“What is going on in there?” asked one of the sentries. “It sounds like we are being attacked.”
“I think you are right,” HawkShadow replied softly. “You would think they could at least wait until my smoke was finished.”
“You are lucky to be alive,” spat the sentry. “Don’t ever walk off like that again. If you do, I will report you myself.”
HawkShadow shrugged and turned his back on the sentry. He slowly moved towards the hidden position the original sentry had maintained. When he was sure that he was hidden, HawkShadow dropped to the ground and quickly shed his white uniform. He crawled away from the perimeter as fast as he dared to. Before he managed to return to where SkyDancer was waiting, he heard shouts from the two sentries. Evidently they had discovered the dead Imperial Guard. HawkShadow heard the two Imperial Guards racing through the woods shouting about an intruder. He rose and ran for his life.
As HawkShadow neared the small clearing, he heard the song of an arrow race past his head. He heard a cry from behind him as he raced into the clearing and saw SkyDancer nocking another arrow to her bow. She let the arrow fly, and he heard another anguished cry.
“Let’s ride,” SkyDancer said as she dropped her bow and leaped onto a waiting choka.
HawkShadow raced to the other choka and jumped onto it. The warbird leaped forward as if startled, but it quickly recovered and ran after SkyDancer’s choka. They sped away from the encampment without looking back. Half an hour later they arrived at the rendezvous point and dismounted to wait for Goral. HawkShadow paced the small clearing as the appointed time for Goral to arrive came and went.
“Calm down,” urged SkyDancer. “Goral can take care of himself.”
“My attack was sloppy,” scowled HawkShadow. “The tent was alarmed with a small bell. I had to leave the bodies of two Imperial Guards for others to discover. I will not forgive myself if Goral had to pay the price for my mistake.”
“That is why you like working alone, isn’t it?” SkyDancer asked with compassion. “You worry more about others getting hurt than you do about yourself.”
“I suppose I do,” HawkShadow nodded after a while. “I see the risks I take as necessary, but I can stretch too far sometimes. I am willing to take the risks myself, but when others are involved I find myself choosing the safest path. That is not the way I like to work.”
“You need to learn that others are more than willing to assume the same risks that you are,” smiled SkyDancer. “Goral and I may not have your skill, but we push hard in our own endeavors. Do not try to protect us. Do what Kaltara has chosen for you. He will watch over us.”
“I hope he is watching over Goral right now,” sighed HawkShadow. “I would not have escaped without his diversion. I owe my life to him.”
“Get your mind off him,” urged SkyDancer. “It only makes the waiting harder.”
“I can’t,” HawkShadow shook his head. “How can I think of anything else?”
SkyDancer smiled as she groaned and felt her side. HawkShadow frowned as he rushed to her. He ran his hand under her tunic and felt the wound.
“Your wound is heating up,” he said anxiously. “It may be infected. How do you feel?”
“I feel as if your hand belongs there,” grinned SkyDancer.
HawkShadow blushed as he pulled his hand away. “I did not mean any disrespect,” apologized the Sakovan assassin. “I am just concerned about your health.”
SkyDancer turned and gazed into HawkShadow’s eyes. A smile spread slowly across her lips as they stared at each other.
“I love you, too,” SkyDancer said softly. “Just so you know.”
“Am I interrupting anything?” Goral asked as he walked into the clearing leading Bertha.
HawkShadow and SkyDancer turned as one. Each of them was embarrassed by their failure to detect the arrival of the giant.
“What happened to you?” HawkShadow finally asked.
“Bertha took an arrow,” shrugged Goral. “I could not stand to ride her hard. Will you look at her, SkyDancer? You at least know some healing magic.”
“Certainly,” smiled SkyDancer as she winked at Goral on her way to the choka.
“I was worried about you,” HawkShadow said casually.
“And I about you, assassin,” grinned Goral. “I was glad to see that you were in good hands when I finally did arrive.”
HawkShadow grinned at the gentle giant and slapped him on the back.
* * *
The column of Imperial Guards sat around the campfire a short distance from Fortung. A short distance away from the fire, General Papper sat talking to the Star of Sakova.
“Do you really think that they are waiting for me in Fortung?” asked Lyra.
“I am not sure,” admitted General Papper, “but we will know soon. The two men that I sent on ahead are good men. If the Imperial Guards in Fortung have been given orders to arrest you on sight, they will discover it.”
“I appreciate your escorting me,” smiled Lyra. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“I felt as if I did,” the general responded. “I know how I would have reacted to your arrival if I was forewarned of it. I suspect that General Smythe will react the same. At least with our escort, they will not dare to attack without knowing why we are here first. That will give you ample time to flee.”
“You sound like you do not trust General Smythe,” commented the Star of Sakova.
“I trust the general,” corrected General Papper. “Smythe is a good man, but he takes his duty seriously. If General Manitow was not able to convince him of the need for Fortung to defect, Smythe will be a stubborn adversary.”
“And if General Manitow did get through to him?” posed Lyra. “How will General Smythe react then?”
“I am not sure,” conceded the general of Gatong. “I suspect that he will not be totally convinced without talking to you first, but he may be receptive to such a conversation. It is hard to predict reactions to things that were unthinkable only days ago.”
“I am very glad that you and the people of Gatong have decided to join me,” smiled Lyra. “Every city that I can gain without violence is a treasure to be cherished.”
“I am beginning to understand that,” replied General Papper. “I have met so many bloodthirsty people who have sung the same song that I must admit that I did not believe you at first. Your actions convinced me. You could have easily killed me, and many of my men, yet you risked your life by avoiding such an approach. I do have one question that I must ask you, though. Could your power really destroy a city?”
“I really don’t know the extent of my powers,” answered Lyra. “My power comes from Kaltara. He decides what I am capable of. My goal is to use as little of it as possible. The Omungan people and the Sakovans are brothers. We must unite to meet the evil that comes. I want to create that union with peace, not blood.”
Lyra heard voices where the sentries should be. She looked questioningly towards the disturbance and saw two men enter the campsite. The men were dressed as citizens and not as the Imperial Guards that they were. They passed by the sentries and approached General Papper.
“What is your report?” asked the general.
“There is an order to arrest the Star of Sakova,” reported one of the men, “but there is a warning attached to it.”
“What is the warning?” inquired General Papper.
“General Smythe has directed the Imperial Guards not to harm the Star of Sakova in any way,” reported the spy. “He has promised great punishment to anyone who harms her.”
“What does this mean?” asked Lyra.
“It means that General Smythe does want to talk to you,” replied General Papper, “but he wants to do it on his terms. If he does not like what you have to say, he will execute you.”
“Not the fondest of welcomes,” frowned Lyra, “but I suppose it is better than nothing.”
“You are not thinking of accepting this situation, are you?” balked Gener
al Papper. “You would be a fool to walk in and give yourself up. Once General Smythe has you in prison, he will feel like he has the upper hand. That is not the way to deal with him.”
“I have been imprisoned before,” shrugged Lyra. “I am sure you remember that. No harm came to me.”
“Not when you had that blue cylinder around you,” retorted the general, “but I seem to remember that you were easily subdued with a blow to your head. You are not invincible. I urge you to choose a different path.”
“What would you suggest?” asked the Star of Sakova.
“I don’t know,” frowned General Papper, “but I will come up with something.”
Chapter 30
Fortung
Two Imperial Guards came up behind the Star of Sakova as she approached the gates of Fortung. They split apart, each taking hold of one of Lyra’s arms. Lyra did not look at either of the Imperial Guards. Her eyes were focused on the gates ahead, which had just come into view. The trio marched silently as they approached the gate, and they slowed with hesitancy as the soldiers manning the gates came alert.
“Dragging women into the city now?” quipped one of the soldiers manning the gates.
“Not just any woman,” retorted one of the escorting Imperial Guards. “This is the Star of Sakova.”
The gate guards suddenly stood erect and stared at Lyra as if she were some mythical beast. They backed towards the sides of the gate as the trio passed through unmolested. There was no further discussion.
The Imperial Guards escorting Lyra marched her through the city streets and up the steps of the headquarters of the Imperial Guard in Fortung. They threw open both doors and marched into the entry foyer. There were several Imperial Guards passing through the entry foyer from one corridor to another, but they paid no attention to the new arrivals. The Star of Sakova was herded to the long counter that occupied the center of the room.
“What have you got?” the officer in charge asked with obvious boredom.
“This is the Star of Sakova,” announced one of the escorts.
All movement in the room suddenly halted as everyone turned to stare. The officer’s eyes grew large as he gazed at Lyra.
“I will have someone take her from you and put her in a cell,” the officer eventually said.
“She is to go directly to General Smythe,” objected one of the escorts.
“Instructions are to put her in a cell and then notify the general,” the officer shook his head.
“Our orders come directly from the general,” the escort declared emphatically. “We will escort her into General Smythe’s presence.”
“From the general?” echoed the officer. “Very well then,” he added after a moment’s hesitation. “Take her to General Smythe,” he added, waving his hand towards the leftmost corridor.
The escorts nodded and herded Lyra off towards the corridor that contained General Smythe’s office. The trio marched along the corridor until they came to a doorway with two sentries posted outside of it. They stopped in front of the doorway, one of the escort’s hands coming to knock on the door.
“Hold there,” ordered one of the sentries. “The general does not wish to be disturbed. Is this an emergency?”
“I would say it is,” nodded one of the escorts. “We were ordered to deliver the Star of Sakova to General Smythe at once. Perhaps that is why he does not wish to be disturbed.”
“The Star of Sakova?” questioned one of the sentries. “Her? She is barely older than a girl.”
“So you think her age should stop us from carrying out the general’s orders?” quipped one of the escorts.
“No, no,” balked the sentry. “Go on in.”
The other sentry knocked quickly and then opened the door. The two escorts guided Lyra into the office. General Smythe looked up with annoyance as the sentry closed the door.
“What is the meaning of this intrusion?” scowled the general.
“The Star of Sakova, General,” announced one of the escorts.
The general’s face softened as his eyes left the escort and lighted on Lyra. He stared at her for a long moment before breaking the silence.
“You two may leave,” the general stated.
The escorts looked at each other with indecision. Lyra pulled her arms free and took one step forward in a dismissive manner. The escorts shrugged and exited the room.
“So you are the Star of Sakova,” opened the general. “I have heard much about you. How do I know the validity of your claim?”
Lyra slid the Sakovan ring off of her finger and held the finger up so the general could see the blue star imbedded in her skin. The light from the window reflected off the star and cast flickers of blue light on the walls of the office.
“That is the mark of Kaltara,” answered Lyra.
“Very well,” nodded the general. “You appear to be rather young to lead the savages.”
“The Sakovans are hardly savages,” countered Lyra, “and Kaltara did not seem to think that my age was a problem. Nor do the thousands of Sakovans who trust me to lead them properly.”
“Their trust in you is not my problem,” replied General Smythe. “I understand that you are seeking to annex Omungan cities into the Sakova.”
“Shouldn’t the mayor of Fortung be present for this conversation?” asked Lyra. “He does rule the city after all.”
“The mayor will do what I say,” replied the general. “I see no reason to involve him at this stage.”
The general had not offered the Star of Sakova a chair, so Lyra remained standing not far from the door. She was a little concerned with the general’s tone, so she kept half of her concentration on the door behind her. She remembered her mistake in Gatong and was not about to repeat it. If the door opened, Lyra would instantly cast the spell that created the blue cylinder of protection.
“I am seeking to annex the cities of Omunga into the Sakova,” Lyra stated. “The Sakovans did not ask for this war, but we are fully engaged in it now. I would prefer to have Omungans join us without bloodshed. That is what brings me to Fortung. I understand that you have had conversations with General Manitow of Alamar.”
“Indeed I have,” nodded the general. “Manitow informs me that the major cities of the east have sworn allegiance to you. I suspect that is due to the food caravans you sent to feed the people. It is a very clever strategy to force people into submission through the use of food. Starving people can hardly resist.”
“Your Imperial Guards halted our caravans to Fortung,” replied Lyra. “Were that not the case, Sakovan food would still be arriving here.”
“There is truth to your accusation,” frowned the general, “but that was not my doing. Those orders came direct from the Katana.”
“Yet you carried them out,” Lyra responded. “Does it not seem strange to you that the Katana seeks to punish the Sakovans by starving his own people?”
“It did at the time,” admitted General Smythe, “but it does not now. Perhaps he was wise enough to see how you would use the food caravans to enlarge your holdings. If his policy had been adhered to, the eastern cities would still be Omungan.”
“Perhaps,” shrugged Lyra. “It is really hard to tell for sure. When a leader cares so little for his own people that he allows them to starve to death, I cannot think of many reasons why people would still want to follow him.”
“The food shortage was to be addressed after the Sakovans were conquered,” explained General Smythe. “Surely you do not think the Katana is so heartless that he would allow his people to starve?”
“I do believe that he would let them starve,” retorted Lyra. “I know Larst much better than you do. I have had several secret meetings with him. We planned a peace between the Omungan and Sakovans that would endure forever.”
“So you say,” frowned the general, “but then you must not have known him well at all. If you had, there would be no war.”
“Not true,” countered Lyra. “If Larst were still alive, there
would be no war.”
“What are you saying?” scowled the general. “Do not play games with me.”
“No games, General,” replied Lyra. “I do not have proof that a magician took over Larst’s body the night before he was chosen to be the next Katana, but I know in my heart that is what happened. I can tell you that the historian that has spent so much time with the former First Minister disappeared that very night. I can also tell you that his identity has been refuted. No such historian ever existed according to the cities that he said he came from.”
“Without proof,” retorted the general, “you have nothing that interests me. I will not entertain such thoughts.”
“Who the Katana really is has no bearing on this discussion,” conceded Lyra. “What is important is the fate of Fortung. I have a ship loaded with food just over the horizon. I would like to bring it into port. Would you allow that?”
“A ship of food?” questioned the general. “I was not aware that the Sakova had a navy.”
“It doesn’t,” the Star of Sakova said without elaboration. “Will you allow it to dock so that your people can be fed?”
“What are the conditions attached to the food?” the general asked warily.
“The food is strictly for the people of Fortung,” declared Lyra. “That is the only stipulation. It cannot be used to feed the Katana’s soldiers.”
“My soldiers are the Katana’s soldiers,” the general pointed out. “Do you expect my men to see a delivery of food and not partake in it?”
“Of course not,” smiled Lyra. “I was hoping that your men would owe allegiance to me before this conversation was finished, but I am willing to consider your men to be citizens of Fortung. Is that fair enough?”
“So we cannot ship any food to Okata or Gatong?” inquired the general. “Is that the statement that you are making?”
“Actually,” smiled Lyra, “the forbidden cities would be Okata, Tanzaba, and Campanil. Gatong is a Sakovan city.”
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