“You mentioned patriots in prison,” Tanya stated while checking Kalina’s reaction to her acknowledgment that Garth had spoken to her. “Who are they and why are they important to Alcea?”
“I do not know the full scope of the problems in Alcea,” Garth declared. “One of those who is captive is General Gregor. He was the General at the time of the Collapse and supported the move to rename the Kingdom to Alcea. He was the strongest supporter of King Byron and I suspect his imprisonment was meant to keep him out of the way while the King was killed. They probably are now afraid to release him because he would be steadfast in bringing to justice whoever killed the King.”
“This power game that they are playing . . . ” quizzed Arik, “wouldn’t one of them point out who had the King killed? I mean . . . wouldn’t it be to someone’s advantage to reveal the killer?”
“It would, indeed,” Garth agreed. “The problem is that it would be to so much advantage that everyone is probably claiming it was everyone else. The name that they have given to their petty scrambling is the Contest of Power, and they do see it as a game. Alcea, like Targa before it, has a Council of Advisors who meet with the King to determine what must be done for the Kingdom. I have heard that this Council has somehow made their powers equal to the King’s and I would suspect that most of our Contest players have a seat on it. Actually, I should say that the Council members are probably big players in the Contest. There are probably twenty Contest Players for each seat on the Council.”
“So they would not have to replace the King to rule,” summed Arik. “They would just need the agreement of a majority of this Council.”
“Exactly,” Garth agreed. “Someday we will have to face this Council, but that is not for this trip. I mean to get General Gregor out of prison and possibly find the Queen and get her to safety. The General may well be instrumental when the heir returns to Alcea.”
“The Queen may be the grandmother of one of us,” proclaimed Niki. “We have to see to it that she is safe. Do you know if she has red hair?”
“Is your face well known in Alcea?” asked Tanya.
Garth looked at the young woman as if seeing her for the first time. “I suppose it is to some people,” Garth answered. “Why do you ask?”
“It may be too dangerous for you to get General Gregor out of prison,” explained Arik. “This may be a job better suited to the younger Alcea Rangers.”
Garth looked at the young faces around the campfire and groaned. Certain that he had created a monster, he voiced his objection. “Look,” he said authoritatively, “you all did a great job in Melbin and I’m proud of the way you handled yourselves, but you can not just go throwing yourselves into danger at every opportunity. There are people in Alcea who will recognize me, but that is something I can deal with. There were people in Melbin who knew me and hunted me. That didn’t stop me from doing what I went there for.”
“What did you do with Hanjel?” Tedi asked.
Everyone must have seen Garth’s mouth drop open because they all started laughing, even Kalina. Garth quickly shut his mouth and began to speak, but Arik cut him off.
“We know that Kalina and you are trying to protect us and train us at the same time,” Arik began. “That is not an easy task, but hear us out. We are not trying to step mindlessly into danger, nor are we trying to keep you out of it. We are doing what you have taught us and what you are not doing yourself. We are approaching the problem considering all of the assets available to us. We are asking you to do the same. You may look at us like children, but we are the ones the Prophecy talks about and it is our responsibility to do what is necessary.”
“We are not trying to revolt or chase you away,” added Tanya. “In fact, we realize now, more than ever, how much we need you. Just try using us as fellow soldiers and not precious artifacts that need to be preserved.”
The silence lasted for several moments before Garth spoke. “It has been many years since any of my men gave me a dressing-down,” he chuckled. “This one has been well deserved. I think some of your particular talents may well prove to be useful.”
“Do you mean like Lord Wason going before the Council to seek better relations with Targa?” Fredrik asked.
“Or someone with lock-picking ability getting thrown into the dungeon?” added Tedi.
“A magical diversion,” suggested Fredrik.
“Or better, a beautiful diversion,” Tanya chuckled as she threw her long blond hair over her shoulder.
“I like them all,” laughed Garth and noticed that Kalina was laughing so hard, she was doubled over.
Niki pouted about not having anything to offer to their grand plan and left the campfire. Nobody took special notice of her leaving. Garth instructed Fredrik to spend some time with Kalina for magic tutoring and then he challenged Arik, Tedi, and Tanya to try him with their practice swords. The three warriors readily agreed and raced to the open area to get their wooden swords.
The three young warriors proved that they could work as a team and Garth got a decent workout from them. He was tempted to protest when Tanya got his legs wrapped up with the bola, but realized that practice was best when it came close to simulating the real world. Instead, he spread his legs as far apart as the bola would allow, and swung his sword to sever the cord. Tanya let out a yelp when she saw that her bola would have been sliced into pieces if Garth had more than a wooden sword, but Garth did not give her time to cry. He threw his body to the ground and quickly rolled into her and Arik, knocking them to the ground. Garth was up again quickly enough to fend off Tedi, who had leaped over the two bodies. Eventually, the cord around his legs did Garth in and the three young warriors converged on him for the kill.
“I’d like to replay that with a real sword,” chuckled Garth.
“What made you think of cutting it?” Tanya asked. “If you had a real sword, the bola wouldn’t have even slowed you down.”
“I don’t know that it is something I can teach you,” Garth answered. “You train your body to react to threats. With enough practice, you do things by instinct. I don’t know what instinct would make me react to a weapon, which I have never faced, but it did. The only advice I can give you in this area is to keep practicing. Even after you are the best there is, keep practicing.”
The warriors returned to the campfire discussing different portions of the practice and sat down to cups of coffee. They were discussing plans for Alcea when Kalina and Fredrik returned to join them. They discussed contingency plan after contingency plan until sleep started to overtake them and one by one they drifted off to their blankets.
Chapter 19
Tagaret
Niki was in despair. Arik spent all of his time with Tanya, Fredrik hung on Kalina’s every word, and Tedi spent his time alone. Garth didn’t even know she existed. Niki was used to being the center of attraction, but ever since everyone else had such a grand time rescuing her in Melbin, nobody paid any attention to her anymore. She vowed that Tagaret would be different. She would find some way to make them pay attention to her again. Perhaps she would rescue this prisoner who everyone thought was so important. She would use her magic skills to break open the dungeon walls or freeze the guards and just walk in. She would do something grand.
Niki woke out of her musings when everyone started talking excitedly. She looked up and the city of Tagaret, or Alcea, whatever people were calling it, was spread out in the distance. It looked much larger than either Melbin or Trekum. There appeared to be at least three walls. The first wall must have been miles long and it appeared fairly new. Far beyond that, she could just make out a smaller wall, which was probably the size of Melbin’s. Yet up on a hill in the center of the city, she could see a third wall surrounding a large castle which must be the Royal Palace. Her despair gave way to excitement. Even if she could not rescue this General, there must be people in a city this large that would accept her as their Queen. Niki definitely began to get a good feeling about Tagaret.
“The
arrangement we had in Melbin worked fairly well,” Garth said. “Kalina and I will stay at the Sword and Shield. Fredrik, Arik, and Tedi at the Palace Shadow. Tanya and Niki will use the Golden Sword. Remember, if anyone needs to get a message to the others, go to the Pawn Shop and ask for a book about growing turnips in a sandy soil. Leave your message in whatever book the clerk gives you. The message will be delivered.”
“What is this about turnips?” Niki asked.
Garth and Kalina exchanged glances. Kalina had noticed the way Niki was acting and believed it was a left over effect of the drug that was used on her in Melbin. “Tanya will explain it to you,” Garth answered.
As they got closer to the outer wall, Garth reached into his pack and extracted a gray hat, which he placed on his head and lowered it to conceal his face as much as possible. Next he extracted a gray cloak and fastened it around his neck. The simple disguise could not hide Garth if you were looking for him, but it changed his appearance enough to think him a stranger if you were passing him on the street.
“Fredrik,” Garth said suddenly, “you need to replenish your wardrobe at the first opportunity. One fancy suit will not go far in convincing people that you are a Lord. If you know the colors of Cidal, get Arik and Tedi appropriate clothes in those colors or have some made up. These people may be fools in some respects, but in others, do not underestimate them. If you run into anyone from Grecho’s company, you may be in trouble.”
“We will be all right,” supplied Arik.
The conversation ceased as they approached the gate through the outer wall. Garth’s eyes roamed everywhere. The guards on the gate wore standard Targa uniforms and they were very young. People roamed the streets with a casual attitude and there didn’t appear to be any omen of distress hanging over the city. Fredrik, Arik, and Tedi picked up their pace and put distance between themselves and Garth, while Tanya and Niki lagged behind. They were three separate groups traveling who just happened to have entered the city at the same time. Nobody would give it a serious thought.
The city had grown tremendously since Garth was here last. The outer wall did not exist then and most of the buildings between the two walls were new. Garth had seen similar things all over the continent. People were abandoning their farms and land and moving to the cities for protection. The bandits had become brazen and well organized and a single farmstead was too tempting for them to leave it alone for long. In normal times the results would have been disastrous because the farm output would drop precariously, but these were not normal times. The constant lack of sunlight since the Collapse had already destroyed most farming. Cows, pigs, and horses were now raised in cramped quarters close to the cities. Smaller animals were even raised in people’s yards.
Garth saw the three boys far ahead as he and Kalina turned down an intersecting street. The Palace Shadow that the boys were going to was probably the fanciest inn in the city and was next to the Royal Palace. Garth and Kalina would be staying in much more modest accommodations, with Tanya and Niki somewhere in between. The Golden Sword was not far from the Sword and Shield and the girls followed Garth’s turn.
Garth passed the Golden Sword and continued on a short distance to the Sword and Shield. After they dismounted, Garth told the stableboy he would be staying if there were rooms available. The young boy took the reins and nodded. Garth and Kalina entered through the back door, which led to a hallway instead of the common room like many other inns. Garth gazed down the hallway to the small counter where the innkeeper normally stood. A young man he did not recognize looked back at him. Garth signaled that the man should come to him and he did.
“Can I help you, Sir?” the young innkeeper asked.
“You are very young for an innkeeper,” Garth commented.
“Inheritance, Sir,” the innkeeper replied without emotion. “What can I do for you?”
“We require a room with a view out the front,” Garth answered.
“Sorry, Sir,” came the quick reply, “our rooms are mostly long term and the front ones are already occupied. May I have your name for the ledger, Sir?”
“Kyle Agrat,” Garth replied.
“Thank you, Sir,” the innkeeper said as he headed for the stairs. “If you follow me, I will show you to your room. My name is John and I will do whatever I can to make your stay more comfortable.”
John marched up two flights of stairs and opened the door to a room and promptly left. Garth and Kalina walked in and put their packs down. Kalina walked to the window and looked down at the street below. Garth gently took her arm and pulled her away from the window.
“This room is in the front,” Kalina said. “He said he didn’t have any front rooms.”
“They will always say that unless your name is Agrat,” Garth chuckled. “I wasn’t sure that this place was still run by the Spiders or not because I didn’t recognize any of the young faces.”
The Spiders were a secret spy organization for Targa before the Collapse. It was set up by Prince Oscar Dalek and General Gregor, who was a Colonel at the time, to gather information on the Black Devils. It was so secret that even King Eugene did not know it existed. Within moments of their arrival the door opened to admit a man and closed again.
“You old renegade!” the newcomer greeted as he walked over and embraced Garth and then embraced Kalina. “And you brought your lovely woman to embarrass the rest of the city ladies, too.”
“Some things never change and you, Larc, are one of them,” Kalina smiled. “We have missed friends like you.”
“You have been missed, too,” Larc sighed as he sat on the floor. Larc never sat above floor level in any of the front rooms since before the Collapse.
Garth and Kalina followed his example and ignored the chairs in the room. “Tell us what has changed, Larc,” Garth requested.
“Too many things have changed,” Larc let out. “I assume that you heard about King Byron and Queen Marta or you would not be here. The Contest of Power grows stronger every year. Assassination of Council members is the new fad and someone decided it was time to include the King in the list. We got Queen Marta out in time.”
“Where is she?” Garth asked.
“I don’t know,” Larc admitted. “You know how the Spiders work. I handed her off to a contact outside the city. He handed her off to another who was known to him, and so on. The only way to find her is to repeat the process and every one of those contacts would have to agree. The chance of one of them breaking is slim, two never.”
“Well, at least she is safe,” Kalina said.
“As safe as can be,” Larc stated. “The Council several years ago started this mess. King Byron was ill and the Council ruled in his place for several months. During that time they managed to change some of the laws that restricted their power and as a result they eliminated the King’s influence over the country. I don’t need to tell you that Alcea is a dead issue. They passed a proclamation that the official name of the country is Targa and the city is Tagaret. They have dreams of reestablishing the Kingdom of Targa in its entirety and the only thing that stops them is each other. As soon as one group gains prominence, another group cuts them down. We can’t even keep track of who is in what group any more because they change their affiliations quicker than they change their clothes.”
“Why does the Army stand for it?” Garth asked.
“The Army is a joke,” Larc grimaced. “The Rangers were the first to be eliminated. They were folded into the regular Army by Council decree. Most of them would not accept it and quit. A year later, they did the same thing to the Red Swords. A lot of them accepted the change, but many others did not. Since that time, however, even the ones who accepted it have retired or quit. The Army is full of youngsters now.”
Garth nodded as it confirmed his suspicions. “What happened to the leaders of the Rangers and the Red Swords?”
“Mitar Vidson and David Jaynes,” Larc stated. “Why do you want to know?”
“You think you are a sly one, Lar
c,” Garth laughed, “but you just told me that they joined the Spiders. I would like to talk with them. Their help is going to be needed.”
“So you know about General Gregor, then,” Larc said. “I will not let you talk those two men into committing suicide. I know they will gladly sacrifice their lives to free the General, but they are too good to lose.”
“I do not want them to free the General,” Garth stated. “I will do that with my own men. I want to talk with them about the heir.”
“Your own men!” Larc exclaimed. “You have come up in the world. I can send any word about the heir to them, if it is important enough.”
“Do not be stubborn with me, Larc,” Garth said gruffly. “I have possession of the Prophecy Children.”
Larc stared at Garth like he had grown wings. “How long have you had them?” Larc asked. “Do you have both of them? I should have known by now if you have had them for any time at all. Are you positive?”
“I have never seen you flustered before,” Garth laughed. Turning more serious, Garth continued, “You are not the only one who can keep secrets, but you will keep this one until I give you leave otherwise. I mean it, Larc. One word and I’ll cut your organization apart man by man.”
“You haven’t answered my questions,” Larc reminded Garth.
“One, for sure,” Garth said. “Almost positive that we have two. I have had them for a couple of months.”
Larc was shocked and showed it. “It’s true, then,” Larc finally got out. “Nobody really believed in the Ancient Prophecy. Everyone thought it was just some talk so everyone would have something to hope for. I see why you want to talk with Mitar and David, then. Their help will be necessary to restore the Rangers and the Red Swords. The General must be freed as well. What did you mean about your men? You have always been a loner.”
Sapphire of the Fairies, Book 1 of Sword of Heavens Page 23
