by Guy Antibes
“I told you.”
“That’s horse fodder and you know it. You are a spy. No common traveler would bear a sword like the one you have in your hand. It’s from the continent of Zarron, you know.”
Anchor held out his hand to stop Dellamo. He offered it to Antzen. “Then take it. You already have, once.”
“Proceed. I wanted to see your reaction when we threw it at your feet. You recognized it.”
“Of course I did. It’s been in Banner’s family for centuries. It has seen better days, but it’s still a fine sword and he’s a fine swordsman. Why don’t you bring him here?”
Antzen colored a bit. “He has vanished.”
Anchor had to hold back a smile. Perhaps Shiro’s magic had returned. “With the damage to his skull, he’s probably passed out somewhere.”
“Perhaps your friend has. Fight on, but make it more convincing.” Antzen flipped his finger as a signal to proceed. Dellamo began to press Anchor a bit more. The man’s size got in the way of Anchor’s style of fighting.
“Why is the army here? If I’m a spy, perhaps you should tell me a few nuggets of information,” Anchor said as he now had found a pattern to Dellamo’s style.
“It’s all rather obvious, isn’t it? We know that the Learsea Marshal will drive through the southern duchies. He’ll pass to the north of us on his way to the Red Kingdom and we will take him from behind. Elementary, really.”
Elementary, indeed, thought Anchor. It made superb sense and it told him all he needed to know. Now it was time to get this fight ended and he would have to leave, hoping that Shiro had made it back to Learsea. He closed with Dellamo.
“Take me with you whenever you leave. He’ll kill whoever is left standing,” Dellamo said. “Antzen is more than a captain.”
They broke and Dellamo swiped his sword to take out Anchor’s legs. The man telegraphed his move and Antzen was sure to see it. The captain or whatever he was stood. “Enough! I’ve found out all I need to know from you, Dellamo, and you, Vance, or whatever your real name is. Both of you will die.”
Dellamo and Anchor backed up as the men surrounding the ring began to close in.
“Anchor!” Shiro’s voice rang out behind him.
“If you want to live, follow me,” Anchor said to the giant sergeant and pushed over the men that guarded a tent alley. He saw Shiro with a string of three mounts. Perhaps the Ropponi hadn’t regained his magic, but it didn’t matter now. Anchor knew enough. Dellamo ran past him and grabbed a horse, sheathing his weapon while Anchor pushed men back and took off. Dellamo had already taken off when Anchor mounted another horse.
“Who is the big man?” Shiro said as they caught up to the big sergeant.
“I suspect he is a spy, just like us. Right, Dellamo?”
The man nodded. The escape had deprived him of his breath. “I work for the Duke of Ashof. He’s an ally of King Willom of Learsea. I have to return with important information. General Fallon is a traitor.”
“Didn’t you hear that Fallon is dead?”
“No, but I still have to return.” Dellamo said, panting.
“We will be making for Learsea,” Anchor said as they charged back up the road from where they came.
“Don’t go that way. Antzen will be looking for you to flee towards the east. We must turn south.”
Shiro pulled up his horse. “South?”
Anchor knew what the man proposed. “South, skirting Port Grianne and taking the coast east. Right?”
“Not too far. Three leagues or so, then we’ll be among friends and return to the road.”
“So be it,” Anchor said, winking at Shiro. “We might be able to push ahead even faster than you might think then.” Shiro only frowned. So his magic still failed him?
“Here is the turnoff. We must stop and cover our tracks.” Dellamo dismounted and pulled some branches down. “Take the horses along there.” He seemed to sweep the road and throw leaves from underneath the trees along their path as Shiro and Anchor led the four horses along a track barely large enough to be called a trail.
They heard a number of horses pass the track. Dellamo put a finger to his lips as they slowly made their way through the branches and the brush. He kept wiping out their track for another fifty paces and covered it with leaves. Anchor couldn’t see their tracks. He hoped the Teryons wouldn’t be able to either.
~
Lotto, Kenyr, Gart and the Ropponi appeared in front of the castle at Mountsea. The Red Rose led them to a large house facing the castle. A servant appeared.
“We are here to see General Lessa,” the Ropponi said.
“Tell him Lotto is here.”
They stood on the steps for a quarter hour or so when the door burst open. “Lotto! What brings you to my doorstep?”
“More Dakkoran knavery,” Lotto said as Lessa led them into his house.
Led into Lessa’s sitting room, Lotto continued, “Gart, here, stole some supplies from a large Dakkoran force camped somewhere in Histron.”
Lessa left the room. “Please sit down” Lotto heard Lessa asking for wine to be brought to them. He returned with a few maps under his arms.
“Where?” Lessa said, looking at Gart. The man flinched under Lessa’s steely gaze. Good, thought Lotto. Gart didn’t seem too intimidated by Lotto and Kenyr didn’t even try.
The man examined the map and ran his finger this way and that along river and drawn-in hillock. “Here, a day south along the Merry River. There is a track that leads west. I came out of the forest here on a road that took me straight to Beckondale.”
“And they could do the same,” Lotto said, following his finger to a major road. “We’ll have to get that border fort reinforced.”
“Do that,” Lessa said. “But look here.” Lotto followed his eyes to a road that wound through Histron and went to Crackledown. “Here and straight south to Sally’s Corners and the flank of the alliance forces. How many… Gart, is it?”
“Lots of tents. I’d say a regiment and a half. Five thousand men. Lots of supplies. I took the sweet stuff, figuring it would be easier to sell.”
Lotto smiled at Kenyr. “Sweetie,” he said.
“Just lucky you spotted my honey sauce,” Kenyr said with a bit of a huff, but then his face blossomed into a grin. “And look what it will bring Dakkor? How did they get through your pickets on the coast?”
Lessa pressed his lips together. “Probably here.” He pointed at an indentation on the map. “There is a smuggler’s cove right here. No town for miles, so they’d have to bring in their own supplies. I’ll send a flotilla south and burn the blasted ships down. There’ll be no going back for servants of the Dark Lord. We should have the Red Rose teleport three thousand men just north and just south and squeeze them like a ripe pimple.”
“And a few thousand Valetan soldiers on Gart’s track towards Beckondale. That would force them to go one direction…”
“Right into my flotilla.”
“We can do it,” the Ropponi said. He’d been silent, but he had listened intently to every word. “I have been along the road here.” He pointed to the major road that ran from Crackledown to Mountsea. He must have been with Lessa when he pacified Histo.
Lessa looked at Lotto. “When do you prefer we start, My Lord Mistad?”
“Would you mind if we had lunch first?”
~
Anchor wrapped his hands in strips torn from his tunic. Dellamo already lost much of his own shirt. Five leagues in a large rowboat seemed doable when they started, but the current ran from east to west and they had spent too much time rowing, more slowly every day. At least they had another week’s worth of food and water. Dellamo had warned them that the coast would be hostile. Anchor gazed at the coastline, barely above the horizon. They must have been half a league out to sea.
“Who do you have to report to?” Shiro asked Dellamo.
“I have birds to send when we land. They go to Learsea then to Ashof and the duke. We will stay at our desti
nation until the message is answered.”
Shiro went silent. Anchor twisted around to see his friend gone from the boat. “I don’t think so, Dellamo. We’ll be in Learsea before night falls.”
Anchor shipped in his oars and rested, urging Dellamo to do the same. In a few moments Shiro returned, grinning. “When I woke up this morning without a headache, I wondered if my powers had returned.”
After a deep breath, Anchor smiled. “Where did you just go?”
“Tassleton Castle. Colonel Baanth is starting the muster.”
“Good,” Lotto said. “Time to shed your disguise. If you would?”
Dellamo screamed and the boat began to rock violently back and forth. “What… what are you?”
“I didn’t want to tell you until we were on land, but we will be soon enough. I am Marshal Anchor of King Willom’s armies and this is Commander Shiro, a Ropponi wizard of great power. Spies we were, but we’re all going to be soldiers soon enough. I have some people to tell I’m still alive and you will be able to personally send a bird to your duke. Perhaps Shiro might take you there under a specific condition.”
Dellamo furrowed his brow. “What condition?”
“He needs to stir a bit around in your mind to find where to teleport. Any secrets that you hold might be discovered.”
Dellamo laughed at that. “He can feel free.”
Shiro uncovered the Sunstone. After the exchange of minds, Dellamo fell back, nearly swamping the boat. I really didn’t believe you,” he said as he sat up. “I am at your service, Marshal!”
“The only service I want you to perform is for us to hold hands,” Anchor said.
Dellamo furrowed his brow, but held Shiro’s hand and Anchor’s hand. When they arrived at their destination, Shiro and Anchor both let go. Dellamo would have taken them down with them.
Anchor bent his head back and laughed. “I am so glad to be on land!” He walked up the steps to King Willom’s castle after helping an astonished Dellamo up the steps.
“Marshal Anchor,” the guard said. “I believe the king is in his map room.”
Anchor led the other two up the steps and through the castle corridors to Willom’s map room. The guards rose from their chairs while Anchor rapped his knuckles on the door.
“Marshal Anchor to see King Willom.”
The king opened the doors himself. “I thought you dead, man.”
“Shiro and I went on a little jaunt to Teryon and found ourselves an enemy army, quite by accident. I’m afraid it was a bit of a mistake. I thought I would make a great spy, but I got the information that I sought, just not in the way intended.” Anchor walked with the king into the room as Shiro pulled on Dellamo’s sleeve, to keep him from kneeling. “Not a happy sight in the winter,” Anchor said as he looked out Willom’s impressive windows at the gray seas dotted with whitecaps.
“I heard about General Fallon from Captain Leef and Colonel Baanth. I should hire some Ropponi to move me around.” The king shook his head. “And who is this mountain of a man behind you?”
“May I present Sergeant Dellamo, a spy for Duke Hovitz of Ashof.”
“Ah, Duke Hovitz. Perhaps it’s time to start our own southern alliance,” the king said and squinted at the big man. “Dellamo? Is that your real name?”
Dellamo took a deep breath. “No, sir. Anter Hovitz is my name. I’m Duke Hovitz’s tenth son.”
King Willom laughed. “I thought I saw a resemblance. Well, is the duke in or out? What do you think?”
“In, your majesty. Duke Selgrid told my father that he’d be in too, if you’d only ask.”
“I’m asking, young Hovitz. By the way, are you three hungry? I am ready for my midday meal. Let’s eat right here. We can let the sea make us all as angry as she is.”
Anchor smiled. “Can you give us an hour? I’m sure Hovitz,” Anchor winked at the younger man, who would be a bit younger than Anchor appeared, “would like to freshen up a bit.”
“Of course and I’ll arrange for Shiro and you…”
Anchor shook his head. “We have a little traveling to do, but we’ll be back in time for a fresh cooked meal.”
~
Lotto spotted Anchor and Shiro walking across the practice field at the Beckondale Castle. Soldiers scurried from place to place.
“Anchor, we thought you had disappeared!” He clasped Anchor’s hand and then Shiro.
“I lost my power with a concussion,” Shiro said. “It’s my fault.”
“We didn’t intend on spending so much time in Grianne.” Anchor looked at Shiro. “Our fault.” He realized that perhaps Unca was a superior spy to Anchor. There was a benefit to looking like a benign old man rather than a strapping warrior. Anchor snorted. A strapping warrior was what he had become and he’d have to remember that in the future. He looked at all of the activity in the courtyard. “Are you assembling reinforcements for Restella?”
“No. We are heading to Histo. Dakkor has embedded a large force in the forests and will likely be heading for Crackledown, although they could invade Sally’s Corners or head into Valetan from their camp.”
“Oh. Do you have enough Ropponi to transport you?” Anchor said.
“Soon enough. We’ll have forces coming from three directions and hope to push them all the way to the sea, if they last that long. We found them by chance. I’ve even tried to teleport by myself, once. I’m not very good at it.”
“At least there are Shiro’s Red Roses for that. We found our own hidden army in the south. The three duchies under Histron’s influence were going to attack our flank as we turned north in Teryon. They knew of our strategy from the Learsea general that had turned on us. We can take care of them during the winter by transporting our armies to Grianne. Instead of a long campaign through the Five Duchies, we fight all of their armies in one spot.”
Lotto turned to Shiro. “Won’t you have trouble teleporting that many men?”
“It will devastate the Ropponi’s power for a time, but it will be worth it,” Shiro said and nodded his head towards Anchor. “We are going to Sally’s Corners next. I’ll confer with Chika.”
“Feel free,” Lotto said. “I’m very relieved to know you are safe. You had us all worried.”
“It will be good to see Princess Sallia and Duke Jellas again,” Anchor said. He looked forward to seeing the princess more than anything. In his distress, he’d successfully banished her from his mind.
“I’ll take you to her. She’s in the Beckondale castle.”
Lotto took them both towards the king’s apartments and knocked at an ornate door. A woman answered, Anna Teriso, Mander Hart’s wife.
“Anna, I didn’t know you moved to the castle, too.” Lotto obviously knew the woman well.
Mander’s wife playfully blew in Lotto’s face. “Men. I’ve been helping the princess with various matters.”
“Did I hear Lotto’s voice?” Sallia said from within the room. He could hear excitement in her voice. “Show him in.”
Her eyes lit up when she saw Anchor and then smiled when Shiro brought up the rear.
Anchor bowed. “My Princess.”
“Rise, Lord Anchor. We had thought you lost. It warms my heart to see you alive.”
Lotto laughed. “Only delayed. He’s been spying in the south like I’ve had to do in the north.”
“Come in and tell us all,” Sallia said.
Anchor nearly lost his breath. How much would he love to sit and regale the princess with his adventures, but he had to move on. They would be keeping King Willom waiting as it was. “Perhaps another time, we must notify Chika and the Duke of our discovery.”
Sallia looked disappointed to Anchor, but not as much as he felt. “Perhaps tomorrow, Shiro and I will return. I will say that my new strategy will involve moving armies all over Besseth.
“You?” Shiro said. “The Red Rose will.” He bowed to the two ladies and jerked his head back to the corridor. Anchor hurriedly bade them farewell and followed Shiro. “Now th
at you have seen your lady, it’s time for me to see mine.” Shiro grabbed Anchor’s elbow and they stood in the middle of a muddy street in front of an inn. Before they had a chance to enter, Chika ran out the door of the Traveler’s Rest and threw her arms around Shiro taking them both into the mud.
“I was so worried!” She kissed Shiro on the mouth.
Anchor cleared his throat.
“Clear away,” Chika said. After a few moments wrestling in the mud, Shiro rose, helping Chika to her feet. “I lost our link. I’ve always known where you were.”
Shiro rubbed his head. “I hope you haven’t stopped my magic again. Someone knocked me on the head and my powers shrunk. I could barely keep my disguise intact and we couldn’t teleport out of danger as was our plan.”
“I’ve never known your plan to shrivel so,” Chika said. Her composure had returned and Shiro grinned.
“Is the duke here?”
“I was to take him to Crackledown just before nightfall.”
Anchor walked up the steps. “I need to see him for a few minutes then we must go. You two can bring each other up to speed. We need to leave as soon as possible.”
Shiro shrugged. He could blame Anchor all he wanted. Shiro deserved much more than that.
Duke Jellas wrote on the large table in the meeting room. He recognized Anchor immediately and stood.
“You did survive whatever took you away from us.”
Anchor nodded. “A, uh, miscalculation, I’m afraid. I’m not infallible, Duke Jellas. Would you like to visit King Willom? Just for the midday meal.”
“I just finished my breakfast.”
“It’s midday in Learsea and I’d like to talk to you both. I’ll have you back in time for Chika to take you to Crackledown.”
“I can spare a few hours, if you’ll give me another minute or two. We have to muster enough forces to take down the Dakkorans.”
“Dakkorans?” Prince Peeron entered the room.
“I’ll tell you in a few hours. Anchor has to show me something.” Jellas tried to communicate that he didn’t want Peeron with them. Anchor caught on.
