“I’ve been in fights far worse than that and come out on top,” Robert responded. “There’s always a path to victory, if you just know where to look. As near as I can figure, you all got damned lucky and you shouldn’t count on that happening again, no matter who you’re fighting.”
“We don’t need to rely on luck, anymore,” Sayana advised him. “I could probably have taken you on my own, if I was as strong then as I am now.”
“Just remember where that strength is coming from,” Criosa warned, reminding the sorceress of the nature of her power.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Robert said to fill in the awkward silence that followed. “Thanks for the compliments, though,” he added, give her an appraising look that she missed completely.
“Mister Black, I have something to say to you,” Criosa said as she moved her horse closer to him, apparently having come to a decision. “I still have issues with your past, but I can see you are being truthful when you speak of your desire for redemption. I may be young, but I have learned to recognise assets that may be useful to the Crown, and I’m a fair judge of character too. When you fight, you fight to win, yes?”
“Who doesn’t?” Robert replied.
“But am I right when I say that you will give everything you have in service to your employer?”
“Of course,” the mercenary answered.
“I had considered throwing you in jail when we reached Culdeny, after you had dealt with the dragon,” Criosa mused somewhat archly. “Your crimes may still warrant such action, yet I feel we are in need of men like you, to fight and to lead in the days ahead. I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she muttered almost to herself, “but we need you. You will fight and perhaps die, in the service of Aielund as recompense for your crimes.”
“Is this a second chance?” Robert asked curiously.
“Of a sort,” Criosa nodded.
“That’s what I was hoping to hear when we started this journey, but I guess you had to warm up to the idea. I don’t suppose you’re going to pay me?”
“Certainly,” she beamed. “Please accept the sum of zero gold sovereigns for your services.”
“That’s not a number,” Robert growled.
“The mathematicians at the university tell me otherwise,” Criosa assured him.
“Does my employment involve you taking advantage of me, and making quirky little jokes at my expense?”
“Absolutely,” Criosa affirmed. “Now then, you two can catch up with us later, as I am in need of a bath and a fine meal.” She nudged her mount into a canter, and everyone except Robert and Sayana followed suit, leaving the bemused duo to walk the remainder of the distance.
As the rest of them closed on the eastern gate, Aiden noticed some major work had taken place in the town since their last visit. The outer wall was nearly twice as high as he remembered, and fresh stonework was visible upon the outer face. Sounds of ongoing construction could be heard from within the new walls as the burned Culdeny of old was reborn.
Criosa kept a low profile as they made their way through the gate, allowing Aiden to do most of the talking. The guards were surprised to see travellers arriving from the east, and inquired about the presence of the dragon in the mountains. Aiden told them it was gone, leaving the highway safe once more. When asked if they had slain the beast, he simply shrugged and said they’d never encountered it. They wouldn’t have believed him if he’d told them the truth anyway.
Buildings damaged by fire and been replaced with new houses of stone construction. Cobblestones were arranged along the entire length of the street, a far cry from the muddy paths that had squelched underfoot in the past. Artisans and stonemasons went about their tasks, gradually transforming the town into a proper city, albeit a small one.
The feeling of optimism in the air was palpable, a combination of the fine spring weather and the resurgence of their scarred town.
Aiden and his companions made their way to the Seaspray Inn, which was showing signs of renovation over much of its wooden exterior. The inside hadn’t changed a bit since their last visit however, and the rowdy patrons gave Criosa a moment’s pause. Once their rooms were booked, they went their separate ways and spent some time attending to personal matters with the intention of meeting back at the inn within two hours.
Aiden treated himself to a bath and a meal, then headed downstairs for a meal. He shared a platter of roast pork and potatoes with the others, and when they were halfway through the meal Aiden’s attention was caught by Robert and Sayana coming through the front door.
The mercenary was clad from head to toe in heavy plate armour, with a large sword strapped over his back. He carried a visored helm under one arm and stood next to Sayana, appearing confident and dangerous in his new equipment.
“Looking good, Robert,” Criosa remarked with a smile as he and Sayana joined them at the table.
“Thanks for buying this for me,” he replied as he pulled off his armour gauntlets. “It certainly wasn’t cheap.”
“Well, you need to be properly attired for war,” Criosa pointed out. “But do you have to wear it at the table?”
“I’m bedding in the leathers underneath,” Robert explained. “So no, I’m not doing wearing it because I enjoy weighing half a ton.”
“Fair enough,” Criosa conceded. The princess went on to explain that she had already spoken with the newly appointed ruler of Culdeny, an elderly local lord by the name of Talbot Matheson. He had practically tripped over himself offering aid to Criosa in any matter she brought up. All that remained was for her to speak with the local guard captain, who Nellise informed her was absent due to the war effort.
“Don’t worry, his wife will be able to help us out,” Nellise said.
“I’m missing something, aren’t I?” Criosa murmured cautiously, unsure if she was joking or not.
“Sergeant Ariel is the captain’s wife, and as I recall, was quite good at her job,” Aiden clarified.
“Good, I’d like to see more women in positions of authority,” Criosa remarked in satisfaction. “We’ll stay here for the night, then meet with her at first light before pressing south in the morning.”
With that, they finished their meal and retired for the evening. Aiden slept like a log for the first time in months, and upon waking had a quick bite to eat before joining Criosa and the others as they headed to the guard house. The weather was cloudy and there was a cold bite of salt in the air as the locals went about repairing the town.
Ariel’s chainmail-clad form was standing at a table when they found their way to the guard’s office. Her dark eyes turned to watch them enter, and a brilliant white smile erupted from her dark face as she recognised Aiden and the others. Behind her stood a hulking figure of a man, peering down at the table with grim determination, ignoring their presence until they came to a halt a few feet away.
“Aiden Wainwright, this is quite an unexpected surprise,” Ariel greeted them warmly. “It’s a pleasure to see you all again. I hope you like what we’ve done with the place.”
“Culdeny has never looked better,” Nellise replied with a smile.
“It bloody well should, considering the money they’ve sunk into the place,” the big man growled in a familiar dour voice. Aiden burst into a grin as Dante Colt, onetime companion and friend of their little group, turned to greet them.
“Colt, it’s great to see you again,” Aiden exclaimed, shaking his hand. A rare smile was on the big ranger’s face as he surveyed the group, his eyes almost popping out of his head at the sight of Nellise’s armoured form.
“Nel, what happened? Someone’s gone and encased you in a metal coffin or something,” he grunted.
“I became tired of people — and other things — trying to stab me to death,” she replied casually. “My peace of mind is worth the discomfort.”
“Fair enough, I suppose. You’re looking a bit meatier there, Sy,” the ranger continued, looking at the sorceress. “Good to see you’re finally ea
ting enough.”
“You’re not as funny as you think you are,” Sayana drawled.
“Sure I am,” Colt smirked, giving her a crushing hug. His smile vanished a moment later when he laid eyes on Robert Black, who had been keeping to the rear of the group with his head down to try and avoid attention.
“What the f—” Colt breathed, before grabbing his greatsword from the wall and drawing it from its sheath. Robert immediately drew his own blade and the two former enemies stood eyeing each other, with grim purpose in their eyes and steel in their hands.
Chapter Six
“Captain, what are you doing?” Ariel exclaimed in surprise as the two men faced off within the confines of her office.
“That’s Robert Black, commander of the Steel Tigers mercenary company,” Colt growled, never taking his eyes off Robert for a moment. “Or should I say former commander, since we beat him and his pack of surly bastards half way to hell and back.” Ariel’s expression turned cold with the realisation she was standing before the man responsible for laying waste to a large part of her town.
“Easy there, Colt,” Aiden warned, trying not to set him off. “Just relax, he’s working for us now.” To his credit, Robert did nothing further to provoke the big man, though he didn’t let his guard down, either.
“How is he even still alive?” Colt asked with a sidelong glance at Aiden. “I’m sure we left him for dead on the road.”
“He had some magical assistance,” Aiden explained, making a mental note to describe the small relic that had restored Robert’s life sometime later.
“That’s cheating,” Colt growled, unimpressed. “Usually when we kill someone, they stay dead.”
“Don’t remind me,” Pacian muttered.
“Put your weapons away, gentlemen,” Criosa ordered. “We are all on the same side here, and I’ll not have you cutting each other into ribbons when we’ve greater problems to address.”
“I’d be doing all the cutting, Highness,” Colt assured her as he lowered his sword. Robert responded in kind, warily sheathing his heavy blade.
As Aiden examined him closely, he could see Colt had actually cleaned himself up. Gone was the perpetual three-day growth around his jowls, and even his hair had been tidied. Most importantly, his eyes no longer had the bleary, unfocused look of a heavy drinker.
“Is that all you’ve got to say for yourself?” Colt asked of Robert.
“Don’t mind me, I’m just a flunky now,” Robert said deprecatingly. “A comedy foil, if you will. Just don’t ask me to do any juggling and we’ll get along fine.”
“Don’t give me that bullshit,” Colt grunted. “You don’t go from head of a merc army to some kind of nobody. It doesn’t work that way.”
“Well, I have two things to say to you,” Robert said calmly. “Firstly, I’m helping Princess Criosa and her companions save this country and as such, I answer only to them. Secondly, shut the hell up.” Aiden groaned inwardly at his choice of words.
“That does it,” Colt bellowed, raising his sword up once more. Robert didn’t respond this time, and simply stood there regarding the angry ranger as his blade rose above his head. On the verge of cutting Robert down, Colt’s sword was suddenly flung out of his hands, falling upwards until it hit the ceiling, where it was held fast.
“If following the orders of your sovereign’s daughter isn’t enough to keep you civil,” Sayana said quietly as she gripped her staff, “I’ll have to take care of this myself.” Colt gazed up at his huge sword that was held just out of reach, and then eyed the sorceress ruefully.
“You sure know how to crush a man’s pride, Sy,” he muttered.
“I’m enjoying this for all sorts of reasons,” Pacian chimed in, drawing a warning glance from Aiden.
“He’s with us for a reason,” Aiden said to Colt to assuage his feelings. “The same reason we’re here, actually. But what about you? You’re a captain now?”
“Yeah, how about that eh?” Colt chuckled, easing back from his belligerent posture. Robert also relaxed, though he kept to the rear of the group and remained silent as the ranger explained things. “They needed an officer of the rangers here to help out during the rebuilding, and my commander offered me for the job.”
“So, this had nothing to do with the issues between you, Commander Wise and Mona?” Nellise asked, referring to the elven subject of Colt’s affections.
“Never could fool you for long, Nel,” Colt nodded. “She was still being a bit aloof with me around, which is probably why the commander sent me off. I know she’s got a thing for me, if I can just prove myself. Anyway, enough about my situation — what brought you back to Culdeny with an untrustworthy bastard like him in tow, Highness?”
“Desperate times, Captain,” Criosa replied with quiet emphasis. “We all had our doubts about Robert’s intentions when we started out, but he’s proven himself loyal so far, and I’m going to need every able-bodied man and woman in the country if we’re going to survive the next month.”
“What are you talking about, Highness?” Ariel asked, taken aback by her tone.
“We’re gearing up for a major battle at Fort Highmarch soon,” the princess explained to her. “I need you to send everyone you can spare to the fort as soon as possible. Culdeny will also see thousands of dwarven and Kingdom soldiers passing through over the next week, so I need you to billet them and ensure they have adequate provisions for the journey south, and enough supplies to last them for a week upon their arrival at the fort.”
“I… that is a huge ask, Highness,” Ariel stammered. “I’ll do what I can, but the king already stripped the garrison months ago. I have barely enough men to keep the peace as it is.”
“If we don’t win this fight, there won’t be any peace left to keep,” Criosa warned.
“Alright, after the rest of the reserves leave Culdeny, I’ll send along half of my remaining guardsmen,” Ariel relented. “If things go as badly as you say, I’ll need help maintaining order.”
“Good enough,” Criosa nodded. “Captain, I need you to round up the rangers and send them south as well.”
“Figured you might,” Colt grunted. “I can head out right away.”
“The sooner the better,” Criosa agreed. “I’m truly sorry to drop this on you at the last moment, but the events of the past few months are coming to a head, and we need to act swiftly.”
“I won’t stand around flapping my gums any longer then,” the big ranger muttered, grabbing a large pack from the wall and slinging it over his shoulder. “Sy, do you mind?”
Colt’s sword, which had been stuck to the ceiling all this time, floated down at his request. He grabbed the hilt and sheathed it over his back. “I’ll get my people moving right away, and we’ll be at the fort within the week. You lot be careful, now, you hear me? If things in the south are getting rough, events could spill over into Aielund very easily.”
“We know what we’re doing,” Pacian assured him condescendingly. Colt glared back at Pacian and the two locked eyes.
“You haven’t changed a bit, Pacian,” the big ranger remarked. “More’s the pity. Kind of impressed someone hasn’t buried you six feet under by now.”
“Why, you want to take a crack at it?” Pacian chided him, and for a moment Aiden thought Colt might take him up on the offer. The big man glanced at Criosa, who shook her head slightly.
“Well, I’m done here, “Colt grunted. “Good luck, sarge, I think you’re going to need it more than I will,” he said to Ariel on the way to the door, ignoring Pacian but shoving his shoulder into Robert on the way past. The mercenary wasn’t impressed, but managed to keep control of himself.
“As charming as ever,” Nellise murmured.
“What he lacks in charm he makes up for in talent,” Ariel said. “If he can get control of that temper, he’ll be a decent commander some day.”
“Sooner rather than later, I hope,” Criosa finished. “Alright, we need to keep moving south. Carry on, sergeant.�
�
“I won’t let you down, Highness,” Ariel assured her with returning confidence. Aiden gave her a quick nod as they filed through the doorway and back into the street.
“I think she took that rather well,” Criosa remarked to the rest of them, as if seeking approval. “It’s not every day you hear you might have a month to live.”
“I’m just glad I made it out of there,” Robert muttered. “I thought she was going to hang me for sure.”
“I’m surprised she didn’t recognise you on sight, what with you running security for the North Shore Trading Company a couple of months back,” Aiden said.
“I never met her before, though I did meet her husband before he was whisked away by the king earlier in the year,” Robert replied. “So, she was the one in command of the defenders when my mercs were attacking this place?”
“Yes, she was.”
“Huh. She did alright, you know,” Robert mused. “Even though we attacked in the middle of the night, she was on the ball faster than I’d hoped. Never left a hole in the town defences for me to exploit, either. Worked well with what she had, and to cap it all off, she’s beautiful too.”
“If you think she’s so great, why don’t you marry her?” Sayana asked sarcastically.
“That’d be something to see,” Robert laughed, turning to look down at the diminutive sorceress with a gleam in his eye. “Can you imagine? ‘So, where were you during the Battle of Culdeny, dear? I was killing your men, love.’ No, I was just appreciating her finer qualities. I like strong women with interesting features.”
“Robert, my face is up here,” Sayana advised.
“Sorry, my mind wandered,” the mercenary apologised with barely a hint of embarrassment. “It’s been a while, you know. Being captain of a mercenary company doesn’t lead to stable relationships.”
“Can we please make him shut up now?” Pacian begged of Criosa.
“I have a better solution,” the princess replied. “We’ve still half a day ahead of us, and I’ll not waste it sitting around here a moment longer.”
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