by Gav Thorpe
"Is something wrong?"
"No," said Ullsaard. "Nothing new, anyway. Don't let me interrupt. What are you making?"
Allenya held up her work; a cushion cover half-embroidered with a forest scene.
"It's nice," said Ullsaard, kissing his wife on the forehead. He slumped on to the bed and laid back, arms behind his head. "Have I been selfish? Greedy?"
"Is it greed for a man to want the most from life?" said Allenya. "If a man has no ambition, he leaves the world with what he had when he entered it: nothing. You know I will always be here for you, no matter what happens. I do not know if what you have done is right or wrong; it is done and cannot be changed. Now is not the time to doubt yourself, my love. You have chosen a path, you have to follow it all of the way to the end."
Ullsaard stared at the white ceiling, stained with smudges of lamp soot.
"You are right, as usual," he said quietly. "What's done is done. It's too late now for regrets."
III
The family were just finishing their evening meal – a fine banquet of game and fish – when the banging of the main door heralded Urikh's arrival.
"In here!" Pretaa called out. "I have other guests now."
Urikh strode into the dining chamber and stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing his father and mothers. He was in his midtwenties, with Ullsaard's height but Luia's slimness. He had thick, dark hair cut at the shoulder, bony cheeks and a narrow chin. His thin lips parted in surprise.
"Don't standing there gawping like a simpleton," Luia said as she stood. "Greet your family properly."
"Hello," said Urikh. He gave Luia a peck on the cheek, and did the same for Meliu and Allenya. He hesitantly extended a hand towards Ullsaard. "Father. I did not expect to see you so soon."
Ullsaard gripped his son's hand and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Better sooner than later," said the general. "There's still plenty left to eat. Join us. Tell us what you've been up to."
Urikh sat down between Ullsaard and Pretaa and loaded food onto his plate.
"I've been trying to find out just how much trouble you have got us into," he said amiably. "If I'd known, I might have been able to help. Actually, I think I still can help."
"Really?" said Ullsaard. "If I need any copper kettles, I'll be sure to let you know."
"Fine!" declared Urikh. "If you don't want to hear what I have to say, I won't pester you."
The young man ate fastidiously, cutting away all fat and gristle from his meat, ignoring his father's scowl. He poured himself a cup of wine and looked across the table at Luia.
"I wouldn't stay here too long, if I were you," he said casually.
"Why's that?" asked Ullsaard. "What have you heard?"
"So you are interested?" Urikh made no attempt to conceal his smugness as he slowly chewed his food. His amusement grew in proportion to Ullsaard's impatience.
"You've made your point," snapped the general. "What do you know?"
"Nemtun's joined forces with Allon, just outside Khybrair," Urikh said. "The two of them are marching this way right now. At a guess, I'd say they were about seven days dawnwards."
"In winter?" Ullsaard took a large gulp of wine. "That makes no sense. Why would they do that?"
"What about Jutaar?" asked Allenya, her hand raised to her cheek in dismay. "Does he march with Allon?"
"How am I supposed to know?" Urikh replied with a shrug. "I just hear talk, that's all. I don't have a spy in Allon's army!"
"Allon will defer to Nemtun, he isn't a natural commander," said Ullsaard. "The king wants this settled quickly. How many men do they have?"
This last question was directed at Urikh, who shrugged again.
"I just talked to a grain merchant fresh from Ersua, and I've told you everything he told me."
"I have to warn Aalun. We need to move the army, or we'll be trapped against the sea."
"Where will you go?" asked Pretaa. "Hotwards into Ersua?"
"Where will we go, you mean," said Ullsaard. He looked at his mother and wives. "I can't leave you here, it isn't safe. If Nemtun gets to you, he'll use you as hostages against me."
"I'm too old to go anywhere in winter," said Pretaa. "Leave me here. I can look after myself."
"No!" This was from Meliu. "We can't let that horrid Nemtun get his hands on you. I hear he is a beast in all regards."
"Surely if you are so worried about us, the last place we should be is with your army," said Luia. "I'm sure Urikh can find us somewhere to hide for a while."
"No," said Ullsaard, cutting off Urikh's answer. "If you can't stay here, I want you close by where I can protect you."
"Protect us?" Luia's voice rose to a shriek. "We wouldn't be in danger if it was not for your stupidity!"
"No more," said Ullsaard. "I have made my decision."
"I will come with you," said Urikh. There was a snort of derision from Meliu. Urikh darted a sour glance at her. "Not for my protection. If it is Ersua you're heading for, I know a few folk who could be useful."
"I'm sorry," said Ullsaard, standing up. He walked around the table and stood behind Pretaa, his hands on her shoulders. "I wish you could have spent the winter here."
Pretaa patted his hand and looked up at Ullsaard.
"We will manage, dear," she said. "Do what you think is best."
Ullsaard saw sadness in Allenya's eye. He guessed it was worry about Jutaar more than her personal circumstances. Ullsaard wanted to promise her that everything would be all right, but he knew such a promise would be empty. He had no more idea what the future held than the rest of them.
"Get everything packed again this evening, we'll leave at Low Watch," said Ullsaard. He squeezed his mother's shoulders. "I'll have the servants ready travel chests for you. Let them know if there's anything particular you want to take."
Ullsaard nodded for his son to join him in the next room. Urikh brought his wine with him and settled on the edge of a couch near the small fire.
"I don't know what started this, but I am with you all the way," said Urikh. "Kalmud has always been jealous of your success, and we both know that Mekha was a means to keep you busy and out of the way."
"When we leave tomorrow, I want you to find out as much as you can about Nemtun's army, and see if you can also find out what's happened to Jutaar," Ullsaard said. He looked his son in the eye. "You always have your best interests at heart, I know that. Whatever it is that you are planning, however you think you can exploit this, I don't want to know about it. Just make sure it doesn't risk the safety of your family."
Urikh had the good grace not to pretend offence. He simply smiled.
"And what about my safety?"
"You've never had problems looking after that, I don't expect you to start now," said Ullsaard. He fixed Urikh with an earnest stare. "Thank you for your help. I need it."
"Yes, you do," Urikh replied with a short laugh. "You need all the help you can get."
FREE COUNTRY
Winter, 209th Year of Askh
I
It was by far the most miserable winter Anglhan had ever experienced. Normally he would have been far to hotwards, trading between the Caelentha, Deaghra and Orsinnin tribes duskward of the Lidean Mountains. He found the biting wind intolerable and the frequent mountain blizzards a nightmare. His clothes stank, the food was terrible and the company stupid and predictable. Even thoughts of the chest full of gleaming askharins failed to cheer him up.
The debt guardian-turned-revolutionary spent as much time as possible in the caves, usually sitting beside a meagre fire with a cup of honey-sweetened hot ale and a blanket over his shoulders. He had cut three new notches into his belt on account of his thinning waist, and his hair was a straggly mess that hung past his shoulders. His crew had been all but disbanded, its members abandoning him for one chieftain or other. Only Furlthia and a few, older hands like Gelthius and Lepiris had decided against throwing in their lot with the brigands or hillmen.
For the momen
t at least, he told himself. Soon even they would desert him, he was sure of it.
Anglhan did not let his sedentary lifestyle affect his politicking. Out of habit more than any specific aim, he continued to keep the chieftains uneasy with each other, though he was always vocal in his support of Aroisius. Having bought himself the time he wanted, he was at a loss to know what to do with it. He had hoped something would occur that would provide him with an opportunity, but through the short, cold days and long, colder nights he began to doubt the wisdom of joining with the rebels.
When he confessed as much to Furlthia one night, his exmate was less than sympathetic.
"What did I say, before all this started? I warned you not to get involved and now we're up to our necks in shit. Come the spring, it'll be all hands on deck for an attack on Magilnada, and then where will we be left? You know Aroisius will do away with you the moment he thinks you're a threat or useless."
"I know, I know," Anglhan said with a sorrowful sigh. He looked past the fire to the snow-filled night beyond the cave entrance. Now and then a swirling gust brought a shower of white further into the cavern. The darkness and cold had gnawed away at his resolve and he wanted nothing more than to be far away, where the sun was still shining. "I took a gamble, that's all. I never said you had to come with me."
"And I'm even angrier at myself for sticking with you."
"Really?" Anglhan's expression showed the deep hurt he was feeling. Furlthia relented and patted Anglhan on the arm.
"Yes and no," he said. "I know you've always done right by me and you didn't mean nothing bad to come of this. I just wish you had listened to me."
The two of them sat in silence for some time; Furlthia poked the fire with a stick, Anglhan nursed his mug until the steam stopped rising from it.
"You should find out where Aroisius is going," Furlthia said.
"What? Aroisius is leaving?" Anglhan straightened up from the doze that had been settling over him. "How do you know?"
"I heard some of the others talking about packing for an expedition. I didn't hear where. They're leaving tomorrow."
"This won't do at all," said Anglhan, heaving himself to his feet, the blanket falling to the rocky ground. "I can't have him going off without knowing where."
The landship captain finished off his cold ale with a wince and tossed the empty mug to Furlthia. He looked around the cave, wondering where to start his investigations. There was the usual mix of cretins: escaped debtors; flat-faced hillmen; former turncranks from his crew; haggard womenfolk and noisy children. Not one of the chiefs could be seen. Time was short, so Anglhan decided that the direct route would serve him best.
With a huff of trepidation, he pulled his cloak tighter and ventured out into the snowstorm. His ears were burning within moments, eyes watering and cheeks reddening. He turned right, towards the head of the valley, and forced himself through the flurries of snow.
He passed two cave entrances glimmering with firelight and stumbled on, almost losing his footing on a snow-buried rock. It was another fifty paces to his destination and by the time he reached the shelter of the cave mouth, his whole face was numb and his boots wet. He barely noticed, such was the allure of fresh activity.
The cave was much smaller than the one Anglhan had left, connected to many others by mine workings that delved deeper into the mountains and to internal galleries above. He had explored a little of their workings, but such was their extent he doubted any of the rebels had fully mapped them. He had, during his deepest misery, toyed with the idea of trying to navigate his way through the depths to find another way out of the valley, but had been put off by the thought of spending so much time in the lifeless, confined tunnels.
A few of the chieftains' lieutenants lounged around a fire near the back of the cave but there was no sign of their masters. One of them looked up, his face pitted, one eye obscured by a drooping eyelid, and pointed to a tunnel branch off to the left, guessing Anglhan's intent. The captain waved his thanks and set off in the direction indicated.
Inquiries with the men in the next cave led Anglhan up a set of shallow steps into a long, narrow cavern. The weapons he had bought had been confiscated from the men and were stacked against the walls; to protect them from the elements and keep them out of the hands of the squabbling rebels until they were needed.
The next chamber contained the last of the preserved meat, which was carefully rationed out by the chieftains every few days. As he passed the barrels, Anglhan reckoned there to be only enough for a few more meals. After that, it would be stew made from tough roots and whatever was left of the dried grain. It was a prospect that fuelled Anglhan's desire to get out of the mountains even further.
He found Aroisius in the next chamber, with half a dozen of his chieftains. The cave was dimly lit by a handful of stubby candles, yet Anglhan's eye was immediately drawn to a small chest just behind the rebel leader; the one that contained the Askhan gold. Aroisius frowned at Anglhan as the captain ducked through the low entrance with a smile.
"You're not an easy man to find," Anglhan said.
"Not for you," replied Aroisius. "What do you want?"
"Wherever you are going, I want to come with you," Anglhan said. He was aware of the squelching his boots made as he crossed the cave to sit down next to the others.
"Really? And what makes you think I want you to come along?"
Anglhan blew on his cold fingers, his breath steaming in the cold air.
"To keep an eye on me, perhaps," he said.
"I do not think there is too much trouble you can cause here," replied Aroisius, though he smiled at Anglhan's honesty. "You do not even know where I am going."
"I can make a guess," said Anglhan, tapping the money chest with his toe. "You have friends who want to know why we aren't drinking your health in the beer halls of Magilnada."
Aroisius's smile disappeared.
"You are far too clever for your own good, Anglhan," said the rebel leader. He sat for a moment staring at the landship captain, one finger stroking his bottom lip.
"He's handy to have when you're bargaining," said Barias. "You should have seen him with that Salphor bastard with the weapons."
"Yes, you might prove useful," Aroisius said. "You have a way with persuasion that might be needed."
"Anything I can do to help," Anglhan said with a grin. "Just get me out of these spirit-cursed mountains. Even if it's just for a day!"
II
Anglhan was groggy as the party set off down the valley midway through the following morning. He had spent a restless night, mind abuzz with possibilities. Aroisius had offered no clue as to where they were going or why, but Anglhan felt it in his waters that they were meeting the rebels' Askhan sponsor.
There were eight of them in the group: Anglhan; Aroisius; Barias; two other chieftains called Gedderik and Stal; a pair of hillmen guides, Dulkan and Gerril; plus the red-headed Reifan. The snows had lightened but the sky was filled with clouds that hung low across the mountains. Anglhan was soon out of breath keeping up with the hillmen's brisk pace along a narrow goat trail that meandered down the dawnwards slopes towards Ersua. By the time they called a break mid-afternoon, the landship captain's feet were sore, his back and legs ached and he was sure he was developing a fever.
They pressed on relentlessly as the snow thickened again towards evening, eventually making a rough camp in a stand of pines. After the wind and snow, the peace within the trees leant the place an air of sanctuary. Anglhan flopped down into the carpet of needles covering the ground, and rested his head on his travel sack. Within moments he was asleep.
III
He woke the next day with the smell of cooking meat in his nostrils. Suddenly aware that he had not eaten the night before, he sat up to find himself covered by a thick blanket lightly dusted with snow. The smell came from a small fire to his right, where four hares were roasting. Reifan sat close by, turning the meat. Beyond, a large canvas had been tied between two trees to create
a windbreak, and in its lee Aroisius and the chieftains talked quietly with the two guides.
Anglhan yawned, stretched and stood up, sweeping the blanket from his lap to his shoulders. Reifan looked over at him with a gappy grin.
"You looked dead on your feet," said the rebel. "I wondered if you would wake up this morning."
"I have you to thank for this?" said Anglhan, lifting up the corners of the blanket.
Reifan shrugged as Anglhan joined him, squatting next to the fire to warm his hands.
"No point letting a man freeze to death. I was going to have to wake you; we need to set off soon."
