by Jackson Lear
“Busy.”
“Raiding other northerners?”
Another shrug. “I have old scores to settle. Some of the noblemen would’ve hurried to their boats after the castle fell. They would’ve sailed as fast as they could through the night to get back home. Some because they’re cowards, others to prepare to make a claim on the throne. I couldn’t let them succeed so my ships were waiting.” He shifted his legs, grunting with disdain.
“I can help with the pain.”
“I don’t feel pain. I feel numb.”
“Great. No helping with the pain, then. You left on a ship in the dead of night. Why didn’t you sail back?”
More disdain. “Because you let Draegor’s fleet chase you towards Faersrock, not to Orkust.”
“They never chased us into Faersrock.”
“I know.”
I puzzled over that one for a while. “Plan B?”
A nod. “A precaution.”
“There was a horn that night when we sailed. One of many, I assume. You sent them a fake signal?”
“It was real. ‘The king is dead.’ That tends to turn most people around, but not all.”
“So you were sailing as fast as you could to reach Brilskeep in time. How far did you get?”
“Not far enough. Draegor’s ships were everywhere. We had to walk a day out of our way just to bypass Ice Bridge.”
“A whole day? I feel for you.”
Agnarr lifted one hand to check his wound. Winced at the feeling and found a trickle of blood along his fingers. “What’s to become of me?”
“You’re coming with us back to Orkust. If no one’s there when we arrive then you’re coming with us to Anglaterra.”
“You’re going to kidnap me from my own land and bring me into enemy territory to meet with your royalty?”
“I’m aware of the poetry of it all.”
“It doesn’t rhyme.”
“Then one day I’ll hand this story over to a bard so he can spin it into an epic tale. Who’s the new king of Vasslehün?”
“No idea.”
“None at all?”
“I know it isn’t me.”
“How will you find out?”
He nodded to his waist. “In my pouch is a list. When there is a new house on the throne their people will beat a drum in a particular pattern depending on which house it is. Those beats will carry on across the country so everyone will find out within a few hours.”
“Is there anyone you hope it is or isn’t?”
“The first beat means it’s someone not on the list. That’s something I would like to avoid.”
I considered it briefly: King Raike. And dismissed it just as quickly. It was annoying enough just keeping twenty soldiers and forty raiders together, never mind thousands of them all with their own petty squabbles and in-fighting.
Agnarr jutted his chin towards me. “You should leave before my people come back for me.”
“Cute, but no deal. Elgrid? Kilmur? Let’s reintroduce him to his people.”
Agnarr squinted at me, uncertain of what I was getting at.
“Oh, I didn’t tell you? Some of your people joined us. People you abandoned in Faersrock, people who lost friends and family in the attack you arranged. Let’s see who they trust more: you with a vampire bite on your neck; or us, who are loaded with Draegor’s silver and are willing to part with some of it to win them over.”
Chapter Fifty
Two miles to go until the chaos was likely to erupt. Agnarr slumped one foot in front of the other, still largely numb from Saskia’s poisonous bite and looking an awful lot like someone who was one drink away from passing out.
“You’re going to die up here, you know that?” slurred Agnarr. “You and the rest of you southerners. No amount of silver will turn my people against me.”
“We can do this gagged, if you like. How’s your nose?”
“My nose is fine.”
“Then imagine me breaking it and then gagging you. We’re eight miles away from Ice Bridge. I imagine walking that far while feeling like you’re suffocating the whole way would be unpleasant, so decide.”
“I’m a prisoner of war. You wouldn’t dare.”
“You’re responsible for killing a lot of my people. I think I would dare.”
“Then you’re a bigger fool than you look.”
“Thank you.”
Agnarr fell silent for a moment, trying to comprehend my response to his insult. “You shouldn’t have let Desdola live. Draegor was the one keeping her in check and thanks to you she’s completely off her leash.”
“Where is she?”
“How the hell would I know?”
“Where is she from?”
“No idea.”
“Have you ever met her?”
“I’m not that stupid.”
“I’m starting to think you are. Is she going to stay in Brilskeep?”
“Probably. She’ll be surrounded by vampires and no one will dare touch her while she has her henchmen.”
“You’re probably right. Elgrid? You look like you need cheering up. You’re in charge of Agnarr for the next few miles.”
“Yes sir.”
I handed over the reins of the slumping nobleman and fell back to Berik and Jarmella.
“He’s going to be a problem,” said Jarmella.
“Then stay frosty. Some of them still might make a move and I want to be ready for them if they decide to strike. Spread the word to keep an eye on whoever feels suspicious. They’ve remained in small groups so far. That should help narrow things down. Assign each of our guys a target.” I turned to Berik. “I’m not sure if we were properly introduced in Anglaterra. I’m Raike.”
“Berik, sir. Jarmella has filled me in on pretty much everything I’ve missed. Thank you for saving my life.”
“You’re welcome. You’re still on our side, aren’t you?”
Berik had no idea what I was talking about. “Yes, sir?”
“They didn’t get inside your head at all?”
“They tried …”
“Were you mistreated?”
“I mean … in Brilskeep, yeah.”
“Not by Agnarr or Elizandria’s people?”
“No.”
“They gave you food and water?”
“Yes.”
“Do either of them deserve to be killed?”
“I don’t think I was that big of a threat to them to be honest. I did ask some questions but they ignored me. I only learned this morning that this guy here was Agnarr.”
“How’d you find that out?”
“One of his people called out his name. That seemed to be piss him off and everyone else off as well. I don’t think any of them were supposed to use their names around me.”
“Did he and the blue eyed woman talk a lot?”
“Frequently, yes, but I was kept far in the back.”
“So the last time we saw you was in Brilskeep and now you’re here. What happened in between?”
He dropped his head down. Probably realized that he would be repeating this story several times over the next few years. “I was brought upstairs with Jarmella and the others – that I guess you know already. We were separated, one at a time, to be interrogated. It was my turn and they took me downstairs, shoved that shitty drink into my mouth and everything started going wrong. I don’t know what happened but my muscles started to spasm, I fell over, and out I went. I woke up in front of a doctor and a couple of Draegor’s guards. They all looked pretty panicked. No one spoke Isparian but the doctor seemed like he was trying to help me. He gave me something to drink and I threw up everything – which he was trying to encourage. He patted me on the back, gave me more of the drink, and since I was dizzy I refused and they forced it into me and I threw up again. You know that feeling after you’ve finally chucked it all up you feel a hundred times better? Thankfully that’s what happened. I fell back onto the bed, the doctor checked me over, and he seemed relieved. That made me f
eel relieved. Then it sounded like you guys decided to break out.”
“You heard that from where you were?”
“I’m sure the whole castle heard that. Everyone except the doctor left. I tried to leave – couldn’t, and after something like an hour the noise died down. One of the guards came back in, fuming, sweating, shouting at the doctor and at me. The doctor ran out with his pack and I was locked inside that small room. I was there for a day without anything to eat or drink until a couple of assholes found me. They hit me a few times, asked me who I was, who you all were, but I kept quiet. They hit me again, I stayed quiet. One of them got so angry that he was about to chop my hand off. They pulled him away just in time. Pulled everyone out of the room in fact, and then locked me in there again for another long while. Eventually they came back, put a hood on me and roped my wrists together, led me out, and after walking for a few miles to the west they pulled my hood off. I didn’t recognize anyone around me from when the hood went on but this new lot looked like mercenaries, not the guards who got me out of the castle. They brought me to the blue eyed woman. She asked if I spoke Isparian. I said yes. She asked if I was Berik. I said yes. She said I was coming with them. That was two days ago.”
“Was this before Ice Bridge or after?”
“Which one’s Ice Bridge?”
“Fifteen miles west of Brilskeep is a fortress city with lots of ships and a couple of bridges.”
Berik shook his head. “I didn’t see any city. We did cross a river, though. A big one. They used a portable bridge to get across.”
Jarmella blew out a sharp breath. “Those aren’t cheap.”
“This was an old one. Well worn.”
“Still …” Jarmella unfastened her short sword. Handed it over to Berik. “Here. You’re probably going to need this. Just remember to give it back.”
“Thanks. Where’s the rest of our stuff?”
“Divided up among the vanguard. This is just in case you need something before we can get your old sword back to you.”
“So we’re not out of the woods yet, are we?”
“Not even close,” muttered Jarmella.
Adalyn coughed beside us. Smiled at me in particular.
“Yes?”
She gave Jarmella an almost imperceptible signal … aside from it being glaringly obvious to everyone within the vanguard.
Jarmella groaned. “Berik, do you have a minute?”
“Sure. What’s going on?”
They pulled back. Adalyn stepped in beside me. “Hi.”
I had a feeling Jarmella’s groan was well placed.
“So, I know this might sound weird considering where we are and that there’s no guarantee of any of us getting back alive, but when this is all done and if we’re still alive maybe you and I … you know … I buy you a drink.”
“Oh, brother …” murmured Jarmella.
Even Berik sighed behind me. “Honestly? At this point I’d buy Raike a drink as well if he gets us all out of this.”
Jarmella shifted her glare onto Berik.
“Yes, I know what she was referring to. And I also know he’s not officially my commanding officer so technically that isn’t against the rules.”
Jarmella’s glare landed back onto me. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“Not gonna lie.”
“So where the hell is my drink?”
“You’re married to someone called Jessica.”
“It doesn’t have to be that kind of drink! Just some excuse to go out and talk crap and eat bad food and forget that we’re soldiers for once and enjoy just being ordinary people.”
“I bet Raike has a few good stories,” said Berik.
“You would think so. Most of the ones I’ve heard so far involve a lot of people dying,” huffed Jarmella.
Menrihk climbed down from a tree up ahead. “Hey, we’re … what’s going on?”
“Adalyn and Raike are going out for a drink.”
“Sounds about right,” said Menrihk. “The rest of Agnarr’s people are one mile away. Looks like Odalis has them all resting up and laying low.”
Jarmella looked to me. “We’ll keep Agnarr safe while you’re gone.”
“You really think I’m going in there alone?”
“Spiritually, we’ll be with you the whole way. Realistically? The more of us who go in there, the greater chance of this ending in a complete massacre.”
“Sshhh!” snapped Menrihk, holding his hand up quickly. In the far east came a horn, a simple do do doooooo, over and over, sent from Brilskeep and repeated in Ice Bridge.
I nudged Agnarr. “What does that mean?”
Bong.
Everyone froze, waiting for whatever was supposed to come after.
Do do doooooo.
Bong.
Agnarr grunted, annoyed with himself for what he was about to say. “There’s a new king. Or queen. You need to let me go.”
“Convince me.”
“You don’t get it, do you? The first thing a new king does is display an overwhelming show of force by eliminating his enemies. There will be hostages, there will be slaves, and everything that every noble up here has built will be forfeit to keep their lives. Then, he’ll go to war against whoever either gives him the least or deserves it the most.”
“So that’s you?”
“And you. My family is still at risk.”
“You sent your son to his death so I’m thinking that you care more about your own safety than theirs.”
“You were going to help me be king.”
“There’s still time.”
Do do doooooo.
Bong.
Jarmella looked to me. “His people are going to be shitting themselves right about now.”
Yep. Forty uneasy northerners who were more desperate than ever to turn around before it was too late. And just one of me to calm them down.
The single beat of the drum continued to thump through the forest. There was a new monarch on the throne and no one outside of Brilskeep knew who it was. Maybe it was Desdola. Maybe it was a vampire. Maybe it was nothing but a desperate ploy from the castle to get all of the nobles to agree to pick a new king already.
I stopped a hundred yards from the northerners, still trying to figure out just what the hell I was going to say to them. I stopped again at fifty yards. Was spotted by Ithka. Decided that I might as well blunder through this and see if anything at all was going to fall into place.
Half of the northerners stood upon my arrival. Concerned. After all, half of the vanguard had hurried into the trees to catch a vampire and I was the only one to return. Odalis and the rest of our people remained nearby. All nervous. There was no way Dalo or Benar would be able to hobble to safety, not if Agnarr’s people all turned on us.
Torunn approached. “Saskia?”
“We got her.”
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
“You should kill her.”
“When we get back to Galinnia we will.” I looked to Odalis and Wilbur. “How is everyone?”
“Good sir. Where’s everyone else?”
“They’re on their way. Torunn, the deal we have … it’s still good, isn’t it?”
He squinted at me. “What do you mean?”
“We help you get your prisoners back, you help us get to Orkust.”
“Yes. That is our deal.” He searched the forest behind me. “Where are rest of your people?”
“They’re coming. I just wanted to thank you now and everyone here for helping us get this far. No matter what happens we will tell General Kasera of your sacrifices. There will be no revenge on you, on Agnarr, or on anyone in Faersrock.”
His squint didn’t fade. “What happened?”
Two more northerners approached. Their names unknown to me. One with an ax, one with a sword. Not all that threatening but still worthy of concern.
I could handle three. Three was a good number if I could get the drop on them. Then I would have t
o run for my life and kidnap a bunch of sailors in Ice Bridge and force them to sail a stolen ship back to Galinnia.
I said: “It was a heist, wasn’t it?”
Torunn shook his head. “I do not know this word.”
“In Brilskeep. Elizandria and Agnarr were working together to rob Draegor, weren’t they?”
He shook his head again. Less convincing this time. “No.”
Yahnson and Stassa came closer. Now too many to strike at and still have a chance of getting away. But if I did exactly that then nine members of the vanguard would be executed because of me, no question.
“It was, wasn’t it?” I said. “Look, I don’t mind. In fact, I think it was done very well and I am genuinely impressed. It’s how I got my silver coins.” I held one out to him. He took it, looked it over, handed it back.
“I do not know what you mean.”
By now I had the undivided attention of everyone in the group as they all wondered why I was talking to Torunn as quietly as I was. Something had gone wrong. They just didn’t know what.
“We found him. Agnarr. He’s one mile away.”
Torunn held a steady look, unsure of what I was getting at but in no mood to give himself away.
“He betrayed us, didn’t he?”
Torunn slowly glanced to the rest of his people, confirming their location. Odalis gave a quick signal to the rest of the vanguard. Get ready to move. Unfortunately it was seen by half of the northerners.
“Stassa, can you help?”
She stayed pinned to the ground. “What’s going on?”
Torunn slipped into his native tongue. Something about Agnarr. All eyes turned towards me.
“We have Agnarr,” I said, louder this time.
“Oh shit,” muttered Wilbur.
The rest of the northerners stood. Ready.
“He told us the truth, that he and Elizandria arranged for Torunn’s crew to be ambushed by Draegor. Agnarr wanted us brought to Brilskeep. Then Elizandria helped us to escape as a distraction while her people broke into Draegor’s vault and robbed him. That’s why no one wanted us to take the mountain pass, isn’t it? Because there was a chance we would find him along the way.”
