“Ah, Alex,” soothed Fergy, “you’re showing that frontier mentality. No disrespect meant, but I think your grandfather must have had it too. In Targa, to personally save the King’s life is a grand thing. You told me, yourself, that Lavinda was in the valley deeded to your grandfather. It’s tradition in Targa for a person who performs the deed your grandfather did to be given an estate and made a nobleman of that estate. Your grandfather was a baron, Alex. It sounds to me that he didn’t cater much to being a nobleman and ignored it. The King and his family will never ignore it. I’m sorry your grandfather died the way he did, but it was not because Targa didn’t care. It was because that was what your grandfather wished. Now let’s get going and I hope you know the north country as well as we think you do.”
The Red Sword party mounted and headed north.
* * *
“Oscar, my boy, come in,” greeted Baron Whitley. “How are things going up north?”
“Not too good, Baron. Stories are coming down from Bordon about goblin attacks. Sounds like most of the garrison up there were wiped out trying to get rid of them. If you don’t mind, I’d like to send a letter inviting my mother and two close friends to stay here for a while.”
“Certainly, Oscar. I’d like to meet your mother and her friends are welcome as well. I have more than enough room here. What of your shipping depot up there?”
“That’s not a problem. I’ll move the office operations to Balfour. That will only leave the depot and there is not much damage that can be done to it. I am a little worried about some old friends that live in a village up near the pass in the Boulders, but there is no mail delivery out that way in the winter. I heard that you’re going to the capital to see the King.”
“It’s sure good this isn’t a military installation, the way secrets are kept,” the Baron laughed. “It’s your fault, really. The King is impressed with the prominence Targa has received because of your shipping in the Targa Sea. Our province has gained respect and can no longer be governed by a mere baron.”
“You can’t mean that he would turn the province over to someone else? Wouldn’t that be illegal?”
“It would only be legal if I was guilty of a crime against Targa, but, no, that is not what I meant. The King is making me a Duke. I feel slightly guilty being given a title for your works. Why don’t you join me at Tagaret and I’ll introduce you to the King? I’ve told him of you before, but it’s not the same as meeting you in person.”
“Thanks, Baron,” replied Oscar, “But I cannot. I have to get the letters off to my mother and the Bordon office and then I’m taking the new ship up to Kantor to negotiate a direct trade contract. Kantor’s the last stronghold in Cordonia. If I can get this contract settled, we’re well on our way of owning the Targa Sea. Besides, if the King ever saw how young I was, he might take your title away.”
Baron Whitley gave a great barrel laugh that always made Oscar smile. “So you’ve got another ship in, then. How many is that now?”
“We’re up to fifteen. Actually, that’s ahead of schedule. Daryl’s pleased and so am I. We’ll have another fifteen over the next three years. The barges from Klandon are working well also.”
“Well, I’ll give the King your regards. I’ll tell him you’re up in Cordonia conquering another trade route. Tell your mother that if I have not returned from the capital when she arrives to just move in. I’ll have the staff alerted and they’ll know what to do. Safe journey, Oscar.”
Oscar sighed and headed down to Dalek. This is not as much fun as it was five years ago, he thought. He already had more wealth than he knew what to do with. He enjoyed the challenge of a good haggle, but the day-to-day operations were boring. He hadn’t had a great idea in two years and started to wonder if he was past his prime. Well, at least he had Kantor to look forward to. That would be different even if it was likely to be bitter cold up there.
Chapter 11
Frontier
Alex was exhausted. They had been on the road for almost a week and every evening and every morning they practiced. They practiced swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, stealth kills, and archery. Tonight was swordsmanship and Fergy was merciless. Alex was bruised, tired, cold and sweating. David tossed Alex a towel. “You’d better wipe off before that stuff freezes,” David quipped.
The four Red Swords accompanying Fergy and himself were all corporals. Alex didn’t have a chance to know any of them really well, but he liked them all. Fergy didn’t stand on protocol out in the field. He didn’t have to. Alex was sure that each of these men would die before they would question Fergy’s orders. They idolized him and were clearly hurt if he reprimanded them, which he had had to do only once. The first night Fergy gave the signal for silence and everyone missed it. Fergy chewed them out and they never missed another cue. They were fairly close to Tagaret when the incident happened and Alex was sure that Fergy planned it to keep them on their toes.
“Fergy,” Alex asked, “how are you planning to get us through the pass? I’m sure the snow will be so deep we won’t be able to move.”
“Good question, Alex, but before I answer it, draw me a map of your village. You did say it was two valleys east of the pass, right?”
“That it is.” Alex drew a map of the entire valley in the snow.
“David, Ben, Mitar, Salc, over here,” Fergy called as he winked his eye at Alex. “Gentlemen, this is our objective. How do we attack?”
The Red Sword Corporals studied the map and started asking questions. How wide is the stream? How Deep? How high are the east cliffs and the north cliffs? How many defenders? Alex answered all of the questions accurately except for the number of defenders. For that question he answered that he wasn’t sure, but he knew women and children and a few boys defended it. No one but Alex noticed the smirk on Fergy’s face.
The blond Corporal, Ben, was the first to offer a suggestion. “I’d attack from the east cliffs. We could lower ropes at night and be inside their perimeter before anyone knew what was happening.”
David shook his tawny head and said, “A lot of work that is not needed. I say we position ourselves up in these trees across from the tower. We pick off the sentries during the night and swim the river. We can gain the tower and demand their surrender.”
“Yeah, but if just one person sees you, we’ve got a problem crossing the river,” Salc jumped in. He smoothed his dark hair as he continued. “The best way is to get across the river first. Here, to the south of the village. We can belly crawl up to this clear area at night and weave slowly through these spikes. Once we’re past the clear area, we split up and take out the sentries.”
The dark skinned Corporal said nothing. “Mitar,” queried Fergy, “no plan?”
“A question, Alex,” asked Mitar. “These women and children, are they skilled?”
“A fair question, Mitar,” Alex answered. “They’re not soldiers, but I think they are good enough to defeat any of the plans offered so far.”
“Then my solution is to walk in,” said Mitar. “Act friendly, be friendly. At a prescribed time during the night, we get up and slit their throats.”
Alex almost jumped on Mitar, but Fergy’s hand stopped him. “Mitar, I think you found the village’s weakness. Very good. Fortunately, goblins would never get away with that plan. The rest of you need to remember to never underestimate the enemy. Only Mitar asked about their skill level.”
“That’s hardly fair, Fergy,” argued Salc. “You’re condemning our plans without the possibility that they would succeed regardless of the enemies skill.”
“Alex, what are the chances of Salc’s plan working?” asked Fergy.
“I would say that there is not a chance that he could get across the Clear Zone undetected. I’d be willing to prove it, except the villagers would probably shoot and kill us before we surrendered.”
“I’ll wager a month’s wages, Alex,” offered Salc.
“I don’t want your money, Salc. I just don’t want your death on my vill
agers’ hands. I thought we came up here to stalk the goblins, not attack Lavinda.”
Fergy called for quiet. “Alex, you asked how we were going to get through the pass. Well, we aren’t. We’re going through Lavinda. We have to leave our horses somewhere and I know your villagers will take care of them. I also thought that you would want to see your friends before we go further north. This is a scouting mission, but it is also a training mission. I’m sure most of you have the aches to prove it. The Red Swords are about more than just fighting well. We need to know about strategy and tactics, survival and stealth. Salc, I’m willing to try your plan if you think it will work, but there are some ground rules that must be followed. Anyone who harms a villager for any reason, is dead. I don’t care if you see a villager ready to cut your buddy’s throat. That’s his problem, not yours. The moment we’re detected, the operation is over and we depend on Alex to get us out of our own mess. Any questions?”
“Fergy, why do this?” asked Alex. “You’re risking lives for a game.”
“No, Alex. No game. What better way to test the security of your village without your leadership? As for us, our lives in the next few weeks will depend not only on our skills, but our thoughts. If just one of my party underestimates the enemy, we could all die. No, this is no game. If one of us dies attacking Lavinda, the rest of us will have a better chance in the north for the knowledge we gained. Salc, this is your operation. From the moment we enter the valley until detection, you’re Sergeant. Now, let’s get some sleep.”
The next evening they entered the valley. As soon as Salc took over command, they crossed the river and stopped to dry and warm the horses. They tied the horses to trees and started their stealthy approach. Alex was hoping that he would hear the horn at any moment, but there was no horn sound that night. Five hundred feet from the Clear Zone, Salc dropped to his belly and started crawling. The rest of the Red Swords followed single file. When Salc reached the edge of the Clear Zone, Alex got worried. What if something had happened to the villagers. They could all have been killed while he was out running around the country.
Salc didn’t see anybody. There were no fires in the village. No sounds of life at all. Salc started to crawl into the Clear Zone when a dozen arrows slammed into the ground in front of him. A young girl’s voice called out, “Stand and identify yourselves or we will open fire. Do it now!”
Alex immediately jumped up and yelled, “Alexander Tork, Marga. Don’t shoot.”
The rest of the Red Swords stood with their arms raised and Alex worked his way forward into the Clear Zone so he could be seen. “Alex, walk over here. The rest of you stay put and keep your hands raised.”
Alex walked over and gave Marga a hug. “I’m so glad to see you, Marga. I thought everyone in the village was dead.” Alex explained who the men were and why they were trying to sneak in. She called out for the rest of the men to come across the Clear Zone and soon everyone was in the village square trading stories.
Alex found out that there had been no further attacks on the village. The villagers had also decided to maintain a perch halfway up the east cliff and keep it manned all the time. Nolan had been up there and saw the Red Swords enter the valley. The horn was not necessary to set up the ambush. Alex was telling Marga how proud of her he was when Laman and Kyle showed up.
“Hey, look at you,” quipped Laman. “I’ve heard from some of the newcomers about the Red Swords. They’re an elite force. Congratulations, Alex! I bet you’re going to really wipe out a mess of furballs now. Wish I could come with ya.”
“Don’t be a jerk, Laman,” retorted Kyle. “The Red Swords have the highest death rate of any army group. You might as well say goodbye to Alex now. This is the last you’re ever going to see him.”
Alex put an arm around each of his friends. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’ve really missed you guys.”
The villagers accepted the Red Swords as they would newcomers and everyone talked into the wee hours of the morning. The next day was a day of relaxation for the Red Swords. The following morning the ascent of the north cliff would begin. Alex had been up it in the summer with Eddie, but he was not looking forward to this winter climb. It would be hazardous, but Fergy’s plan made sense. The pass would be harder to get through and was likely guarded at the other end.
Farewells were said and the six men disappeared up the north cliff. The next few days were torturous. Ben almost lost it at one point but was hoisted up by Mitar. It took them six days to travel to the other side. If the pass had been open it would have taken four hours. They stood on the edge on the cliff before descending and surveyed the vast northlands below them. Fortunately, there were no goblins or Yaki east of the pass, so they would have no trouble descending. The pass definitely had a large concentration of goblins camped out. They couldn’t count from this distance, but estimated six to seven hundred at the entrance to the pass alone. The goblin encampments appeared to spread westward from the pass and Fergy decided to head further north to circle around them.
They headed north for three days before they found a break in the campfires and were able to head west. The second day heading west brought concern. They had been waiting for an end to the campfires southward. This would have allowed them to determine how large an area the goblins were using for the buildup. They were startled to see campfires to their north again, but decided to press on.
The next day they had to stop. There were campfires directly west and they could no longer proceed in that direction. “There must be thousands of them,” remarked David.
“More than that,” Fergy declared. “Considering the ground we’ve covered, it’s certainly more than ten thousand. This is no small raiding party set up to attack some villages. This is a war party meant to take over the Kingdom. Come spring, this group will be pouring through the pass for days and days. We’ve got enough of an estimate for me to make a call on what they want, but we still need to find out why they’re attacking.”
“If they plan on taking over the Kingdom,” asked Ben, “what does it matter why?”
“Well,” responded the Sergeant, “because that’s our orders. Suppose for just a moment that this whole thing is being driven by the Cordonians. We commit all our forces against the goblins and they lure us east. Then the Cordonians strike our west coast. We’d be caught between two massive armies.”
“Okay,” Salc considered, “when the goblins try to draw us east, we don’t go for it.”
“No good,” stated Alex. “Suppose the Cordonians aren’t really behind it, after all, and the goblins outflank our troops and attack Tagaret.”
“Right,” said Fergy. “You see, we need to find out what’s driving these little buggers. The question is, how are we going to do that?”
“Certainly not by sitting in the middle of them,” quipped David. “Why don’t we get out of here?”
“Now that’s a plan I can live with,” said Fergy.
They turned around and headed east again. In the morning there were campfires to the east. They were surrounded. They stopped moving and outlined their options. Whichever direction they went, they would have to penetrate the enemy lines. If they went due south, they might not be able to cross the enemy line. The goblins might be backed right up against the mountains. They eventually decided to go north. It was the least likely place that anyone would expect infiltrators. It was also the best possible choice for a lower density of goblins. The movement of the campfires indicated that the goblins were still arriving. Alex’s knowledge of the terrain would help to some extent, but they were still going to have to squeeze between at least two campfires. If they were detected, Tagaret would get no report. Their white-hooded outfits had kept them out of sight fairly well so far, but that was only because they had not come close to the enemy. Now they could only travel by night.
They were crawling in single file when Fergy called a halt. The campfires up ahead were too close to possibly squeeze between. Fergy waved Alex to the front. Alex s
aw the problem and, knowing the country, led the group eastward. After a half-mile, they came to a small creek in a gully. The creek was frozen and Alex crawled onto it. Slowly they crawled northward on the frozen creek. Alex heard some small cracks from the back of the line. He hoped nobody got wet because there would be no fire for him to warm up and dry out. Frostbite on this mission could very well be a death sentence.
Just up ahead there were two goblin campfires, one on each side of the gully. They were so close that Alex could see their ugly faces, faces made even more grotesque by the dancing flames of the fire. Alex indicated that they should go past one at a time and then kept on moving. The goblins were bantering back and forth between campsites. Alex had no idea what they were saying, but recognized the nature of the conversation, a typical ‘we’re better than you contest’. When he was in between the two groups, someone threw something and it came sliding across the ice in front of him. He glanced at it and saw that it was a rather large bone that had been gnawed on. Without trying to determine what kind of animal it was, he kept going. It did make him think that they hadn’t seen any Yaki since entering the north country. Alex smiled as he waved for the next man to come forward.
One by one they crept past the two campsites. They still had to make some distance before sunrise or they would be sitting ducks. The stream widened as it went further north and Alex remembered that there should be a bridge coming up soon. In another fifteen minutes, he sighted it and called a halt under the bridge. This would be the safest place they were going to find to sleep for the day.
Several times during the day, goblin parties tramped over the bridge. It wasn’t as much a day of sleeping as it was a day of waiting. Shortly after sundown, Fergy stuck his head above the bank and looked around. There were campfires spread all around, but they were not orderly and close together as they had been before. These were the campfires of groups heading to the staging area. Fergy announced that they would soon have to head east or west or they would end up in the Disputed Area. He was going to head west towards Cordonia. If Cordonia was involved, their army should be making some sort of preparations, too.
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