by D. L. Kramer
No one had seemed to spot any problems with any of his decisions so far and he hoped there wouldn't be any. Many of his thoughts and ideas just seemed to jump into his mind and he had to trust they were there for a reason. Like the memories that still crept up on him, they were knowledge from another lifetime.
"Ye're awfully deep in thought," Kile noted from beside him.
Nahtan blinked, then turned to focus on the captain. Kile was riding beside him and Bear and Brijade had passed him at some point.
"Just trying to keep all this straight in my head," Nahtan sighed. "I never know what's going to jump into my mind next and it makes it easy to forget things."
"Are ye doin' all right?" Kile asked, concerned.
Nahtan nodded. "It's just a little overwhelming," he said. The things he saw in his mind still confused him, and a few of them even disturbed him. There was a terrible feeling of loneliness hidden in his memories and he wasn't sure he wanted to know where it came from.
"There was somethin' I wanted to ask ye," Kile said after a moment.
"What?"
"Rena," Kile said. "Is she pregnant?"
"It's that obvious?" Nahtan asked, surprised.
Kile shook his head. "Just somethin' that popped into my own head when I saw 'er the other evenin'."
"Well," Nahtan shrugged. "Yes, she is."
"Would ye like some advice that might make ye're future a little easier?"
"At this point, I'll take all the advice I can get," Nahtan said.
"Marry 'er before too many people find out she's havin' ye're baby," Kile advised. "There are an awful lot of people 'ere willin' to let ye 'ave the throne when this is over, but I can guarantee ye a lot of 'em will 'ave a problem acceptin' ye're son or daughter as an heir if ye weren't married to the mother."
Nahtan sighed, knowing Kile was right. The only problem was, Rena never expressed any interest in marrying him.
"I'll talk to her about it," he promised.
The rest of the way to the stronghold passed quickly as Nahtan once again found himself submerged in thought. After seeing Tyran in his stall and taken care of, he went to find Rena. His room was empty, and a quick check of her room revealed the same thing. He finally found her in the library, sitting at a table talking quietly with Meda. They heard him close the heavy door, and Meda motioned him over.
"I didn't mean to interrupt," Nahtan apologized.
"We were just talking," Meda told him. "Trying to figure out what was going on, actually." She motioned to the seat beside Rena's. Nahtan sat down, taking Rena's hand in his under the table. "How are you doing?"
"Trusting an awful lot to instinct and hunches," Nahtan admitted. "I know Isak told me eventually I'd remember everything about who--or what--I was, but it's kind of hard to know something, but not know how I know it," he explained. "I keep expecting Lord Bavol or Mo'ani to call me on something I say."
"I'm sure they understand," Meda assured him. "Of all your allies, they're the two who know you the best."
"Actually," Nahtan corrected. "You two are."
Meda smiled. "He would have been so much fun to watch grow up," she said to Rena.
"Unfortunately, Zared had other ideas," Rena reminded.
Nahtan froze as a face flashed through his mind. There was something familiar about it, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. Before he could even guess, it was gone, hovering on the bare edges of his conscious thoughts.
"Nahtan?" Rena asked, her voice suddenly concerned.
He shook his head. "It's gone," he said, almost disappointed. "Hopefully it'll come back when I need it."
"Well," Meda stood up. "You two spend some quiet time up here before you have to go back to your war council."
"Do you have to call it that?" Nahtan asked her.
"That's what it is," Meda shrugged.
Nahtan sighed as she left them alone. After picking up a few things from her lectern, Meda slipped out through the library's door.
"You look tired," Rena noted, brushing the hair from his eyes.
"So do you," Nahtan returned. "Do you feel up to talking for a little bit, though?"
"I'm all right," Rena assured him. "What's wrong?"
Nahtan studied her face in the lamplight for several seconds. "Every time I talk to you about the future, you avoid my questions," he said slowly. He knew if he hesitated, he wouldn't be able to continue. "But, please, would you consider marrying me? I don't want you or the baby to have to worry about what people might say--"
Rena put her fingers over Nahtan's lips.
"I don't answer your questions because I can't," she confided. "We agreed to come to help you, and when Halona feels we've accomplished that, I can't say what will happen." She studied his face with pained eyes. "But I know I love you here and now. Regardless of what Halona has planned for Isak, Meda and myself, this baby is a part of you." Tears spilled onto her cheeks. "I'll marry you," she agreed.
Sighing with relief, Nahtan put his arms around her and held her to him.
"Thank you," he whispered into her hair.
Rena pulled away from him after a moment. "Now, how are you really doing?"
"I'm managing," Nahtan shrugged. "It's kind of hard, though. I keep getting these memories--well, I think they're memories."
"Like what?" Rena asked. "When Zared attacked you in the cave?"
"That's one of them," Nahtan nodded. "In a lot of them, I'm aware of others around me, but I feel very alone."
"Others?" Rena asked. "You mean like you?"
"I don't know," Nahtan confessed, shrugging. "I know they're there and I think I know who they are, but I just can't seem to remember exact details."
Rena nodded. "I'd like to help," she said quietly. "But none of the gods knew where you'd come from. When the lion brought you to Jensina's house, all we knew was that you--"
"--Weren't godflesh and weren't manflesh," Nahtan finished for her. "I know, I remember it."
"You were just a baby," Rena's eyes widened.
"My soul wasn't," Nahtan met her gaze. "I was there because I wanted to be, and because I chose to be."
"How did you get there?" Rena asked, her voice barely a whisper. "I mean--how did you become the baby?"
Nahtan shrugged. "I don't know, I don't remember that part yet." He met Rena's gaze.
"Were you a god once?" she asked, almost as if she was afraid of the answer.
"No," Nahtan shook his head. "That much I do know." Rena relaxed visibly and Nahtan took her hand again. "I think that's enough about what I do and don't remember," he decided. "Let's just concentrate on this lifetime for now."
Rena nodded her head and seemed relieved. They left the library shortly after, sharing a quick dinner before going back to Nahtan's room. He stayed with her until she fell asleep, then picked up his cloak and sword and quietly left the room.
Huge torches burned along the inside of the stronghold's walls, casting long shadows. A few people milled about on their way from building to building, but most everyone had gone in for the night. Nahtan walked to the stable to saddle and bridle Tyran. Leading the tall horse toward the gate, he waved up at one of the Mo'ani standing watch.
"I'm going back to Herridon Hold," Nahtan called up to him. "Don't worry if I'm not back by dawn."
The Mo'ani waved at him and Nahtan pushed open one of the gates. After securing the door behind him, he lit the lamp tied to the saddle, then pulled himself up and turned toward Herridon Hold.
He was stopped a couple of times by Mo'ani standing guard in the forest, but passed by with no problem once they saw who he was. When he reached Herridon Hold, he turned Tyran loose to graze after unsaddling him and taking the lamp to light his way.
Upstairs, he set his sword against a chair and lit the other lamps. Pushing all of the maps to the center of the large table, he slid the two smaller tables over beside it. Sorting through the maps, he began laying them out edge to edge so he could get a broader view of the whole landscape and just how much land
the kingdom covered.
Almost immediately, he found himself studying the map of the land south of Valin. Perhaps a dozen villages were marked on it, but not many were named, and it seemed nothing more than a vast, empty land. Notes on the map indicated areas with no water, or where the land was too hard to farm. Mountains were marked as inhabited by fierce creatures or spirits, scaring any would-be settlers back to the lowlands. It seemed the villages had laid claim to the few habitable places.
Nahtan traced the single, narrow road leading north with his finger. His master hadn't always followed the road, but traveled overland when he saw an opportunity to set his traps. It had taken them seven years to travel what looked like a six month journey.
Nahtan jumped when a dagger sank into the table beside him. He dropped instinctively from his chair, drawing the dagger in his left sleeve and coming up to face his attacker.
A young man dressed entirely in black stood in the doorway. His dark hair was tied back and cold eyes stared at Nahtan. His black cloak was pushed behind his shoulders and he was armed with a long slender dagger. He met Nahtan's eyes easily, and there was no sense of hesitation in them.
"Were I working for the Archbishop," the young man said quietly. "You would have been dead." He walked into the room, testing the edge of his dagger with his finger.
"What do you want?" Nahtan asked, forcing his nerves to settle and his mind to stay clear. How this young man had gotten past the Mo'ani standing guard, he didn't know. If he survived, he would have to make sure they were replaced. He shifted his grip on the dagger in his hand. He hadn't mastered throwing them, and didn't know if he could get close enough for it to do him any good. His sword was at least three steps away from him.
The youth stopped by the table of maps and pulled his other dagger from the wood. He sheathed the long dagger, but kept the thrown one out. He paused to glance at the maps, then raised an eyebrow at Nahtan.
"Planning your war awfully late, aren't you?" he asked, then glanced at Nahtan. "Oh, and good reflexes," he added, his tone almost deliberate.
Nahtan paused before answering. There was something familiar about the young man. His eyes moved over him, looking for any hint or suggestion of an identity, finally stopping on the collar of his cloak. A coat of arms was embroidered on either side.
"Rial?" he asked, feeling both relieved and angered. His first thought was to lunge for the younger man and beat some sense into him, but Rial's manor warned him off.
The young man nodded almost absently and turned the map with Valin Hold so he could see it better.
Lord Valin had changed considerably in the four years since Nahtan had last seen him. Besides the obvious physical changes, there was something more elusive about him and definitely more dangerous. Where Rial possessed a certain amount of presence before, he now seemed to blend into the background, but once he was noticed, there was no mistaking he was there. Nahtan found he didn't dare resheath his dagger.
"You really shouldn't be taking risks like you have been," Rial continued, looking up from the map. His voice held a subtle chill to it, and Nahtan felt his reflexes tense even further. In the last few years, Rial had become colder than Nahtan would have thought possible.
"Risks?" Nahtan asked. When Rial sheathed his dagger and sat in one of the side chairs, Nahtan apprehensively returned to his seat. His sword was now within reach and he found some comfort in that.
"I've been watching all of you come and go for two days," Rial explained. "Your 'guards' here never saw me. Just like they didn't see me tonight."
"Why didn't you let us know you were here?" He understood now how Lord Valin had done the things Adie told them about. Still, there would be nothing gained by letting Rial see his unease. That Rial would spend two days lurking about angered him further.
Rial leaned back in the chair. "I was curious what you'd do if you thought I wasn't going to show up," he shrugged. "Considering how important Valin is to your campaign, I wanted to know if you would turn my land over to your other allies, to do what they would with it." He paused. "As king, it would be entirely within your right."
"I'm not king," Nahtan said evenly, narrowing his eyes. "Valin is yours and it will be until the day you pass it onto whoever you want." He almost shuddered at the thought of this ruthless young man with children of his own. "I saved your life," Nahtan reminded, his voice low. "For you to come here and doubt my intentions for Valin Hold or that I wouldn't wait for you--"
"Yes, I understand that now." Rial looked around the study, seemingly unaware of Nahtan's anger. "Though I'm sure the temptation was there."
Nahtan moved with a speed that surprised himself. Without a conscious thought, he was out of his chair and had backhanded Rial. Rial scrambled to his feet, drawing his long dagger again only to come up on Nahtan's sword.
"I will not tolerate arrogance like that here," Nahtan said, his tone matching Rial's. His sword remained steady as Nahtan held it bare inches from Rial's throat. "You are here as an equal to the other lords and to follow the plan we all agree is best for this campaign. If you want no part in that, then return to Valin and we'll plan around you."
Rial's eyes locked on Nahtan's. Nahtan could see him forcing down the fight that obviously surged through him.
Something about Lord Valin reminded him very much of a wolf, and Nahtan knew he was going to have to prove he was the leader or Rial would go his own way and endanger what needed to be done.
After a few tense moments, Rial lowered his dagger and nodded his head slowly. He resheathed the dagger while meeting Nahtan's glare. "All right," he agreed, sitting down again.
When Rial was seated again, Nahtan lowered his sword and took his own seat. He wanted to keep Rial on his side and didn't want to drive him away. "I value Valin's position," he said evenly. "But how things are taken care of there is up to you. We just need to know what to expect and what you can and cannot do."
Rial hesitated, then nodded his head again. "I understand." He paused a second time. "So what are you doing out here this late?" he asked.
Nahtan motioned to the maps, still keeping an eye on every move Rial made. "Working out some details," he answered. "When Bear and I--"
Rial held up a hand to stop him. "I know your plans so far," he pointed out.
"Where were you?" Nahtan demanded. "There are guards all around the keep when we're here."
Rial pointed to the corner of the ceiling against the far wall. A crack the width of Nahtan's finger ran several inches toward the center of the room.
"There's a large oak growing on the west side of the keep," he explained. "From the upper branches, you can reach the roof. I just found a broken area to drop through and made my way here to listen."
"How come no one saw you?" Nahtan asked. He was careful to keep his voice even and not let his gaze drop from Rial's. He wouldn't hesitate to put Rial in his place again.
Rial shrugged. "They weren't looking over their heads," he said. "The trees are thick enough through here you can travel a quarter league without touching the ground."
"So what made you decide to come out now? You could have waited to see what happened tomorrow."
"I knew you were here alone," Rial answered. "And I already know what would have happened tomorrow."
"Oh?"
"You'd have kept them planning the siege on Herridon City throughout the entire day, then gone looking for me yourself after seeing to the BishopLord's daughter."
Nahtan wondered if he were really that predictable or if Rial was that good at guessing people's actions.
"Unless something else came up," he grudgingly admitted.
Rial nodded and stood up. "You would have," he insisted. He paused behind Nahtan's chair. Strangely, Nahtan felt no threat from Lord Valin now. "Because you understand that Valin is mine, and you have more honor than I ever will." He walked past Nahtan, pausing for the briefest moment in the doorway. "I'll be back in the morning with everyone else."
Four - "Good luck, lad"
The plans for the siege against Herridon City were easy to lay. Nahtan got the impression that Lord Bavol and Mo'ani had been tossing ideas around for most of the past three generations. Now that they were actually able to set the plans, they had a good idea of what would work best.
Lord Bavol's armies would march from the west, converging on the city the same time as Mo'ani's armies from the east. The Dweller cavalries would come from the north, securing Herridon Road and the northern walls of the city. Lord Bavol and Mo'ani would both send detachments to secure the southern walls. If all went as planned, Nahtan and his army would arrive within a few days of the beginning of the siege.
Nahtan knew they were already committed to almost a year in the east, plus a minimum of three months travel time each way. It was up to everyone else to make the decision on when to move to secure their areas. Nahtan would depend the heaviest on Tamnor and Brijade to make sure there weren't any church guard armies between him and Herridon.
For the most part, Lord Valin agreed with the suggestions for his role. Nahtan noticed even Mo'ani seemed surprised at how distant the young lord had become. Rial mentioned a few changes he planned to make, including burning the BishopLord's manor with the garrison. No one seemed to want to argue with him, so Nahtan let it go.
With the basic plans set, they had only the details to work out. Nahtan would need to know how many Mo'ani were going with him so the others could compensate for any losses in their ranks. It was decided that those who went with Nahtan would have to rely on travel rations. They would hunt fresh food as they traveled so they wouldn't be slowed by heavy supply wagons.
The days slowly stretched into a week, then two, then three. With the final decisions made, Lord and Lady Corydon, Lord Valin, Jerai, Jaron and Governor Rylen gave their farewells and departed. Lord Devayne and Lady Takis left a few days later, both giving their word to Nahtan that they would deal with any church guard army between him and Herridon.
Pater Isak made his return to the stronghold at the end of the third week, and agreed to stay to marry Nahtan and Rena. Like Meda, he was puzzled about the pregnancy, but was willing to trust Halona knew what she was doing.