A heavy musty smell hung in the air. Muffled voices carried across the room. Scrolls and maps were spread across the table. Two men stood at the end of the table. They both looked up at Lore’s entrance.
“Captain Lore.” Commander Kelyn came around the table, his chainmail jingling beneath his dark blue tabard. His dark hair was combed back and his face carefully shaved. He gave Lore a quick bow.
“Commander Kelyn,” Lore said, returning his bow.
The other man approached him.
Commander Kelyn extended a hand toward the man. “Captain Lore, this is Commander Eirik of the Nordic forces.”
Commander Eirik bowed. “Pleasure to meet you, sir.” His thick golden hair hung to his shoulders and a full beard covered the lower half of his face. A single black tattoo crisscrossed his left cheek. He wore the dark green tabard of Nordica with the symbol of the bear over his chainmail.
Lore bowed. “And the same to you, Commander Eirik.”
“We were looking over the maps and discussing defense while we waited for you and Lady Astrea. Would you care for a drink?” Commander Kelyn gestured toward the table along the wall with the decanter and glasses.
Lore could barely see it in the dark. “No, thank you.”
The door opened behind him. Lady Astrea entered. Her white apparel lit up the room like a pale moth on a dark night. Lore backed away to let her in. Aren followed, shutting the door once they were inside.
“Milady,” both commanders said, bowing deeply. Lore followed suit.
“Gentlemen,” she said in her low, feminine voice. “Let us begin.”
Commander Kelyn led the way back to the end of the table where a large map of the White City lay amongst the scrolls and other maps. He brushed the other parchments to the side.
“So what do we know?” Lady Astrea said.
“Not much,” Commander Kelyn said. “The Temanin Army continues to stay hidden within the trees of Anwin. We have searched the treeline with spyglasses from every corner of the outer wall.”
He ran a finger along the line that represented the outer wall. It was half a square, extending from the sheer face of the mountain the White City was carved from, to the southwest corner, along the wall where the main gate was located, to the southeast corner and back to the mountain again.
“But we can see nothing. Whatever the Temanin army is planning or building, they are doing it deep in the forest.”
“What about our spies? Have they reported anything?” Lady Astrea said.
Commander Kelyn sighed. “We have sent out spies, but only one has returned. He reported that the Temanins are chopping down trees. That was about all he could see.”
“For what purpose?”
“Most likely siege weapons: catapults, ladders, battering rams. With Anwin Forest right here, the Temanin Army has more than enough wood to build anything they want. And from the battle at Mostyn, we know that they already have many of these weapons. No doubt they built them while they were stationed at Hadrast Fortress after they crossed Hershaw Pass. My Lady, I believe it’s just a matter of time before they attack the White City.”
Lady Astrea looked down at the map, her face grave. “How much time do you think we have?”
Commander Kelyn shook his head. “I do not know. We have enough supplies to hunker down and wait until our allies arrive. But if the Temanin Army is efficient and quick, we may only have days before the attack begins.”
“And then what?”
“Fight and hold out until Avonai and Nordica answer our call.”
Lady Astrea turned to Commander Eirik. “How long will it take for Lord Tancred to muster more troops and help us?”
Commander Eirik stroked his beard and looked down at the map. “A couple days to gather more men. So not long. It’s the march down here from Nordica that will take time. Most of the men will be on foot.” He grimaced. “At least a month.”
Lady Astrea sighed. “Captain Lore, do you know how long it will take Avonai?” She turned and looked at him.
Lore was struck again by the similarity between Lady Astrea and her father. The same dark hair and pale skin, the same rigid stance, the same worry creases across her forehead. “I do not know,” Lore said slowly. “King Alaric and Prince Evander were aware of the impending attack, but with the assassinations—” Lore saw Lady Astrea’s lips tighten into one red line—“I’m not sure how quickly they have mobilized the Avonain troops.”
Lore watched Lady Astrea quietly compose herself. He had a feeling he was the only one in the room who could see how much she was hiding. She wore the same mask of confidence her father always had. But Lore had seen the man beneath the mask, and he could see a small glimpse of the daughter too. She was worried, grieving…and afraid.
She looked back at Lore. “If they did mobilize, how long would it take Avonai to reach us?” Her voice never cracked.
“Five days. Four, if they rode hard. But that is only the cavalry. It will take the rest of the Avonai forces at least ten days to march here.”
Lady Astrea nodded and looked back at the map. Commander Kelyn stood near the edge of the table, his arms folded across his chest. “So, gentlemen, what do we do while we wait for reinforcements?” she asked.
Both commanders looked at Lore.
“Go ahead, Captain Lore.” Comander Kelyn backed away from the table. “We will do what we can to help, but this is your city. Its defense is yours to command. How can we carry out your plan?”
His turn now. Lore stepped toward the table. “Here is what—” he paused and glanced at Lady Astrea. “Here is what your father and I planned.”
She gave him a small nod to continue.
If only he had… No. No time for regret. Live in the present.
“First, we need to bring every civilian into the castle,” Lore said, forcing his thoughts back. “The people will be best protected here. While we are doing that, we need to station archers along here—” He ran his finger along the southern wall and the main gate. “They will shoot any Temanins who start across the field from the trees.”
“What about shooting flaming arrows into the trees to start a fire in the Temanin camp?” Commander Eirik said.
“I’ve thought about that possibility. Problem is, there is no way to contain the fire. Anwin Forest is dry this time of year. The fires might burn the Temanin camp. But they also might grow out of control and spread, burning not only Anwin Forest, but the plains as well, destroying much of the Ryland Plains.” Lore shook his head. “It’s an idea, but not one I want to use, at least not yet.
“So archers along the southern wall. I also want archers stationed at both the smaller east and west gates. We will have hot tar ready for rams and soldiers along the battlements to push back any ladders—and fight anyone who makes it over the wall.”
“And if they use catapults?”
“We will answer with our own catapults. Without fire at first. With fire, if we must.”
“What about using the cavalry?” Commander Eirik said. “Sally out the western or eastern gates and destroy their catapults.”
Lore rubbed his chin. “It’s an idea. But if the Temanins have the city surrounded and all three gates guarded, then a mission like that would probably be suicide. The moment we left the city, they would shoot us. But I will consider it, depending on where we find the Temanins stationed or where they move their siege weapons.”
Commander Kelyn tapped the table with a finger. “What if the Temanins decide to set fire to our own walls and gates?”
Lore looked over at him. “I’m confident they will. Your men can bring barrels of water to the walls and soaked animal skins to place on the gates.”
“And what if they make it past the first wall?” Everyone turned to look at Lady Astrea. “What will happen if they breach our outer defenses?”
Lore sighed and looked down at the map. The mountain protected the northern side of the White City and Celestis Castle. There was no force that could scale that c
liff, so no surprise attack would come from there. A thick outer wall surrounded the White City. Lore was counting on that to protect them. But if something did happen…
“We would need to retreat. Those along the battlements would be instructed to hold back the Temanins as they conduct a fighting withdrawal to the inner gates.” Lore traced the line that represented the second wall that surrounded the castle and courtyard. “We will close the second gates before the Temanins reach the inner wall. Inside, we will hold out until Avonai and Nordica arrive.”
The room became silent. Lore had a feeling he knew what the others were thinking: What if the second wall is breached? He prayed that did not happen. They could maybe hold out in the castle, but if the second wall fell, there would be no time to lead the people through the underground tunnel.
And even if they were able to begin such an escape, someone in the Temanin Army was bound to notice a crowd of people emerging in Anwin Forest. The tunnel was meant only for the high lord or lady and a few guards, no more.
“Thank you, Captain Lore.” Lady Astrea stepped forward and placed her hand on the map. “This is it, gentlemen.” She slowly turned her head and looked each man in the eye. The light from the candles above illuminated her fair skin and white gown, making her look ethereal. “We must hold on our own until help arrives. We must hold, for the sake of our people. And, Word willing, we will live to see the end of this war.”
If only Lord Gaynor could see his daughter, Lore thought. He would be so proud.
24
The next morning, Rowen leaned against one of the sidewalls inside the guards’ training room. Men and women crowded the room and spilled out into the common room beyond. Almost everyone wore a dark blue tabard. Voices echoed back and forth between the stone walls. Chainmail chingled, leather creaked, boots clapped on the wooden floor. Heat filled the room like embers in a fireplace.
The warmth did not help the fatigue that ate away at her body and mind. The last two nights she had hardly slept. Over and over, her mind kept coming back to the dream that had haunted her ever since she had arrived back.
Show him the truth.
Rowen shook her head, feeling as though the words were rattling inside her skull. What did they mean? And who was the “him” the dream was about? She remembered vaguely having the same dream weeks ago in Avonai, but she’d thought it had been a onetime event, something she had brushed away as not worth mentioning.
But now…now she wondered if there had been something more to the vision.
Sweat began to trickle down the side of her face. How much longer did they have to stand here? She wiped her face and looked up. Blue sky dotted with wispy clouds filled the glass dome high above. Such a beautiful day. Sometimes it seemed hard to believe the skies could go peacefully on when down below war killed and destroyed.
The crowd shifted around her. She could see Lore making his way to the front of the training room. Finally. A couple of men pressed closer to her.
One bumped into her.
“Pardon me, I didn’t mean to— Rowen?”
“Hi, Donar.”
The gate guard was a short, thickset man with a face that still held on to a babyish grin. Sweat beaded his balding head, making his thinning brown hair stick to his scalp. He wore a belt across his blue tabard and his smallsword hung at his side. “What are you doing here? I thought you would be with Lady Astrea today.”
“Aren is serving as her varor. I’m here to help out where I can.” She remembered the guardsman’s wife had recently had a child. “How are your wife and little one?”
Donar beamed. “Good. The babe is healthy and very strong. And Matilda…” His smile faded.
A shadow passed over Rowen’s heart. “Your wife, she’s fine, right?”
“Oh, yes. Doing quite well. It’s just that with the Temanin Army outside the gates and me being a guard and all…” his voice trailed off.
“I understand.” Poor Matilda. Rowen knew the fear of having a loved one serve during war. And the grief when war took that loved one away.
“I’ve had Matilda and little Hanna transferred to the castle. At least here I know they will be safe.”
I hope so, Rowen thought.
Lore began to speak, so Donar turned back around.
“Lady Astrea, Commander Kelyn, Commander Eirik, and I met last night,” Lore said. “We have decided what needs to be done before Temanin attacks, and we have an excellent defense plan. Now we do not know when the battle will start, but we do know it will start soon. And so the first thing we need to do is move every person within the city into the castle. The castle is set back far enough that anything a catapult can launch should not reach us…”
Rowen looked over at her fellow guards. Some of them were stone-faced, having been trained to look at trouble head on. But one or two of the younger ones and most of the new recruits looked anxious. She felt a bit nervous too. Who knew what the next few days would bring?
She turned her attention back to Lore. He wore a dark blue tabard like everyone else did, but instead of his leather jerkin, he wore chainmail. Rowen frowned. Why would he be wearing chainmail…? Her breath left her lungs.
Lore would be at the front line.
Of course. She turned and rubbed her forehead, feeling faint. Lore was Captain of the Guard. His place would be first to ensure Lady Astrea’s safety, then the city’s safety. That’s why he had met with the other commanders. He was in charge of protecting all of them.
Rowen looked up again. Lore stood straight and tall as he gave instructions. His eyes slowly moved across the room, looking over the crowd. His voice held passion. He assured those gathered that their families would be protected here in the castle and that Avonai and Nordica were on their way. His confidence seemed to seep into those around her. Heads tilted up, shoulders straightened, and hands stopped fidgeting and dropped to their sides.
“I will divide you into groups and tell you where to go,” Lore said. “I want every civilian brought to the castle by nightfall.”
“Yes, sir,” the crowd answered.
Lore disappeared amongst the guards. Rowen remained next to the wall, not sure if Lore would send her out too. Minutes later, the guards and new recruits began to disperse, moving toward the main doors to carry out their orders. She rolled her shoulders and waited.
“Rowen, it’s good to have you back,” Geoffrey said as he walked by.
Rowen watched him exit the doors, somewhat puzzled. Geoffrey was one of the older guards, but he hadn’t talked much to her in the past. Then again, she hadn’t let him, either. It felt nice to have him speak to her just now. She tugged at her glove and wondered what he would think when he found out what she really was.
What would any of them think? She knew how quickly acceptance could turn to rejection.
She looked around the room. A couple of the guards still mingled inside the training room. They were gate guards who were due to change shifts in a couple of minutes. Donar stood with them, waiting for his own shift up on the wall. Otherwise everyone else was gone, having already headed out into the city.
Would Lady Astrea’s protection actually keep her safe from Ryland’s ancient superstition over people with power and edict to eliminate them? Or was there too much hurt and bitterness left over from the Nordic Wars? No wonder her village had treated her like a witch.
Lore made his way toward her. The closer he came, the less confident and more tired he looked. He gave Rowen a quick smile, then frowned, his dark grey eyes darting across her face. He stopped a foot before her and crossed his arms. “You look tired and worried.”
“So do you.” She gave him a half smile.
“I haven’t seen you since you met with Lady Astrea. Is everything…all right?”
Had Lore been worried? “Yes. Lady Astrea has promised me her protection.”
A genuine smile filled his face. “Oh, that’s good! Really good. But then, why the troubled face?”
Rowen sighed and looked aw
ay. “I haven’t been sleeping well the last two nights.”
“Worried?” Lore said.
“About Temanin? Who isn’t? But that’s not what’s keeping me up.”
He raised an eyebrow in question.
Rowen sighed again. “I’ve been having this dream,” she began in a low voice, not wishing for those still present to hear her. “And I’m not sure if it means anything, but—”
The floor shook and the muffled sound of thunder rumbled through the training room.
“What was that?” Rowen looked around.
Lore and the other guards were doing the same. “I’m not sure,” Lore said cautiously. Another rumble of thunder echoed around the room. Rowen and Lore glanced up. Blue sky filled the dome.
A shadow fell across the glass.
“Watch out!”
Lore shoved Rowen up against the wall just as glass shattered above, followed by cries and shouts.
Hot tiny stings dotted her face. Smoke filled her nostrils. A heavy weight pressed against her body. Rowen opened her eyes and found Lore pinning her against the wall, his body covering hers. A shower of glass covered his hair and shoulders.
Slowly he opened his eyes and groaned.
“Captain, are you all ri—” Rowen winced, her face smarting at the movement. Lore stumbled back. She felt her face and found tiny cuts across her cheeks, nose and forehead. Around her she could hear more shouting and one shrill cry.
Lore shook his head and looked dazed.
Rowen glanced around him. She could see a large boulder half wedged into a wall. The shrill scream seemed to be coming from there…
She took a step closer, then covered her mouth. Dear Word.
Donar and two other men lay crushed beneath the boulder. She could see the legs of the other men, but not their upper bodies or faces. Donar lay with the boulder halfway across his legs and midsection.
Daughter of Light (Follower of the Word Book 1) Page 31
