by Guy Antibes
“It certainly won’t happen this year,” Willom said.
“No. But as soon as he can sense Histron’s ultimate defeat, I believe that’s what he will do. I want you prepared.”
“Yes. We must finish this or Besseth won’t ever be safe from invasion,” Willom said. “Is there anything else you need?”
“I wish we had another army. We’ll be splitting our forces to match Histron’s two. We have a number of Red Kingdom soldiers who have pledged their fealty to Princess Sallia, but we need more.” He looked at Shiro. “A change of plans for tonight and tomorrow.”
“I’ll call up General Fellon’s force.”
Anchor pursed his lips. He needed the General to stay in the south to discourage an incursion of the hostile southern duchies, but perhaps he didn’t need an entire army. “Could you provide Shiro with someone who has been where the General is quartered. We can use Red Roses to bring some of the soldiers to the northern front.”
“You can do that?” Willom looked at Shiro with astonishment on his face.
“We can, but I need to get that information with the Sunstone.”
“I’ll find a man. Plenty have been to Tassleton where the Southern Command has a castle.”
Anchor went over his plans to harry the two armies and eventually whittle them down long before they reached the coast. “We have a visit to make tomorrow morning and then we will return. May I have written orders to show General Fellon? It would be better coming directly from you.”
Willom nodded. “That’s right. You met my good General. Certainly. I can draw up the authorization while we enjoy one more goblet of wine. My body needs a bit more warmth.” The king shivered under his blanket.
~
Mistokko stood on his quarterdeck when Lotto and Shiro appeared on the ship. The two men left their court clothes behind, but wore cleaner uniforms now.
“Come up.” Mistokko said.
Shiro put his hand on Anchor’s shoulder and lifted them both on Mistokko’s deck. “He knows about the effects the exercise of Affinity works on others?”
“With the nexus weaker, there is less of an effect, Captain,” Shiro said. “We also don’t practice magic all the time.”
“What is this?” Anchor said, not following the exchange in Ropponi.
“On Roppon, the Affinity is very strong and when the power is used, it also taps living souls if magic is used constantly. I used it daily when I farmed. My family was weakened by my magic. A fever came through Koriaki and they—”
“That’s the sadness about you. I never probed that far,” Anchor said. “We don’t use magic constantly on Besseth.”
“A different style to match the weaker Affinity,” Mistokko said nodding his head. He looked Anchor up and down. “Care to spar? I miss Shiro, but he’s a rather accomplished swordsman.”
Anchor smiled. “I will, but we’d have to do it right now. We have a few more things to talk about and then we have to leave.”
Once Anchor warmed up with Mistokko, the sparring began in earnest. It didn’t last as long as Mistokko might have liked. Anchor bowed to the captain.
“He fights as good as you, Shiro,” Mistokko said, leading them to the stern edge of the quarterdeck. “An interesting mix of styles, Anchor.”
Anchor didn’t know what Shiro wanted to go over with Mistokko and offered to leave the quarterdeck. Shiro shook his head. “Can you transport nearly three hundred Red Roses? If we go to Ayrtan, I’d like you to join me.”
“I can do that. I’ve sailed over there a few times. The natives aren’t very intelligent and there’s really nothing to trade. The continent is one big wasteland. There are just enough plants and animals to scratch out a living. Enough Bessethians have tried, but they eventually return.”
Anchor narrowed his eyes. “I’ve heard of the curse often enough, but I never made the trip. Did you sense anything?” Anchor feigned ignorance in front of the Ropponi captain.
Mistokko thought. “Now that you mention it, the place always felt odd. Out of alignment somehow. There are no active nexuses on the continent.”
“That’s enough for now on that. What has happened on Roppon?” Shiro said.
“I know little more than you. Once I dropped you off at Grianne and returned to Hoksaka, I was only allowed to resupply and was told not to return more than once or twice a year. I’m as much a refugee as you are. I sail from Learsea to Grianne and back taking whatever I can.” Mistokko shrugged. “There is enough novelty in shipping on a Ropponi ship to get sufficient business, but it’s not much of a life.”
Shiro grinned. “Maybe once this is over, we can do better. Don’t drift too far from Learsea, my friend.”
“I won’t,” Mistokko said.
~~~
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
~
ANCHOR AND SHIRO TRANSPORTED BACK TO THE TROOPS. Nothing had changed in the time that they were gone. Anchor reordered his forces so that they would provide adequate resistance to Histron’s split armies. His fortification strategy would only work on the southern side of the river now. The Red Roses couldn’t build much of anything on Histron’s northern path in time and still defend their dirt forts.
“We need more troops. Time to descend on General Fellon,” Anchor announced to Shiro.
~
Anchor let the sun beat down on him, absorbing the late-summer heat in Tassleton. The castle sat on an island in the middle of a river. It reminded him of South Keep, except the river was designed to flow around the entire fortification.
They walked up to the front of the Tassleton castle. Anchor didn’t know if it had a name, but they surprised the guards.
“I’ve come to confer with General Fellon,” Anchor said.
“And you are…?” the guard asked.
“Marshal Anchor and Commander Shiro.” He waved his authority in front of the guard, but he quickly realized the man couldn’t read. “That’s the king’s signature.”
The other guard sauntered over and looked over his compatriot’s shoulder. “It sure is. Go announce them to the General and get some men to escort them into the castle.”
In a few minutes, Anchor and Shiro looked out at the city roofs on the other side of the river.
“Not much of a protection,” Shiro said.
“I imagine the river grows when it rains.” The River Peele meandered inside of its course. Anchor thought he might be able to jump across it in places. The actual path of the river looked to be two or three hundred paces wide. When the river flowed, it would be an effective obstacle.
“I see you are admiring the natural moat around Tassleton and Castle Norato,” General Fellon said as he walked up to the windows to join Shiro and Anchor. “In three months, only the bridges will get you across. Right now it doesn’t matter. You can see a few of the tracks.”
Anchor looked more closely and could see pathways between the dry riverbanks.
“Most people use the bridges anyway. The bottom is somewhat sandy. Now what has brought you to the south end of Learsea?”
“Do you have a map room?” Anchor said.
“Certainly. Across the hall.”
Across the hall and fifty paces away, thought Anchor. Castle Norato must not have been a fortress since the war room was smaller than the one in Everwet.
Anchor shuffled the maps around. “Let’s get you up to date.” Shiro and Anchor spent a bit more time than they thought while the general asked them lots of detailed questions.
“Forgive me, Marshal. I’ll be here long after you’ve left the king’s service, if we are successful, that is.”
Anchor smiled. “Of course. Now as you can see, I need two forces to fight Histron’s.” He could see Fellon’s chest begin to swell, as Anchor knew the general was about to object.
“I need reinforcements, not your entire army. Perhaps one or two thousand men. You have seven thousand? That’s what the king told me.”
“I do, but they aren’t all here. I can give you fifteen hun
dred of my best. You do know how to plan a relatively bloodless strategy. I’d probably just fight them in the place of my choice.”
Anchor liked the general’s honesty. “It will come to that in the end, but hopefully not in Learsea. I intend on stopping them short just before winter. The northern alliance has gotten the rest of the Red Kingdom army to disband and Histron sent most of the soldiers back into their own fields. We didn’t pursue them since Princess Sallia does not want her people to starve.”
Fellon nodded, but pursed his lips. “You don’t defeat an enemy providing them with next spring’s supplies.”
“Have you been through the southern dukedoms?”
“I have,” Fellon said. “Why?”
“Once we take care of the northern force, we are headed south.”
“What makes you think Histron won’t come through here again?”
Anchor smiled. “Would you if Valetan had a force in the northwest corner ready to invade directly south the Foxhome? They fell upon the Oringians when Histron’s army turned around and eliminated them. Now Valetan moves through Happly to the Gensler road and west to the border at a little village called Sally’s Corners.”
Fellon gazed at the map, fingering his short, well-groomed beard. “I suppose you’ve got your fortifications on the south side of the Fargo River?”
“I do.”
“So you will come up from the south and the northern alliance will…” He pursed his lips and squinted his eyes. The general didn’t look as pleased as Anchor thought he might. “Histron will have to retreat. That would lead to a massive battle at Foxhome.”
Anchor nodded his head. “His domain might not fall without a great deal of bloodshed. They fought the hardest at the border.”
“But if Duke Histron is at Foxhome…”
“So we post a rear-guard to the west. He is hemmed in.”
Fellon tilted his head back in forth as if weighing the pros and cons.
“Princess Sallia has approved this? Quite a few innocent people will still be affected.”
“She knows that. But the time for large battles is when the pincers begin to close in. We won’t be clipping away at the enemy in the Red Kingdom. Bloody them and turn their soldiers while Princess Sallia rallies her people.”
“Ah. A political offense as well. She’ll be a busy princess.”
“Princess Sallia has already been effective at the border. We can transport her wherever she is needed.”
General Fellon looked into Anchor’s eyes. “I doubted that you would do King Willom any good and have always been prepared to march north to save you, but I’m impressed.”
“I still need your help to the north. Now, what do you want to do? Take over Learsea’s defense or command an army as we move through the dukedoms in the winter?”
Fellon rubbed his hands. “I still report to you. Why don’t you just command me?”
Anchor gave Fellon a half-smile. “I like to delegate and you are my most senior officer in Learsea.”
“I would love to campaign through the dukedoms. Scare the pants off of ‘em and not cross a sword.” Fellon nodded. “What will you do in the north?
“Leef can do well enough. I can use a Red Rose to teleport me where I need to go.”
Fellon shivered. “This teleporting. I don’t have to that, do I?”
“Not if you don’t want to,” Shiro said. “If you would like to ride for weeks on end, that is.”
“Anchor, you are changing warfare, you and your friend here. I’m not sure I’m all for it.” The general worried with his lips and gazed at the map.
Shiro muttered something in Anchor’s ear.
“General, have you heard of the Sunstone?”
After an explanation, the general would only submit to Anchor holding the stone.
“Unca, eh?” He sneered. “What’s a washed up wizard like you think he’s doing?”
Fellon stood up, knocking his chair down. He kicked it aside while he pulled out his sword. “I don’t believe you. You found a way to put false memories in your head. Guards!” Fellon yelled as he thrust at Anchor, who hadn’t quite gotten used to drawing the longer sword that he now wore.
Anchor twisted his body so his sword still parried Fellon’s while he finished drawing it from the scabbard.
The general threw the table over. Shiro scrambled to retrieve the Sunstone while Anchor cleared a space to fight Fellon, still repelling a series of relentless blows.
Once Anchor had more room, he sidestepped and let the general’s slash miss him. The general lost his footing, having expected the resistance of Anchor’s parry and stumbled. Anchor made the general’s death a quick one.
Guards pounded on the door. Shiro showed Anchor that he had the Sunstone secured and drew his own sword, letting the guards into the room.
“I am the War Marshal. General Fellon had changed his allegiance to the enemy and thought it a good idea to kill me. You can see, he failed,” Anchor said to the guards. “Assemble the officers,” Anchor said. He looked at Shiro. “We will have to test their loyalty with the stone. I’m sorry Shiro. We have to trust our officers.”
“I know.”
“What a fool,” Anchor said as they ate a quick meal before they’d interview Fellon’s staff. “I warned him about linking with me.”
“I don’t think his arrogance served him well. What did you learn?”
“Histron had already gotten to him. Fellon was only waiting until the Histron armies were nearly to Learsea and he would join them. He had confidence that he could turn his officer corps once faced with defeat. No wonder he suddenly became so accommodating. He would have turned on us as we fought and blathered all of our strategy to the Duke.”
“And now?” Shiro said.
“I guess we promote Leef to general after we make a quick trip to Learsea. I hope King Willom will understand. Tishiaki will command the north. Do you concur?”
“We think too much alike, Anchor.”
They spent the rest of the day and found that seven out of twenty officers had already followed Fellon in his treachery. The other officers were good men who would have unwittingly followed the general’s orders.
Anchor set up a quick court martial using the most senior of the loyal officers. The seven men were hung before the sun set.
~
The northern alliance began to bulge into the Red Kingdom. Chika had one of her stronger sorcerers ride across the country to Lessa on the coast and brought him to Everwet.
“I want to take Sally’s Corners,” Princess Sallia said.
“Easy enough,” Lotto said. “You can go much deeper.”
“Then why don’t we move west,” she said, using a pointer to show a pathway to the sea on the Red Kingdom’s better roads. “The mountains of Histo make the journey twice as long and twice as hard. If we take a top slice off of the Red Kingdom and do it with minimal damage to my people, that will help convince them that we are here to free them rather than conquer.”
Mander Hart leaned on the map on his fists. “There are only three minor noble domains. I think she’s right. I don’t like relying solely on Prolan forces holding the coast.”
“Here, here, my man,” Lessa said.
“Don’t you want to be in the fight? We can post Valetans or even some of the Red Kingdom soldiers that pledged fealty to Sallia. I’d rather have your creativity on our plunge to the south in the spring.”
“Could we do some penetration raids?” Lessa said.
Mander Hart thought about the request. “Only against keeps and castles where they won’t surrender and no plundering. You carry your own supplies.”
Lessa waved the comment away. “Of course. I understand the Princess’s concerns.”
Sallia nodded.
“Kill the bloody rebels,” Prince Peeron said. He had returned with Lessa. “I’ve always been a proponent of burning a few towns to show them who is in charge.”
Sallia raised her eyebrow. It had been Lessa’s t
urn to babysit the Learsean prince. She was sad to see him return.
“Not a bad idea. It keeps the soldiers occupied,” Restella said. She had become less restrained as she became better friends with Prince Peeron.
Princess Sallia noticed Lotto shaking his head almost imperceptibly out of Restella’s line of sight. Her heart went out to Lotto. Such a burden. If anything Restella had gotten worse in her demeanor. Did their link mean nothing? The Valetan princess turned around and gave Lotto a dirty look. She didn’t even try to hide her displeasure.
Duke Jellas tried to settle things down. “Let’s come up with a benign plan to occupy the northern tier of the Red Kingdom. I, for one, don’t want any soldiers lost this winter. If we follow Sallia’s plans, there is hope that can happen. What do we all say? We can’t billet all of the soldiers in South Gensler.”
Sallia tried to thank Duke Jellas with her eyes and let the rest of them develop a proper strategy. She put in a few comments here and there, but felt pleased by the plan. She wished she held the Sunstone once again so she could test the loyalty of Restella and Prince Peeron. She had no doubts about any of the others. She only hoped that winter would be just hard enough to keep all of the armies off the field.
~
Sally’s Corners fell to the alliance with a whimper. Lotto told Sallia that less than thirty soldiers from Histron’s forces had been in the town. The rest had withdrawn much further south. She looked for familiar faces in the village and asked after Willow. She remembered the woman in the haberdasher’s shop and found out that Willow lived in a cottage on the western side of town.
“Sally!” Willow threw her arms around her. “Where have you been?”
“I’ve spent all of my time in Gensler at Duke Jellas’s castle in Crackledown and at the keep in Everwet.”
“Well, look at you.” Willow shook her head. “You’re hair is much shorter, but that’s not the only change.”
Sallia laughed. “I hope it’s all to the good.”
“Older, wiser. I’d not thought you could have grown so different in a few seasons. Where is Unca?”
The princess shook her head. “He sent me a letter with the Bloodstone, nearly a year ago.” She shook it out and showed it to Willow. “Histron’s men captured me in the spring, but Lotto Mistad and another man, Anchor, who is currently fighting for King Willom, saved me. I’ve seen an alliance form. I’m part of them. The Red Kingdom in exile.” Sallia sighed. “We are making a few inroads.”
