Fate of the Crown

by Paul J Bennett

  * * *

  They arrived at the stone structure, now known by all as the Manor House. Inside, the others were already present and deep in discussion. As they entered, Gerald was speaking, "The strategy is sound, but the matter of timing worries me."

  He noticed the new arrivals, greeting them as they entered, "Beverly, Aubrey, good to see you. Come and have a seat. Albreda, here, was just filling us in on the baron's plan to lure Valmar out of hiding."

  "Valmar burnt Hawksburg," said Beverly. "How do we know he hasn't moved on Wickfield or Mattingly?"

  "We thought of that," said the princess, "but it is more likely that Valmar will return to the comfort of Tewsbury. His main objective is still Bodden, and if he were to take those villages, he'd have to leave a garrison, depleting his forces. I rather suspect Hawksburg was more about enriching his own pockets."

  "Are you telling me," burst out Aubrey, "that he killed my family just for their wealth?"

  "I'm afraid so," offered Gerald. "Valmar is a greedy man. He covets wealth and power above all else."

  "But now," offered Beverly, "we have a chance to make him pay."

  "Yes," agreed Gerald, "providing we can draw him out."

  "So what is the plan?" asked Aubrey.

  "Baron Fitzwilliam has an idea," began Gerald. "He plans to send a force of cavalry to Tewsbury to offer battle."

  "What if Valmar refuses?" asked Aubrey. "After all, he's behind city walls, all nice and safe."

  "The duke outnumbers us by a significant degree," he explained. "I doubt he'll hesitate at a chance to take out the baron once and for all."

  "Once he emerges from his hiding place," continued Albreda, "we'll make a small stand and then withdraw, luring him westward."

  "Isn't that dangerous?" Aubrey asked. "I'm no tactician, but surely with the numbers you're talking about, it would be suicidal?"

  "I'll be there to help," offered Albreda, "and we'll be taking some precautions. The horsemen will retreat westward, keeping the enemy just close enough but out of reach. Valmar will be eager for a victory. It would cement his position as Henry's right-hand man."

  "While they're advancing," interrupted Gerald, "we'll have raiders hitting them from the Wickfield Hills. Their lightning strikes will be aimed at their supplies and camps. We'll harry them all the way."

  "And when they get to Bodden?" asked Aubrey.

  "They won't, that's where we come in," said Beverly. "The Bodden foot troops will be waiting at the junction of the Tewsbury and Redridge roads. They'll make a stand, and we'll reinforce up from Redridge. The difficulty here is that we'll first need to take Redridge itself, and quickly at that."

  "How much time will we have?" asked Arnim.

  It was Anna that answered, "Assuming the baron marches quickly, we'll have to return to Kingsford then march to Redridge. Based on our past accomplishments, I should say we'd have, maybe, three days to take Redridge once we get there."

  "Is that enough time?" asked Arnim.

  "It will have to be," answered Gerald. "Any more, and we won't arrive in time to help the baron."

  "What do we know of Redridge?" asked Aubrey.

  "More than you might think," offered Beverly. "I ran into Sir Rodney in Bodden. He travelled through Redridge on the way north. I have some notes he sent along."

  "Sir Rodney?" asked Gerald. "I thought he was dead. I haven't seen him for ages."

  "He's quite alive, I can assure you," answered Beverly, "and he sends his regards."

  Anna took the notes, scanning them over quickly. "It looks like the only real trouble will be the tower keep; there are no other defences."

  "We need a better idea of their numbers," stated Gerald.

  "I still have another waypoint to investigate," offered Revi, "and it's in the Margel Hills, near Redridge.

  "We still have to worry about the north," insisted Arnim. "If Valmar doesn't follow the plan, a lot of people could suffer."

  "Here's what I suggest," started Gerald, "we'll send Orc scouts through the gate to Wickfield. Their job will be to harass Valmar's advance. We'll also reinforce Wickfield and Mattingly with a company of foot, enough to give him second thoughts about attacking. Hayley, you and Revi will travel through the gate to this new location. Take some men with you. Your job will be to observe the enemy troops and count their numbers, if possible. The rest of us will return to Kingsford and commence the march. When you come back to Queenston, you'll have to find us on route. Can you do that?"

  "Unquestionably," offered Revi, "though it might be easier to simply make our way out of the hills and meet you on the road."

  "You'll have to make that decision once you're there. I have no idea how rough those hills are. In any case, you will rendezvous with us. We'll halt short of the town, I don't want to blunder into an unknown situation."

  "Do we know much about the tower?" asked Arnim.

  "Sir Rodney described it as a round keep," said Beverly.

  "Could the Trolls reduce it?" asked Hayley.

  "I doubt it," replied Gerald, "not in three days, at least. Given enough time we could build siege engines, but that would take too long, and with our timeline, we can't wait. We'll have to deal with the army and then take the tower by storming it."

  "Maybe they'll surrender?" suggested Nikki.

  "Perhaps," said Gerald, "but I doubt it. Redridge is ruled over by Lady Penelope's brother. He'll likely be as fanatical as her."

  "Does that make him an Elf too?" asked Arnim.

  "That's a good question," commented Anna. "We know Lady Penelope is an Elf, but we don't know if she assumed someone else's identity. Perhaps she looks and acts like a Human with the same name, someone whose identity was stolen. The Baron of Redridge could be a fellow conspirator, or someone who is under her power, perhaps controlled by some sort of magic."

  "So then, how do we deal with him?" asked Arnim.

  "Simple," said Gerald, "if he fights back, we kill him. This is war, and he's on the other side. Only if he surrenders do we have to deal with the larger issue of his role in all of this."

  The room fell silent for a moment as everybody contemplated the plan. Finally, Albreda spoke, "With your permission, Highness, I will return to Bodden. The baron will be eager to begin his expedition, and we should get started right away."

  "Very well," Anna agreed. "How long will it take you to get to Bodden?"

  "I will be there before the end of the day," she said, much to everyone's surprise.

  "How is that possible?" asked Revi.

  "Are you not familiar with the spell of recall, Master Bloom?"

  Revi blushed, "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage."

  "I can return to one of my stone circles at any time, but the spell takes some time to cast."

  "Ah," said Revi, "now I understand; it's a ritual."

  "Yes," admitted Albreda, "though I was under the impression it was known by many."

  "No," said Revi, "as a matter of fact, I don't think I know of any mage, save for yourself, that can perform that spell. Certainly, none of the mages of Weldwyn know of it. May I ask who taught it to you?"

  Albreda gave him a stern look, "No one taught me. I learned it all by myself."

  The implications hit Revi like a brick. "You're a wild mage," he declared.

  "What's that?" asked Hayley.

  Princess Anna supplied the answer. "A wild mage is one who comes by their talents naturally, without any structured training. They are said to be exceedingly rare."

  "Yes," admitted Revi, "and they are said to be quite dangerous."

  "Well," said Albreda, "I certainly am that. Thankfully, I'm on your side. Now, I have work to be done. Much as I have enjoyed this meeting, I must leave. Beverly, see me out, will you?"

  "Certainly," replied the knight, "with Her Highness's permission, of course."

  "By all means," said Anna, "and thank you again, Albreda, for your assistance."

  "It has been my pleasure, Highness."

  Alb
reda left the room, Beverly walking quickly to catch up. "Do you need somewhere to cast?" she asked.

  The white witch halted a bow's length from the building. "No, this place will do as well as any other. Do you have a message for me to take back to your father," she waited a moment, "or Aldwin, perhaps?"

  Beverly blushed.

  "I think I have the idea," said Albreda. "Now, make sure I'm not interrupted while I'm casting, this can take a bit."

  By the time Beverly finally decided on a message, the mage had already begun her spell. The knight watched in amazement as Albreda started calling on arcane forces. The air buzzed as if a swarm of bees had arrived, causing stray strands of her red hair to stand up as Albreda continued her incantation.

  A swirl of air enveloped the mage, like a small tornado that ran about her, pulling small particles of dirt from the ground. The miniature sandstorm held Beverly's fascination as slowly, her view of the caster was obscured.

  Some time passed before the knight realized she could no longer hear the voice that commanded it. The swirl of air slowed, the dirt dropping once more to the ground, revealing the centre as an empty space, devoid of its conjurer.

  "That was very different," the knight mused out loud.

  "What was?" came a voice.

  She whirled about to see Hayley.

  "I just watched Albreda use her spell of recall."

  "I bet Revi would have liked to see that too," offered the ranger.

  "I'm sure he would," said Beverly, "and I can imagine his reaction; 'not bad for a wild mage'."

  "I think you're reading too much into his comment," said Hayley. "He respects Albreda."

  "I'm glad to hear it, for I think that she's going to be in our lives quite a lot in the future."

  "What's that supposed to mean?" asked Hayley. "Not that I have any objection, of course."

  "It seems my father has grown quite fond of her."

  "Did she tell you that?"

  "No," admitted Beverly, "but I've seen how they look at each other."

  "And you disapprove?"

  "No, quite the contrary, I'm happy to see my father enjoying life again. It's been a long time, and I like Albreda."

  "You hardly know her,"

  "I'll admit I haven't spent a lot of time with her, and yet I somehow feel a kinship. Her fate and my father's are intertwined, I can feel it."

  "Interesting," reflected the ranger, "I would have said it was you whose fate was intertwined with hers."

  "Don't you have a mission to start?" asked Beverly.

  "Yes," replied Hayley with a smirk, "I suppose I have."

  Seventeen

  Redridge

  Spring 962 MC

  Hayley knelt, taking great care as she looked over the cliff.

  "What do you make of it?" asked Revi.

  They were in the Margel Hills, looking down on the village of Redridge, which lay some distance off.

  "I can see the keep quite clearly from here. It certainly dominates the area."

  "I could have told you that. I see things much clearer through Shellbreaker's eyes than you can."

  "There are some things I have to see for myself, Revi."

  "I suppose," he brooded. "I wish I could put my familiar's visions into your head, I think you'd find it so much easier."

  "No thanks," she responded, "I have enough trouble dealing with my own thoughts, I don't need a bird in there as well."

  "That's not quite how it works," he argued.

  "I can clearly see soldiers walking about," she continued. "Knights, by the look of them."

  "There's only one stable," added Revi. "I had Shellbreaker fly closer, but I couldn't see too many horses. I'd say there's fewer than a dozen of them."

  "I'd agree, but there's lots of footmen."

  "Yes," added Revi, "and they have decent armour as well. If they dig in, this will be a tough fight."

  "Are they?" she asked. "Digging in, that is."

  "I spotted some new earthworks at the north end of the village."

  "That would make sense. If they anchored the south end with the keep, they'll need something for the north end. With their backs to the hills, they're in a perfect defensive position."

  "I'm a little surprised," commented Revi. "This is not at all what I was expecting."

  "Why would you say that?" asked Hayley. "You've been here before; we marched past back in '60 on our way to Bodden.

  "That was different," said Revi, "we were in a hurry, and it was dark. I don't remember much about that march except being tired all the time."

  "It was a rather harrowing experience, I grant you," she replied, "but I would have thought you'd remember it."

  "I was busy healing people, if you remember."

  "True," she admitted. "Anyway, all the maps show Redridge as being on the road, but what they don't show is the way it turns into the hills. In reality, you have to approach the village from the west. That shouldn't be a surprise, after all, Redridge is a mining town. The mines are in the hills. It only makes sense for the village to butt up against them."

  "I'm afraid it will make an attack a little harder," contemplated the mage. "I rather suspect they know that Colbridge has fallen. They look like they're expecting us."

  "On that, we're agreed. The keep is likely thick with archers."

  "Crossbowmen," corrected Revi. "I saw some on the roof."

  "Even worse," she replied. "It's one of the few weapons that can hurt the Trolls."

  "So where does that leave us?"

  "They have fortifications on both flanks. We'd have little option but to attack the centre and try to break through."

  "I imagine they'd be expecting that."

  "Yes," she agreed, "that's where I expect they'll put their knights."

  "So what do we do now?"

  "I have an idea," she offered. "Let's move farther along to the north. Somewhere near here will be the trails heading into the mines."

  "How is that going to help us?" asked Revi. "We don't need to attack the mines. Besides, the terrain is rough, certainly not easy for an army to navigate."

  "I don't think we'll need an army," she replied. "Come along."

  They made their way north, following the cliffs as best they could. The terrain was, indeed, tough to navigate, and Hayley thanked her bootmaker, on more than one occasion, for making such sturdy footwear. The rocks here were often sharp and projected out from the ground seemingly at random. She wondered how Revi was making out, encumbered as was usual, by his voluminous robes. He didn't complain, but his progress was slow, and she could see the concentration on his face as he methodically picked his way among the rocks.

  Soon, they were looking down on a small trail.

  "This line," she said, "heads east, into the hills. If we follow it, we should find the mine."

  "What are we expecting?"

  "I believe it's an open-air mine," she explained. "A rather deep bowl will have been dug so that they can extract the iron ore."

  "Surely an underground mine would be more suitable," the mage countered.

  "No, it's more dangerous and makes it harder to keep an eye on people. I've heard stories over the years. Many of the people I arrested would have been sent here."

  "As slaves?" asked Revi. "I didn't think Merceria used slaves."

  "We don't," she replied. "At least we haven't for centuries. No, they would have been sent here as prisoners, to serve out their sentence in hard labour."

  "So, essentially the same thing," suggested the mage.

  "Not at all. Prisoners serve a limited sentence and then they're released. Slaves live out their lives in servitude."

  "If you say so," he replied. "What's a typical sentence?"

  "Three to five years is common enough," she replied. "Anything more serious is usually a death sentence."

  "I thought King's Rangers acted as judge, jury and executioner."

  "Some do, but we're not supposed to. The original charter called on us to bring crimina
ls to the cities for sentencing. Carrying out a death sentence on the spot is a more recent thing."

  "When did that start?"

  "With King Andred," she replied, "or his father. I can't remember which one, exactly, but it's a rather recent change."

  "How much daylight do we have left?" he asked.

  She gazed skyward, "Not long, I'm afraid."

  "Then perhaps we'd best return to camp and follow up in the morning. I can send Shellbreaker out to see where this trail leads, and then we can head directly there when we return."

  "Very well," she agreed. "Mind your step, though, it's very uneven here. I wouldn't want you to twist an ankle or something."

  Revi chuckled.

  "What's so funny?" she asked.

  "You needn't worry about me," he replied. "If I did get hurt, I'd simply cure myself."

  "Good point," she replied. "Sometimes, I forget you're a healer."

  * * *

  Darkness had fallen by the time they returned. They had travelled for almost two days to reach Redridge, for the gate location had proven to be in a most inhospitable place, smack dab in the middle of the hills. The Orcs that accompanied them set up a camp each day, while the mage and ranger had moved about on their excursions.

  The smell of freshly roasting meat drew Revi's attention immediately.

  "Finally," he said, "something decent to eat."

  At their approach, the Orc shaman, Kraloch stood, "It is good to see you returned safely. Did you find anything of interest?"

  "Yes," the mage replied, "though I wish the news were better. It seems our foes have a very defensible position."

  "Come, have something to eat. Perhaps inspiration will come to you."

  "It already has, apparently. Or at least it came to Hayley."

  The shaman looked to the ranger, "You have an idea? Tell me."

  "It may come to nothing," she replied, "but I want to see the mine. I have a suspicion it may be lightly guarded."

  "And if it is? Then what?" asked the Orc.

  "Perhaps we can convince the workers to rebel."

  "An interesting idea," offered Revi. "I'm sure a group of prisoners flooding down the road would cause chaos to their lines."