The Stonegate Sword

by Harry James Fox

  Kerik leaned forward, put his hand on his chin and gazed at the horizon for a long moment. “Come,” he said, finally. “Let us go inside and kindle a fire on my hearth. It grows chill out here.”

  He rose and led them through the double doors into the central room of his apartment and began to lay kindling in a corner fireplace. No one said a word until the blaze was lit, but all took seats in the comfortable chairs around the room.

  Kerik took a seat as well and picked up his train of thought, speaking in measured, but firm tones, with his attention directed toward Don, and to Samuel most of all. “This is the House of Healing. Our law is quite plain since we all have devoted ourselves to life, not death. Killing is permissible only when defending one’s own life or that of another. We will repel armed invaders with deadly arms, and their deaths are upon their own heads. We hold it lawful to execute murderers, since magistrates ‘bear not the sword in vain,’ as the Holy Word says. But the killing of this guard is something that we cannot support!”

  “But, why?” asked Don, stunned. He had a hard time believing his ears. “These men all deserve death. Certainly they are murderers. You yourself said that execution of such is lawful.”

  “Donald, you are a lore-man,” answered Kerik, almost sadly. “Legal matters should be clear to you! This man could have been executed, had he been tried and found guilty of murder. He could have been killed if he threatened your life. But he was not tried, nor did he do other than stand watch, and you slew him without warning. How do you know whether he ever raided Stonegate?”

  Donald tried once more, delving into his memory for legal principles dating from elder days. “But whether he personally raided Stonegate is immaterial. He is an accomplice after the fact with known murderers. Under the law, he is as guilty as they. We simply executed justice on him. Furthermore, we had no option. There was no other way for four of us to enter the camp. Had we fought our way in with a large force, many more would have died, friends as well as foe, and perhaps the girls also.”

  “Donald, Donald,” came the sad response. “You know that a man may not take the law into his own hands. We recognize the right to save life. We recognize your right to recover your stolen woman. Killing the guard was convenient for you. I am not convinced that you tried very hard to find a way in that did not involve killing. What say you, Abel?”

  Abel was frowning and uneasy. “My Lord,” he began, somewhat hesitantly. “What you say is logical. I see no loophole in your argument. But Donald could not go to the night watchman and have Balek Brown arrested and haled into court. He had no recourse to law. Had he filed a case in the Prophet’s courts, he would have been laughed to scorn, then killed, most likely. Their plan did strive to minimize the loss of life. They were only four, remember. It was gallantly done, and succeeded beyond what I would have ever dreamed! Surely this house should not condemn them for what they did! Even if a life was taken without due provocation!”

  “Very well,” acknowledged Kerik. “And what say you, Malcolm?”

  “My Lord, I agree with Abel. This is not a normal incident between individuals. Donald’s city is at war with these Raiders. In wartime, acts occur that would be murder for civilians, but are licit for soldiers in the heat of battle. We might deplore the loss of life or the injury to the animals, for that matter. But condemn these two? I think not.”

  Kerik gave a wry smile, then glanced back at Don and Samuel. “Well, you have heard my advisors. Now hear my judgment! I find that the killing was a matter of convenience more than a necessity. I also find that this house has no jurisdiction in this matter. However, since the actions taken are against our law, we cannot provide you sanctuary. You may not take refuge here, neither will we shelter you from those who cry for judgment against you! We do not countenance what you have done, nor do we condone it. We do not bar the city gates against you, but do not let sundown find you here! This is my judgment!”

  Don sat stunned, his jaw agape. He looked at Samuel, who also seemed distressed, if a bit less astonished. “What about the girls?” Don asked, a catch in his throat. “Are you going to turn them out too? And it is past sundown. Are we breaking the law and your judgment, this very moment?”

  “No,” intoned Kerik, firmly. “The girls are innocent, and we gladly offer them sanctuary, and will defend them from harm with the last breath of our bodies. And you speak truly. The sun has already set today, so my judgment is effective at sundown tomorrow. You may enter this city for any lawful reason.” Here Kerik gave a small smile. “Perhaps you may wish to visit a patient. But when the gates close at sundown each day, you must depart. Is that clear?”

  Samuel rose to his feet, and Don joined him in standing. Samuel spoke in a cold voice: “I see what you are doing, my Lord. We would not wish to give the Raiders, or more likely, the Prophet’s army, an excuse to storm these walls. And perhaps we did wrong, as you say. I think not, but God will judge between us. We will leave tomorrow before sundown. I think I can speak for Donald as well?” He looked at Don, questioningly. Don did not trust himself to speak, but he nodded assent. At that, they both bowed and left the apartment, quietly closing the door behind them.

  †

  Don did not sleep well that night. He had a difficult time finding a comfortable position, and the events of the day kept running through his mind. The nap that afternoon seemed to have taken his drowsiness away. He rehearsed in his mind all the things that he wished he had said to the Chief Surgeon. But he must have finally fallen asleep, because he was awakened by a knock on his door. It was Bobby, who said Samuel invited him to join them for breakfast in the Herb and Leech inn.

  Breakfast was somber and brief. Samuel suggested that Don gather his equipment and leave it in the stable, since he would have to vacate his room. And so, following breakfast, Donald assembled all his belongings, including his weapons and armor, and with the help of Bobby and Eric, took it all to the stables and left most of it with the stable master.

  Samuel then sent the other two on an errand, and he and Don prepared for a quick ride to Ariel. Riding at a fast clip they could have lunch in Ariel and return in time for a brief meeting with Rachel before sundown. But to do so, they needed an early start. They talked little on the road. Each was occupied with his own thoughts, and Don was not in the mood for small talk.

  Chapter 13

  †

  The Council

  I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

  Psalm 121:1 KJV

  Four others were waiting near the center of the large audience chamber. The fire pit was in the north wing, nearby. Besides John and Elias, the other two weapon masters, there were two strangers to Don. Enos made the introductions. “This is Donald of Goldstone and Samuel of Hightower.”

  He motioned toward a dark-haired man with a barrel chest and wide face who gave a quick bow. “This is Danny of the Yazzi clan of the Diné People. They are good friends of ours, except that we see them all too infrequently.”

  “Your reputations do you honor,” said Danny, smiling. “And I am greatly honored to meet you. We are Ni’hookaa Diyan Diné, which means ‘Holy Earth People.’ I and my men follow the Jesus Way, since He created the Holy Earth.”

  Danny presented Enos with a small green branch, apparently of a blue spruce. “This is a traditional gift. It means ‘good fortune.’”

  Enos nodded a thanks, accepted the bough, then gestured to a small, wiry man with dark hair. “This is Señor Ramos of the Sonora Clan. He represents a large people, far to the south.”

  “Reuben Ramos! Very pleased to make your acquaintance,” said Señor Ramos, smiling, and showing a set of perfect, white teeth. He wore a coarse, white shirt, with two red flowers embroidered over his heart. His trousers were of tan leather, decorated with silver discs. “This meeting is truly providentia
l. Dios les bendiga!”

  Don and Samuel exchanged polite greetings with the newcomers and with all the weapon masters. Don was quite interested in both Danny Yazzi and Señor Ramos, from a professional standpoint. He had heard of groups that retained a tongue from the elder days, very different from the standard dialect, and he was in the presence of members of two! For a moment, he wanted to stop everything and discuss linguistics. But Enos’ next comments brought him back to the issue at hand.

  “I agree with Señor Ramos,” he began, indicating that all should be seated. Two young pages in Ariel livery started distributing bowls of soup and flat cakes of fried bread. “We are met today at a most important juncture. I think we should discuss whether this is the time that the Ariel blade of war should be unsheathed.”

  Don started, unable to believe his ears. Trying to keep his voice steady and calm, he said, “Excuse me. Just a few days ago you refused to aid in a certain rescue because you feared it would be provocative, and now you talk of war?” He looked coldly at Enos. “I am afraid that I do not understand this sudden shift. It would have been more welcome earlier!”

  Enos smiled, a tight grimace, and held up both hands, palm outward. “Yes, yes,” he replied quickly. “I quite understand your reaction. But this is only talk, at this point. It will be a long time coming—far too long to have been of help to you and the girls, I’m afraid.”

  “In fact, we do need to discuss the reaction that we can expect. As a result of the rescue, that is. And let me be the first to offer congratulations,” he added. There was a round of polite applause, and with the urging of Danny Yazzi and Señor Ramos, who had not heard anything but the briefest account, Samuel told the story of the rescue once more. Don said little, but reliving the experience soothed his irritation and restored his mood somewhat.

  “It seems to me that we may have to move our schedule forward,” said John, rubbing his close-cropped mustache. “Balek Brown has lost face. He has been made to look like a fool before the entire camp, but worse yet, the Prophet will learn that these prize beauties have been stolen. I fear that the niceties of the situation may be lost on Brown. The Prophet is also capable of lashing out in anger. I fear that even our friends at the House of Healing will suffer. We know very well the enemy has been gathering his forces for some time.”

  “Yes, I take your point,” nodded Elias, looking directly at Enos. “And if the House of Healing is destroyed, the whole world loses!” They both glanced at Don, who shifted uneasily in his seat.

  “I quite agree,” answered Enos, nodding. “The danger is too great to risk. The girls must be moved just as soon as they are strong enough. Could they be able to ride tomorrow, Lore-man?”

  Don knotted his brow. “It is possible,” he admitted, after a moment’s thought. “Much would depend on how far they had to travel.”

  Samuel cleared his throat. “Clearly, they would have to disappear,” he said, half to himself. “Bringing them here would not be particularly wise. That would be the first thing Balek would expect.”

  “Correct,” answered Enos, firmly. “We must bide our time. Bringing the girls here would provoke a confrontation before we are ready.”

  Danny glanced meaningfully at Señor Ramos. “We only have a small party with us, about thirty. We sent a messenger to bring more warriors, but it will take a month to see them here, and they would still be too few to defeat the Raiders. To bring up a large force of Diné would take maybe two months. The passes could become choked in snow at any time, and we would then have to go far to the west, through the Prophet’s territory.”

  “Unfortunately,” said Ramos, with a sigh, “the same is true for us. We are raising a force, training and arming them even as we speak. But even if they had the word to march tomorrow, you would not see them here until there are green leaves on the alamos.”

  “I would be glad to go back to Stonegate with the girls,” answered Don. “But they are not able to make such a trip—not yet.”

  Enos shook his head. “No, no! Of course not. Please don’t think we are heartless. We are as concerned for their welfare as you are.”

  “An emissary to Stonegate may be a good idea,” observed Samuel. This drew nods all around, but no interest in following up on the thought.

  John stood and began to pace the floor. “Let us not think that the only safe place is a walled city,” he began, thoughtfully. “In point of fact, all such refuges in this area are unsuitable. Glenwood is too dangerous for the girls. The girls are too dangerous for the House of Healing. To bring them here to Ariel or to Bethuel would be dangerous to our plans. Am I right, so far?”

  There were nods all around. Don chewed a piece of flat bread and supped a spoonful of soup. It was a delicious, thick broth. He realized he was hungry.

  “Yes,” broke in Enos. “Our lore-man reminds me that we must take some nourishment. Allow me to offer thanks to our Creator and Sustainer for the food.”

  Everyone stood. Don felt somewhat embarrassed. Clearly the thanks was supposed to precede the dining. “Thank you, Lord, for your protection and provision,” was Enos’ simple prayer. Then they all sat and began to eat.

  “The healers healed our children when we had our great sickness,” said Danny. “We still consider that debt unpaid.” Several heads nodded.

  John continued the thread of his discussion, gesturing with his soup spoon when he was not eating with it. “All we have to do is find a safe place for a few people to hide for a few weeks. That should not be too hard to arrange, should it?”

  Samuel turned to face him directly. “This is something of my specialty,” he began. “If we are talking about a hiding place outside of town walls. And it is not as easy as you might think.”

  “Oh, and why is that, good Samuel?” returned John, with a small frown. Clearly he was not used to being interrupted. “There is no snow around here, just now,” answered Samuel. “But if we attempt to travel higher into the mountains, we will find plenty. Where there is snow, we will leave tracks.”

  “Tracks are easy to follow. Even in the low country we have to fear trackers and dogs. Balek Brown will search for these girls and he has good trackers and plenty of dogs. Few have escaped from his camp! And there are few farmsteads remaining in the high country these days—it’s far too dangerous for a small household to live alone.”

  “And moving downriver is not a good option,” mused Enos. “That is moving closer to the Prophet’s land.”

  Elias, the youngest of the weapons masters, pulled at his thick, black beard and spoke for the first time: “That would be quite unexpected, and might be worth considering for that reason alone.” He paused and looked around the table with an intense, almost fierce stare. “Doing the unexpected is probably what we should do. But going downriver is just too complicated, and our chances of discovery are just too great.”

  They ate for awhile in silence. Don took the edge off his appetite and found his tension easing somewhat. But they seemed no nearer to a solution. Everyone seemed to be giving full attention to their soup bowls. Spoons clicked on porcelain. Several throats cleared, but no one followed with a comment. Enos’ brow was deeply furrowed.

  “Travel on the main roads would be impossible to track,” said Don. “Perhaps the girls could be hidden in a wagon. But going upriver also has its problems. The road follows a deep gorge for many miles, and it would be easy to have that road watched. There is no hiding place for a day’s journey to the east. And certainly no friendly city this side of the mountains! And then there is the problem of the passes.”

  “All very true,” returned Samuel. “I tend to think moving upriver is a bad idea, also.”

  “Excuse me,” spoke up Elias, raising his right hand, palm forward. “It seems to me that we are saying they can’t move up river or down. They can’t stay where they are, yet they can’t move to another settleme
nt in the area. What other options are there?”

  “My people have a secure camp not far from here,” said Danny. “I could take them there with little chance of being found. But the way is hard …” His voice trailed off. He looked at Don, sympathetically.

  Samuel stood up, then gave a small bow toward Enos. “I think we have framed the problem well enough. And certainly that brings us well on the way toward a solution. But sometimes I think better on my feet. Thank you for a delicious lunch. With your permission, I will go for a short stroll.”

  “Of course,” returned Enos. “Perhaps a recess is the best thing for now.”

  Samuel made a small motion as if inviting Don to follow. Don rose as well, and with a “By your leave” to Enos, followed Samuel out of the audience chamber, past the guards and out into the courtyard. They strolled down a winding brick path, next to a neatly-trimmed juniper hedge. The path was clear of snow, but there were drifts in the shadow of the buildings.

  “I think they will have to stay where they are for a few days,” began Don, gesturing toward the north, toward the House of Healing. “When they are able to ride, we will make a break for Stonegate. If we ride hard and leave at night, we will have a fair chance of making it.”

  “Unfortunately, we do not have a few days,” returned Samuel. “The others are quite correct about this. But I expected that something like this might happen.”

  “What!” blurted Don, startled. “You mean that you knew this would happen? Why didn’t we make plans, then? I admit that I did not expect any of this, but if I had, I certainly would have had a plan!”

  Don realized that he was facing Samuel, forcing him to stop. With a gesture, Samuel invited him to step back so they could continue their walk. “Don’t jump to conclusions,” he said, a bit sternly. “Naturally, I have a plan. But the plan depends on secrecy. So try to hold your voice down.”