The Pen and the Sword (Destiny's Crucible Book 2)

by Olan Thorensen

  There was no speaking for more than a minute. Then an enormous hand was laid on top of Yozef’s, still on Carnigan’s shoulder. “I’d be honored, Yozef,” the big man said in a strangled voice.

  As warned by Maera, the half-day passing through the Dillagon Mountains proved the value of gloves and parka. The temperature fell near freezing at the top of the pass. Fortunately, once they reached the high point, they dropped steeply toward Dornfeld. The tiny stream they had followed down the western side of the pass merged with other streams and grew into a river with cataracts and falls. They continued along the last miles, Yozef mesmerized by the scenery and the lengthening mountain shadows that reached out to a town perched on ocean cliffs.

  Chapter 18: Defense of Dornfeld

  They rode into Dornfeld at last light. Kerosene lanterns and torches lit a square where awaited a cluster of men, two of whom clasped forearms with Culich.

  “Cadoc Gwillamer’s the tall one,” mumbled Carnigan, “hetman of the Gwillamer Clan. The shorter, round one is Duwid Sarnin, the Dornfeld boyerman.”

  The three men talked, then went into a building. A rough-hewed man led the rest of the Keelan party to an inn to be served a meal and be directed to prepared baths and rooms to rest sore bones and bottoms.

  Yozef woke the next morning to the smell of brisk ocean air through an open window in the room he shared with Carnigan. They’d also shared a bed, with Yozef relegated to one edge. He’d woken several times to stop from rolling off, as Carnigan shifted his mass during dreams.

  A knock on the door was accompanied by an announcement that a meal awaited, and the meeting would start in one hour. Yozef threw back the bedcovers and dressed quickly.

  Dornfeld sat astride the Keelan-Gwillamer border and was an oddity: a joint town of the two provinces and only possible because of long-standing good relations between the two clans. The town had a single mayor, Duwid Sarnin, a Keelander, and also the district boyerman, whose wife was from Gwillamer.

  After a quick meal, Yozef walked the quarter mile to an overlook where a waterfall plunged directly into the surf. North of the waterfall, sticking into the sea, was a shelf of land whose southern edge provided a protected harbor for fishing boats. He looked west and wasn’t sure but thought he could just see the hills of Preddi Province across the gulf.

  So close, and so ominous.

  He walked back and arrived just as the meeting began. The two delegations met in a room overlooking the bridge connecting the two halves of Dornfeld. The span loomed a hundred feet across a deep ravine, with the river cascading two hundred feet below. Yozef envisioned that once the river had descended quickly from the nearby mountains and eroded the upper strata of harder rock, it had worn through the underlying softer layers and kept eating down to its present depth.

  There were eleven men in the room. Although most of the men knew one another, quick introductions were made. Cadoc Gwillamer led the Gwillamer delegation, accompanied by his eldest son, Cirwyn; what may have been a younger son or another male relative (Yozef missed the name); two rough-looking men Yozef interpreted as military types; and two other men introduced as advisors. For Keelan, it was Culich, Vortig Luwis, Duwid Sarnin, the local magistrate, and Yozef. Carnigan waited outside, by preference.

  Yozef looked around the room and wondered why he was here. From the curious looks, the Gwillamese wondered the same.

  “Hetman Gwillamer and I shared information and agree we believe the Narthani may be about to launch a move into this region,” Culich said. “Since the Dillagon Pass is the immediate route into Keelan Province, I’ve ordered the garrison in the pass reinforced with another fifty men. Given the bottleneck at the fort in the pass, it’d be almost impossible to force the pass by anything short of an extended assault that would give time for more reinforcements to get there. What is vulnerable is the Keelan territory running from here north to the Eywell border. Hetman Gwillamer also reaffirms the Tri-Clan Alliance and Gwillamer’s help in protecting Keelan territory, if necessary.”

  Cadoc nodded. “I also appreciate Keelan reaffirming its pledge of alliance. Not that I doubted, but it’s always comforting to get confirmation. The question is, what do we do?”

  “What do we do?” questioned Cadoc’s son Cirwyn incredulously. “We defend our provinces and destroy any invaders.”

  Cadoc cast an annoyed eye at his heir. “That’s our wish, but how do we do it?”

  Cirwyn flushed at the implied reprimand.

  “So far, we’ve no indication how many of them would be coming, when it would happen, or even if it will,” Cadoc said, addressing Culich. “Is there any news farther east with the rest of your border with Eywell?”

  Culich gestured to Luwis for an answer.

  “Nothing definite, Hetman,” he replied. “Only that there are movements of men in southern Eywell and that whatever happens will most certainly include both Narthani and Eywellese.”

  “So,” said Culich, “our immediate problem is we don’t know how serious this is going to be. It isn’t likely Keelan is the target on this side of the Dillagon Pass. Are they going to try to push through Keelan territory and into Gwillamer, maybe even try to take the whole province?”

  The Gwillamese look grim.

  “Father,” said a previously chastised Cirwyn, “if they come with major forces, we need to gather everything we can as quickly as possible if we’re going to stop them at the Keelan-Eywell border.”

  That border was twenty miles north across the narrow, flat plain and into rolling hills rising quickly to the mountains. The intervening land included half a dozen villages and scattered farms and ranches. The land was neither the most productive nor a densely settled part of Keelan Province.

  “There are two questions,” Luwis proposed. “How many are coming, and how do we defend?”

  “Yozef,” Culich said, “come look at the map and tell us what you think.”

  The Gwillamese looked up at Yozef with surprise. Only his name had been mentioned in the introductions, not his status or role at the meeting.

  Yozef hesitantly scanned the room, then edged up to the table holding the map. “Sorry, Hetman, what is it you want me to do?”

  “You’ve been listening to us. The Narthani might be coming this way. If they do, we have to decide where to try and stop them and with what forces. Are there many options or just one?”

  “I’m not a military person, Hetman. I’ve no experience in such decisions.”

  “As you’ve said. Please look at the map and ask questions if you need to,” pressed Culich.

  The others looked curiously at Culich.

  Yozef looked down at the map for a few moments. He was nervous and unsure what he was supposed to do. Nevertheless, he studied the map. It showed an area perhaps a hundred miles across, including the borders of Gwillamer, Keelan, Eywell, and Moreland. Tokens of different shapes and colors had been placed on several positions. His eyes turned to the map’s edge where Moreland abutted Keelan and Eywell. Something tugged at his subconscious.

  “Is there a map of all of Caedellium?”

  Culich looked at Cadoc with a raised eyebrow.

  “Cirwyn,” Cadoc said to his son, “in the map case. Pull out the Caedellium map.”

  Cirwyn produced the map and spread it on the table, covering the first map after sweeping aside the tokens.

  By now, Yozef had forgotten his nervousness and the others watching him. He focused on the provinces for a full minute. He didn’t notice men glancing at one another, puzzled. “What would I do if I were the Narthani and wanted to take the entire island?” he said musingly, not specifically to anyone and more to himself. “What if I had a secure base in Preddi, Eywell, and Selfcell? What would be my next major move? Gwillamer?” He picked up a large token, a red horse, and placed it on Gwillamer. “No.” He picked up the token and moved it east. “Moreland would be the prime target and then on to Orosz, as we’ve discussed. Everything else would be diversions and dependent on how they helped me
take Moreland.”

  “Why Moreland?” prompted Culich.

  “Because it’s the center of the island and a rich province. If they take Moreland, it threatens the other provinces, cuts the semaphore lines connecting provinces north and south, and makes it harder for the provinces to coordinate resistance.”

  “If Moreland is their main target, why threaten Gwillamer?” asked Cadoc.

  “A diversion,” said Yozef. “Or a reconnaissance in force.”

  “A what?” said Luwis. Yozef had used the English word.

  “What’s this ‘reconnaissance’?” said Culich.

  “A military move to find out information, not necessarily to hold objectives,” Yozef explained. “A big enough force to brush aside weak opposition and move as deep as possible into enemy territory before running up against forces large enough to be a threat. Then withdraw with the information gathered.”

  “The Narthani already know we’re here. They must know the general lay of the land from the Eywellese,” said Cadoc.

  “If invasion is the goal, yes, but not if they have other intentions.”

  “Not to invade Dornfeld district or Gwillamer, only to threaten?” queried Culich. “If we move men here, we reduce our ability to respond elsewhere.”

  “Like Moreland,” said Luwis, picking up the thread.

  Cadoc still looked puzzled. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

  Yozef responded, still focused on the maps, “If Keelan moves major forces here, it’s limited in what can be done to help Moreland if they are invaded. On the other hand, if Keelan doesn’t move men here, the reconnaissance in force will find this out, since the Narthani will see they face only Gwillamese. The reconnaissance could then be reinforced and attempt to roll down the Gwillamer coastal plain.”

  “Forcing us to send major help to Gwillamer,” said Culich, “and, again, limiting our help to Moreland.”

  Yozef pulled the local map back to the top and pointed to several markers in the mountains between Gwillamer and Keelan. “Are these passes through the mountains?”

  Cirwyn had followed Yozef’s finger. “Yes. There are a series of passes and valleys that run through the mountains until you reach the southern part of Gwillamer. It turns into hills and more open land along our southern border with Keelan.”

  “What would happen if the Narthani pushed down past several of these passes and valleys?”

  Culich grimaced. “Besides aiding Gwillamer, we’d have to reinforce every possible invasion point to Keelan. Whereas the Dillagon Pass is so narrow a relatively small force could hold it forever, as you go farther south, the passes get wider. By the fourth one, it’s a valley two miles wide at its narrowest. At some point, there’d be no way we could help Moreland. All of our attention would have to be on how to push the Narthani out of Gwillamer and protect Keelan.”

  Vortig and the Gwillamese were shaking their heads.

  “But surely the Narthani commanders would know that the farther they pushed into Gwillamer,” said one of the Gwillamese, “the more danger there would be of Keelan cutting in behind them and isolating them from their supply line and being caught between two clans.”

  “So what?” said Cadoc, now seeing it all. “Once that happens, they simply embark their men on ships and move them elsewhere.”

  “And their goal is achieved even more, putting us even further away from helping Moreland,” said Culich.

  “Devious, and without much danger to them,” said Vortig Luwis, looking questioningly at Yozef. “So where does this leave us? To stop them at our border with Eywell will take a large portion of our men, even with support from Gwillamer, limiting our ability to help Moreland.”

  “Only if we try to stop them at the Eywell/Keelan border,” said Culich.

  Yozef agreed. “If you’re willing to give up Keelan land between your border with Eywell and here, they can be stopped at the Keelan/Gwillamer border. Here at Dornfeld. The river and its canyon are a formidable barrier. Why not use it? From where the river comes out of the mountains to here are only a few miles. Any place the Narthani tried to cross would be difficult and would give us time to gather forces to repel them.”

  “Give up Keelan land?” protested Luwis.

  “Yes,” said Yozef, never looking up from the maps. “Land is just land. It isn’t going anywhere. Land is forever and uncaring. It’s the people and the beliefs that are important. Land given or lost can be retaken. People killed or clans lost are lost forever.” With that, Yozef looked up to see everyone in the room looking at him. His nervousness returned, and he stepped back slightly, looking confused.

  Culich listened to Yozef and observed how he became engrossed with his thinking, as if listening to his own mind.

  I wonder if he even remembers anything he said the last few minutes, Culich thought.

  “Pardon me, Hetman, what was it you wanted me to do?”

  No, I don’t think he does remember.

  “That’s fine, Yozef. You’ve helped.”

  Culich turned back to the maps and the others. “All right. Do we all see the dilemma we face and the poor choices?”

  They all nodded.

  “So if the defense is to be here,” Duwid Sarnin spoke up, “where exactly will the defense be? Half of Dornfeld is on the Keelan side.”

  “I’m sorry,” said Vortig, “but the Keelan half will have to be abandoned. If we’re going to cede the land from the border to here, it has to include the Keelan half of Dornfeld. All defenses will have to be on the Gwillamer side.”

  “Abandon half of Dornfeld to the Narthani?” said the distressed boyerman.

  “If they do come, I’m afraid so, and we’ll have to burn the Keelan half to prevent the Narthani from hiding in it and blocking our fields of fire.”

  Culich put a hand on Sarnin’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Duwid, you have my word that when all this is over, we’ll rebuild Dornfeld better than before.”

  Although not happy, Sarnin was reassured.

  A cough from behind caught Culich’s attention, and he turned to see Yozef looking at him. “You have another thought, Yozef?”

  “Well . . . why not take the town apart and move it to this side of the border? Same with the other villages. If you start immediately, there should be time to move every building and animal, every piece of furnishing, and other possessions into Gwillamer. Take anything of any value and burn the rest. Leave nothing behind for the Narthani to use.”

  “If we cede land up to Dornfeld, then we’ll have to evacuate all of our people, either through the pass into Keelan proper or into Gwillamer,” Luwis said, “and we should start immediately.”

  “We’ll take them,” stated Cadoc. “It’s the least we can do if you’re willing to give up your land.”

  “Actually,” said Culich grimly, “we’re not giving up our land, we’re just renting it to the Narthani.”

  “Renting?” questioned Cirwyn.

  Luwis’s mouth curved into a grin, but his tone was anything but amused. “I think Hetman Keelan means that the Narthani may occupy Keelan land for a time, but will find the coin they have to pay made it a bad contract.”

  Cadoc’s expression matched Luwis’s. “We’ll start making arrangements for your people immediately. I don’t think my people will have any hesitation in taking them in, considering yours are giving up their homes for a time and will stand with us if the Narthani come. We’ll start what Yozef suggests and take down every building on the Keelan side and put it back together on Gwillamer land.

  “We’ll also need to improve the defenses from here to the mountains. At this point, it’s only two miles before you reach so many cataracts and falls that only a few dozen men could prevent hundreds from crossing. If we’re planning on stopping them at the Gwillamer-Keelan border, then we need to make those two miles even more defendable.”

  One Gwillamese looked confused. “Hetman, I agree that we can improve the defenses here, but if we’re going to hold aga
inst a major invasion, do we have enough men for that purpose and to still defend against seaborne raids, in addition to helping Moreland?”

  “We must do what we must,” answered Cadoc, the Gwillamer hetman, looking at Culich. “If your man’s reasoning is correct, at some point the Narthani are going to move on Moreland, who can’t hold their province by themselves. I assume that the Tri-Clan Alliance intends on supporting Moreland. I think I agree that if Moreland falls, all of Caedellium may eventually fall. Perhaps it might take years, but it will happen. They have to be stopped at Moreland. Gwillamer will commit as many forces as we can to help, consistent with holding this position at Dornfeld and protecting our coastal cities against raids.”

  “And Keelan will hold the Dillagon Pass,” affirmed Culich, “and send another two hundred men here to Dornfeld. That’s all Keelan dare send at this time. If we hurry with the defenses, the Narthani and the Eywell will run up against a wall not easily breached, and that gives us time to send more help before the situation here becomes dire.”

  The details of the defense and evacuation of the Dornfeld district were left to Boyerman Sarnin and Hetman Gwillamer. Culich and Cadoc clasped forearms, and the Keelan party was on the road back toward the Dillagon Pass within the hour.

  Chapter 19: Preparations

  Culich Gives Approval

  The return trip to Caernford was uneventful. Culich spoke little to Yozef, who wondered whether the hetman’s opinion of him had changed. Was Culich pissed at him? Had he said too much at the hetman meeting? For that matter, what exactly did he say?

  There were none of the probing questions about Yozef’s past or his opinions about anything. Yozef spent most of the trip riding on top with Carnigan and the driver. The pace was as fast as on the way to Dornfeld, stopping only to luxuriate in a meal and six hours of sleep at the border of the Nylamir and Wycoff districts.