them quietly reviewing the events of that fateful day that saw them each losing near and dear loved ones. Her brother had been an important member of her court, and Emma had always been Thomas’s whole world.
“Thomas,” she began carefully. “This isn’t just about Adelaide. Do you know why our kingdom is so peaceful and powerful?”
“Yes,” Thomas replied matter-of-factly. “You are a kind, generous queen. Your people are free from bonds and slavery. Everyone in the kingdom of Riverwood can make an appeal in your court, no matter their station or family.” He paused and looked at her. She was old and wise, beautiful inside and out. “The people love you. That is why we enjoy such peace and prosperity.”
She smiled at him and shook her head. “It’s more than that. My judgements have to be just. If the people believed, even for a moment, that I was making unjust rulings against innocent people, they would overthrow me in a hurry. They know that when they appeal to my court they will get a fair hearing and a just ruling.” She let it sink in. “Thomas, for the past year I have been teetering on the edge of chaos. Do you know that just last week I falsely convicted a man of stealing three chickens from his neighbor? He was innocent. Do you know how I found out?”
Thomas shook his head, but he had heard of the case. People were still talking about it.
“A large group of angry farmers came to the court and protested, assuring me that the man was innocent.”
Thomas felt his stomach beginning to tighten. He knew where this was going.
“We still don’t know what happened to the chickens,” she said, tempting him.
He sighed. He didn’t like where this was going.
“Thomas, I can’t say this to anyone else, and this stays between us, but I need you. I really do. Believe it or not, your skills are one of the pillars of my kingdom. Without your services, justice falls apart and people begin to feel like slaves again.”
He was shaking his head. Deep down inside, he knew she was right. But the ache in his heart told him not to do it. He never wanted to be in a position that could lead to another disaster like the calamity that took Emma from the world. It made him sick just thinking about it.
They stopped walking and the queen turned to face him, taking his hands in hers. “It wasn’t your fault Thomas. There was nothing you could have done differently that day. Emma died serving the people she loved, and she would want you to continue without her.” She looked deep into his eyes as she spoke, both seeing each other through the blurry veil of unshed tears.
A single tear streaked down Thomas’s cheek and he felt himself trembling. “I…” he began, but he choked and took a breath. He shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t know if I can return to service. But I will help you get princess Adelaide home safely by any means.”
“She really loves you,” Queen Julia chuckled, sniffling.
Thomas laughed. “I love her too. I’ll do this for her.”
The queen raised her eyebrows disapprovingly.
“And for you,” he added.
“Good,” the queen said. Then, calling out past Thomas, she ordered, “send out Isabel.”
Thomas turned around to see a guard holding the door open as a young girl about ten years old came running out. She paused, uncertain of the proper protocol, and bowed deeply to the queen. When she came back up, she was beaming.
“Isabel,” the queen said. “This is Thomas, the man we talked about earlier.”
Thomas scowled and turned to the queen. “What’s this?” he asked harshly.
“This,” Queen Julia said proudly, “is your apprentice. She is to study under you and learn the ways of your craft.”
“Oh no,” Thomas protested. “Definitely not. I told you I’d help bring back Adelaide but…” he looked down at Isabel, who looked up at him with huge eyes full of hope. He cracked half a grin, wincing. “Look,” he said, not sure who to address. “I don’t really do this anymore. I’m not someone who should have an apprentice. I…”
The queen put a hand on Thomas’s cheek, her warmth spreading deep into his flesh and traveling along the path left behind by the tear he’d shed. She smiled at him and leaned in close. “Please,” she whispered. “This kingdom is nothing without its soothfinders. It is what sets us apart from the rest. Don’t do this for me, do it for the entire kingdom of Riverwood.”
Thomas raised his fist to the door and prepared to knock, but he paused. Isabel was practically vibrating with energy and stuck to his side like a leech. He looked down at her and rolled his eyes.
“Look,” he began gruffly, pushing her head away with a hand on her scalp. “Just… be quiet and listen. If you have any questions, save them for after we’ve left. Try to pick up on the kinds of questions I ask and think about why I’ve asked them. Try to notice where my eyes go, what I’m looking at. Try to think about what things mean, got it?”
Isabel nodded enthusiastically, her long hair bouncing wildly around a wide, toothy grin.
He took a deep breath and knocked, letting out a sigh.
The door cracked and the woman of the house peered out at him from the dark interior where a few candles were already burning. The sun was low on the horizon. It would be dark within the hour.
“Good evening,” Thomas began. “I’m here about your daughter’s disappearance.”
The woman eyed him suspiciously. “What do you want? Are you that soothsayer, come to take my money in exchange for vague, useless hints about her whereabouts?”
“I’m not a soothsayer,” he sighed, rolling his eyes. “I’m a soothfinder, tasked with finding the truth when it isn’t easily found.” He waited, but there was no reply. “I’d just like to come in, see the child’s bed, and ask you a few questions. Then I’ll be gone.”
After a long silence, the woman said, “you don’t want any money?”
“No ma’am,” he breathed, slightly annoyed.
Slowly, the door swung open enough for them to slip inside.
“Ever since my little Ava disappeared I’ve been terrified that someone might return to take me, or rob me, or…” she trailed off, shuddering. In a hushed tone, she added, “dark, evil men prowl about. I heard there were Thornburn soldiers poking around our lands.”
Seeing the woman clearly, he had no idea why any man would want to come back to kidnap her. He wasn’t really sure how she had a husband who wished to breed with her in the first place.
“Can you show me her bed?” Thomas asked. Isabel stuck close as the woman led them to a small room off the main living area. Inside there was a large bed against one wall, and a small bed nearby. There wasn’t much else in the room. No toys, a single chest for clothing, and an uncovered window hardly big enough for a fat rat to climb through.
“She just up and disappeared in the night,” the woman said.
“And how old was she?” Thomas asked, wandering around the room, taking in as much as he could in the fading light.
“She wasn’t yet six years old,” the woman reported. “Light of my life she was.” She began to cry.
Thomas opened the chest and noted that there was still children’s sized clothing inside. “Any chance she ran away?” he asked.
“Not a chance,” the woman said quickly. “She knew she’d never last on her own.” She chuckled nervously. “Not that she hadn’t considered it.”
The falling sun cast a few final rays through the window, illuminating the woman’s unfortunate face, showing off a nasty black eye and a fresh cut on her cheek bone.
“I think we’ve seen all we need to see,” he said, smiling kindly. “Thank you for your time, ma’am.”
After the door closed behind them and they began to walk back to the castle, Isabel spoke up.
“Did the girl run away?” she asked. “The lady said she had considered it.”
Thomas looked at her as they walked. “The trick is, you have to observe all the facts, all of them, and try to hear the story they are trying to tell. At first you’ll hear lots of stories, then only a few. Once you’ve eliminated all the wrong stories, the truth will be the only story remaining.”
Isabel pondered his words, skipping alongside his long strides, trying to keep up. “So,” she pondered out loud, “she might have run away. That’s one story the facts can tell.”
“If she ran away, she didn’t grab any clothing to bring with her.”
“How do you know?” Isabel asked.
“The trunk had a few items of clothing that must belong to the little girl. The family didn’t have much. It was clear that the mother loves her little girl, but the father…” he trailed off. “He hits his wife,” he said bluntly. “He’s the reason the little girl would have wanted to run away. He likely didn’t let the girl have much. No toys, only the bare minimum for clothing and essentials.”
Isabel was quiet a moment, still shuffling quickly to keep up. Finally, she just said, “oh,” and continued thinking things through on her own.
When they got back to the castle, Thomas went straight to see the queen. He was led to the dining hall where she was eating a small supper.
“Come,” she said. “Eat with me.”
Isabel stepped forward eagerly, but Thomas held her back. “No thank you, my queen. We’re not hungry.” He looked around the room, making sure they were mostly alone. Aside from a few kitchen attendants, there was nobody else. “Did Adelaide ever complain about any of the castle staff?”
“Well,” the queen said, thinking. “She didn’t enjoy her lessons.”
“She studied under the prioress, yes?”
“No, recently she began to study under a new teacher, a wise man from the north. Archibald is his name. She complained endlessly about his methods. He really worked her hard in her studies. A man of exactness and discipline.”
Thomas furrowed his brow a moment, then said, “you should have him arrested.” He paused. “Or at the very least, have him removed from the castle, and preferably the kingdom.” He turned to leave, then added, “I suggest you put him to death.”
“On what grounds?” the queen asked, surprised.
“On the grounds of trust, your majesty.” And he left.
Isabel ran out the door after him. “Wait!” she cried. “What’s happening?”
Thomas walked Isabel home in the dark, refusing to answer any of her questions except one.
“Will I be safe?” she asked nervously at the door. “Shouldn’t I stay with you?”
“Why?” he asked. “Don’t you have a father who can protect you?”
“It’s just me and mother,” she said softly.
“Well if you feel safe with your mother most of the time, you have no reason to be afraid tonight.” He patted her on the head and turned to leave.
“Will you come for me in the morning?” she called out from the open doorway.
“Yes, at first light.” He turned to face her. “Be ready before sunrise.”
He didn’t live far from her house. Situated just a few doors down was Joan the tailor, an old widow who made and mended nearly all the clothing in town. Since Emma’s death Thomas had moved in with her, sleeping in a bed of hay in the loft over her dining table. It was a simple bed and a roof, but it was everything he needed. From there he went to work in the fields every morning and returned late at night, tired and hungry. She always left food out for him, and he took care of anything she needed around the house.
He found a bowl of soup, still warm, sitting on the table for him. Smiling, he sat and ate it, savoring the perfectly soft vegetables and rich broth, then he washed, climbed into the loft, and went to sleep, dreaming of missing children and evil monsters.
The first rays of sunshine were peeking over the hills when Thomas arrived outside Isabel’s house and prepared to knock. Shuffling hooves and a horse’s powerful snort made him turn around. Bartholomew, the head of the guard, strode up on his horse looking quite pleased with himself.
“Go back to the fields, soothsayer,” he sneered. “We’ve already caught the kidnapper. Your services are no longer needed.”
Thomas raised his eyebrows. “So you found the missing children?”
Bartholomew tried to hold a stoic gaze, but he flinched. “We will. It’s only a matter of time before the old hag cracks and tells us where they are.”
“The old hag?” He asked, curious.
“Yes,” the guard said proudly. “We caught her sneaking around town last night, stealing food. Probably planning on fattening up the stolen children before eating them.” He scoffed. “That old witch needs to be burned at the stake.” Kicking his horse and pulling the reigns, he turned to leave. “Go back to the fields soothsayer, you’re not needed.”
“Soothfinder,” he corrected, smiling. “Good luck finding the children. I assume you already checked her cottage in the woods?”
The guard laughed loudly without turning to face Thomas. “Do you think me a fool? Of course that was the first place we checked. We’ll find them. Leave it to me.”
Thomas shook his head and grinned, knocking on Isabel’s door. Though only in his mid thirties, his bones ached in the mornings. He was stretching when Isabel came to the door, rubbing her eyes.
“I heard talking,” she said sleepily. “Was that you?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Come on, we’ve got a witch to talk to.”
Thomas didn’t like the castle’s dungeon. Luckily, it wasn’t used often. Riverwood really did have an amazingly crime-free populace, all things considered. Hefty fines, community service, and other menial punishments kept most people in line. There was a strong sense of loyalty to their beloved Queen Julia and her kingdom. So he wasn’t surprised that the only occupied cell contained the witch. He’d hoped to see Archibald locked away. He made a mental note to follow up about that with the queen later.
“Help!” the old witch cried pathetically, her craggy voice scratching at their ears. “You’ve got to help me! I’m innocent!”
Thomas said nothing, watching her closely as the flames of his torch illuminated her wrinkly, twisted face.
“Oh,” she said thoughtfully. “I know you. You’re Thomas, the soothfinder.” She said it with an air of mysticism, grinning knowingly. “Did Emma ever tell you about the time she and her friends knocked on my door and ran away?” she laughed and it rattled the bars through which she gazed at them. Isabel trembled, hiding behind Thomas and holding on to the edges of his tunic.
Still, Thomas said nothing. He watched the shadows of her wiry, thin hair crawling along the stone walls like spider legs. He allowed his imagination to wander, fueled by the hideous, terrifying presence of this cackling, dusty, raspy sack of bones.
She turned, hunched over, and found the stool they left in the prison with her. Groaning and grunting, she sat, turning back to Thomas with an almost toothless grin. “You already know what happened to the children, don’t you!” she declared, chuckling through her words. She sat with her arms folded, squinting at Thomas. “So what are you waiting for? Surely you’ve realized that I had nothing to do with their disappearances!”
Thomas smiled. Without saying a word, he turned to leave. The torch roared with the breeze he created as he walked away, plunging Matilda the Witch back into darkness.
Thomas waited by the town’s south gate. He could see the mill bridge, a marvel of 14th century engineering. Its great waterwheels seemed to turn so slowly, yet with an immense amount of power and grace. Inside the various structures along the bridge he knew the river’s power was being put to work, grinding grain, hammering steel, pumping bellows… He had gone inside once, the dusty air had made his eyes water until he could hardly see. He and Emma were looking for clues after a man had been accused of murder. Emma suspected that the body had been destroyed in the furnaces. Of course, she had been right. Had they arrived much later even the bones would have been turned to ash.
He heard horses approaching. Turning back to the gatehouse he saw two beautiful stallions, and two lovely ladies riding them. One was Queen Julia, and the other was his little apprentice, Isabel. As much as he didn’t want an apprentice, Isabel had done a great job listening and staying out of the way. In a strange, unfamiliar sense, he felt protective of her. She reminded him of his Emma, and that terrified him more than anything in the world. But, he decided, maybe that was a good thing.
“Alright Thomas,” the queen said. “What’s this all about?”
He looked up at Isabel, who had stopped her horse directly beside him. “Did you deliver the message exactly as I gave it to you?” he asked.
She smiled and nodded as he climbed up and settled into the saddle in front of her. She held on to his torso as he took the reigns and spurred the horse off the road, heading east into the woods. “Follow me, your highness,” he said.
“Where are we going?” the queen asked, following close behind.
“We’re going to visit Matilda,” he said.
“The old woman we just released from the dungeon?” she asked in surprise.
“Yes. Did you bring the bladder of pig’s blood?”
The queen groaned. “Yes,” she said, patting a bulge hanging off the side of her saddle. Her hand smacked sharply against the liquid filled skin. “I really have no idea why you need pig’s blood.”
“You’ll know soon enough,” he said, watching the trees closely to make sure he didn’t lose the rough trail to the witch’s house. “And you have Bartholomew guarding that Archibald character, yes?”
“Right after he released the old woman I sent him after Archibald.”
“What did you tell him?”
“That Archibald played a role in the disappearance of the princess.”
“And the food?” he asked. “How much food did you bring?”
Isabel laughed, looking back over her shoulder at the large bundle on the back of her horse. “We got a lot of food!” she exclaimed.
“And fresh clothes?”
“Several sizes, like you requested!” Isabel said proudly.
“Good,” Thomas smiled. Isabel had relayed the message perfectly.
It wasn’t long before the two horses emerged from the trees into a quiet clearing occupied by a single cottage. It was more of a hut, with a low stone wall topped by various logs and sticks forming a crude dwelling fit for a witch.
They tied the horses to a tree at the edge of the clearing. Thomas slid off the horse and helped Isabel down. “Get the pig’s blood from the queen,” he instructed. He untied the bundle of food and carried it to the witch’s hut. He knocked on the door as the queen approached. It opened a sliver, and Thomas smiled.
Adelaide burst through the door and threw her arms around Thomas’s legs before quickly dashing to the queen and leaping into her arms. They both squealed with delight, and tears flowed freely.
“I don’t understand!” the queen cried. “Bartholomew and his guards searched this place thoroughly! Why didn’t they find you?”
Adelaide laughed. “There’s…”
“Shhh!” the witch hissed from the doorway, smiling. “You must never give away a witch’s secrets, my dear!”
Adelaide giggled and clasped a tiny hand to her mouth.
Several other children peeked out from behind Matilda’s skirt, including Ava and all the boys and girls from Thornburn.
“They’re all here!” the queen gasped, wiping tears from her eyes.
“And they’re all staying here,” Matilda declared firmly.
The queen stood, suppressing her shock.
“Well,” Thomas interjected quickly. “I was hoping, with your permission Matilda, that Adelaide could return to the castle.”
Adelaide winced and clung tightly to the queen’s legs, shaking.
The queen looked down at her questioningly as Thomas continued.
“We’re going to have her abuser removed from the castle… permanently. And I’ll personally see to it that she is never harmed again.”
The queen’s eyes widened as she put it together, but Matilda was still skeptical. “Well,” the witch said, her scratchy voice trailing off. “With your attentive and watchful eye on the little one, I suppose I can allow it.” Sternly, she added, “but at the first sign of trouble, she’s coming back with me.”
Thomas nodded. “And to appease the people of Thornburn, I need your help.” He pulled out his knife and opened the bundle. Food of all kinds spilled out. Bread, apples, dried meat, sausages, fresh meat wrapped in linen, potatoes, and a variety of other vegetables, all rolling out onto the grass while the children dashed out to collect it, bouncing up and down excitedly.
There was silence for a moment while the queen watched the children eagerly digging into the bundle of food. Most of the children bore gruesome bruises and scars on their frail bodies, while others were unnaturally timid, wearing their injuries internally.
From the cornucopia Thomas retrieved the new clothes. “If you could have a few of the Thornburn kids and Ava change into these clothes, we need what they’re currently wearing.”
“Ah!” the queen exclaimed as the witch disappeared into the hut with the clothing. “I understand now! We’ll use the pig’s blood to…” she stopped and looked down at her feet. “It’s sad though, isn’t it? Telling the parents a lie?”
“These children will be happy here. When Emma was little, she used to come out here and spend long afternoons learning about herbs and other plants with the old woman. When Matilda reminded me of the way they’d met, I knew without a doubt. This witch has rescued all of these children from a fate worse than death. With the lie of their deaths we are saving their lives.”
[This story marks the beginning of the Soothfinder series.]
Mermaid Pirate Dispatch 
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