by Guy Antibes
“Good for you, Captain Anchor,” Gasso said.
“I’m not the Captain,” or was he? Gasso looked to him as the commander of the keep, so he guessed he would fill in until the duke sent someone else. “Now, let’s talk about organization,” he said and pulled out paper and a quill. The command structure would have to change now that Travelwell’s men were dead or imprisoned.
As soon as he finished with Gasso, Anchor had to send three of the River Red birds to explain all that went on, including information about the sketchy intelligence on the Ropponi wizards.
~~~
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
~
THE PANIC IN THE CASTLE HAD DIED DOWN in the following weeks, after the duke’s guard had captured the rest of Eberlo’s supporters. Others had fled and the duke had let Sallia tour the city below with a few guards. She enjoyed the late summer heat and strolling among the city dwellers.
She currently sat on a chair on her balcony overlooking the city, reading from another book in the duke’s study. A rapping at her door broke her concentration and a lady in waiting answered it.
“The Duke, your highness.”
Sallia rose and greeted Duke Jellas. She couldn’t tell his mood from the look on his face.
“I have news, Princess. Would you sit?”
Sallia sat down and waved the duke to a vacant chair.
“Your Anchor saved us all.”
My Anchor? she thought. She’d have to re-acquaint herself with the man. “So there’s more news from the south?”
“Indeed, some good and some disturbing. Captain Travelwell, the commander did indeed try to allow a large contingent of Happly soldiers into the keep. Anchor, and the loyalists that he organized, fought the commander and his men, and then turned around and routed the Happlyans. Travelwell died of wounds in that fight. Happly is preparing to fight Valetan. At first blush that would seem an outlandish notion, but Anchor seems to think that inroads might have been made at the highest levels there as well. In addition, he’s worried about a contingent of Ropponi wizards in Happly’s army.”
“Wizards? That increases his strength doesn’t it?”
“It depends on how they are used. An arrow can kill a wizard as quickly as any other man. In any event, I am forwarding this message to Lotto Mistad, who is currently waiting for Morio to meet him and travel into Happly.”
“What can they do?”
“Lotto will have a contingent of wizards of his own, heading into Gensler as we speak, and that’s in addition to his own talent. Anchor admits that he doesn’t think he has the complete picture and I agree with him. I’m beefing up the border forts to the south and there are two choke points to the north on the border with Valetan that are fortified and I will send additional men there as well.”
“Events seem to be spinning out of control, even though Eberlo is gone,” Sallia said.
“It seems that way, yes, my dear. However, some of the events have spun in our direction.”
Sallia had her servant show the duke out and she returned to the balcony. She couldn’t sit, as upset as she was, and paced back and forth. She worried about Lotto entering a hornet’s nest in Happly. Even accompanied by wizards, what could he possibly hope to accomplish? Were Valetan’s forces assembling an invasion? Would Lotto go in support of such a thing? The duke didn’t tell her everything and she didn’t think it appropriate to seek him out. He’d been keeping her apprised of the major events.
Her thoughts went back to Anchor, who had become more of a mystery man. Where did he really come from? Why did he so quickly pick up Duke Jellas’s banner? The trust that Duke Jellas showed and Lotto’s intuition didn’t seem to be misplaced. Now he commanded South Keep after squashing the revolt.
And what of the Ropponi wizards? She’d heard that Roppon bred many magicians and the nexus came close to the surface on the Roppon Isles more than anyplace else in the world. But they were a very insular people and barely traded with Besseth. She yearned for Unca’s advice. He would know how to interpret all of these actions, now that she knew her father used his mind more than his magic while she grew up. She still hadn’t heard word of his demise and thought she’d chance a letter. Perhaps the time had come for Sally to write Willow and tell her she stayed with an aunt in Everwet…or something like that.
Sallia nodded her head. The Willow letter would be her next step. She would try to mask the fact that she wrote it. Perhaps a nice letter to Anchor would be in order. Perhaps being in touch with some people outside of Crackledown would ease her nerves.
~
Anchor read the message from Sallia. He stared at her written words picturing her face in his mind.
Dear Anchor,
Please forgive me if this is not properly addressed. I don’t think I ever learned of another name or the place where you are from. Duke Jellas kindly offered to send this missive by bird.
I thank you again for your gallant attempts in the behalf of the Red Kingdom. The warning sent to Duke Jellas saved my life as well as his. This time you were successful on your own. I can’t express in words my appreciation of your loyalty to me and to the Duke. Although I am incapable of bestowing a worthy award, when, and I say when, I retake Foxhome, I want you by my side to share in the celebration.
I would be pleased to meet you again at an appropriate time. Please think of me as a friend,
Regal Regards,
Sallia
Princess of the Red Kingdom
He reread the part about sharing the stage of her return to the Foxhome throne again and again. She didn’t know him as Unca, who would have had such a position due to his long relationship with her father. No. He had earned this on his own without the aid of his now-inert magical powers.
He sighed, and then he smiled. Like a foolish young man. Anchor shook his head. Somewhere within, Unca still lurked and laughed along with him. When had the princess turned from a too-young girl to a woman that attracted him? He didn’t know, but it happened after their shared time at his holding. Besotted. The word rolled around in his head and he had to admit to the emotion.
This would never do. Such forbidden thoughts about the young woman. Sally would never accept him, a commoner, even in his current form. Anchor felt like a fraud and took his thoughts to his quarters, as he lay awake at night on his hard bed. He was still glad he never moved into Travelwell’s rooms. Whatever noble had built South Keep created a corner built like a palace and that’s where Travelwell stayed. Anchor refused to spend a night there.
Now the bunk was a welcome penance for thinking of the princess as a woman to cherish, yet he couldn’t get her out of his mind. He rose and lit a candle and reread the message even though he had just about memorized her every word. Yet didn’t she love another? Lotto? Son of a Serytaran duke? Morio? Son of Duke Jellas? She had only met him, as Anchor, the one time as he lay half out of his mind in pain. What chance did he have? Yet he had earned her friendship and saved her life, for real, by noticing the flight of a bird coming into the South Keep coop. Intercepting the message had, perhaps, changed the course of Bessethian history, but Anchor cast that aside. He wished morning would come and embraced the distraction of commanding the keep.
~
Anchor received a message to the effect that Lotto had taken Morio’s rangers and a flock of wizards into Happly at the same time a small Valetan army of a few thousand men marched south, for the second time, to remove Duke Happly before he could invade Valetan. The brightness of summer had now dimmed with the approach of fall. The bright green leaves began to fade with brown edges.
By now, Anchor felt fit enough to resume sparring. His shoulder ached from time to time and the healer informed him that the pain might remain. The aching didn’t inhibit his movement and he found that he could ignore it. Now that he had tested his skill in battle, he worked on speed and stamina. Administering the Keep never took him more than a few hours a day with Gasso doing an extremely competent job as his aide. He had no idea what Travelwell d
id with his time, but Anchor took advantage of every minute to improve his physical side.
Travelwell’s quarters boasted a library of sorts and Anchor borrowed books on warfare. He’d read perhaps half of the same books that Travelwell possessed during his time at Foxhome, but now that he had actually fought in a battle, his studies had gained a new perspective. King Billeas had often chided him from time to time for a lack of practical experience and now Anchor knew why. The king looked through the eyes of a soldier and saw the practical side of warfare. Unca viewed battles as another mental exercise in politics. The insight made the books more informative.
Gasso entered his office, interrupting his reading. “Bird from Learsea.” He gave the message to Anchor. A rider at one time had to travel to Learsea’s capital, a city of the same name, to carry birds. What could Learsea want?
Anchor broke the seal and his mouth opened as he read.
To Anchor, Commander of South Keep, Dukedom of Gensler:
We have not suffered the same fate as other kingdoms, having assiduously taken a neutral stance. We are a peaceable kingdom and have not participated in an armed conflict on land in more than a century, until recently. Our own wizards have ferreted out recent attempts at subterfuge. We have successfully fought off an incursion from Oringia, but only because they fought with Valetan at the same time and even then our victory was close. Duke Histron has made demands of our kingdom, which are unacceptable. We have begun to raise troops and train them, but need a commander of our armies. We seek an alliance with Gensler and Valetan in this unavoidable conflict. Duke Jellas has recommended you for assignment to my general staff as Commander of our Armies. If this is acceptable to you, let us know as well as your liege as soon as possible.
For Learsea,
Willom, King
Peeron, Prince
Anchor laughed. “You’ve read this? Is this a joke?” He rose from his chair and went to his window. He looked at the forest that grew on the backside of the keep. He shook his head and tossed the scrap of paper at Gasso. “Have a laugh. Someone is playing with me.” Could the message be serious? Anchor had no doubts he could succeed in the job. He’d met Willom before and, like Learsean kings before him, Willom had adopted an anti-war philosophy. It had served Learsea well for generations, but no longer. Not with Daryaku pulling strings in virtually every kingdom and dukedom in Besseth.
If Willom needed a war commander, that meant Learsea had no competent military leaders that the king could trust. King Billeas had often laughed at Willom’s naiveté, but grudgingly admired Learsea’s riches. The kingdom had no problem developing seaborne defenses for its trading vessels as the capital city stood on a massive bluff on the far eastern side of the country. They even traded with the insular Roppon Empire.
“We tag the birds that are sent to Learsea and this message returned on one of them. It is genuine, sir.”
A general? Leader of armies? He thought of Sallia and even though he thought he had repressed his adolescent feelings for her, this would be an opportunity to impress her even more. But that was a side benefit. He knew that even a weak untrained army from Learsea could tip the balance in a battle to regain the Red Kingdom.
“Let’s test this offer. Have messengers with more birds depart for Learsea with my conditional acceptance.” Anchor wished he had his powers back so he could charm the bird that carried the message so that it would return on the same path. He had to accept the options open to him. “I’ll also send a message to Duke Jellas. In five or six days, we’ll know if an offer was indeed sent to Crackledown.”
The next day, Anchor trained with a vengeance and went through a whole set of sparring partners.
“Captain, you need to give the men a chance,” the weapons master said. “I daresay none here can defeat you in the practice field.”
Anchor rubbed his shoulder. The practice field remained a different place than the battlefield. He’d always remembered that fact. He clapped the weapons master on the shoulder. “It’s all due to you. I came here knowing how to hold a sword and little else and now,” he shrugged his shoulders.
“You have yourself to blame. I’ve never had a more persistent student. Travelwell left you with so little to do. You’ve taken excellent advantage of your time here, but just let up a bit. That’s all I ask.”
Anchor laughed. “I will.” He left to wash up and wondered if he’d keep his word.
Later in his study he buried his nose in a strategy book and with his prior experience, he began to pick apart the battles described with the intent of recasting the forces on both sides. He realized that he had just begun to put as much effort into the strategic side of war as he had done the physical side. So be it. If the offer had been genuine, he wouldn’t depart for Learsea with as empty a mind and body as he had entered South Keep months ago.
~
Another Learsea bird flew into the coop. Anchor had been inspecting troops at the time and dismissed them as he rushed to the see what the message had to say. He arrived and found a Crackledown bird had arrived as well.
He opened the Crackledown message. The Duke approved the assignment and informed him that Colonel Pillar would arrive to take over command of the keep. The Learsea missive confirmed his appointment and requested that he arrive in Learsea as soon as he could settle his command and personal affairs in Gensler.
Anchor’s mind just blanked out with the news. A tingle of anxiety rushed through him as the mantle of responsibility settled on his mind. He rushed to the map room of the keep and pulled out maps of the adjoining countries. Some of them weren’t very accurate, but he needed a refresher in the geographical features of Besseth and of Learsea, in particular.
The map room had two large tables in the middle of the room. Tall windows with steel shutters let light in from the southwest. Anchor began to wonder about Oringia’s incursion into Learsea. The Oringians were chronically belligerent and probably didn’t need prodding to enter into a war with its neighbors. A little Dakkoran gold and they’d be suiting up for battle. Probing into Learsea territory meant they’d have to cross the Fargo River, which had, until then, been a formidable border.
What kind of role did the Oringians play? The country’s armies were undisciplined and never represented much of a threat to Valetan. The conflicts on border were usually regional wars where Valetan always prevailed. The fact that Learsea managed to drive them off proved that Oringia was a nuisance, but not a threat, not like Histron’s army. But then, what would happen if they all joined together?
Anchor pointed to a low pass just south of Happly on the mountainous western Learsean border. If Happly neutralized Valetan, then Histron could muster a large force and head through that gap southeast. No natural barriers existed once the pass had been crossed, except for a few meandering rivers. Histron had a clear path right to the capital.
If Valetan allied with Histron, they could cross the Fargo at the short border with Learsea and skirt the eastern side of the Narten Mountains, they could march quickly with men and supply trains. They would join twenty miles inside of Learsea on flat farmland and, again, nothing would stop them. Unless...
“Gasso! I need some good minds.” Anchor said to the empty room. He assembled his small officer corps and went over his thinking. The group came up with additional scenarios and Anchor played a few war games on the map table, first taking Willom’s positions and then Histron’s.
Satisfied that they had wrung out a workable strategy, he wrote out instructions to King Willom and swore that he’d need more birds. The messenger and a four-man escort rode away. Anchor would have to meet his army in the field. He couldn’t leave until Pillar arrived, but that didn’t have to delay beginning to implement Learsea’s defense. If he was wrong, then Willom would still have his army assembled and Anchor could begin to train them properly while on the western side of the country.
He touched the Bloodstone and realized that the Red Kingdom couldn’t afford to lose it on a Learsean battlefield. He left
the map room and called for the largest, strongest bird linked to Crackledown. He didn’t have the time to send a messenger with the Bloodstone, but he would send the bird. After writing a message as Unca, he took the pouch with its priceless gem and tied it to the little frame on the bird and sent it aloft.
Anchor’s hand went to where the Bloodstone used to be and felt naked. Without the Bloodstone, he might have to live out his life as Anchor, without any Affinity to the earth’s power. He sighed and knew he had done the right thing.
~
“No word on Lotto or my son.” Duke Jellas said as he put another sliced carrot in his mouth. “Valetan forces under Princess Restella have moved south into Happly and I don’t know a thing. I would have expected a bird by now.”
The man looked worried and that made Sallia worried. The current front on the war seemed to be Happly although Oringia still fought the Valetans, but the duke didn’t think Valetan should waste resources like that.
Colonel Hesting interrupted their meal. “Message from South Keep, your grace.” He nodded and left.
Sallia hoped the duke would share the contents.
“Anchor might have some of this figured out. I’m not so sure I should have given him out to Willom. Who knows what shape this conflict will take on?” He continued to read. “He still thinks that there is danger in Valetan, but he emphasizes that’s only a guess on his part. He thinks that would be a possible strategy for Histron. If Happly, Oringia and possibly Valetan became allies, they could move to one specific spot and advance, unchecked, all the way to Learsea, the capital.”
“How does he know that?”
“He doesn’t, I’ll bet. Let’s go into my war room and pull out some maps. Are you about done, Princess?”