by Guy Antibes
Anchor kept himself on the defensive as he examined Shiro’s technique. When he had the gist of the style, he pressed Shiro, who would likely be as unfamiliar with his. His opponent anticipated his moves as well as he did and after three or four minutes, Anchor dropped the point of his sword into the dirt.
“Very good,” he said. “I think we should end the match and have a thorough talk.” The match had taken more out of Anchor than a match twice as long fighting any of his men. The match had wrung out his mind defending against an excellent swordsman using the foreign style.
Shiro broke into a grin and leaned against a post. Anchor was glad to see sweat dripped off of Shiro’s brow. “I agree. You would do well fighting Ropponi swordsmen.”
“Then we agree with each other,” Anchor said. “I am sure you can take on any in the keep and win. Even though our men won’t be fighting against Ropponi, before we depart for Learsea, we should spend two weeks training your Red Roses to fight against Bessethians.”
Shiro nodded, sheathing his sword. “The Happlyans only let us practice against each other. We fought them as we took over the keep, but more practice makes for better results.”
Two days later a messenger rode into the keep. He handed Anchor a message, but announced what the parchment said. “Prince Peeron is a day away. He wishes to confer with you before you leave for Learsea.”
After seeing that the man had a meal and a place to rest, Anchor took Shiro, Tishiaki, Chika and Gasso into the map room. He ran his hand through his hair. Anchor had met Peeron before as the Court Wizard and hadn’t been particularly impressed by the man. Actually, he wondered how King Willom could sire such a person. Peeron was his only reservation about serving Learsea. He hadn’t forwarded his opinions on the prince in any of his correspondence.
“I wondered if this would happen,” Anchor said. “I fear the Prince may assert his right to command the armies and has come with his own set of terms before I set foot in Learsea.”
The Ropponi looked at Anchor with narrowed eyes. “You’ve met him before?”
Anchor nodded. “He’s different from his father. Remember that,” Anchor said, pulling out the map that he wanted. “Look here. You see this set of hills leading into the Plains of Learsea? Since Tishiaki and I plan on setting up a series of fortifications that will hamper Histron’s army from plunging into Learsea, the prince might not agree and want to wage a single battle. The prince might not want the Learsea treasury tapped to support the keeps, but the Red Roses will become experts at construction.” Anchor turned his head towards Shiro who nodded. ‘We will see what the prince thinks. If we can’t build these forts, I will refuse King Willom’s commission and our plans will require modification.”
~
The prince actually had two men blowing trumpets announcing his arrival. Anchor only shook his head and Shiro grinned at Chika as they watched the long column approach. Shiro liked this vantage point. He breathed deeply and wondered if this prince would submit himself to the Sunstone.
“He looks handsome from here,” she said. “Tall with hair the color of dark flames or maybe he looks tall because his horse is actually gigantic. I do like the green silk coat. It reminds us of the pleasant color of the sea on our way to Besseth.”
Shiro burst out laughing as he remembered how the journey made them all sick except for him. Chika’s face nearly matched the color of Prince Peeron’s outfit during their voyage. “Let us see what he is truly made of,” Shiro said.
“It is that which is inside that’s important,” Chika said smirking at Shiro from the corner of her eyes.
He tried to stop his chuckling as she spoke. “Treat him gently, Chika.”
“As always,” she said.
The smirk hadn’t disappeared as the party rode through South Keep’s gates. The three of them walked down the stone steps from the walls.
Anchor put his hand through his hair as the breeze at the top of the wall had ruffled it. He looked a bit anxious. Shiro could tell that the man still wasn’t at ease playing the lead role in a possible political confrontation. Perhaps as a wizard he could always melt into the background. Not now.
The rankers lined up, standing at attention as the Prince led the way into the keep. His trumpeters continued to bray. Shiro’s Red Roses were in ranks with hands behind their backs and their feet spread out at shoulder width. He wanted his people to look different than the Gensler army. They looked formidable in their new red uniforms. Chika and Tishiaki designed their new uniforms while at Happly Keep and kept the River Red village women busy since they arrived at South Keep, sewing the new clothes. He didn’t know if he liked the combination of the Ropponi style with the Bessethian.
The trumpeters stopped. “Behold, Prince Peeron of Learsea!” The announced it in unison.
Shiro could do without the pomp. It seemed that was all that the Roppon nobility held sacred. The nobility and the bureaucracy ignored the common people and he wondered if Learsea did the same.
“Don’t bow,” Shiro said quietly to Chika and Tishiaki. In Roppon, a noble demanded a bow when visiting troops. They had bowed in Happly, but the show of respect only brought derision and Shiro wouldn’t stand for it here, in Gensler. Anchor agreed with him.
An officer helped the prince dismount. “Where is Captain Anchor?” he said, looking right past Anchor and the rest of the keep’s officers. Peeron looked the part of a prince. His flaming hair actually went well with his green silks. He stood a few inches shorter than Anchor, but had the undeniable swagger of a pampered noble. Shiro had seen plenty of Ropponi wizards with that swagger. He couldn’t recall liking a single one. He imagined that a Bessethian woman would find his features attractive.
The shadow of a smile moved Anchor’s lips as he stepped forward. “Your highness,” he said, bowing.
Chika jabbed Shiro in the side and gave him and angry look as she nodded her head towards the prince. Shiro shook his head, hopefully not enough to be noticed. He didn’t know if he’d ever figure out Bessethian manners.
Anchor continued, “Welcome to South Keep. I am honored you have chosen to escort me to Learsea.”
The prince laughed as if Anchor had something hilarious. “I am merely passing through. I seek out Princess Sallia, Duke Jellas and the Valetans.”
“But—”
The prince waved Anchor’s protest away with a white-gloved hand. “I will return to Learsea to assume command of the armed forces later. My father is ready for you to serve him as soon as you arrive at Learsea. That takes weeks, my dear Captain.”
The prince might appear to be a strutting peacock, but Shiro sensed the prince’s instant dislike for Anchor. He couldn’t deny his own quick dislike for the prince. Shiro wondered if he should withdraw his offer to fight for Learsea.
“You can at least spend a couple of nights in the keep and rest your horses and your men.”
Peeron raised his eyebrows “You do have a point about the horses. Very well. As long as I am here you may show me what your perspective is.”
Anchor blinked at the prince’s crack about the horses and his pointedly not including his men. He looked at Shiro. Anchor’s expression told him all he needed to know about Anchor’s regard for Prince Peeron.
The afternoon briefing in the map room only elicited yawns from Peeron. At dinner, the prince pursed his lips and sniffed at the food while Anchor told him about the stones and their communicative powers.
“So you have the Sunstone?” the prince said looking down his nose at Shiro.
“I do. If you wish, I’d let you touch it.”
The prince smiled. “Didn’t Anchor just tell us that it brought out the truth? I don’t want you rummaging around in my mind.”
“As you wish, your Highness,” Shiro said, parroting the honorific that Anchor used. He hated saying it to this man. He knew the prince wouldn’t dare touch the stone. He held too many secrets and petty thoughts within that royal cranium. “Then let me transport you to Duke Jellas’s castl
e. Your men can follow.”
‘Transport?” The prince looked interested for the first time since he arrived.
“I learned to transport myself in Roppon. It takes much power, but I can go anywhere on Besseth.”
The prince put his hand to his chin and thought. “My men could follow. Could I take a few men with me? Bodyguards?”
Shiro bowed his head. “At your earliest convenience.”
“Tomorrow after a good night’s sleep.” The prince rose from his seat. “I am ready to retire.” He said nothing and left the table and went straight to his rooms which were Travelwell’s old quarters.
~
The prince’s behavior hadn’t improved with age. Anchor continued to eat and refilled the goblet of Leef, the Captain over Peeron’s troops. Leef was just young enough not to be grizzled, but the weather spent in the field had seamed his face. Anchor liked the clear brown eyes. His hair was just showing signs of turning gray, but Anchor noticed his erect military posture.
“You’ll have to forgive the prince,” Leef said, embarrassment plain on his face. “He’s nothing like his father.”
Anchor nearly agreed, but that would reveal too much. “I’ve heard the prince was a arrogant and ‘difficult’, but I hadn’t imagined this.”
“Oh, he’s gotten worse. His father is rather worried and encouraged his joining with the other nobles in re-taking the Red Kingdom from Gensler.”
The Captain’s candor impressed Anchor as they continued to discuss the strategy session earlier in the day. Leef suggested a few changes in positioning the fortifications in Learsea and gave the reasons why. This was another man Anchor could work with. He quickly found out that Leef grew up in the Learsean interior. He’d fight for the farmers.
“Why don’t you escort us into Learsea?”
Leef rolled his tongue around on his teeth while he thought. “I would be pleased to join you. I think the Prince would be happy to be rid of me, if you just ask.”
Shiro interrupted. “Would you venture to touch the Sunstone? I’d like to be able to transport to the capital with Anchor. I don’t think waiting a month is acceptable to the Captain’s schedule.”
“Gladly. If you can find any secrets in my mind, you are welcome to them,” Leef said laughing. “Don’t tell the Prince or he’ll think up some mischief to keep you from going.”
Anchor liked Leef even more. “Consider it my first order, Leef.” Anchor clapped the man on the shoulder. The man’s body was hard muscle. “Now why doesn’t King Willom appoint a man like you to command his armies?”
Leef smiled in a wry kind of way. “The king, gods bless him, looks to the sea. His navy and his admirals are experts fighting pirates and uppity merchants. The inland kingdom was stripped of weapons soon after Learsea’s expansion to the mountains. The old kings set up strong duchies and baronies that served to keep the people in check. King Willom assumed it would just stay that way, but eventually the interior nobility gravitated to the capital and...” Leef shrugged.
“So a large contingent of subjects became forgotten,” Shiro said.
Leef continued to speak. “I’m not familiar with what’s happened all over, but the same thing happened in Happly, from what I understand. The people were impressed to fight without any training after being ripped from their families. They could hardly fight. Learsea isn’t under siege from the outside, but between foolish battles and the focus on the sea, King Willom has stripped the country of military leadership.
“I don’t mean to be disrespectful, Captain Anchor, but the prince insisted that you be drafted to lead our armies. He browbeat King Willom, so that he accepted. He expects a weak leader so he can step into the role and become Learsea’s savior. But I don’t think the prince knows how well you’ve prepared to help us.” He grinned at Anchor. “You’ve got as good a mind as anyone I’ve ever had the pleasure to serve under and I won’t mind letting the king know.”
“Then you’ll tell him, once the prince has left. Shiro needs to look in your mind to locate a place to arrive. The problem with transport is that you’ve had to have been to the place you are going. A little session with the Sunstone circumvents that requirement if Shiro can fix a location from your mind.”
“Fix away,” Leef said, lifting his goblet and taking a deep draft of wine.
~
The prince wore a scarlet silk uniform. The man’s red-orange hair looked awful atop his tunic.
“Leef, I command you to lead Captain Anchor to my father. I’ll allow you most of my escort now that we are safely in Gensler lands. Anchor offered to provide a unit of guides to lead the men to Crackledown.”
“I live to serve, your highness.” Leef bowed and put his fist to his chest.
“Ropponi, whatever your name is, take us away,” the prince said as he stood with three very fit men. Each of them held large bags that held the prince’s possessions.
Chika stepped up to join the group.
“What’s this, a woman?” Prince Peeron laughed and shook his head. “Ropponi customs?”
Shiro smirked at Anchor and wiped it off of his face as he turned to the prince. “We will need to touch.” In less than a moment, the prince disappeared.
Anchor noticed a sense of relief among the Learsea contingent. Leef let out his breath. “Good riddance.” Leef’s eyebrows went up like a naughty child who’d been caught. “Don’t tell him I said that, but every man here feels that way. I don’t envy those that will lead the attack on the Red Kingdom from Gensler.”
“Perhaps Peeron just needs a bit of seasoning,” Anchor said.
Leef shrugged. “He might surprise us all, but not until he’s been in a battle or two.”
“You mean an armed struggle? I’d imagine that he’s led a number of battles already.”
Leef just pursed his lips and shook his head. “He’s ridden on ships of war and let others do the fighting until he could claim victory. Tested? I don’t believe so.”
Anchor hoped that Shiro would be able to deliver the letter to Princess Sallia that he had written the previous evening. He continued to ask Leef about the conditions in Learsea when Chika appeared.
“Captain, your presence is requested.” She held out her hand to Anchor.
Anchor suffered an attack of hesitancy. He didn’t mind corresponding with Sallia, but her presence caused a measure of internal conflict. “A moment while I freshen up.”
Chika smiled. “I sense trepidation. Fear? You can freshen up in Crackledown.”
Anchor forced a smile. “So I can. Of course.” He tried to push his fear deep down and took Chika’s hand.
~~~
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
~
THEY ARRIVED IN THE PALACE COURTYARD. Anchor marveled at the activity that surrounded him, even though his stomach protested the teleportation. Hundreds of men drilled and marched to and fro. Had Duke Jellas called in every soldier he could?
Chika gently pushed him towards the doors to the main building. “Calm down. You look like a lamb being led to slaughter.”
Her words broke his panic. “Of course. I’ll be crushed by all of the nobility.” He said, but felt his anxiety shedding away as Chika began to banter.
“I’d like to be crushed by a certain member of the nobility.”
Anchor smiled. “Shiro is noble?”
“Noble enough for me. His father was a commander in the Imperial Guard. They are all lords of one thing or another, just not landed. The father married and left the capital settling on a northeast island, as far away from Boriako as he could. He raised Shiro as a farmer, but the bred-in nobility couldn’t be squashed.”
“He doesn’t act like a farmer or a lord,” Anchor said.
“And that is his appeal; to me anyway.” Chika smiled. “I’d like him to appeal off my clothes at times.”
Anchor laughed. “Your command of our language has given you additional fodder for your repartee with Shiro. It’s wasted on an old man like me.”
“You
’re not old.” Chika said, winking at Anchor.
“No, but sometimes I feel the weight of responsibility.” Anchor’s fears came back in a rush. He’d have to watch himself. He had never slipped talking to rankers and fellow officers, but these casual conversations… If Sallia cornered him, he’d have to be on his guard. He both dreaded and hoped with all his heart that she would do so.
“Anchor!” Morio, the duke’s son, walked up to him and grabbed both of his shoulders. “Welcome to Crackledown. We are assembled in my father’s war room.”
Chika followed behind. Anchor looked back to see her smirking. He said nothing, not wanting to provoke another colored comment. He didn’t know how Shiro could put up with her perpetual impishness, but he knew Shiro loved the woman. She just made Anchor blush or laugh and he didn’t know what comment would prompt which reaction.
“The prince started spouting off about your strategy as if it were his own. Shiro dragged me aside and said that the prince’s version didn’t match yours. I mentioned to father that you should be explaining your own plans and answering any questions.”
Anchor had no idea that the prince would presume to present his plans and from his nonchalant attitude in his own map room, he could well imagine Shiro’s concern. They finally reached their destination and all eyes followed him in. Lotto had been brought into the conference as well as Lessa. He saw the Duke and a military man in the Duke’s colors that he had met before was Jellas’s General. The prince stood by the window, playing with the edge of a drape, away from the other participants. Peeron looked petulant.
“Duke Jellas,” Anchor went down to one knee.
The duke gently helped him rise. “Not in a war council, Lord Anchor. Save the bowing for court. Now, if you start from the beginning and let us know of your plans in Learsea.” The duke glanced over at Peeron, who now took on a disgruntled look.
