by Guy Antibes
“You can’t let Anchor just hang like that. Write him a letter. Letters are good.” Anna smiled.
“I stopped writing when the fighting started in Learsea. I didn’t want to distract him.” Sallia didn’t want to tell her that, at the time, she drew more to Lotto as he interacted with Duke Jellas. Anchor had always been at a distance and she had never really had an extended conversation with him.
Anna put her hand on Sallia’s. “He might just need the distraction. It doesn’t help that he isn’t close. A romance is never practical during wartime. I know.” Anna talked a bit about her relationship with Mander and his unpredictable disappearances.
“What about Lotto?” Sallia said.
“You’ll see him often enough. It helps not to mention yearning for other men’s advice to either of them.”
Sallia sat back. “I think I understand.” Suddenly Sallia missed her mother. She had never confided in her mother, always putting her at arm’s length or farther. She spurned her parent’s out of spite. Sallia no longer felt the anger that drove her as a teenager and as a very young woman. Her parents had given her everything and it only drove her away from them. She never doubted their affection. Unca had said their last words were that they loved her.
She would have doubted that, even if they had spoken to her directly that she would have rejected the sentiment before her escape from Foxhome. Where had she changed? The burning inn was the start. People’s lives depended on her and she had to put aside her selfishness to save them.
Unca hadn’t treated her as a princess, but as a person. That seemed to have affected her more than she realized. He repelled her like everyone else to that point. She had to rely on him to survive, just as she had to accept the fact that Anchor and Lotto had done the same thing.
The old wizard had been like the father, she’d never let the king be; Anna the mother she rejected as well. Anchor and Lotto? She didn’t think of either as brothers and that was her dilemma. She needed to understand herself more before she could make sense of everything.
Anna had just let her think. She had become such a good friend.
“We can talk again later. Let’s sneak into the market and buy something fun!” Anna said, interrupting her thoughts. Sallia welcomed the distraction.
~
The pyre had just started when Shiro, Lotto and Anchor had reached Histo. Lotto went to find Kenyr and see how the return of the Valetan troops proceeded. Anchor wished him well, but he didn’t appreciate Lotto’s words in front of Sallia. He said as much to Shiro.
“Don’t worry about it. We are all under a great deal of pressure. Him more than most. Lotto’s relationship with Restella is difficult to say the least. I think he thought they would draw closer once the Moonstone linked them, but…”
Anchor rubbed the back of his neck. He understood stress as well as any other and perhaps that had increased his sensitivity. He had been up since long before dawn and now his body began to ache, even after his unintended nap. He had driven the pain away and it came crashing back. His calf began to ache even more.
“Let’s go back to Tassleton and fight our own army,” Anchor said.
“I may return for the night,” Shiro said grinning.
“Feel free, my friend. You deserve it.”
~
The night’s sleep and the hot breakfast that followed took care of most of Anchor’s pain. His calf still hurt, but Chika’s healing left a light pink scar to go along with all of the others he was collecting. He dressed in clean clothes and called for Anter.
“We need maps of Grianne. Shiro hasn’t yet returned, so let’s get started.” Anchor pulled out a large sheet of translucent vellum and spread it over a map of southern Teryon. The two of them worked out the size of the Antzen’s camp and the surrounding area. Anter had an excellent memory and with Anchor’s recollections, they had the fields of battle defined.
When Shiro showed up, they found that he didn’t remember much about the camp due to his injury.
“I want men in the woods ready to deal with those who flee.”
Anter gulped. “No quarter?”
“Do you think they will give you any?” Shiro said.
“I don’t know,” Anter said. “We like to think of the Five Duchies as united.”
“United they will be, after this battle. I do see your point. More men in the trees to disarm the deserters, then” Anchor looked at Anter, who nodded. The boy had heart and a little compassion might go far in restoring peace to the entire south.
Anchor assigned Leef to help Tishiaki in the north, so he brought in Baanth who approved of the plans and concurred with Anter’s concern about the rankers. “Just remember, there will be battle mages and everyone is exposed as magic is thrown about.” They both nodded. “Let’s talk to our allied commanders.”
Shiro took four Ropponis with him to the two ducal palaces and returned with more officers. The plan went through another vetting. It seemed they were all comfortable with the overall strategy. They would execute it at dawn in two days time. Anchor had to assume that Fellon wasn’t the last traitor in the Learsea army or in the duchy forces, but even a bird wouldn’t make it to Grianne by the time they arrived.
None of the troops were told of the details until the night before when Anchor briefed all of the officers down to the rank of sergeant. Some seemed a little uncertain after being teleported from their bases.
Anchor could feel the nerves of the men. He’d now been through enough real battles to recognize the signs.
“Make sure that just before you are teleported with your troops that you remain silent. If there are any people about, take them as prisoners to be released after the fighting starts, unless they are the enemy.” He smiled and got some grins back. “No looting of the dead, this time.” Anchor thought of his sword. “But you can appropriate weapons. For this battle, it’s better to take prisoners than lives, but don’t let sentiment kill you or your men.”
Anchor answered a few questions and told all of them to sleep as well as they could. Tomorrow would be a long, taxing day. He met Shiro in the map room before they turned in for the night.
“Good speech,” Shiro said as they walked back to their quarters. “Now we see how the southern alliance fights.”
“I’m not worried about the rankers. I’m worried about a soft officer corps and battle mages. Trees are a blessing for attackers, but if there are battle mages blowing them up, they become a killing ground.”
“Do you doubt Colonel Baanth’s abilities? I think the man is up to the job,” Shiro said as he shuffled the maps around on the table.
“We have two principal assets, the Learsea troops and the Red Rose. Learsea has no real battle mages in their infantry. They all go into the navy and Anter told us that the Hovitz’s mages are lazy and fight from the rear.”
“Put them under me, Anchor. Right now you’ve got them with their armies. Assign them to my Red Roses and I can make them effective,” Shiro said. “I’ll have them take out the camp. If we come in from the south, where there are fewer trees, we can push them your way.”
Anchor followed Shiro’s eyes. A new order of battle came to him. “Poor Unca never had the opportunity to totally change a battle plan,” Anchor grinned. “We have until dawn. I won’t really miss a night of tossing and turning in bed.”
~
The smell of the sea was the first thing Anchor noticed as he appeared with Anter, Baanth and Shiro. The Ropponi bowed to Anchor and disappeared to join the Red Rose, forming to the south. He had spent the last hour transferring Learsea troops and Red Rose troops who couldn’t teleport.
He gave a few reminders to Baanth and let him join the clusters of troops still popping up on the former training field of Shiro’s band. The lightening of the dawn crept up the sky to the east, pushing up the canopy of stars. Vague black shapes turned into clumps of men and then Anchor could see their features.
“Reporting for duty,” Lotto said. “I brought Chika along.”
Anchor didn’t ask them to fight his fight, but two powerful wizards might tip the course of this battle. “I imagine that Shiro knows.”
Chika disappeared and a few moments later reappeared. “He does now. We are to stay with you.”
Shiro knew that Anchor wished he had a wizard at his side and now he had two. Both experienced in battle. “I’d like you to stay by me and deploy where we need you. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dakkoran wizards will be working with the enemy. Anter?”
“Yes, Marshal,” Anter said.
“I’d like you to meet Lotto Mistad. He worked with Shiro in defeating Duke Happly and in Prola where he personally killed the Prolan king in Mountsea. He has other exploits, but those should be enough. Chika is Shiro’s second in command. Stay away from her staff, it’s lethal.
A messenger ran up to Anchor. “Colonel Baanth says that all units are in position.”
“His exact words, please.”
“Uh, he said to the effect that the battle lines are as solid as they’ll ever be. Damned Bintzians. I think that’s all.”
“Tell him to begin his advance. Hurry or we’ll lose our advantage of surprise. Sorry about that Anter.”
“I don’t mind. They aren’t particularly disciplined, but they will show well in battle.”
The messenger disappeared in the press of men. Anchor drew his blade. He looked for the magic it contained, but sensed nothing, as usual. He didn’t need magic to succeed, a concept he would never entertain as Unca. “Follow me,” Anchor said as he ran to the right side of the field and plunged into the woods. The four of them would enter the officer’s section of the encampment from the east.
“We’ll surprise Antzen, eh my Hovitzian?”
Anter raised his sword in the air and jumped. Anchor thought he felt the earth shake, but it was all imagination. The excitement of the attack began to reach him as the sounds of battle began to swell as the southern alliance began to engage the enemy,
Fireballs began to erupt from within the camp into the woods followed by more fireballs flowing in from the south. Shiro had begun his counter attack. Anchor’s ploy to put a thin line of men in the forest to the northeast of the camp had worked. Shiro’s Red Rose could sense the source and position of the attacks and return fire on the enemy wizards.
The armies of Ashof and Bintz should have just begun to invade from the west. Anchor expected to win, but he didn’t know at what kind of cost, certainly not the 20 to 1 ratio the northern alliance achieved against the Dakkorans. Antzen would have the army on alert after his escape. The Teryon wouldn’t have expected the armies to drop in on him, however.
He reached the edge of the encampment. “Lotto and Chika can you sense guards in the trees? I’d rather our entrance be a surprise.”
Both of them closed their eyes. “Three in close proximity,” Chika said, “There, there and there.” She pointed them out.
Lotto nodded. “I’m not as fast locating them as Chika, but she’s right. I can take the one on the left.”
“Chika you eliminate the one on the right and Anter and I will take the middle one. Stay on your side of the camp when we enter. I’m more worried about battle mages and arrows. Anter and I can take on the swordsmen.”
Lotto nodded and crept off to his target. Anchor could hear his movement in the woods, but Chika just teleported to her destination. Anchor moved forward, his sword back in its scabbard and a knife in his hand. The guard looked towards the sounds of fighting and didn’t even sigh as Anchor’s sharp knife slit the man’s throat.
“Sorry, Anter.”
“Don’t be sorry. I’d do the same. I just don’t want a slaughter.”
“We’ll only slaughter the officers who fight us.”
The giant nodded as they crept into the camp.
Chika appeared in front of Anchor. “Stop. There are wards a few feet ahead of you.”
Lotto appeared as well. “Follow her. There is a pathway through them. I’ll be behind.”
They twisted and turned in the dirt between the trees and the tents until Chika motioned them forward. “There aren’t any more.” She ran back to the right and began to inspect the tents.
The fighting became louder. He had every confidence in his little group. He directed Anter towards Chika, while he would take the tents towards Lotto. All of the tents were empty until he found one full of about ten bound men.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“Once the fighting started, General Antzen had us bound. We aren’t the only ones. Free us,” one of them said.
Anchor backed out of the tent. “I’ll be back for you when we’ve won. Be patient.” He left the tent and began to saw into the ropes holding the tent up. He saw the point of a sword edge out from the door and ran around the tent finishing the job. The tent collapsed. The men came out one by one, all armed. Anchor fought them one by one until the all were dead or groaning at his feet.
Anter jogged to his side. “Chika found another group just like this. She’s taken care of hers.”
“Stay at my side.” Soldiers entered the officer’s area. Anchor recognized the large square as the one where he fought Anter. “Don’t stay too close to me. It will be harder for them to surround us.”
Anchor let the men come to him. He nodded to Anter to begin the attack. The giant was more effective in charge of his own space. These men were common rankers and fought to their deaths. None would be able to match Anter or his swordplay, but there were numbers. Chika yelled something in Ropponi and began to cut into the right side of the group. Lotto came around and fought the soldiers from the left rear. Anchor nearly smiled. With his four fighters, it seemed like they surrounded the soldiers and proceeded to cut them to pieces.
“That was just to warm you up,” Antzen said. He led thirty men, all officers by the look of them, into the square. “Only four? I would have thought you’d lead three or four hundred men this way.”
“Four is enough, Antzen.”
“General Antzen, to you, Vance.”
Anchor smiled. “The name is Anchor, Marshal of the Learsea armies. I have come with men from Learsea, Bintz and Ashof. We are united against you and your two superiors, Histron and Daryaku. You probably haven’t heard, but we have destroyed an entire regiment of Dakkoran soldiers in Histo less than a week ago. That included ships full of sorcerers. Are you sure you wish to fight us? There is still time to surrender, General.”
The sun began to brush the tops of the trees and Anchor could see uncertainty on Antzen’s face.
“I don’t believe you.”
Anchor held up his sword. “What does this look like to you? This was taken from an officer of the Dakkoran forces. You will notice that this one is in excellent condition.”
One of the officers whispered in Antzen’s ear. He was probably a battle mage. Anchor nodded at Lotto, who stood to the far left.
“He can see the magic. Isn’t that what he told you? Have him gaze at the sword on the man to my left. His name is Lotto Mistad. A Serytaran last name. He is the son of the late Duke of Mistad. The woman to my right is a Ropponi sorceress who fights with her staff and Affinity. You see I surround you, Antzen.”
Antzen’s mage hurled a fireball at Anchor. But Anchor held his sword out in front of him and the fireball fizzled out. “Believe me now?” Anchor swallowed hard after he spoke. He had never tested the wards on his sword. The mage clutched at his throat. Chika twisted with her hand and the man went down. “He’s the only one,” she called out to him.
“That encounter didn’t work. My, my, Antzen. Do you know why you are fighting?”
Antzen’s arrogance dimmed in the morning light. “Tell me.”
“Daryaku wants the three Warstones on Besseth. They are in the possession of the alliance. He has disrupted the entire continent to gain possession of those stones, so he can rule the world. He doesn’t care about you or you or you.” Anchor pointed to the men in Antzen’s group. “What will Daryaku do with Besseth
? He’ll do what he’s done on Dakkor; turn it into a slave state, where he is the master. His sorcerers are his minions. Is that what you want? Is that what you fight for?”
“Your side has been bloodied,” Antzen said.
“Of course, this is a war. Duke Histron slaughtered King Billeas and his wife. The same nearly happened in Valetan and Gensler. We defeated Happly and have taken care of Histo and Oringia. Daryaku promises riches and titles. He deludes his tools with magic and gold, but you will all end up dead. What have you been promised, General?”
Lotto walked up next to Anchor. He took a few steps towards Antzen. “He’s not under a spell like General Piroff.”
“So, you have a choice. Remember, this is Lotto. He also personally killed Peleor, Daryaku’s principal agent on Besseth and Duke Happly. You’re a mere general. I’m good at generals. Fellon felt the edge of my sword.”
“Boasts,” Antzen said, but Anchor noticed that the man had all but lowered his sword.
“Are they right?” one of the men behind Antzen said.
“Prove me wrong, Antzen. Tell me, what I have said that is wrong?”
The man who spoke walked out and dropped his sword. “I’m for defending Besseth and Teryon against the Dakkorans if they’ve done what this man says.” More men stepped forward.
Antzen walked through the men and stood directly in front of Anchor. He looked at Anchor with that intense gaze of his. His shoulders drooped and Anchor could tell his words were hard to get out. “I give you my sword and my life if you need it. I am a Teryon patriot first and foremost and do not want to fight my fellow Bessethians for a foreigner. I cannot give you a satisfactory answer. I will take you to my duke.” Anchor accepted Antzen’s sword.
“Now let’s get this battle stopped before much more blood is shed.”
“That sentiment alone proves your worth.” Antzen bowed to Anchor.
Lotto looked closely at Antzen. “Do you know Armand Lessa of Prola?”
Antzen met Lotto’s gaze and shook his head.
“You should.” He put out his hand. Antzen shook it.
