“Here, recruits, pick your four best swordsmen and have them stand forth,” Ellison ordered. Gradually three men and a woman were sent forth.
“Alec here isn’t as old as most of you, but he’ll beat the four of you at once, and he’s been in the Guard for less than six months. Alec, go put on some protection and come back to show them how much they have to learn,” Ellison ordered.
Alec looked at Ellison and shook his head with a grin, then went back to the equipment room and put on protective padding. When he returned, Ellison was speaking to the group again. “Alec,” he said as the Guardsman healer entered, “Is our chief medic. He was entered into the Guard for his healing ability,” Ellison told the recruits. “Healer, these folks have had a couple of days of practice learning our ways, and these here facing you felt they already knew their swords pretty well before they joined the Guard. Maybe this training is just a waste of their time, eh?”
“Alec, you’re to this end, recruits down there. On the mark, go,” Ellison ordered the beginning of the match. The spectator recruits began cheering for their classmates, who spread out and approached Alec cautiously. Alec held his blade ready in his right hand watching the recruits approach, wondering if Ellison wanted him to use his warrior ingenaire energies to make a mockery of the match, or to fight and win fairly.
As he watched, Alec saw the recruit on his left moving further around trying to get behind him, but opening a gap between himself and the next recruit as he did so. Alec’s blade flipped from right hand to left behind his back, making the recruiting class goggle, and he quickly engaged the isolated recruit, rapidly disarming him and gaining a more defensible position that allowed him to then quickly battle the next student over as well, removing him from the match.
The students watching the match fell silent as Alec cut the odds against him in half. The two remaining recruits froze at the realization of their challenge, and one started to back up. Alec judged the timing of the man’s backstep for its most awkward balance and attacked, forcing the student to fall backwards, and leaving just the girl to battle Alec singly. Alec charged at her strongly, switching the blade back to his right hand to engage in a flurry of strokes that soon ended in his victory.
Ellison clapped to break the silence of the armory. “Thank you all for the exercise,” Alec said as he began removing his protective equipment. He walked to the equipment room and put it all away.
“Alec, thank you for meeting my confidence in you,” Ellison told him as he returned. “They’re good kids, but they’ve got a lot to learn. Maybe they’ll be a little more willing to listen now that you’ve given them some humility. What brings you here to the armory? You didn’t come to demonstrate your skills for this lot, I’m sure?”
“I came to find out what’s left of the Guard now,” Alec said.
“Lewis isn’t back from the east yet, Captain Voda is dead, Captain Whelan is away for at least a month more, and Captain Elcome is strictly administrative and quartermaster duties,” Ellison told him “besides having been strangely absent during the battle for the palace. You and Colonel Ryder are here, and that’s it for the officers.”
“You know how short-handed we are. It’s as true at the top as it is throughout. We’ve never had many officers in the Guard, though we never needed them, with the type of soldiers we have,” Ellison finished.
“It wasn’t ever anything I knew much about,” Alec told him. “I wasn’t even sure of your rank until the Guards at the gate called you lieutenant.
“But while I’m thinking about something else, before I go in search of the Duke, you need to know that I asked Annalea, the printer’s wife, to adopt Leah’s daughter. Annie will make a good mother for the baby, and give her a loving home. I thought you should know in case Ellen seems upset.
“I very much appreciate you watching over Ellen and Hannah and the shop these past few days, Ellison. Ellen said that you’ve been there every day, and I know you’re good for her.”
Ellison stood and said nothing. “I’ve told Ellen she and Hannah are welcome to stay as long as they want,” Alec continued. But Leah had thought that you might want them to move in with you sometime soon. I want the three of you to have what’s best for all of you, and let that be your only consideration.”
“Thank you Alec. You’ve given Ellen a home and her safety and health and taken good care of her, and I know that. I do care for her too, as you know. We had spoken about having a place together and being a family together, and we plan to do that. With the way the Guard has changed in the past week though, and all that is going on, I’ve wondered if I’ll be around enough to keep those two regular company at a home. We spoke last night, and we agree we ought to wait a few weeks or months to find out what my assignment is with the Guard before we make any plans. I could be sent out to take a turn at the eastern forts, for all I know. If you’ll allow Ellen and Hannah to stay in your home and keep it for you, I think that’s still best for the time being.”
Alec smiled. “I’m very glad to hear that. I understand your dilemma. It also happens that I’ve invited some of the other ingenaire apprentices from Oyster Bay to stay at our shop as well, so it won’t be empty and lonely for her and Hannah.”
“That wouldn’t happen to include a pretty healer and blond ingenaire would it?” Ellison asked with a grin.
“It’s those two to start with,” Alec admitted. “If there’s room for a couple more, I’ll consider helping as many of my friends as I can.”
“It sounds like everything is going to become much better at your home,” Ellison ventured. “Good luck with your plans. I’ll be there quite a bit while I’m in the city, I imagine,” he grinned, “if you think you need any help trying to live with so many women.”
Alec thanked his friend and left the armory to enter the palace, thinking about the savagery he had engaged in the last time he was there, battling rebels. He walked inside and upstairs to the official rooms of the palace, and located the Duke holding court in the Formal Room, where a just a few days earlier Ryder and Alec had parleyed with the Duke’s rebellious son over ending the siege of the palace and letting the rebels sail away.
Alec stood inside the doorway, recollecting those events when he realized his name was being called. “Captain Alec! Please come join us,” he heard Noah Rastall saying as he walked towards Alec from the other end of the room. Alec started towards Rastall and met him halfway down the aisle, where Rastall shook his hand warmly. “Good to see you Alec,” the adviser to the Duke said. “When this matter is finished in a couple of minutes, the Duke would like to talk to you, if you’re available.”
Alec looked up at where the Duke was hearing a report from an official unknown to Alec. “There aren’t many circumstances where I’m not available for the Duke,” Alec laconically said.
“I understand that you showed a certain willingness to disregard the duke’s wishes when you were busy rescuing him here in the palace just a few days ago,” Rastall said with a smile. “Duke Toulon has taken great delight to telling several people that you threatened to have him tied to his horse if he gave your people any trouble during the escape from the city!”
Alec smiled at the recollection, though actually Colonel Ryder had given the dramatic order at the time only a handful of Guards were available to protect the Duke. The Duke had a penchant for liberal retelling of stories when it suited his need to make the tale more entertaining. “Noah,” he said, as they began walking up the aisle to the front of the room. “Where were you and Kelvin and the others when the rebels swept into the palace? I wondered where everyone was when we were engaged and looking for leadership.”
“The Duke had sent me to Red Water on a mission to visit Baron Long. I was unaware of what was happening here until it was over and done. Margrave Elgin passed through Red Water on his way down river to Oyster Bay, accompanied by several compatriots, or so I heard. I understand he is particularly displeased with you, but at that time he was under the impression that you
had been killed in the melee at the docks,” Rastall reported.
“I believe that Lord Kelvin was similarly on a mission to Bondell with Captain Whelan and a dozen members of the Guard, and is still likely to be away for another month,” he added.
“It appears the Duke is ready,” Rastall observed as the previous visitor left the Duke.
“Alec,” the Duke said, observing his visitor and rising to shake his hand, “I’m so pleased to see you up and about. Rastall, please go hold other appointments for a bit.”
“Alec, have a seat,” the Duke said. “I understand that you’ve told Ryder this morning you will accept the post of second in command here in the capital, and it gladdens my heart. You’re young, but you’ll learn a lot by being with DR and learning how he handles all the situations he faces. I think you’re going to find that battling and healing are simple in many ways compared to having to deal with egos and politics. Don’t be afraid to ask Ryder or Rastall or me questions. We’re counting on you to become a leader, an even better leader than you are already,” he added as Rastall returned from the guard at the door and joined them.
“You generally know the situation we’re in: lacertii are on our eastern border, there’s no king on the throne and a hostile junta in control, and our Guard and army are stretched thin and undermanned for whatever we might face,” the Duke summed up. “We might have enough men to battle one way or the other, but not both.
“We need to take care of the Guard immediately, so that organization and recruitment and training can start to fill in the gaping holes that we now face,” the Duke added.
Alec sat back and contemplated all that he had heard. He didn’t feel prepared to handle a leadership role in the Guard. He knew all things the Duke said needed to be done were critical, but with only a few months of experience in the Guard himself, and being as young as he was, and having helped in the battle for the palace more by ingenaire skills than anything, Alec suddenly felt that he would be overwhelmed by the expectations and demands of the job. He also did not know what his role would be in trying to reorganize the ingenairii who had fled to Goldenfields, but he sensed that he might have a role to play in that critical area.
“Your Grace, I am honored by the offer you and Colonel Ryder have made,” Alec began. “I think I’m too young to receive automatic respect, as I’ve learned from all the patients I’ve treated in the past few months,” he said with a smile. “I don’t even know all the other senior officers of the Guard, which tells you that I’m not prepared to be a leader. And honestly, I may need to also be involved in organizing all the ingenairii who have fled here, who I think could be important allies for you. I have certain abilities that you may wish to use on missions outside of the city here, and as commander, I’d be tied down.”
“But with all those concerns, I’ve accepted the position, and I’ll try not to make too many mistakes, and learn as much as I can so that I can earn respect from the Guard,” Alec told the Duke. “But I’m not sure I’m ready for all this.”
The Duke sat back and looked at Alec. “Colonel Ryder has extraordinary respect for you Alec, and I’m sure he’ll pass that along to other officers as well as to me. In addition, there are legends passing through the Guard and the city about the way you single-handedly defeated dozens of men to free the palace. I think you underestimate how well-prepared the Guard will be to follow you, especially with Ellison and Imelda ready to vouch for what you accomplished, when all others thought the day was lost.
“However, I do agree with your assessment that you will serve Goldenfields better in a less restrictive role at times, in certain circumstances, just as Ellison has served me and served Colonel Ryder with his undefined duties and ability to attend to special projects.”
The hesitation Alec still felt showed on his face. “What else do you have in mind?” Rastall asked.
“You told me that Elgin believes I’m dead,” Alec replied. “I thought that perhaps I could travel down to Oyster Bay and, um, take some of the assassins there by surprise.”
“If you mean you wish to kill my son and his friends,” the Duke responded, “I wish you could do that for us. The idea is tempting, and I believe you could do it. However, we would have no way to follow up and take advantage of their removal. We don’t have any forces we can spare at the moment to send to Oyster Bay, and the likely result would be anarchy in the capital and more trouble.
“You’re going to serve me better by remaining here, helping Colonel Ryder get the Guard back in shape and restoring its sense of pride. You may also find that you will have some time to spend with the ingenairii, as they come to grips with the schism among their ranks. I’m interested to know how you believe they may be allies for us, but that’s a conversation for another day.”
“Yes, your grace. It will be my pleasure to serve,” Alec heard himself decide.
“Thank you, Alec. I will tell you that by the end of the day an official declaration may make you feel slightly better. Elgin will be proclaimed no longer the heir to the Dukedom of Goldenfields, and all his lands and goods will be forfeited and seized,” the Duke said. “Perhaps Elgin will still be a friend of the usurpers, or perhaps he will not. In the meantime, I’ll also make the official announcement that pending further information, you have agreed to serve as second in command of the Guard here in the city. That will give DR time to talk to the other officers and inform them of my decision.” With that summary the Duke dismissed Alec, and turned to his other duties.
Chapter 3 – The Ingenairii in Goldenfields
Alec left the room and went back to the armory to find Ellison.
“You were up there an awfully long time, sir,” Ellison said when Alec found him. “Did the Duke have any significant announcements?”
“He confirmed some things Colonel Ryder had said earlier today. He showed me that he’s the type of man I’m proud to serve,” Alec told him.
“Ellison, would you join us for dinner tonight at our house so I can introduce you to some friends and then pick your brains on how everything runs for the Guard regiment?” Alec asked.
“That will be my pleasure,” his friend answered. “Does Ellen know you plan to have folks over for dinner? You don’t want to catch her without preparing her.”
“I’ve told her Bethany and Cassie will be over. She may expect you as a matter of course any way, I’m not sure,” Alec suggested. “I’ll let her know when I go home after I go see Merle and find out what is happening among the ingenairii.”
“You’re going to have your hands full Alec,” Ellison warned.
“I know,” Alec agreed. “I’m going to find Merle now, and I’ll see you tonight.” And with that he left to walk to the other end of the island.
Just a week ago he had been traveling these halls in blood soaked clothes, battling rebels to save his Duke. Some halls still had bloodstains on the floors, he noticed with regret as he moved to the south end of the island.
Alec heard considerable noise inside Merle’s quarters as he stood outside the door. He knocked on the door, and then after several seconds, knocked again more loudly. Roland, one of Merle’s apprentices, opened the door. “It’s Alec,” he said loudly, and held the door open for Alec to enter.
Alec stood and stared in the front room for moments before he entered. At least a dozen and a half people were busy talking or practicing or otherwise active in a room that usually only had six or seven apprentices. “Come in Alec,” Roland told him as people stopped to look at him. Alec stepped in, and found the room silent, as everyone turned to look at him.
“What’s everyone looking at?” Alec asked Roland.
“They’re all looking at the ingenaire who they expect to save them and lead them back to Oyster Bay,” Merle said from another doorway as he entered the room. “It’s good to see you Alec. What brings you here?”
“I’d like to talk with you and any other leaders you think are appropriate,” Alec told him as the two walked towards each other and me
t in the middle of the room.
Merle raised an eyebrow. “Is this a summons you’re issuing to the Ingenairii’ Council?”
Alec stopped and considered his words. “No,” he said slowly, “I don’t have any authority to summon anyone, but I do want to hear what plans the ingenairii here have, and I’d like to know what information they have about Oyster Bay and what is happening there.”
“Are you asking as a man of the Duke of Goldenfields, or are you asking as a member of the Ingenairii Council?” Merle asked.
“I am both,” Alec answered. He looked around and realized that the whole room was listening. “I believe that the ingenairii must organize, if we have not done so yet, to decide what our destiny is. We have temporary refuge here in Goldenfields for now. But if we want to return to Ingenairii Hill, we must be organized, and must decide what allies we will work with to get back to our home.
“My opinion,” Alec announced, “is that we should talk to Duke Toulon to determine how we may work together for our own good and for the good of the Dominion in this time of peril.”
“Come with me Alec,” Merle said after several seconds of silence in the room. A murmur began, and Alec and Merle walked back through the hallway to the inner rooms of the ingenaire’s quarters. They entered a room Alec knew well.
Alec looked at the sole window in the room. Just days ago, Alec and others, including Merle, his apprentices, and the Duke, had climbed out that window and escaped from the palace when it had been held by a band of rebels. And before that, Alec had trained in that room as an ingenaire apprentice, and first succeeded in drawing his ingenaire energy from the realm of powers.
Alec looked below the window, and saw three other ingenairii sitting in the room. “Alec, I’d like to introduce most of the ingenairii who I think are the leaders the refugees here will look up to and listen to.”
The Loss of Power: Goldenfields and Bondell Page 3
