“Yula, let’s leave these folks and take you back to the palace,” Alec said, motioning to the silent Armilla to go with them. They climbed on their horses and started back towards town. “Let’s take a detour,” Alec said with a note in his voice that the guard recognized as a sign of something unexpected about to occur. They rode to Baker Street and stopped at the healers shop next to Henree’s bakery. When they stepped into the crowded parlor, Alec looked around at the people sitting in wait of medical attention.
“Will you take my hand, please, Yula,” Alec asked rather than commanded, reaching out to the plant ingenaire. Hand in hand, they began walking around the room, stopping in front of each person as Alec looked with his health vision. He reached out to them one by one. “Now, Yula, give me some energy,” he said conversationally, and after a few moments said, “That’s enough,” then added to the person he had touched, “You’re healed, you can go home now.” In rapid order the room was empty of patients, and Alec and Yula stood with Armilla.
“How do you feel?” Alec asked his partner as they sat down. At that moment the door to the hallway opened, and a man came out and left the building, trailed by a weary looking Cassie. She looked astonished at the nearly empty waiting room, then registered that Alec was among the small group there.
“Alec, it’s good to see you again!” she said first, then immediately followed with, “Where have all the patients gone? There was a roomful five minutes ago?”
“We healed them,” Alec said simply. “I took Yula’s power and used it to heal everyone in the room. How do you feel, Yula?” Alec asked again.
“I feel like it’s the second day of planting season,” she replied. “On the first day you go out and try to germinate and spur every seed and every plant in every field you can see. It exhausts you completely. On the second day you know better, so you do a lot of work, but not so much that you’re left wrung out and empty.”
Cassie sat down with them in the room, moaning in relief as she took weight off her legs. “You healed all those people just like that, using Yula’s powers? How do you feel?”
“I feel fine,” Alec replied, “maybe better than you. Cassie, you look worn out. You need to stop trying to do so much and take care of yourself.”
“Cassie, my name is Yula, obviously,” the plant ingenaire said, rising to reach over to shake Cassie’s hand. “Since His Majesty isn’t going to introduce us formally, we’ll do it ourselves. I know I’ve seen you at court attending the princess,” she gave Alec an exasperated look.
Alec looked abashed. “I thought you two would know each other after all these months as ingenairii in the same city,” he lamely excused himself. He heard Armilla clear her throat, and glanced over to see her make a disgusted face. “And this is Armilla, my bodyguard. She was here with me yesterday, but I don’t think you were formally introduced.
“This is Cassie, the other healer ingenaire, once upon a time a ward I cared for,” Alec concluded the introductions. “Cassie, I stopped by to see if any of the others in the house here would like to travel with me to the front of the war when the army moves out.” He looked at Armilla for a second. “I think having some friends would make life a little more enjoyable than just having all the court people, but I understand the idea of traveling with the army to a war isn’t something many people may want to do.”
“Are you kidding, Alec? No one will refuse the opportunity to with you,” Cassie said emphatically. “Will you leave anyone behind with me, or am I going to be here all alone when my baby arrives?”
Alec looked dubious. “I don’t think you will be here alone. Not everyone can go or should go. We’ll sort that out before the army moves south. I’ll come back tomorrow evening and talk to everyone here,” he added. “But now we need to return to the palace and all our friends there,” he said with regret. “Take care of yourself Cassie and get more rest,” he said as he reached out and infused her with a small amount of energy.
As the three of them rode back to the Palace, Yula asked Alec a question. “Do you expect me to go to war with you?”
“Based on how valuable your powers were today, yes, I hoped you would go,” Alec said. “Together we can help heal many more people, especially the soldiers in the war. I’d like to have you go with us.”
“I have responsibilities here, Alec. The Princess may not want me to leave, especially since she is so close to her time,” Yula rebutted. “And it’s almost time to plant crops, so I should be getting ready to go out to the farms.”
Alec was silent, surprised and disappointed by Yula’s response, and they rode the rest of the way back to the palace without speaking. When they returned to the stables, Yula left quickly, and Alec and Armilla went to find Rander. Armilla took her leave, replaced by two other guards, and Alec and Rander went over the dispatches, reports, and affairs of state.
The next day was the last full day in Goldenfields before the mobilization of the army began anew. In the morning a meeting of the full commanding staff of Alec’s army and the Duke’s army met jointly to outline the strategy they would pursue. In the large gathering were Alec, Rander, and Brannis from the Palace at Oyster Bay, and Generals Hewlett and Tunse from the Dominion Army, plus Marshall Grein of Slone, warrior ingenairii Rubicon and Nathaniel, and Delle Locksfort, not a general, but the liaison sent by Stronghold to communicate between their army contingent and Alec’s leaders. The Duke had with him Colonel Ryder, Major Abraham, Ratsall and Kelvin, and Merle, his ingenaire. Major Abraham opened the meeting.
“Our cavalry has been patrolling fifty miles beyond the fort at the sand bars, swinging wide on either side of the river to keep an eye behind the lines of the lacertii. They have a large force assembled now, although no more seem to be arriving; all the flat boats coming down the river seem to mostly carry supplies for them. We think they outnumber our total armed forces by about 30%, which traditionally would dictate a defensive posture for us,” the Major explained, unrolling a map that showed the known and presumed forces on both sides.
“The fort continues to be regularly besieged, but we manage to periodically break the siege and resupply the garrison there,” Abraham continued. “The lacertii have built no defensive structures that we can identify.”
“How timely is your information?” Marshal Grein asked.
“We keep shipping a substantial number of pigeons down to the fort, the cavalry and the army forces at the , so everything we learn is usually no more than three or four days old,” Ryder answered.
“We have a garrison of over 100 soldiers at the fort, and nearly 5,000 in action approximately 20 miles away,” Abraham continued. ‘Our best guess is that there are 15,000 lacertii in the field against us. You are bringing another 5,000, including the reserves we are calling up, to give us 10,000 soldiers total.”
“We don’t know if more lacertii are coming down river do we?” Rubicon asked.
“We have no idea,” Abraham confirmed. “This could be their whole force, or only a fraction of what they have.”
“So you propose to just dig in and make them waste their forces against our defenses?” Hewlett asked.
“I said that because they outnumber us by 30%, which would dictate a defensive strategy, according to the traditions of our officer corps,” Abraham said. “However, because they are a large force at the end of such a long, tenuous supply line, we think a different strategy may be prudent.” He began to make some markings on the map that now hung on an easel.
“We want to strengthen our defenses where we are currently, but we also want to send an expeditionary force far to the southwest to avoid detection, and then return to the river to disrupt their supply lines,” Abraham explained. “The cavalry has identified a set of high bluffs along the river that would provide an excellent site for ambushing any shipping. The terrain would allow our forces to establish a camp without being detected by the lacertii coming down the river and the river there is shallow enough to allow our forces to cross on horseback or e
ven on foot if necessary.”
“What disposition of forces do you have in mind?” Tunse asked, requesting the information that was now on the minds of many of the military leaders.
“Our plan is to stretch out our defensive line with a series of makeshift forts that will give us the advantage against their attacks,” Ryder said. “We have generally anticipated placing the forces from Stronghold as anchor along the eastern flank, about ten miles wide of the river. Inside them will be the forces from Slone, and then the forces from Oyster Bay along with some additional forces. The new Goldenfields reserves will join us on the western shore, allowing us to fortify that side.
“We think that the disruption of their supply line at the bluffs will starve the lacertii into trying to force their way through the forts, where we’ll be able to grind them and destroy them while sitting in our fortifications,” Ryder finished. “We’ll have the advantage of being able to move our soldiers behind the lines to strengthen any point they attack, so we can maintain tactical numeric superiority.”
“Who will be sent out to man the river site upstream on the bluff?” Rander asked.
“We expected the new forces from Bondell to assume that assignment, but we’ve heard no word of their location or anticipated arrival,” the Duke told the group.
“
“I’ll lead that group,” Alec said.
All eyes turned to him, doubts written on every face. “We can’t let the Crown Protector go behind enemy lines,” Abraham said diplomatically.
“I’m not trained in the niceties of warfare and strategy,” Alec said quickly. “I have worked with the cavalry before, and my healing skills will be all the more valuable in a small force where injuries can be most costly. Plus, I’ll bring a number of young ingenairii with me, and we’ll be able to accomplish unexpected feats that will keep the lacertii off-guard.” He looked around and saw that no one was convinced. “I know I’m right about this. My way of fighting is best suited to a situation like this where ingenaire powers and small numbers are advantages.”
“I will go with the Protector to safeguard him,” Nathaniel said. “As a warrior ingenaire I can provide protection against any possible heavy odds.”
In the end, Alec’s determination and stubbornness won the day. “I’ll have my forces ready to leave as early as you want our mission to start,” he insisted.
“If you can gather your supplies and people together, and find mounts enough for all, you may leave at the earliest moment, and rendezvous with the cavalry when you meet the army. They’ll become your guides from that point on to the bluffs,” Abraham instructed.
Alec sat quietly thereafter and listened to the instructions and questions that followed through a long morning of discussion and debate. After it ended, General Hewlett spoke to Alec. “I see your points about going out to the duty in the wild, but it still remains politically and militarily unsound to expose a ruler like that. I’ll put the 2nd and the 19th regiments of the 1st brigade with you and your ingenairii as well as your Guards. They’re the best and the most reliable men and women you’ll ever have at your side.”
“I hope they’re ready to rest their feet and grow some saddle calluses for a while,” Alec smiled at the General. “We’re going to put them on horses and move them fast.”
That afternoon Armilla spoke to Alec. “I didn’t hear what I heard, did I?” she stormed at Alec, shooing his other guards away. “You aren’t planning on riding back behind the lines on some swashbuckling adventure, are you?” she demanded. Without giving Alec time to answer, she continued. “I know you. I know you think you can get away with just freelancing around. Let me tell you, my job is to keep you alive, not to let you go where you’re going to put yourself at greater risk.”
Alec knew he was on very delicate ground, and that he should have anticipated such a reaction from his guard who had grown increasingly motherly towards him over the course of their months together. “I told the generals the truth; with the ingenairii along and the duty we’ll have away from the main conflict, we will be in little danger. And we’re all going to be mounted, so we will be able to escape easily in the worst case. I’ll be able to heal people who are wounded, so we won’t lose strength the way a normal brigade would.”
Armilla shook her head. “And how are you going to talk Yula into going on this trip? Don’t deny that you’re planning on taking her and using her. I don’t see her volunteering to go on a mission like this to be your extra extension of ingenaire powers.”
Alec conceded the validity of Armilla’s argument. “I admit it. I hoped that helping to heal Annalea would make her realize the extraordinary gift she can offer, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. I’ll ask her, and accept her answer, and go on from there.”
“Why don’t you accept my answer then, and cancel this crazy plan in the first place?” Armilla persisted.
“I’m doing what I think is right, and that’s that,” Alec put an end to the argument. “Now, if you’ve started your shift, let’s go out to the horse lots on the east side of the river and see how many mounts we can buy. We’re going to make some clans from the eastern plains very happy, I think.”
Within an hour they had ridden out across the river and through the eastern neighborhoods of smithies and tanneries and other businesses with fumes and unpleasant odors, to arrive at the fragrant corrals of horses brought in for sale from the plains that stretched endlessly to the east. Alec selected as many horses as he felt would withstand the long rides, and then took several others that could carry supplies and equipment, reserving virtually every horse he saw at the first three yards.
That night, Alec went to the healer house to meet his friends from the ingenairii that had never returned to Oyster Bay. Like him, they were all younger ingenairii, and had adapted to changing times and circumstances.
“Streed, Shaiss, good to see you again,” Alec told the first friends who entered the room where they gathered upstairs. Altogether nine of the group gathered, and after listening to Alec, seven jumped at the chance to go along. Cassie and Appel were to stay behind in Goldenfields. Directions were given to pack and be prepared to leave the following day.
Later that night, Alec went to find Yula in the palace. When he knocked at the door of the women’s quarters, the servant’s eye broadened at the arrival of the crown protector, and Alec had no doubt that the tale of his note requesting to see Yula that evening would be spread rapidly through the palace.
“Your majesty, it’s late to pay a visit,” Yula said promptly upon arriving in the waiting chamber.
Alec decided to avoid any delay, and went straight to the point. “I’m leaving to go to war tomorrow, Yula, and I’d like for you to come with me.”
“Alec, you’ve come here late enough at night that tongues are going to wag about me, thank you very much,” she began. “I always imagined being sought after by a great nobleman, but I never imagined it would be just for my ingenaire powes. You want me to ride through and into a war just so you can use me to make it easier for you to heal people. I don’t have any desire to do that.”
“Yula, your powers could save many lives, and could make it easier to put an end to this war,” Alec said through gritted teeth. “You could come home as a heroine for Goldenfields, or for the whole Dominion. I’ll take you back to Oyster Bay to the royal court or to Ingenairii Hill after the war, and you can see how you like all the glamour up there.”
“You can’t bribe me to go,” Yula retorted. “I was going to say yes after I made you see my point of view, but I’m not going to do it to be bought off. Forget the plans for afterwards; I know the princess wants me to go, so I’ll go, and when we’re done I’ll come back here to court and I won’t ever go to Oyster Bay as long as you’re there! Now leave me alone and I’ll be ready to go tomorrow,” she stood up and stormed out of the room, leaving Armilla tsk, tsking at Alec.
“Well, that went well, don’t you think?” she commented, then was silent for the rest o
f the night as they returned to the army tent where Alec slept. Armilla’s silence left Alec alone with his thoughts to ponder just what he had done wrong when appealing to Yula to join the war effort.
The next day Alec said farewell to the Duke and others, then began arranging for all the pieces of the puzzle to come together, with horses and supplies and soldiers and ingenairii, and eventually even Yula, who arrived calmly and spoke politely with the other ingenairii, while never saying a word to Alec.
Well before nightfall they rode through the city to the cathedral, where Alec asked that a blessing be placed on the company before they rode south along the river. The first night they set up camp in an empty field outside a village, the soldiers working promptly to erect and arrange everything, the ingenairii learning by watching. Two days later they arrived on the newest section of the river road, passing a group of Oyster Bay criminals conscripted to carry out the labor. Each night Alec went around healing the saddle-soreness that afflicted many of the riders, using his own powers for the simple tasks so that he could avoid Yula’s frosty attitude.
Four days later they came to the establishment at Alec’s fountain. Natha’s men were filling barrels of the healing water that flowed from the tall stone monolith that stood where Alec had explosively released a great deal of ingenairii power in one of his first great efforts to heal a complex injury. The company stopped as all soldiers filled their canteens with the wholesome water, and Alec retold the story, to great interest by the ingenairii.
Alec thought back to the events that had occurred there. He’d never again met the ingenairii whose powers he had used to heal Lewis’s brain and skull. Were they still alive he wondered, and if so, where had they gone after the road-building project had ended in the clash with lacertii?
They continued to ride their horses for three more days, maintaining a steady pace that didn’t drain the animals but kept their progress constant. With the smooth road to ride on and Shaiss and Alder to provide light, they often rode past sunset gaining miles each day. On the fourth day following the fountain, they reached the main body of the armate last.
The Lifesaving Power: Goldenfields and Stronghold Page 29
