Free To Be A Maestro (The Maestro Chronicles) by John Buttrick Page B

refreshments prepared by Marge Durayton, who had been recently chosen, unanimously, to serve as Chief of Kitchens for the entire compound. The thirty-one-year-old had skills.
    He stood up to go join his guests and froze when a familiar voice sounded in his head. “Sir Daniel, this is Marcus Bower,” the Captain of the Guard for the Benhannon Estate sent for the first time ever through the amulet given him. This had to be important.
    Daniel sat back down. “I hear you Marcus, what’s the problem?”
    Surges of tension streaming through the connection dropped lower and gradually reduced until reaching a calm sense of relief, “I’m pleased to hear you respond. Two Soarers of the Eagle Guild just finished questioning me and are now in Jared’s office. They wanted to know where you are and seemed concerned you might have died,” Marcus replied, clearly he had the same concern.
    Daniel understood exactly why the Soarers were sent to his estate. “A situation occurred that forced me to break the Silencing placed by the Grand Maestro. Efferin had to feel the spell cease and there are only two ways it can happen, my death or being in the focal point of an overwhelming potential.”
    “They cast a spell on me, compelling the truth, and I told them everything they asked of me,” he sent with a sense of shame.
    “It is difficult if not impossible to lie to a member of the Eagle Guild, so don’t feel bad. What did they learn?” Daniel replied, trying to reassure the man.
    “You were sent to investigate Serpent Guild activity in southern Ducaun, that is all I know of your mission, and you had some concerns about the possibility of Serin Gell attacking your estate. Those Soarers will no doubt learn whatever Jared knows.”  Captain Marcus sent in response along with a strong sense of duty. “I had only recruited fifty guardsmen by the time Jared returned here with news that you wanted me to strengthen our defenses even more.”
    “I did go south for the reason you gave the Soarers. Jared knows what you know so don’t worry about it. What progress have you made on the defenses?” Neither person needed the details of the mission so he had given them little information, even though he had full confidence in his Captain-of-the-guard and Acc ount Keeper.
    A strong sense of self satisfaction came ahead of the reply. “Well, it has not been a problem finding men, in fact I am being overrun with applicants, even women, coming and wanting to sign up. When the number reached five hundred, I began to take names and promised to get back to them.”
    Daniel took a moment to digest the news, five hundred and more wanting to serve, this was great to hear. “Clearly you have not received word from the capital, a Realm Alert has been issued and the kingdom is to prepare for war against the forces of the Serpent Guild. They came close to freeing Tarin Conn last night. The Queen has been informed and has ordered all nobles of the realm, including myself, to raise our musters and be prepared to fight.”
    A profound sense of shock came back and ended in a break in the connection, indicating Marcus must have dropped the amulet, and moments later the connection resumed. “I will send for those people.”
    “Excellent, five hundred is good for the house guard, considering it is likely to be targeted at some point. Have Jared provide uniforms like yours except with silver stripes where you have dark blue. These will be for my field force while those commanded by you will be my defenders. Recruit a hundred more defenders for my new holding in the northland. I have seventy-two men and sixty-six women in my service in the compound,” Daniel ordered, and then, sensing the Captain’s anxiety, added, “I am the Chosen Vessel and the coming war inevitable. But we have time, the flute of Della Lain is safe, and the battles to be fought lay in the future.” He saw no reason to worry the man by speaking of Silvia’s revelation just yet,