The wooden palisade of the town came into view, Belwynn recalling how Rabigar had known about an exit in the north of the wall, a section swinging open that allowed passage in and out for those who didn’t want to be seen. She thought about mentioning it to Theron or Tycho, but decided she liked the thought of it remaining there.
Anyway, the Knights had arrived with a far superior force to anything the town could muster. They were content to wait patiently outside until the authorities inside reacted.
More and more heads bobbed into view along the wall, staring out at the force that had arrived unannounced outside their town, until the gates opened, and half a dozen men walked out to greet them. Belwynn stared at their faces but didn’t recognise any of them.
‘I am Peros, Mayor of Korkis,’ said one of them, trying to sound confident but in truth looking more than a little intimidated.
‘Unfortunately for you,’ said Tycho, pitching his voice so all could hear, ‘you are mayor no longer.’
He produced a roll of parchment from his saddle bag. ‘By order of the king, I have been appointed the new mayor of Korkis.’
He moved his horse slowly towards Peros before holding out the document. Peros took it and began reading.
I wonder how they persuaded Jonas to sign that, Belwynn said to Soren.
Assuming they didn’t forge his signature, said Soren.
‘Under our constitution,’ said Peros, looking up from the parchment, eyes wide and anxious, ‘the townspeople choose their own mayor.’
‘This is an emergency royal writ agreed by the council,’ said Theron.
‘Have I done something wrong?’ asked Peros.
‘I don’t know,’ said Tycho. ‘But if you have, you can be sure I’ll find out about it. Now, let’s get moving, I need to garrison my knights.’
Belwynn knew Tycho as a light-hearted, friendly man. But he could clearly be intimidating when needed, and Peros and the rest of the men turned around and began leading them into town.
‘Come,’ said Theron to the others. ‘We will be leaving soon but we might as well get an early lunch here to send us on our way.’
Tycho had the knights’ horses stabled and food brought out, while the people of Korkis started to organise how they were going to quarter fifty knights. He had already gone a long way towards asserting his authority over the place and Belwynn felt sure he would soon identify the corrupt members of the town guard and remove them.
Belwynn, Theron, Evander, Gyrmund and Soren had found a place to sit and eat in the central plaza, giving their horses a chance to rest before it was time to move out.
‘Are you not itching to get involved yourself?’ asked Belwynn with a smile, knowing that Theron usually couldn’t help man-managing.
‘No. I trust Tycho. My problem is there aren’t many others I trust. With Tycho here, I hope that Sebastian has enough help in Heractus.’
‘Belwynn,’ said Gyrmund quietly, nodding to a location over her shoulder. ‘Looks like you have a visitor.’
Belwynn turned around, wondering what he meant. A young girl was standing awkwardly nearby, and she startled somewhat when Belwynn looked at her. She looked familiar. Belwynn suddenly let out a gasp when she recognised who it was. She had tried to defend this girl when she was accused of stealing bread. It was that intervention that had prompted the Korkis soldiers to try to arrest them. The girl had obviously survived the winter, but she looked pale and malnourished.
‘Come here,’ said Belwynn, holding up a hand.
The girl looked warily at the men sitting with Belwynn, weapons lying by their sides. Belwynn kept her hand up, smiled, and waited patiently. Hesitantly, the girl came over, then flopped down next to Belwynn.
‘I’m so pleased to see you,’ said Belwynn, handing her some bread and cheese. Theron passed over a drink and the others donated some food, until the girl had a mini-feast in front of her, which she tucked into with vigour.
‘This is the girl I tried to help last time I was here,’ she explained to the others, all of whom had heard the story, but hadn’t been with Belwynn at the time.
The girl nodded seriously in confirmation, her mouth full of food.
‘What is your name, child?’ Belwynn asked.
‘Alyssa.’
‘And where are your parents?’
‘My mam died when I was seven,’ said the girl matter-of-factly.
Belwynn guessed that was about two years ago.
‘So who looks after you now?’
‘No-one.’
That explained why the poor thing was taking the bread. She would ask Tycho to make sure she was looked after.
Alyssa looked at her. ‘You can look after me if you want.’
Belwynn’s heart broke. She found herself thinking of how to explain why she couldn’t look after her. But why couldn’t she? No-one else in this town had done so in two years. And the truth was, Belwynn was in a far better position to care for this child than most people were.
‘She could come with us,’ she found herself saying.
Don’t be ridiculous, said Soren, but she ignored him.
She looked at Theron. ‘You have a squire attending you on this journey,’ she said to him. ‘Why shouldn’t I have a handmaid?’
Gyrmund chuckled, Soren scowled, and Evander looked expectantly at Theron.
‘Should I fetch a horse for her, my lord?’ asked the squire.
Theron looked at them all, keeping a neutral expression, before his eyes settled on the girl.
‘Go on then, Vander,’ he conceded.
Evander grinned, leapt to his feet, and ran off to find Tycho.
The route from Korkis to the Brasingian Empire wasn’t straightforward. The fastest way was to head due east into Persala, and then south down the Great Road. But that involved heading into territory that was, they suspected, still controlled by Ishari. While Gustav had suggested that Ishari had withdrawn from their more southerly conquests, no-one was really sure what the situation was, and so it was deemed safer to avoid that option. The alternative was to head south-east, to the border with the Grand Caladri, and follow it east all the way to Trevenza, avoiding population centres. It was a more difficult route to navigate, but Gyrmund was confident of leading them, and they were in no rush. Borderlands could be dangerous places, but Soren’s powers seemed enhanced, especially with Onella’s Staff, and Belwynn had few concerns that they would face a threat that this company couldn’t handle.
More of a problem was Alyssa. Belwynn’s spur of the moment decision to bring the girl immediately looked foolish when they discovered she had never ridden a horse before. She therefore had to ride with Belwynn, gripping her tightly around the waist and screaming with alarm when they went too fast. As soon as she got used to the sensation of riding, she developed saddle sores, and spent two days crying, both on and off the horse, until she toughened up.
After a miserable few days with her, they had a go at teaching her to ride, short stints at first. Theron spent a lot of time with her, since Gyrmund was often way ahead of them, scouting the route. But she liked Evander best, would listen intently to everything the squire said and never moaned, which she did with the adults. Like most children, she was a fast learner. The short rides gradually got longer, until Belwynn found herself riding alone again, and much to everyone’s relief, the crying and whining stopped.
Perhaps because of Alyssa’s presence among them, everyone made an effort to entertain when it came time to sit around the fire. Soren would tell stories of the past, Gyrmund would tell stories of his travels to strange places, and Belwynn would sing for them. If there was enough light, Theron and Gyrmund would give Evander weapon training. At such times it was up to Belwynn to keep Alyssa occupied, especially after Soren’s attempt to teach her how to read ended badly. The girl liked having her hair plaited, and so one night Belwynn let her practice on her hair, Alyssa sitting behind her by the fire, quietly working away. It was a peaceful, contented moment.
�
��How is it going, Alyssa?’ asked Belwynn, not able to turn to face her because the girl had her hair in both hands.
There was a pause before the girl replied.
‘My mam used to call me Lyssa. You can call me that if you want.’
Belwynn swallowed, and decided it best not to turn around.
‘Thank you, Lyssa. I will.’
She shared a look with Soren across the fire, his expression unreadable, before he returned to his book.
In this way they spent their days and nights, until Gyrmund announced they had left the borderlands and had entered the province of Trevenza. Along with Grienna, Trevenza had declared independence from Persala so that they could join the Brasingian Empire, only to find themselves conquered by an army of Haskans and Drobax. They were likely to find a ravaged country, and Gyrmund felt more comfortable riding straight for the Great Road. They had sufficient provisions and the horses remained in good condition, so there was no need to stop.
As soon as they set foot on the road Belwynn felt more relaxed, since all they now had to do was follow it due south to Grienna and then to Rotelegen, the most northerly of the seven duchies of Brasingia. The temperature was milder than when they had set off, and it was easy travelling compared to the first part of the journey. Their horses ate up the miles. Despite the warmer weather there was very little traffic on the road. The people they did meet were groups of travellers heading south like them, but at a slower pace, with wagons full of possessions and sometimes livestock accompanying them. When Gyrmund asked, they explained they were heading to Rotelegen to start a new life in a safer part of the world. Belwynn wondered whether they would be welcomed in the Empire, but they all seemed convinced they would be.
In Grienna Belwynn was reminded of their journey from the lands of the Blood Caladri to those of the Grand Caladri. When crossing the Great Road, they had encountered the corpses of the Drobax who had died on their march south to invade the Empire. Presumably, similar casualties were suffered on their retreat north. But there was no sign of either now, and Belwynn speculated that the birds and other creatures of the forest, that ran either side of the Road, had feasted on the remains.
There had once been a sizeable settlement on the Brasingian side of the border with Grienna, giving the dukes of Rotelegen the opportunity to inspect and monitor the people and goods leaving and arriving in their duchy. But there was little left of the buildings and it was empty of people. Gyrmund had planned to spend the night there, and so that was what they did, making a small camp amongst the unclaimed debris. Their mood was sombre, as if they were sharing the land with the ghosts of the settlement.
Next morning, they were quick to pack up and leave, heading for Guslar, the capital of Rotelegen. After the devastation at the border, Belwynn was unsure what to expect from the city, but as they approached she could see that the defences were intact. Soldiers manned the walls and waved them through an open gate. It looked like a city open for business.
The straight roads of Guslar took them to the central plaza. Belwynn enjoyed sharing Theron’s interest in the city, the layout and building designs all a novelty to him. Lyssa showed little interest, wondering instead when they would stop for lunch.
It was agreed that Belwynn would accompany Theron as envoys of Kalinth and present themselves at the castle, while the others sourced supplies for the journey south. A brief meeting was organised with Adalheid, mother of the young Duke of Rotelegen, and with little ceremony they found themselves waiting in what looked like one of her private rooms. After a couple of minutes, the door swung open and Adalheid entered, accompanied by only one minister and a bodyguard, who stood by the door and looked straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with those in the room.
‘Lady Adalheid,’ said the minister, making the introductions, ‘Count Theron and Lady Belwynn.’
‘You’re on your way to the festivities in Coldeberg,’ said Adalheid with a note of sarcasm.
‘Yes indeed,’ replied Theron. ‘Will you or the Duke be attending?’
Adalheid snorted. ‘We don’t have time for that. The rebuilding task here is enormous; never ending. Jeremias needs to be seen to be leading it, not trying to curry favour with the Emperor who will never lift a finger to help us here. He’d rather spend the Empire’s money on a party in Coldeberg.’ She shook her head in distaste. ‘Giving Barissia to his own brother...’
At least, thought Belwynn, Theron and I are used to the awkwardness of the royal court in Heractus. It’s been good preparation for this.
‘The people of Kalinth offer their support to Rotelegen. If there’s anything we can do to help, please ask,’ said Theron.
Adalheid studied him. ‘You in Kalinth know what it is to share a border with Haskany and the Drobax. When the time comes, fight them. You may buy us some time here. Should they come for us first, we will do the same for you. I think that is all we can do for each other.’
‘We noticed immigrants heading here from Trevenza and Grienna,’ said Belwynn.
Adalheid turned to her. She looked prematurely aged to Belwynn, who thought she could just make out the features of a younger, carefree Adalheid. If she had really existed, that Adalheid must have disappeared on hearing the news of her husband and sons.
‘Yes. We’re depopulated. Many died in the fighting. Others, who were evacuated, have decided to stay where they are rather than return here to their homeland. So there are opportunities in Rotelegen for those from the north, and for those from across the Empire. Where else could you be given your own plot of land to farm for free? Unfortunately, it means that we have become a magnet for the indolent and the criminal. But that is what the Gods have given us to work with. We must do our best. Anyway, it was a delight to have met you both.’
With that, Adalheid was on her feet, and as soon as Theron and Belwynn muttered their pleasantries she was gone.
‘I feel sorry for her son,’ commented Theron once they were out of the castle, ‘such a dragon for a mother.’
‘I disagree,’ said Belwynn. ‘Surely it’s better to have a dragon on his side than to have been left alone.’
Theron nodded. ‘Alright, you win.’
We’ve finished early, Belwynn said to Soren. Where are you?
I’ll give you directions, Soren replied instantly. I think you’ll be surprised who we’ve bumped into.
Intrigued, Belwynn led Theron a few streets away towards the market area of the city. Evander saw them and waved. He was standing with Soren and Lyssa, next to a carriage which had been parked up on the other side of the street. Attached to the carriage were four gaurs.
‘It can’t be,’ said Belwynn out loud, a stupid grin appearing on her face.
Theron frowned at the spectacle, but followed on as Belwynn practically skipped over to the carriage. As she neared, Gyrmund came into view from behind the carriage, talking animatedly with two Caladri women. She recognised them immediately as Marika and Dora, the carriage attendants they had met when they had entered the lands of the Blood Caladri the previous summer. When they saw her they both let out a little scream and rushed over to give her a hug.
Belwynn introduced them to Theron, and in their excitement they hugged him as well, making her giggle.
She peered into the carriage, but it was empty.
‘They can’t be here on their own?’ she asked Gyrmund.
‘From what I can understand, the men are out buying provisions and left them here for a short while.’
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the Caladri returned. Amongst them was Hajna, Princess of the Blood Caladri. She walked over, poised and elegant, all the more noticeable when her attendants were so excitable and over-familiar.
‘How nice to see you all again,’ said Hajna once the various introductions were made. With her were Gyuri, the same carriage driver who had driven them before, and two of the male Caladri attendants, Vida and Joska. The three of them were carrying sacks of items they must have purchased at the market. In addition, Sz
abolcs, the wise man they had met during their visit, was with them. Soren immediately gravitated towards Szabolcs and drew him away for a private conversation.
‘I presume you are also on your way to Coldeberg?’ Belwynn asked.
‘You are correct. We were invited to attend by Gustav the Hawk. It is very important that Szabolcs and I meet with the leaders of Dalriya.’
‘Prince Lorant is not with you? Is he well?’
A look of grief passed over Hajna’s face. ‘Lorant is well. We faced very serious fighting soon after you left, the worst I have ever known. My husband’s father, King Tibor, was killed in the fighting. So Lorant is not a prince anymore, but a king.’
‘And you are a queen?’
‘You are correct. We agreed to a truce with the Shadow Caladri not long after our king’s death, and it has held over the autumn and winter seasons. But Lorant dare not leave our lands and so I have come without him.’
‘Are you about to leave now?’ Belwynn asked.
‘Yes. We thought it wise to replenish our supplies here first.’
‘Can we accompany them?’ Belwynn asked, looking at her companions.
‘Of course we will,’ said Soren.
‘That is so kind of you,’ said Hajna.
Gyuri climbed up to his seat, while Hajna and her four attendants took their places inside the carriage. Giving a shout and a pull on the reins, Gyuri got his gaur moving.
Belwynn and the others looked at each other with a mixture of expressions.
‘So we just bumped into the Queen of the Caladri?’ asked Theron, disbelievingly.
‘I liked the cows,’ said Lyssa.
3
Coldeberg
SPRING RAINFALL HIT THEM on the road from Guslar to Essenberg. It was incessant, and Belwynn soon gave up on trying to keep dry, reconciling herself to travelling while soaked through. Her inner things got sore from the constant rubbing of riding. The Caladri were able to keep out of the rain inside the carriage, the men taking turns driving the gaur. But their slow pace became a source of frustration. In the end, Belwynn bundled Lyssa into the carriage with Hajna and the rest of them rode on ahead: the sooner they reached Essenberg, the sooner they could get warm.
The Weapon Takers Saga Box Set Page 72
