by D. H. Aire
She frowned, gestured to the biggest, “Ghent, go find the boys. Tell them to bring all their friends.”
“All?”
She glared.
He hastily went out the front door.
“They aren’t going to go with you… unless there’s a great deal in it for me. Our granddaughter isn’t part of the deal.”
The Master Sergeant smiled, “The Marshall General understands there will be recruitment bonuses for our friends.”
“And, what I’d call referral bonuses. Especially for our grandchild, who must be proving to be a real burden.”
She almost glanced back at the kitchen. “She’s not a burden… How much we talking about?”
He smiled. The haggling began and quickly ended. “Good riddance,” she said as he walked out with the little girl.
#
It took hours as Sianhiel waited in what normally might be called a dance hall. “Master Sergeant,” he said, trying not to laugh seeing the confused looking underpriests with their young students, “I take it we have letters from their, uh, legal guardians or parents.”
“Yessir,” he replied, holding a frightened looking girl’s hand.
Sianhiel shook his head, the man had to have a bit of elvin blood in his veins. If it didn’t add years to his life, it certainly did in irony. Master Sergeant Enri had proposed this scheme that was costing the Empress’s Privvy Purse more than he wanted to know.
Another gang of sixty or so young toughs arrived with a veteran, joining the recruitment line, they gave their names and signed their enlistment papers with an “X.” He blinked as the old woman with a cane entered. The gang members’ eyes widened and they hastily edged back.
“Marshall General,” she said.
“Ma’am.”
She pushed her wispy hair back over her left ear, revealing a canted elvin featured ear.
“Excuse me, Milady,” he said, gesturing her to join him at one of the empty tables near the stage.
“Marshall General,” Enri whispered.
Sianhiel nodded as the old elfblooded woman walked to the table, the chamber went remarkably silent, save for the tapping of the cane across the wooden floor.
“I know she’s the Dowager, Sergeant,” he muttered back before joining the lady in her antiquated dress.
She moved to sit as Sianhiel held the chair for her. “Thank you, Milord.”
He took a seat opposite her, “Pleasure to meet you, Milady.”
“Somehow, I doubt that, else you would have met with me before… recruiting so, uh, liberally here in the Margins.”
Smiling, he said, “Graymantel apparently hasn’t seen the need to recruit… I, on the other hand, very much do.”
“Children?” she said, glancing at the girl, half hiding behind the Master Sergeant. “For what purpose?”
“It’s a bit unusual, I know, but the Legion will provide them an education as well as training,” he replied.
“Where?”
He smiled, “Close by.”
“You planning to send them to Bastian?”
“I hope to, eventually, which has been the fate of many recruited here in the Margins over the centuries.”
She frowned, leaning closer, “These are my lands.”
Nodding, he said, “Dowager, I am truly sorry for your circumstances.”
“The Empress’s mother was kind enough to grant me suitable accommodations under the circumstances… I understand Her Majesty has married the human Highmage. If I am assured that our children will not be betrayed by this… recruitment effort, perhaps I could be convinced to offer the aid of my House.”
Sianhiel smiled, knowing the Privvy Purse would be significantly emptier after this woman of lofty marriage, widowed and branded as Faeryn heretic by Her Late Majesty in her youth, had been cast away to rot here.
“Perhaps, you would appreciate a place in Her Majesty’s Court. I have no doubt she could use your advice.”
She blinked, sitting back, knowing Harlequin watched with her entourage from the doorway.
Based on the look in her eyes, Sianhiel had the feeling may have just saved the Privvy Purse quite a lot of coin. At her smile, he feared he might not have.
#
The new orders made little sense to the Citadel’s Legionnaires.
Major Maylik scratched his head, shrugged, shouting, “First group!”
Aaprin and Gallen joined Ander, in her role as Se’and in climbing aboard with their battle steeds after the supplies were secured to the wide platform. Master Sergeant Enri and his Legionnaire training cadre climbed aboard with the first group of charges, a mix of boys and girls, adolescent gang members, and underpriests, who looked uncertain.
Maylik soon signaled those on the lift to prepare for the drop.
‘You ready for this?’ Aaprin thought to Rexil and Shannon.
‘As ready as we’ll ever be,’ Rexil replied.
“In position,” the drop warden yelled.
Gallen closed her eyes, focusing hard on the illusion.
The pulleys released. The lift hung above the portal, which suddenly blazed.
“Huh?” echoed across the grounds.
Major Maylik shouted, “Retract the lift and clear those children fast!”
The Legionnaires stared.
“Did you hear me, retract the lift! Second group prepare to embark!”
The warder swayed, calling over his comm., “Highmage? Uh, Highmage? Aaprin!”
#
The platform trembled and they found themselves under a cloudy sky. The kids cried out. “Uh, Aaprin,” Gallen whispered, feeling… thinner, taller.
Ander blinked. “Um, I think we have a problem.”
Cle’or frowned as the battle steeds stared at where Gallen should be standing as the sun burst from behind the clouds over what appeared to be the Citadel, which was far from abandoned.
“I understand that General Graymantel is no longer in charge topside,” a gray haired woman announced, her hair close cropped, accentuating her elvin canted ears.
Legionnaire detachments fast marched out of the buildings, positioning themselves around them, facing them, coming to attention.
“No, Marshall General Sianhiel has assumed command.”
The woman nodded. “Then doubly welcome to Dowager’s Legion HQ, Sir.”
“Dowager’s…” Aaprin muttered as the Master Sergeant shook his head.
Cle’or frowned, “I have not seen any women in the legion before… and you seem to have quite a few.”
“Yes, Milady, I will not say life is easy here, but we are the daughters of the Legion as much as the men who have dedicated themselves are its sons. And, we have been awaiting the day when the threat requires Legionnaires not under the command of fools like Graymantel.”
“This place is bigger than the Citadel,” Aaprin said, then he glanced at Gallen, his eyes widening.
“It accommodates the need. After all, there’s no better place to seek sanctuary than with the Dowager.” She turned to the Master Sergeant. “You’ll find we have excellent training facilities.”
“Who’s in command?” Master Sergeant Enri asked.
“I am.”
“And you are?”
“Colonel Garvin,” she replied.
That brought stares.
‘Aaprin, why are you staring at me?’ Gallen demanded in his thoughts as he held her, feeling the wood’s smoothness as she glowed, growing frustrated and angry, knowing something was wrong.
The sky suddenly began to darken with roiling clouds.
“Garvin?” Cle’or said, “as in…”
The Colonel nodded.
Clearing his throat, he thought it best not to answer the voice in his head for the moment, Aaprin said, “Uh, just how many people are here?”
“Thirty-five thousand Legionnaires, plus our families, Milord.”
Cle’or gaped, realizing that more than half the Legionnaires here were women.
Colonel Garvin nodd
ed, “Would you like to review the troops, Milord?”
“What’s going on?” Ander whispered to Cle’or.
“The Curse… many of the women here are, well, you could say they’re our cousins.”
‘Aaprin!’
Wincing, Aaprin ‘heard’ Gallen say in a stilted voice, ‘Lord Garvin, adviser and confident to Highmage Faeryn. Father to Eliyana Springdonner, Dowager Springdonner.’
#
‘Thirty-five thousand six hunded twenty-two,’ Gallen reported. ‘The Faeryn mages number an additional one hundred eight-three, the Faeryn healer corps number four hundred sixty-two. The number of elfbloods is a significantly higher proportion than the norm… Aaprin, what’s happened to me.’
He coughed and muttered back, “Your illusion’s a bit too good here.”
‘I can’t be a computer staff.’
“Highmage, I would like to introduce you to our mages.”
“Of course…” He recognized a smiling face. “Talik?”
“What took you so long… Milord?” he replied, realizing Terhun had been playing his cards closer in this game.
Aaprin swallowed, “Where’s your lovely wife?”
Fleural stepped out of the shadows of a tall pillar of the nearest courtyard, knowing Cle’or was watching her like a hawk, and could not blame the cautious woman in the least.
#
“Clear the platform,” the Colonel ordered as the Faeryn archmage made his farewells, “the Highmage and his party will be continuing on to Bastian.”
The Master Sergeant shouted orders to his recruits, seeing the underpriests checking out the temple. One called out, “They’ve the finest library I’ve ever heard of!”
Cle’or casually touched the staff in Aaprin’s hand. A moment later, she whispered, “We need to move on quickly.”
‘Aaprin!’
He coughed, muttering under his breath, “Everything will be fine.” He hoped.
Coming up behind him, Cle’or whispered, “You can say that again.”
The Master Sergeant glanced at her as his veterans shouted orders at their recruits.
“Where’s here?” Saerana asked at his side.
Glancing down, he replied, “We’re in the Dowager’s Underhill Citadel. This is your home for the next few years or so.”
“Years?” the nearest recruits, mostly human, and children echoed.
Aaprin said, “For those who are youngest, at least that. Those who are older will be sent the rest of the way to Bastian in what may be a few days from their perspective.”
‘The young human recruits are going to feel time’s dialation effects here much more strongly. We need to get Ander away from here.’
‘We’re going,’ Aaprin muttered back.
Cle’or sighed as their battle steeds paced the lift. “Good luck, Master Sergeant.”
“Thank you, Milord,” he replied, glancing at the Colonel.
“I think, from our perspective, at least, we’ll be seeing the Dowager’s Legion again soon,” Aaprin said, then whispered, “Uh, sorry,” and tapped his staff.
‘Ouch!’
The platform flared as thunder echoed and the lift vanished.
The Master Sergeant said, “Colonel, I’ve two thousand recruits on the way.”
“Closer to five,” the Colonel replied. “The Dowager’s calling in her debts.”
Chapter 37 - Family
Spiro drew a rune in the air just above the cargo hold’s desk. “Ready?”
Holding an emptied overturned crate over his shoulders, Tett said, “This really going to work?”
“How about we find out before they start searching down here?” Spiro replied, then closed his eyes and visualized activating the spell.
A wide swath of the floor vanished.
“Uh, where’s the water?” Tett asked.
“It’s a tunneling spell. It won’t last long.”
Tett maneuvered himself to the lip of the hole. Spiro took one end of the crate, facing Tett and sang out a spell. He nodded and they dropped through the hole, Tett taking a deep breath and looking a bit terrified.
A moment later, they fell out the other end into the waters of the harbor not far from the pilings of the pier. Air was trapped in the crate, which was sealed and now doubly warded to prevent the air from escaping.
“We’re alive,” Tett exclaimed as they settled to the bottom. “But I’m soaked to the skin and its cold.”
Spiro stared at him. “You want to learn how to swim right this second?”
“Uh… no.”
“Then shut up and start walking along the bottom with me. There should be a culvert close by, which we can use to get into the city.”
Tett almost made a comment about how bad they smelled, but the water lapped his chin and he really didn’t want to learn how to swim.
#
The guardsmen atop Tane’s outer wall, shouted as they saw a hundred or so Haydenese riding without any attempt at guile toward the gate. The fact they were displaying a white banner for parley did not make the running officers feel any less wary.
They drew to a halt outside the gate.
“Come no closer!” the guard captain yelled.
“We must speak with Lady Hayden!”
“That is unlikely!” the captain shouted back. “What message have you for her?”
“We would serve her as we did her father!”
“What?”
“We served Lord Hayden and would defend his heir with our lives.”
The captain shook his head, “I will take the matter to Lord Tane.”
#
Tett watched Spiro turn their crate on its side, allowing it to sink as they hunkered in the culvert.
“Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Spiro said.
“It’s a long way before we reach the warrens. Can you, well, spell our clothes dry?”
Shaking his head, Spiro said, “Magery has its limits.”
Tett’s gaze narrowed. “Really?” He pointed, “That seems pretty spectacular to me.”
Spiro said, “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Me? I’ve never even knew you could do anything like that and we’ve been friends, what, thirty years?”
“Some of those scrapes you got yourself into… ever think how lucky you’ve been?” Spiro replied.
Eyes going wide, Tett said, “Yeah, I have. I always felt you were my good luck charm.”
“And how many times have you saved my life?”
“Too many to count.”
Spiro nodded. “So, we all right with my… having extra gifts?”
“You really can’t do anything about these soggy clothes? Or the smell down here?”
“Afraid not.”
As they began trekking toward the warrens, Tett said, “I’ve never heard of dwarven mages.”
“We keep a low profile.”
Tett glanced at him as they made a turn. Their eyes irised to handle what would be absolute darkness for a human or elf. “Definitely smells like home.”
#
“Janielle,” Lord Tane said, happy to see her properly attired in a white ankle length dress as she entered his Council Room with the young human woman who had found her. “You look lovely, my dear.”
“Thank you, Uncle. I’m still a bit tired, but, otherwise almost feel myself again.”
He smiled, then turned back to his advisors around the table, which now held a topographical map of the province. “It seems Kolter has sent more than half his troops across our borders and, unfortunately, trained them to be rather vindictive. They’ve burned twelve villages and countless farms along the river crescent, here and here… They are also a bit brazen in attempting to get you back.”
She frowned.
One of his mages said, “A detachment of over a hundred Haydenese surrendered outside the city gates, claiming they want to take oath as your personal guard.”
“What?” she rasped.
“Of course, we welcomed them with all
due honor after confiscating all their weapons. They are now guests of my dungeon.”
“But what if they were telling the truth?”
Her uncle laughed. “Do not be ridiculous, my dear. Kolter’s men will say anything to get get you back… Do not worry about them. They are to be executed soon enough.”
Farrel didn’t like Lord Tane’s smile one bit. Apparently, Janielle did not, either.
“I know. We’ll throw a feast in your honor tonight. It’s just what you need. All the family and my Court will be there.”
Janielle could but nod.
“We’ll also have a wonderful opportunity to honor Farrel, who found you.” He placed his arm across her shoulder, “I really would like to put that stallion of yours out to stud. I’ve a few mares in mind…”
#
“Father, you sent for me?”
“Ah, Rathian, you missed the Council meeting and the chance to see your cousin, Janielle,” Lord Tane said with a dark glint of anger in his gaze.
Rathian frowned, “You told me never to attend again, Father. Your business is, after all, your business. And my interests in the city serve you well.”
“Yes, your gambling and womanizing do have their uses.”
“Particularly since I tend never to lose,” Rathian replied, smiling. “The information I glean has brought us a hefty profit.”
“I would see us profit even more. Janielle being here offers us an opportunity undreamt.”
“We’ve a Haydenese army heading this way,” he replied.
“Exactly… Kolter has overplayed his hand.”
Rathian frowned, “Father?”
“First, you will help with a small matter, then I’ll make a momentous announcement at dinner tonight… one which will offer you what you’ve always wanted, boy.”
#
The warrens had an official name these days to the elflords and humans, who lived above them, “The Hole.” More dwarves lived here, working the locks and the trade from the heights of Tane down to the sea far below than lived in the entire Empire.
Pushing back the grille, Tett looked to see what appeared to be an abandoned underground street, lit by glowing moss that covered the walls and ceiling. “Any idea where we are?” Spiro whispered.
“We could be anywhere… Oops.” A sharpened pole was suddenly right in front of Tett’s eyes.