Anne also had an intriguing idea; one that Marko had no way of knowing its viability. Anne’s ancestors had been farmers. She said that they would sell their harvest to a co-operative. The co-operative was mostly a collection of local farmers. The co-operative would hire a local factor to represent them to the trading houses. She said that the factors were the richest people in any town. The rumors have always been that factors cheated the co-operatives and skimmed off the profits of the transaction. Anne’s idea was for a house to negotiate directly with the co-operative. This way the house and the co-operative could share in the savings of eliminating the factor from the transaction. Marko had no way of knowing the amount of savings that could be realized from Anne’s idea, but made a mental note of following up on it.
When the evening ended, everyone was feeling very happy. Marko’s throat was sore from several ballads the boys had sung for the girls. It was one of the best nights Marko could remember. The best part was when they got up to leave. Anne hung back as the boys began walking down the stairs to the door.
“You know Marko, Margaret was right about you. You do look nice in that uniform. Please come back safe.” She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss on his right cheek.
Marko could not remember the walk back to the Orphanage. He knew Baltar and the other boys were talking and cracking jokes, but he could not focus. She kissed me! Anne actually kissed me!
Marko woke up early the next morning. His backpack was already packed and he double checked his sword for nicks. He had so much energy with what had happened last night and this impending trip, that he could not stay in his bed any longer. He actually ran around the Orphanage for a mark before he felt rested enough to eat breakfast. Marko left the Orphanage after several handshakes and a few hugs. He even bumped into Headmaster Sorrell when he was walking towards the gate.
“Good luck, Marko. The whole faculty wishes you fortune on your journey. I can’t express how important this trip is not just for you, but for the entire Orphanage. You represent an opportunity for all the students here and ones to come.”
As Marko walked through the streets, he considered the Headmaster’s words. Did he really want to accept all that responsibility? How would he behave any differently knowing that he is representing the Orphanage as well as himself? No difference at all, he thought. This opportunity would put him on his path for the rest of his career.
Chapter XX: The Journey
Journeyman Maurice was easy to spot when Marko arrived at the House Lazard compound. He was sitting at a small, wooden table that had been carried to the middle of the courtyard. The courtyard was filled with horses and wagons. It appeared that all the goods were loaded. Servants were attaching harnesses to horses in preparation for the morning departure.
The Journeyman was engaged in a conversation with a guard sergeant. When he finished, Marko walked up to him. “Good morning, Journeyman Maurice. I am Marko reporting for caravan duty to Sibenik.”
The man studied Marko for a moment. “Well met. You can call me Maurice. Pollet said you were more than passable with the sword. Good. We are shorthanded. I am assigning you to Corporal Lovric. You will ride with him on the lead wagon. That is the passenger wagon. You, me and Andre Bellue will be the only House merchants on this caravan. Sergeant Torrance has a command of ten guards. That is all we have to deliver our cargo.”
“Here, take my seat. I want you to commit the manifest to memory. Once you are finished, find Corporal Lovric. He is in charge of the first three wagons, or section one. Those contents are your responsibility and your command. We depart within half a mark. We’ll talk more on the road.”
Marko sat down at the desk. He almost tripped when his scabbard got caught up in his leg. He thought he did a passable job of covering his clumsiness. The manifest indicated that the caravan contained one hundred and eighty-five long swords, fifty-two sets of leather armor, twenty-five steel helms, and assorted food stuffs. The last line of the manifest listed three passengers. There were no names; instead they listed the occupations as three servants for the commander of the Sibenik garrison. The commander was named Colonel Green.
“Excuse me, sir. Private Clement reporting for duty. I was told to report to Journeyman Maurice for assignment.”
Marko sat stunned for a moment. Did he look like he was in charge because he was sitting at the desk? He quickly recovered and looked directly at the soldier.
“Right. Journeyman Maurice is not available at the moment. Please present yourself to Sergeant Torrence. He is over there by the gate.”
The soldier saluted smartly. “Yes, sir!” He turned and march towards the sergeant.
Marko almost giggled. This uniform sure did set him apart. Now I just have to make sure I keep earning the right to wear it.
After he thought he had committed the manifest to memory, he pulled himself up and walked over to the lead wagon. Marko noticed a man in a uniform checking the undercarriage of the wagon. He guessed the man must have been fifty winters old. “You must be Corporal Lovric. I am Marko. Journeyman Maurice assigned me to this group of wagons. He informed me that I will be riding with you.”
“And with our passengers too. Yes sir. Pleased to meet you. Wagons two and three are ready for departure. We are only waiting on our passengers, and lead wagon one will be ready too.”
Marko noticed that while most of the wagons only had a wooden bed in which the crates of supplies were stored, the lead wagon had wooden walls and a flat roof. There were small windows that reminded Marko of port holes on a ship. In the front of the wagon was a large bench with walls at least three feet tall on either side. He guessed that the side walls were there to offer some protection if they were attacked. He suspected that it also allowed the driver to rest his head when he wanted to catch some sleep.
His attention was drawn to a woman and two small children, a girl and a boy. Both looked to be about six years old. The corporal pulled a set of steps off the side of the wagon to allow them to climb up through the back door. “Command One ready for departure, sir.” Lovric saluted Marko quickly and moved to the front of the wagon.
Marko walked up to Maurice and told him they were ready. A young man that Marko assumed was Andre quickly followed with the same report. Andre gave Marko a brief nod then walked quickly to his own wagon at the end of the caravan.
“Mount up!” the Sergeant ordered, and several guards scrambled to get on their horses. As Marko climbed up next to Lovric, he saw several mounted guards ride ahead of the caravan to clear a path through the streets.
The progress through the city was very slow. Lovric told Marko that the caravan left late due to the delay in the servants’ arriving. He said that they should have just left them in the compound.
By lunch time, they had ventured past the city gates. Maurice ordered the caravan to eat in their seats to make up time. He heard several of the troopers moan, but everyone seemed to have been prepared with rations in their saddlebags.
Marko spent his time looking at the countryside and occasionally talking with Lovric. As it turned out, he left the Imperial Army three years ago when he reached mandatory retirement age. He said that caravan duty was better than being stationed walking a wall in some far off outpost. Lovric finally got to spend time with his wife and grown daughter who had married last year. House Lazard offered him a position riding caravan duty and that suited Lovric just fine.
The caravan set up camp just before dusk. Sergeant Torrence told them where to station the three wagons and the rotation of watch. Lovric introduced Marko to the other two wagon drivers. They were not technically guards, so they did not pull watch duty.
A few tables were set up for the guards to eat dinner. Marko’s guests decided to take their meals in the wagon. Marko saw little of them the whole day as the woman chose to keep to herself. That was fine with him. He was still getting used to his new rank the House afforded him. He did not relish the thought of servants fawning over him.
Maurice had tol
d him over dinner that at least one House merchant needed to stand watch with the guards at all times. Since he was junior, he would pull the third watch. Marko grabbed his blankets and crept under the wagon. He knew that all of the excitement of his first day on the caravan would make it difficult to get to sleep, but he needed to try if he was to be alert before dawn.
Marko’s watch proved to be uneventful. He spent his time scanning the perimeter with Lovric, who pulled the same watch. Unlike riding in the wagon though, they could not talk. Lovric explained to him that to be useful on a watch, they needed to be stationary and well away from the camp fires. A sentry could pick up slight movement only when he was stationary and became accustomed to his watch corridor. Marko had spent little time out at night doing nothing, but he was amazed at what he could pick up. Before the sun began to rise signaling the end of his watch, he could hear all kinds of animals walking through the woods.
The next three days followed a similar schedule. He at least learned a little about his passengers. The mother’s name was Mirle and her children were Drake and Katy. It seemed that Mirle was married to a soldier at the outpost and picked up a job tending the Colonel’s home to be by her husband. He was impressed with the behavior of her children. They were very well mannered but had great senses of humor. Marko often heard the two children giggling inside the wagon. At times like that, Marko sorely missed his mother and father.
In the evenings, Marko almost looked forward to his watch hours. He found that sitting quietly in nature was one of the most peaceful experiences of his life. This evening the caravan had stopped just inside a forest. Because the woods were so dense, Lovric decided he needed to station himself twenty yards to Marko’s left. A private was to his right.
Marko noticed that the sounds in the forest were completely different from the previous night’s. The sounds made by owls and other animals created echoes that rebounded from the trees. He was watching a particularly loud owl fly up to a tree branch when he caught site of something out of place. Where the owl had been on the forest floor, Marko spotted what looked like a large snake. Only this animal was much wider than a snake. Just as he began taking inventory of potential animals, he caught the brief reflection of something metal. That is no animal! Marko saw a man wearing a black cape crouching down and walking towards him.
“Alarm! Alarm! Alarm!” Marko cried at the top of his voice.
“Where away?” yelled Lovric.
“Right in front of us!”
“Are you sure? I don’t see anything.”
Marko stood up and drew his sword as he heard commotion behind him in the camp.
From around the camp, he suddenly heard, “For the King!”
Men started pouring out of the forest and descended on the caravan. The shape Marko spotted earlier stood up and charged him. Marko quickly sidestepped the man and pounded the pommel of his sword on the man’s head. The man slumped to the ground. Marko turned completely around and saw that Lovric was engaged with a large man wearing a steel breastplate. He ran up to the pair just as the man slashed Lovric’s leather bracer on his left arm. Marko saw his opening and thrust his short sword just underneath the man’s right armpit. His sword stuck halfway and was yanked out of Marko’s hand as the soldier turned and fell on his side.
Lovric fell down to his knees holding his arm. “Go back to the caravan! Protect the cargo.”
Marko looked down at his friend. “I’ll come back for you!”
He ran back to the caravan as he heard the unmistakable sounds of steel hitting steel. He found a house guard lying on his back with his eyes open. Bless his soul, Maker, Marko prayed as he bent down and picked up the dead soldier’s sword.
Marko headed to his command of the three wagons. He saw that an enemy soldier was pounding on the door of the lead wagon. Before the man knew what was happening, Marko slashed the man’s neck almost to the bone. Blood covered Marko’s leathers as he turned to face a new foe. Two men started walking towards him from behind the second wagon.
“You’re going to regret that boy.” Both men lunged at Marko with their swords. He barely managed to jump to the right in time. Even so, the man on the right’s sword grazed across Marko’s chest. He staggered backwards a few steps until he regained his balance.
I have to find a way of isolating one of the soldiers. Marko ran to the side of the man on his right. The other soldier was now blocked by the second wagon. Marko lunged with his sword, but the soldier blocked it downward. Marko followed up with a punch to the man’s throat. The soldier immediately brought both hands to his throat but soon had a look of surprise in his eyes. Marko had thrust his sword into the man’s stomach. This time he remembered to pull it out before the man fell backwards.
Marko immediately felt a blow to his own stomach. The second soldier had run and kicked Marko squarely. Marko used his sword to bring himself up on one knee. The pain was excruciating. He looked up at the man who was staring at him with hatred. The man grabbed Marko’s neck with both and squeezed with all his might.
Marko grabbed at the man’s hands but his grip was too strong. Marko’s anger grew in the pit of his stomach. This man was not going to kill him. This man was going to die!
Marko felt a heat in the pit of his stomach grow throughout his whole body. He instinctively focused the heat to his hands. To his astonishment, he saw his hands start to turn red. Smoke came off the man’s hands as Marko smelled flesh burning.
“What are you?!” the man screamed as he fell backwards onto the ground.
Marko stood over the man with his sword and replied, “I am your death,” and drove his sword through the man’s throat.
He stood there for a moment before he noticed the night sky beginning to turn in circles. That was the last thing he remembered before he passed out.
Chapter XXI: The Aftermath
“Wake up, Marko!”
Marko opened his eyes slightly, more from the uncomfortable feeling of his head resting on a rock than the incessant shaking from Lovric. “I am awake. Please let me rest in peace.”
“That’s exactly what I was worrying about. You resting in peace. We have to bury enough men as it is. I doubt the House would like it if it lost its hero too.”
“Who died and what do you mean about me being a hero?”
“Larsen and Clement are gone. I am only injured, thanks to you. There are another three that won’t be able to ride but should recover. Journeyman Maurice and Sergeant Torrence said that you giving the alarm made the difference between our standoff and total destruction. It looks like we came up against a raiding party. Once they realized we could defend ourselves they hightailed it back into the woods. I heard horses galloping away soon afterwards.”
Marko remembered Private Clement back at the compound. This was his first and last fight. He had his whole life ahead of him.
He slowly got up and looked around. There were two soldiers digging a large ditch in preparation for the burial ceremony. He also saw Mirle helping to bandage one of the injured soldiers. She looked over at him, gave him a grateful smile and nodded her head.
“Well done Marko!”
He turned around and saw Maurice walking towards him. “Here is your sword back. I am afraid it’s going to need some cleaning, but I think you know why.” Maurice had a big grin on his face.
“Thank you, sir. I guess I need to learn how to keep hold of my weapon during a fight.”
“Never you mind. The important thing is that you helped save this caravan. In fact, my report to the Masters will indicate that it is my belief that we would have lost the caravan if it was not for your diligence.”
“Thank you. But I only shouted out when I saw the man crawling up on us. He just happened to be headed towards me.”
Maurice looked at Marko curiously. “I guess you didn’t know. The man you saw, and took out of action, was a priest. Of all the men in the raiding party, he is the one you should not have seen.”
“A priest. Since when do prie
sts fight like that, and what do you mean I should not have seen him? He was right in front of me.”
“Sergeant Torrence told me that the King has added many priests to his army. They are his spies in the kingdom and I suspect the Empire too. They can use their magic to blend in with their surroundings. Seeing that it was nighttime and he was wearing black, he should have been able to skip by you without you noticing. Either way, like I said, we are all in your debt. The Inquisition will have fun talking to that one.”
Marko walked over to his wagon and inspected it for any damage. He could hear the kids inside talking so he knew they were safe. All three of his wagons looked to be in good shape and none of his cargo was damaged.
The Reluctant Mage: Book One in the Zandar Series Page 12
