To Be Chosen

by John Buttrick

  “Did you know a thousand men were coming to back us up?” Roder inquired.

  “We, the Queen and I, suspected help might come from Bolover, but could not be sure. Time was of the essence and a pigeon can only fly so fast. The assignment we have is to either take back the estate or pursue the aggressors, whether or not the general arrived with reinforcements. The estate is secured, which leaves the task of pursuing the Aakacarns,”

  “And if the Aakacarns had held the estate when we arrived, would we have waved our magic batons and wiped them away?” Roder blurted before his discretion kicked in.

  Sir Daniel only smiled at him, not angry at all. “I didn’t know magic batons were standard issue to Royal Guardsmen or I might have requisitioned some. The fact is the situation would have gotten messy. Pursuing the Aakacarns may not be much better, but I have no choice. Queen Cleona has given me a task and I have no intention of failing her,”

  Roder knew aspects of the mission had not been shared with him. When they had reached the estate, he believed the battle was over and the mission had changed from fighting Aakacarns and sasquatches to relieving the wounded. Now he knew more about the mission and that it was no where near finished. “Cleona has given you the task of chasing down the Aakacarns and I have been given the task of helping you complete your mission. Neither of us will shirk that duty.”

  The Knight lost the smile and looked him in the eye. “I’m sorry you got caught up in my swirl. David and Silvia asked for it, and in a way so did Cale, but all of you Royal Guardsmen are here because you have been ordered to be, not by choice. I respect all of you, even Carper, and trust you to see the mission through to completion. Know that whatever it costs me, I’ll do what must be done to keep you all safe while accomplishing the task I’ve been given.”

  The Knight seemed sincere but he promised what no commander could guarantee. No one wants casualties, but they are inevitable once battle is engaged. “I know nothing about swirls or the reasons your companions volunteered to come on this mission. I do know you will do battle with the Aakacarns because the Queen requires you to do so and that we will be with you. I understand you don’t want to lose anyone under your command, but you need to realize that the butcher’s bill in a battle always gets paid.”

  “If I do this right it will be the other side who pays,” Sir Daniel replied.

  Well, he will learn, Roder thought. “When should I have the men ready to travel?” he asked, accepting that the time of rest the guardsmen were enjoying would soon end.

  “According to Duke Cantor’s scouts the Aakacarns are following the river north on foot and are beyond the swamps. His men did not follow any farther. It is not known why the raiders are afoot, but I welcome any advantage we can gain. Scores of sasquatches are moving with them so we will have to keep vigilant,” Sir Daniel went on to say. The man was telling him more in this brief conversation than at any time since they started out.

  Roder decided to take advantage of the moment of candor. “Is there more about this mission that I don’t know?”

  “Yes,” the young Knight did not hesitate to admit. “There are aspects I’ve been order not to discuss with anyone who was not in the emergency meeting and some that are left to my discretion.”

  Roder was not surprised by the answer. A Sergeant gets used to performing his duty with little information from the higher ups. “I’ll trust you to let me know what I need to know before it bites me in the rear.”

  Sir Daniel chuckled. “I have to work on my timing. My warning to Carper did not keep him from getting thrown.”

  The Knight had warned of the gator before it lunged. “I just put on a clean uniform, see if you can warn me in time to keep from getting it dirty.”

  He glanced up to see Duke Cantor walking across the courtyard with the commander of the Southwestern Legion. They came to a stop in front of the Royal Knight. “Sir Daniel, I would like you to meet General Conner,” Cantor made the introduction.

  “I have heard about you from the Queen. It’s good to finally meet you,” Sir Daniel told the senior officer.

  The general, a clean shaven man of medium build, wore a pair of gold stars on the collar of his light green shirt, the finest quality chain mail, and four golden hawks on the shoulders of his jacket, which was gold trimmed, and a slightly darker shade of green. The royal hawk in flight was engraved in gold on his green lacquered helmet, much like that of Sir Daniel’s. “And I have heard and read much about you, although I have to admit your presence here was unexpected. News from the capital takes a while to reach Bolover. I’m surprised to hear Lord Jonah managed to get to Ducanton and back here so quickly.”

  “He moved swiftly and we wasted little time in getting here,” Sir Daniel replied.

  The general made no mention of the diminutive size of the force sent from the capital, Roder noted.

  “Between your force and mine, I think we can fully man the defenses,” the General said, and Roder knew by the twinkle in the man’s eye the officer was being facetious.

  “I was planning on taking all fifty Royal Guardsmen in pursuit of the raiders,” Sir Daniel replied, and then feigned a put upon expression. “But, if you feel a thousand cavalrymen inadequate, I suppose I could leave a few Royal Guardsmen behind.”

  Roder barked a laugh, but wore his most solemn expression by the time they all looked at him. The General’s right eyebrow flickered in annoyance, bur Sir Daniel smiled and then the officer smiled as well. The Duke’s expression had remained neutral.

  “Are you actually planning to pursue the Aakacarns?” Conner asked.

  “Those are my orders,” Sir Daniel replied.

  The general frowned. “This sounds like a matter best left to the Eagle Guild, much as I dislike having to admit that.”

  Sir Daniel was shaking his head. “At this point, I would not trust them to guard a chicken from a fox. Be that as it is, Queen Cleona has given me the task, and I will accomplish the mission she assigned to me.”

  “A chicken from a fox,” the General mumbled. “I see having been among the Aakacarns has not dampened your Ducaunan spirit, which is good to know.” He paused, eyeing the young Knight. “I can triple your strength without diminishing the effectiveness of my forces here.”

  “I appreciate the offer, but what Her Majesty has provided is more than adequate,” Sir Daniel replied.

  “It will be as you say,” Conner replied.

  Roder noted a small gathering around the Teki. The little bundle of furry joy was now the center of attention. Tomei joined the crowd and with him, Angelina Ducalin. Jonah made his way through the crowd and walked up to Sir Daniel. “There is still the matter of that thing you brought here,” the Duke’s son stated grimly.

  “Sheila is leaving with us, that ends the matter,” the Knight replied, evenly, face neutral, which meant he was about to get stubborn, a thing Roder had learned by observation. This could get interesting. Jonah was at home, in the presence of his father, and unlikely to back down. Who would win the contest of wills this time?

  “Kill it! Kill it!” Angelina shouted in a voice that was sure to be heard out into the swamps.

  By the time Roder reached the trouble spot with Sir Daniel, Duke Cantor, and General Conner; Silvia and David were backed into a corner, with the Teki woman facing the wall, keeping the baby safe while her husband stood facing four Ducalin guardsmen armed with halberds.

  “Stand down,” Duke Cantor ordered, and the guardsmen instantly obeyed. “What is going on here?”

  “That woman brought a sasquatch here, in my home, and I want it dead,” Angelina replied.

  “My feelings exactly,” Jonah added his voice to the demand.

  “I cut Sheila from her dead mother,” Sir Daniel spoke up. “She is an innocent and I’ll not see her harmed.”

  “Then close your eyes and I will kill the beast,” Jonah suggested.

  “You are just a Royal Knight of the Realm. I’m the heir apparent to the crown and am ordering you t
o kill this creature,” Angelina told the young Knight.

  “He is the Chosen Vessel, get out of his way,” Silvia declared, although she was ignored by the nobles, but the statement got Roder thinking about the possibility.

  If Angelina thought her words were intimidating the man before her, she was in for a disappointment. “Queen Cleona has ordered me to pursue the Aakacarns and deal with the sasquatches, how to do so has been left to my discretion. Sheila is leaving with me.”

  Angelina’s eyes fixed on her father. “Are you going to let one of the beasts who killed Kryten live?”

  “I admit to having no fondness for the smelly creatures, but this is Sir Daniel’s call to make. If he wants to take the thing and raise it as his daughter, so be it,” Duke Cantor replied while cringing at Sheila.

  Roder had no idea what part the baby sasquatch had in Sir Daniel’s plans, but was inclined to back the Knight.

  The matter seemed to be resolved, but the hard feelings the baby sasquatch stirred up did not die so easily. The Ducalin siblings, brother and sister, stared hard at the Knight who had defied them in front of the entire household and guardsmen. They finally turned and walked stiffly into the manner. Duke Cantor and General Conner followed shortly thereafter. The incident was over and the crowd began to disperse.

  “Sergeant Keenan, please have someone bring me my tent,” Sir Daniel requested, rather than ordered.

  “It will be as you say, Sir Daniel,” he replied formally, and started for the barracks.

  Corporal Duwin and the rest of the men were in the huge facility, which was filling up with cavalrymen. Roder briefed the guardsmen on the continuing mission, and then told off Duncan Hawk to fetch the Knight’s tent. The young guardsmen returned a quarter of a mark later.

  “Did you know Sir Daniel intends to sleep out toward the river?” he asked.

  Why would the man want to sleep outside? “Did he give a reason?”

  “Its little Sheila, Lady Angelina and Lord Jonah didn’t want the babe under their roof, so Sir Daniel is honoring them by making camp outside the walls,” Duncan replied, licked his lips, and then added, “With your permission, I would like to pitch my tent next to his.”

  Roder was surprised by the request. “Granted,” he replied, and was further surprised when each and every man made the same request.

  By the time he and the men passed through the gates, night gear in hand, two tents were alone on an area cleared of hedge grass. Silvia and David emerged from one and Sir Daniel, holding Sheila, came from the other. His eyebrows arched up and he appeared momentarily confused. “I didn’t order anyone to join me. You all should be getting a good night’s sleep in the barracks. We will be leaving early in the morning.”

  “Guardsmen Hawk,” Roder began while gesturing toward the young man, who was standing beside him, “felt the need to camp out and it seemed such a good notion we all decided to do the same.”

  Sir Daniel smiled while eyeing all fifty men. “I’m glad for the company.”

  “You pack a powerful swirl,” Silvia remarked in a whisper.

  The Knight shrugged his shoulders. “Perhaps, but I think this is something more than that,” he replied just as softly. Roder doubted their voices carried farther then he and Duncan.

  Every man in the unit respected the rank of their commander, only a fool would disrespect a Royal Knight of the Realm, but this went deeper. This young man had earned their loyalty and that of their Sergeant. The tents were pitched in short order without a word of complaint, which was a first.

  Chapter Fourteen: The Underwater City

  Sherree topped the hill and stopped to take in the view. Cedars and elms along with mistletoe and bunch berry to her right and left spread out from the grassy game trail. Down below was Lake Tomlin, twenty-five spans north to south and about seven spans across. The sun was low and reflecting off the water while blue jays and sparrows flittered in the sky, and belted-kingfishers flew above the waves and ducks swam leisurely in all directions. Half a score of hatchlings were following their mother to the east bank. A golden spire projected two cubits up from the water, the only sign of the city beneath the waves. On the east bank of the lake were three two-storied buildings, new constructs of the Stone Guild. No other sign of human presence existed in the remote area. The brown center building had the symbols of the Aqua and Stone Guilds on the roof and walls, the place in which they worked and conferred. The gray building to the right of it had the rock and hammer symbol of the Stone Guild while the blue-green one on the left wore the golden drop of the Aqua, both were living quarters. The compound also included a small stable and corral, where six horses stood nibbling on the grass.

  She flicked the reins and Troyan started down the hill. The Stallion was black with patches of white. She rented him back in Tomrus where she had disembarked, and was pleased with his responsiveness. She rode into the stable where a bearded man with touches of gray in his hair, dressed in tanned buckskins, stood grooming Banner, Jerremy’s gray Taracopian warhorse. “May I help you, Accomplished?” he asked in a gravely voice. Two other horses in the stalls turned their heads at the sound of his voice.

  “Would you take care of Troyan? By the way, how do you feel?” Sherree replied, noticing that the man seemed well enough.

  “I feel fresh as spring water, thanks for askin. Your fellow Aakacarns aren’t lookin too good. Whatever it is that’s makin-em sick ain’t troubling me,” he replied. “You just leave lookin after your horse to old Zackeriah Stabler. I never forget a horse, people sometimes but never a horse.”

  “Thank you,” Sherree said, then dismounted and handed the reins to the groom. “I’m Accomplished Jenna, here to get my associates back on their feet,” she added and then made her way to the house of the Stone Guild.

  On the first floor she found a large common room and a dinning area. The kitchen and store rooms were over to the left and a bathing room to the right. The living quarters were upstairs. She started up to the second floor when a Three-bolt Accomplished with a neatly trimmed white beard stepped in front of her, apparently wanting to go down. His eyes were bloodshot, he was unsteady on his feet, and it took him a moment to focus on her.

  “Aloe Guild, I’m pleased to see you. My apprentice informed me of your coming. I’m Franklin Togan,” he stated.

  “Yes, I know who you are. I am Sherree Jenna. We met on the riverboat,” she replied. “Is there somewhere you can sit down so I can examine you?”

  “We might as well go back to my room for that,” Master Togan replied, and led the rest of the way upstairs, into a hall having four doors on each side, and through the first door on the right.

  Brown curtains on the window facing the lake were open, showing a direct view of the golden spire. A bed and night table to the left, and a desk and wardrobe to the right, completed the furnishings. The Master Artisan sat on the bed and Sherree placed her hand on his forehead and cast, Diagnosis. His body showed signs of fatigue, dehydration, and an empty stomach, but there seemed to be no internal cause for the effects. She decided to go ahead and treat the symptoms, and then figure out what was making everyone sick. She added, Rejuvenation, at the end to give him enough strength to take in some nourishment.

  “Now, I want you to go down and eat a decent meal and drink plenty of fluids,” she told him.

  Master Togan grinned. “This is the best I’ve felt in days. I can hardly wait to get back into the city,” he told her, and his smile was replaced by a more solemn expression. “How long will it take you to get my team on their feet?” This was a man who loved his work.

  “They should be better within the mark, but that does not end the problem. I found no cause for your illness, only treated your symptoms. A more thorough investigation is called for, not just of the Accomplisheds, but also the areas you’ve been exposed to,” Sherree informed him. “Now, go eat while I tend to the rest of your team.”

  She continued down the hall to the next door and knocked. A weak female voice gav
e her permission to enter. The room had the same accommodations as the Master Artisan. In the bed was a blond-haired One-bolt Accomplished. She had a pale complexion, but that was normal for a person of Lobenian descent. She opened her eyes when Sherree touched her forehead and cast, Diagnosis. Like Togan, she was dehydrated and fatigued with no apparent cause for the effect.

  “What’s the verdict? Am I going to live?” the Artisan asked and managed a weak smile. Her blue-green eyes were bloodshot.

  Sherree treated the symptoms before answering, “Judging by your current condition, you may live to see a few more centuries or so. You should be hungry about now. My prescription is to eat something nutritious and drink plenty of fluids.”

  The Accomplished threw off the satin covers and sat up, revealing her underwear. She cast a laundering spell and the sweat stains vanished from her pink silk shift and panties. She smiled. “I’m Marsha Obennen. Thanks for the healing.”

  “I’m Sherree Jenna. As for the healing, I’m pleased to have been of help. You really should get dressed and go eat some food.”

  Marsha went over and opened the wardrobe, which contained her black and crimson silks. “I’m so hungry I do not need to be told thrice,” she said while removing her silks from the hangers.

  “I hope we can talk later. For now, your associates need my attention,” she told her, and then went to the next room.

  Jerremy was dressed in his silks and sitting in a chair facing the lake. “I’m surprised you arrived so quickly. There are more than twenty spans of wilderness between here and Tomrus. The Creator knows how many animals you came across, none of them must have been injured,” he stated without turning around.

  “You call that a greeting? How about, I’m so happy to see you, or, thank goodness you’re here to make me feel all better,” Sherree teased him.