"Obviously one of those countries has already fallen," stated King Wendal. "My condolences, Queen Romani, but a fact is a fact."
"I take no offense at your words, King Wendal," the queen replied, "but Vinafor will not remain in the hands of the Federation for long."
"What about Alcea?" asked Baron Stikman. "I heard that the country is almost as large as all of Zara. Are you offering to send troops to Korocca to help defend us from the Federation?"
"I am not sure that we are here to talk about defending Korocca," frowned Garth. "I am not convinced that Korocca will be attacked before Alcea. I know everyone up here thinks that the fleet of warships we destroyed was to be used against Korocca, but I do not share those thoughts. It is my understanding that Korocca has no deep water ports. Is that correct?"
"That is correct," answered King Wendal.
"How then was the Federation planning to use those ships?" asked Garth. "Were the ships going to anchor offshore and have their men wade to the beach?"
King Wendal frowned in thought, but Baron Stikman ignored the question.
"You didn't say whether Alcea was going to send troops to help us," the baron said.
"Alcea is not in a position to send troops to Zara," replied Garth. "We do not have the capability of moving large numbers of men by ship, besides Federation warships still block the approach to Zara. Our ships would never get through the blockade. I should also point out that I believe that Alcea is the primary target for the Federation. In fact, I am convinced of it."
Garth did not want to bring up his theory about Balmak. He felt at this point it would only confuse the issue.
"So there will be no help at all from Alcea in regards to defending Korocca?" pressed Baron Stikman.
"Again," sighed Garth, "I do not see this meeting being about the defense of anyone. This should be a council of war. We cannot afford to sit and wait for the Federation to strike once again. We need to develop offensive plans and put them in motion when Emperor Jaar sends the bulk of his armies to attack Alcea. That is when he will be the weakest."
Baron Stikman shook his head, obviously displeased with Garth's answer.
"Zarocca can not afford to go on the offensive," stated King Persimon. "The ogre attacks grow daily. We have been able to contain them so far, but those creatures do not know the meaning of surrender. Each battle is a fight to the death."
"I understand what you are saying, Garth," interjected Baron Ohmson, "but we are cut off from the rest of the world. Even if we wanted to go on the offensive, there is no way to accomplish that."
"How about Tyronia, King Myer," asked Baron Stikman. "Will you come to our aid?"
"I would love to," frowned the Tyronian king, "but there is a problem with doing so. Two days ago Tyronia fell to the Federation."
There were gasps throughout the room.
"The fall of Tyronia was inevitable," explained King Myer. "My son turned against me and plotted my downfall. The Federation massed sixty thousand troops on my border. In light of the situation, I faked my death to forestall the death of my people. I trust that my secret will remain confidential as there are some that I left behind who would die if the truth were known."
"You left without a fight?" balked Baron Stikman. "Is that what you are saying?"
"Would you prefer him to say that he left after ten thousand men died in vain?" snapped General Skye. "Would twenty thousand please you more? You talk boldly, Baron Stikman, but the Federation has yet to threaten Korocca. How long do you think your castles will stand against two hundred and fifty thousand men?"
"Please," King Persimon said imploringly. "We have not come together to fight amongst ourselves."
"What have we come together for?" retorted Baron Stikman. "A Council of War? Hmmph. There are really only two countries represented at this table, and we already have a mutual defense agreement."
Garth was getting angry at the baron's antics, but he tried to calm himself. "There are others who desire to end the Federation," he said calmly. "They are all groups much smaller than the combined armies of Zarocca and Korocca, but they have the courage to stand up and fight. They understand that life under the heel of the Federation is not life at all. Now, we can come back here to discuss a council of war after the Federation takes your two countries, but I suspect there will be quite a few less of you to fight at that point. Can we not just get along for long enough to discuss this issue and see if there are any points we can agree on?"
"Are you calling me a coward?" snarled Baron Stikman. "If you are, you had better make it clear because I will challenge you this very morning."
"I do not know you well enough to call you a coward," Garth retorted. "I am merely trying to point out what you are failing to comprehend. Unless we all stick together, we will all die. There are those living under the yoke of the Federation who understand this all too well. I beseech you to think deeply on this subject."
"Well at least you rightly backed down," snorted the baron.
Garth stood up, knocking his chair to the floor. He glared across the table at the obnoxious baron. "I am not a jouster," Garth scowled. "I am a fighter. If your tender sensibilities have been offended, I will accept your challenge to a fight with swords, knives, staffs, or bare hands."
"Enough!" shouted King Persimon. "There has been no challenge given, and no challenge will be issued. Let us take a short break and release our tensions outside this room. We will reconvene in an hour."
Garth turned and walked out of the room. He wandered through the corridors at a fast pace until he found a balcony overlooking the city. He leaned on the railing and gazed at the city below as he tried to ease his taut nerves. He knew better than to let the baron get under his skin like that, but the man was insufferable. It took quite a while for Garth to calm down, but he was calm when Baron Ohmson appeared beside him.
"That was quite a show," chuckled Baron Ohmson. "I was sort of disappointed that King Persimon intervened. I would love to have seen you beat some sense into Stikman."
"I should not have let him bait me that way," Garth sighed with disappointment.
"You had no choice," shrugged Baron Ohmson. "Stikman learned long ago that he could bully most people. He had to attack someone in that room, and frankly, King Myer was not up to the challenge. General Skye was his second choice, but you, you were perfect."
"What do you mean?" asked Garth.
"Stikman heard about your joust with Captain Salvesen," explained Baron Ohmson. "The baron thinks highly of Salvesen, and he wanted to see if he could goad you into a joust, but your comeback was totally unexpected. I am not sure if it was fear that I saw in the baron's face, but he certainly wanted no part of a sword fight with you, and the way you presented it, he would not have been able to refuse and retain his dignity."
"This is not the time to be playing games," scowled Garth. "Doesn't he realize the seriousness of this situation?"
"The next session will be calmer," promised Baron Ohmson. "Consider it a form of testing your mettle to see if your words are worth listening to."
"Are you saying that he really does not object to the council of war?"
"I am not saying that at all," replied the baron. "All I am saying is that he will give you a fair hearing now. Frankly, I have reservations about your ideas myself. Between Zarocca and Korocca, we have about fifty thousand warriors. Even if there were a road straight into the heart of the Federation, we would never send more than twenty thousand out to do battle. Neither of our countries would ever abandon our fortresses. Call it stupid or naïve or whatever you like, but that is our culture. Thirty thousand men will be staying inside the walls of our castles and venturing out only in skirmishes nearby."
"Twenty thousand?" Garth echoed with disappointment.
"Do not sniffle at twenty thousand Occan warriors," retorted the baron. "That is enough to bring fear into the hearts of a lot of Federation soldiers.”
"It is better than nothing," nodded Garth. "Let's head back to the
meeting."
The two men walked back through the castle together and entered the dining room. Everyone was there waiting for them.
"Let us begin anew," stated King Persimon. "Garth, what exactly is your plan for this Council of War?"
"Throughout Zara we have found people struggling under the heel of the Federation," Garth began. "There is no single group that has a chance of having much effect on the large armies of the Federation, but even small groups working in concert can have a big impact, especially if they are synchronized. My thought for a Council of War is to gather those groups who are willing to stand against the Federation. Gather them and coordinate them. If the attacks are timed for when the Federation is sending the bulk of their armies to Alcea, the effects could be devastating, not only on their supply chain, but on their whole support organization. It could be enough to fatally cripple the Federation."
"That idea has merit," stated King Wendal.
"Assuming that the Federation actually does attack Alcea first," interjected Baron Stikman.
"That is the assumption," agreed Garth, "but once the Council of War is formed, we could be flexible enough to cover contingencies such as an attack on Korocca."
"So these groups you are referring to," asked Baron Stikman, "they would be willing to act to save Korocca?"
"The groups that I am speaking about want the total destruction of the Federation," answered Garth. "Right now they are waiting for the Federation to send their troops overseas. If those Federation troops are sent to Korocca instead of Alcea then yes, they would attack. It would be up to the Council of War to set the guidelines for attacking."
"I see no barriers to exploring this matter further," stated King Wendal, "but I would like to know who Korocca would be getting involved with."
"The patriots of Vinafor are one group," stated Queen Romani.
"And the patriots of Tyronia," added King Myer. "One of the reasons I chose not to battle the Federation was so that we would be able to battle them in the future. I look forward to that day."
"Not to belittle our neighbors," Baron Stikman said as he looked at Garth, "but I haven’t heard of any sizeable groups yet. Korocca and Zarocca could probably contribute twenty thousand warriors, if there was a way to get them to the battle. I would be in favor of considering this council if there were another twenty thousand in all of Zara. Do you have them, Garth Shado?"
"I have twelve at the moment," Garth replied.
"Twelve thousand?" asked Baron Stikman.
"Twelve," Garth repeated, "but every one of them is willing to fight and die to defeat the Federation."
Baron Stikman laughed loudly. "I like your style, Garth Shado. Find me twenty thousand more like you, and you will have your Council of War."
Chapter 30
Smile for the Ogres
Max Caber was restless. While the others had chosen to go shopping while in the city of Traginak, Max had decided to stay at the Courtyard Shadows. He did not enjoy shopping, but he was bored with staying in the room by himself. The Ranger walked over to the window and leaned out to gaze upon the Zaroccan city. Hundreds of people moved through the streets below in an unhurried display of ignorance of the tumult going on in the rest of the world. In a way, he envied them, but Max was a warrior at heart, and he knew that he would never spurn the duty of protecting Alcea. His eyes lost focus, and the people below became blurred as the Ranger mused about the circumstances that had brought him to this strange and foreign world. His thoughts drifted to Tagaret and the friends and family he had left behind. The opening of the castle gates across the courtyard brought him back to the present.
Max watched an ornate carriage enter the castle grounds, but what truly caught his attention was the man leaving the castle. Fakir Aziz rode out of the gates on a beautiful gray mare, and he was leading three brown mares behind him. Gone was the pack mule the old man had always had with him. That in itself was not so extraordinary. What shocked the Ranger was that he thought he recognized the mares, and they were not horses at all. They were four of the unicorns assisting the group fleeing Tyronia. Max leaned further out the window and desperately scanned the streets below for one of his comrades, but he could not see any of them. With no one around to stop Fakir Aziz, Max turned and raced out of the room.
By the time the Ranger reached the street, the historian was far in the distance and heading for the city gates. Max looked around again for any sign of his fellow Alceans, but they were nowhere in sight. He grumbled under his breath as he ran towards the stables. He hurriedly saddled his unicorn and headed for the city gates. When he reached the outer gates, Fakir Aziz was gone. With a sigh of frustration, Max turned toward the gate guards.
"An old man just came through on a gray mare. Which way did he go?"
The two guards glanced at one another with puzzled expressions.
"We saw no old man," stated one of the guards.
Max frowned deeply. He had been sure that the old man was leaving the city, but he admitted to himself that he might be wrong. He turned around and reentered the city. After he passed through the inner gates, he halted and gazed around for any place the philosopher might have gone near the gates. Most of the nearby buildings were private homes. There were a few shops about, but most of them were open shops and the Ranger could easily see that Fakir Aziz was not in them. The four unicorns were nowhere to be seen. Max rode around the four blocks nearest the gates and scanned the public stables where the residents kept their horses. The unicorns were not there. He sighed in frustration.
"Are you looking for a place to stable your horse?" asked a nearby stableman.
"No," Max shook his head. "I was looking for an old man and four mares, one gray, three brown."
"Left the city about half an hour ago," replied the stableman.
"Left the city?" echoed the Ranger. "I asked the guards and they didn't see him."
"They must be blind then," shrugged the stableman. "I saw him leave. Beautiful mares they were, too. Might have been one of the royal breeds if I'm not mistaken."
Max nodded his thanks and turned his unicorn towards the gates once more. This time he rode through the outer gates without questions for the guards. The ground outside the gates was hard packed, and there was no chance of finding tracks there, so the Ranger scanned the horizon. Far off to the northwest was a stand of trees, and something about them drew his attention. Max headed for the trees while his eyes scanned the ground. His heart fluttered after a few hundred paces when he saw the fresh tracks. Urging his unicorn into a gallop, the Ranger raced after Fakir Aziz.
The tracks showed that the horse thief was not in a hurry, and Max slowed down after half an hour just as the stand of trees were ending. He halted at the edge of the woods and saw Fakir Aziz in the distance. The terrain ahead was grasslands, and there was no effective way to follow the old man in a stealthy fashion. Max let his unicorn cool down a bit and then calmly rode out of the forest. For the next hour, the Ranger rode as a man heading for a destination in the same general direction as the horse thief. He gained on Fakir constantly, but not enough to startle his prey.
Another stand of trees appeared, and when Fakir Aziz entered it, Max picked up the pace. As the Ranger raced into the trees, he found the old man waiting for him. Fakir was letting the unicorns drink from a stream, and Max tried to dismount casually as if watering the horses was a good idea.
"It's not polite to follow your friends, Max Caber," declared the old man.
"It's not polite to steal the horses of your friends, either," retorted Max. "I doubt that Garth or Kalina gave you permission to take those mounts."
"I can't say as I remember speaking to either of them about it," replied Fakir. "If you intend to accompany me to my destination, we might ride together. I would enjoy your company."
"How can you act so casually about stealing horses?" Max replied with shock. "The Zaroccans hang people for such an offense."
"I have stolen nothing," smiled Fakir Aziz.
> "Nothing?" balked the Ranger. "I know that gray mare well enough, and I am sure the other three were with our party when we entered Traginak."
"That may be so," replied Fakir. "Are you declaring yourself to be the owner of these creatures? If so, where did you acquire them?"
Max frowned in confusion. "I did not say that I was the owner. Kalina brought them to us."
"Perhaps you think that she is the owner then," mused Fakir as he mounted the gray mare. "I think otherwise, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion. If she truly thinks she is the owner of these creatures, tell Jenneva to state her claim, and I will promptly return them."
Max stared dumbfounded as the old man rode slowly away with the four unicorns. He was helpless to stop the theft short of killing the old man, and he was not willing to do that.
* * *
A bell sounded from the southern gates of Traginak, and soon bells were ringing all over the city. Garth and Kalina had just left the meeting and were being shown to their rooms when the excitement started. People started dashing about in a frenzy. Their escort, a junior officer, looked as if he also wanted to race away, but he had been assigned the task of showing the Alceans to their suite. He quickened his pace to get the duty completed as quickly as possible.
"What is going on?" asked Garth.
"I am not sure," the young officer replied anxiously. "The bells are sounding the alarm. The city will soon be attacked."
"Take us somewhere where he can view the surrounding area," ordered Garth.
"My orders are to see you to your suite," balked the officer.
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