Some of these attempts failed. Temperate zones in both Ibyca and Azuria are dominated by evergreen and deciduous forests interspersed with grasslands, and the animal species best adapted to these zones. However, even in recent times, discoveries of long-forgotten plant life have been made in far reaches of some tropical and sub-tropical areas.
Planet of Hope: A History of Esperanza
The next two weeks were awkward. Work at the Library had backed up in his absence, so William found himself laboring again in his work room, with only a wall separating him from Melissa. To his surprise, they spoke more now than they had before his mission, perhaps because the romantic tension that had previously dominated their exchanges was now gone, or perhaps because there was nothing at stake anymore. Regardless, the unanswered question “why?” was ever present in his mind, like a silent, uninvited guest he wasn’t bold enough to send away. Whatever drove her to end their romance remained a secret, and not once did he pursue the matter.
More uncomfortable was the visibility of his mother’s affection for Sir Kevin. His father’s former Guard Captain had avoided the Whitehall household out of respect for William’s feelings, but now that William had denied any misgivings they no longer kept their love secret. He was invited to evening meals at Sir Kevin’s manor, where he was pitted against unfamiliar cutlery and cuisine, among fellow guests he barely knew. He felt ragged and rude in his simple clothes compared to the finery of the other visitors, but Sir Kevin spared him the shame of being offered new clothes to help him fit in.
Worse still was keeping the secret of the dragons. He was forced to recount his adventures to everyone he met; regardless of their rank or role in life, they all believed he had been lucky to experience it, and demanded to hear every detail. The gaps in his story should have been obvious to everyone, but thankfully no one seemed to notice.
Keeping the secret from strangers was hard enough, but withholding the truth from Sir Kevin hurt him more. This was the man who had taken him as protégé when his father died, and who once held the post that could have made them colleagues for life. He had taught him how to use a sword, and now William had to repay him with deceit. He even hid the sword the Elder gave him, fearing the questions it would evoke. It might be necessary, but it irked him. The day of departure could not come soon enough for him.
It finally came on a mild, sunny morning. The convoy had been ferried across the river on barges the day before, and almost everyone had camped there overnight. William had spent the night in his own bed, hoping for another picnic with Melissa. She declined, however, leaving him bored and alone, so he went to bed early and rose before dawn.
The Earl—or Sir Hiram, more likely—spared little expense for this trip. Eight large wagons bearing food and tools, pulled by oxen destined for beef or plow; horses for every rider, plus spares to replace those that went lame; forty Guards, and at least as many laborers; and a small flock of sheep and goats. In a place once dedicated to destruction, they hoped to create something to endure.
William found all his friends packed and ready to ride. “You aren’t on duty, Charlie?” asked William.
The big man shook his head. “I’m on assignment again.”
“Really? With us?” William was confused; he hadn’t expected to have a team again.
“I’m working with my dad,” said Charlie. “Building a forge.” Maya beamed, clearly happy not to have him taken away again by his duties.
“That’s great,” said William. “We can all ride together. Where’s Steve?”
“Begging for scraps of bacon from the Guards,” said Rachel. She whistled, and a few seconds later the half-breed dog bounded into their midst and skidded to a halt. He greeted William with a leap and a yelp of joy, nearly knocking William over. A dog never keeps his feelings secret, thought William. Two weeks of separation from friends could feel like an eternity to them—sometimes for people too.
It was nice not to hurry their progress, or stop every half mile to test the water. They didn’t even need to worry about setting up camp, or cooking, or hunting. Everything was provided for; all they had to do was ride and stave off boredom. Sometimes Jack and Rachel would ride away together. Their playful banter had tapered off since returning to Marshland and William couldn’t decide if that was good news or bad. But it left William alone with Maya and Charlie, and he often lagged behind to give those two their privacy as well, at least until Maya stopped him. “Let those two do whatever they want,” she said. “You stay with us.”
Most of the time Sir Hiram rode with the Sergeant in charge of the Guard contingent, but from time to time he visited William and his friends. He queried them on how they should set up operations, what crops to grow, or what the land was like at the site. He asked the questions so that anyone could answer, but it was clear they were directed at William. It seemed as though Sir Hiram was grooming him for a specific job, but why wouldn’t the newly-knighted man prefer his own son for it? Even so, he found the talks stimulating, and he pondered the questions even when Sir Hiram wasn’t around.
The most compelling topic was what to name the new settlement. “Since I am the first administrator, I have the right to name it. But given what you endured there, the honor should be yours, William. Let me know what you decide, and I’ll inform the Earl.”
“That’s fantastic, Will!” said Maya. “How many people get a town named after them?”
“Well, it’s not really a town, is it?” said William.
“Keep it simple,” said Jack. “Williamtown.”
“It’s not a town,” insisted William. “And besides, I don’t want it named after me.”
“Oh, come on, Will,” said Rachel. “Don’t be stuffy about it. At least name it Whitehall or something like that. Or name it after your dad.”
“Look, I don’t want my name on it. And yes, I’d love to honor my father, but I honestly don’t think he’d want a town named for him either.”
“I thought you said it’s not a town,” said Jack.
“Oh, leave him alone,” said Maya. “If he doesn’t want his name on it, that’s his right. Let’s think of something else.”
They discussed possibilities including Dragon Camp and Iron Fort, but they soon realized that any references to mining or dragons would invite questions better left unasked. “Something about the area then,” said William. “When I was working on the maps for Lester I saw plenty of places named for natural features. Marshland itself, for one.”
“Faywater is already taken,” said Rachel. “Maybe something to do with the falls?”
“William Falls,” said Jack. “No, really. You do. I’ve seen you fall lots of times.”
William rolled his eyes at Jack. “Thanks so much—”
“Rebel Falls,” said Charlie.
“That’s brilliant,” said William as the others gawked at Charlie. “Anyone disagree? No? Then Rebel Falls it is.” By the time the convoy reached the camp two weeks later, everyone knew the name and had embraced it. Sir Hiram chose the rebels’ main campsite as the center of the new outpost, and took Kaleb Antony’s old lodgings for his own. William spent much of his time in the office, organizing work parties for urgent tasks. The rest of the time he spent trudging from work site to work site to monitor progress.
More than anything else, they needed wood—and they needed it quickly, because Sir Hiram wanted a palisade erected around the central part of the camp. At least a few rebels had evaded capture, and no one could guess how many remained. He was not taking any unnecessary chances.
Other structures were erected in descending order of importance. After the palisade came a small infirmary, a watch tower, and a storage building beside the one William occupied as a prisoner. Since the weather was warming, tents would suffice for sleeping quarters until the essential buildings were completed.
“It’s a shame we can’t get more of this bamboo,” said Sir Hiram as he ran his hand along the wall. “It’s the perfect construction material. I wouldn’t use
it for the perimeter, but for everything else it’s exactly what we need. A quarter of the weight, and nearly all the strength, less than half the construction time…we’ll have to send search parties to see where those rebels found the stuff. Once we can spare the bodies, that is.”
Charlie and his father, Alex, had begun work on the forge outside the encampment’s walls, far enough away not to be a fire hazard. William attended an uncomfortable meeting where Sir Hiram addressed the smith. “Mr. Walker, you’ll be getting metal to work soon, but I don’t want people knowing that yet. That’s why I want your forge to start as a kiln for bricks. Can you do that without making too much extra work for yourself?”
“Of course,” said the smith. “Where is this metal coming from?”
Sir Hiram tapped his fingers on his desk as he gave Walker a long look. “I can’t tell you. Not yet, anyway.”
Alex Walker shrugged. “That’s fine. Metal is metal, don’t matter where it come from.”
“Good. But I should also tell you that Charlie knows, and that he is forbidden by oath to tell you, or anyone else. Will this be a problem?”
Alex Walker stared at Sir Hiram, his jaw set like stone. “You think Charlie would tell me? Is that what’s worrying you?” He spoke quietly, but his face glowed like embers. “My son breaks no oaths, Sir Hiram. Not for his dad. Not for no one. I may be a simple man, but I raised him better than that.”
“I understand,” said Sir Hiram. “I meant no offense. Please let me know if you need anything to help in your task.”
As clerk, William’s job involved recording everything that happened within the camp as well as keeping his new boss informed. At first he enjoyed this role; it was more varied than copying books at the Library, but held none of the dangers of his recent assignment. He could watch the camp’s progress unfold in a way that would not have been possible had he focused on one single task. Plus, the job came easily to him.
But the task he wanted most was not given to him. Sir Hiram assigned the book making to Dayna Klipp, a well-educated daughter of a Baron who’d lost his lands to a rival. Sir Hiram took pity on the former Baron and employed his daughter. This sort of employment should have been beneath her, but she was good at it, and William resented it. It was his idea after all. Why should he be forced to give it up? Sir Hiram explained when he asked. “William, most people excel at only one or two things. Dayna probably would have been a fine wife, mother, and hostess had she married the way her father intended, but the truth is she is much better at this.”
“I know, but so am I. That’s what I did before the trip up river.”
“Yes, but she has experience with illustration, which you don’t. Besides, you are destined for much more than mere book printing. You must know that by now.”
William laughed. “I made up my mind to be a Guard a long time ago. Even before my father died. Every day since then people have told me my destiny lay elsewhere.”
“Were they wrong?” asked Sir Hiram.
“No. But I wish someone would tell me what my destiny is, so I can get on with it.”
They both chuckled. “I can’t tell you what your destiny is,” said Sir Hiram. “No one can. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. But I do know what sort of work you are good at: organization. You might run the Library one day after Lester retires, or you might be Administrator of a colony like this, or maybe manage some sort of business. I know you believe Jack should be doing your job, him being my son and heir, but this isn’t his sort of work any more than book printing should be yours. Jack is more of an explorer.”
“Really? An explorer? But all he talks about is money.”
Sir Hiram shook his head vigorously. “No, William. He talks about trade, not money. There’s a difference. Anywhere he goes he looks for new opportunities and ideas, meets new people and listens for the latest news. Isn’t that what exploring is all about?”
William could see the wisdom of it, but he still didn’t know where that left him. He only knew he was jealous of someone else running the printing operation.
“Look,” said Sir Hiram. “The work you are doing now is only part of the overall job. You give me the information that I need to make decisions. Those decisions are the other part, and I have a strong feeling it’s the sort of work you’ll be good at, and in the end will satisfy you the most.”
William nodded, accepting if not entirely agreeing with the statement. “So what’s next?”
“I want to combine your skills with Jack’s and have you both accompany the next scouting mission. I need the two of you to tell me what the Guards can’t.”
“Like what?”
“You found plenty of interesting things on your last trip. I want you to do the same on this trip. Keep your eyes open and look for anything that might intrigue me.”
It felt good to get out in the wild again, thought William the next day as he and Jack followed the Guards blazing the path ahead. They headed south from the camp rather than follow the river as the previous scouting missions had done. It was less explored, and it was possibly the doorstep to the towns dotting the Azurian coastline hundreds of miles southward. The ground gently sloped upwards for several miles, well covered in trees until they reached a certain altitude. The ground behind them undulated too much to see all the way back to the river, but the southern vista was an altogether different sort of landscape. It was bright green, lush and wet, and they would have a difficult time navigating through it if they didn’t find a path.
The descent into the forest was like passing into a new world. The air up high was cool and dry, but below the hot, steamy air stifled their breathing, and more than once an abrupt deluge of rain soaked them. They found no obvious path, but a briefly-flooded river bed served as adequate passage once the rains passed.
Jack noticed the signs first. He had assumed the task of climbing trees to scout the land ahead, and at the base of one tree he found signs carved into the bark, the same symbols they found in the cave weeks before. The markings weren’t fresh, but the same people had made them, of that Jack was certain.
Had they been alone instead of traveling in a well-armed contingent, William might have returned to the camp for safety reasons. He had brought his sword, but he now knew from experience that this was not always enough. Protected by their numbers, they continued down the creek bed until they reached a valley where the tall pines and cedars gave way to a different sort of plant life. These new trees were nearly barren, devoid of branches and bearing leaves only at the top. They had a smooth, bright green surface, and grew straight and tall in sections, like elongated pillars.
William recognized it right away: bamboo. The rebels had used this wood to construct the two buildings in their campsite. His mind leaped to two startling conclusions. First, the rebels must have carried their bamboo from here to their campsite. They would never have done so if they hadn’t already known it was worth traveling here to obtain it, which meant they had used bamboo before.
And that led to the second conclusion: somewhere, either here or elsewhere near the bamboo forest, another rebel camp lay hidden. Whether it was occupied or not he couldn’t guess.
Jack wasn’t convinced. “That seems like quite a stretch. Just because we found bamboo doesn’t mean there’s rebels nearby.”
“Maybe not,” said William. “Still, I’m sure your dad will want to hear about it one way or another.”
“That’s SIR dad to you.”
They returned after four days in the wilderness, and Sir Hiram received the news of both the rebel activity and the bamboo with enthusiasm. “I wish we had men to spare to get that bamboo,” he said. “It will have to wait, though. In the meantime, I have something of interest to you, William. This arrived the day after you and Jack left.”
Jack’s father handed him a note, the handwriting on which he recognized right away. His heart pounded as he opened the letter. It was short, sweet, and said nothing he wanted to hear. He had hoped Melissa might change her m
ind, and that this letter would be evidence of such a change. Instead, she wrote a friendly note with no hint or mention of romance, past or present. It hurt him to read it, but he read it alone in his tent three more times anyway, before forcing himself to write a short reply in the same tone. He returned to Sir Hiram’s office to place it with the outgoing mail, but could not bring himself to drop it into the box. Doing so meant giving up. Why didn’t he have the courage to tell her what he really felt? Was he still afraid, or was he simply respecting her wishes?
“So it’s really over, huh?” Jack had slipped into the office unnoticed.
“I guess so,” said William as he shrugged and dropped the letter into the mail crate. He was too used to Jack guessing his thoughts to bother asking how he knew. He hadn’t even told Jack about Melissa’s decision, but in hindsight it must have been pretty obvious, even to someone lacking Jack’s intuition. “Time to move on,” he added. “I wonder if that Dayna girl is single?” he asked without conviction.
“What, and you without a knighthood? Good luck, buddy.”
Jack was only joking, but the joke contained a kernel of truth. William was merely a son of a Guard; he had no place courting a girl from a good family. Even if he wanted to, it was pointless to try.
Rivers were critical in the expansion of Esper’s population. While coastal towns provide ready access to marine food sources, it is inland settlements that supply the vast majority of life’s necessities, such as farm produce, game, lumber, and in some cases minerals.
Without the natural transport system of rivers, many of these goods would remain where they are. In some places, transport has been augmented by canal systems, allowing for extended inland reach, or even trade between towns not previously connected by waterways. Most, however, have fallen out of use due to disrepair.
Planet of Hope: A History of Esperanza
The Defender of Rebel Falls: A Medieval Science Fiction Adventure (The William Whitehall Adventures Book 1) Page 29
