"Congratulations on finding the ship," said the king. "Are you sure that its capture will remain secret?"
"It will," promised Alex. "Only my team of Rangers knows that it is moored at Atar's Cove. We will discuss what to do with it when we meet back here after the assaults."
"We will keep the captain isolated until then," vowed the king as he bent down and petted the dog. "Does he follow you everywhere?"
"Alex is having trouble teaching him to stay," giggled Jenneva.
Alex rolled his eyes and sighed while the king chuckled.
"We should get back," Alex said. "We don't want to be seen here either. It would just raise questions that we don't need right now."
"Good luck," the king said as Jenneva led the way back to Atar's Cove.
When they returned to Jenneva's study, they immediately left the building and Jenneva cast a spell to hide it. Alex frowned questioningly.
"I thought we would spend the night in our own bed," he complained.
"There are too many people here to give away the secret of our home," Jenneva shook her head. "I am not saying that any of them would willingly divulge such information, but I worry about the Zaran's abilities with mind magic. Why tempt fate? A night on the beach won't hurt us."
Alex nodded and followed his wife through the jungle and back to the beach. The Rangers had already started a fire and were cooking fish over it. He moved close to the fire and Randi handed him a cup of hot tea. He sat down on the sand, and Smokey curled up alongside him.
"Do we leave after sunset?" asked Randi as he sat down next to the Knight of Alcea.
"Not tonight," Alex replied. "We will spend tonight here and leave tomorrow night. That will give us just one day in Kantor. It should be enough to size up the target without having too many people notice strange faces in the city."
* * *
The sixteen unicorns dropped out of the clouds and flew down the side of the volcano towering over Kantor. The volcano had merged with the palace during the Collapse of the Universes, and Alex knew that there was a large cave at the base of it. As the unicorns cast spells to hide their wings and horns, Bitsy took flight and headed for the mansion of Governor Fernandez. The fairy returned an hour later with instructions on how to proceed.
"We travel in groups of four," Alex announced after conversing with Bitsy. "We will allow fifteen minutes between groups. Karl and Cirris will join Jenneva and me in the first group. Randi, you set up the other three groups. We will be met at the entrance to the mansion and our mounts will be taken to the stables. Do not act hurried, but get inside as quickly as possible. Tomorrow we will scout out the temple and the surrounding areas."
Alex, Jenneva, Karl Gree, and Cirris mounted their unicorns. Smokey chose to run alongside the group as they made their way to the mansion. The area between the volcano and the mansion was not inhabited, and no one was about to see their journey, but Alex felt the extra precautions were worth the effort. Waiting on the steps of the mansion was an old gray-haired man. The old man's stature was erect and muscular, and his gray hair was cut short. It was obvious to any trained eye that the man was a military leader. His otherwise stern face split in a smile as Alex and Jenneva neared the steps.
"It is about time that you visited," welcomed the old man. "Come inside so we can talk in comfort."
The group dismounted as the old man disappeared through the door. They mounted the steps as soldiers took their mounts, and soon they were shown to a large sitting room.
"Thank you for the warm welcome, General," Alex began. "Let me introduce you to my fellow travelers."
"That shows how seldom you visit, Colonel," chuckled the old man. "No one has called me General in years. I am the Governor of Cordonia."
"So you are," laughed Alex, "and I haven't been a colonel since before the Collapse. We do go back a long ways."
"We do indeed," smiled Governor Fernandez as he nodded to Jenneva and Karl. "I already know your wife, and I have met Karl Gree before. Who is your other friend?"
"His name is Cirris," Alex replied with a frown as he noticed the governor's expression. Fernandez was staring at Cirris as if viewing a drawing of an escaped murderer. "He is a sailor."
"As I suspected," the governor replied. "Are you sure his name is Cirris?"
"I am sure," frowned Alex. "Why do you suspect otherwise?"
"I was sent a drawing from Tagaret a while ago," answered Governor Fernandez. "It had his face on it, but it requested the capture of two different men. Their names were Alando and…"
"Ecaro?" prompted Cirris.
"Yes," nodded the governor. "How do you know?"
"They are my brothers," answered Cirris, "but they have done nothing wrong. King Arik is seeking to find them to protect them. They were thought to be up this way. Have you heard of their whereabouts?"
"I know precisely where they are," replied Fernandez. "They are in my cells."
"Cells?" gasped Cirris. "They are not criminals."
"Ease up, young man," smiled the governor. "They are well cared for. The cells were the safest place I could put them. I have already sent a message to King Arik, and I am awaiting instructions regarding them."
"We will take them with us when we leave," promised Alex. "Perhaps you can visit them tomorrow, Cirris."
"I will arrange it," vowed Governor Fernandez. "I will also supply an escort for Karl to visit his wife, but I understand that you have brought a small army with you. Would you mind telling me why?"
"We plan to destroy the Temple of Balmak," answered Alex. "I have twelve Rangers with me. This information must not leave this room without my permission."
"Of course not," the governor said as he eased himself into a chair and stared at the floor. "You do realize that such an attack will create havoc with those religious followers of Balmak?"
"Which is why we will need your help," nodded Alex. "We intend to attack tomorrow night and be gone by morning. If your temple is anything like the others, there is a fair chance that we will uncover a list of Cordonians who have been aiding a foreign government. Your people will have the task of rounding them up before they can foment a revolution."
"A foreign government?" asked the governor. "Where does such a thing exist? King Arik conquered all of the land."
"Across the sea," replied Alex. "They have been coming in by ship. Some in Lanoir had assumed local identities and risen to positions of power within the government. That is why I must demand that you not speak of our mission here until we have completed it."
"You suspect that my army has been infiltrated?" asked Fernandez.
"Yes," nodded Alex. "The head of intelligence in Lanoir was a Snake. That is the term that they use for their provocateurs."
"Fitting term," spat the governor. "I thought Wu-kang had an illustrious war record?"
"The record was phony," replied Alex. "Those who testified to Wu-kang's achievements were themselves Snakes."
The governor sat up and actually smiled at Alex. "You have thrown a challenge at me, Alex, and in the intelligence field no less. If there are Snakes among my people, I will ferret them out in no time."
"These foreigners are also the people trying to kill Alando and Ecaro," Cirris interjected. "Are you sure that they are safe within your cells?"
The governor glanced at Cirris for a moment as if deep in thought. He suddenly rose and moved swiftly to the door. He spoke to a soldier outside the door and returned to his seat.
"Your brothers will stay here until you leave," declared Fernandez. "If there are Snakes among my people, none of them will be found in this mansion. Each of the men here has served directly under me. I know each of them well."
Cirris looked unconvinced, but Alex nodded at him.
"General Fernandez has ruled Cordonia in one fashion or another since I was a small boy," he said assuringly. "He has a keen sense when it comes to situations like these."
"I hear another of your groups arriving," announced the governor. "Let me get some
men to assign rooms to everyone so that they can retire for the night. Tomorrow will be a busy day for all of us."
* * *
Alex and Jenneva sat with Governor Fernandez at one end of the long table enjoying the midday meal. Cirris and his brothers sat at the other end talking quietly among themselves.
"They look so much alike," Fernandez commented.
"They are good men," remarked Alex, "and brave as well. There are trained assassins after them, yet Cirris set himself up as bait so that we could capture one of them. That takes a great deal of courage. I am glad that your actions have enabled them to reunite. It does mean that I will have to leave one of my Rangers with you when I leave. There are not enough unicorns to go around."
"Don't you mean two Rangers?" asked Fernandez.
"Karl Gree will be staying in Kantor," answered Jenneva. "The Dielderal elves were killed. There should be no more attacks on the people of Cordonia."
"I guess he is not the type of man to fit in with the Rangers?" asked the governor.
"He has potential, but he is a hunter," frowned Alex. "Why would he seek the life of a city garrison when he can return to the forested slopes of Cordonia and raise a family?"
"You did not answer my question," objected the governor. "Any man that can escape my cells has a certain degree of talent, not to mention his ability to lead men. Is there some flaw in the man that I have not noticed?"
"Not that I am aware of," Alex said with a puzzled expression. "Prince Garong spoke highly of Karl, both in skill and temperament. He is quiet, but I tend to see that as an asset. Why are you asking this question?"
"You have not seen his wife," sighed the governor. "She does not even know that he exists. There will never be any kind of marriage between them again. Her mind is locked within her own personal horror, and Karl's village no longer exists. There is nothing for him in Cordonia now. Visiting her will only bring him sorrow and pain."
"My specialty is not healing," commented Jenneva, "but I will visit with her today. Perhaps I can find a way to restore her mind. In fact, if you will excuse me, I will go now."
"I will have a man escort you," declared the governor as he signaled for one of his men to approach.
The governor whispered to the soldier and the man escorted Jenneva out of the room.
"It is best not to mention this to Karl," Alex said softly. "We should not raise his hopes."
"I agree," nodded Fernandez, "but you should take Karl back to Tagaret with you. I will send word if her condition ever changes. It is not healthy for the lad to be around here."
Sergeant Randi Witzak entered the room and slid into the chair that Jenneva had vacated.
"The temple appears to be similar to the one in Tagaret," he informed Alex. "I had a man inside. He could not get past the main room, but the overall dimensions are quite close. I do not think we will be far off if we plan the attack based on the layout of the temple in Tagaret."
"I have been through the temple," declared Governor Fernandez. "It was a few years ago before the Balmak people took it over, but I doubt that they made any major changes. If you can draw a diagram of the layout of the temple in Tagaret, I will look at it and point out anything that looks wrong."
"Excellent," smiled the Ranger.
"What else have you found out?" asked Alex.
"The men have scoured the surrounding area," answered Randi. "The best approach will be similar to what you used in Pia. There is an adjoining building that we can use to gain access to the roof of the temple. In fact, one of the men has rented a room on the top floor. We are attaching rope grommets to aid in the attack."
"That sounds promising," replied Alex. "I trust they will do this without being seen?"
"Of course," smiled Randi. "The temple is actually rather quiet now. There was a large crowd gathered there this morning, but it dispersed a while ago."
"There is a large crowd there every morning," declared the governor. "Lately they have been getting quite rowdy with self beatings and loud shouting. Last week we started arresting some of them on the pretext that they were fighting with each other. They protested their innocence and declared that they were beating themselves, but we chose not to believe them. Throwing some of them in jail tempered their zeal for public self-abuse. I guess they now do it in private."
"Clever," chuckled Alex. "You are a corrupt ruler."
"I don't see it that way," grinned Fernandez. "I see my actions as saving them from harm, at least as best I can. I will not be sad to see that temple closed down. Cordonians do not need such a religion."
"I agree," Alex said as he pushed his chair back and rose to his feet. "I am going to catch some sleep. I suggest you and your men do the same, Randi. It will be a trying night for all."
"Sleep well, Alex," said the governor. "I will have my men ready to spring into action as soon as you complete your attack."
Alex nodded and left the room. As Alex was on his way to the stairs, Karl Gree entered the mansion and moved quickly to catch up to him. Alex halted and stared at the hunter. Karl looked haggard as if he had just wrestled a large bear barehanded.
"I am going with you when you leave tonight," Karl declared.
"You are more than welcome to come back to Tagaret with us," Alex said sympathetically. "I am sure that Governor Fernandez will lend a horse to one of the Rangers so he can ride back."
"That is not what I mean," Karl said. "I am going to Zara with you."
"Are you sure?" asked Alex. "The trip to Zara is likely to be one way. Why would you want to throw your life away like that?"
"Because there are still Dielderal in Zara," spat Karl. "They have not paid dearly enough for the damage that they have done here."
"Perhaps," Alex replied cautiously. "For now you will have to settle for a trip to Tagaret. The assignment of people to go to Zara has not yet been determined, but I will strongly argue against including you if your motive is revenge. The trip to Zara is not for the purpose of battling the Zarans. It is to gain knowledge of our enemy."
"If you saw Lyda," snapped Karl, "you would not say that. She is more animal than human. She stares right through me as if I am not even there."
"I have known the desire for revenge in my life," Alex said softly, "and it was not a good feeling, nor was it wise to give in to it. I learned a great deal from that mistake. I will not help you to make that same mistake. You have time to reflect on your life before we reach Tagaret. I suggest that you inspect your feelings and understand them before we go before King Arik for permission to sail to Zara."
Alex climbed the stairs to his room, leaving Karl Gree alone to digest the words of the Knight of Alcea. Alex stretched out on the bed and promptly fell asleep. When he awoke hours later, the sky outside was dark. He moved quietly down the stairs and into the large dining room. He saw Jenneva and Karl sitting at the table eating plates of stew. He helped himself to a plateful of stew and sat down next to Jenneva. Karl's eyes were red and swollen, and Alex knew that the man was torturing himself for not being in Hega when the town was attacked. Alex said nothing in greeting.
"I am sorry for my sharp words earlier," Karl said, eventually breaking the silence. "I do get too emotional when I visit Lyda, but I meant what I said about wanting to go with you. It is not just for revenge. In fact, I now understand how such an emotion can cloud one's mind. I could spend the rest of my life killing dark elves, and that would do nothing to bring Lyda back to me. Still, I cannot return to being a hunter and pretend that life is normal. I have to leave Cordonia, and if that is the case, I should endeavor to make my life count for something. I fully understand the danger of going to Zara, and I am willing to take that risk. Perhaps in some way, my service to Alcea will add some meaning to life that will make me forget Cordonia and all that it holds for me."
Alex said nothing for a while as he ate his stew. He felt the hunter's eyes boring into him, but he let Karl wait for a response. Finally, Alex finished his stew and pushed the bowl away.
"What if Lyda could return to normal?" he asked. "Would you still be in a hurry to throw your life away?"
Alex had expected a swift response, but Karl hesitated in thought.
"I am not in a hurry to throw my life away," he eventually answered. "If Lyda miraculously recovered, I would want her by my side, but we would not return to the life we led before. That life is over now. It is not only the Dielderal elves that bother me. It is the thought of an enemy coming to our homeland to maim and kill everyone. I can no longer ignore that. I must do something as a citizen of Alcea to protect those who cannot protect themselves. That certainly includes Lyda, but it is not just her that I must care for anymore."
Jenneva raised an eyebrow in surprise, but Alex smiled inwardly.
"And what would Lyda do with her new warrior husband?" Alex asked.
"I have thought a lot about that," admitted Karl. "Cirris shared with me the story of his time in Southland. He told me all about Wylan and Sheri. I think if Lyda ever returned to me, I would want her to be trained like Sheri is. Despite her present condition, she is a courageous woman, Alex. I often wonder what I would be like had I been subjected to what she had to go through. I don't know that I could have handled it any better."
"You are wise to dwell on things as you have been doing," Alex responded. "Go get some sleep. We will be leaving here before morning, and I wouldn't want you falling off your unicorn. We will talk more about this in Tagaret."
Karl nodded and left the room. Alex waited until he heard the man's footsteps on the stairs before he looked questioningly at Jenneva.
"I could do nothing for her," declared Jenneva. "Maybe Zalaharic should look at her, although even his skill will be tested by her condition. She is more dead than alive. I cannot blame a man for seeking revenge after visiting a loved one in such a state."
"Nor do I," sighed Alex, "but revenge can blind a man. I have to think of the lives of the others that will also be going. I cannot jeopardize them because of Karl's instability."
"Talk to Prince Garong," suggested Jenneva. "He spent a great deal of time with Karl. I think his insight will be worth hearing."
Knights of Alcea Page 33
