by Thomas Adams
Bax was hiding below the fort in a copse of trees near the lake with the remaining group of student archers. They were mounted and awaiting the signal. It was boring just sitting around and waiting for something to happen. That was the nature of the hunt though. The students took turns dozing as best they could on the chilly tower roof. A light breeze swept chill air down from the towering snow clad peaks surrounding the valley. Even though it was late summer light cloaks were in order.
Around the end of the third watch the captain appeared on the roof by the stairway. He looked around and saw them and hurried over. “They are coming up to the High Fort, the sneaky bastards! My men saw them. They are about three quarters of the way up on the north corner of the west wall.”
Erika turned to her group but they were already up and ready. Good boys she thought. The student with the lantern stepped up. He already had the green lens in place and the lantern lit.
“Uncover and hoist it.” Erika commanded. “Everyone go to the west wall. Stay out of sight and keep quiet. Follow our plan, wait for further orders once set up.”
The boy flicked the cover back off the lantern and tied it to a rope and pulley. He raised it up ten feet and tied it off on the pole. The students gathered their weapons and made to move off. Erika said, “Not so fast Kyrr. You stay with me.”
Kyrr’s shoulders slumped and he looked like he would argue but he kept his mouth closed. The others left and she peered through the gloom in the direction of the Low Fort. A few seconds later a lantern appeared and displayed a steady green light. That was all she needed to see. Everyone would be alerted now including Bax and his group below. She grunted and motioned for the boy to follow. They headed down the tall tower for the west wall. Kyrr didn’t say a word but his hand stayed wrapped around the hilt of his sword.
The lead Narasist, Azuk, was near the top. Azuk was the leader of this team and had put this plan together. It was risky and likely a huge mistake but their options were limited and Crestia was insistent. They were to make the attempt regardless of the plan’s risk. The Narasists knew they were probably climbing to their deaths tonight.
The light from torches on the walls above now lit their way. The black rock glimmered as if it held a fire deep inside, trying to break free. They stuck to the shadows as much as possible. It was a grueling climb but not an impossible one. Most of the assassins had made harder climbs in the past. Doing such a climb in the dark made it difficult and more dangerous though. Some died in training climbs like this but that was the nature of their work. By necessity, most of what Narasists did was done in the dark.
Azuk swung over the lip of the cliff and wiggled into the small niche of space between the wall and the precipice. He slowly checked all around. It looked good. No one appeared on the wall above and no alarm was raised. He disconnected from the climbing ropes and then helped pull the second man up. The second man would help the third and so on.
Cautiously, Azuk eased ten feet along the base of the wall towards a tower. The footing was treacherous. The ledge at the base of the wall was small and possibly weakened by erosion and time. They had to do this quietly and not attract the attention of the guards above. He assessed the fortress wall while the second assassin helped the third man up. They needed to tie off a new safety line as well but there were no good options and he could not risk hammering in new anchor pitons. The sound would be heard.
Azuk had just figured out a route up the forty foot smooth stone wall when arrows started to rain down from above. Large lanterns were uncovered and lenses pointed at them. Light flooded the side of the castle and exposed them. Two of his men were struck with multiple arrows and tumbled screaming, over the cliff and into the blackness below. The attack was quiet and that made it all the more disorienting. Another of his team slid back over the cliff and started to make his way back down the ropes. Azuk watched the man quickly descend. He did not make it far before an arrow from below found its mark. There were archers above and below.
There was no escape in either direction. It was a trap. The blasted krigers had discovered their plan. They were not stupid. Azuk cursed the plan and Crestia’s insistence on this foolhardy attempt. It was all for naught. It was a reckless frantic effort. Four good men were going to die tonight on this cold foreign pile of rock for no good reason.
There was nothing for it. Azuk sprung up and began to scale the wall before him. If he could make it to the top and into the castle he stood a better chance than on the exposed treacherous cliff below. He made it ten feet before three arrows found him in rapid succession. Azuk was dead before he tumbled into the blackness below.
***
“I am very concerned. This second attempt was much bolder. It smacked of desperation. They will not stop.” Erika said in an angry worried tone. “If it wasn’t for Bax’s little spy ring we would’ve had no notice of this latest attempt. The Narasists could have overwhelmed the section’s watch and gotten to Kyrr. They had very detailed maps of the High Fort. They knew exactly where to go.”
“Agreed, we have to make a decision on how to protect the boy. It is not an easy one. So far we have been lucky.” Bax said.
Ivar saw the frustration on the others’ faces and tried to defuse the situation. Anger would lead them to making a rash dangerous decision, “I think, at this time, we only have two options. Either he stays here or he goes to Kimera. If we could contact the Druids we could ask them for their help and advice. But, we don’t know how to do that so we must rule it out. And, sending him to Kimera would be a death sentence. If the Narasists don’t get him the corrupt jarls will.
Bax seemed to simmer down and said, “I don’t trust anyone in Kimera short of the Chancellor. But can even he protect Kyrr? Wulfgar already told us the Chancellor’s position is weak. He is unlikely to be able to do an adequate job. I agree with Ivar, Kimera is not a good choice. That leaves us, the people in this room to figure out a course of action.”
“So, we have before us two bad options. Are there no others? Can we send him to another Guild Hall? Or, maybe send him to a different castle? Put him into hiding somewhere?” Erika asked.
Captain Gorgrin interjected, “Reave is the most secure Fortress in the realm. It is the hardest to gain access to. Its physical position makes it the best possible location to securely hold someone. It is the easiest of the royal installations to protect and control access to, better than Cinder or Kӧptra.”
Master Ivar finally responded, “He would be found wherever we send him. Look at what we know, only a handful know his real lineage and name. Even Kyrr does not know. So, how did they find him here? If we think he would be better elsewhere we are grossly underestimating the Narasists’ capabilities. The best chance he would have to is to go back to the Druids. But, the Druids sent him here for a reason. I think that is an important part of this. He is at Reave Hall for a reason. He will stay here and continue his training. We will do the best we can to keep him safe. That is all we can do in my opinion.”
The others grumbled but no one had a better idea. There would be no elaborate plan to whisk the boy away and hide him somewhere else. There were few options and no resources or time to implement anew plan. They would have to make do. That was the safest bet so far.
Ivar looked around the circle at each person, “So we agreed then? Good. Erika, you need help though. Send for more of your krigers. We are finished for now.”
Chancellor Rumborg’s embassy was nearing Tanic and Reave Hall. Each day brought them closer and Yfiria’s anticipation and excitement rose with each passing skot. In only a few days they would arrive and she was impatient to finally see Brandt after so many years apart. She didn’t know what to expect so she told herself that it would be wonderful. She had to stay positive and put her doubts aside. Even though she realized she was fooling herself, the signs and warnings were there.
Last night she’d sat with Yfellia and went over her entire wardrobe for the visit. Yfellia, Yfiri
a’s cousin and her current lady-in-waiting, assured Yfiria she would handle everything. She also promised the princess she would look radiant for Brandt.
Yfiria instructed her cousin, once they arrived at Reave Hall, to seek out Brandt at the first opportunity. She told Yfellia to deliver the set of clothes they had made for him and a personal message. She didn’t want him to be ill at ease or embarrassed about his appearance when they met. She wanted him to be comfortable for the reception dinner that was planned to celebrate their arrival at Reave Hall. And, Yfellia was instructed to pass on that Yfiria wanted so very much wanted to see him and renew their acquaintance.
Near midnight, Yfellia finally coaxed the younger overly excited princess into her camp bed near their campfire. Even with a small rollup pad and sleeping furs it was a hard uncomfortable bed. All of the ladies were making sacrifices on this rough trip. It was more like a military operation then a diplomatic visit. But, her father seemed to relish the austere and rough conditions. He was in high spirits. Yfiria lay awake for an hour after turning in. She imaged her reunion with Brandt, what he would say and what he looked like now. It was hard to reconcile what she knew of his current situation with her expectations.
The next day, as she rode along the dusty road, she reflected back on her visit to Kimera. It was larger than Helvig, the Capital of Radnja. Helvig was built for trade. The defenses of Helvig were added, as if an afterthought, as the threat from Osterider and the Imperia grew. But, as a major seaport built into a mountainside it was already fairly defensible.
Kimera was built for war, to defend against the numerous invasions from Osterider and the Emorie of Imperia. It sat on top of a large plateau in a wide valley. It was backed up against tall red mountains capped with snow. It was breathtakingly beautiful when she’d first glimpsed it from the hills to the north. The city was seated in a lush green valley next to a river. It looked tranquil and peaceful. And, once she’d entered, the city itself was wonderful, clean, neat and orderly. The King’s Hall in Castle Agar was very regal. While she didn’t get a tour of the King’s Keep it looked like a lovely place to live and she could imagine spending her life there with Brandt.
She blushed and looked around at her ladies. They were not paying her any mind and seemed just as tired and saddle sore as she was. She’d never imagined she would be riding along and daydreaming of living in a castle with Brandt. The thought was thrilling but likely, a bit premature. It had been a long time since he’d made that promise to her and much had gone awry since then. Where his feelings for her were still the same?
She returned to her reflections of Kimera. Chancellor Rumborg was a kindly man and her impressions were favorable. Rumborg had also introduced her to his two sons. They seemed like nice young men. But Yfiria wasn’t really interested in their attentions. She was polite but distant. A day later at another state dinner, Yfiria had the distinct impression the chancellor was a bit miffed she wasn’t interested in his sons. And he was very unhappy, later, when he learned the princess was also travelling to Castle Reave to see her childhood friend Brandt.
She wasn’t sure why this news upset him. Likely, the chancellor didn’t want to be bothered by travelling with a group of ladies. Or, maybe it was something else. She suspected it was the later because the chancellor had a couple unmarried eligible daughters. He likely wanted to make a match with Brandt for one of his own girls and wouldn’t appreciate a childhood friend, an unmarried Crown Princess of Radnja, visiting the boy. It seemed to Yfiria that the chancellor already knew who and what Brandt was. Yfiria also learned from the chancellor’s other daughters that the youngest daughter, Fridya, was at Castle Reave and was a student there as well. Yfiria could tell there was more going on than met the eye but she didn’t dig too deep. She was busy planning her own visit to Reave Hall.
She’d already convinced her father to talk the chancellor into having a small reception at Reave Hall when they arrived. Her father said the Hall would do what they could for a sedate dinner, music and dancing but it wouldn’t be a grand affair. The Hall was not equipped for such activities. That didn’t matter to Yfiria. She would get at least one night with Brandt in a pleasant social setting. It was better than nothing as far as she was concerned. She was busy planning other ways to spend time with him when Aravin dropped his horse in alongside hers.
“Good day princess. Well, we are almost there. Are you excited?” Aravin mused.
“Aye.” she replied.
“I thought so, but first a word of caution if I may.” he added mysteriously.
“A word of caution, what do you mean Aravin?”
“Do you remember the disconnect we felt when we tried to project to Brandt? And the perceived rift in our archania when it came to him?” asked Aravin.
“I remember. I still feel it. I tried again just last night and felt very little in response. I thought with the distance closing it would get better.” She replied with a sudden sinking feeling in her chest.
“Well, I have picked up a few things from listening to the chancellor. One, he knows who Brandt is. Two, he supports his eventual claim and restoration. Thirdly, the reports about Brandt have all stated the boy has no memory of his past. None at all, he has total amnesia.”
“What?” she fairly shouted, “How long have you known about this? Why am I just now hearing it?”
Her heart was crashing in her chest. He had no memories of them, of her? Was he alright? Was he sick or something? He must be fine physically if he was a student though. No memory, no, by Kimer’s Axe this was not fair. Everything they’d been through and endured, did he remember his promise to her? Tears began trickling down her cheeks as the realization of what the years must have really been like for him registered in her mind. No memories of his youth, his friendships and the people in his life, his training with Ridynar? How was he surviving?
She’d been living a safe luxurious life while the boy she loved fought and scratched for every single inch and suffered so much. Cast off from everyone he knew, exiled from his home and suffering from a total loss of memory? It was too much for her heart to bear. She had flashes of his loneliness and uncertainty over the years. Now it made sense. He had no recollection of friends, who were for all intents and purposes the only family he’d ever really known. She felt so miserable and guilty. Her heart felt like it was tearing into a thousand pieces.
She glared through her tears at Aravin and said condemningly, “We should have come years ago Aravin! When we first knew there was a problem. I blame you for all he has suffered.” She pulled out her handkerchief and dried her eyes and composed herself and asked, “Can he be healed? Is there anything we can do for him?”
She saw he looked guilty. Damnation but he should feel guilty! At least he felt something she thought. He thought a few seconds and said, “I will try. But, I want you to spend as much time with him as possible. Use all your charm, your past connection and knowledge to try and nudge his memory. And, use your archania too if you think an opening presents and it will do some good.”
He paused and then continued, “There is more.”
She gasped and more tears squeezed between her tightly shut eyes, she snapped, “Gods, how can it be any worse?”
Aravin grimly added, “Narasists. The Emorie knows of him, his location and has twice tried to kill him. Once he was gravely injured and almost died.”
She felt her anger building. She gasped and her vision flashed with red spots. She was going to faint and topple off her horse. This could not be happening. She stopped her horse and took several deep breaths. Aravin stopped and spoke soothingly to her. She forcibly calmed herself and got her feelings under control. It took a few minutes. The guards looked strangely at her and her ladies all looked bewildered and shocked. The whole column ground to a halt and her ladies asked what she needed.
After a few moments she felt better. She pulled on her archania and emptied her mind. This is not what Brandt needed now. He needed a strong and understanding woman who could
help him. Falling apart on the road like a hysterical girl child and dwelling on things out of her control would help neither of them. She could not change the past. She nodded her head and firmed her resolve. She raised her chin, dried her eyes and put her horse in motion towards Reave Hall. Visions of dancing and romantic moonlight walks faded. She put her brain to work figuring out how she could help Brandt. She had to heal him and help him recover his lost memories. He must be made whole again.
***
“My most dear friend, I am only concerned for the success of this venture. As you can imagine, the strain is terrible on our relationship. The Emperor and I usually have the best working relationship.” Primus Legatus Kho said as they walked from the emperor’s audience chamber.
Lutvar replied coolly, “I am sure Primus Legatus. I am sure. But why bring this worry to me? Surely there are others better suited to counsel you on this? I am neither a military expert nor a political savant like the others in the Emperor’s inner circle.”
“Aye.” Kho responded, “True, but you have known him for so long and your current situation has been noted. You have the most influence now. That is all. So, if I may continue?” Kho paused and Lutvar reluctantly nodded his head.
“Thank you my esteemed friend. The gist is this; Titan is displeased by the slowness of the call up of the reserves and the marshalling of the army. He thinks it can be done much quicker. I am trying to set the right expectations. A force this size, without stripping our frontiers to the bone, will take another year to two to fully assemble. Almost half of the new units need extensive training. Some units are wholly comprised of conscripts and have no military experience. And, as it is now, we are way behind schedule.”
