by Garry Spoor
“The King has made an unexpected arrival in Forthbar.” Kile replied.
Steele looked over at her. “Yeah, how did you know?”
“He was riding a white and black horse. Two men, wearing dark robes, rode on either side of him, six of his house guards rode behind him…” she continued.
“I get the point.” Folkstaff replied. “Sorry I doubted you.”
“That’s all I wanted to hear.”
-You are getting devious-
Grim added.
“Well, there is something more.” Steele said, looking around at the others Hunters. “Although, it’s not official.”
“What is it?” Folkstaff asked.
“Those two men, who rode on either side of King Roland, rumor has it, they aren’t men at all. They’re Alva.”
There was a moment of silence as the Hunters exchanged looks. To each, that news meant something different.
“How reliable is this information?” Folkstaff finally asked.
“Not very,” Steele said.
“Alva? There hasn’t been an Alva around here since before the Mudd Wars.” Erin added.
That wasn’t entirely true, Kile knew of at least one.
“As I said, it’s not very reliable.” Steele replied.
“Yes, but if it’s true, what do they want? And why now?” Erin asked.
“I suppose, we’ll just have to wait and see.” Folkstaff said. He took off his hat and brushed back his hair. “I, for one, am not going to speculate on something which may not even be true,” he said, turning to Steele. “You better get on to Lord Bollen, he’ll want to know about the King’s arrival.”
“And what of the Alva?” Steele asked.
“I wouldn’t pass that information around, not yet, not until it can be verified.”
“Then I better get on my way.” Steele said. He turned and pointed at Kile. “And you, young lady, are you trying to replace me?”
“No one can replace you, Steele,” she replied.
“That's what I want to hear.” He said with a grin, and then he was gone.
It kind of surprised her on how fast Hunters, influenced by the sphere of air, could move. One moment he was standing in front of her, the next, he was but a small spot of the horizon.
They pushed on, for the rest of the afternoon, stopping only once for a light meal of hardtack and water before setting off again. There were no more visitors, save for Bakara, who delivered updates of the surroundings. When the raven came to report in, the other Hunters would stop and stare. It was a little uncomfortable, being watched, while she surveyed the area. The information was always the same, nothing on the road, nothing ahead. Strangely enough, she kind of felt guilty, she didn’t have anything more to tell them.
By late afternoon, the walls of Forthbar came into view. It was not as large as Azintar or Littenbeck, but larger than most of the cities Kile had visited. When they approached the gatehouse, one of the soldiers came out to greet them.
“Major Folkstaff, Lady Silvia, it is good to see you back, did you have any troubles on the road?” the old guard asked.
He was a stout man, with a good-natured face, round and likeable. He had tufts of gray hair circling a bald head and a bushy mustache which concealed his mouth.
“No more than usual,” Folkstaff replied. “So, word has it, the King has arrived in Forthbar.”
The soldier looked surprised at first, and then shook his head. “I should have expected the Hunters would know of the news before anyone else. The King arrived just this morning. He is waiting for Lord Bollen at the keep.”
“His Lordship should be arriving by evening, if he stays a good pace,” Folkstaff added. “So, tell me Warden, what is this rumor I’ve heard about the Alva.”
There was another look of surprise on the guard's face. “It is true, what they say, no information escapes a Hunter’s ear,” he laughed.
“I’m afraid my ears have not heard much on this matter,” Folkstaff replied, “What do you know about it?”
The guard looked over his shoulder, and then carefully approached Folkstaff’s horse. “You have not heard it from me, sir,” he said in a whisper, “But it is true, two Alva have accompanied the King to the city. It is said, they bring news of a great Alverian army, which is coming to aid in the destruction of the Uhyre. The war should be over before the first snow falls, or so they say.”
“That would truly be a blessing,” Folkstaff replied. “But, if I was you, Warden, I would not lay down my weapon just yet.”
“This is true,” the guard laughed. “It is often the news, which flies fastest, files false.”
The old soldier turned and headed back to the guard house, he waved to the gate and the great doors slowly opened.
“Good watch, Warden,” Folkstaff said to the guard, before leading the Hunters into the city.
Forthbar was a hub of activity, but not in a chaotic way. Stores and shops were open, while people went about their business, as if the war, just outside their walls, didn’t even exist. It was a strange sense of disconnection from the world outside. Kile watched it all and suddenly felt boxed in. She wanted nothing more than to turn Grim around and head back out into the wild. There were too many people, too many sounds, too many smells.
“What do you make of it?” Erin asked when they crossed under the wall.
Kile quickly look over at the Hunter, but realized the question was no aim at her.
“A great Alverian army?” Folkstaff laughed. “If there was such a thing.”
“So, there is no army?” Larks asked. There was definitely a note of disappointment in his voice. He was as eager as anyone else, to see the end of the war.
“I seriously doubt it,” Folkstaff replied. “I’m not even sure those men, who rode with the King, were Alva.”
“Men of Balaa, maybe,” Rien added. “I don’t suppose any guard here would know the difference.”
“And you would?” Cort asked.
“Of course I would,” Rien replied. “I could spot an Alva a mile off, literally.” He laughed.
“Rien, take Cort and Larks, and go to the hospital. Inform then there are more wounded on their way, then get over to the Guild house and tell them what happened. See if they have any more information on our visitors.”
“Will do, sir,” Rien replied.
“I’ll see you around, Kile.” Larks said before following the other two Hunters.
She watched them disappear down the streets, swallowed up by the masses. It was almost as if they drowned in a sea of faceless people.
“Kile?”
She turned to see Erin riding beside her.
“Everything all right?” the Hunter asked.
“Fine,” she replied. “There are just… so many vir.”
Erin looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and concern.
“Forthbar is the largest city in the Callor province.” Folkstaff added. “So, stay close and try not to get lost.”
“Where are we going?” Kile asked.
“To see Colonel Barshed. He’ll want to speak with you.”
“To me, why me?”
“You are the commanding officer of Perha Squad.”
“Still?”
“Until Barshed says otherwise,” Folkstaff said as he led them onto one of the side roads.
The streets were fairly clean when compared to most of the cities Kile was unfortunate enough to find herself in. The buildings were tall, most of them over three stories, and, like walls of stone, they closed in on her. Vacant windows stared down, seeming to watch her ride through the narrow corridors. She felt she was back in the crags and found herself checking out the rooftops for signs of the Valgar. Erin rode alongside her and the worried look on her face was still there.
With all the twist and turns, Folkstaff led them through, Kile was sure she would never be able to find her way back to the gatehouse. It wasn’t until they came to a long, narrow building, surrounded by a tall fence, with guards posted o
utside, did the Hunter finally stop. There were no markings on the building, but with the sheer number of soldiers in the courtyard, it was easily identified as a military base.
Dismounting, Folkstaff handed the reins to Erin before approaching one of the guards. The guard, a tall, middle aged man, extended his hand in greeting. Kile couldn’t make out what they were saying, but the guard kept glancing over in her direction, and she didn’t like the expression on his face. Looking around the compound, she noticed a few of the other soldiers wearing the same expression. How many of these men spent their nights in the pub listening to Alex tell his stories, she wondered?
“Is there a problem?” Erin asked when Folkstaff returned.
“No, no problem,” he replied.
Kile’s old feelings of paranoia were starting to return. She thought she left those back at the Academy. Something wasn’t right, and by the way the guards were eyeing her, she had a feeling she knew what it was.
“What about the horses?” She asked when Erin dismounted.
“They’ll be fine.” Folkstaff assured her. “They will be taken to the stables.”
Kile reluctantly dismounted. Turning to Grim, she whispered in his ear.
“You be good, please,” she begged.
-If you need me, you know how to get a hold of me,-
He replied.
Vesper took his place on Kile’s shoulder as Grim followed the other horses to the stables. The soldier, who was supposed to be leading Grim, followed behind. Without the mountain pony beside her, she suddenly felt very vulnerable.
Folkstaff led them through the gate into the compound where they ascended a flight of stairs to the main building. It was an old, regal looking building with rows of columns along the front wall. Windows were hidden behind shutters as if the building was keeping secrets from the rest of the city. Kile felt completely out of place. This was not the same military setup as base camp Riley. Grim-looking soldiers, decked out in full field armor, stood on either side of the door. A square-headed man with a close-cropped haircut approached them.
“Your weapons will be stored in the atrium,” she heard the man tell Folkstaff. The Hunter was already removing his sword before he even reached the guard. He handed it over without a word. Erin wasn’t as accommodating.
“Since when?” she asked.
“Just do it.” Folkstaff whispered.
Kile saw the two Hunter’s exchanged a look and Erin glanced in her direction, before reluctantly handing over her sword to the square-headed man. Kile looked back over the compound and noted a few things out of place. For starters, all the soldiers were watching her until she made eye contact when they looked away. But what really caught her attention was the fact that there were no dogs. Jax explained to her that dogs had become an intricate part of the Callor military, and yet there were no dogs in the compound. There were bowls of dog food, but no dogs. Even the stables were vacant. Why take the horse someplace else, when there were perfectly good stables going unused? The only answer she could come up with, which made any sense, was that this was all for her benefit. News reached the Colonel, and they weren’t taking any chances. They removed all the animals from the area, and now they wanted to strip her of her weapons. Were they really that afraid of her? She handed her Lann over to the square headed guard who quickly passed them off to one of the other soldiers. It was almost as if he feared having them in his possession for too long. Only when the guard was satisfied, that all weapons had been accounted for, did he open the doors and lead them through.
It was dark, cold and damp. Torches lit the way, but they did little to provide any real light or warmth. It was almost as if they were there just for show. The square-headed soldier led them down the hall to a closed door. He knocked three times, before someone inside opened it. Stepping back, he waved them in.
The room was well-furnished, a little too extravagant for Kile’s taste. There were long, overstuffed, sofas on one side of the room, and a huge mahogany desk, on the other. Painting and banners adorn the walls and a fire in the hearth provided a bit of warmth.
An old man sat behind the large desk, and after scribbling a few things on a few papers, he rolled them up and handed them to the young soldier who stood behind him. The soldier quickly exited the room, nodding to Folkstaff on his way out while the man behind the desk slowly got to his feet.
Unlike most of the soldiers Kile had known, Barshed wasn’t very tall, or very broad. In fact, he looked nothing like a soldier, or a colonel for that matter. If she had to guess, she would have said he looked like a cobbler. He was old and thin, with rather long arms. He had very little hair on his head, and what hair he had was gray. His back was bent and he seemed to have a little trouble walking as he made his way around to the front of the desk. All in all, Kile had the feeling she had seen him before.
“It is good to see you safe, my friend.” He said, extending a shaky hand to Folkstaff. “Is Lord Bollen well?”
“He is well and should be here this evening, Colonel.” Folkstaff replied.
“Good, good, well done.” Barshed said before turning to Erin. “Lady Silvia, it is good to see you back.”
“It is good to be back, Colonel.” Erin replied, clasping the old man’s hand.
“All went well, then?”
“As well as could be expected.”
“It is as much as we can ask.” he replied. “We miss you around here.”
“It would seem thing have changed since I was gone.” Erin added.
Folkstaff shot her a look, Barshed shook his head and sighed.
“Just routine precaution, nothing more,” he replied, although it didn’t sound like he believed it.
“It’s because of me,” Kile said from the back of the room.
The Colonel looked past Erin at her.
“No, child, what makes you think that?” he asked.
“I’m sure it’s just standard procedure,” Folkstaff added.
“Is it?” she asked. “I have the feeling I was the only one who was meant to have their weapons taken away. I see you’ve also emptied these kennels and the stables. I wouldn’t be surprised if you had archers on the roof keeping the sky clear of birds.”
Folkstaff turned on her.
“Hunter, mind where you are,” he shouted.
“No, do not silence her.” Barshed said, holding up a hand. “She is observant, and she speaks her mind. That is rare, in these days.” He stepped past Erin and approached her. Kile was surprised to see the Colonel was no taller than she was. “You are correct, Ms. Veller. Only you were to relinquish your Lann before entering, but your commanding officer, Master Folkstaff, thought it would be easier if all of you were required to do so. As for the dogs, they have been taken to another kennel, off site, as have the horses, but I assure you, there are no archers, nor were any birds harmed. I am sorry for the deception, and the lack of trust.”
“It’s all right. I’m getting used to it,” she replied.
“Master Folkstaff, Lady Silvia, if you could please wait outside,” the Colonel said, addressing the two Hunters. “I would like to speak with Hunter Veller alone, if I may.”
“Yes, of course.” Folkstaff replied. He placed his hand upon Erin’s shoulder and turned her to the door. Erin was reluctant at first, but eventually followed. When the door closed, the Colonel returned to his desk.
“Now we have a chance to speak, you and I,” He said, taking a seat.
“Seriously,” Kile replied. “What happen to all that talk about Hunters not owning anything or having any trappings,” she said, looking around the room.
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”
“At first, I wasn’t sure. My mind hasn’t been right since I entered the crags outside of Coopervill. There are some things I just can’t trust anymore,” she said, walking around the office. “But when you said, ‘only my Lann were to be taken’, then I knew.”
“Knew what?” he asked.
“Knew who you were.”
>
“I don’t think I understand, child.”
“Please, do we really have to go through this again, Master Latherby? Or is it Luke?”
Barshed laughed. “I knew I couldn’t fool you for long,” he said.
His face seemed to distort and melt before her eyes and the old, friendly-faced Colonel was replaced by the Academy’s stablehand.
“Was that the only thing that gave me away?” he asked, brushing back his long blonde hair.
“Not the only thing,” Kile replied. “Your voice, for one, it was too strong, too young for a man your age, or the age of the man you were.”
He laughed. “Yes, it gets confusing sometimes.”
“There was also your smell, although, that’s not something anyone could pick up, and then there’s Vesper. You didn’t even give him a second glance.” She said, stroking the yarrow’s head. “Most people I meet, when Vesper is with me, always have something to say. It was almost as if you expected him to be sitting on my shoulder.”
“I must be slipping in my old age.” he laughed.
“To tell you the truth, I wasn’t sure at first, as I said. I haven’t been in my right mind lately.”
“So I’ve heard,” Luke replied. “Do you wish to tell me about it?”
“There isn’t anything to tell. I’m going insane, and it’s only a matter of time before I take one too many trips and can’t find my way back.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“I need to see Morgan. Can you arrange it?” she asked.
“I’m afraid that’s out of my hands.” He replied. “The Tower doors are closed. We haven’t heard from the mystics since the war began. They don’t get involved with such trivial matters as the destruction of a kingdom.”
“I was hoping to get a hold of Alex. I think he’s still in touch with Emara. If anyone could get me in to see Morgan, she could.”
“Well, Hunter Bartlow is still here. He’s been spending his time between the hospital and the local drinking establishments.” Luke laughed. “You know, He’s been telling your stories.”
“So I heard,” she replied.
“They’re really quite enjoyable.”
“You’ve watched them?”
