"Should I go up or is she safe to come down?" Penny asked. There had been an unspoken but expected rule that neither she nor the others who had escaped the prison cell would go up for fear of getting Mike into trouble.
"They're safe to come down," Alicia said. She twisted her hands nervously in her lap.
Penny watched her for a moment and then nodded, "Take me to them, Alicia."
"Yes, Lady Belmonte," Alicia said, turning to lead the way. Penny followed her through the packed room. There were over fifty people in at one time, with the mix of rebels and their families that came and went. The children always stayed below. Another exit had been built that led up to a field so there weren't always people leaving Mike's shop.
Alicia led her to small group of people that Penny didn't immediately recognize. She had seen their faces a few times in the city but out of them all, Shauni was the only one Penny knew by first name.
"Miss Belmonte," Shauni said with a small wave. The others inclined their heads in greeting. There were six of them.
"Miss Shauni," Penny said politely back, "I'm sorry, I don't know the names of the rest of you...?"
A woman in the front stepped forward, "I am Shana Caln. This is my husband and his brother-in-law." She gestured at two of the men. "The others are Rebekah Halie and Fred Massing."
Penny nodded to each in turn, "Penelope Belmonte."
"We know who you are," Shana said, "You are the leader of this rebellion, aren't you? Your name is all over town."
Feeling her face heat, Penny nodded, "I guess you could say that."
Shana smiled slightly, "I wanted to thank you. You have a lot of courage. Not many people could step up to the plate and lead."
Caught off guard, Penny smiled back, "Thank you. I have a lot of support though."
"Of course," Shana said, "One person cannot move a mountain. I was pleased to hear you escaped -- we all were."
The others nodded in agreement though nobody seemed brave enough to interrupt Shana. She had a commanding voice and presence.
"We came down to ask a question."
Penny offered her hand out in a feel-free gesture.
Shana cleared her throat, "What's next?"
"What's next?" Penny repeated with a lofted eyebrow, "What do you mean, Miss Caln?"
"Please," Shana said, "I prefer to go by Shana. May I call you Penny?"
"Of course," Penny said. She was starting to feel rather uncomfortable in the situation.
Shana smiled warmly and some of Penny's unease melted away, "I wanted to know what the next plan in the resistance was. What are your plans? I understand you can't explain them in detail because of security purposes but..."
Penny blinked, "We have yet to actually make plans, Shana. We have only just found out the extent of what is happening in town. I am sorry. I will make sure to have you informed of when we do start our next plan so you can join in."
"Join in?" Shana asked, "What? Oh no... we can't do that." She looked over at the others and they all eagerly nodded.
"Why not?" asked Penny, confused.
"Well, we aren't the fighting type," Shana said, "We are much too peaceful for conflict."
"I am a Priest," Penny said gently, "I am the last person who wants conflict. This is something that is necessary, Shana. All of you."
"Yes, but you chose to lead this," Shana explained, "So you have an obligation to it. We aren't the types to join in. We never wanted to. But because of your rebellion, the soldiers are coming down harder on the entire city. Now there is no choice but to get rid of them somehow."
Penny stared at her, incredulous, "There has never been a choice."
"It wasn't so bad before," Shana said, "They were hard but it was not as bad as it is now. My son has to go to those classes where they are teaching him that he cannot be better than anyone, no matter how hard he works! Imagine!"
Biting back a sigh of frustration, Penny tried again, "Shana, you have to be willing to do something if you don't like it. Everyone here is willing to lie down their lives for what they believe. You have to be able to do that too."
"I do not," Shana huffed, "I just wanted to come down here and remind you that you have a responsibility to fix this now that it's a bigger mess than it was before. I do not need a lecture."
Penny forced herself not to yell at the woman. It was dangerous to create enemies in this situation, "You're right, Shana. Thank you for reminding me. I will make sure we implement a plan soon."
Shana gave a self-satisfied look and nodded, "You are welcome. Now, we really must get going, but it was just such a pleasure to meet you, dear."
After she had assured Shana that she enjoyed meeting her too, Penny shooed the woman and her posse off and then let out a long sigh.
"I see that they're bothering you too now," Eldrin said from behind her.
Penny whipped around, startled. She had seen Eldrin very little over the last week. He had been busy trying to find ways to get Janice and Sean out of custody still. The security around them and been increased immensely since the others' escape from prison.
"You've met them?" Penny asked, "Can you believe that woman?"
Eldrin studied her for a moment, "Not those ones, no. I've met dozens of others, though. Most of them ask to speak to you but Alicia and I handle it so you don't have to. They're citizens who want to offer their thanks for your courage but also to command you to finish what you started.
"They want me to fight their battles -- for us to fight them -- but they aren't willing to offer anything themselves for their freedom," Penny said in disgust.
"It's because they just keep getting used to how bad things are," Eldrin explained, "They really do love you. They love all of us. They want us to succeed. They don't have the courage for this, though. They need something pressing to happen -- something that forces immediate action -- if you ever expect them to actually help."
Penny nodded, crossing her arms and rubbing them lightly. She thought about what Eldrin had just said. Slowly an idea formed in her head. It had a possibility of working. It would be scary. It would be dangerous.
She had to set an example.
She had to lie down her life for them, if she expected the same.
Catherine stood in front of her Left Hand. For the first time, they met somewhere public. They were gathered in the dining hall. It was dangerous, but it was worth it. Catherine had things to tell them, things to prepare them for.
"It is almost time," she said in a still, quiet voice that none of them were used to, "I have finished my preparations. It is almost time for my father to die."
People in the room exchanged glances. She knew they were worried about being found out. She was speaking open treason now, and anyone there would be a party to it. But the anger that had come so easily before didn't rise now. She felt only that sense of calm.
Catherine raised her hands in front of her, focusing, her Chakran extended. Suddenly the room was alight. She'd had the servants remove the lighting earlier, and replace it with unlit torches for this very moment. It took a lot of power to be able to light up every torch and to do it all once showed a level of control that was almost unprecedented. It was a show of power, and Catherine understood that this power was so much more than anything she'd done before.
As each one lit up with flames, she saw the astonishment and fear come over their faces. That is what she'd waited so long to see. Fear, and respect. That was why she had learned manipulation. That was why she was doing this.
"My father would execute each and every one of you for this," she said in that same low voice, "But my father will not be King much longer. I see it now, on your faces. You no longer doubt me. But should any of you betray me, I will execute you."
Silence met this.
Then someone in the front broke down and went to their knees, "Queen Catherine."
Catherine waited, and one by one, everyone in the room dropped to their knees, murmuring her title and name over and over again. One man cra
wled forward and kissed the hem of her dress.
Catherine stared forward the entire time, letting the calm feeling of manipulation course through her as her people finally gave her the devotion that she so desired. They would set sail tomorrow, and arrive in Lamonte soon.
"The time has come," she said, "Rise my children. We have a castle to take."
"Where are you going?" Aeliana chased after Stini as he made his way through the camp, "Commander! Talk to me!"
Stini ignored her, ducking into his tent. He started to shove things into the pack he'd long carried around with him.
"What's going on?" Aeliana said again. She had followed him into the enclosed space.
Stini sighed, setting the pack down. He looked over at Aeliana, suddenly weary. "They'll probably pick you," he warned.
Aeliana frowned, "Pick me?"
"Pick you," Stini repeated, "For the position of Commander."
"What are you talking about?" Aeliana demanded.
Stini hesitated. "They're going to replace me as commander here soon, Jehryme."
"Why would they do that?" Aeliana asked, "Has something happened? Why would they replace you. You've been--"
"I asked them to," Stini admitted, "When I first wrote to see if our troops could go home. I asked if I could be replaced at the same time. They denied the request at the time, but now they've decided that my service has been good enough that I should be allowed to stop. I'm going to be allowed an honorable discharge from the Guard. I can go home, Aeliana."
Aeliana stared at him, "You're kidding."
"Why would I kid about this?" Stini asked.
"You've done so much here and now you're going to walk away?" Aeliana asked. Her voice was laced with confusion and anger, "Why would you want to go home?"
Stini shook his head. He should have known that she wouldn't understand. Rose would have, though. Rose would have gotten it. He reached over, beside his pack, looking for his flask. "I didn't want this job," he told her, "I wanted to be a soldier, not a leader. I was given the position of lieutenant and that was almost too high for me. You know... did I ever tell you bout the meetings we'd have?"
Aeliana shook her head.
"There's one that stands out to me," Stini said, "It was this little thing, this decision about whether or not we should send for more supplies from Arinford or if we should try to find more ourselves. I couldn't even weigh in on that. I couldn't think of the reasons for either option. I didn't know which was better."
"You know now though," Aeliana said, "You told us at the last meeting that we should hunt and gather as much as the supplies as possible. You said it would draw too much attention to constantly have food delivered to us."
Stini nodded, "That's what we decided then too. I just repeated what better men than me have said."
Aeliana took the flask out of Stini's hand, "You are a good man," she said gently.
"No," Stini said, "I'm a drunk."
Aeliana unscrewed the lid of the flask and then held her hand outside of the tent, emptying the contents onto the ground outside.
Stini sighed.
"See? Not anymore."
Stini shook his head, "That's not just it. You wouldn't understand."
"Try me," Aeliana said, "Explain it to me, Stini, because we need you here."
"I got her killed, "Stini suddenly burst out, "Kalles! She was barely old enough to be here and I got her killed! I got her killed, Jehryme."
Stini felt himself start to sob. Suddenly, so suddenly, a flaring pain stopped him. He looked up, surprised. Aeliana had slapped him.
"Get yourself together," she hissed out, "Stini, get over it. You think you're the only one who misses Kalles? Who misses Rose? You think there's a day that goes by that I don't look around and think about how she's not here? For the first time since this war started, we have morale. We're moving forward, we're getting shit done."
"Someone else can handle it," Stini started to say but before he could finish the sentence, Aeliana had slapped him again.
He stared at her, unbelieving.
"You're going to get rid of that notice," Aeliana said, "and you're never going to mention it again. You have a duty here, and you're going to do it for two reasons."
"What are those?" Stini asked.
"One, because you know that you should. Somewhere in that selfish, spoiled mind of yours, you know it," Aeliana said, "and two, because if you don't, we're all going to die out here. Is that what you want?"
"No," Stini said.
Aeliana nodded, pushing to her feet and stepping out of the camp, "Then get rid of it, and unpack that bag."
Stini pulled the letter from his pocket after Aeliana had walked away. He smoothed out the wrinkles and reread the words. He could go home.
That was what he wanted. He didn't want to be here, ordering men to go risk their lives to spy on the most dangerous man Cartharia had ever known. He didn't want to lose men and women because of betrayers. He didn't want to be holding the sword that killed children.
He just wanted to go home.
He thought of his wife. His dead wife. They'd killed her. Just like Matilyn had killed Rose.
Nobody was safe. If he went home, they'd still be unsafe. They'd keep dying. How many more deaths would be on his hands?
How much more blood?
"Damn it!" Stini cried out. He grabbed his pack and dumped the contents back into his tent. "Damn it."
It was Rafinnel that approached Stini. He'd been waiting for Battle-Master Marius, the one who'd refused to send his men home, and then had granted him permission to leave by himself. But it was Rafinnel that arrived in his camp.
His men were excited for Rafinnel. They'd travelled with him before, and many of them had been in the camp when Rafinnel had been brought in, close to death. It was like a miracle, seeing him here, alive, healthy.
Stini knew that he should be happy too. He should be glad for a more experienced officer, and for this particular one.
But part of him wanted to hit him instead of shake his hand. Perhaps Rafinnel saw this in his face, because once the formalities were exchanged, he beckoned Stini to follow him on a walk away from the rest of the men.
"You should have let my men go home," Stini said.
"Those orders came from Battle-Master Marius," Rafinnel said.
"Marius has never left Arinford," Stini said, "he's never been out here. He doesn't know what it's like, or what these men have been through. You have. You could have stepped in."
Rafinnel shook his head, "You also know that we need your men out here, Commander. There are so many things you can help us with. There's so much information that your men could have."
Stini shook his head, "It's not fair, Battle-Master. These men have been out here, without their families, for years. Many of them believe they're never going home. Many of them won't. They'll never see their children grow up."
"I know," Rafinnel sighed. "I'm sorry, Commander. It was a decision that came down from the Warlord. Delanu believes that with the amount of time your men have spent in Lamonte, they'll be able to provide crucial information about the geographical locations throughout the kingdom."
Stini couldn't argue that. He knew it was true. His men had been spread out, taking out villages and cities and training camps first. Then they'd moved around to hunt down even more men. Maps were fine, but it was always good to work with someone who had an intimate knowledge of an area.
"And there's Malevus," Rafinnel said, "Your men travelled with her. They knew her the best."
"No," Stini said, "That doesn't work, sir. We may have travelled and fought alongside Commander Malevus before, but she's not the same now. She's not the same person at all. I could no more tell you what she'd be likely to do or whether she'd attack than you could."
Rafinnel nodded. He seemed to have been expecting that.
"How did the people in Arinford take her treason?" Stini asked, suddenly curious.
"They didn't," Rafinnel said, "It is
a highly guarded military secret, Commander. The Warlord and the King and council were all in agreement on this. It would hurt the morale of the kingdom to know that she switched sides."
Stini frowned, considering this, "She was a Commander. It's a high-ranking position, but it isn't as though she were a Battle-Master like you," he pointe out, "It shouldn't be that big of a deal."
"The Warlord disagreed," Rafinnel said, "and I'm inclined to agree with her. Malevus's rank was not as high as it could have been, but she was still an officer. On top of that, she was a well-known officer. She was one of the first priests trained to fight, and she became well revered throughout Arinford after her defense of Teirford. When she as promoted to Commander, she gave hope. She was nothing but a citizen before, but she rose to her position in less than a year. Third youngest in history."
"I see," Stini said.
"To out her as a traitor would be a dash to the hopes of every single person out there that believes that Gods were behind us," Rafinnel said, "They'd no longer believe in her, and vicariously, our cause. No, it must be kept a secret."
Understanding came to Stini in a quick flash, "That's why," he said.
Rafinnel frowned.
"That's why my men are still here," Stini said, "That's why Delanu and Marius refused my request to have them sent home. This isn't about what we can do here in Lamonte. This is about keeping us silent. Isn't it?"
"You were given a chance to return home," Rafinnel said.
"Right," Stini said, "Because you could have kept me quiet, but an entire division? That'd be more difficult, right?"
Rafinnel was silent, merely meeting his gaze. That confirmed it for Stini. He could feel the bitterness welling up in him, threatening to overwhelm and spill out. He thought of his men and their disappointment, and of Aeliana and Rose.
Rafinnel reached out to put a hand on Stini's shoulder but Stini jerked back away from him, "Don't," he warned, "I don't know how much control I have right now, Battle-Master. I don't like that my men have been treated like pawns here, kept in Lamonte so they can be kept silent. Those men have done more than you and your CO's could ever know."
Revolution (Cartharia Book 2) Page 52
