by Guy Antibes
As the scout grasped his wound, Trevor moved in and grabbed the reins of the other horse, and put an end to the conflict. “My partner can heal,” Trevor said.
The scout peered at Trevor. “You are a Brachian?”
“I suppose I am,” Trevor said. “I’ll accept your surrender if you promise you won’t try to run.”
Blood was seeping through the scout’s fingers as he clutched his arm. “I don’t have a choice.”
“Of course you do, but surrender is the best one,” Trevor said.
Lissa held onto the reins of the injured man’s horse as Trevor dismounted and helped the scout down. Lissa grimaced as she cut cloth away from the wound.
“This will require stitches,” Lissa said as she opened her small medical kit.
“You’ll have to work fast,” Trevor said. “There could be more scouts around.”
She tacked the wound up. “You’ll need to see a healer to get a better job, but this will hold the wound closed for now.” Lissa applied a bit of magic healing to the wound, making the scout wince, but he barely cried out.
“I only have two questions for you,” Trevor said. “Is your army ahead or behind the Brachians?”
The man looked at Lissa and Trevor. “And if I don’t answer?”
“Then Lissa just wasted her time,” Trevor said.
“Behind. When they reach the one close to the enclave, we will destroy you.”
“The next question. How big is your army?” Trevor said.
“Bigger than the one on this road.”
Trevor nodded. “That is good enough. I’ll help you mount. I’ll put your friend’s body on his horse.”
After the body was tied to the scout’s horse, Trevor nodded to Lissa, who gave the reins to the ailing scout. They watched him disappear into the woods.
“Now, we will see if he spoke the truth,” Trevor said. “We can share the remaining horse.”
“Weren’t you being too kind to your enemy?” Lissa asked.
“Maybe, but General Brightwork split his forces, remember? If they haven’t joined up yet, and I doubt if they have, the Maskumite army is in for a rude surprise.”
They walked for another hour before they confronted four outriders dressed in Brachian uniforms.
“Raise your hands slowly,” Trevor said to Lissa before he did the same.
“Duke Trevor,” one of the soldiers said. “I’m surprised to see you here. There are enemy scouts on this road.”
Trevor nodded. “I know. We ran into two of them. I need to talk to General Brightwork.”
The scout who recognized Trevor turned to his fellows. “I’ll take him back.”
The others continued up the road while Trevor and Lissa followed the scout back on borrowed horses. General Brightwork and his staff traveled near the front of the long column.
“I thought I would talk to you on my own,” Trevor said. He gave the general a short version of his confrontation with Gareeze Plissaki. “Did he claim to have special weapons to use on Brachia’s enemies?”
Brightwork frowned. “He always claimed to have a small cadre of powerful magicians, but Gareeze never boasted of having any special powers, and I’d classify the orange lightning as a special.”
“Talk to your magicians and come up with a suitable defense. A charm might lessen the effects, but your men might want to make sure they use their shields. Plissaki used a wand or rod of some kind as a focus,” Trevor said.
“I caught that. I’ll do as you say. Most of the magicians ride together.”
“I’d spread them out too,” Trevor said. “That is a suggestion, not a command.”
Brightwork laughed. “I took it as a suggestion, but it’s a good one, especially now.”
“Has your army combined yet?” Trevor considered this the most critical question.
“No. The largest is still in the foothills. We will meet up at the end of the day, but with your new information, I’ll send a message to have them join with us as soon as possible.” Brightwork squinted at Trevor. “What is your next suggestion?” the general said with half a smile.
“If the Maskumite army thinks to take us in the flank, what should we be considering?” Trevor said.
Brightwork smiled. “I was intent on joining up with you. Thank you for taking me out of my complacency. If the terrain permits, one good flanking maneuver deserves another.”
“I’ll leave that to you,” Trevor told the general about his plan for another foray into the enclave, but a less invasive one than he had initially planned.
“My suggestion to you is not to go in. It will be too easy to ambush an unsuspecting burglar,” Brightwork said.
Trevor nodded. “Perhaps that is my best advice today.” He turned to Lissa. “Dismount, and let’s get back to our group.”
~
The situation hadn’t changed on the outside of the enclave. Trevor mulled over General Brightwork’s advice. He had one last visit to make before he made the final decision. It was time to visit Samar Doford onboard a Sirlandian vessel. “Wait for the general if I don’t get back in time,” Trevor said. “The Brachian columns haven’t united yet, and it appears that the Maskumite army thinks there is only one.”
“I’m not sure you are right, but we can wait. Do you want to see the map first?” Potur Lott asked.
Trevor took a deep breath. He needed to slow down a bit, anyway. “Did you find anything interesting?”
“You won’t like it. Other than the main corridors and walkways, all three maps are different. I was hoping for more matching areas, but…” Potur shook his head.
Trevor looked down at the final map. He spent a few minutes memorizing it, and all the areas he had been were shown. “The cabal areas are the ones that are different,” he said. “See if you can find out who made each of the three maps. The plans for the cabal areas that made the map might be more accurate, and we won’t find that out until we are inside.”
“I’ll go with you to the wharves,” Win said.
Trevor shook his head. “Only Lissa and I, and Lissa only because she has the magic I need to teleport.” He looked at Win. “Do you want to see if you have enough magic that I can use? I can’t move very far with Volst.”
It wasn’t Trevor who used the magic, but it had to power the cuirass, he guessed. He held out his hand and grabbed Win’s before trying to teleport to the other side of the camp, but nothing happened.
“I’m sorry. I would have liked to have you along,” Trevor said.
“Not as much as me,” Win said. “I thought we were more equal.”
“You have much more magic than I do. My ability is restricted to whatever works with the old magic,” Trevor said. “Make sure you and Volst are ready to defend the camp or invade the enclave.”
A disappointed Win nodded and patted Trevor on the back. “We will protect Gorian Custik and Glynna from the Maskumites.”
Trevor didn’t want to stay and endure a glum Win, so he took Lissa’s hand and ended up on the eastern end of the long, long wharf. He looked across the bay at the enclave clinging to the rocky cliff in the mist.
“The fog looks to be burning off,” Lissa said.
“Then let’s have some refreshment until we can see the blockade,” Trevor said.
They waited less than half an hour until the mist cleared, revealing a bright day. Trevor looked out at the bay and didn’t see the line of ships that he had expected. He frowned, took another sip of the Maskumite wine, and grabbed Lissa’s hand after plopping a few Jarkanese coins on the table.
They appeared on the wharf of Berry Port and looked out on a harbor full of ships. Samar Doford hadn’t even left Sirland.
“What happened?” an astonished Lissa asked.
“What didn’t happen is the more appropriate question. Let’s find Samar Doford.”
They clasped hands and ended up on Doford’s doorstep. A man wearing Maskumite style clothing answered after Trevor pounded on the door.
“I’
m here to see Samar Doford,” Trevor asked.
The Maskumite frowned. “And you are?”
“A friend. I just arrived from Maskum, myself,” Trevor said, plucking the black fabric of his black diving outfit.
“You’re no Maskumite,” the man said, who took a step back, but Trevor was ready for that and stepped forward, crunching his fist into the magician’s face.
The man fell back, and Lissa shot him with a lightning bolt that did little. “That is a good charm,” she said.
The magician tried to form another spell, but Trevor hit him again, and the man went still. Trevor ripped the man’s robes open. Trevor counted five charms around the man’s neck. “Those are yours,” he said to Lissa, who bent over to remove them.
“No. You will wear them,” she said.
“We don’t even know if they will work on me,” Trevor said, letting her drape the charms around his neck.
“Humor me,” she said. “Do you think Doford is here?”
“He is, but I’m tied up,” a voice came from farther inside the house.
Trevor drew his sword and walked through the house, ready for an ambush, but there wasn’t one. Doford sat tied to a chair in the kitchen and looked up at Trevor. “I didn’t expect you to come all the way to Berry Port to save me,”
“I came for your ships. Why aren’t they in Khartoo?” Trevor asked.
Doford shook his head. “For the same reason I’m tied up. I was betrayed by a few Berry Port captains who have more loyalty to a fat purse than they do to their homeland. They thought without me stirring the pot nothing would get done, and they were right. My former captains have kept me sequestered in my house for a week minded by the magicians.”
“Does it make sense to get your fleet underway? We are behind in getting everyone to Khartoo.”
“I can get half the ships out of the harbor and inside the Khartoo breakwater in three days.”
Trevor still needed someone to bottle up the bay. “Then let’s give it a try. Our priority will be to keep a naval escape from happening.”
“From the enclave?” Samar asked.
Trevor nodded. “Do the magicians have a long-range weapon?”
“No longer than our ships’ catapults. We know the range through sad experience.” Samar rubbed his formerly tied wrists. “Another is guarding me, but she went out for food.”
Trevor took the charms from his neck and added one of the invisibility charms from his pocket to the collection. “You will need these more than I will,” he said. “We will escort you for an hour or two, and then we will need to return to Khartoo. I can’t put off the invasion for long, but you’ve given me a good reason not to be hasty.”
Doford shook his head. “I wish you didn’t need to come here. I feel like I’m a failure. I should resign from the war commission Dirk Crater gave me.”
“You haven’t failed yet. Resigning is something you can think about when all this is over. Let’s concentrate on what to do going forward,” Trevor said.
Doford grinned. “I can do that. Give me an hour of your protection, and I’ll be walking around with bodyguards until I’m onboard a ship heading to Khartoo.
Chapter Twenty-Six
~
T revor hadn’t expected so much betrayal in Berry Port, of all places. Doford’s capture and house imprisonment bothered him, but was the position of Dryden’s messenger making him think everything would become straightforward all of a sudden? It shouldn’t have. He was brought up on betrayal. It had been part of his life ever since he left Tarviston for Red Forest Garrison. He stopped grooming Snowflake, and upon reflection, he couldn’t see Brightwork betraying him.
He shook his head before putting his forehead on Snowflake. He needed some advice from Brother Yvan after he made sure someone took care of Snowflake. He found Brother Yvan in discussion with Gorian Custik, Volst, and Win.
“Where are Lissa and Glynna?” Trevor asked.
“Finding a remote stream to do a little bathing,” Gorian said, grinning. “For some reason, I wasn’t invited.”
“What are you three talking about?” Trevor asked.
Viksaran stuff, mostly, if you should know,” Volst said. “We think you should come with us to Viksar and then get things straightened out with your mother and sister.”
“And by straightened out?”
“Retake your throne,” Win said. “My mother would like that.”
“I’m sure she would,” Trevor said, knowing that was probably true. “But I told you I don’t have any designs on the throne.”
“But you would have a Viksaran army behind you and Ginster, too, Brother Yvan says.”
“This is true?” Trevor asked.
Brother Yvan nodded. “Your mother has reneged on most of the provisions of the promises she made with Ginster regarding the usurpation. You should at least think about it. In my mind, the kingdom of Presidon is much better than Listenwell.”
Trevor sat down with them. “I’m not so sure.” He didn’t think retaking Presidon for the Arcwin line would be successful without a great deal of bloodshed. “I’ll talk to them when this is over,” he said. “That is all I can promise.”
“Are you afraid of Lilith?” Win asked.
“No,” Trevor said. “I’ve never been afraid of her like I have of my mother. It isn’t pleasant to know that your mother is actively pursuing your death.”
“And you don’t want to stop that?” Gorian asked.
“Of course I do,” Trevor said, “but I don’t think I could plunge my sword into her.”
“I can do that,” Win said. “Maybe Lilith, too, if you asked me nicely.”
Trevor gave his friend a tiny smile. “I’ll let you know. Maybe we can talk it over a lot of Zinkel’s ale in Jilgrath.”
“Oh, I’m for that,” Volst said. Custik grinned and nodded vigorously. “You will consider it? Your future depends on stopping all the attempts on your life. It finally caught up with your friend Boxster.”
Trevor nodded sadly at the mention of Desolation Boxster’s name. King Worto’s spies had taken the opportunity during a crisis, making Trevor think of the situations he had to face and realize that the same thing could happen to him. It could happen this evening or tomorrow. “I will give it serious thought,” he said.
He had wanted to ignore Presidon, but his friends had just reminded him that he really couldn’t forget the past like he wanted to. If he wanted to live the easy life as the duke of a Brachian domain, looking over his shoulder all the time would make his living less easy. And with that, he realized that he had answered his own question. He had gone soft, and it had nothing to do with being Dryden’s messenger. He was looking too far ahead and ignoring the risks he had to face before he reached his goal.
Lilith and his mother were barriers to his future. Lissa shouldn’t have to worry about active assassins, and she would be in constant danger too. Trevor took a deep breath. “You’ve convinced me, but we can bring this up after we have wiped out the Maskumite vermin nest.”
Brother Yvan rose from the camp table. “Walk with me,” he said.
It was a pleasant twilight. The night would be warm if the fog didn’t roll in from the sea, Trevor thought. The pair of them strolled out of camp and through a dense thicket into a small meadow. A few fallen trees provided a place to sit facing each other.
“Something is bothering you,” Brother Yvan asked. “I could see it painted on your face when you joined us.”
“I was wondering if I’ve been tough enough. It seems that I’ve relied on others’ honesty a bit too much,” Trevor said. “I thought that being Dryden’s messenger has addled my mind.”
“Perhaps it has, but do you still feel the same way? I sensed a change while we talked.”
Trevor smiled. “A seer’s second sight?”
“Not a seer’s, mine,” Brother Yvan said.
After a pause, Trevor shared his misgivings with his long-time mentor.
“I suppose Doford’s c
apture is the cause for all this angst?” Brother Yvan asked.
“It is,” Trevor said, “but I think I have been looking too far forward.”
Brother Yvan nodded knowingly. “Retiring to Listenwell to a life of luxury?”
“A peaceful life,” Trevor said. “When Win mentioned Boxster, I realized that I couldn’t attain that peace while my mother and Lilith keep sending assassins. It hasn’t been that long since the last attempt on my life.”
“And there will be others. A little luck on their part, and you join Desolation,” Brother Yvan said. “That is the only reason I agreed with their suggestion. You have to come to terms with your mother and sister.”
Trevor shook his head. “It won’t be possible,” he said. “My mother hates me. It is an irrational hate, and that can’t be talked away.”
“I think you are right, but Lilith has a good head on her shoulders,” Brother Yvan said.
“You are defending her?” Trevor asked.
“Why shouldn’t I? She let us go after we were captured, and Lilith didn’t renege on her promise to leave you alone. Your mother did.”
“And that proves my point,” Trevor said. “I think I’ll only do my talking to Lilith, then.”
Brother Yvan’s face brightened. “You do that. Ask her to make good on the promises she and her mother made to Ginster, but remember you will have to confront your mother before this is all over.”
“And have Lilith fulfill any other agreements that my mother broke. That is more of what a messenger does, isn’t it?” Trevor asked.
“I’m not so sure what a messenger does since the last one ran around a long, long time ago, but it sounds right. Are you refocused?”
“Not quite,” Trevor said, being honest with himself, “but I’m better.”
~
General Brightwork arrived at Trevor’s advanced camp. The combined Brachian army had just fought a major battle with a Maskumite force half a day away to the east.
