Reciprocity : Volume 1 of The Fledgegate Cycle

by Zachary Smith

  Garen set down his trencher and walked to the table.

  “Based on where the army was a couple days ago, we should also send out a couple scouts to try and get eyes on them to confirm locations and estimated timetables,” he observed.

  “People are preparing to evacuate the city. While I was checking the guard posts, I had multiple people ask if they would be allowed to leave through the North Gate on the capital road. They are not sure if they are going to be allowed to leave before the fighting starts,” Jorick said.

  “Garen, when we finish, have one of the clerks make an announcement that we will allow people to continue with evacuations up until the Southern Army arrives. Anyone evacuating will need to be self-sufficient and have at least ten days of travel rations per person. Small hand barrows and backpacks only, no large carts, as they will move too slow.

  “Anyone traveling does so at their own risk. We will not be sending guards to escort them.” Lorne looked at the others to see if anyone had anything to add.

  “Jorick, you take the West Gate. How long will it take you to gather the engineers that you need?” Glem asked.

  ✽✽✽

  Kiiryas moved through the city, lost in his thoughts about the impending war. He listened to the conversations of the people in the markets, hearing undertones and general rumblings of fear and anxiety everywhere, and discreetly took reports from his informants spread throughout the city. His anger at the situation was building as he walked. If there had been anyone watching him, they might have seen him fade into the stone walls of the buildings before reappearing hundreds of feet further on.

  He flexed his hands as he went, opening and closing his fists; they glowed blue just slightly, hidden under his cloak, and the glow invisible. Then, Kiiryas came out of his reverie with a start.

  He had wandered all the way to the walls of the city, past the Governor's house and the barracks. He was nearly to the Dog Gate tucked into the corner of the city.

  He worked to put together all the information he had gathered, assembling it in his head as he went.

  There was something missing in it, but couldn’t put his finger on quite what it might be.

  “Worst guard duty yet,” he heard men complaining from up ahead and stopped to listen.

  “Shut up, you know you can’t say things like that here,” another voice said.

  “Give it a rest. It's not like anyone cares about this gate anyway. We should be out doing something. We trained for months, and now we’re stuck here,” the first voice said.

  Kiiryas moved up closer to the corner of the building he had stopped behind, just out of view of the guards. I don’t recognize those voices. Aside from Glem, I haven’t heard about any guards doing any special training in the last few months.

  “Shush, if he hears you talk like that, we will both be in trouble, you for talking and me for not stopping you. He killed Palek, and he had completed his job but made too much of a mess. Imagine how long you would last, talking out of turn,” the second voice said, sounding genuinely disgruntled.

  But there hasn't been anyone killed in the city in weeks. Not since the accident in the market when the guy slipped on the soup and hit his head. Who on earth are they talking about?

  “Yeah, he’s a scary one. I just want to be doing something. Instead, we’re stuck here on this stupid gate, and the rest of the team’s out doing important stuff,” the first voice said.

  “Well, at least the pay is good. For the amount that General Inehorn is giving us, I can be happily bored wherever I am told to,” the second man said.

  General Inehorn? Where have I heard that name before?

  Almost before Kiiryas realized it, he had begun to move.

  He glided forward silently, around the corner of the building.

  Hmm. I don’t recognize either of them. Inehorn’s the General of the Southern Army. They’re imposters.

  He faded completely into the stone around him as he approached the false guards. A long knife appeared in each of his hands, the blue glow spreading from his fingers and outward, to the blades.

  They’re in the city!

  The guards were oblivious to the danger that approached them. Kiiryas grew more powerful; with each step, his anger increased. How dare they come here like this!

  The guards faced toward each other while they talked as Kiiryas approached them. Before either of the guards had chance to be alarmed, Kiiryas had slid his first dagger into the base of the skull of the one facing away from him. His action was fast and smooth enough that even the guard looking right at him didn’t notice until Kiiryas lowered the body to the ground.

  The remaining guard looked down in confusion at his friend on the earth. His last thought was to wonder why he was taking a nap in the middle of guard duty.

  Kiiryas’ second knife went through the man’s eye as an iron hand glowed slightly blue over his mouth. He wiped the blades on the guards' uniforms before the sharp objects disappeared back under his patched cloak. Letting his stealth fall, he began to run toward the barracks. The gates to the training yard stood open, and Kiiryas was past the guards at the entrance before they saw him. He flew across the yard and into the map room where Lorne, Jorick, and Glem were standing over a map of the city.

  Glem’s hand went to his sword as he slammed into the room.

  Chapter 18

  “Make sure you have everything but at the same time, pack light. We don’t know how long it will take us to get to the capital. The saddlebags can be converted… Oh, you’ve done that already,” Oarf exclaimed, impressed. He was intently looking at where the girls were staging equipment on a table in the dining room, the inn empty of other customers.

  “We can’t leave without Grandpa,”

  “He is going to meet us in the capital. As strong as he has been lately, he will probably find us on the way,” Rues replied.

  “But what if he gets hurt or something?” Alyra asked.

  “Of all of us, he is the least likely to get hurt, and besides, what would you do if he did? Come on, Alyra. We talked about all this this morning.”

  Eiriean came from up the stairs wearing her travel clothes and carrying a bag. “We should leave, or they may shut the gate before we get there. Jorick said they were not going to keep it open any longer than they had to for people to leave.”

  Oarf took a last look around the dining room as they moved to the street. He locked the door behind him and slipped the key into his pocket. Hopefully, the damage won't be too bad when we get to come back.

  “Last check, everyone have everything? Alyra, got your sword? Rues, your hammer?” Their nods provided confirmation, and they began to move toward the North Gate.

  ✽✽✽

  “They’re in the city already!”

  Glem took his hand off his sword as he and the others turned to Kiiryas. “Catch your breath for a moment and then explain. Who is in the city already? How do you know?”

  Kiiryas sat heavily in a chair that Garen had dragged over from the other side of the room. Taking a few deep breaths, he explained, “I was working my way through the town like I always do. You know, talking to people and listening to the gossip. I have been in this town for a long time and know every guard here by name. Well, when I got to the Dog Gate, there were two men there that I didn’t recognize. I thought maybe they were new, and I hadn’t met them yet. So, I stopped to listen for a minute. And they started talking about General Inehorn...”

  “Inehorn, but he’s the General of the Southern Army. Has been for close to twenty years,” Glem interjected.

  “The guards were talking about him and someone else. They didn’t say the name for the other person, but talked about him like he was in the city with them and was the devil himself—or a boogeyman or something.”

  Lorne stepped around the map table. “So, two guards you don’t know were talking about General Inehorn and someone else. What else do you remember?”

  “They were talking about how much the General w
as paying them to be bored on guard duty. Well, they aren’t bored now.”

  Jorick handed Kiiryas a glass of water.

  “What do you mean they aren’t bored now?”

  “Thank you. I mean, they are dead. I didn’t take time to hide the bodies so someone will find them soon. When I realized they were soldiers from the Southern Army and had infiltrated the city, I killed them off and ran right here.”

  The men stared at Kiiryas for a moment before speaking. “You did good,” Lorne said. “But obviously, this means we have a problem now.”

  “We had a problem before,” Glem countered. “Now, we know about it.”

  Lorne nodded at Glem’s' statement before continuing.

  “If they took the Dog Gate, it likely means there is a group in the city. That is a small out-of-the-way gate, but not far from the barracks, so it’s probably not a huge group. We have to secure the rest of the city as quickly as possible.”

  Lorne stepped into the hall and yelled to his clerk, “Get Sgt. Millis in here now.” He turned back into the room. “We know what we can know right now. I’ll coordinate from here. Kiiryas, I’m drafting you for the moment. You know all the soldiers, and the city probably better than we do. Go over to the North Gate, and help with the civilian evacuation. Explain the situation to the sergeant on the gate.”

  He looked at Jorick.

  “Fowler, sir.”

  “Tell Sgt. Fowler what happened and have him watch his men. It is unlikely they got to any of the city guards. Most of these men grew up here, but even so, it’s better to be safe. If you see anyone in a guard uniform that you don’t recognize, tell Fowler and then take them out of play. Capture if possible, and kill if not.”

  “Kiiryas, you are not a soldier. Don’t start acting like one,” Jorick said as the others in the room nodded, thinking of Kiiryas’ unique skill set.

  “Garen, you are going to cover the South Gate. Make sure that it is fully secure, and you have command there. Jorick, as discussed, you take the West Gate. The engineers should already be there. Seal that gate! I want it to take weeks to clear from this side.” Now, he looked over to the man just entering the room.

  “Sgt. Millis. The short version is that the Southern Army has infiltrated the city in stealth. You know all the guards in the city?”

  “Yes, sir. I know most of them pretty well and the rest at least by sight.”

  “Good. Then you are going to the East Gate. Make sure that it is closed and secure, that gate is not to open without the express order of one of the men in this room. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Good.” Looking around the room, he took a deep breath. “Hold those gates. If we lose any of them, we fall. Glem and I will coordinate from here. He is second in command until the battle is over. You have your orders. Good luck.”

  The men left hurriedly to secure the city while Glem and Lorne began to review the little they knew about the placement of the Southern Army and the weaknesses of the city.

  ✽✽✽

  Rues, Alyra, and their guardians walked through the frantic city carrying their packs and preparing themselves for the journey ahead.

  “I still don’t understand why Grandpa is not coming with us. He is just one old soldier. What difference is it going to make?” complained Alyra.

  “I don’t know about one old soldier making much of a difference, but as I understand it, your grandfather is not just one old soldier.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Eiriean looked at her husband for a moment. “Oarf, she doesn’t know. It is not your place to tell her.”

  “Tell me what? I know Grandpa was in the army. But, so what, there are hundreds of guards in the army here in the city. If they are not going to be enough, what does one more matter?”

  “Alyra, I think Glem was not just any regular soldier. Did you see how the Captain of the City Guard sent for him and then sent him on a mission? I think Glem used to be someone important. There, now you know.”

  “You will have to ask him all about it the next time you see him, Alyra,” Eiriean said.

  The streets of the city were packed with people all trying to prepare for the siege. Despite the yelling, there was no fighting. The guards had made examples of a couple of fights that had broken out, and the people were behaving themselves.

  The small group traveling toward the North Gate in preparation for its opening was only one of many. They pushed through the throngs of people, some getting angry at being shoved until they saw Alyra’s sword. Then they would suddenly find that they had immediate business elsewhere.

  Thousands of people waited at the North Gate, shuffling back and forth, peering across each other’s heads with great anxiety and murmuring. The guards tried to maintain order in the seething mass. Afraid for their loved ones and their own lives in the coming war, the people struggled with the wait for the guard to open the gate. The time set for it was rapidly approaching.

  “Line up orderly, like now!” shouted one of the guards on the gate. “We will begin to open the gate in five minutes. I don’t want any pushing or shoving. Everyone will be given time to go out. Remember, once you are out, proceed directly up the north road, and do not stop until you reach one of the cities between here and the capital, or the capital itself. Stopping on the road will make you a target for the incoming army. Does anyone have any questions before we open the gate?”

  “What do we do if we decide to come back to the city?” a man in the crowd shouted.

  “Do not come back to the city. We will not be able to reopen the gate. Once you have left, you must not return. You are on your own,” The guard shouted. “Are there any other questions?”

  The people in the crowd shook their heads as the reality of their situation began to sink in. Once they stepped through the gate, they would be completely alone, just as he said.

  “Line up. Line up now. No pushing or shoving.”

  He turned to the other guards on the massive windlass that raised the gate. “Open the gate.”

  The heavy gate swung up slowly until they were locked into their place. The windlass was then duly blocked to keep the gate up, but the huge pins that would lock it in permanent place were not set, driving home the fact that the gate would only be open for a few minutes. This was not a market day after all.

  The people would have to mobilize in an orderly fashion, following instructions and not thronging, since any misdemeanor would only make their passage slower and more dangerous. The mandate to form orderly lines and keep a steady—but not rushed—pace was repeated over and over through loudspeakers from the single stressed guard, who stood ready to intercept anyone causing a whisper of a problem.

  But there were no problems. People were simply too keen and too anxious, and no one wanted to spoil their own chances of escape while the gate was raised and the safety on offer.

  The first of the people began to move through in a slow chain, neat and calm, just as ordered by the guard. They appeared almost like a posse of schoolchildren queuing to go on some sort of school outing, only here, the air was thick with nervousness and stale sweat, and adrenaline. More than a dozen wide, they lined up to march out of the opening almost like soldiers.

  The guard had done a good job of organizing everyone.

  Alyra and the rest of the group were near the middle of the band of people, and the first citizens of Eshly were now only a few dozen yards from the wood line when they cleared the gate.

  “Let’s hurry. I will feel better once we are safely in the tree line. I feel so exposed here in the open,” Oarf urged. “I feel as if just about anyone could be watching us. Come now…”

  Sudden screaming was the first indication that there was now something wrong. With no warning at all and a faint swoosh, hundreds of arrows began falling among those fleeing the city, a veritable gray rain shower of spikes and potential bloodletting.

  The only sound or warning was the soft fluttering of the fletchings on each of them
as they fell. Wave after wave they came, seemingly directly from the clouds as if it rained weapons. The first grouping, tightly clustered, fell near the tree line, with later waves falling farther out near the city.

  “Ambush!” called Oarf. “I could feel it! I knew…”

  “It’s a trap!”

  “They’re waiting for us. We are all going to die.”

  Oarf grabbed Eiriean and Alyra’s shoulders, one girl in each of his strong fists, shoving and pushing them ahead of him, with Rues crying out, “Run! The gate’s still up. If we can get there before it falls, we have a chance. Stay together!”

  Then there came a pause as they dashed forward with every ounce of energy they possessed, making for any gap in between the milling, panicking throng. “Don’t fall, or you’ll get trampled!” cried Rues, her voice cracking as if surely about to cry. They turned and ran full speed for the only exit, the shadow of the raised gate now seen to offer scant safety for anyone.

  ✽✽✽

  Kiiryas, meanwhile, had moved rapidly through the city after leaving the meeting at the barracks. The knowledge that the enemy already had agents in the environs was beyond disturbing for him. So, now it was apparent that all the precautions taken had been for nothing. There was no way of knowing how many enemies had arrived and hidden away here by this point.

  The guard change happened on schedule, so the foreign agents could not have been on that gate for more than a few hours, he reasoned. Here’s hoping it was just a handful. And if it’s more, then here’s hoping for strength…

  He listened to the conversations of the people around, hearing the panic beginning as they understood the siege was imminent. He arrived at the North Gate of the city just as they started opening it; they were just beginning to allow people to escape before the battle prevented them from leaving.

  The windlass creaked and moaned as it turned, sending a hellish groan of agony up into the sky, as if a portent of things to come. Eventually, after many slow and laborious turns, it succeeded in raising the heavy gate. The portal out of the city cleared, the guard allowed the people to start their long walk.