The Rise of Aredor

by Claire M Banschbach

  “For now, I’m relieving you of your duties for a few days at least,” Darrin said. “No arguments, Corin. I am technically a commanding officer.”

  “Somehow, I think you’re cheating.” Corin shook his head as Darrin helped him lay back down.

  “Yes, I am.” Darrin smiled as he left the cave.

  Darrin left shortly after with Corin’s patrol to go relieve Tristan’s patrol watching the Lynwood Track.

  * * *

  “I hate this! I wish the blasted Sultaan hadn’t ordered us over here!” Emeth exclaimed, throwing himself on his bunk. He and Ahmed were alone in their room after returning from a foray with Ismail. Their arrival with the fresh troops had boosted the Calorin presence in Ardor and Ismail had been appointed to Lynwood Keep with reinforcements to fight the outlaws.

  “What were we supposed to do? Refuse to go?” Ahmed took a seat on his bed.

  Emeth stood and began pacing restlessly. “That would have turned out better than coming here,” he muttered. They dreaded every new order to ride out, finally forced to confront the fear they’d harbored on the long journey. Corin had returned home and was effectively their enemy.

  Ahmed scraped a hand along his chin with a sigh. Emeth knew it was unfair to force his increasingly foul mood on Ahmed. But it wasn’t just from the encounter with Corin in the forest.

  “It’s all very well for you, but I feel like I’m betraying my own people just by being here,” Emeth said. “Worse still, I feel like we’re betraying him!”

  “Emeth, we both knew this would happen when we were sent here.” There was patient resignation in Ahmed’s voice. “Just be grateful it wasn’t you who struck the blow.” Emeth saw the guilt in Ahmed’s eyes. “Like it or not, we’re enemies now.”

  A single rap on the door announced the arrival of Ismail. He stepped into the room, his expression warning Emeth he wasn’t going to like what was coming.

  “A wounded dispatch rider just came in. His letters were taken and this left in their place.” He held up a grey hawk feather. Emeth swallowed hard. He and Ahmed had agreed to keep the information to themselves, not wishing to jeopardize Ismail’s conscience.

  “It’s him, isn’t it?” Ismail asked.

  Ahmed dipped a nod.

  “How long have you two known?”

  “A few weeks, my lord,” Ahmed replied.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Ismail demanded.

  “We thought it might be better if you didn’t know, sir,” Emeth said.

  “Not know? The Hawk Flight roams the forest, leaving these.” Ismail held up the feather. “Who else would be reckless enough to lead so few men against the Sultaan’s finest troops?”

  “What will you do now, sir?” Emeth asked the question he needed his own answer to.

  “I don’t know. But he saved my life, and I haven’t forgotten my debt to him,” Ismail said.

  Chapter 14

  “Captain, there’s a large force of Argusians out. They’re laying waste tae the villages along the forest,” Kieran reported in a breathless rush. He had arrived at the caves just on the heels of Martin and his patrol.

  “How many and where?” Corin asked sharply.

  “About thirty. They were headed north toward Tafarn village last I saw, sir. They’re not moving fast, so it’ll take them a while tae get there,” Kieran said.

  Corin’s men heard the report and stood as he began to issue commands to pack supplies and extra weapons. Since they were leaving the forest, all donned mail coats.

  “Are you mad? Taking on thirty Argusians with ten men?” Martin asked as Corin packed provisions.

  “Yes, we are, Martin. And if you and half your patrol weren’t hurt, you’d be going with us. Besides, someone has to stay and tell Darrin where we’ve gone.” Corin grinned.

  “That’s not a comforting thought.”

  “I want to take some of your men with me.”

  “Good. I was going to send them with you anyway.” Martin waved Gavin over to help select the men.

  “Tell them to pack extra provisions. We might be gone awhile,” Corin said before he strode out to saddle Zephyr.

  Tafarn village was located a few miles from the forest’s edge, close to the Braeton border. As Corin and his small force of fifteen men raced to cut off the marauding Argusians, they passed ruined barns, slaughtered livestock, and injured villagers. They rode along the forest’s edge, close enough to duck back inside to avoid the few Calorin patrols on the roads. As darkness closed in, they were still some distance from Tafarn.

  Corin called a halt, and they made camp. The outlaws were on the move again shortly before dawn, striking away from the forest and covering the last few miles to Tafarn. The village looked quiet and peaceful in the faint light of morning. Corin sent Bran ahead to scout.

  “They haven’t been here yet, Captain,” Bran reported when he came back.

  “Take Kael and see if you can find any trace of them. We’ll wait in the village,” Corin ordered.

  An hour later, Bran and Kael returned. Anxious villagers parted to let them through.

  “They’re coming, sir. Still marching slowly, and they’ve fired two more farms,” Kael reported.

  “How long?” Corin asked.

  “About half an hour,” Bran said.

  The village leader spoke up. “What can we do to help, sir?”

  “I want everyone inside, out of the way,” Corin said.

  Mothers gathered their children and shepherded them inside. A few of the younger men came forward, armed with long knives and axes.

  “We’ll fight with you, sir,” they said.

  Corin accepted their help and began positioning his men. Two more men found Corin, their stance setting them apart from the clear inexperience of the villagers.

  “My name is Dylan, this is Marc. We both escaped from Lynwood when it fell. If you have arrows to spare, we can add two more bows,” Dylan said.

  Corin took an extra quiver from his saddle and handed them to Dylan. “Arm yourselves and then find Bran. You can reinforce his position.”

  Ian handed another spare quiver to Marc. Shouldering the quivers, they saluted and hurried off to retrieve their hidden weapons.

  The outlaws took up places behind houses and in the square. They did not have to wait long before the Argusians came into sight. Corin whistled a soft signal and laid a shaft on his bow. All around, his men did the same. The Argusians were caught completely by surprise as the first flight of arrows landed in their ranks. A second flight quickly followed before they were able to raise their shields. Corin whistled again, and he and his men retreated into the square, still firing arrows at the charging Argusians. The two forces locked blades in the square with neither side giving any quarter.

  Then a horn blared, and the Argusians retreated. Corin saw too late that they had set fire to several houses. Reluctantly, he let the enemy retreat and joined his men to put out the fires. Hours later, the Hawk Flight prepared to leave the village.

  “Dylan!” Liam exclaimed, recognizing the warrior. “How’d you make it out of Lynwood alive?”

  “Lieutenant!” Dylan returned, equally surprised. “A small group of us fought through to the back gate. But only Marc and I made it into the woods alive.”

  “Is Marc here with you?” Liam asked.

  “Yes, sir. If your captain will have us, we’ll join you,” Dylan said.

  “I’d be glad to have you.” Corin wasn’t about to turn down another warrior.

  “We have horses in the stable,” Dylan said.

  “Bring what you have and hurry before the trail goes cold,” Corin said.

  Within a short time, the patrol was mounted and ready to leave. Karif perched on Corin’s shoulder as he led the men out of the village and in hot pursuit of the Argusians.

  * * *

  Kara spurred her gelding on faster as the Calorin patrol thundered close behind. By bad luck they had seen her as she crossed a forest path. She tore through the fores
t, abandoning her route to the caves. Bowstrings twanged as arrows flew around her. They splashed through a stream, and Kara jumped Delyth over a fallen log and left the track. Her heart pounding, she sped through the underbrush, trying to shake her pursuers. An arrow clipped her leg, and she clung desperately to the saddle to stay on.

  Turning Delyth to the left, she changed directions again. Surprised, the Calorins lost sight of her momentarily. Jumping down into a sheltered dell, she tumbled from the saddle. Sending Delyth cantering off, she crouched awkwardly in the shelter of the hollow. Shouts echoed as the Calorins chased after the horse. She froze as voices sounded nearby. Not all her pursuers had gone after the decoy. They were coming in her direction.

  Taking the pouch from her shoulder, she hid it under the bushes. She stuck her knife in the ground beside the pouch. Kara turned and hobbled away as best she could. Sobbing for breath, she continued on as the sound of pursuit once again sounded behind her.

  * * *

  “Is Kara back yet?” Darrin asked as he came into the caves.

  Tristan shook his head in worry. “No, she was due back almost an hour ago.”

  “She was coming from the Rocks, wasn’t she?”

  “Yes. I was about to take a patrol out to look for her,” Tristan said.

  It wasn’t long before they found signs of the pursuit. Crossing the stream, they followed the path torn through the undergrowth. Darrin sent Iwan and Huw farther down the trail while he and Tristan stepped down into the dell.

  Tristan brushed his hand across the red streaks staining the grass. “Looks like she was hurt.”

  A glint in the bushes caught Darrin’s eye and he pulled the knife from the ground and retrieved the pouch. “She kept this safe though.”

  Tristan stood and followed the hoof prints torn in the ground. “She must have tried to send Delyth off as a decoy. From the looks of things, it didn’t work.”

  “See where that trail goes,” Darrin said.

  They followed the faint trail of blood to where footprints and hooves had flattened the grass in a confusing jumble.

  “She didn’t get far,” Tristan said. “It looks like they took her to Lynwood.”

  * * *

  Kara’s legs threatened to collapse beneath her when the gates of Lynwood Keep closed, locking her inside. Her captors dragged her upright and escorted her away from the sunlit courtyard into the dungeons below the Keep. Some of the Calorins, including the commander of the troop, had been shocked to see that she was a girl, but that didn’t stop the rest of the soldiers from glaring at her. She had been identified as one of the outlaws and that seemed to be all they cared about.

  Her bindings were rechecked after she was shoved into a cell. She wasn’t the only one surprised when a healer came to tend to her leg on the commander’s order. She allowed him to clean and bandage the wound in tense silence, barely relaxing when he left and the cell door clanged shut.

  She sat against the cell wall and tugged futilely at the chafing ropes around her wrists. The guards were visible through the bars as they paced their rounds, muttering to each other and glancing her way. She’d picked up enough Calorin to know their conversations about her were less than comforting.

  She curled her legs up to her chest, trying in vain to control the fear that was coming dangerously close to immobilizing her. They’ll realize I’m missing sooner or later, she tried to reassure herself. It wasn’t comforting to know what would happen eventually. She began to breathe slowly and evenly, trying to steady her shaking hands.

  A few hours later, two guards in red–and-black livery entered the dungeon. They helped her stand and escorted her to a private chamber where the commander waited. After cutting her bonds, the guards withdrew. The lord, Ismail as she thought she’d heard his name, sat behind a desk littered with papers. He indicated that she should sit.

  “How is your leg?” he asked in halting Rhyddan.

  “It’s fine,” Kara replied shortly.

  “Listen to me carefully. I do not want to hurt you, but that will happen if you do not answer our questions.” There seemed to be genuine concern in his statement.

  “I won’t tell you anything about us,” Kara blurted.

  Ismail shook his head. “I admire your defiance, but it will be easier on you if you cooperate. What were you carrying? Letters? Orders to your warband?”

  Kara remained silent, staring down at the floor.

  “I will not be the one continuing to ask you these questions. Kadar is on his way here as we speak.”

  Kara couldn’t hide the fear that shook her body. She knew Ian still had nightmares from his time as a prisoner. But she’d sworn an oath, and it was her duty to protect the information she carried for as long as she could.

  “I don’t care. I won’t tell you anything.” She tilted her chin in what she hoped was stubborn defiance.

  “I won’t be able to protect you from anything once he gets here,” Ismail warned.

  The reply surprised her and she studied his face. He didn’t seem to be much older than the captain, his reluctance hiding in the tight draw of his mouth.

  “Why are you here?” she asked softly. “You don’t want tae do it, do you?”

  “I obey the Sultaan, and so I must obey Lord Balkor. Believe me when I say that I do not want to be here, but I must play the part.” He called his guards in and gave them orders.

  Kara was taken back to the dungeon by only one guard. She stumbled beside him, her injured leg deciding to increase its ache. He gripped her elbow in a firm, steady grip, propelling her effortlessly along until they reached an empty section of the corridor. He pulled her to a sudden halt, reaching for her sleeve. She shrank away until she realized he had only pushed it up to reveal the clan marking.

  She darted a look up at him. He'd been looking for it. She bit back an inappropriate curse as she realized that behind the Calorin clothes and flawless Calorin accent, was a northerner. His dark green eyes met hers for a second before he covered the tattoo again. He gave a small nod before turning her back towards the dungeons.

  * * *

  That night Emeth stood on the walls, carefully scanning the surrounding forest. He could get himself in real trouble. Ismail as well if he wasn’t careful. But he’d never been accused of caution. It wasn’t just because she was a girl, it was her brogue. He’d been half afraid that he’d see a four pointed star on her arm, even though her hair color was more common to Clan Gunlon.

  Oath or not, he couldn’t ignore a fellow Braeton, even though he’d all but abandoned his people years ago. He thought it strange that she even ran with the outlaw warband, but if he had his way, she’d soon be back in the forest.

  His keen eyes soon found what they were looking for: a telltale rustle in the underbrush. Raising his bow, he sent an arrow thudding into a tree.

  A sentry came running over. “What happened?”

  “I thought I saw one of the outlaws,” Emeth replied. As he looked back, the arrow was gone. “If it was them, they’re gone now.”

  * * *

  “Sire, Karif is here,” Flynn said.

  “What? Is Corin back?” Darrin glanced up in surprise.

  “No, sir, but the hawk is outside.”

  Darrin followed him out of the caves to where the grey hawk perched on a low branch. Darrin carefully extended his arm to the hawk. It normally did not allow anyone but Corin to handle it. Karif came down to perch on Darrin’s arm. He saw a scrap of paper tied to its leg. Removing it, he handed it to Flynn to read.

  “Captain says they’ll be gone a few more days. The Argusians have picked up a bigger force and are leading them farther east. Once the enemy is taken care of, they’ll head back, sir,” Flynn reported.

  “Thank you, Flynn,” Darrin said.

  “Will you send a message back, sir?” the archer asked.

  Karif shifted restlessly on Darrin’s arm.

  “No, he’s anxious to get back. Take care of him,” he whispered to the hawk before to
ssing it into the air. They stood for a moment, watching it wing its way east back to Corin. A movement in the darkening forest caught their attention, and Llewellyn strode toward them.

  “This came from the castle walls, sire.” Llewellyn handed an arrow to Darrin. “It’s one of Kara’s, and this was attached to it.” He gave a scroll of paper to Darrin. Martin and Tristan joined them as they went back into the caves.

  “What is it?” Martin asked.

  Darrin glanced up from reading the paper. “It seems we have a temporary ally in the keep. He wants to help get Kara out. Two nights from now, there’s a new moon. He says he’ll wait on the west wall to get us in.”

  Martin took the message and looked it over. “Looks like he’s one of us.” He pointed to a mark scrawled in the corner.

  Tristan studied it. “It’s a Clan marking. Canich, I think.”

  The men stared at one another.

  “What’s a Clan member doing in Lynwood with all those Calorins?” Flynn wondered.

  “If he shot the arrow, then he saw where I was scouting, which is more than I can say for those Calorins,” Llewellyn said.

  “Do we trust it, sire?” Flynn asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Darrin answered. He regretted sending Karif back. He had a feeling that his brother might know something about this stranger. Tristan meanwhile had been looking at the note again.

  “He doesn’t say how many men to bring, he gives us two days, and he doesn’t say that he can be trusted. It sounds safe so far,” Tristan said. “Furthermore, he has the Clan sign. He might be a traitor to his country, but he at least appears to have a conscience.”

  “How do you know Kara didn’t say anything about the Clans? They could’ve realized she was a Braeton,” Martin objected.

  Tristan shrugged. “I don’t. But the fact that a Clan member seems to be walking around unchallenged in the keep seems a bit unbelievable. I don’t think even the Calorins could’ve come up with that one.”

  “You’re saying that we should trust him then?” Darrin asked.

  “It’s worth a try,” Tristan replied.

  When Trey returned from his patrol, he was quickly informed of the message. He agreed with his brother after reading the paper.