“Saint Erinsburg, take me to Lord Cristoff Bradswellen the Third, Lord of Saint Erinsburg. He has plenty of gold and jewels, enough to satisfy a murderer like yourself.” despite not falling into the hands of Florin’s followers, Rosana knew that this marked elf was just like them.
“We shall see.” Kendari pushed the woman to walk ahead of him, and kept one hand on Shiver, just in case.
Cristoff II:II
Bradswellen Castle, Saint Erinsburg
The Lord of Saint Erinsburg sat on his decorated chair in the great hall of his castle, pondering his next move. The early morning sun was hidden by clouds that promised spring rain sometime soon. He looked up to Sir James and Azenairk who sat quietly at the long rectangular table of dark stained oak and rose marble inlays. He glanced to Saberrak and Shinayne who stood in the doorway having a whispered conversation of their own, likely about him. Gwenneth was reading the tome given to her by Ansharr, peaceful and content at the end of the table, alone. His thoughts went back a day to the funeral of his cousin, then to the rumor that Florin and the bishop of Harlaheim had been executed in L’Herrim Square yesterday, and finally back to the realization that the king would undoubtedly send an army any day to his city. His hands tightened on his beard and face, trying to squeeze some comfort out with a little tug of pain. In the back of the chamber sat his capitans, the priests, and a few notable merchants and landowners that had worries and needed answers. Sir Karai and Sir Leonard had arrived earlier, having ditched their noble escorts. Cristoff had led them to the grave of Savanno, and allowed their mourning time alone. He wished they had come with men, but this was not the case.
“Lord Cristoff, how many men could the king send, should he attack?” James tried to recall his military training from his youth in Southwind Keep.
“His standing army is three thousand, with another three in reserve. His royal guard number five hundred, plus any knights to lead them and their men as well. Of that, a thousand would be cavalry. Saint Erinsburg is landlocked, which nullifies his naval force of two thousand on twenty or more vessels. He has catapults, ballistae, and several siege towers as well.” just speaking the words aloud was depressing and set a tone of hopelessness in the great hall full of crosses, flags, and tapestries befitting a king.
Azenairk looked up to the distinguished lord with his thin crown atop a weary head and spoke softly. “And how many soldiers are here, my lord?”
“Now? Five hundred and three hundred cavalry. That accounts for every man that can pull a blade or carry a spear, good dwarf. Half my men have seen battles that make them vastly superior to Harlaheim forces, for we have spent much time fending off the terrors of the Karnassos Swamps. The other half, well, you get my meaning Zen. It would be a siege that could last days, perhaps a week at best. I would have no way to meet him on the field and protect the city.” the veteran lord and champion of many battles thought of what his new allies could do to help, but in his mind and heart, they had risked enough already. Assisting each other was one thing, them taking a stand with him against the king in a losing battle which was certain death, that was another.
“We could help plan the defenses, my lord. Saberrak and I have some—“
Cristoff put his hand up to politely silence the elven noble from Kilikala. “Lady Shinayne, you and yours have helped beyond that which I could ever ask anyone. Further involvement will only get you branded as a threat to the kingdom, and you already have too many looking for you as it is. I am trying to figure the best road in which to get you safely out of Harlheim. You have your mission to the west, I have mine here, and we must part soon for I fear every hour we waste brings you all closer to capture.”
“So you are giving up then?” Shinayne lowered her head, fearing the worst, that Cristoff had been beaten before the battle had yet to begin.
“Not at all. I plan on making Richmond earn his prize. He may have numbers, but there is not one of his knights or capitans, even himself, that has the experience in battle of myself. I will make him wish he had never sent his army. Maybe he will give up, maybe and most likely the castle will be taken, but none of it without a stand. That I promise you.” Cristoff stood, hand on the grip of his immaculately engraved longsword with the cross pommel. “Capitans, you have a city to fortify and men to organize. I need you, Norrice, to arrange the detail that will get our friends here to Lake Devon. The road to Bailey should be clear after you cross the bridge south of Devonmir. From there, travel northwest across Willborne until you reach the Misathi Mountains, then my men will return to me. You know the rest.”
“I will stay and fight with you Lord Cristoff.” James spoke up nervously. He knew his friends were staring at him, even Gwenne paused from her study of the arcane text written in the tongue of dragons.
“I would welcome it greatly, Sir James, truly. But your friends are in need of you and your sword. A knight of Chazzrynn taking sides against the king of Harlaheim would likely earn you dishonor, regardless of cause.”
“I was told by my king that any enemy that stands in my way is an enemy of Chazzrynn and—“
“Yes, James Andellis of Southwind Keep, that is true, we were all there.”Gwenne interrupted him. “However, the king did not tell you to seek out or stand against enemies so that you may engage in any fight you wish. He did not give you license to draw swords on anyone you deem-“
“Gwenneth, you know nothing of honor or knighthood. I have a commitment to uphold the truth and honor wherever I go, and this injustice cannot be left to fate, not when I can help it!” James raised his voice a bit louder than he had expected to.
“And this is not your fight or your injustice nor does it have anything to do with Chazzrynn. You promised to go with Azenairk, with us, to seek out this mythical place. Even though I doubt it exists, you made a vow to a friend, James. How is your honor feeling now?” Gwenneth kept her composure calm, letting James get red in the face and embarrass himself at his attempt at bravado and selflessness.
James felt his pride and honor screaming for him to take the field with Cristoff once more. He was blind to anything else he may have promised, he had forgotten the western venture as so much had happened in the days since the vow on Soujan Mountain. He looked to Zen, then to Cristoff. “Tell me what to do, my lord.”
“I am not your lord, however, I do have some authority here. That is the rumor anyway.” the veteran soldier and ruler of Saint Erinsburg placed his armored hand on James’ shoulder, drew his sword and placed it on the table. The feathered cross pommel was facing toward them both. “Sir James, I order you as a knight, before Alden, Lord of Heaven, by my noble authority, to protect these travelers, truer friends you have not, in their journey west. I envy you more than you will ever know. Do not fail them, or me, should it even require your life.”
“So be it then. I will honor Lord Cristoff’s order, although I feel to leave this city, to whatever fate a menace of a ruler has in store for it, is a sin against my honor.” James stood and bowed to the armored lord of the city. “Cristoff, why don’t you come with us? Lead your people from here and travel west with us?”
Shinayne nearly fell forward with the comment from James, and gasps escaped the lips of Zen and Gwenneth as to the folly of such an idea. “James, to lead a city of ten thousand people through dangerous territory to a place that may or may not exist is not even feasible. How would they live, eat, where would they sleep? Be serious please, that is not an offer that is realistic. You need to accept that Cristoff has duty here, and that duty requires difficult decisions at times.” Shinayne pleaded with logic to her friend in his troubled state.
“You traveled how far from Kilikala, then how far from the Agarian coast all the way to the Western Wastes of southern Chazzrynn? Three months or more Shinayne? How did you survive?” James was standing up to his friend, simply because he did not want to see any more great leaders die for nothing.
“I am one person, James, not an entire city. Please be practical.”
; The knight of Chazzrynn straightened up and turned toward Cristoff Bradswellen. “My Lord, should you change your mind in regards to this battle, I have an offer for you, as long as it is acceptable to the rest present.” he looked around, receiving shaking heads from the highborne elf, the minotaur, and the prodigal wizard. Azenairk looked up to them both and simply nodded in agreement. “You will have a home in Mooncrest, far to the west, for you and your people. No one need die here for the corruption of one bad king. No one need live chained to a would be funeral out of duty. Should there be a Mooncrest and the fabled mines of Kakisteele at the end of our journey, it will not be a place of sworn titles to death and corruption and slavery. It will be something far greater. I offer you a new beginning, with us, should you find this time in your life to be less than what you had hoped for, my lord.”
“Agreed.” Saberrak huffed the words out then turned and left the chamber.
“I agree as well. May God bless you Cristoff.” Azenairk followed the gray minotaur.
Shinayne looked at the deep lines of thought on Cristoff’s brow, then to the heartfelt concern across James’ face. She bowed to the lord of the city. “Perhaps we will meet again, Lord Cristoff, may Siril protect you.”
Gwenneth Shook her head at the formal nonsense, bowed her head to Cristoff and followed her friends to the stables to give James and the lord some time alone. She had not the stomach to deal with emotional drama and male bravado while so entrenched in learning a new language that would lead to further powers in the arcane arts. She had tried to translate every word spoken in the great hall into the draconic tongue in her mind. Gwenne had felt the staff of Imoch was assisting her in learning faster than her ingenious mind was already capable of. She had thought to say farewell in the tongues of dragons, but she knew neither of them would understand it.
Cristoff sat back down in his decorated chair and removed his crown. He sat it in his lap and ran his fingers across it then looked at James Andellis. “I admire your devotion to truth and honor, James. But your friends are right. You have a quest that goes beyond what will happen here in the next few days or weeks. Don’t risk a future by defending something that is not yours. I am honored, truly, and perhaps I will go west to find you. That will depend on what happens here in Saint Erinsburg.”
“I fear that malicious rulers, mistakes, and twists of fate seem to damn those that would have a greater purpose, such as yourself, my lord. I hate to see another great leader die for land and greed, duty or not. If there is a dream of a perfect kingdom, and surely you and I have had the same dreams, may Alden send you west to see if it can be done. For certain, it cannot be done here.” James bowed deeply to the lord he admired, turned to walk out of Bradswellen castle.
“Sir James.” Cristoff waited for the man to stop and turn, which he did. “Whatever you unleashed on the battlefield outside this castle, what faith you felt in the mountain, and what honor courses through those southern veins of yours, please hold onto that for yourself and your friends. It is a great quality, befitting a great knight. I would be honored to join you in the west. You and your friends have something that I could only wish for in the knights of this realm. Do not betray that, not ever.”
“Thank you my lord, I do not plan to.” James bowed again, and walked out of the great hall, his heart full of sorrow and hope.
“Farewell my brave friends, may we live to fight together again.” Cristoff rested back on his chair, twirling the crown of lordship around in his fingers.
“Mooncrest, eh? What a mythical nighttime story that had been when I was young. What a silly dream they have.” the soldier next to him, enveloped in the spirit of adventure and glories he had been overhearing sighed and let his eyes close and drift back to reality.
“And if they were to find it, what would you do soldier?”
“Permission to speak freely my lord?”
“Granted.”
“I would take my family to the west just to spend my life in service to such an honorable and sacred place, especially if it were they who ruled it. They have something, a bond, a blessing, the people see it sire. I would go with them if I were able. But since it does not exist, it is just a dream. If it were true though, I would go.” the soldier’s face was red and nervous, but his honesty had been victorious over his loyalty to Cristoff.
“As would I soldier, as would I.” Cristoff closed his eyes for a moment, trying not to think of his bloody days to come. He dreamt of Mooncrest and the thrill of adventure, a thrill he had once, long ago.
Exodus II:XIV
Castle L’Herrim, City of Harlaheim
Florin paced back and forth across the blue velvet carpet that was centered in the throne room of Richmond the Second. She had planned on raising the siege again to keep Kalzarius busy while she and her men found a way into the tower. The imposter queen had schemed up quite a bit with the sniveling king and on her own. Very little was going as planned. She swished her rapier through the air three times in anger, trying to force thoughts that would not come, answers to the dilemmas she found herself in. The Crossguard Legion was reportedly crossing the Harlaheim border near Devonmir, which meant she had three days at most to have this mess cleared up. Once the cardinal was here with Agara’s most lethal army, she had better have a solid handle on everything in the kingdom. The only loose ends she could think of were Cristoff, the fugitives that assisted him from Chazzrynn, Karai, Leonard, and Kalzarius. Of course, the recent news that Kendari had aquired Queen Rosana from her own agents was disturbing at best for the lady assassin, as was hearing of Alec’s death and that of nine other of her own members of the underground guild, Yari included.
“You seem distressed my queen, how can I be of service?” Richmond had been watching her pace for nearly an hour now and was actually laughing out loud at her silent frustrations. He knew all too well that it was all falling apart, so he drank dwarven whiskey from Fazurand and laughed at it out of a hopeless childlike demeanor.
“You could have planned this better you know. I have your pregnant queen loose with one of the deadliest and most wanted mercenaries on the continent. How that happened, I have no clue.” Florin fumed and pointed her rapier at Richmond as she paced more, thankfully in an otherwise empty chamber.
“This, Kendari you speak of, how did he manage to get past all of your men anyway?” Richmond retorted with direct accusation.
“Why did you not just kill Rosana? Why all the dramatic flare to rally your people, Richmond? Your grandiosity with the populace has left us in more danger than you were in while she still sat on the throne! Do not place the blame with my contacts for your inability to kill your adulteress whore of a wife!” the domenarch of the White Spider replied to the blaming query that furthered her frustrations. She thought now of having to kill Kendari and take matters into her own hands, knowing this whelp of a noble had not the stomach nor the skill for it.
“Kalzarius in nullified, the knights of Saint Tarumin are dead or about to be, Cristoff will not last the next few days, the people have been placated, and you whine of a few loose ends? You were far more formidable as just my dirty secret weapon than in the forefront of the barrage, Florin.” Richmond taunted again, knowing he would twist her into doing what he wanted one way or the other.
“Really?! Without me, you would have not had the ground to stand on to perform any of this! My supposed death and charges to the people gave you the power and leverage to do all you needed. In fact, you did very little, my men and my diversions did it for you. Do not bite the hand that feeds, Richmond!”
“Then do what you must to take care of the small loose ends, my queen. Take the army to Saint Erinsburg with Sebastian and Phillip. You know that she will seek Cristoff out, so raze the city and the castle to the ground. I will further the rumors of Cristoff’s betrayals and keep the fires warm here while you dispose of the problems hiding there. Very simple, Florin.”
“And what of the Legion? I have little time you realize, since they are days
away now.” she calmed herself as her mind began planning and releasing the angered panic.
“Then use the army as a diversion, and sneak yourself and your best assassins into Bradswellen Castle at night and handle it that way if you must. I care not.” Richmond drank some wine now and smiled, sensing his manipulations working as planned.
“Assassins? What would give you the idea I have—“
“Do not pretend that I am an idiot, Florin. I do not know who you worked for, but there is someone or something you are connected to, that much I do know. You have resources that often surpass my own, and finding out about them has been nearly impossible to achieve. I have tried. I am well aware that you hold some position of power within something, that much I am certain of. I need not know, but do not play innocent with me here and now. So, take your best blades and do it the old fashioned way.” his eyes never left hers, his last cards of knowledge layed out to stun her and give him the upper hand. All he wanted her to know is that he knew, and that would be enough to get her to do what he wanted; to destroy and silence any who opposed him within his own kingdom, no matter the risk.
“And when I get caught in Saint Erinsburg, surrounded by the Crossguard Legion, you will be laughing all the way from your throne. I am not an idiot either, Richmond. I think it better if I keep my plans to myself, your majesty, the old fashioned way.” Florin bowed, sheathed her blade and strode out of the chamber to finish what they had started, her way.
“By the way, Karai and Leonard have gone missing. I would suspect they are in hiding with the Order of Saint Tarumin. If you were half a man, you would at least draw your sword and order the charge into Saint Erinsburg yourself and let me hunt them down while you pretend to lead.” her words bit hard, even Florin knew she was pushing it a tad too far.
The Exodus Sagas: Book II - Of Dragons And Crowns Page 39