by Jon Bender
“How will the smaller units be able to keep up?” asked Lord Kavin.
“They may not, but their smaller size and lack of wagons will increase their speed. Taking all three passes will also ensure that none of the enemy will be able to use one to circle behind our forces. Once through, the land is flatter. We will regroup there and press the fight.”
“And if the traitor decides to attack one of the columns with his entire force?” asked the same man, a commander in full plate armor.
“That is where Lady Adriana and her riders come in,” Dillion cut in as Enrick took his seat. “Each column will have durgen escorting from above. If they should come under attack from a large force, that column is to hold in a defensive position until the riders can inform the others, who will circle around and attack from behind. The scout units will then converge from the sides, trapping Tandis. If we meet little to no resistance, we regroup, and you shall have your open battle, Lord Kavin.”
Kavin nodded and raised his cup towards Enrick, who nodded in recognition of the salute. “A solid strategy, Lord Enrick. I see now why you slipped away from me so many times when I thought there was no escape. We three shall lead the columns?” he asked the king.
“Yes. We need to decide the number, size, and leaders of the scouting units,” Dillion replied.
The next hour was spent going over the details of the plan. Enrick suggested that Warin and Lexa join the king in his column while Darian and Da’san travel with Lord Kavin. Jaxom and Adriana would join him, and the small risen force would be split equally among the three. Jaxom was in the middle of arguing against separating his friends when the soldier who had laid out the maps whispered in Dillion’s ear. The king’s face hardened before he nodded and whispered a reply to the soldier who left.
“It seems we have guests,” Dillion said, standing and looking toward the door of the inn. When it opened, a cold gust of air filled the room. The soldier walked in followed by seven men in robes of assorted colors. Leading them was a man in his mid-thirties wearing the brown robes of an earth mage. He wore his blond hair perfectly trimmed to fit his sculpted features. His light brown eyes scanned the room with suspicion. Jaxom noticed that those calculating orbs paused
longer on both him and Enrick before finally settling on the king.
The earth mage came to the opposite end of the table and bowed low to the king. “Your Majesty, we have come to aid you in reclaiming Kelran.
The king sat silently for a long moment, then spoke. “One year, Allar. You and your mages stayed away for a year as my kingdom was torn apart. Now you offer aid when we are on the verge of victory?”
“Your Majesty was not Yourself. We had no choice but to go into hiding. Many of our brothers and sisters were killed in secret before we understood--”
“Enough!” King Dillion interrupted, slamming his fist on the table. “You could have fought. Many of my people did. Lord Enrick, a commoner, fought. You swore to protect my kingdom from magical threat, and you did nothing. It took a handful of mages and their companions from another kingdom to do what you would not!”
“Your Majesty, perhaps it would be better if we had this discussion in private,” Kavin said, looking about the room at the worried faces.
“Leave us!” Dillion said angrily.
Jaxom stood with the rest, but Dillion waved for him to stay. Nodding, Jaxom held Adriana’s wrist and nodded to Darian as well. The room cleared with the exception of Enrick, Kavin, Allar, and a fire mage. Jaxom felt a flow of energy. Someone was testing him for magical ability. Jaxom resisted the urge to grab onto that power and teach the mage a few things. Across the table, Enrick looked like had had felt it as well.
“It seems that you have found other mages to aid you, Your Majesty,” Allar said.
“As I told you, these mages came from Ale’adaria to do what you should have. This is Jaxom Baldrin, Lord of Terika, his lady Adriana, and Magus Darian of the Ale’adar Mages’ Council.”
Allar looked at Jaxom with surprise and anger that he quickly suppressed. When his face was calm and cool again, he regarded Enrick. “And who is this mage?”
“Lord Enrick is no mage. He is the Bandit Lord who led the resistance against Or’Keer,” Dillion said.
“I have heard of the Bandit Lord, but I understood that he was a peasant, not a lord.”
“I have given him a holding as a reward for his service to Kelran,” Dillion said.
“Then you have broken the law binding all kingdoms. I can feel the magical energy within him. It would seem that King Corin has done the same, giving a mage lordship over this Terika,” Allar said, his eyes fixed on Dillion.
“I am aware that Corin has bent the law, and I don’t care. Lord Jaxom found Terika and has restored it. I see no reason why he should not be its leader. He has no designs on his brother’s throne and only seeks to eradicate the larger threat. As for Lord Enrick, you are mistaken. He is the finest swordsmen I have ever seen.”
“Whether or not he uses magic in battle does not matter. He is a mage,” Allar replied coolly.
Anger built on King Dillion’s face, but Enrick interrupted before he could speak. “It is true, Your Majesty. I am a mage, but I do not have the power to affect the world as other mages do. I can only make changes to my body that give me an advantage in battle.”
Jaxom could see the king thinking as he stared hard at Enrick. “I see. We will discuss your omission later. For now, it changes nothing. The question at hand is why I should allow you to remain in my kingdom,” Dillion said, turning back to the earth mage.
Allar looked at Jaxom and Enrick, obviously wanting to argue the point further but wisely choosing not to. “The enclave made a decision to protect ourselves a year ago. The situation has changed since then, and we are prepared to help Kelran expel this threat.”
Dillion considered for a moment. “I will let your actions decide whether you will stay and resume your former station or be exiled. We leave tomorrow. Lord Enrick and Lord Jaxom will fill you in on the details.” Dillion spared one final look at Enrick before leaving with Lord Kavin in tow.
With the king gone, Allar turned to stare at Darian. “His Majesty mentioned that you were a part of the Mages’ Council of Ale’adar. I thought the mages of your kingdom were led by one called Serin. Where is he?” his asked coldly.
“Jaxom killed the traitor Serin last summer after he turned on us in battle. Serin had allied himself with Or’Keer,” Darian replied, matching the stare.
“And what of the school you are building in this city of yours?” the earth mage asked, acknowledging Jaxom for the first time.
Jaxom did not like this man. “I, and several others, have restored the city of our ancestors to rebuild the death mages.”
The man looked as if he had been slapped. Jaxom saw his hand twitch as if readying to cast. His friends had noticed the involuntary movement as well. Darian and Adriana tensed.
“You are a death mage?” he asked.
“It wouldn’t make sense for me to restore the school if I were not,” Jaxom said, with a mischievous grin.
“Indeed. And how many others are there?”
“Three here, and more in Terika,” Jaxom said carefully.
“When the current problem is dealt with, these other matters will be handled appropriately. The king may have found you helpful thus far, but the Enclave has been here since Kelran first raised its banner. We will not be pushed aside by foreigners or an upstart peasant,” Allar said before stalking away.
“I think he likes me,” Darian said, smiling at Jaxom.
“I’m sure you two will make the best of friends,” Jaxom said.
“Do you think he is going to be a problem?” Adriana asked, staring hard at the door the earth mage had left through.
“He obviously doesn’t like the idea of death mages, or the fact that Jaxom is ruling a city filled with them, but there is not much he can do about it without the support of King Dillion. Enrick is another matter. I
f Allar perceives him as a threat, he will take action,” Darian said.
“Before they fled, the Mages’ Enclave held considerable influence in court. I imagine that Allar intends to restore that influence,” Enrick said.
“If that happens, we will deal with it,” Jaxom said.
“Thank you, but I will manage alone. Your help may only cause more problems,” Enrick said.
“I think we should call it a night. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, and I would prefer to meet it fully rested,” Adriana said.
It was snowing when they left the inn. The three friends walked quietly through the moonlit night, allowing Jaxom time to think about this new mage and what he had said. He did not think he was another agent of Or’Keer. The disdain he had shown for Jaxom and Enrick had been out in the open, not cloaked in darkness as Serin’s had been. Still, if the earth mage saw them as a threat to his station, he would oppose them every chance he got. The political maneuvering was a waste of time and effort, distracting them from what was important. Too bad Allar did not seem to see it that way.
Chapter 21
Their progress had slowed to a crawl in the abysmal weather. The snow continued to fall in heavy winds, adding to the twelve-inch layer already on the ground. It was so bad that Brenin had grounded his riders. With visibility almost non-existent, the captain did not feel it worth the risk to his men, and Cribble had reluctantly agreed. Without the riders, and not wanting to risk scouts getting lost in the storm, his small army was effectively blind to anything around them. Cribble’s men, now five thousand strong thanks to the reinforcements King Corin sent, had spent the better part of three days trudging north towards their goal before the weather had turned. Elbanst was Denra’s largest northern city, and the last stronghold of the warlord Darat. Cribble was forced to admit that Darat was a far more capable leader than Tamn had been. His men were better organized and trained, fighting and withdrawing in an orderly fashion. Cribble was not an idiot; he understood the man’s plan was to tire the Ale’adarian army before they reached the city. The militia would hold their ground only long enough to draw blood before retreating. They had also been staging night raids to keep his men on guard at all times, never allowing them to fully rest. It was a good plan. By the time Cribble reached the city, they would be exhausted. Unlike Tamn, Darat had not burned towns as he retreated. Cribble could only assume the man was so confident of victory that he saw no need to destroy valuable assets. Whatever his reason, Cribble was glad for them. Though the people under his control had been subject to harsh rule and theft, Darat had not allowed his men the wanton abuse that Tamn had. When he finally caught the warlord, that fact may very well keep him alive.
“We should call a halt. The men need rest, and I could use a hot meal,” Jerup yelled over the wind from behind his scarf.
“I want to cover a few more miles. The sooner we remove Darat, the sooner we can go home and enjoy a real mug of ale,” Cribble said.
“You are the Commander of the Guard now. You should refine your palate. Try a glass of wine instead,” Tamrick said. The man had been tolerable for several days after they had won Mendon, but it had not taken long for him to start making suggestions again.
“While I am at it, I will take to wearing silk and walking around with my nose in the air,” Cribble replied curtly. Tamrick’s reply was lost to the wind, which was just as well since Cribble had stopped listening.
“We can’t even be sure we are still heading north. We need to stop,” Jerup reiterated.
Once again the man was annoyingly correct. They could very well be heading in the wrong direction and not know it. Cribble had never before encountered such bad weather, and he had certainly never admitted defeat to it. According to Tamrick, the storms came down from the Blue Peak Mountains, and typically missed Ale’adaria by over a hundred miles.
“Call the halt and have a guard posted,” he said gruffly.
“A guard? In this?” Jerup asked.
“Yes, post the guard. You may reduce shifts and circulate men out more quickly, but I want men on the perimeter,” Cribble growled.
“I think the men should be able to handle an hour,” Jerup said, riding back down the column.
Cribble had never seen the men set up camp so quickly. They had found a dip in the land that offered some shelter. The wagons were rigged with spare canvas to create a windbreak for the horses, and even his own tent was raised in record time. As he entered the canvas structure, he felt the difference in temperature instantly. His cot had been set up and piled with thick fur blankets. Removing his cloak, he threw it over the blankets as Jerup opened the flap, admitting a bone chilling gust.
“The guard is posted. Unfortunately, we have only cold rations for dinner,” he said. “There are a couple hours of light left, but I didn’t want to send a wagon to forage for wood.”
“You made the right call. Cold meat and hard biscuits won’t kill them,” Cribble said, removing his chainmail.
“It might break a few teeth, though,” Jerup said grinning.
“Tell the men to suck on the biscuits for a while. It makes chewing easier,” Cribble said.
Jerup considered him for a moment. Had his commander just made a joke? “Brenin will be here in a bit to talk about Elbanst. He says he has a plan that could save us the trouble of laying siege to the city.”
“Good,” Cribble said.
“Good? You want to hear his plan?”
“No, but I will listen to what he has to say. He is responsible for the lives of other men now, and should be offering suggestions for strategy. Like it or not, he and others like him are the future leaders of the Guard. It’s time he began thinking like one.”
“Sarinsha help us,” Jerup said with a small laugh.
The tent flap opened again, admitting the young captain. “Good afternoon. I’m glad you are both here. Jerup told you I have a new plan?”
“He did. Let’s hear it,” Cribble said, doing his best to sound interested. As much as the lad annoyed him, it was Cribble’s responsibility to encourage him to plan and learn.
“I don’t think we need to assault the walls directly,” Brenin said stopping there to prod the obvious question.
Cribble rolled his eyes but decided to play along. “Why?”
“I have a way that can save us hundreds of lives, if not thousands. We can use my riders to take a small force into the hold itself without having to fight our way into it,” he said, excited.
Cribble was sure he knew where this plan was going, having given it some thought already before dismissing it. “How would you do it?”
“My riders can carry double, so the mages and some of our best men, including Jerup and yourself, will fly over the walls and land on the hold. From there, we find Darat and capture or kill him. Without their leader, the militia will soon surrender,” he finished.
Cribble had to restrain himself from yelling. The lad wanted not only to get himself killed, but everyone else too. Cribble included. Instead, he calmed himself and met Brenin’s eyes. “Would you do this during the day or at night?”
“The day will make landing and entering the hold safer,” Brenin replied.
Cribble nodded. “But then Darat would be alerted and have time to prepare for us.”
“Then we do it at night. It will make finding a place to land harder, but it could still be done,” he said a little less sure of himself now.
“So we do this raid at night. With a little luck, we all make it to the same place and enter the hold. What then?” Cribble asked.
“We find Darat,” Brenin said, as if it were obvious.
“Do you know where he is? We assume that he has made the hold his home, but do you know for sure?”
“Where else would he be?” Brenin asked flustered.
“I don’t know, but think about how his men have fought us so far,” Cribble said, giving him time to reflect. “What can you tell me of the man from those encounters?”
Brenin stood
there a moment staring into nothing as he thought. “He is smarter than Tamn. His men have been following a strategy. They do not engage us openly, but nip at us to draw blood before fleeing.”
“Not fleeing… retreating. They only attack us when they know they can break away from the fight without suffering heavy losses. That alone shows he is prepared for us and probably has been for some time,” Cribble said.
“You think he would be ready for what I planned?”
“I think your plan requires our enemy to do exactly what you want and be where you expect. He may have more men than we can deal with in the hold, or not be there at all. You are also assuming that his men will simply give up without him. If they don’t, thousands will surround us as we try to escape. Our goal is to stop the militia, not one man. It is a lot to risk if it doesn’t go our way,” Cribble said.
“I’m sorry for wasting your time,” Brenin said quietly.
From the first time since he had met the archer, that self-confidence and annoying smile slipped. Cribble saw the defeat in the young man’s eyes. To understand that what he had planned could have gotten everyone killed was a sobering realization.
“Don’t get down on yourself. You were just trying to find a way to save lives,” Jerup said.
“I did not consider all the possibilities. If I had been the one making decisions…”
“You will learn with experience, and eventually such thinking as the Commander has led you through will come naturally. Just before you walked in, he was telling me that he thought you were the future of the Guard,” Jerup said.
“He did?” Brenin asked. That irritating smile sprang back stronger than before.
Cribble locked a glare of loathing on Jerup. “We’re done here. Both of you get out. I need to get some sleep.”
The smile on Brenin’s face grew wider than Cribble would have thought possible. Jerup brought his fist to his chest smartly before opening the flap, allowing Brenin to leave first. When they were gone, Cribble let our out a long sigh before climbing into bed. His last thought was to hope that the storm would keep the militia from attacking in the night.
