The Trees And The Night (Book 3)

by Daniel McHugh

  Olean glared at Teeg as Prophar broke in.

  “You seem to believe we preserved no options,” commented the Lord Chamberlain. “Why then do you tarry with your report? What are you waiting for? The Hunly I know never makes a move without availing himself of all the information at hand. Is this your plan?”

  “You know me well, Prophar,” smiled Teeg. “I must hear all you plan to make a proper decision, but first I insured myself the upper hand in this situation.”

  All in the room relaxed save Olean. Clitch even allowed a slight wink toward Teeg. The man already convinced himself that Hunly acted as always. Master Hunly of the estates of Manfir simply worked in his own best interest. It was business, pure and simple. Prophar stroked the thin beard that traced his mouth.

  “The Spear is a weeks march from the north gate and will never return to Rindor,” stated Prophar confidently. “Three dozen of the king’s guard maintain order within the city proper. The wealth and power of Rindor are there for the taking. We must simply ...”

  “Prophar,” interrupted Olean. “You intend to tell him all?”

  The Lord Chamberlain spun on Olean.

  “He thinks he holds power,” laughed Prophar, “but in reality we stand at a stalemate. If he leaves and spreads word of deceit and treason, we have simply to refute it. Who is to say what was truly uttered within these four walls? We are all citizens of equal or greater standing than the great Master Hunly. Corad Kingfisher is gone and Queen Lucyn is a simpleton. She will take the word of a dozen loyal subjects and her chamberlain over that of one man.

  “Also, I will tell him because we need him. When he learns all, he will see that resistance is futile. Once he hears, he will have no choice than to cast his lot with us and follow the plan.”

  The two men faced one another for a moment then Olean nodded his head in compliance. Prophar spun back to Teeg. All eyes locked on the chamberlain.

  “The Keltar will come first. Zodra is their target,” said the chamberlain. “They will pound the city down and eventually occupy it. However, they will not hold it long. Their battle with the Zodrians will weaken them. The giants will not withstand the measured might of the Ulrog Horde as it sweeps from the North. All will fall before the stone men.

  “Once Zodra is taken, the Ulrog will move on the South. Luxlor and the Elven vermin are their goal, but they cannot afford to leave Rindor at their back. They will pour all of their efforts here to smash the river city. That is when we will make our move. Men under our control will overthrow the few remaining soldiers and we will turn the city over.”

  “For what?” exclaimed Teeg, “So we can all be executed in the streets?”

  Prophar laughed.

  “Even you, the wise Master Hunly, swallow the lies and stories fed to us by our rulers. For years we complied with all the nobles asked out of fear. The Ulrog, the Keltar and even our Zodrian allies are portrayed as threats to the kingdom in order for us to do as we are told and keep the line of Kingfisher upon the throne.

  “What have we achieved? Nothing. Corad and his brood remain on the throne and our city grows stagnant. We are kept in check by fear. Fear propagated by our rulers.”

  “But we are prosperous. The city thrives while our neighbors to the North grow hungry,” protested Teeg.

  “So we are doomed with food in our bellies instead of without. The results are the same,” replied Prophar. “The Ulrog do not intend to slaughter us. They intend to enslave us, an inevitable conclusion to the tide of change in this world.

  “However, even amongst slaves there exists a hierarchy. Some must lead. Some must command. We are best suited for that task. An ample reward for our complicity in the city’s downfall. Now do you see the opportunity we afford you? Now do you understand why you cannot deny us?”

  “No. I do not understand,” came a calm and steady reply from the doorway.

  The washerwoman stood beside the open door to the alley. She was no longer hunched forward, but held herself ramrod straight. The scarf and dirty gray hair that had obscured her features lay at her feet and beside her in the darkness stood Captain Lintos in his silver breastplate and helm.

  “I do not understand how a man entrusted and honored by his king can harbor such evil and hatred when shown such love,” continued Queen Lucyn.

  All the men at the table froze as the queen stepped forward shedding the rags that covered her. She was attired in a simple dress of blue.

  “I do not understand how a group of men with such outstanding intellect can fall prey to the manipulations of the Deceiver. I do not understand how the lives of many can be bartered for the lives of a few,” exclaimed Lucyn, her voice rising. “I do not understand what led you down this road gentlemen, but I do understand how to deal with it.”

  Their eyes darted about the chamber. Olean fumbled with the hilt of his sword and slowly rose.

  “Do sit down, Olean,” chided Teeg. “I would certainly be annoyed if required to clean your treacherous blood from my throwing daggers.”

  The Elf lord lazed within his chair but his fingers agilely spun a pair of Almar handled daggers. Lintos stepped forward and stood beside his queen as a half dozen more guards filled the doorway behind him. Olean halted mid-rise and settled back into his chair.

  “Have you heard enough to properly charge and prosecute these men, my lady?” asked Teeg rising from his chair.

  “Yes, I believe so, Lord Teeg,” answered Lucyn. “Will you be returning to the court of Luxlor now?”

  The men about the table exchanged looks of confusion and uncertainty. The truth registered only in the eyes of Prophar.

  “Master of Spies,” snorted the chamberlain in disgust. “Your interference will garner you only a small reprieve before Amird rules all, Elf.”

  Teeg cocked his head back and flashed a puzzled look at Prophar.

  “'Twas not my interference that saved this kingdom from the likes of you, chamberlain. I was merely called upon to act as a puppet in this play. The strings were pulled by Rindor’s own Master of Spies. That is who uncovered your plot and devised a means to bring it down.”

  Prophar’s lips curled in hatred. Who was this man Teeg referenced, this officer he failed to detect? Teeg chuckled at the chamberlain’s expression then turned and bowed before Lucyn.

  “For a simpleton,” laughed Teeg, “you’ve made this fool chamberlain and his cronies dance upon your strings, my lady. May your realm always be protected with such simplicity.”

  Prophar’s eyes widened. Lucyn allowed a devious smile to play across her face as Teeg rose, winked and strode past her into the dark alley.

  Teeg leaned against a wall as Lintos and his troops led the conspirators past him. Lucyn strolled toward him with a frown on her face.

  “Corad departed with the knowledge that the kingdom lay secure,” stated Lucyn. “I averted a rebellion, but have simultaneously left Rindor virtually defenseless.”

  “You command Lintos and his men,” replied Teeg.

  “A few dozen,” said Lucyn. “Not nearly enough to defend the walls even from the weakest of opponents and I cannot trust those men remaining in the employ of the great houses.”

  “What are your options?” asked Teeg.

  Lucyn searched her mind then arched an eyebrow.

  “You have built quite a force on Manfir’s estates,” stated the queen.

  “Tis true,” replied Teeg.

  “They are trained and loyal fighters?”

  “Many come from a background in which they served one force or another,” stated the Elf. “Manfir might be unable to vouch for them, but I can assure you they are a force to be reckoned with. What is it you propose?”

  “You must deliver these men to Rindor,” demanded Lucyn. “They will become the river city’s defense.”

  “But Lord Manfir’s estates ...”

  “Mean nothing if Rindor falls.”

  Teeg furrowed his brow and drew his lips tight. He struggled with the possibilities. Finally,
he spoke.

  “My mercenaries are yours, Queen Lucyn,” said the Master of Spies. “Leave defense and control of the city of Rindor to me.”

  Queen Lucyn nodded and spun to depart with her men. Teeg Cin Fair, the Master of Spies, slyly smiled as he watched her stroll from Jergson’s Way.

  CHAPTER 17: THE TREES AND THE NIGHT

  Three days in the saddle with the Eru taught Kael much. First, the people of the plains were a true anomaly. At first glimpse, the Eru were nomads without a home to lay their head. According to Temujen, the Eru had never laid stone to foundation nor hammered one piece of wood to another. They looked upon the great palaces of their neighbors as prisons, serving the purpose of locking in their inhabitants more adequately than protecting them.

  The tents of the nomads were like nothing Kael had ever seen. Pavilions, sleeping quarters, kitchens and slaughterhouses were all in the Eru’s design. Many of the huge tents had flaps that, when tied, opened wide windows to the breezes of the plains. Intricately woven rugs and lush animal skins provided soft flooring. Huge pillows and the occasional chair or divan provided all the comfort needed in the spacious tents.

  The Eru were also expert at arranging and constructing their moving city. When the chieftain chose a place to camp for the evening, the population spun into a frenzy and within minutes the massive camp was arranged around his pavilion. Every tent, yurt and hut held a position assigned to it in relation to the chieftain’s pavilion and a team that struck it in that spot. The Eru were a model of efficiency.

  However, as efficiently as the Eru labored in their arrangement of the city, they appeared equally as inefficient in their march east. Kael expected the procession to be led by Temujen and his battle riders, followed by a tightly clustered group of women, children and pack animals. This expectation disintegrated on the first day of travel when Hai, Kael and Eidyn caught the main group of the Eru.

  The tribe slowly trotted east with no true leader at their helm. Battle riders interspersed amongst the pack animals and people. The populous carried on jovial conversations, bartered for goods, told stories and simply went about the everyday occurrences of any large, Zodrian town. It was as if Kelky rode on horseback, traveling dozens of leagues, but refusing to forgo their everyday life despite the rigors of travel. Kael found the Eru fascinating.

  After the second day of travel, the procession crossed the southerly flowing Frizgard. At this point, the roaring mountain rapids turned into an old meandering river, as it slowed and spread out on its way to Lake Eru. The water was shallow in most places since the snowcaps of the great peaks had melted earlier in the season. Men, women and children picked their way across the steady water flow.

  Each night, Temujen held court in his pavilion. Disputes were settled, work assignments made, even weddings performed. Temujen gave all elders a say in the proceedings and willingly listened to any argument. Kael believed the nomad’s society more civilized than even Zodra’s.

  By the fifth day the Mirozert Mountains rose in the East and the edges of the Derol forest darkened their feet. Temujen called for a halt in the early afternoon and the tent city materialized on the plains.

  Kael and Eidyn knew their position in the city’s layout and proficiently erected their small quarters.

  Dinner usually followed in Temujen’s main hall. The young men tended to their mounts then entered the hall to join the meal. This evening, however, Temujen’s attendants furnished the expansive tent differently. They arranged cushions and pillows in a much more orderly fashion and all tables faced an inner, open space.

  Hai greeted the young men as they entered and led them to places near his own. Within moments the giant tent filled. The noise of eating and talking permeated the air. Kael’s eyes scanned the assembly. Temujen and Fondith sat opposite the circle from Hai and his guests. Ader occupied a place at the chieftain’s right hand. The remainder of the circle was composed of various Eru except a trio far to Kael’s right.

  These three men were set apart from the rest by their unusual garb and weaponry. Each was outfitted head to toe in clothes of muted green patterns. Their cloth hats were green. Their tunics a slightly darker shade. Their breeches somewhat lighter and their stockings as dark a shade of green as Kael had ever seen. They rested long bows near the edges of their pillows, and sported small hatchets through loops attached to their belts.

  The men were affable. They spoke and laughed the loudest whether commenting on another’s jest or telling one of their own. The leader of the three was a man of considerable size with light tousled hair and a pale blonde beard. His comrades deferred to him on all matters of importance and Kael heard the Derol Forest mentioned more than once.

  Halfway through the meal the tent flap opened and the conversation fell off as a group of knights entered Temujen’s hall. The knights wore silver armor and helms, which they quickly removed and deposited by the entrance. Beneath their steel each wore flowing white shirts embossed with a blue battlement insignia.

  The group of five knights filed into the hall behind their leader, a gray and balding man of an extremely sober disposition. The leader moved toward Temujen. The chieftain and his wife rose and bowed low. The knight returned the bow as Temujen offered him a seat. He nodded but hesitated before sitting as he stared hard at the Seraph seated near the chieftain. Ader simply nodded toward the knight then turned away.

  The conversation slowly built again as the remaining knights chose empty places about the hall and attendants placed dinner before them. Kael found himself nervously glancing in their leader’s direction as the man’s cold penetrating eyes scanned the room and settled on the boy.

  The contrast between the Derolian woodsmen and the blue knights couldn’t be starker. The woodsmen’s raucous behavior grew with each course of the dinner. Their liberal use of the wineskins added to this behavior. The big blonde grabbed food and drink as servers passed him with trays intended for others. Wine sloshed from his goblet and spilled on both his own garments and the cushions provided for seating.

  “My apologies,” murmured the stonefaced leader of the knights to Temujen. “The Ulrog raids make times lean in the Derol.”

  “None needed,” smiled Temujen in reply. “I am honored and blessed to provide a household where others feel so at home.”

  If the woodsmen pushed the boundaries of propriety, the knights on the other hand displayed nothing but total decorum. They ate very little and quietly interacted with their hosts, engaging the Eru sitting about them in deep intellectual conversation. They spoke in clear articulate sentences, crystalizing their thoughts into perfect unadorned meaning before presenting them. When spoken to, the knights remained still and absolutely attentive.

  At first Kael thought the knights too dour and serious, but shortly his mind changed by the expression on the faces of the Eru. The men and women of the Erutre sat in fascination of the depth and breadth of the knight’s understanding of various topics. The Eru reveled in lessons learned and delighted in passing on information concerning their own areas of specialty.

  After some time the meal concluded and Temujen stood. All those present followed his lead. The chieftain bowed and thanked all for joining him for the feast. When the many returns of thanks died down the chieftain spoke.

  “Now it is time for those of my tribe to retire to their tents. We will continue our journey east tomorrow and there is much to be done,” announced the chieftain. “I will remain here in council with our friends from the Derol and Astel. May Avra bless you.”

  Kael bowed with the others in attendance. The Eru streamed from the tent and Kael turned to depart when he heard Temujen call.

  “Kael Brelgson and Eidyn Valpreaux. I would require that you remain here with Ader Giftgiver.”

  Kael turned back to face the chieftain and was struck again by the penetrating eyes of the leader of the blue knights. Ader noted the stare and moved into the center of the open circle as servers removed the tables and arranged cushions in a tight ring.r />
  “Come, gentlemen,” said the Seraph waving the group in. “Gather round so we may have a more intimate setting in such a large room.”

  Those remaining followed his advice. Temujen set himself on a simple gold pillow and propped himself lazily against its back. Hai crossed over and sat beside his father as Ader took the young riders place beside Kael.

  The Astelan knights gathered about their leader and sat to Hai’s right. The Derolians, hardly moving from their original seats, remained to Temujen’s left. The chieftain poured a strong earthy drink from a steaming carafe into long slender mugs. Kael found the aroma eye opening and the drink doubly so. As attendants moved about the room, the Astelans huddled in quiet conversation with many furtive glances toward the Seraph and his two young charges. The Derolians laughed loudly and amiably at one another's quips, affording the Astelans cover for their discussion. The strong voice of the leader of the blue knights rose above the din.

  “I thank the chieftain of the Eru for his gracious hospitality,” said the knight. “As always, you and your people are generous and loyal.”

  “Tis an easy task when the company is so pleasant,” replied Temujen nodding toward the knight.

  The woodsmen raised a glass in toast, each muttering “Here! Here!”.

  “However,” continued the knight, “it is duty that calls us to your camp and duty we must attend.”

  “Quite true,” returned Temujen. “Please go on.”

  The blue knight stroked the stubble on his face and for the first time Kael noted a struggle with confidence enter the stern man’s expression.

  “The Derol is in danger of falling,” stated the knight abruptly.

  Temujen raised a brow in alarm and Kael noticed a sag in Ader’s shoulders. The Derolian woodsmen quieted and focused on the knight.

  “The Ulrog raid ever more frequently over the Mirozert from Astel and the combined forces of the Derolians and the knights can no longer stem the tide.”

  “Have they taken a foothold in the Derol yet?” questioned Ader.