Path of Tears (Saga of The Wolf Book 2)

by Kris A Hiatt

  ~~~

  “I told you my men would be better served to guard the prisoner,” Disdane told the King as Brental entered the room.

  “My King,” he said, interrupting the conversation and offering a deep bow. He did so only because it was expected, not out of respect.

  “As if your men would have fared better,” the duke rebutted, ignoring Brental’s interruption.

  “What’s the primary training given to your men?” Brental asked Raythien as he approached the table.

  Shamir was at the head of the table, Raythien and Drokier seated to his left, Disdane—who had his back to Brental—was opposite of the other two.

  “What does that have to do with any of this?” Raythien asked, quite upset.

  “Humor me,” Brental bade him confidently yet calmly.

  Raythien looked to Shamir who seemed to stare at him unblinkingly in return. “They are trained, extensively so, in archery.”

  “So you, being the military genius that you are, decide your best option to guard the world’s most notorious warrior was with archers that didn’t have bows? That’s interesting,” Brental mused before taking his seat next to Disdane.

  “But they’ve also—” Raythien began.

  “I’m sure that they have,” Brental said dismissively, interrupting him with an upraised hand. “It was merely an observation.”

  Raythien’s face went a deep red and he clenched his jaw repeatedly.

  “You can’t possibly be blaming him for this,” Drokier argued.

  “I’m not blaming anyone,” Brental countered. “I’m merely an advisor. Only the King can decide where the blame lies with this caricature of responsibility.”

  “Take care, advisor, lest I think you’re mocking me,” Raythien warned.

  “Speaking the truth is in no way mocking anyone,” Brental offered.

  “Enough,” Shamir commanded. “We’ll gather the facts and decide how to deal with that later. But now, we need to concentrate on capturing them again.”

  “Any idea of how long they’ve been out?” Brental asked, knowing full well what the answer was. He just wanted to see how close they were to the truth.

  “At best guess,” Drokier commented. “Six hours.”

  Brental knew it to be closer to four than six, but who was he to argue? “They know we’ll be chasing them, they won’t stop to rest this time like they did the last. We’ll be hard pressed to catch them again. Assuming they’ve left the city that is.”

  “Thanks for your optimism,” Shamir chided.

  Brental merely sat there unblinking. He knew he spoke the truth, furthermore, Shamir knew it as well. The King could get as angry as he wanted to, but it wouldn’t change the facts.

  “He is right,” Disdane put forward. “If they’ve left the city we’ll likely not find them. But if they are still here, we may yet still find them.”

  “Have your men found them yet?” Raythien asked knowingly.

  “If they had, would we be here?” Disdane retorted.

  “I have men going house to house,” Drokier put in. “If they are here, we’ll find them.”

  “Have riders been dispatched?” Brental asked.

  “More than an hour ago,” Drokier confirmed.

  “And the docks?” Brental asked tentatively. Not wanting them to send ships out, he wasn’t going to ask, but he wanted Shamir to see that he was doing his part. He just hoped they hadn’t thought of it yet.

  “My men closed them down too,” Raythien said. “But over a dozen ships had made it out by then.”

  Brental fought to hide his joy. Even if they sent ships out to meet with those that had made it out before the closure of the docks, it would be virtually impossible to find them all before they were out of range.

  “You’ve sent ships after the ones that got out then?” Disdane asked.

  “Four,” Raythien confirmed. “With another two getting ready to sail.”

  Brental was certainly impressed. To be able to ready that many ships in such a short amount of time took effort and precision. If only the duke had been so careful of his planning in keeping the prisoners secure. Not that Brental wouldn’t have found a way around anything the man might have thought up, but still, anything would have been better than what he had come up with.

  “We’ll find them,” Drokier stated.

  To Brental it sounded as if there was a hint of doubt in Drokier’s voice. That, too, made him happy.

  “The winds were favorable this morning,” Disdane pointed out. “Not as much so now. If they were on one of the early ships…”

  Brental very much wanted to punch the large man for even mentioning it. He should have just kept that to himself. Not that he thought any of them could do anything about the wind, but simply because it sounded odd that a captain of infantrymen would know whether or not the winds were favorable for sailing.

  “Just because I’m big, doesn’t mean I’m stupid,” Disdane said to Brental, obviously catching the sour look.

  “Of course not,” Brental replied.

  “Sir,” Disdane said to the King. “With your permission I’d like to continue my search.”

  “By all means,” Shamir replied, waving the man away.

  “I’ll get to it as well,” Drokier added as he stood up, clearly not wanting to be outdone by Disdane.

  “Same,” Raythien stated as he pushed away from the table.

  They all offered a bow before leaving.

  “And you?” Shamir asked a few moments later.

  “I’m just an advisor,” Brental responded confidently.

  Shamir gave him a hard look.

  “But I’m certain I can find a way to be useful somewhere,” Brental declared, pulling himself out of his seat.

  Shamir eyed him but made no reply.

  He offered a quick bow and exited the room.

  ~~~

  There came a knock on his door as he took the last bite of his evening meal. His heart fluttered for a moment, thinking that Treace had been caught. Up until then, not a single report of anyone seeing a woman with two men had surfaced.

  Brental pulled himself from his seat and went to answer the door. “Who is it?”

  “Drokier. May I come in?”

  The man didn’t sound jubilant, but neither did he sound defeated. He guessed he’d actually have to speak with the man to find out what he knew.

  He opened the door. “Please do.”

  “Thank you.”

  “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” Brental asked sarcastically. As dense as Drokier was, there was no way he missed that level of sarcasm.

  “Contrary to what you believe, I’m not an idiot,” Drokier said, unblinking yet clearly nervous.

  Brental returned his unblinking look with one of his own. He wasn’t giving this imbecile anything. He wanted to see him squirm.

  Drokier chewed his lip briefly and then quickly turned and closed the door. He stood there facing the door for a few seconds before turning back around.

  “There’s competition for the King’s ear, I can see that. I can also see that the power now clearly rests with you and Disdane,” Drokier volunteered.

  He wasn’t certain at what the man was getting at and he certainly wasn’t going to agree, no matter how obvious it was. To admit that he was partnering with another member of the King’s court would indicate a possible coup. Brental was much too smart to fall for that. “So you say.”

  “When I first came here, I sided with the duke. It made sense then, he was second only to the King. But now, I fear I made a mistake.”

  “Exactly what is it you’re trying to say?” Brental asked. He knew he needed to tread carefully and not get sucked into saying something that would condemn either himself or Disdane.

  “I don’t know if one of you is trying to become the King, or if you’re simply out to supplant Raythien, but whatever it is you two are up to, I know you’ll come out on top.”

  “Careful with your words. You mak
e it sound as if I hold ill will toward the King. That’s simply not the case, I assure you,” Brental warned.

  “Fine, fine,” Drokier responded with upraised hands. “Let’s assume then that you fully support the King like a good soldier. But we both know you are at odds with Raythien. After this morning’s events, we both also know that his tenure as duke is surely over. You’ve made sure of that.”

  “I had no part in his undoing. He’s done that all on his own.”

  “So you pointing out the flaws in his thinking wasn’t in any way a condemnation, but simply a way for him to learn?” Drokier asked sarcastically.

  Brental gave the man some credit. So far he hadn’t said anything that wasn’t painfully obvious, yet made it clear that he understood what was truly going on and kept himself safely out of what’s been said. Well, he didn’t truly understand, but nor would he ever. “I’m not particularly fond of dancing with music, why do you think I’d enjoy it without?”

  “Right, so get to the point then.” Drokier told himself more than anything. “I’d like to side with the winners, not the loser. It’s clear you’ve got the upper hand and Raythien’s days are numbered, at least as far as the King’s favor goes.”

  “Let’s pretend for a moment that Disdane and I have a working alliance. What need of you would we have?”

  “That’s a fair question. But you’re assuming the King will demote the duke for this. He probably will, but it’s still not certain. At least with the information he has. Yes, surely his men screwed this one up. Just because they were archers and not infantrymen really has no merit. If the prisoner was kept properly chained at all times, this wouldn’t have happened. After an inspection of the cell, it looks like the post holding the chain had broken. Raythien can’t be faulted for that.”

  Brental thought about it for a moment. As much as he hated to admit it, Drokier was correct with his assessment. Shamir wasn’t a fool. But what was Drokier’s angle on this? Did he somehow know of Brental’s complicity in the escape? “You said with the information that he has. Are you insinuating that you have information that the King doesn’t?”

  “I may,” Drokier said, playing coy.

  “And if you did have such information, what would you do with it?”

  “If I’m left to fend for myself, I can’t say. I’d surely use it to my advantage. But if I were part of a team, well then, I’d say it could be used to ensure the duke falls from power.”

  Brental wanted to sigh in relief, but he knew he could do no such thing. Whatever information Drokier thought he had, it certainly wasn’t anything involving Brental. At least directly. “Well, the only way to know for certain is for you to tell me what it is you know.”

  “Not a chance,” Drokier told him. “I’ll be calling a meeting with the King to discuss this. If you’re there, I’ll take it as a sign that you agree to our partnership. If not, I’ll know I’m on my own.”

  “Suppose Disdane and I do arrive at the meeting, what would you propose the outcome be?”

  “I’ll fully support Disdane’s ascension to duke if you two support me as the new captain,” Drokier said plainly.

  Brental was glad the dance had finally ended. Drokier wanted more power within the ranks. Brental could appreciate that. As long as Drokier remained below Disdane, where his large friend could keep an eye on him, he had no problem with that. At least then the man could be controlled. “That sounds reasonable.”

  “I thought so,” Drokier replied, turning back to the door. “Wait one hour, then go see the King. I’m sure you’re smart enough to come up with a plausible reason for your visit.”

  With that said, Drokier left the room.

  Brental smiled widely. What a good day indeed.

  ~~~

  When Brental, with Disdane in tow, arrived at the King’s chambers, Drokier was already there.

  “My King,” Brental said while bowing deep.

  Disdane offered a bow of his own.

  “As I was saying, King, no luck so far. Nearly all of the ships have been searched, only two remain out of port. The city has been searched and the scouts have come back without a trace of them,” Drokier reported.

  “Have you come to give me the same bad news?” Shamir asked of Brental.

  “Unfortunately, yes my King, we have. We didn’t know Drokier had also come to fill you in on the day’s events,” Brental replied, looking directly at Drokier.

  “Then turn back around and waste no more of my time,” Shamir commanded.

  “King, if I may,” Drokier offered. “I have other news, concerning news, that I fear these two should hear. It’s fortunate they’ve arrived.”

  “Very well,” Shamir said, still obviously agitated.

  “Shall I send for Raythien then?” Brental asked slyly.

  “Yes,” the King replied.

  “No,” Drokier countered quickly. “Forgive me,” he pleaded, offering a slight bow. “But this concerns the duke and I don’t think it best he be here when you hear the news.”

  “I’m already not liking this one bit,” Shamir fumed.

  The King was agitated, Disdane was about to be the duke, Raythien was knocked off his pedestal, Drokier wasn’t going to get the fame he wanted, and his plan went off perfectly. Brental didn’t want this day to end.

  “I’m assuming you don’t know, and if that’s the case, I’m afraid you’ll like this less,” Drokier said.

  “Oh, just be out with it,” Shamir commanded.

  “Has anyone told you that our enemy may soon know the true number of our forces?” Drokier asked.

  “Not that I am aware of,” Shamir replied. “Have you caught a spy?”

  “No, not a spy, but my suspicions are now confirmed. I believe Liernin will soon know our true number,” Drokier informed them.

  “And how will he know that?” Brental asked.

  “If we don’t find the prisoners before they get to Liernin, I’m sure Treace will tell him,” Drokier answered.

  “And why would he know that information?” the King inquired angrily.

  “Apparently one of Raythien’s guards told him,” Drokier replied.

  “Why would he do that?” Disdane asked.

  “I’ve no clue,” Drokier admitted. “I suspect it was merely an accident.”

  “Are you certain?” Brental asked.

  “That the prisoners know? Very,” Drokier said. “I spoke with the guard in question after the fact. Privately of course,” he added. “And he did admit to saying it and knew it was stupid of him to do so. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, knowing quite well that none of the prisoners were going to live. But I did tell the man to admit his guilt to his superior. I went back the next day to ensure that he’d done as I’d commanded and he confirmed that he had.”

  Brental wondered how the fight between Treace and Drokier would have went if he had told the young man that Shamir had no intentions of letting one of his friends go if he lost. He surmised that while it would have been close due to Treace’s lack of sustenance, the young man still would have, again, been the victor. He would have been killed afterward, of course, but that scenario was not nearly as useful to him as the one that was currently being played out.

  “Did you go to Raythien about this?” Disdane asked.

  “No captain, I did not. The man said he’d admit his guilt and I thought the duke had enough control of his men that they’d do as they were commanded,” Drokier replied.

  Brental reminded himself to be more wary of Drokier in the future. He was much more shrewd than he’d had given him credit for.

  “Bring me this guard, I want to speak with him,” Shamir commanded.

  “I can’t do that, sir,” Drokier said calmly. “He’s dead. He was one of the men killed during the escape.”

  “Convenient,” Brental dared to say. He didn’t want Shamir to think anything was out of the norm.

  “Not convenient at all,” Drokier rebuked. “It’s sad that the man made a simple m
istake and now he isn’t alive to make amends for it.”

  “How does this involve the duke?” Disdane asked skeptically.

  “Because either the duke is hiding from the King the fact that his man made a mistake, or at the very least he was so negligent in his duties that he didn’t see fit to pull the guard from his station and punish him for his error,” Brental alleged. “Any way you look at it, the King should have been informed of this already.”

  “And why is it that you are just now telling me this?” Shamir asked Drokier.

  “My King, I presumed Raythien would have been diligent in telling you. And it’s typically not in one’s best interest to skip the chain of command,” Drokier responded with a bow. “But after recent events, I knew I had to skip that chain.”

  “Assuming he knew of it,” Shamir said doubtfully.

  “True,” Brental conceded. He didn’t dismiss the possibility. “But if he didn’t, he has lost the respect of his men. If his man didn’t own up to, at the time, a simple mistake, what else may the rest be hiding?”

  “What would you have me do, arrest him?” Shamir asked incredulously.

  “That is completely up to you, sir,” Drokier offered while looking directly at Brental.

  “At the very least,” Brental said, catching the look and seeing his opportunity. “Name Disdane the duke, at least until this mess gets sorted out.”

  “Demote Raythien for possibly knowing something and doing so without even speaking to the man?” Shamir inquired skeptically.

  “It was his plan to have his men, and only his men, keep the prisoners secure. His men let them escape, his man told them of our true number, and, for all we know, he could have been involved in the whole thing,” Brental proposed.

  “Preposterous,” Shamir retorted.

  “But plausible,” Drokier remarked. “Your advisor is correct in this. Any way you look at it, whatever his involvement or lack thereof, at this time, Raythien is not fit to lead.”

  Shamir sat silent for some time. “There is wisdom in what you say,” Shamir agreed at length. “But I won’t name anyone as duke. Disdane will lead the forces until such a time that I can determine Raythien’s level of involvement in this.”

  “And, if I may,” Brental asserted. “Wouldn’t it also make sense to have Drokier be Disdane’s second in command, temporarily of course?”