by M D Baker
“I’ve dealt with far worse,” I reminded the old soldier.
Griff snorted in response, recalling the badly singed eyebrows of an overly insistent ‘admirer.’ “That you have. Do you think his hair ever grew back?”
“Not as of last spring.” I smiled, having caught sight of the man while strolling through the market.
The conversation lifted my spirits as we moved on, and I finally noticed the change that had come over our procession. The wary stares and hushed remarks between the soldiers had ceased, likely at the insistence of their commander. While I was certain Tayson hadn’t banished their suspicions, I was grateful he’d at least put an end to the uncomfortable scrutiny.
The tiny fortification on Farren’s side of the Stillwater drew even closer, and we were soon passing through its confines. The troops manning the small garrison couldn’t hope to hold off a determined assault; their only real purpose was to provide a warning if Cyndhar decided to invade. Lighting the signal fires would likely be their last act before being completely overwhelmed, yet it was probably all our thinly stretched forces could manage.
The King’s guard remained behind when we crossed over the stout wooden bridge spanning the river, and the clip-clopping notes of our horses’ hooves shifted from the dull thudding against the packed dirt road to the sharp echo of thick timbers. Reaching the opposite shore was a bittersweet experience. I’d dreamt of this day for many years but returning under the protection of Cyndhar’s soldiers was not how I’d envisioned it. Tayson suddenly appeared by my side again, as if somehow summoned by my foul mood, his gloating smile serving as yet another painful reminder of my circumstances.
“I was hoping we might continue our discussion, Countess.” His broad grin only widened further. “There’s so much we don’t understand about each other. Perhaps sharing more would help to clear the air?”
His offer seemed genuine, although a bit trite—I’d heard far more persuasive opening lines before. But if Tayson wanted to play this little game with me, he’d soon discover that I was well above his level.
“Nothing would please me better, my Lord,” I replied with a saccharine smile.
“Yes, well…” His brief pause was everything I’d hoped for. “I understand that ‘Farren’ comes from the old tongue and supposedly means ‘green lands,’ is that correct?”
“How very astute of you.” I batted my lashes a few extra times as I paid him the ‘compliment.’
Casting aside my promise of cordiality, I taunted in return. “I’ve always been told that Cyndhar got its name from the charred ashes left behind in the wake of its many conquests and that your uniforms are red to hide the blood of those you’ve slaughtered.”
“It seems you have a habit of being only half right, Countess,” he replied with barely constrained bitterness. “While our kingdom is named for cinders, it’s the embers of our forges that provided the inspiration.”
“As for our colors, they were once blue.” Tayson’s features shifted as he visibly struggled to maintain his composure. “It was only after our third war with Farren that we finally changed them. Not to conceal our enemies’ blood, but our own.”
Once again, I was left speechless by his disclosure. With nearly every conversation between us, Tayson revealed some hidden truth behind the lies I’d been taught to believe. The allegations I’d intended to wound him had been thrown back in my face, and rather than causing him harm, they’d only bared my ignorance.
I bit into the thick loaf of humiliation I’d served myself when I replied. “You were right, my Lord. There’s a great deal we don’t know about each other, and no shortage of falsehoods in what little we do.”
“In that, you are correct,” his clipped response hinted at Tayson’s lingering frustration. “Considering the great enmity between our people and your own losses, perhaps it’s enough that you’ve agreed to aid us.”
“No, it isn’t,” I admitted, resigned to hearing more of the difficult truths that had been withheld from me. “I would be honored if you would agree to continue our talks; hopefully, without me making a fool of myself again.”
“It’s not you who’s been a fool, my Lady.” Tayson finally faced me once more, and a look of near hopelessness filled his eyes. “We’ve been deceived by those above us for a very long time.”
“You’re speaking of more than just Farren, aren’t you?” I inquired, reading the unspoken meaning hidden within his gaze.
“This is not the place to discuss such things,” Tayson’s voice dropped to a low whisper as his eyes wandered over the soldiers around us. “We’ll talk again when the time is right.”
As he rode away, Tayson’s caution while surrounded by his own troops spoke of a conspiracy with far greater depths than anything I could’ve imagined. Two kingdoms that were sworn enemies were apparently so eager to continue their endless feuding that they’d been willfully deceiving their subjects for many years. It was a crime that could only be perpetrated at the highest levels, perhaps even with the consent of both Royal houses, and I would’ve dismissed it as unthinkable only a day or two before. While I’d need much more evidence before actually believing it was possible, the few hints Tayson had already provided made me willing to listen to whatever else he might offer.
For the first time in my life, I glanced at Griff with suspicion, wondering if I could still trust the man who’d been guarding me for the past five years—longer than that, really. He’d known of Herrold’s treachery yet never revealed any of it, ensuring that I remained ignorant of the atrocities that had been committed in my name. While the desire to maintain my innocence provided a perfectly reasonable explanation for his actions, there were also incredibly disturbing reasons that now seemed equally plausible. Although I wanted to ask him about Tayson’s allegation, I didn’t dare risk it just yet. Some careful probing would be necessary before I’d feel comfortable enough with that.
Chapter 11
Crossing the Stillwater brought us within the fringes of Blackwood Forest, but we were still a long way from the Keep itself. Rather than be disappointed, I looked forward to one more night on the road. With all the turmoil on my mind, I sure as hell wasn’t ready for what was waiting for me there.
With the soldiers so close to home, our camp that evening was a more raucous affair, the relief of returning after spending so much time in the land of their sworn enemy overcoming any suspicions over my presence. One of them glanced in my direction as he moved to light the campfire, but I waved off his look of concern while I waited for my tent to be raised. The desire to commit petty acts of revenge had fled with Tayson’s disquieting revelations, leaving me with nothing but a jumble of uncomfortable thoughts to muddle over.
Griff stood beside me, apparently at ease, yet I recognized his rigid posture as that of a serpent, coiled and ready to strike. “Has that dog wounded you somehow?” he inquired, not failing to notice the downward spiral of my mood. “We’re still close enough to the border to make good on our escape.”
“He’s done nothing more than raise a few questions,” I replied. “One’s I should’ve asked myself years ago.”
My answer did nothing to quell the Guard-Captain’s concerns, however, and he cast a baleful glare across the small camp, scanning until his gaze settled on Tayson helping set up one of the larger canvas tents. Griff’s expression was one of lingering resentment, mirroring the same feelings I’d held for nearly my entire life, yet had been suddenly replaced by an unfamiliar ambiguity. After years of understanding precisely where and how to erect my barriers, not knowing who my true enemies were left me off balance and completely unsure of myself. Despite how wrong I was, there’d been a sense of security in that false wisdom—the comfort of having a focus for my rage and anger. Tayson’s only crime had been robbing me of that target, yet opening my eyes wasn’t a transgression I could fault him for.
“Not so eager to cast your little spells now, are you?” The mockery of one of Tayson’s soldiers broke me from my s
ilent contemplation.
“What?” I replied, wondering if I’d heard the man correctly.
“All high and mighty while we were in Farren.” The sergeant I recognized as one who the others had called ‘Reynold’ paused to spit on the ground at his feet. “I’m betting you’ve got nothing more than a few worthless parlor tricks up your sleeve, Countess.”
Three more soldiers joined the man as he strode closer, and Griff moved to block their path. It was the beginnings of something that was likely to turn ugly if I failed to act, and the tensions would only grow worse if Tayson was forced to intervene on my behalf. Before the Cyndhari Lord could cross the camp and put an end to things, I responded to the man’s provocations.
“You’ve caught me. I’m nothing but a hapless maiden,” I replied, my voice filling with taunting mockery as I strode past Griff to confront the belligerent soldier. “Perhaps you should teach me a lesson?”
“Are you challenging me to a fight?” He responded, grinning with a foolish eagerness.
“Of course not, that wouldn’t be fair.” Reynold snorted at my reply.
“I’m calling out all four of you.”
Tayson finally arrived to break up the fray. “There will be no battles fought among us. We’re allies, not enemies.”
“No one spoke of any battles, my Lord.” I pushed my way through the small crowd towards the center of our camp, gesturing for the soldiers to follow. “Only a friendly contest.”
“Aye, just a little sparring is all,” the ringleader sneered as his three cohorts moved to surround me.
Idiots.
A clamor of approval rose up among the gathering as we took our places in the small clearing. The second I heard the distinctive scrape of steel clearing leather, I whirled to face my first opponent, casting Push to slam a fist-sized stone into his skull. The sight of his body falling unconscious to the ground persuaded his companions to proceed a bit more cautiously, but I offered them no quarter. With a small flourish, I sent a jolt of electricity into my closest foe, and waves of blue energy skittered across his armor. While he spasmed uncontrollably, the remaining pair attempted to take advantage of my distraction—just as I’d anticipated.
Drawing my own sword, I braced for their assault, yet their weapons only bounced off the protection of the barrier I formed with my Shield spell. Capitalizing on the brief moment of vulnerability, I scored a quick hit on both of them in turn, carving thin red lines into their flesh. With my point made clearly enough, I stopped to offer a way out with at least a few shreds of their honor intact.
“Well fought,” I congratulated them while the crowd looked on in deathly silence, sheathing my blade as I backed away a pace, hoping they were smart enough to seize on the opportunity.
“Yes, that was an entertaining display,” Tayson quickly interceded on their behalf. Although there was a bit of grumbling and no shortage of harsh stares, the soldiers drifted away to return to their duties once it became clear that the show was over.
I extended a further olive branch to one of the men my blade had caught. “I can heal that if you’d let me.”
“Please do,” Tayson spoke up, glaring an unspoken command when the soldier hesitated.
I wasn’t sure whether it was a continued sense of curiosity over my abilities, a genuine desire to mend fences, or some combination of the two, but I didn’t hesitate to act once Tayson left the door open. Examining the injury closer revealed that I’d cut a bit more deeply than I’d intended, but with a few gestures and the invocation of Heal, the bright red gash sealed itself shut, leaving the soldier no worse for wear. Repeating the process on his friend left the man similarly well off, and I turned to look over the pair who’d fallen to my magic.
Both remained unconscious. The man who’d been overcome by my Bolt would wake on his own once its effects wore off, while the other was in more serious condition. The blood seeping from the side of his head hinted at just how hard the rock had stricken him, yet I was reluctant to offer this particular soldier any aid.
“He started the whole thing,” I prompted Tayson as we knelt beside the soldier.
“Yes, but you ended it well enough.” A strange warmth radiated from the smile he offered in return.
Avoiding Tayson’s grin, I focused on casting Heal once more, varying it just a little from the previous two occasions. The spell was a versatile one, able to cure not only injuries of all manner, but many forms of disease as well—all that was required was to understand the nature of the malady and apply the energies in the appropriate fashion.
As with most of the magic I cast, I made a series of gestures and even uttered a few words as I formed the spell. There were some secrets I wouldn’t reveal to anyone, and the precise methods of my talent was one of them. Discovering that the phrases and movements were mere theatrics would likely be the last thing an enemy found out before I made them pay for their ignorance.
Backing away as soon as I’d finished, I allowed Tayson to help the groggy soldier to his feet before ushering him away. With the wounded taken care of and nothing more for me to do, I crossed the camp with Griff walking beside me.
“That was a bit reckless,” he commented, though the corner of his mouth curled up in a smile when he added, “my Lady.”
“Do you doubt my abilities?”
“Not at all,” he replied as we approached the entrance to my tent. “But that was the first time you’ve ever faced an opponent who truly intended you harm.”
“You thought I might hesitate?”
“I’ve seen fully trained soldiers waver in the face of real combat,” Griff responded plainly.
“I’m no soldier.” I felt my brow arch as I reminded him. “The stakes are much higher for me.”
“So they are.”
With the excitement finally over and an even less promising morning still ahead of me, I retired for the night. After setting aside my armor, I took a few moments to clean my weapons, ensuring that no traces of blood were left to mar their sharp edges. Once I delayed for as long as I could, I laid down, though I knew sleep would not come easily.
Although Tayson’s vague warning of some grand conspiracy lacked any real definition, one thing was perfectly clear: he was searching for allies in Farren. Of all the possibilities behind that notion, none of them were good, least of all the fact that he’d apparently pinned his hopes on a completely powerless Unlanded Countess. Whatever bold scheme he had in mind seemed destined to fail, and when it did, the only one who’d pay a greater price than Tayson would be me.
Chapter 12
Contrary to what I expected, my emergence the next morning was greeted with far fewer scornful glares than I’d become accustomed to. In fact, as I sat down to eat a bite for breakfast and down a cup of tea, I even caught a nod of approval from one of the passing soldiers. Skill at arms was a universally respected trait, even among rivals, and it seemed that the quick work I’d made of the four troublemakers had actually earned me a bit of reluctant consideration.
The full measure of my new status wasn’t put to the test, however, as Tayson ensured that my path didn’t cross with any of my former adversaries. Before I’d woken, the group was sent ahead to alert the Keep of our arrival, putting off our reunion for another time.
Such a disappointment…
It wasn’t that I was eager to taunt the men—well, at least not all of them. The main instigator was the only one I would’ve gloated over, and even then, only if he continued in his attempts to provoke me. But I was interested to discover how they reacted to being bested by a frail noblewoman who was literally half their size. Not well, I imagined.
We passed through one of the small villages that surrounded the Keep barely an hour after we’d resumed our journey. The people of the tiny hamlet were simple farmers and herders of livestock, and though most were busy tending to their chores, several stopped to gawk at us as we made our way through town.
At first, I couldn’t understand the eerie fluttering that began ch
urning around inside my stomach as we rode past. A band of soldiers escorting nobility through a small village was bound to attract a certain amount of attention. There was literally nothing striking about the scene; in fact, it was quite typical. That was when it finally hit me.
The profound normalcy of the situation was what triggered my uncomfortable reaction. Despite all I’d learned, part of me still expected to find a downtrodden and repressed populace in Cyndhar. Yet these people showed no signs of fear at the soldiers in their midst, gazing at us with a sense of curiosity and perhaps even a faint hint of admiration.
I’d feared that my life had been a lie, but that was the moment I became certain of it. With so many untruths exposed, I could no longer rely on anything I’d been told about Cyndhar. While I knew they bore their fair share of responsibility for the wars that had been waged, I understood that Farren was at least an equal partner in those atrocities.
Equal.
The word resonated with me strongly for obvious reasons. The stark lines of demarcation that had been drawn between us suddenly held little meaning. Seeing things clearly for the first time, I realized that both kingdoms were made up of people, nothing more. Somewhere atop the hierarchy above us lay a conspiracy that had forged years of conflict between our nations, one that cost countless lives. I wouldn’t—I couldn’t allow it to continue.