The First Compact: The Karus Saga (The Karus Saga: Book Book 3)

by Marc Alan Edelheit

“For what purpose?” Martuke asked, acid in his voice. “For us all to die? We’ll be trapped, like fish in a barrel. This is insanity. Our only hope is to keep marching west to the protection of our nearest army, likely General Torga. Even the orcs would have second thoughts about taking on his force.”

  Dennig snapped his fingers. He pointed a thick finger at Karus and shook it. “You have a plan. I can tell and I think I know what it is.”

  “A plan to die,” Martuke said.

  Dennig glanced over at Martuke. “Don’t you see? He wants us to hold out long enough for Torga to relieve us.”

  “What?” Martuke hissed, returning Dennig’s gaze. He blinked furiously. “Torga is days from the city, maybe even weeks at this point. You know his objective. It is nowhere near Carthum and he will not be easily diverted. The Thane, with the main army, is likely even farther to the west.”

  “I’m not so sure,” Karus said to Dennig. “When Torga came to Carthum looking for you, he said he was coming back with an army. He as much as told me he would go through us to find you. He seemed quite sincere.”

  Dennig flashed Karus a weary grin. “Though he is a disagreeable bastard, Torga is a Dvergr of his word. If he said he’s coming back, then he will.”

  “It is dangerous to assume Torga is on his way,” Martuke said. “What if he’s not … what then?”

  “That is a fair point,” Dennig said. “Torga might have decided to complete his mission first and then come look for us.”

  “If you asked him to come, would he?” Karus asked Dennig. Everything Karus had planned in the last few hours hinged upon this question. If Dennig said no, then … prepared or not, they would all have to march and take a chance on the road.

  “Most definitely,” Dennig said. “He would come, especially if he knew my warband was trapped by an orc army. Torga would be Legend-bound to assist us. And he would bring every available warrior he could lay his hands on with him.”

  “That is what I wanted to hear,” Karus said. “Just to be certain, though, we need to send him word. We can get one of your messengers to him quicker than you could.”

  “How?” Dennig asked. “Would they go by dragon, like we did to get to the Fortress of Radiance and back?”

  “No,” Karus said. “With the enemy so near, Kordem and Cyln’Phax feel it would be too dangerous for even one of their number to leave us. The wyrms might gain some advantage or show up with more than we’ve seen to this point. So far, the dragons are the only deterrent holding the wyrms back.” Karus turned and pointed back at his horse. “Your messenger will ride a horse and my cavalry will provide an escort to see him safely there.”

  “Is it hard to learn to ride?” Dennig asked, curiously eyeing Karus’s horse, which towered over the dwarves. The animal was happily cropping at the long grass and seemed content, while it feasted, to ignore their conversation.

  “I don’t think so,” Karus said. “It should be fairly easy to learn, but if needed, we can strap your messenger down and one of my men can lead his horse. Believe it or not, these animals can cover quite a lot of ground in a day.”

  “This course of action is too risky,” Martuke said. “We should continue westward. I just don’t like it.”

  “I do.” Dennig turned on Martuke, thoroughly irritated. “What’s there not to like? Is your objection based on humans in general? Your abhorrence and disdain of them? Or do you find it offensive that they would willingly help us? Tell me, because I am having difficulty understanding your thinking on this matter.” Dennig waved a hand at the nearest wagon. “It may have escaped your notice, but we can’t go much farther than the city itself. And even if we did, the dragons that provide us protection against the enemy’s wyrms would stay with the humans. They owe us no allegiance. We would be vulnerable. Martuke, we are a proud people, myself included, but even I am not afraid to admit we need help.”

  Martuke, going red in the face, opened his mouth as if to speak. He apparently reconsidered, thinking better, and closed it.

  “We have food,” Karus said, before more could be said between the two dwarves. “We have shelter and strong defensive walls. The enemy, when they get to the city, will have no siege equipment. It will take them days to get organized to mount a proper assault. That will give Torga time to march our way. We can buy him more time by defending the city, making the enemy pay in blood.”

  “That’s if the messenger finds him quickly enough,” Martuke said. “If for some reason they don’t, we will be the ones paying in blood.”

  “Good walls, food, and a roof over our heads. I like it even more,” Dennig said, “especially considering our wounded.”

  “Your boys are tired and need a rest.” Karus pointed at the nearest wagon. “You said so yourself. They can get it in the city.”

  Martuke said something in Dwarven.

  “Speak the common tongue,” Dennig snapped at his second in command, voice hard with anger and irritation. “Why do you heap dishonor upon him, especially after such a generous offer? Would you turn down the opportunity to save some of our injured? How many will die if we continue westward? The warband will likely even end up being run down like dogs and destroyed by the enemy. Unless I am missing something, there is no Legend in allowing our own to die needlessly. And … I am sorely tired of running.”

  Martuke turned a hateful glare on his warchief, before shifting his gaze to Karus. “I object to humans in general. That, and the city is ours by right. We had it first. It was never yours to claim.”

  “You may think that,” Karus said, “but we found it abandoned and you weren’t there. Right now, Carthum is ours and I mean to keep it that way.” Karus softened his tone slightly. “However, you may share it with us.”

  Martuke bristled and took a step nearer Karus, his hand going to his sword hilt. “I should cut you down for your insolence, human. How dare you claim what is by all rights ours.”

  “Easy there, friend,” Dentatius said in Latin. This was followed by the slow hiss of a sword coming free from the prefect’s scabbard. Karus did not move and simply held his ground. He noticed Kol’Cara had unslung his bow and was standing silently off to the side, an arrow nocked and aimed at Martuke’s chest.

  Dennig’s escort moved forward several paces, hands going for their weapons. But no one drew them.

  “Are you a fool?” Dennig hissed in outrage at his second in command. “Don’t we have enough problems? Do you feel it necessary to create one more for us? We do not need new enemies. We have enough as it is. Now, stand down and behave yourself. That is an order.”

  Martuke spoke in Dwarven once again, the tone accusatory and directed at Dennig.

  “I said,” Dennig said, adding menace into his tone, “stand down.”

  Reluctantly, Martuke released his hand from his sword hilt and took a step back. Dennig turned and said something in Dwarven to his escort. They too relaxed, and with them, Kol’Cara lowered his bow.

  Instead of sheathing his sword, Dentatius rested it upon his lap and nudged his horse a couple of steps closer before stopping almost at Karus’s side. Martuke scowled unhappily up at the prefect mounted above him. He spoke again in Dwarven to his warchief.

  “Tell him what you said in our tongue,” Dennig insisted. “Though he probably can guess on his own, I want Karus to understand our feelings about his race and what he is getting into before he takes us in. It is only fair he knows the truth.”

  Martuke’s eyes glinted with extreme dislike as he turned them back to Karus. “I said … we have sunk low indeed, if we must work alongside humans and beg for their protection. This is a sad day, for we lose much Legend.”

  Karus was silent for a long moment as he considered Martuke’s words. He returned the dwarf’s gaze with a flinty one of his own. “There has been no begging. Dennig did nothing of the kind. I am simply asking that you join us and fight with us against our common enemy, a temporary compact of sorts. We are in this mess together and in a way partners by simple necessity
… nothing more.”

  “A compact?” Dennig rolled the word over his tongue.

  “Kol’Cara and the elves of the Anagradoom have joined with us.” Karus gestured toward the elf.

  “We have,” Kol’Cara said. “It was a long time coming. I personally feel very strongly that our alliance is a necessary one, especially if my people are to survive the coming storm. Sadly, most elves do not yet comprehend the need. I pray that changes before it becomes too late.”

  Karus glanced over at the elf, slightly surprised by his words. He turned back to Dennig and continued. “Join with us in defense of the city … in defense of ourselves. Let us fight side by side … and”—Karus glanced over at Martuke—“not against one another, for in truth, we are not the enemy of the Dvergr people.”

  Dennig did not immediately reply. Martuke turned his gaze to his warchief and, like the rest of them, waited.

  “It is a gracious offer,” Dennig said finally, “more than equitable. I like it. We shall formalize this compact you have proposed.”

  “You go too far,” Martuke said, though there was defeat in his voice. He knew he’d lost. “The Thane will never approve.”

  “The Thane is not here,” Dennig said. “I command and I am only agreeing to join forces and form a temporary alliance. It will last until we are relieved, or the enemy breaks off their siege of the city and we are free to go. I am not binding the Thane to anything, nor would I ever try to. Circumstances dictate a commonsense approach … even if a human was the one to suggest it.”

  “Once he learns what you’ve done,” Martuke said, “it will mean the end of your tenure as warchief. You should never have led us from Carthum. The fault for everything that has happened since that fateful and ill-conceived decision rests solely at your feet. Though, we all share in the shame.”

  “That may be so,” Dennig said. “I accept responsibility for all that has happened and I most assuredly will answer for it. The Thane is the ultimate authority. If he chooses to remove me from command … then so be it. It means my warband will have survived the storm. My Legend will be more than satisfied, even if I am dismissed from service … in what others consider disgrace.” Dennig turned to Karus and drew himself up. “I formally accept on behalf of my warband. We shall fight at your side. Our compact shall last until we are relieved, or the threat is over and we’re able to march freely out of the city. Also, should the Thane order me to break our agreement, I will be required to do so. My oath to the Thane supersedes everything else. I assume that is acceptable?”

  “It is,” Karus said.

  “Then,” Dennig said, “I swear by my honored ancestors it is so.”

  Martuke let out a low hiss of disapproval. Karus felt an intense sense of elation. Yes, he and Dennig had already agreed to work together, but now … they had truly formalized it. If they survived the days ahead, and proved they could work together, then perhaps something greater may come from it … something more meaningful. Karus would have to work toward that. But first, he needed to get through the immediate trials that lay in the days ahead.

  “Then I suggest,” Karus said, “that we send your messenger off as soon as possible. There is no time to waste.”

  “You mean now?” Dennig asked, glancing at the horses.

  “I do,” Karus said. “One of my best cavalry troops is provisioned for an extended movement. The sooner we get your messenger on the way, the quicker help will arrive.”

  “You knew he would accept your offer?” Martuke asked.

  “I had hoped,” Karus said. “Nothing was certain. I felt it better to be prepared than not.”

  Dennig turned away, looking around. He spotted a younger dwarf from amongst his escort. Speaking in Dwarven, he called him over.

  “Excuse me,” Dennig said to Karus, “while I give him his instructions. Martuke, you are with me.” With that, the three walked off several paces.

  Slinging his bow over his shoulder, Kol’Cara took a step nearer to Karus. The elf did not say anything, but Karus sensed he had something he wanted to share. He looked over at Kol’Cara and raised an eyebrow.

  “Your new alliance may not be at all what you expect,” Kol’Cara said quietly. “Were I you, I would be cautious.”

  “How so?” Karus wondered where the elf was going.

  “For the most part, dwarves do not like others,” Kol’Cara said, with a nod of the chin toward Martuke. “He is the perfect example of that. I believe you recognize this, yes?”

  “Dennig seems to be the exception, though,” Karus said.

  “Yes,” Kol’Cara said, “he is a rare dwarf, especially for one in command of a warband.”

  “Perhaps there are others like him,” Karus said.

  “Maybe so,” Kol’Cara said. “But for most … his people are highly intolerant of outsiders and resistant to change. Do not expect to find many that are friendly or excited by an alliance with humans, elves … and dragons. Dwarves are a difficult people.”

  “More so than elves?” Karus asked, looking over.

  “In some ways, yes,” Kol’Cara said. “Taking them into the city could … cause problems.”

  “Worse than what we saw with the refugees?”

  “Potentially,” Kol’Cara said. “That all depends upon how much Dennig is able to control his warriors, how loyal they are to him. By accepting your help, he is weakening himself in the eyes of his people. In a way, it is almost a loss of face. Dwarves look down on other races … as inferior beings. As Martuke said, he feels shame as a result. Expect others to think as he does.”

  Karus grew silent as he studied Dennig and Martuke speaking with the messenger. He rubbed his jaw, considering them and Kol’Cara’s words. After a long moment, he turned back to the elf.

  “Soon enough, we will have the Horde on our doorstep,” Karus said. “Surely they will put aside such attitudes to survive.”

  “One would think so,” Kol’Cara said, “and I hope that they do … but the dwarven mind is hard to divine. I have no idea how they will behave once you bring them into the city. You must proceed cautiously.”

  “The headaches never cease,” Karus said, “do they?”

  “They end when you die,” Kol’Cara said. “At least, that is what our philosophers tell us. And truth be told, no one I know of has come back from the dead. So, there is no way to be certain of that either. For all we know, the afterlife could be full of headaches and problems.”

  “And here I thought you were a philosopher,” Karus said, becoming amused.

  “Some days I am,” Kol’Cara said. “Today, I have chosen to be a realist and your advisor.”

  “Point taken.” Turning his gaze back to the dwarves, Karus rubbed at his jaw. “Dennig and I will just have to make sure that any potential problems are kept to a minimum. To survive the brewing storm, we must all work together.”

  “Let’s hope,” Kol’Cara said, his tone full of doubt as Dennig, Martuke, and the messenger began making their way back to them, “that you both are successful.”

  “This,” Dennig said as he returned with Martuke and the younger dwarf, “is Talvan. He is my relative and has already proven himself a brave warrior with great Legend.”

  Talvan was carrying a heavy pack on his back, though unlike the rest of the dwarves, his armor was brown leather and not plated steel. His right arm was heavily bandaged with what looked like tent canvas. Blood had bled through and stained it a burgundy color.

  He appeared tough, resilient, and confident, though was clearly much younger than Dennig and Martuke. His beard was a deep brown and had been tied into a single braid using colored glass beads. The beard reached midway down his chest. He looked curiously at the humans, elves, and horses, before turning his gaze squarely on Karus.

  “It is an honor to meet you,” Talvan said in Common. His tone was deep and confident. There was no hint of distaste, only respect. “My uncle has told me much of you, Karus. He shared how you saved him from the Elantric Warden and how you bo
th fought the undead together, then the elves and the Horde. Such actions speak not only of your courage, but also of your Legend.”

  “It is an honor to meet you as well,” Karus said, “and I am sure Dennig exaggerated some in the telling.”

  “Those only serve to make the stories better,” Talvan said. “But I think with you, not so much. It is not every human who commands elves, dragons, and fights the undead.”

  “He thinks you command me.” Kol’Cara smirked, thoroughly amused. “I think he has a lot to learn about alliances.”

  Karus gave a grunt and then turned, looking back. “Optio Bannus, on me, if you would.”

  “Sir,” Bannus said, dismounting and coming forward. He snapped to attention. Standing a little over five feet in height and slightly bow-legged, the optio was a man with fifteen years of service behind him. The previous year, he had transferred from Second Cohort to the auxiliary cavalry. Karus knew him to be a determined and steady man. He had proven to be a solid leader and was respected by his peers for his coolness in combat and levelheadedness. More important to Karus, Valens spoke highly of him and considered him one of his finest combat leaders. It was only a matter of time until Bannus was promoted to cavalry prefect.

  “Talvan,” Karus said, “Bannus will command your escort. He will make sure you get to where you need to go. He does not speak the common tongue, nor do his men. Sadly, I am the only one of my people who does. You both will just have to make do, communication-wise.” Karus paused. “If need be, they will defend you with their lives to see you to your people.”

  The young dwarf looked at the optio, who was still at attention. The last bit seemed to startle him, for he shifted his stance slightly. “I understand. Hopefully, it will not come to that.”

  “I hope so too,” Karus said and then suddenly could not help himself. “When you see him, would you pass on a message to Torga for me?”

  “The general?” Talvan asked.

  “Yes,” Karus said, with a glance toward Dennig, who was looking on curiously, clearly wondering on the message too. “Tell him I found his missing boys, including Shoega. If he wants them, he can have them. But he must come with his army. Make sure he gets that last part … to bring his army, as he threatened to do.”