by B. T. Narro
Scarlet’s words echoed in my mind: “You weren’t supposed to be here.” It wasn’t as if she had merely seen us leaving, it was that she had known that no one was supposed to be here who could defend Grufaeragar. Someone had told her, someone who knew.
I couldn’t see any other possibility besides someone in the castle was working against us. It could’ve been a guard, a worker, or even one of my peers.
It also meant that there was no need to hide the fact that we were training in the castle anymore, our enemies already aware of us. One of us might be the target next time.
What did that mean? Would we need constant protection as we were training? Would it be unsafe for us to leave the castle?
I reminded myself that this attack had changed nothing. Someone had already been aware of us and had relayed this information to our enemies. This didn’t mean we were more endangered now than before. It meant we had always been in danger.
Now I was certain of it: The king and Leon were both in over their heads, and all of us were as well. Things had better start to change soon, or we were not going to win…whatever this was. Hell, we didn’t even know who exactly we were fighting against. Hopefully a visit with Leon’s friend would clear some things up, if I made it there before she left.
*****
It was a dark and cold night. I worried about what might happen to the two horses I’d left outside the castle wall as I’d taken mine and galloped down the dark street. I had worse concerns, however. The gate would certainly be closed by now.
I rode to it quickly and was glad to see a guard sitting by. Fortunately, it was easy to convince him to open it for me, probably because there were no rules about keeping citizens in the city during the night. I didn’t even have to explain who I was or how important it was that I leave immediately, as I had been prepared to do.
My horse seemed to know to follow the road west with little influence from me. There was just enough light for me to see the shapes of trees and the path ahead.
Leon had referred to his friend as Jennava. I hoped she was a lot more patient than he was, because I was going to be very late to this meeting.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
The more I thought about what happened, the more it vexed me. What about the guards in front of the princess’s room? They must’ve heard the sounds of combat on the floor below them, and yet they didn’t come. I imagine they had some elaborate defensive setup on the third floor, but defending a single room didn’t matter if the sorcerers could go about the rest of the castle freely.
What if the sorcerers had wanted to kill the princess and the queen tonight? Would they have achieved it if we hadn’t returned? I was certain they would’ve killed Grufaeragar if we hadn’t taken Scarlett out of the picture. The krepp and Charlie would’ve had to face all three enemies on their own. The guards from upstairs should’ve come to help, but something told me they wouldn’t have done much good if they weren’t sorcerers trained to resist dteria.
Where were the rest of the troops loyal to the king? I was beginning to believe he had no army, just a number of sellswords ready for the call as long as the coin was good. Of course that didn’t include the guards he employed to keep the cities in check. But in Koluk, for example, the guards might as well not exist, from what Leon had said.
Even if the king had troops ready to defend the krepp, there seemed to be no method to call them to the castle to defend against a surprise attack. I liked Nykal Lennox, but the more I learned, the more it seemed like he wasn’t the capable leader I had hoped he was.
What happened to the army of the last king? They still existed…but they needed coin for their service, I reminded myself. Coin that Nykal did not have.
It was also likely that much of the army loyal to the last king was killed in the uprising led by Nykal. Many probably died on both sides. No one was eager to take up arms again. That was why Nykal could not tax his citizens immediately, as he had mentioned to Leon while I was eavesdropping. They would sooner rise up against him than pay to fund another battle.
So what had Nykal done in this predicament? He could’ve promised coin that he did not have and gathered an army that was just as likely to turn against him later as it was to defend Lycast. No, instead he found us, eight sorcerers. He entrusted Leon to train us, and then entrusted us to defend his kingdom.
It was no wonder he had no way of calling for help if the castle came under attack. It was us he expected to defend it. Us and Leon. But we had left this night, all of us but Charlie. We were the guards who were supposed to protect the castle and Grufaeragar.
This was Leon’s fault, after all. He should’ve taken us out of the castle in groups while some of us stayed to defend it in case of an attack.
Could I really blame him for this ignorance, though? Any one of us could’ve suggested that a few stay behind just in case. I didn’t know why I held Leon to a higher standard than myself. He was an incredible sorcerer, but that didn’t make him a strategist. In fact, he had proven himself to be much the opposite.
That would change from now on. I would take it upon myself to ensure that not only the king and his family were protected but my peers were as well. I’d almost lost Reuben tonight. I wasn’t going to lose anyone else.
First, I would meet this friend of Leon’s and figure out what else we were dealing with.
*****
The city of Koluk was larger than all of Bhode but still smaller than Newhaven. I had gotten a decent glimpse of it when I came out of the forest after leaving my horse tied to one of the trees. I strongly hoped the animal would be safe so close to the perimeter of the forest.
There were two reasons I’d been able to see Koluk decently from Curdith Forest. One, the trees were close to the southern edge of the city. The forest and city were so close, in fact, that I wondered if some sorcerers might’ve benefited from the natural dvinia of the forest. Or did dark mages not benefit from it like the rest of us did?
Secondly, many lamps within homes were lit even at this ungodly hour of night, providing a decent view of the buildings and streets. I didn’t know if the people were awake or the light just served as a deterrent to criminals, but I was glad that I could see.
It had been a long and cold ride through the night. I really hoped Leon’s friend was still where she said she would be.
I noticed only one guard watching the southern side of the city. There was no wall. It was easy to get into the city without his detection. Soon I was on one of Koluk’s streets headed toward Groovewater Tavern. From the little I saw—beaten-down doors, cracked walls, and one man either sleeping or dead in the street—the city, and probably many people in it, were in need of some serious repair.
Groovewater Tavern was different. It was the largest establishment I’d come across so far along the few streets I’d traveled. It wasn’t a tall building, however, but stout and wide. There was a sign outside with its name painted in blue.
The tavern seemed to be closed for business, no lights on. I was careful to make sure no one saw me as I approached the door. I tried it expecting it to be locked, but it opened.
I heard movement to my side as soon as I shut the door behind me. I tried to turn toward the person, but they grabbed my hair and pushed my head against the wall with a dagger to my throat.
“White willow,” I said.
“Say what?” It was a woman’s voice.
“White willow!” I repeated.
“Get over here.” She pulled on my shirt then pushed me by my back, causing me to stumble along through the entrance room. “Don’t turn around,” she said as she dropped her hand. “Just keep walking casually.”
She directed me through the tavern. “There, the stairs. Go down.”
I made my way down the steps. There was a door.
“Open it.”
I did.
Dim light barely found us down here. I heard her follow me into the cellar and shut the door after us. It was pitch black.
A sudde
n bright sphere of orange light made me shield my eyes. I couldn’t see the woman behind it. She walked over to a table and grabbed a lamp, then she directed the sphere of light into the lamp and soon it was lit.
I didn’t know a sorcerer could make light without fire. It was good to know.
I was given my first view of her. She had gray hair that was a little curly and a lot wild, but she didn’t look like an old woman. The wrinkles to her face were shallow. There were bags under her blue eyes, but I imagined my features carried the same groggy weight. It had been a long night. She might’ve had a pleasant face if she wasn’t scowling at me.
“Took you long enough. Now who are you?”
“I’m sorry about that. My name is Jon Oklar. Leon sent me, along with two others. We were on our way when—have you heard of a callring?”
Her brow furrowed.
“Never mind,” I continued. “We heard that the castle was under attack, so we had to go back. One of us got hurt. Another stayed with him, so I came here alone.”
The lines across her forehead deepened. “Who attacked?”
“Tell me who you are first.”
“I’m Jennava Wesher. I sent the boy who gave a note to Leon. You can trust me, Jon.”
I didn’t have much choice now that I was here. “Are we in danger right now?”
“Not unless we are seen by the wrong person speaking to each other.” She pulled a chair out from the table and had a seat.
I took out the other chair across from her and sat forward.
“I’ve been here many years,” she said. “Cason Clay thinks I’m loyal to him. You know who he is?”
“Leon explained that he just about runs the city rather than the lord here. He’s spreading dteria?
She groaned. “I hate that term. No one spreads dteria. It is not a disease. It’s time to answer my earlier question. Who attacked the castle tonight? Was it dark mages?”
“Two of them, and a large man with an ax,” I confirmed. “How did you know?”
“Because dark mages like them are the reason I told Leon to send someone here.”
“Why didn’t you come to us?” I wondered.
“I can’t be seen leaving Koluk without making my enemies aware of my allegiance to the king.”
“So you’re aware of his fight against dteria and corruption?”
“Of course. Everyone who matters is aware of what King Nykal is trying to do.”
“Does everyone know about the sorcerers he’s training?” I asked.
“Some are quickly finding out.”
“How? Who is telling them?”
“I’m glad you’re not dimwitted,” Jennava said. “When did you find out someone is betraying you?”
“Almost as soon as I arrived over a week ago. Someone gave me an essence of dteria when I thought I was purchasing a ward.”
“Did you find out who?”
“No.”
“I wish I could tell you who it was. All I know is Cason is getting information about you and the other sorcerers. He’s been working with the king of Rohaer.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Cason would say it’s because of what all dark mages want, riches and power, but I think there’s something more behind his motive. We don’t have a lot of time before sunrise, Jon. You must leave before then to reduce the chances of being seen. Let me tell you what you need to know—and what the king needs to know.”
“Go ahead.”
“Cason Clay has been organizing a small army in hopes of taking Newhaven by surprise. I assume, from what you told me about this attack, they expected the castle to have been taken tonight while the king was away. Their plan was probably to kill the guards and then let in a whole mess of others to gain control of the castle. I assume they would then use the princess and the other innocents in the castle as ransom in some way.”
It was a relief we’d stopped that.
“There is a group of us here in Koluk who are not loyal to Cason,” she continued, “though he believes us to be. We are fighters, but we need a place where we can be safe after our betrayal to him. That time is coming soon.”
“When he plans to take Newhaven by surprise,” I realized.
“Yes, but I can’t say exactly when or how that will happen. I do know that a group of enemies to King Nykal have been on their way here from Rohaer for quite a while. They should arrive the day after tomorrow.”
“I thought the only route between the kingdoms was snowed in?”
“The main road is, yes, but much of Curdith Forest is still an option for travel, especially when many of these troops are sorcerers who can defend themselves.”
“How large a group of enemies?”
“Only Cason knows for sure, but I have a good guess. It has to be small enough that they won’t be seen by Nykal’s scouts but large enough to be able to take Newhaven with the rest of the men loyal to Cason here in Koluk. There are probably fifty to a hundred of them.”
“Not too many.”
“Yes, and that’s what concerns me the most about all of this. There don’t seem to be enough troops, even with all of them combined, to take Newhaven. There has to be something else to the plan, but I can’t find out what it is without arousing too much suspicion. I’m supposed to be part of the team that attacks Newhaven after the group of sorcerers and soldiers arrive from Rohaer. I’m glad you stopped them from taking the castle, but there’s going to be a larger battle soon.”
“I don’t understand something,” I admitted. “Aren’t there enough people in Koluk to do something when this group arrives from Rohaer? There must be others outside of your group, even if you don’t know who they are.”
She nodded solemnly. “And Cason knows that, so he will kill every able man or woman who can stand against him and his allies. It will be brutal.”
“Kill them all?” I asked incredulously.
“Yes. All.”
“That can’t be true.”
“It is!” she said with gritted teeth. “That’s why I took the risk to notify Leon. The king has to do something.” She spoke as if there wasn’t an option.
“I don’t understand why Cason wouldn’t just imprison the people who could stand against him?”
“Why would he worry about that when he could kill them?”
“He can’t be that callous.”
“He is!” Jennava made a fist on the table. “He has lost all empathy for humankind. It’s something that happens to all dark mages after long enough, and there are plenty of them here.”
Could that really be accurate? Cason would really murder all these innocent people when they hadn’t even stood against him?
“Jon, this mass murder will scar probably all of Lycast. That’s why the king must strike first. He should gather what troops he can and take Koluk by force before the others arrive. He will have allies here to aid him once the battle begins. There will still be many innocents who’ll suffer from the takeover, but it won’t be as bad. By decimating Cason’s army before he gains the powerful sorcerers from Rohaer, it will be easy to face Rohaer’s sorcerers if they still finish their journey, but I think they might go back when they find out.”
“How many people does Cason have?” I asked.
“Are you sure you can remember all of this?”
“I can remember.”
She looked into my eyes for a breath, then gave a nod.
“Cason has many more people ready to fight for him than the group coming from Rohaer. I don’t know exact numbers, but many of Cason’s people are mostly amateur sorcerers with a smattering of dteria and a strong taste for the power it gives them. They could be dealt with easily if they weren’t intermixed with all the citizens of Koluk. The battle will be messy. Many are going to die, including innocent citizens, but it will be better than letting Cason massacre them all.”
“If all of this is true—”
“It is.” She slammed her fist into the table. “Doesn’t Leon trust me?”
&n
bsp; I nodded. “He does. That’s why I’m here.”
“Good, because many people are going to die if we do this wrong.”
I knew the difference between a liar’s false frustration and that of a genuine soul with a lot to lose. I had little doubt Jennava meant everything she’d said. It was my trust of Leon, who trusted her, that boosted my confidence.
But there was another option she hadn’t brought up. “It’s the small group from Rohaer that we should attack, not Cason,” I said. “We’ll intercept them as they come through the forest. We’ll kill them before they reach Koluk and join with Cason. Then he won’t be strong enough to take over Koluk.”
“I’ve thought of that. The issue is that we might not find them.”
“It’s better to take the chance than to bring about so much death and destruction to the people of Koluk.”
“Only if it works,” she answered. “If you fail to find them and let them merge with Cason, there are going to be many innocents who die no matter what strategy is taken by then.” I could hear in her tone that she didn’t actually want to disagree, but someone had to lay out the risks.
I pushed it. “But if we do find them, then none of the townspeople of Koluk would be hurt—none of their property damaged, either.” I put up my hand as she opened her mouth. “I know we might not find them, but it’s clearly the best option. I’m sure you agree.”
“Not entirely. If you send a large army into the forest,” she lectured, “your quarry will run. They will drag you deep into the forest. They will elude you. If the chase goes on very long, then your provisions will run out before theirs. A smaller group can always last longer than a larger one.”
I was stumped at that. I cursed inwardly.
“Except,” she continued, “my group could come from the north and yours from the south. We could close around them.”
I eyed her with a tilt of my head. “They could still run west, deeper into the forest.”
“So have Nykal’s troops enclose them from the southwest, mine from the northwest. They will have nowhere to go except out of the forest, where they would easily be followed. I’m sure they would rather stand and fight then lose many trying to run. We would beat them easily.”
