"And who would that be?" asked Sigfrid, the Royal Sorcerer.
"Major Pezzola," the queen replied confidently.
"And what about Tyronia?" Roff asked General Skye.
"I am leading that effort," the general replied.
"But you are here in Herinak," frowned Bjorn, the Royal Stablemaster. "How can you organize anything in Ur?"
"I am the Commanding General of Tyronia," the general declared proudly. "I have many people under my command. Why should their names matter to this council?"
"A good point," agreed Baron Stikman, "but we are getting sidetracked with minutiae. Those two countries only account for nine thousand men. That is less than half way to the agreed upon number. Where are the rest of your forces, Garth Shado?"
"Farther south," Garth smiled thinly. "I cannot provide greater details at this time, but I can arrange for a representative of each group to sit at this table when the Council of War convenes."
Baron Stikman glared across the table. "This is not some game we are playing at, Garth Shado. You are asking this nation to commit troops to war, yet you hide our allies in the shadow and cloak this effort in mystery. I can only assume from your attitude that you either do not trust us, or you are trying to use us as pawns in some grand scheme. Neither case is acceptable to me. As far as I am concerned, this matter is settled. I will not support a Council of War."
A general consensus rippled through the Koroccan delegation as the barons began signifying their faith in Baron Stikman with nods of their heads.
"May I request an adjournment?" Garth asked as he glanced at King Wendal. "Before Korocca dismisses the Council of War outright, I would like a chance to confer with my advisors. Perhaps I can offer an answer to the baron's question that will please him."
The king glanced at Baron Stikman. The baron still glowered with anger, but he nodded in acceptance.
"We will meet back here directly after the evening meal," declared King Wendal. "May we all come back with feelings of trust for one another."
The Alceans rose quickly and stepped out of the room. They moved along the corridor away from prying ears and huddled.
"I think our original assessment about the barons is correct," Kalina stated. "None of them seemed remotely interested in the meeting. They look up to Baron Stikman and depend upon him to ask whatever needs to be asked."
"It was the sorcerer who asked about names," Natia pointed out. "I vote for him."
"This is not about voting," retorted Garth. "We need to watch them all. Natia, you have the Royal Stablemaster. I will take the Royal Lancer."
"That leaves me with law or finance," frowned Tedi. "I am not sure I could converse with either of them."
"Then you will coordinate the fairies," replied Garth. "Now that Pixy has arrived, we have more than enough to get the task done. Put Bitsy on the Minister of Law and Button on the Minister of Finance. Hold Pixy in reserve to communicate with us."
"Here they come," Kalina warned as the door to the meeting room opened, and the barons started filing out.
Kalina broke away from the group and started walking casually towards the meeting room. Tedi walked the other way and disappeared around a corner. Garth and Natia stood in the hallway as if they were talking to one another, but they watched the door so they could see when their marks left the room. Kalina was the first to make contact as Sigfrid walked out of the meeting room. He looked at Kalina questioningly, and she smiled in return.
"Do you have a few minutes, Royal Sorcerer?"
"Only a few," Sigfrid replied. "I am in the middle of an experiment."
"I will walk you to your lab," smiled Kalina. "That should be all the time I require. I want your opinion on the Forest of Death."
"You are the Alcean mage?" asked Sigfrid as they started to walk away.
"I am," Kalina nodded, "although I am not of the caliber of the Alcean Royal Sorcerer. That honor belongs to another. I am Garth's wife, so I guess that made me ideal for this trip. Fortunately, we have not had a great call for magic on this journey so far."
"Well, we all must value our talents no matter how large or small. What did you want to know about the Forest of Death?"
The two mages turned the corner and disappeared from Natia's sight just as the Royal Stablemaster was exiting the room. As Bjorn walked by Garth and Natia, she turned and ran after him. He turned and glanced at her when she came along side him.
"Hello, Bjorn," Natia smiled broadly. "I was hoping you could spare a few moments of your time between meetings."
"Whatever for?" frowned the Royal Stablemaster. "Shouldn't you be advising Garth?"
"He already knows how I feel," replied Natia. "I see no reason to hide anything. I am sure the others will convince him of that, but I would like to learn more about Koroccan breeding. I understand that you are in charge of the program for the entire nation. I stand in awe of being in the presence of someone who controls the world's greatest line of horses. They are simply magnificent creatures."
"That they are," smiled Bjorn. "There are no others like them in all the world, and it will stay that way, too. Maintaining the breeding line is a large portion of the task of the Royal Stablemaster. Have you ever ridden one?"
"Oh, no," gushed Natia. "I would love to try one. Is that possible?"
Garth smiled inwardly as Natia and Bjorn turned the corner. He stood standing awkwardly alone in the hallway waiting for Adolfus to appear. When he did appear, he was with Baron Stikman. Garth sighed and quickly turned away as if he was leaving the area. His task was to keep the Royal Lancer busy for about an hour while the fairies spied on other advisors. If no one made an effort to transmit the information in that time, the fairies would be reassigned to watch someone else. That meant that Garth had to watch the Royal Lancer one way or another for the next hour. He walked slowly, listening to the sounds of the footsteps behind him, waiting for the two men to separate so he could fulfill his task. The footsteps got louder and soon the voices of the two Koroccans came to his ears.
"Garth Shado," called out Baron Stikman. "Are you not taking this time to speak to your advisors?"
Garth halted and turned around to see the two men approaching. "I needed some time alone to think first," replied Garth. "Sometimes walking or talking about unrelated things helps to clear my mind."
"We can discuss this more later," Adolfus said to Baron Stikman. "I have much to do before the next meeting."
"You disappointed me in there, Garth Shado," Baron Stikman said as the Royal Lancer walked away. "I had taken you for being overly ambitious, but I never suspected you of being underhanded."
"There was nothing underhanded in my statements," retorted Garth as he turned to leave.
The baron's hand shot out and clasped Garth's shoulder.
"Do not walk away from me when I am talking to you," scowled the baron. "I have treated you with every respect, and you continually try to provoke me to anger. Why?"
"I have no desire to anger you," Garth replied as he turned to face the baron. "The truth is, I suspect that there is a traitor amongst us. I have already spoken to King Wendal about my suspicions, but he refused to alter the list of attendees to the meeting. I will not endanger the brave men and women of Zara by exposing them to a Federation spy."
"A spy?" balked the baron. “That is ridiculous. Neither Queen Romani or General Skye would betray their countries, and I personally know each man from Korocca. If there is a spy, I would suggest you look to your own ranks."
"Once again we disagree," declared Garth. "Now, if you would excuse me, I must be going."
"You cannot declare that there is a spy among my people and then just walk away," snapped the baron. "What makes you think there is a spy at all?"
"I was in Vinafor recently," Garth sighed as he realized that the Royal Lancer had gotten away. "People there knew that Queen Romani is alive and well, and living in Herinak Castle. Would you care to tell me how they knew?"
The baron's brow furrowed, and he st
ared blankly at Garth. After a moment he shook his head as if to clear it. "That might be nothing. It could even be a rumor generated by speculation. You cannot claim a spy on such flimsy evidence."
Garth stared at the baron as if weighing a significant decision in his mind. He sighed heavily and decided to gamble. "Your words match those of King Wendal. That does not surprise me as I think you are the real power in Korocca. The king values your advice over all else, and the other barons would support you if you said the Federation didn't exist."
"King Wendal rules Korocca," declared Baron Stikman. "Can I help it if he sees wisdom in my words?"
"Not as long as your words are truly wise," Garth said. "I stand convinced that there is a spy among the king's advisors, and I will prove it."
"And how will you do that?" asked the baron.
"In the meeting a while ago," explained Garth, "Queen Romani named the officer that is leading the rebellion in Vinafor. I am betting that a message of some kind will be sent from Herinak to Waxhaw in the next couple of hours, and that message will result in the death of Major Pezzola within three days."
The baron's eyes flickered left and right as if searching for anyone who might overhear the conversation. "Come to my office," he demanded.
The baron spun and marched off. Garth followed the Koroccan, and they both entered the baron's private office. He closed the door and walked to the chair behind his desk, waving Garth in the chair before his desk.
"You have been holding back a great deal of information," the baron said accusingly. "You claim to have been In Vinafor recently. How can I believe this?"
"I cannot explain that at this time."
"Do you think that I am the spy?" scowled the baron.
"I do not," answered Garth, "but neither do I have a good feeling that what I divulge to you will remain between the two of us. Look, I know that you are just trying to do what is best your country. I am trying to do the same, but I believe our two countries’ interests coincide. You do not."
The baron sighed in frustration. "How can we work together if we cannot trust one another?"
"That is the challenge you and I face," agreed Garth. "I asked for the adjournment not to speak with my advisors, but to catch the spy. It was the only way that I could think of to make you believe me. Now I wonder if even that will be enough."
"If you prove it, I will believe it," stated the baron, "but how would such a message be delivered? Even if a rider could ride through the Forest of Death, it would take him a month to get to Waxhaw. It is over six hundred leagues, yet you claim that Major Pezzola will be dead in three days. None of what you say makes any sense. Can't you see that your words sound like those of a crazy man?"
"No riders will be used to deliver the message," answered Garth. "While I do not know the method that will be used, I suspect it will be magical. I could have a message in Waxhaw within a day and back within two. What can you tell me about the Royal Sorcerer?"
"Sigfrid?" balked the baron. "Surely, you do not think he is the spy? His family is well respected in Korocca. That thought is unfathomable."
"He is old enough to have studied in the cities of the Federation," Garth pointed out.
"He did study in Giza," frowned the baron. "In the old days many of our people studied in the southern cities. What does that have to do with anything?"
"I am fishing," Garth admitted. "I am trying to figure out why a well-respected Koroccan would sell out their country to the Federation. The only thing I can come up with is a magical brainwashing during their youth. How many of the king's advisors have studied down south?"
"I know that Adolfus and Bjorn did not," answered the baron. “They are both boyhood friends of mine."
"What about Roff and Tyko?" pressed the Knight of Alcea.
"I am not sure," shrugged the baron. "I do not put much stock in your suspicions in any event. Both of them are respected throughout the land, and contact with the Federation died out over twenty years ago. It is a theory that will not hold water."
* * *
Button watched the man lead his horse out of the stables. The Koroccan mounted his horse and rode out of the castle grounds. Once he was through the gates, he rode into an alley and threw a dark cloak over his clothes. He pulled the hood close about his face, and Button knew that she had discovered the spy. When the man headed for the city gates, Button flew upward and baked sharply to reach Tedi as fast as she could. The fairy darted through the window of Sidney's suite and landed on the table.
"My assigned target is leaving the city by horse," Button reported. "I could use help in case he meets with someone. I cannot follow two people."
"Pixy, accompany Button. I will mount up and try to follow. Check in with me periodically so I know which way to ride."
"We shall corner our quarry and give you directions," Pixy declared boisterously.
The two fairies shot out the window, and Tedi rose to his feet.
"Who is it?" asked Queen Romani.
"Roff or Tyko," Tedi answered as he ran towards the door. "I am not sure which one Button had. Stay here in case Bitsy checks in."
Tedi exited the room in a rush. He ran through the castle and mounted his unicorn in the stables. His haste caused many people to stare at him in wonder, but the gypsy prince gave no thought to the spectacle he was creating. He had a spy to catch. As soon as he exited the city, Button swooped down and landed on his shoulder.
"Northwest," stated the fairy. "He is not riding hard, so you could sneak up on him."
Having delivered the message, Button leaped into the air. The fairy soared northwest and soon caught up to Pixy. The fairies flew side-by-side as they watched the hooded rider in the woods below. The man glanced over his shoulder before turning off the trail. He maneuvered his horse through the trees until he came to a small hut. The man dismounted and threw back his hood. He glanced around nervously and then entered the hut. Pixy flew inside before the man closed the door, but Button hovered over the small building. The door opened again and the man stepped outside with a pigeon in his hands. He threw his hands up in the air and released the bird.
As the bird climbed into the sky, Button raced to head it off. As the bird banked to the west, Button leaped onto it's back. The bird did not care for the fairy on its back and it tried unsuccessfully to dislodge Button. Within a few minutes Pixy arrived.
"We have to bring it down," Button shouted, "but not kill it. Grab the left wing, and I will get the right one."
Pixy dove for the left wing and grabbed onto it. The bird started flapping furiously and Button dove for the right wing. As the bird struggled, all three of them plummeted towards the ground.
"I don't care much for your strategy," screamed Pixy as they hurtled downward. "We are all going to die!"
"You levitate it," Button shouted. "I will put it to sleep."
"Now or after we crash?" yelled Pixy.
"Now!" shouted Button as they crashed through the forest canopy.
Both fairies let go of the falling pigeon and cast their spells. The bird's wings flapped furiously when they were released, but its downward movement was too much for it to overcome before the sleep spell took effect. Fortunately, the levitation spell was not far behind. The pigeon thudded into the ground, but not hard enough to hurt it. The two fairies slammed into the pigeon and bounced off. For moment nothing stirred in the forest, but Pixy eventually sat and shook her head wildly.
"That is the last time I team up with you," scowled Pixy. "Look at the size of that beast. If it had fallen on us we would have been crushed like a flower under an ogre's foot."
"It is only a bird," retorted Button as she climbed to her feet. "Oh, I forgot. You are newly arrived in this land from the soft life in Alcea. Well, you had better get used to the hard life on the frontier. This is Zara, and we are at war."
"Like you tackle pigeons everyday?" countered Pixy. "Dream on."
"Maybe not pigeons," replied Button, "but it is a dangerous life here. You don't ha
ve to believe me, ask Tedi."
"Tedi!" the two female fairies shouted in unison.
"I forgot all about him," Button said as she quickly flapped her wings to see if they were damaged. "Watch the bird! Don't let it get away."
Pixy watched Button shoot into the air. She rose to her feet and warily walked around the pigeon. Just to be safe, she cast another sleep spell on the flying beast.
* * *
Garth was sitting with Sidney and Queen Romani when Pixy flew in through the window. The fairy told her tale of the fight with the pigeon with a dramatic flair that would have won her rounds of applause if it had been told in court. Bitsy looked on skeptically, but Garth was not concerned about the embellishments.
"Where is the pigeon now?" he asked.
"Tedi is bringing it back to the city," answered Pixy. "He thought it best if it was delivered to you intact without the message being unsealed."
"He thought correctly," Garth replied. "Into my pocket, Pixy."
"That is my pocket," frowned Bitsy.
"Right now I need someone who was actually there," replied Garth. "You stay with Sidney."
Pixy climbed into Garth's pocket and the Knight of Alcea left the room. He made his way straight to Baron Stikman's quarters and found the baron just leaving.
"We need to talk," Garth said to the baron.
"It will have to wait," the baron replied. "It is time for the evening meal. Are you coming?"
"The meal can wait," Garth shook his head. "It is right after the meal that we are to convene the meeting again. There is no time for food, and I think King Wendal should join us."
"After the meal," the baron replied with annoyance.
"I have the proof that you both requested," Garth declared. "You might also want to send a man to the stables to note whose horses are unaccounted for."
"What are you implying?" the baron asked with concern.
"I am stating that your spy just tried to send a message," answered the Knight of Alcea. "The evidence is on its way into the city."
Baron Stikman stared at Garth for a moment of indecision. Without speaking he turned and strode away from Garth. He marched down the corridor and banged on a door. The door opened and a soldier stuck his head out and stiffened when he saw who was knocking. The baron spoke softly and the soldier nodded. Baron Stikman turned away from the door and returned to Garth.
Council of War Page 54
