by John Olsen
Gavin stretched his hand out and took the man’s hand, which he offered out of reflex. “Yes, I am. Thank you for your hospitality in letting us camp at the edge of town.”
Draken interrupted and gestured in Gavin’s direction. “Reeve Baker, might I present the new Baron Stoutheart, who has become responsible for this area following recent tragedy. I’m sure you were well acquainted with his father.”
The reeve’s eyes narrowed as he scanned Gavin up and down. “Tragedy couldn’t happen to a more deserving man, but it won’t matter to us unless the old baron’s tax collectors died with him.”
An awkward silence settled in. What had his father done to these people to deserve such scorn? Gavin would have to check with Master Quincy about how heavy-handed the taxation had been. But things had changed in more ways than one.
“Well, Reeve Baker, you won’t have to worry about taxation anytime soon, despite your thriving community.”
Reeve Baker stammered, “What do you mean about the taxation?” He was clearly expecting something different.
Without giving the reeve a chance to continue, Gavin pressed on. “Some of my men arrived earlier to warn you we were coming. Did they contact you?”
“Yes. We met this morning. They were talking nonsense. The residents don’t want to leave.”
Gavin talked over him. “That means you’ve lost critical time to evacuate. I will summarize for you, in case you missed something important earlier. The Graven Kingdom is invading, and our king and the entire Baronial Council are dead along with most of their heirs and advisers. The invading army is behind us by a few days. We can assist you in your evacuation, and we welcome all those who will join us. We’ll travel until we can secure the safety of those who can’t fight. We hope to join with enough fighting forces to defend against the invasion.”
Gavin glanced to the side. “Did I miss anything critical, Master Draken?”
Draken drawled out, “Normally, this sort of meeting would take an hour of conversation over a meal and drinks, but no. You covered it, sir.”
Gavin smiled. “You see, we are in somewhat of a rush, what with the approaching army. Can I rely on you to get the word out immediately to your people that this is a serious matter?”
Without giving the man a chance to answer, he continued, “We leave in the morning. Any who choose to stay are defying my evacuation order, and risk being caught by Graven war animals. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to see to the evacuees. I trust you will inform your people of the deadline. Thank you for your help.”
Gavin and Draken gave the reeve the most cursory of bows and hurried on, leaving the man staring after them with his mouth open. Adrian had vanished while Gavin wasn’t looking.
Draken spoke once they were out of earshot. “If only you were as good with a blade as you are with a tongue lashing. I was unaware of your ability to talk like a cattle stampede. Most impressive.”
“We have to do what we can to convince them. People will die if they’re still here when the army arrives. I hate to push him so hard, but these are my people. I don’t want their deaths on my head, so I’ll do everything I can to encourage them short of armed threats.”
Draken said, “Just remember armed threats are still an option. He’s already defied an indirect order. If he continues, you can make him the token example for defying your direct order. More people will come with us if you have him lashed.”
Gavin shook his head. “No. We just need to make sure everyone knows the situation. I don’t have the time, or the desire, to judge and punish people. The punishment will come in the form of the army.”
“Just remember I gave you the option. More people will obey if they see their reeve in the stocks for defying you.”
It took only a few minutes to find Tover, who waved his arms and yelled at the two angry men standing before him. “You should have asked me for help! Going to blows over something so simple as where to tie animals does none of us any good.” He looked up from the wagon and grimaced, rubbing his temples. “Welcome back, good sir.”
Gavin pointed at the wagons. “What’s the problem?”
Tover came closer to Gavin to talk with some degree of privacy. “Well you see, I’m good at keeping a migration going, but we have problems with people all wanting their way. It gives me headaches trying to keep track of it all.”
Gavin folded his arms and looked the two men up and down. “Is there anything else you need to resolve, or are you done taking Master Tover’s time?”
They looked at their boots and shook their heads, then saw they’d been dismissed by their baron and left at a quick pace.
Tover was pale and looked a bit shaky. Was the stress of the new job too much for him? “Are you ill, Tover?”
“No, good sir. I’m a bit road weary, but I’m feeling much better now with a little help from Saleena. I just wish I knew what to do to speed up the people. Nerves are wearing thin as old boot soles. They’re starting to squabble, and I spend more time putting out fires and tracking things down than making progress. I swear, good sir, my cattle are never this much trouble.”
Draken nodded. “Regular trade caravans emphasize safety. We need speed, and the merchants don’t have the right skills. The priorities are different. We have to handle people and their goods differently.”
Tover sighed. “It’s a relief to know you understand the problem then, sir. It’s going to slow us down more and more over time as we add people almost every day. We will lose our head start if it gets much worse.”
Gavin said, “Do you know how to take care of organizational problems, Master Draken?”
Draken gave a grim laugh. “I know how to see the problem, not how to fix it, sir. I recommend you ask your full council and see who can help. It sounds a lot like a military supply chain problem to me.”
“We need to meet with the full council anyway.” Gavin turned to face the town. “Is there a good place to meet here? I’d like to have a roof over our heads to make the meeting more formal.”
Adrian said, “I know where you can meet.”
Gavin jumped. “Don’t scare me like that. How long have you been there?”
Adrian gave him a quizzical look as if he’d been there the whole time when Gavin knew he had not. It was no wonder his father had put Adrian in charge of spying on people. With the way he blended in and appeared or vanished at will, he could learn things nobody else could.
Adrian said, “Invading Reeve Baker’s office would probably be bad politics after such lively introductions. It would barely be big enough, and they won’t have food. There’s an inn with a private dining room you can use for your meeting in town. It’s called the Dragon’s Plate. Now, there’s a good place for food. I’m sure you’ll like it. They may be in the middle of packing, but I suspect there will still be hot food.”
Gavin nodded. “That sounds perfect. I’m sure the council won’t mind a hot meal not cooked over a campfire. I will arrange the room and review a few things while I wait for everyone to arrive. Draken, can you make sure the various masters and Reeve Baker know to meet there tonight? He should at least respond to a direct order that only requires him to appear and confer with us.” At Draken’s withering glare he added, “I’ll take Jase along with me.”
Draken nodded without losing the glare. “Very well, sir. I need to get the wolf settled and pay a few visits first. I will meet you there tonight.”
* * *
On the way through the camp, Gavin bumped into Saleena and Willem in the middle of a conversation. A glance around showed the Cats of the Apocalypse keeping pace in the nearby shadows. Willem held a dead rabbit by the ears.
Saleena waved and smiled. “Gavin. I mean, sir. It’s good to see you back. People missed you while you were gone. Did you find anything?”
Gavin wanted nothing more than to give her the long version of the story and waste the time away. He missed the time they spent together, but the short version would have to do. He owed her that as a friend.
Then again, she was also the barony’s crystal trainer. His eyes lingered on the scarf covering her necklace of crystals for the cattle herd.
It dawned on him their relationship hadn’t faded, but had changed. Saleena had taken on more and more responsibility. She led the crystal training with confidence and skill, to the point he no longer worried about it. She was one of his advisers, and he trusted her in that position.
Perhaps there was a little time to spare. She might need to know more details for her to do her best. “We found a camp of men loyal to my father, and some of them have come back with us. Others were assigned to scout and report back. Some of them got here before you, but the people haven’t taken the warnings of danger seriously.”
“What about the crystal? No war animal?”
“One of the men had a slave collar. I destroyed the master crystal since his collar won’t come off without good blacksmith tools. At least I’m doing my best to keep that Accord, even though the king didn’t seem to care about the slavery violation.”
“Destroyed a crystal? A full-size crystal?”
With a nonchalant shrug, Gavin said, “It was a tricky situation, and saving lives seemed more important than a crystal at the time.”
Saleena rolled her eyes. “It’s your barony, but I’d suggest you save whatever crystals you can. We need them.”
They didn’t see eye to eye on everything, and he doubted they ever would. Friends didn’t have to always agree. Gavin changed the subject and pointed at the rabbit. “Who’s the prize for?”
Willem’s eyes had been on Saleena until he turned to look Gavin in the eye. “It’s for the wolf. The cats are making friends with her.”
Gavin’s train of thought paused. Willem was sweet on Saleena. The two of them spent their evenings together with training, and he had seen them walking together during the day as the caravan moved. His protective instincts made him want to discourage Willem, but that was a fool’s errand. First, he knew the barony and its needs might dictate who Gavin married. Second, they would both hate his meddling. It all made sense but didn’t do much to ease his sense of loss at the change. Friendship was the key. He would concentrate on his friendships with them both and avoid thinking of the negatives.
Runner barked for Gavin’s attention and jumped into the middle of the trio, disrupting the conversation. Gavin rubbed the dog’s ears, and then turned back to Saleena, his emotions calmed by the dog’s enthusiastic greeting. He knew he should be happy for their growing friendship, right alongside their growing abilities and skill with the crystals. It was unfair of him to ask her for any emotional attachment when he knew he could never be there as more than her baron. “Is training going well?”
“It is. Wonderfully, really. Master Sharp has delivered another crystal pair with the simple pooka marks. I’m searching for someone with a good pet to use, but we may capture something wild and try to tame it. Willem’s getting good. He’s got focus and knows what he’s after with how he trains the cats, and they’re learning from him as well.”
Gavin said, “Great. It’s a relief that you’re handling this training as the new Crystal Mistress.”
Saleena looked at him askance. “You know, you never told me that was my title. I heard people using it, and tried to correct them until I finally heard that the job and title belong together.”
Gavin’s cheeks reddened. He stammered, and then said, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think about that. I’ll announce things properly for anyone that’s still wondering. I keep making foolish little mistakes.”
Saleena said, “I don’t see you making any mistakes more than once. You’re doing great.” She always worked to find the positive side of anything he did, but her body language didn’t match, and her tone carried the disappointment in his oversight. He would work to regain her full measure of respect. He would do what it took to deserve it.
“I’ll do my best. I hope my best improves as I go. Do you have enough volunteers for training?”
She nodded. “We’re making progress. Some people have to be turned away because they don’t understand what it takes to control the crystals or can’t get a feel for it. Some can’t handle the sensations of being a furry four-footed animal, but we’ve got enough people, for now, to match the new crystals as they’re finished. My team keeps asking about using more than one crystal. I know what you’re going to say, but I know what we did that made it work. I’m sure of it, more now than ever.”
“No, I’m not going to risk a life on a test we don’t need. It will be better for us to have more people trained. Anyone who wants to should get some exposure to see who is best at it. Also, I need you to join the council meeting tonight. If anything related to the crystals or training comes up, I’d like to have you there to answer as the newly announced Crystal Mistress.” He grinned.
She gave a sad smile. “I’ll be there. Thank you.”
It was a good start to fixing the things he had broken in their changing relationship, but he knew he’d disappointed her.
* * *
Gavin found the Dragon’s Plate without much effort, Jase following a pace behind and to the side. The building had a sign hanging out front, decorated with a dragon and an armored man facing off over a plate of food. The place was nearly deserted, but the great room’s hearth had a fire going. He flagged down the first person he saw with an apron. “Excuse me. I’ve heard this is a good place to host a meeting and get some food.”
The woman eyed Gavin and his guard. “We don’t have a lot left unpacked, but we’ll take care of you.”
Most of the chairs sat upside down on the tables, and the shelves behind the bar were nearly empty.
She called back to the kitchen. “Chase, get two plates, fifteen minutes apart.” She turned to the two men with a confident smile. “Would you like to eat in the private dining room, then? Follow me, sir.”
“I’m sorry, but I wanted to have a meal with the meeting later if possible.”
“Ah, but you’re going to be doing a lot of the talking later. If you eat now, you get a hot meal to eat at your leisure without interruption.”
As they dodged a table and passed through the large double doors to the dining room, she said, “The second plate is for your man once you’ve finished your meal. Can’t have him guarding on an empty stomach, but it’s improper to feed you both at once. Do you have a head-count for your meeting this evening, sir?”
Gavin wondered if Adrian hadn’t primed the pump by warning the woman they were on their way. It fit in with what little he knew about the man. “I’m not sure yet. I’ll be meeting with eight from the camp, plus some locals.”
“I’ll guess the locals are to be the reeve and his two assistants. I’ll add three to your party. Four just in case.”
Gavin began to ask another question when he heard a faint bell chime. The woman excused herself with a curtsy, and then returned a few moments later with a plate of steaming food and a mug, which she placed deftly on the table along with a silver knife and fork. Gavin recovered from the confusing blur of action and asked, “Were you expecting me?” He sat at the plate of fragrant vegetables and sauced meat, accompanied by a slab of bread and cheese.
“Ah, there’s a trick to it. You see, I planned for someone to come from the camp and visit, just in case, sir. As for knowing who you are, anyone in town with half a brain will know by now, I suppose. You came in with a guard. There’s only a handful who would have a guard wherever they go. I spent time in military camps in my younger years. I know how military and guards work. It’s clear you’re not the baron’s appointment scheduler, so that makes you Baron Stoutheart.”
A side dish held a bounty of nuts and vegetables with different harvest times, all cooked to perfection rather than having been left to steam all day. Gavin had spent his share of time hiding in the castle kitchen and knew the effort it took to fix meals when you fed dozens at a time. “How did you get peas this late in the season? And those pine nuts in the sauce smell wonderful.”<
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She puffed up a little and her smile grew. “I hadn’t heard you were so attentive to details, sir. The truth of it is you only need to know where to get what you want at the right time. You see, the Fernel’s farm is on the north side of a ridge and up higher in the hills. It’s cooler there, which makes their harvest later. Same thing for the early harvests on the sunward sides in the lower valleys. I know every farm within a day’s walk, and when their crops will be ready. The baker got a delivery of flour two days ago from the miller, so I knew he would have his ovens fired up all morning baking, despite the news we have to leave. I give the children their shopping orders first thing each morning, and off we go, simple as that.”
Gavin noted her methods in case he could use them later. “It’s an impressive system. I’d better get to this meal before Jase’s food arrives. I’d hate for him to have to wait while his food got cold.” He dug into the meal, savoring the mix of aromas and flavors. He wasn’t sure if it was the change from camp food, or if this was, in truth, much better than he had eaten recently. No, there was no question. This was an extraordinary meal.
As he ate, she talked about the locals, with only the barest of prompting questions. He stored away details on the various families, businesses, and leaders for later. The woman was a veritable fountain of information. It was no wonder Adrian liked the place. The information would help since Gavin had only this last meeting to get the town leaders and remaining residents on his side.
It was a while before he noticed how she asked as many questions as she answered. She was a master at conversation, and she learned a great deal about the caravan even as she filled him in on the town, making a fair exchange of information.
Between bites, Gavin held up a hand to interrupt her stream of talk. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid we skipped formal introductions. You know who I am, but I was rude not to ask you to introduce yourself. Let me make up for my poor manners. I am the new Baron, Gavin Stoutheart.”
