“No, of course not,” Kestrel said in a daze.
“I might have had reservations,” Philip said in a quieter tone, speaking just to Kestrel, “before I saw you on your last visit here. I had some hopes once upon a time that there might be some spark between you and she, but then Growelf’s dream told her you were gone, and then when I saw you last, you were sleeping with that exotic beauty you smuggled out of the palace, so I knew my hopes were fruitless.”
Stillwater returned to the dining room just then, just as the rebels were growing relaxed and bored. “Your friend shall return this evening, the pretty doctor says,” the imp announced, and Kestrel quickly translated.
“There! How’s that for good news?” Philip spoke rhetorically.
The men responded enthusiastically, as Kestrel’s heart gasped and his mind wandered far afield, trying to find a way to comprehend what Philip had so casually thrown into the conversation. Margo was engaged to another man! Kestrel had moved about so far, so often, without any effort to return to see her, and had been caught in a compromising position; his dream of happiness with the lovely girl had been destroyed not by one big thing, but by the combination of small things. And Growelf! The god had taken steps to lead Margo to believe that Kestrel was gone! Why? What had the god been plotting against Kestrel for, when the poor elf had carried out the very mission the god had set?
“Kestrel?” he vaguely heard his name. “Kestrel?” Stillwater called him. “Is there anything you need right now? I’d like to go back to the spring if it’s okay with you.”
“Go on, go have a good time. But I’ll need your squad tonight,” Kestrel asked mechanically.
“Yes, my lord Warden,” Stillwater replied, and then vanished, leaving Kestrel alone with his thoughts in the room with several other men.
“How is the war going in Hydrotaz, do you know, Kestrel?” Philip asked.
Kestrel shook his head to force his attention away from Margo. “Hydrotaz?” he asked. “Oh,” he came to his senses, “the Prince’s invasion was defeated three days ago. Two days ago the Graylee army was climbing aboard ships to leave Hydrotaz, at least the part of the army that had arrived by sea.”
“Lost? The Prince lost the invasion?” a different rebel asked in shock.
“Yes,” Kestrel said, suddenly sensing that he needed to tread carefully around the topic.
“How?” another fighter wanted to know. “Our army was bigger than theirs.”
“The prince had most of his officers and high command at the front of the army, and when the fighting began, he lost many of the leaders, the officer corps, and the siege engines,” Kestrel answered.
“Philip,” he tried to change the topic, “are you going to defend this house until Creata returns? Where will you go when he gets back? What are your plans?”
“We’re just glad to know he’s coming back,” Philip answered. “I don’t know the rest of what we’ll do. We’ve been able to move around the city pretty effectively because the Prince took so much of the army and his Guard with him while he went to Hydrotaz. If he’s coming back, and in a bad mood because of the lost battle, we’ll need to find a way to stay safe.
“We probably won’t be able to defend this house once the Prince is back in town,” he suggested, looking at his followers.
Kestrel listened, the germ of an idea trying to form, but distracted by his ongoing focus on Margo.
“What if,” Kestrel paused, “shouldn’t you go on the offensive now, while the prince and so many of his men are away, and the city is vulnerable?” he asked.
“Our duty is to protect the Prince, first and foremost, not put him at risk,” one of the rebels spoke up.
Kestrel looked at him in confusion, until another one clarified. “”Philip has been declared the new Prince, the ruler-in-waiting. All the forces in the city have united around him and agreed to support him as the rightful successor to be ruler of Graylee.”
Kestrel looked at Philip in astonishment.
“It should have been my father, as you know,” Philip said softly, but firmly, looking Kestrel in the eye. “But when he was murdered, there wasn’t anyone who we all could agree upon as the next best choice. I was asked repeatedly to take up the mantle, and I told them no, but eventually I realized that if I didn’t agree to unify our partners in the battle against the Prince, no one else would be able to do it either.
“I’ve already agreed to pass on the title of Baron of the Northern Marches to Squire Huff, so that there’ll be no conflict between my two roles, and to show my faith in him as a prospective brother-in-law,” Philip finished, distracting Kestrel again as his thoughts returned to consideration of Margo once more.
Kestrel looked at the bright daylight that was streaming in through the window, and considered. He could call the imps and have them take him to the northern manor house immediately, he thought. He could visit Margo, to let her see him alive, and to find out if her heart was given to Huff, or only her hand.
It would cause an uproar, he knew; any way it resolved itself was sure to cause problems, whether he took Margo from the squire, or whether he failed to take her, but simply showed himself to be infatuated and unable to accept the situation. Yet if he did nothing, there would be problems as well, problems within his own heart, as he longed and pondered and hurt over what might have been.
“The monster lizards, they’re called the Viathins,” he said aloud, forcing himself away from the long dangerous road his emotions might take him on.
“They have the power to influence people, to control peoples’ minds,” Kestrel explained to his audience. “They come with Uniontown forces, and I used to think that the lizards were just pets, just a symptom of the Uniontown disease. But I found out that they are the disease; they make men do bad things.
“And this,” he held up the bag of water he had received from the far away land of the Parstoles, from Decimindion, their god, in another adventure that seemed so long ago it felt like it was someone else’s adventure, “a drink of this water can protect a person’s mind from the Viathins. We used it in Hydrotaz and Center Trunk to help root out traitors and prevent treachery.”
“That’s quite a tale,” one of the chorus of guards said skeptically.
“If Kestrel really believes it, I believe it,” Philip said immediately. “This man has shown me things I never thought possible, from the very first time I met him when he defeated a dozen robbers by himself, on to everything else he’s done.”
“We could go into the palace, and kill the monster lizards there, and maybe even give some of this water to the guards or officers in the palace, so they wouldn’t be under the Viathins’ sway,” Kestrel started to see a possible mission.
“What do you say? We could go tonight? How many rebels could you pull together for an attack on the palace?” he asked his friend.
The guards along the wall looked at him, wide-eyed at the thought.
“Attack the palace, kill the lizards, and then what?” Philip asked.
“Let the people know; let them know you are a force in the city, that you are here, and real, and growing stronger,” one of the rebels unexpected spoke up favorably. “It would give them hope, and it would give our people pride.
“We could raise our own flag!” he added.
“When the prince gets back and finds out, he’ll be furious,” another guard warned. “There’ll be blood in the streets.”
“We could warn the people in advance, and tell them to leave the city,” a third guard said.
“There will be more opportunities to catch his forces in ambushes, if they came out into the city more,” added another.
“You may find that if you can give this water to enough of the people in the palace, you will find new allies and support, making you stronger,” Kestrel suggested. “And killing the Viathins is worth the cost; it will make Namber weaker.”
“How many men could we pull together for an attack tonight?” Philip looked at one of the guards.
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“Five score, maybe more,” the man answered after consideration.
“The Palace is a big place to conquer with a hundred men,” Philip said slowly.
“What if,” Kestrel suddenly realized a prize that would motivate the rebels, “what if you went in and captured the crown and the seal and the other items of the throne? What if you could take the throne itself?”
Four of the guards started laughing out loud, and Kestrel knew the idea appealed to them tremendously as an act of courageous bravado.
“Prince Namber won’t attack the people in the streets – he’ll spill the blood of his own palace guards if we take the throne,” one of them said.
“We will do this! Hoster, go alert the men in the southern half of the city,” Philip made the snap decision and began to take command. “Sundess, go to the eastern squares and tell our folks; Carle, you go up to the north of the city,” he directed men to begin to carry the message.
“Tell them all to gather in the alleys near the back gate of the palace, and stay out of sight. We’ll plan to attack at ten o’clock. That’ll give us time to develop a plan,” he grinned at Kestrel, and watched the three messengers leave the room.
He sent another man out to acquire a wagon and a team of horses that could haul the throne out of the palace grounds, then turned to the two remaining guards. “Let’s take Kestrel to our headquarters and draw up the plans,” he told them.
They turned without any questions, caught up in the moment, and trusting Kestrel as an ally, then led the small group out of the back of the house, after Kestrel snatched up the guard uniforms he had saved from the previous night’s battle.
“Wait!” Kestrel called. He ran back into the house to find Elise, and took three of the skins of healing spring water from the girl, then warned her that the rebels were leaving the house unguarded.
“Thank you, sir,” she said modestly, dropping a curtsy.
“And, sir?” she spoke up tentatively, as Kestrel started to go.
“Yes, Elise?” he asked.
“Would you like a hat sir, to cover,” she paused, “you know, for your own safety.”
Kestrel paused. He wanted to never have to cover his identity again. He wanted to prove that elves and humans could get along. But if he was about to try to walk through the streets of Graylee City, in company with Philip and his men, perhaps discretion was called for.
“Is there a hat I can borrow?” he asked.
Elise pointed to the top shelf of the coat rack in the back hall. “Treybon won’t mind you borrowing his,” she said with a smile.
Kestrel reached up and took the old-fashioned cap, out of style for many years.
“Please tell him I said thanks and I hope to return it soon,” he told the maid, and then he was out the door once again, and back in company with the others.
And then, together, the group walked through Graylee in the early afternoon sunshine, on their way to plot a daring raid against the palace of Prince Namber.
Chapter 5 – Kai’s Gift
“Prudent,” Philip said succinctly as he saw Kestrel pull the hat over his head when they left the stable yard and entered the road.
“I don’t want to hide who I am,” Kestrel explained. “I want the people here to know that we can be friends, but right now doesn’t seem like the right time to start proving the point.”
They walked on for nearly an hour, until they reached a tavern, where a back room had a hidden stairway leading to a dim basement meeting room, where a score of men were gathered.
“Tonight, we’re going to break into the palace and steal the throne!” Philip told everyone, rousing them into cheers.
“And we’re going to have the help of the greatest ally we could ask for,” he said. He reached over and pulled Kestrel next to him, then silenced the room as he reached up and plucked the hat off Kestrel’s head, making his racial identity evident.
“This elf is one of the best friends I have. He’s one of the best friends the free people of Graylee have. You all should trust him and treat him as if he were my brother,” Philip said sternly to the silent crowd.
And after that they got down to the planning of the assault on the palace.
As evening started to fall, with all the tactics spelled out, Kestrel went into a silent corner of the adjoining room. “Stillwater, Stillwater, Stillwater,” he called, and waited.
Moments later the imp arrived. “Kestrel-friend, what moldy place are you hiding in?” the imp asked, looking around the room.
“The humans I am with plan to fight against the humans who are under the control of the monster lizards,” Kestrel explained. “Is the other human healed?”
“He is, and he is anxious to return, as is the warrior female,” Stillwater answered.
“Bring the human back first,” Kestrel directed the imp. He reached in his pocket and pulled out some coins. “Then take Wren back to Green Water, and let her buy the staffs we ordered prepared.
“When that is done, bring her back here to this spot as well,” he finished.
The imp disappeared, and then two minutes later Creata appeared, surrounded by Stillwater, Odare, and Killcen.
“Kestrel, you scoundrel!” Creata spoke in mock anger as he hugged his elven friend, while the imps left. “I can’t believe you forced me to spend all that time with those beautiful women at the spring, not to mention all the imps!
“I’ll never see anything like that again!
“Thank you so much; I’m told you saved my life once again,” the young nobleman said as they broke the clinch. “What are you doing here?” he asked, looking around and recognizing where he had arrived, in the hidden chambers of the rebellion.
“There’s going to be a raid on the palace tonight,” Kestrel said. “And I’m joining your rebels to help. This is where we’re waiting.”
“I’ve got to find Philip, to find out what my assignment will be,” Creata clapped Kestrel on the shoulder eagerly, as he walked past and left the room.
Before Kestrel could even begin to wonder if Philip would agree to let the newly healed Creata join in on the raid on the palace, the imps returned with Wren, who promptly viciously butted the end of her new staff into Kestrel’s stomach, doubling him over in pain.
“That’s just a portion of what you deserve!” she shouted at him. “This,” she swung the staff just past his head, “is what you should receive as well.
“Don’t think you’ll ever again sentence me to a day of being nanny to every imp and sprite in the land!” she told him in a vicious voice, stepping in close so that they were eyeball to eyeball as her hand gripped his chin to maintain his attention, while the imps lazily circled overhead.
“And this,” her hand slapped the back of his head, “is for never answering Alicia’s note. The poor girl was desperate to communicate with you.
“The note!” Kestrel exclaimed, remembering the paper that remained wadded up in his pocket.
“So, over all, you had a good time?” he rashly chose to taunt her, though prudently stepping back away from her as he did.
“Overall, I did,” she calmly agreed. She unstrapped Kestrel’s staff from her back, and handed it to him.
“So where are we and what are we doing here?” she asked, turning to examine the room.
“We are in a hideout of the rebels of Graylee. Tonight we’re going to join them in a raid on the palace of the prince,” Kestrel quickly inserted Wren into the plan, knowing that he would suffer further abuse if he didn’t, and also recognizing that she would be a useful ally to have in a battle.
Just then the door burst open, and Creata and Philip entered the room. “Kestrel, I want to thank you for sending that exquisite creature to tend to me,” Creata said before he turned to look around the room and saw Wren there.
“Here she is Philip! This is just the girl I was telling you about,” Creata exclaimed. “Wren, this is my friend Philip, soon to be the prince of Graylee, and a good friend of Kestrel’s too.
“Philip, I’d like to introduce you to Wren, Kestrel’s cousin, a tender nurse and a very warm-hearted girl,” Creata introduced her.
Kestrel looked at Creata with raised eyebrows as he heard Wren called tender and warm-hearted. He still held one hand over his stomach, and he suspected that his ribs might be bruised from her blow to his midriff. He raised one of the skins of healing water and took a quick drink.
“Your highness, it’s an honor to meet you,” Wren said smoothly, and then she shocked Kestrel by dropping a graceful curtsy, with only her leather trousers subtracting from the elegance of her gesture.
“Not yet, Wren, I haven’t earned the title yet, but with Creata’s help and especially your cousin’s help, maybe the title will come sooner that we expect,” Philip gracious replied, and he bent over her hand.
“That cousin of mine!” Wren said, although to Kestrel’s ear it sounded faint. “He tells me I’ll be going with him tonight. I look forward to the adventure.”
“Kestrel!” Creata stared at the elf. “You won’t really put her in harm’s way, will you? I’ve just had a devil of a time persuading Philip to let me even go close to the palace.”
“I worry more for the palace than I do for Wren when she gets involved in this raid,” Kestrel replied jovially, then saw that no one else was laughing. “Don’t worry, Wren and I will be safe.”
“How is that the two of you can be cousins yet be so?” Philip let the question hang in the air.
“Our mothers were sisters,” Wren answered. “Kestrel’s father was an elf, and mine was a human.”
Just them a voice called Philip from the other room, and he excused himself to leave, as Creata and Wren followed him out of the room. Left along, Kestrel finally pulled the note out of his pocket and broke Alicia’s seal to read what she had written:
Kestrel,
You’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest for Silvan with your assignment of Giardell to assist Lucretia in Hydrotaz. Miskel supports you, and I know that Silvan will someday realize the soundness of your choice as well, but not any time soon. Be careful, and give him time to accept.
The Inner Seas Kingdoms: 04 - A Foreign Heart Page 7
