“Ho!” a yell came up from their left and both Cyndar and Brandt spurred their horses in that direction. Nearly a dozen other cavalrymen moved with them and it wasn’t long before they spotted the cause of the warning shout. A group of Deutzani foot soldiers numbering around twenty were hiding among of copse of trees near the Scar River. They were perhaps three quarters of the way to Lynndon. The fight was brief and deadly for the Deutzani. de Baard was very disappointed she only had the chance to kill one, before all the men were dispatched by the swords of others. Brandt, who was too large for his mount, arrived too late to share in the fun, but he did not begrudge his lover, as far as he was concerned she could kill every Deutzani they came across, if that is what she wished.
Afterwards they left the stripped bodies of the enemy soldiers in the hot sun to rot, and headed a bit farther to the east before circling north. They would continue to scout in that direction for the rest of the afternoon before heading back toward Manse the following morning. The Deutzani were scarce, and riding about the countryside looking for stragglers was a hot and mostly tedious job, but it was far better than sweating over the mass of dead back at the battle sight. Not one of the two hundred in the group would change places with any of the poor saps left behind at Manse.
“There are fewer and fewer to find,” Captain Tanner said as he rode up next to them on a barely discernable cart path, which rightfully couldn’t be called a road at all. The sun was very low on the horizon now, and air was finally turning cooler. They were riding through a large, empty swath of land, though there were men off to their right searching through a shallow tree line. But after the excitement of earlier in the day, no additional enemy troops were spotted.
Brandt nodded. “The King will have a clear run up to Solarii,” he answered. The men had taken to calling Gwaynn, “the King,” even though officially he had to be crowned by High King Mastoc for the right to wear the moniker. No one believed, however, that the High King would ever grant Gwaynn the honor, so they’d elevated his status on their own accord.
The Deutzani defeat was spreading across Massi faster than their search, and in every small town they approached they’d been met with jubilant citizens who reported that the Deutzani had abandoned their posts and fled northeast toward the finger. Many local men and a good deal of the women tried to join the hunting party, but Tanner shook them off and sent all who were able to fight to Manse where Bock could evaluate and assign them. If all the hunting parties out searching for the enemy were encountering the same level of intensity then the King’s army would grow very, very rapidly.
“We’ll make camp just before sunset,” Tanner said speaking to Brandt, but his eyes flickered toward Cyndar. The large man noticed and was pleased, happy for the envy of those around him. He truly felt blessed.
“Do you think we should push out closer to Solarii?” Cyndar asked, just wanting to kill more men. With her it was always an insatiable need, but it had grown since meeting Gwaynn.
Tanner shook his head, clearly delighted at being addressed by the beautiful and deadly woman. He knew of Bock’s plans to offer her the position of Captain and fully endorsed it and a small part of him hoped that Brandt would become jealous and the two would have a falling out. “No…Bock expects us back. If we stray too far out it might cause them undue worry. The countryside seems to be devoid of any real threat in any case.”
“Well then,” de Baard said with a smile for both men, “let’s hope we hurry to Solarii.”
ǂ
“I just don’t trust her,” Samantha said as she was getting dressed for the morning. Gwaynn was to lead her and the army to Solarii. She was feeling ill, and hadn’t felt right for over a week now, but she didn’t say anything about it to Gwaynn. She didn’t want to worry him. He was so sure the poison needle knife had grazed her skin the first morning she woke up feeling queasy and the thought terrified him. But everything checked out. The needle knife had not touched her; of that she was sure…she’d be dead by now if it had.
Gwaynn sat on a small wooden chair staring at the hollow of her lower back, marveling at her smooth skin, at least until she pulled on her shirt. He sighed, slightly dejected by the loss. Looking at her, being with her, had awakened an old devil hidden deep within his being. The devil was a feeling, a feeling from his youth. His heart was filled with dread that it would one day rule him again, as it had for so many years of his childhood. The devil was fear; something he thought was conquered forever. But the closer he grew to Samantha and the more he grew to care, the stronger the fear grew inside of him. It was as if love was a powerful fertilizer for the gutless. To fight it, he buried his fear as far down into his core as he could, hoping with all his heart that it would not escape and turn him into the coward he used to be.
“She’s with Brandt now,” Gwaynn argued, shaking off his inner turmoil, trying to deflect Samantha’s anger.
Samantha turned and faced him, pulling her hair up into a ponytail with practiced ease. “Yes, but do you not see how she still looks at you?”
Gwaynn stood and walked over to her. He reached for her loosely and pulled her closer, looking down into her upturned face. “Yes, but do you not see how I look at you?” He repeated back to her, and she couldn’t help but smile.
“Smooth,” she said. “But I still don’t trust her. The knife that killed Bull came from her direction. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was the one who threw it.”
Gwaynn sighed again. “We’ve considered it, but she’s been through too much. Prince Phillip thinks very highly of her,” he added already missing the company of his Toranado friends, who’d left the previous morning for the Gap. Phillip had taken Laynee with him so that all three groups could communicate readily with one another. Zebo would be staying in Manse, while Gwaynn himself would make up the third part of the Speaker trio. Their ability to share information would give them an immense advantage over their enemies.
“And did you see how she argued against staying in Manse, even though Lonogan has elevated her to Captain,” Samantha continued, somehow gaining momentum despite Gwaynn’s efforts to calm her.
“Yes…I saw. And you don’t believe she just wants to kill Deutzani?”
Samantha said nothing as she pulled on her boots. They walked from the tent together and out into the warm cloudy morning.
“I hope it doesn’t rain,” Gwaynn commented, glancing up into the sky. He’d had enough of rain for a while.
“I miss Bull,” Samantha stated as they approached Eve, and Maggie, her new mount, a piebald mare of brown and white, and though she was a fine, spirited horse, to Samantha, she seemed a bit on the small side.
“The men are ready M’lord,” Captain Tanner said, his new lieutenant Jeffery Gaston at his side.
Gwaynn nodded. “Are the scouts out?” He asked, knowing full well that a vast area around Manse had been cleared of any Deutzani stragglers these past weeks.
“Yes M’lord.”
Gwaynn felt uncomfortable with the constant use of the royal title but thus far was unable to stop the spread of its use. After their victory at Manse even his Captain’s were falling into the habit. Only Krys and Samantha refrained, even Lonogan Bock had uttered the designation once, but Gwaynn’s glower put a quick stop to it.
Lonogan was there now, holding Eve’s reins to see his Prince and the majority of the army off to war. He wanted to go with the army to Solarii, but Gwaynn insisted he stay in Manse and continue the work of rebuilding. It was to be his new capital city. Bock would also coordinate the training of the vast influx of new volunteers that were streaming into Manse from all over the land. Gwaynn knew that if Massi was again challenged by the High King and his Temple Knights they would need every strong Massi man and brave Massi woman to be as well trained as possible.
Their training was of the utmost importance, which was why Gwaynn decided to leave behind Bock along with many of his best Captain’s including Marcum, Hahn and Cyndar Huntley. Gwaynn had an ulterior motive in leav
ing Huntley behind…his own peace of mind. But Gwaynn did not feel short-handed; he was bringing along his Weapons Master Krys, Captain Tanner and of course Samantha. Captain Fultan…archer supreme. Samantha had her own support group tagging along, including the lumbering Cobb and Olney Hawser, who was becoming quite the deadly archer himself.
“Contact us if you run into anything unexpected,” Bock urged.
“I will, and you make sure to run a well armed body of archers and ground troops up to Colchester to keep an eye on the Aleria Pass. We don’t want any surprise from that direction,” Gwaynn answered.
Bock chuckled. “No…it’s as good as done. Be careful my King,” he added throwing away all caution.
“You do likewise…my General,” Gwaynn answered and everyone around him laughed at the shocked expression which came over Lonogan’s face.
“Titles aren’t easy to live with are they?” Gwaynn quipped and then still smiling he turned Eve to the northeast and moved to the front of the column. Without looking back he led his most experienced troops in the direction of Solarii, and the only enemy army left on Massi soil.
The Massi army moving northward numbered right at eighteen thousand. It was mostly comprised of foot soldiers and archers, plus about three thousand cavalry. Captain Tanner made sure there were plenty of scouts out on all sides to prevent any surprises. It was an unnecessary precaution because the countryside was indeed devoid of all Deutzani troops. As they moved from town to town the bells of the watchtowers greeted them happily and the people lined the streets, celebrating their freedom and the return of their King. All along the way a great wave of volunteers threatened to flood the army but Gwaynn insisted that those who wished to fight must make their way to Manse.
Day after day their travels were much the same. Samantha’s felt out of sorts but kept it from Gwaynn as best she could and was relieved that he appeared not to notice. During the times when she was able, they ate well; the people were happy to donate food, and when they camped the army close to a town, Gwaynn and Samantha were able to sleep indoors and share a bed. They moved with impunity through the countryside but the closer they moved to Solarii and the closer they moved to battle, the more Gwaynn’s stomach would tie itself in knots with worry. Samantha could not die, not her, not as so many others before her. He instinctively knew that he could not lose her and stay sane, stay human. If she died a vast part of himself would die as well, if not all of him.
As they marched north and east his unease swelled. A battle was looming…the final battle.
“We’re coming to Millvale,” Samantha said nervously one morning. She’d retched up her breakfast behind the farmhouse they’d stayed in the previous night. She felt bad about it, for the simple, stocky woman of the house had gone to great lengths to prepare the morning meal for them. The entire family acted obviously honored and nervous to have their King share their home and meal.
Gwaynn nodded his head. “Yes, and then it will be straight north from there,” he answered hiding the small tremors of nervousness that went through his body. “We’ll hit Drake before the final push to Solarii. It’s eerie passing through so much country uncontested,” he added, believing the Deutzani were massing their forces for the last defense of the city.
“I…I would like to go to my home…and…and see to my family,” Samantha sputtered as they rode. She risked looking at him and tears welled in her eyes. She took a deep breath and fought to keep from sobbing outright. They were close now. During the day she spotted landmarks she knew from old and instinctively excitement would course through her. She was close to home, but then the realization would hit her that her home was gone. Her family was dead and she would never see them again. Her spirit would drop, and then she would see another familiar field or turn in the road and the cruel process would start all over again.
“Of course,” Gwaynn agreed, feeling her pain as no other could. He reached out and took her hand and they rode hand in hand for over a mile, Gwaynn thinking of his own family, wondering if their bodies were properly taken care of, or did the Deutzani just let them rot on the walls of Solarii. Anger swelled in him once again and for the first time since leaving Manse he felt no fear, no fear at all.
“Just me and you?” Samantha asked hopefully. She knew there was little chance his Captains would agree, but she was gratified to see Gwaynn smile at her.
“I don’t think Captain Tanner will be enamored with the idea, but I will fight to keep our escort to a minimum.”
Samantha nodded then turned quiet. Twenty minutes later they entered Millvale.
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Captain Tanner assigned thirty of his best cavalry men to accompany Gwaynn and Samantha and called for the army to make camp on the outskirts of Millvale even though it was just past noon.
“I’ll keep them well away from the house,” Gwaynn told her, but Samantha found she could not speak. Panic seized her as they rode down the lane toward her old home, and the fear it caused nearly overwhelmed her.
‘He’s dead…he’s dead…he’s dead,’ she told herself over and over, but it hardly helped. She felt hot and flushed even though the day was breezy. When she spotted the house through the trees, she pulled Maggie up short and stopped. Gwaynn signaled his officers and men to spread out and create a perimeter around the property.
“I will call if help is needed,” he said and without question the men rode off to take up their positions.
As they moved off, Samantha began to weep, softly at first, but then in great heaving sobs. Gwaynn moved Eve closer so that his leg touched hers, but said nothing, knowing that she must purge such overpowering sadness alone. Her grief overwhelmed her for nearly ten minutes but finally she was able to compose herself enough to move closer. She kicked Maggie forward, her attention fixed on what was her home for nearly all of her life. Tears welled in her eyes once more and she had to blink repeatedly to clear them.
As they rode her eyes remained fastened to the house, and she wondered morbidly if Murl and Wellman were still swinging from the tree out front. She felt sickened by the idea but as they made the turn and were half way to the house she realized there were no bodies swinging from the branches and no bodies piled beneath it.
It wasn’t until they were nearly to the house before she finally spotted the markers sticking from the ground. She slid from her horse and shuffled to the tree; her injured leg was healing fast but still grew stiff at times. Coming from behind them as she did, she saw no writing on any of the headstones and it wasn’t until she moved around them that she saw the names of the servants, her sisters and finally her father Thomas Fultan. She sank to her knees and began crying all over again. This time, however, Gwaynn dismounted and came to her. He knelt by her side and hugged her tightly and together they read all the names that were carved into the wood.
They stayed kneeling beneath the large oak for a very long time but then a series of shouts drifted around from the back of the house followed by a loud yelp. Thinking the worst, Gwaynn stood and pulled Samantha to her feet. They moved across the front of the house and then around the side and immediately spotted a dozen men on horses coming their way. Even from a distance Gwaynn could see that most were his men, but there were two strangers among them, both men, one older and one still just a boy.
“Lonney…Tomm,” Samantha said absently, her tone almost confused, but then her face lit up and she rushed forward to meet them. Gwaynn’s men, still cautious, pulled the two up short, placing themselves between the newcomers and their King, but Samantha ran around them and Gwaynn shook them off. Tomm noticed the signal from the tall young man and wondered briefly at it, but then his attention was back on the girl standing before him.
“It was you…you did this,” Samantha said, but neither the man nor the boy heard her. They were already yelling greetings, the simple joy of seeing her alive overpowering them both. Lonney was off his horse in an instant and though he was young he picked the now laughing Samantha up and swung her around utterly overjoye
d.
“You’re alive…alive, but how?” the boy asked, setting her down, both of them still smiling.
“My, but you’re strong now,” Samantha teased her young friend then turned to Tomm Madres. “Thank you Tomm,” she said indicating the graves with a wave of her hand.
“It was nothing,” he said and gently took her into his arms, “but you’re alive. When I traveled back to Lynndon and found out about Wake and Bert…well I don’t know. I thought surely you were dead.”
Samantha spun around happily. “I’m alive…the bastard Executioner is the one dead.”
“Wow!” Lonney said. “You killed him?” Then very rapidly he added. “We’ve been looking after your place, hoping you’d come back…I knew you would. The Deutzani all took off, and the King is in Millvale. Did you know that?”
Samantha laughed again, and Tomm and Gwaynn joined her. “Yes Lonney, I know the King is in Millvale,” she said and the boy felt a surge of pleasure at hearing her say his name, and with a smile on her face no less.
“We’re heading to join him,” Tomm said seriously, looking from Samantha to Gwaynn wondering if this young man was perhaps a lead scout for the King.
Samantha smiled and looked to Gwaynn. “Well then, let me introduce you. Tomm and Lonney Madres, meet King Gwaynn Massi.” Gwaynn smiled, also feeling a surge of pleasure. It was the first time Samantha had referred to him as King, and somehow her words made it more real than all the others. Tomm and Lonney stood open-mouthed for a moment until Gwaynn bowed low.
“Any friends of Samantha’s are my friends as well,” he said then moved forward to take their hands. Tomm held out his hand and took Gwaynn’s weakly in his own before falling to his knees.
“It is you…I can see Arnot…”
Gwaynn pulled him back to his feet then shook Lonney’s hand. “Come you must tell me how you helped Samantha escape Navarra.”
Assassin of the Heart: Book Two: The Temple Islands Series Page 36
