Elfbark, more accurately called delventree bark, is a potent stimulant with the unfortunate additional effect of making the user prey to feelings of despondency and fearfulness. For this reason, it is often used by slave-owners in Chalced to increase the hours that a slave can work while at the same time dampening his spirit. Taken steadily over a long period it is addictive, and some say that even taken sporadically the herb can permanently alter a man’s temperament, making him suspicious and defensive even with his closest companions, while eroding his sense of self-worth. Yet even with all these disadvantages, there are times when the risks are worth it for the stamina it may confer in times of necessity. It is less volatile a drug than either carris seed or cindin, in that those two may lead to wild surges of emotion and false euphoria that may prompt actions both foolish and dangerous.
The best quality of elfbark is obtained from the new branch tips of very old trees. Incise laterally along the twig and then around it at each end of the cut. Slip a fingernail or knife point under the bark edge and carefully loosen it from the branch. The freed bark will immediately curl into a cylinder. Store it thus in a pouch in a cool dry place until the bark has dried enough to be grated into a powder which can be infused as a tea.
If the need is immediate, a tea can be made from the freshly harvested bark, but it is far more difficult to judge the strength of the herb’s potency from the colour of that tea.
Raichal’s Table of Herbs
I emerged from the Fool’s tent very early, before the rest of the camp was astir. I had slept poorly, besieged by formless nightmares. Towards dawn, I lay awake and wished that I possessed Nettle’s skill for mastering such uneasy dreams. That put me in mind of her. I wished to speak with Chade and Dutiful privately, without even Thick listening in. I walked to the edge of our camp area to relieve myself. Deft was on guard duty, and gave me a passing nod. I went directly to the Prince’s tent, walking softly. I had forgotten that I had assigned Swift guard duty there. The boy was watchful as a fox, for as I drew close, the tent flap lifted slightly, baring not only his vigilant eyes but also the point of an arrow set in his bow.
‘It’s me,’ I said hastily, and was relieved when he eased the bow and lowered the quarrel. I cudgelled my brain for an errand to send him on, and then fell back on suggesting he fetch some clean snow to melt for wash water for the Prince, reminding him not to venture beyond the flagged boundaries of the camp.
As soon as he trudged off, bucket in hand, I slipped inside the dim tent. ‘Are you awake?’ I asked quietly.
Dutiful sighed heavily. ‘I am now. I feel as if I’ve been awake for most of the night. Lord Chade?’
A muffled grunt was his only reply. Chade had the blankets pulled up over his head.
‘This is important, and I have to talk fast, before Swift comes back.’ I warned them.
Chade lifted the covers a small crack. ‘Talk, then.’ He yawned tremendously. ‘I am too old for this camping out in the snow after hiking all day,’ he muttered venomously, as if it were all my fault.
‘I talked with the Fool last night, after he and Civil fought.’
‘Ah, yes. And we spoke with Civil. Or Civil spoke at us. For quite a long time. I had had no idea that your charade at Galekeep had been so convincing. Civil is quite distressed that we allow Swift to spend time with Lord Golden.’ Chade replied grumpily.
Dutiful snickered when I scowled. ‘The truth is that Civil would rather believe that than the truth. The Fool charted it out for me. He thinks that Sydel’s parents, or at least one of them, were the traitors who sold Dutiful to the Piebalds. I suspect that her father is the one that broke the engagement between them, and that perhaps he did so more because Civil had opposed the Piebalds than because Sydel had behaved foolishly.’
I was rewarded by Chade poking his nose out of his blankets. I watched him ponder, turning the pieces to see if they fit. After a moment, he said almost grudgingly, ‘Yes. He could be right. Sydel’s parents would have been well-positioned for all that was done. Would that I had an extra message-bird, to send these tidings to the Queen! But I have just the one for Buckkeep, and one for the Hetgurd, to bring them back to fetch us. There are no birds to spare.’
I raised an eyebrow at him. ‘Thick and Nettle?’ I asked bluntly. I wondered if he had kept the Prince in ignorance.
Chade shook his head, tangling his white hair against his blankets. ‘No. That link is not ready to bear tidings as heavy as this. Think of the consequences if the message were incorrectly interpreted, or if the girl refused to believe Thick’s tidings. No. That arrangement must be trained and tested, with simple messages, both sent and received, before we can rely on it for serious purposes.’ He sighed heavily, the sound an unuttered rebuke to me. ‘Thick will sleep in our tent tonight. Before he dozes off, Dutiful will ask him to convey greetings to Nettle, and to pass on some simple message to the Queen, one that will provoke a response from her. The creation of that will take some thought. If it goes well, then we will try a more weighty message the next night. But only when we are certain that messages are being relayed accurately will we pass on our suspicions of a traitor.’ He nodded to himself, and then rolled his head to look at the Prince. ‘Agreed?’
‘Agreed.’ Dutiful gave a small sigh of his own. ‘Let us hope that Queen I-Highly-Doubt-It will be receptive to communicating with me via the Skill.’ And he, too, gave me a pointed look that placed the blame squarely on my doorstep that he and his cousin did not already know one another.
‘I did what I thought best,’ I said stiffly.
And Chade, ever one to seize an advantage, agreed smoothly with, ‘Of course you did. You always act from high motives, Fitz. But next time it is up to you to make a significant decision based on what you “think is best”, you may remember this, and reflect that perhaps I have a few more years of experience than you do. Perhaps the next time, you will give my opinion of the matter a bit more weight.’