“Who exactly is that girl?” Rander asked as Alec returned to the group of chairs.
“She has been traveling with me for several weeks. The land beyond the mountains is called Michian; I have visited it and learned about it, and it is where I met Rief,” Alec replied. He noticed a gleam of interest in Rander’s eye. “She and I are only companions and friends – nothing more,” he clarified, and saw a slight smile touch Rander’s lips.
“What did you think about this other land, Michian?” Brannis asked, focusing on a different topic from Rander.
“It is big, powerful, and dangerous,” Alec said immediately. “The land is unified by an all-powerful emperor. They widely practice slavery. They worship other gods, and call upon demons,” he inventoried some of the worst aspects of Michian. “I will tell you and everyone more tonight when we are all together. Now, tell me more about Oyster Bay. How is the Palace Guard shaping up? Have you drawn new recruits?”
Brannis and Rander launched into a lengthy discussion about the growth and improvements in the Guard for several minutes. “When the heir arrives, we’ll have the forces needed to protect him and the palace. Or to protect you until an heir arrives, if one ever does,” Brannis explained. “Leading to the question of where is Armilla?”
“She’s alive and healthy,” Alec assured them. “I sent her on a mission to Goldenfields to alert the Duke to send his army to Bondell. We should see her again when we rendezvous there. She served well during the lacertii war, as a guard and a friend.
“Have the nobility calmed down and moved back to the city?” Alec asked.
“Many have,” Rander said. “More would if they found out you were here.”
“No reason to mention all the daughters of the nobility who visit the palace to see the honorable steward, is there?” Brannis chuckled.
“There are perhaps some nice young ladies present,” Rander diplomatically agreed.
“Shall we go to the armory?” Alec asked suddenly. He felt the urge to enjoy the use of his special left-handed sword, which he hadn’t swung since receiving it back in his possession.
The three went to the armory, and Alec put on pads then began working off the rust in his sword work. He realized he hadn’t swung a sword since leaving Frame, and he needed several matches to begin to regain his best form. As time passed on the mats, Alec at one point realized that the other swordsmen around him had stopped their action. Stepping back from his opponent, he turned to look at the doorway.
Rief stood inside the armory with her seamstress, and many of the men were studying her. She wore a light green gown with one bare shoulder, and Alec realized he had never seen her dressed in anything but everyday work clothes. Someone had also addressed her hair and makeup, making her look cosmopolitan as Alec had never seen her before.
“I wanted to show you my new clothes,” Rief said self-consciously, not having thought about all the other men who would be in the armory when she had learned where Alec was and pursued him there. “I’ve never had anything so fine in my life! You don’t mind, do you? I told her I was afraid this would be too much, but she insisted I needed it in the palace.”
Alec saw the grins from the men around the practice floor. “I don’t mind at all,” he assured her. “I don’t think any of us mind. Rander, I’ve had enough practice for the day. Shall we walk our friend back to the Palace?” he suggested, and a few minutes later they were back in the residential wing of the palace, and dropping off parcels in the room that had been prepared as Rief’s own.
Alec left Rander with Rief and went back to his own room, where he stripped off his traveling clothes and took a long, hot bath, then looked through his closets for the plainest set of clothes he could find, which turned out to be a black pair of pants and a short-sleeved white tunic. Alec pulled the shirt over his head and looked down at the ingenaire marks on his forearms and the deep purple wound scars on his left hand. The scars would have to be covered, to avoid both questions and the intense, revealing episodes that occurred when his hand contacted another person. It was almost time to join everyone for dinner he realized, so he asked one of the guards at the door to send for a pair of gloves
A black pair of gloves took almost half an hour to arrive, and as a consequence, when Alec and his guard escort entered the dining room, he was the last to arrive. He stood in the doorway unannounced for a moment, appreciating the opportunity to observe the gathering of friends scattered around the room. Bethany, Moriah, Rief and Rander spoke to one another in one corner, while Brannis, Rubicon, Nathaniel and General Hewlett were in another, and Aristotle spoke to Allisma, along with two ministers of the former king, Ventin and Marble at the end of the table.
A servant at the door announced Alec’s arrival seconds later. “His Grace, Alec the Crown Protector,” the servant announced loudly, and his roomful of friends came flocking to the door to greet him. There were long minutes of hugs and tears and close conversations as Alec enjoyed the gathering of so many companions he had not seen in months. Aristotle looked closely at him, and glanced at his hand as they broke their embrace. “You must have stories enough to tell to fill this night and several more,” he said.
“Many, many more,” Alec agreed. “That’s why we need to talk about what comes next.”
The dinner began, and Alec decided to begin speaking as the first course was placed on the table. “There is very much we need to begin to prepare, so I think we need to understand all that is happening. Aristotle knows how the ingenairii are these days, General Hewett can tell us about the army, while Rief can help explain about the Michian empire,” he told them all.
Alec began the conversation by talking about his return to John Mark’s cave, hoping only to mention it to explain how he traveled to Michian. “You’ve been to the Cave again?” Aristotle asked.
“Several times recently,” Alec replied. “John Mark spoke to me while I was there and he healed me by restoring my powers, then he sent me on many journeys, but I returned to his cave after each mission. He provided a means of instant travel,” Alec explained, not feeling that he should reveal too much.
“The first journey was the hardest, when he sent me to the Michian empire. He sent me as a mute, so that my accent wouldn’t reveal my identity, just as Rief’s accent identifies her foreign origins,” and he explained about the slavery, the temples to gods, the restorers and the demons.
“Someone is putting up a good fight in southern Bondell, and has slowed their invasion down, but it will take every warrior we have in the land to truly defeat the emperor’s invasion,” he said, and told them about putting Stronghold and Goldenfields in motion to send armies to Bondell.
“Have you told Bondell about all of this?” Ventin asked.
Alec had a blank look on his face. “We can send pigeons to the Prince of Bondell immediately,” the minister suggested. “It is helpful to let a ruler know in advance before you flood his nation with soldiers.”
Alec agreed with the recommendation, mentally kicking himself for such an obvious oversight. “How quickly can we send our forces to Bondell?” he asked General Hewett.
“Getting our hands on shipping and provisions will take time,” the General said. “You remember how it was with our force when we started out for Goldenfields. And that was going to a land that was prosperous and had food. We can’t count on finding much in Bondell if we don’t send it ourselves.”
“Natha and the Locksforts can both help arrange vessels,” Alec said confidently. “But you’re right; we’re going to have to expect to carry everything with us that we need for food and supplies.”
He turned to Rander. “Can we begin to send supplies to Bondell immediately, ahead of the army?”
“It’ll be short rations for them, but we can send some supplies. The lacertii war depleted our reserves pretty deeply,” Rander reported.
“How are the ingenairii, Ari?” Alec asked his mentor. “Can we count on them to send support?”
“We’re few in
number, as you know,” Ari answered. “What do you need? We’ll try to do it.”
“I’d like every warrior ingenaire you have available to go on this campaign; we’re going to need them all,” he answered, looking at Rubicon, Moriah, and Nathaniel.
“And I’d like all the light ingenairii you can provide,” he added.
“What do you want the light ingenairii for, lad?” Rubicon asked.
“We can use them to hide archers or ingenairii. We did it that way when we fought the lacertii a time or two, didn’t we Nathaniel?” Alec told him.
“Would you like some fire ingenairii?” Aristotle injected. “They can be used as a weapon, especially against large groups of infantry that are packed closely together.”
“Thank you, that’s a good suggestion,” Alec replied. “How many ingenairii are we talking about all together, and how quickly could they depart?”
“Well, including you there’s four warriors, we have perhaps a dozen light ingenairii, and about six fire ingenairii you could rely on,” Ari told him. “With one of our own ships and a couple of air ingenairii, we could ship out before tomorrow night and be in Bondell in five days to a week. There are a few other ingenairii who would be helpful if they were cooperative, but I don’t know that you should trust them all just yet.”
“I think those we can trust would be a great help. Could you lend us all your air ingenairii to help move troops faster?” Alec asked.
“We’ll arrange something,” Ari agreed.
“General, could we have the Nineteenth prepared for transport the day after tomorrow?” Alec asked the other side of the table.
Hewett rolled his eyes. “Didn’t you just hear what I said about supplies and shipping? But, yes, if you can find the ships, I’ll have them ready to go in two days.”
“I’ll find the shipping,” Alec pledged.
“After the Nineteenth, I’d like at least a fortnight to get the rest of the army ready and begin shipping,” General Hewett spoke up.
“That will do,” Alec accepted.
They all spoke late into the night, telling Alec about many things, until people began to feel the need for sleep.
“Ari, would you be available tomorrow afternoon and the following morning for a trip I’d like to take to the far north?” Alec asked quietly as people were saying goodbyes.
“You’ve just given me a lot of work to do Alec,” Ari answered. “What do you have in mind?”
“Lord Bayeux, who lives in the north, was the man who delivered me to the orphanage when I was a baby,” Alec told Ari. “A nun at the orphanage told me that recently. I’d like to go visit his lordship to find out if he can tell me anything about my parentage.”
“If you can wait until after lunch tomorrow, I will travel with you Alec,” Ari said.
“We’ll leave after lunch tomorrow, and return by lunch time the following day,” Alec promised.
“Who else will you bring along?” Ari asked.
“I hadn’t planned on anyone else,” Alec told him.
“Why don’t you invite Bethany to join us? She hasn’t seen her family in a long time, I’m sure, and her home is on the way there,” Ari suggested.
“I’ll ask her right now,” Alec assured him, and left to catch up with Bethany as she and Allisma left the palace. “Bethany, do you have a minute?” he asked. “Can I speak with you?”
Allisma stood by. “Don’t mind me,” she said cheerily. “Bethany will tell me soon anyway.”
“Ari and I are going up to visit Lord Bayeux tomorrow and the next day. Would you like to travel with us?” he asked. “It would be close to your home,” he added.
“I haven’t been home in ages, Alec,” she said. “I’d love to join you!”
“Would you like for me to come too?” Allisma brightly asked.
“No,” both Alec and Bethany said simultaneously, then laughed at each other.
“So what do you really think?” Allisma asked without blinking.
Alec made arrangements to pick up Bethany after lunch the next day, then went back to the dining room. Everyone else had left, so he walked back to his own room and fell quickly asleep.
Chapter 45 – The Journey North
The next morning Alec was up early and found guards outside his room. He asked that messages be sent to invite Rander and Rief to meet him for breakfast, then dressed and went to await them in a small room. Rief arrived first.
“I missed seeing you last night after dinner,” he said.
“It was late and you left the room, then Rander offered to walk me back to my room, and I accepted,” she answered. “I needed a guide to lead me here this morning. I still don’t know my way around this place.”
“Why should you after just a day?” Alec asked. “I never did learn my way around the Indige mansion.
“I’m going to go on a little trip later today with Aristotle,” he told her as they sat down to eat.
“You’re leaving us already?” Rander asked as he entered the room.
“I want to go visit a man who may know something about who my parents were,” Alec answered. “Aristotle and I are going up north this afternoon to try to visit him, then come back tomorrow morning. Bethany is going with us so she can visit her family on the way,” he added.
Rief studied him for a second. “Do you want me to go too?” she asked at last. “Or should I stay here and relax for a couple of days?”
“We can certainly keep an eye on your friend, and show her around the palace and the city,” Rander quickly added.
“You’ve got all those new clothes to show off around the city for a day or so before we leave for Bondell,” Alec said automatically, before a thought entered his head. “That is, if you plan to go to Bondell with us; you’re under no obligation to go, but we’ve been traveling together so long I just assumed you’d be with me.”
“I’m not really much use to you as a personal extension here, am I?” Rief asked. “But I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be apart from you in the Dominion,” she said. “If you want me to travel with you, I will. Will Bethany join us as well?” she asked, sure that she knew the answer.
“I haven’t asked her yet,” Alec admitted. “I hope she will, but I don’t know.”
They had finished eating by that time. “Rander, would you have someone show Rief around the gardens here at the Palace? I’m going to go to the armory to practice,” he said.
“In a moment,” Rander confirmed. “May I speak with you for a moment first?” he asked.
Alec motioned and they went to a corner of the room. “May I leave Oyster Bay and join you for this campaign? You have suitable ministers who can govern in our absence, and I missed the lacertii war already.”
Alec looked at his friend, knowing that the urge to be in a battle ran strongly in the men who wore the uniform, and also suspected that the presence of Rief added an even greater allure to the notion. “You may certainly come, if you can make the arrangements for a steady hand at the helm while we’re gone.”
Rander firmly shook his hand in thanks, then turned. “Are you a fan of gardens?” he asked Rief as he joined her, and they left the room before Alec could hear her answer.
He entered the hall and felt his guards fall in behind him as he headed to the armory. Once there, he put on pads, and started working with everyone Brannis assigned to spar, until by late morning he was finished, and returned to his rooms to change. He packed his own bag, found Rief and said goodbye, then saddled Walnut and rode to Ingenairii Hill. He dismounted and looked at the plaza where a fountain of water stood, its flow being largely directed into barrels that were destined to be shipped throughout the Dominion as cleanser.
Alec left Walnut tied at the gate and entered the grounds of the Hill. He’d not walked idly around the ingenairii colony since the day he’d left it to return to Goldenfields, and he felt reluctant to go immediately to Aristotle’s home. Instead he walked up the slope past Ari’s to the healer house, and found the
door unlocked. The building had been vandalized, and he shook his head sadly as he thought about how beautiful the furniture had been before it was broken. From there he wandered back to the small gravel pit on the far side of the hill. He’d only been there once before, on a memorable night with Cassie and Bethany, and he thought about all the changes that had been set in motion that night.
Leaving after a few minutes reflection at the small secluded beach, Alec walked up the back side of the hill and came to the Warrior compound near the top, where he walked into Rubicon’s home unannounced. Mariah was on the patio that Alec remembered so well. She was nursing her baby, and as Alec appeared she pulled a blanket over the quiet child.
“Alec! What a surprise to see you here!” she said with a smile.
“I came to the Hill to see Ari, but decided to walk around a bit,” he told her, pulling out a chair and sitting beside her. “I haven’t been here in so long,” he said wistfully. “It seems like such an innocent dream, to remember all the time we spent sitting out here every morning, practicing ingenairii skills.”
Against the Empire: The Dominion and Michian Page 35