by Gerard Bond
He continued to think about how to convey what had happened. It was important that they understood the seriousness of the situation. He had been in Kassandrea only a few hours and already the memory of what had happened was becoming some sort of abstract reality far removed from the immediacy of this environment. He wondered if they would be worried at all?
The massive doors finally parted and an usher came out waving him in. As Cathan entered the man spoke loud,
“Your highness, the Lord Cathan of the High Wilds in service to Lord Urroz southern commander of the Kings armies!”
Cathan stood at attention. He hadn’t expected such fanfare. Lord Ercanbold was seated at his leather chair looking at forms of all descriptions. The table in front of him was a good ten feet wide and five foot deep but in the center of that room it looked very small. The ceilings were over thirty feet above them with highly sculpted roof beams. With the sunlight coming through the tall and narrow windows it looked like there was a haze in the air.
Lord Ercanbold looked up finally and motioned with his outstretched hand still holding a quill.
“Lord Cathan please come forward.” Cathan approached and stood before the desk, “You have a report from the southern front? How goes Lord Urroz?”
Cathan took a deep breath, he may just as well come right out with it,
“He is dead your highness, they are all dead.”
Ercanbold looked at him blankly,
“What do you mean dead? Who is all? The Isogorreans?”
It was the same initial reaction Cathan had given his scout only a few days ago.
“I will explain more fully your highness. Lord Urroz and all the men under his command are dead. They have been slaughtered in battle with the Isogorrean army. My own men are all that’s left, a total of no more than five hundred.”
Lord Ercanbold sat there staring.
“That is not possible. Lord Urroz was my best and fairest, he cannot be dead surely?”
Cathan could do nothing more than shake his head slowly now. Ercanbold sat there in deep thought, Lord Urroz was a close friend and a good man. He began questioning how it could happen but first he had to deal with transmitting the bad news to the King.
“I will need you to attend a court meeting with the King and his high command to explain what has happened. For now you may leave, you will be expected back this evening, be prepared.”
He waved his hand for Cathan to go and he turned his chair away. Cathan stood stiffly, turned and left.
Back outside the door Cathan started down the hall, a little confused by the man’s reaction and a little frustrated at how slowly things were being dealt with. It had been morning when he had arrived at the gates of Kassandrea. Now it wouldn’t be until later this evening, probably later still, before he gave his account of what was happening. It effectively meant another day was lost in preparations. Was the entire structure here so slow to move? They knew they had invaders in this land. They knew they were up against a sizable army. They knew that Port Cholandra, a major trading port to the south had already fallen and yet, it seemed like this war was an inconvenience to their day to day activities. Cathan left the castle looking for a tavern, he needed a beer badly.
Back in the halls of power Lord Ercanbold called for an audience with the King. He had arrived back from his Oceanside foray only a week before and had been keeping himself busy getting reacquainted with the maids. It was an hour before Ercanbold got to see him but the Lord made it short and quick. As he came into the Kings chamber he bowed deeply,
“My Lord King and protector of all that is worthy, you humble servant Lord Ercanbold bids you good tidings.”
The King looked at his man.
“Arise Lord Ercanbold, you have news?”
Ercanbold pulled himself back up and not without a little effort, his knees weren’t like they used to be.
“I have bad tidings to bring you from the southern army. I do not wish to convey second hand news so I have taken the liberty of asking the officer in question to return this evening at your convenience to address us and the high council of Regional Barons.”
The King nodded.
“Yes very good, no point in hearing bad news on an empty stomach. I concur with your decision. Will you be inviting my son along? I haven’t managed to catch up with him since my return.”
Lord Ercanbold thought on this. He would have liked to have kept it between him, the Barons and the King.
“Well your highness, I suppose that Prince Alard will have to be informed too as he will have to make adjustments to his own preparations in light of the new circumstances.”
The King smiled.
“Yes good, my son has proven himself to be very able of late, just as I had always expected of him. You know even when he was growing up I always thought he would do me proud.” Ercanbold nodded and bowed. The King continued on, “Well if you have nothing further?”
Ercanbold shook his head.
“No your highness, I will not trouble you with any other frivolities.”
Again the King smiled.
“That is good I can return to my uh previous engagements, you are dismissed.”
“Thank you your highness.”
The lord bowed and backed out of the room. Ercanbold returned to his office and began writing out a telegram to be hand delivered to Prince Alard who was in Kassandrea as well. He wrote it vaguely enough that maybe the Prince would send one back stating he couldn’t make it. He knew the Prince to be an industrious man and not one to waste his time on matters he didn’t think were important.
After all, the more he thought about it the more he realized that the consequences of losing the entire army might in fact reflect on himself when the story came out. He had personally picked not only Lord Urroz, but also most of the officers under his command. So once the facts came to light, whatever they may be, he was sure Prince Alard would seize on the opportunity to install one of his own men in his position. Ercanbold wasn’t going to let that happen if he could help it.
A plan started to form in his head. Cathan could be made to look responsible if he played his cards right. The King would have a scapegoat and Ercanbold’s position would be safe. He turned and addressed an adjutant.
“Get me everything we have on file on this Lord Cathan.”
Yes everyone had a past and everyone had black marks. It was simply a matter of playing them to take advantage. Lord Ercanbold hadn’t become supreme commander of all the land armies by being a good little soldier.
That afternoon Cathan got sidetracked on his walk to a tavern by a small bazaar on a side street and he picked his way through the vendors all offering their wares. He was simply amazed at all that was on offer. As he moved through his nostrils kept running into new and different odors, some were musky and others spicy. Some just downright bad in his opinion, but nevertheless it added to the exotic flair of what he was seeing. The stalls were filled with all sorts of wonderment to his eyes. At one there was a trader selling rolls of material so soft and light, it shined in the sun like the surface of a still pond. It was called silk and each roll was of a different color that had murals of different types of fantasy creatures on it. It also felt so smooth and pleasant to the touch he was half tempted to buy some to take back to his mother in the north.
At another stall he found a vendor with small two pound bags of spices and herbs of incredible variety and the aromas that attacked his nose actually made him feel a little queasy so he moved on quickly. Music was playing too from some quarter but he was never able to work out exactly where it came from, it’s sounds totally alien but attractive to him. He came across one vendor selling arrows ‘guaranteed to fly further and straighter than any other.’ The man seemed quite shifty and he didn’t spend much time at that stall.
There was just so much to see. Clothes of all descriptions, belts, boots, armor, swords, cooking utensils, furniture, horse bridles. Anything you could imagine a person could ever want was right here an
d even then there was much more than he had ever seen before. Some of it he couldn’t even imagine what it could possibly be used for.
As he moved on it changed to more human related services. It varied from a massage tent to 'relieve the stresses of travel' to a soothsayer promising to reveal your future for just one piece of copper coin. There were even working girls too advertising their wares. Cathan moved on quickly, shocked when one of them lifted her skirt to show him what he could have for just a single piece of silver.
Back in his own city of Gevalia in the north, much of this sort of thing simply did not exist. The traders had their own shops and you would go in and buy what you needed before moving on. To have so much variety and volume of produce on show in such a small area, it was beyond his comprehension.
Finally he decided it was time to leave, the whole experience had become a bit much and he left in search of a tavern. It didn’t take him long to find one and he spent the last hour before having to return sinking a pint of beer. As Cathan sat there he was able to finally bring his thoughts back to the issues at hand. Once he had told his story to the King he would make his suggestions on what should be done and also point out where Lord Urroz had gone wrong, Cathan truly felt these people needed a wake up.
Just before the meeting started Lord Ercanbold had been chatting to the King on what a fine and capable man Lord Urroz was and he also pointed out how he had conducted himself so finely around the King. Ercanbold needed the King thinking good thoughts of Urroz before whatever news came out so he could put his plan into effect.
They moved out into the hall and the King sat at his secondary throne, the chair a copy of his main one in the throne room. Here there was a large table fifty feet wide and four foot deep. It was covered in all sorts of foods for the feast. A whole pig sat on the table with an apple in its mouth fully roasted and ready to be eaten. There was another huge plate with freshly cooked slices of venison adorned in all matters of diced fruits, vegetables cooked, steamed, broiled, baked. Anything that could be imagined had been prepared and placed on not only the main table but also the secondary tables facing the main one.
The King and his entourage picked at some grapes while they waited. He waved his ornate goblet at an attendant who moved forward with a carafe of red wine and filled it. Cathan was ushered in from another door and shown his chair at one of the smaller tables facing the King. There some minor dignitaries sat with him and they made idle chat as all waited for people to be seated. One chair was empty to the right of the King, normally Prince Alard would sit there but he didn’t seem to be coming. But at the last moment he arrived quickly making his way over and sitting, he was looking rather put out.
Prince Alard had originally decided to reject the offer to attend. But as he had worked away in his quarters it had niggled at the back of his mind. It dawned on him that the offer of attendance was not in the normal style from Lord Ercanbold. It had been too vague and rather dismissive. He had realized that it was meant to keep him away and so had rushed get here. Now Prince Alard, although a little flustered was curious as to what was to transpire at this meeting. He noticed the man in field clothing at one of the minor tables and studied him carefully. It was obvious the man had just returned from some journey and that he was an officer in the army, but which contingent? Time would tell he guessed.
The King signaled and they all began to eat. All but Cathan and Alard piling their plates with food, Cathan ate sparingly while Alard picked at a few little bits and pieces. Neither seemed that interested in the banquet. For the next forty-five minutes Cathan sat and watched the dignitaries all gorging themselves on such a huge assemblage of food. It was rather sickening to see them in action, almost like watching pigs at a trough.
Finally the meal was done and a number of attendants removed the huge plates of food that were still left over. Most of the food that was on display was untouched and Cathan wondered at the waste of it all. If he knew that all of it would be consigned to the trash bins he would have been turned off indeed at the excess of it all. Now at least they could get down to business, all this delay was getting on his nerves.
The King nodded to another attendant who clapped his hands and a number of musicians entered the room to one corner followed by some girls. Before Cathan realized who they were they had mounted the tables and stood evenly spaced along them. He really wasn’t sure what was going on, then when the music started it became obvious. The girls started dancing for the entertainment of all present and Cathan sat there watching the King leering up at them obviously enthralled by the flesh on display. He was disgusted by all the debauchery that was unfolding this evening. He looked across at the man sitting to the right of the King and realized he too wasn’t focusing on the girls but seemed deep in thought.
So after another half hour of entertainment the music stopped and the girls made their exit. Cathan wondered what could happen next? He no longer had any illusions about what may happen, anything could be expected at this ‘government hearing.’ He looked across at the man to the right of the King again and he seemed to be whispering into the Kings ear who was reluctantly nodding. King Arrick held his hand up for all to quiet down. They all respectfully fell silent.
“As you are all aware we have been called here to consider some very important information regarding the southern army and our progress down there. Since this meeting was convened at the request of our Supreme Commander I now give him the floor to speak and start proceedings, I thank you. Lord Ercanbold?”
Lord Ercanbold addressed the audience of noblemen.
“As you all know we dispatched the esteemed Lord Urroz south to deal with the Isogorrean army not three weeks ago. We have news from the southern army as to the current situation down there. There is an officer of the army Lord Cathan here to tell directly what has occurred, I will leave it to him to relate our situation there. He will be able to do that much more completely than I. Lord Cathan you have the floor.”
Ercanbold waved his hand at Cathan who stood and bowed.
“My liege King Arrick, Lord Ercanbold and esteemed guests, I have come here by the fastest means possible to bring grave news of happenings in the south. I will not dance around the seriousness of what has happened and will get to the point in a clear and precise manner.
Four days ago our army came across a contingent of Isogorrean soldiers encamped in a fort built just north of Port Cholandra. After much discussion Lord Urroz sent me north and would not have me take any part in the coming battle. What his thinking on this matter was I cannot say. Nevertheless I did as I was ordered and left the field of engagement. What transpired next was something that I cannot describe in proper detail due the sheer size of the engagement. Please gentlemen, I will need you to brace yourselves.” Cathan knew this would not go down well at all, he was bracing himself more than they were. “The entire army of the southern detachment and all its officers including Lord Urroz have been killed. The army of over seven and a half thousand men has been wiped out.”
All of them stared, you could have heard a pin drop, finally one spoke up,
“There are no survivors?”
Cathan shook his head.
“No my lord, there are none.”
Another spoke up.
“You are sure Lord Urroz is dead?”
Cathan nodded.
“There is no doubt my lords.”
“Why this can’t be! An entire army cannot be wiped out!”
Now they all started talking amongst themselves, some in denial, some indignant, others simply in wonderment. The room was filled with a babble of voices. Finally the King raised his hand and the room fell silent.
“Lord Cathan,” Cathan turned to the King and bowed his head, “How many men did you command?”
“I have five hundred men my liege.”
“And how many of these did you lose?”
“None my liege, I was ordered north before the battle.”
The King nodded and looked at Lord Ercanb
old who asked Lord Cathan a question.
“Tell me Lord Cathan did you make any attempt to save Lord Urroz? Or did you at any time make any attempt to influence the course of battle with your command?”
“None my lord, I had been ordered from the field and there simply wasn’t anything I could do.”
“So you made no attempt at all?”
Cathan once again shook his head.
“No my lord, there was nothing for it but to return here and report all that had happened.”
Now Ercanbold leaned forward.
“Also Lord Cathan, can you show us the orders given to you by Lord Urroz?”
The others in the room watched on intently, they smelled something was coming.
“I cannot show you any orders to that effect my lord, they were verbal in nature only.”
Ercanbold continued on,
“So how can we say for sure, that you have not simply fled the field of battle? How is it that you and all your men have made it out totally intact?”
Cathan couldn’t believe he was hearing this.
“My lord, I have already explained the circumstances of my being here, I cannot tell you any different.”
“Do you not see how strange it appears that you alone have survived of all the noblemen of the army? After all it hasn’t been the first time has it?”
Lord Ercanbold signaled to an attendant behind him, murmuring started to circle the room.
“I have here a copy of your service records Lord Cathan and I can tell you I was surprised to read a very similar story in it.”
Lord Cathan wasn’t sure at all where all this was going or why.
“I can assure you Lord Ercanbold and all of you present that I have not acted in any way other than in full service to the King.”