Revolution (Cartharia Book 2)

by Spencer Reaves McCoy

"You're not though," Lynelli said, "I don't know what you're thinking, but you're not. You're just one person. One tiny person, just like me. You might think you make a difference, but you don't. You can't. Nobody can."

  "Richard Sullivan is making a difference," Matilyn said automatically.

  Lynelli gave a wane smile, "He's certainly doing something," she agreed, "But in the end, we're just a bunch of tiny little kingdoms in one giant world. How many kingdoms are there? How much can one man really do to affect the world? No, his reign will end, and just like everyone before him, he won't accomplish what he seeks. And you're not going to do that for him. You're just going to continue to use people and tell yourself that you're still a good person because you're a soldier in the Good King's military. Right?"

  "You have to go now," Matilyn said.

  "I'll go," Lynelli told her, "but you think of that tonight. When you get ready to sleep, think about who you've become. I don't know who you were before, but I suppose it wasn't this."

  Before Matilyn could say more, Lynelli shoved the bottle of wine into her hands and drunkenly stumbled away.

  TWENTY-SIX

  The More Merit is in Your Bounty

  STINI APPROACHED AELIANA. SHE SAT WITH HER back towards the camp, eating. They'd recently scavenged fresh fruit from one of the villages they'd raided and everyone seemed pleased in the change in diet.

  "Jehryme," he greeted, taking a seat next to her, his own bowl in hand.

  "Stini," she said.

  The two sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, taking time to savor the sweetness of the fruit. Stini felt a sense of relief wash over him once again. After his fight with Aeliana, he'd been worried it would change their friendship. It hadn't. Once she'd recovered, she came to see him and told him that it was just something that had happened. Besides, she told him, she'd deserved it for insubordination.

  Stini had appreciated the sentiment. He didn't know how true it was, but he appreciated it nonetheless.

  "We're not having any luck finding the prince," Stini finally said, once he was full. He set his bowl to the side and sighed.

  "I know," Aeliana said, "He seems to have vanished. Alongside Sweeton and Akins. The three of them must have gone together."

  "You don't believe they were recaptured?" Stini asked.

  Aeliana shook her head, "No, I don't. Neither do you, though. Or am I wrong, there?"

  "You're not wrong," Stini said. Since he'd returned to camp and taken Rose Kalle's report, he'd been weighing things back and forth in his mind. Nobody had been able to find the source of the attack and when they'd gone back to the camp, Will, Sean, and Janice were gone.

  Rose had thought they'd been taken but Stini quickly realized there were three packs missing and enough supplies for three people to travel comfortably. There was extra weaponry that had disappeared too.

  "I could happily throttle all three of them," Stini said.

  Aeliana gave him a reproachful look, "That's our prince you're speaking of."

  "Actually," Stini said, "Right now, I'm referring to him as a young teenager with some sort of bee in his bonnet. He had no right to go traipsing off into the night, no matter how much he didn't want to be here."

  "I suppose he didn't," Aeliana said.

  "He could be dead for all we know," Stini said morosely.

  Aeliana nodded, "He could be."

  "You're not very reassuring," Stini told her.

  "Do you want me to be?" Aeliana asked.

  Stini considered for a moment, "No," he finally said, "No, I like your honesty. This is a shit storm though."

  Aeliana shrugged, "It's not that bad. We know the prince is alive, that's something. Sure, he went wandering off with only the protection of two soldiers, but they are two soldiers who escaped Sullivan's very own dungeons. I imagine the three of them are good at hiding."

  "It's not just that, though," Stini said, "That's why I'm out here. Jehryme, we saw other troops."

  "More Lamonte?" she asked.

  Stini shook his head, "No. Arinford. Large group too. We must have had some luck with the shore."

  Aeliana sat up straight, "You're kidding right?"

  He shook his head.

  "Why didn't you tell me right away?" Aeliana demanded. "How far out are they?"

  "We could take them by surprise in a couple hours," Stini said, "If we go ahead, maybe shorter for us."

  "Then why are we waiting?" Aeliana said.

  Stini shrugged, "Do you know what it's going to be like? Telling them what we've done? Telling them about the people we've killed? Or how we lost the prince? We couldn't keep a teenage boy in our camp for gods' sake."

  Aeliana frowned at him, "What we do, it's necessary," she said, "They're going to recognize that. As for Prince William, I think they're going to be so overjoyed at the fact he's alive to really be too angry about the fact that we let him walk out of camp."

  "I wouldn't be too sure," Stini said.

  "You're such a pessimist," Aeliana said, "Come on, get up. We're going to inform the men and then get ready to ride ahead. Rose can stay with the rest of them, bringing them up after we've made contact."

  Stini pushed to his feet after grabbing his empty bowl. "Alright then. Let's go."

  Stini and Aeliana made good time without having to worry about the rest of the troops slowing them down. Rose led them instead.

  When they neared the other troops, armed guards walked out to meet them.

  "We're Arinford," Stini said. "We're what's left of the Lost Brigade. Arthimur Stini, temporary commander and highest ranking officer, formerly Lieutenant of what was once the Amethyst Charge. This is my Executor, Lieutenant Aeliana Jehryme."

  The soldiers took a quick look over them. After deciding they represented no real threat, they escorted them back to camp.

  There was an officer waiting for them that took their names, ranks, and the information they had to provide about their current troop sizes.

  Afterwards, he introduced himself as Carl Cox. Lieutenant Carl Cox. "We know who you are," Carl said, "We've been trying to catch up to you for a few weeks now. You keep disappearing right when we've decided to approach."

  Stini frowned, "That's what the Lost Brigade does," he told him. "We like to keep a low profile."

  "We know all about the Lost Brigade and what you've been up to in Lamonte. The rumors are everywhere. By the way the townsfolk around here think, you're a group of three thousand that vanishes into thin air when the wind blows right, and you have the ability to kill with your minds and spread the yellow fever to those that displease you."

  Aeliana laughed at that, and after a moment, Stini joined in.

  "You've been terrorizing Lamonte," Carl said.

  "I'm not going to apologize for that," Stini said, "We've been trapped over here with no orders, no support, no supplies... nearly a year, it's been."

  Carl shook his head, "I'm not looking for an apology. When we heard what you've been doing, we sent letters back to Arinford. The Warlord herself is offering you commendations based on your service."

  Stini leaned back a little, surprised, "Is that right?"

  Carl nodded, "She's also promoted you to commander. Not you specifically, but she wanted the officer of the Lost Brigade to officially have that title. It'll come in handy later on when there's more of us. We've got reinforcements coming in."

  Despite his position within his men, a position he'd been forced to step up and take, Stini found himself shaking his head, "I don't want it," he said, "Give the promotion to someone else. I'm asking for my men to be sent home."

  Part of him had always hoped when the time came, when they finally found more troops, he'd be absolved of responsibility. Someone else would take over and he'd just be another grunt soldier doing grunt soldier work.

  "I can't do that, sir," Carl said, "I have orders straight from the king's own office. You're to take lead of this division. Warlord Delanu appreciated the name you've been calling yourselves; the Lo
st Brigade. She wants you to keep on using it. If they grant your men permission to go home, that'll change."

  "And did she send orders on what we're to do?" Stini said.

  "Exactly what you have been doing," Carl said, "Except on a much larger scale. We can provide the men to make things really happen."

  Stini sighed.

  "I'm sure the men are going to love that," Aeliana said, "They're sick of only seeing each other. New faces will put some cheer into them."

  Carl nodded. "You'll be able to send letters home to your loved ones too, telling them you're alive. Nobody knew for sure, but everyone expected you had died out a long time ago."

  "We might as well have," Stini said, "We lost a good chunk of our men to that yellow fever the people are talking about."

  "It's running rampart through Arinford," Carl informed them. "I'm not surprised it's here in Lamonte too, with only a sea separating us."

  "Not even a sea," Aeliana said, "We might as well be one in the same these days with how many men from both sides have found themselves on the other."

  "You're right, ma'am," Carl said.

  Stini shook his head, "I don't want the promotion," he said again, "You take it, Lieutenant Cox. You seem to have your head on straight."

  "No can do," Carl said, "I'm a man who believes in following orders till you can't. This one, I can. You're the man for the job, Commander Stini."

  Coming from this mostly stranger, the title sounded even more forced than when he'd heard it from his men. Stini resisted the urge to grimace.

  "Maybe you'll change your mind once I've updated you on our current situation," Stini said. When Carl raised a brow, he went on, "We had the Prince. William Parnell. Then he snuck out of our camp while most of us were on a mission. We haven't been able to find him."

  Carl stared at him, "Prince William is alive?"

  Stini and Aeliana both nodded.

  "We've been making it our priority to attempt to track him," Aeliana said, "so far, we haven't had any luck."

  "We think he might have headed to the shore," Stini said, "We were planning to go there next to look."

  Carl shook his head, "Your orders are to continue to frighten and inspire the citizens of Lamonte, not chase after the prince. If he left of his own accord, it's his own responsibility to make sure he makes it home alright. Scouring the countryside for someone who doesn't want to be found doesn't seem like such a great way to utilize your men."

  Stini sighed. He knew it was true. No matter how bad they wanted to find the prince, they had other things they had to take care of. He was with Janice and Sean anyway, and Stini had idea the three of them could take care of themselves.

  He also had the feeling they were hiding something. He didn't know what, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know, but he felt it nonetheless.

  "My men should be approaching camp within the hour," Stini said. "Will they run into trouble?"

  "No," Carl said, "Not from my men anyway, and we've searched this area pretty well. It doesn't seem like it's playing home to any Lamonte forces."

  "If you've been watching us, why did you never approach?" Aeliana asked.

  Carl turned towards her, "I told you. Every time we thought about it, you were gone. There were people with concerns, obviously. They thought you might be enemy troops. Nobody knew. We didn't want to take any chances with the fever spreading so much."

  Aeliana didn't quite seem satisfied with the answer but she nodded anyway.

  "Have you seen Malevus?" Carl asked.

  "Malevus? She's dead," Stini said, "Her and most of the Lost Brigade were attacked and killed. They'd gone out on a mission. We're what's left -- those who stayed behind."

  Carl shook his head, "You haven't heard then."

  "Heard what?" Stini asked.

  "Malevus has switched sides," Carl told him, "She's fighting for Lamonte now. I thought she'd be here on defense, but perhaps not. They might have sent her to Arinford."

  Stini frowned. "The Malevus I knew wouldn't switch sides. Not possible. Your information must be wrong."

  "Matilyn Malevus, third youngest commander in the last century," Carl said, "Mother died as a child, father of a heart attack. Left her childhood sweetheart to return to Valishna, lost her best friend, Sheldon Eldrin when the war was still fresh. Had an affair with Alice Cori."

  Stini couldn't hide his shock. He hadn't expected that sort of information to be known in a public report. "Oh," he said.

  "Oh is right," Aeliana said, "I remember Malevus. She was an interesting woman. Definitely a good soldier, and a good leader. Having her turn against us isn't a pleasant thought."

  "No, it's not," Stini agreed.

  "It is what it is," Carl said, and he sounded cheerful enough about it. "Can I introduce you to the rest of the men, Commander? They're all very excited to meet you."

  Stini gave Aeliana a hopeless look and gestured for the man to lead the way.

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  It is Our Trick

  WILL COULD HEAR THE SOUNDS OF THE soldiers getting closer. He didn't know if they'd recognized when he'd been taking the rabbit from the snare, but they'd come after him nonetheless. He imagined if he was a Lamonte soldier he'd have done the same. He'd had to run, and even then, he'd barely had enough time to get back to the camp and warn Sean and Janice.

  He couldn't go back to Sullivan's dungeons. He knew if he did, he'd never leave again. It was too dangerous for him there and there were other things he had to do. He didn't have time for imprisonment. Besides, he couldn't stand the thought of Sean and Janice getting taken back there too; they'd die as well. He needed them. They believed in him and he knew they had a part to play in his future.

  More than that, they were his friends. He'd had plenty of friends in the castle but these were different friends. Real friends.

  He forced himself to run faster. He could feel his panic beginning to build. The soldiers were nearly on them. He didn't know what they were supposed to do. The soldiers would either kill them or torture them or take them back. If there had been less of them they would have taken their chances, and fought. They'd killed other troops but these men were too many. It would be easy to get overwhelmed. Janice had been all for trying but Sean had convinced her to run.

  He couldn't go back there though. There were rats and death and Catherine. His breathing was heavy and he knew he wouldn't be able to keep the pace for long. They had to do something. He had to do something.

  He told himself to stop, that he was only making things worse, slowing himself down. He would have been berated for panicking during such a situation were he with Rafinnel. He had a responsibility to protect those with him. He was the future king, after all. Will forced himself to look at their surroundings while he ran.

  The ground was soft beneath his feet. That meant there was water nearby. He tried to listen for the sounds of a stream or a river but his own heart was beating too loudly. He looked ahead. They were coming upon a steep incline. They'd never be able to keep up running if they had to make their way up that.

  "The river!" he shouted at Sean instead, "Where is the river?"

  Janice looked over at him. She was the one good with directions, Will remembered. "Janice! Janice, the river! Where is the river?"

  She looked around before nodding to the west, "That way!" she shouted back. She sounded as out of breath as he felt.

  "Come on!" Will screamed. He broke trail, heading towards the river. Sean and Janice exchanged a look and then followed the prince.

  "We backpedal in the water," Sean said, "Alright, we can do that. Good thinking, Will."

  The three of them waded into the water. It was waist high and freezing.

  "No," Will said after a long moment of silence. He was staring at the water, frowning, "No, we keep moving forward."

  "We can't," Janice said, "The soldiers will catch up in no time. The water slows us down too much, Will. We need to make them think we moved forward but we actually double back."


  "Trust me," Will said, "And move forward." Without waiting to see if either of them would listen, Will made his way forward into the stream. It was difficult work as the current ran the opposite way. "We have to hurry," he told the other two. "Come on!"

  Janice frowned. She wanted to double back and looked ready to argue her point but Sean shook his head at her, "We have to stay with him," he reminded her.

  "I know," Janice said. She still hesitated for another minute and then followed Will. Sean took up the rear, checking over his shoulder occasionally.

  Will hoped he was right. They didn't have much time. He forced himself to pick up his pace in the water. He was soaked and the water was making him shiver all over, but he couldn't let himself stop now. If he was wrong...

  The sound of rushing water became louder and louder until the three of them could hear nothing else. Will let out a sigh of relief, "Hurry," he screamed at the other two. They could at least see the shape of his words.

  He struggled forward as the current became stronger. It had to be soon. They didn't have much more time.

  The waterfall was tall, loud, and the most beautiful thing Will had ever seen in his life. He ran the rest of the distance and then closed his eyes, took a deep breath of air, and hen plunged into it. It took him only seconds to get to the other side but it felt like an eternity. The water pressure was strong and painful.

  Sean and Janice followed him through without hesitation. As soon as Janice had seen the waterfall, she understood. It had taken Sean a second longer, but he'd gone through anyway.

  "You're brilliant," Janice whispered to Will. The three of them pressed their backs flat against the dirt wall that caused the waterfall. It was little more than three feet deep. "How'd you know this was here?"

  "I saw the hill," Will whispered back. They were all panting hard still, almost fully out of breath. "And I knew there was a river."

  Sean frowned at the young teenager, "It could have been a sloped river," he said, "There are plenty of rivers that run down off a hill."