by P J Berman
‘Soldiering has its good parts,’ Gasbron said dismissively.
Oh sweet mercy, this is going to be a long journey, Silrith thought. Nevertheless, she waited patiently for Gasbron to continue. He must have felt her eyes on him, because he looked around at her awkwardly as he drove. She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head to indicate her further interest.
After travelling for what must have been at least three increments of the sundial, it was late afternoon, but being spring, it would be light for a fair while yet.
‘…and so it turned out that after all that, he had no talent for falconry at all,’ Silrith sniggered, as she finished a story about a young nobleman who had once tried to impress her with his falconry skill, only to find that she was much better at it than he was.
‘Sounds like he was all talk and no trousers, my Queen, if you’ll pardon the expression.’
After the initial awkwardness, Gasbron had lightened up a bit and while the men in the back of the cart talked amongst themselves, the two of them were getting to know each other a little.
‘Quite right,’ said Silrith.
As she said that she suddenly realised that Gasbron had probably never even had the opportunity to try falconry before.
‘Of course, I don’t mind if someone realises they lack certain skills or experience. It’s when they think they’re something special and then can’t back up their boasts that always looks childish in my opinion,’ she said.
‘I couldn’t agree more, my Queen. I’ve lost count of the number of cocky little bastards – err, sorry – recruits I’ve had to whip into shape over the years. Sometimes literally.’
‘I can imagine. There’s nothing more taxing than another person’s arrogance.’ Silrith gave a wry grin at her own statement, but suddenly gasped in shock as the cart lurched to the right with a crash, almost throwing its incumbents to the ground. Silrith landed in Gasbron’s lap.
‘My Queen, are you alright?’ Gasbron instinctively asked.
‘Yes, yes I’m fine, thank you,’ she responded, blushing as she sat back up again, but with genuine gratitude for his concern. With that, Gasbron leapt off the cart to go and calm the mules before they caused further damage, as the other men cursed loudly in the back. That done, he returned to look at the cart.
‘Everybody off,’ he called. ‘This cart’s going no further.’ Not forgetting to pick up her sandals, Silrith took Gasbron’s offered hand as she stepped down on to the ground. She turned to see that a section of loose earth had given way under the cart’s weight, causing the wheel to slip and the front axle had buckled after smashing down on the hard rock underneath.
Silrith turned to Gasbron, who just shook his head solemnly.
‘We’re going to have to walk,’ he said to all those around him after a moment. ‘Untie the mules. We can use them as pack animals.’
As his men set about preparing the mules for their new use, Gasbron saw that Silrith had placed her sandals back on her feet and was clumsily attempting to walk, though her pain was clear. He stepped towards her to try to help but she jutted out an arm, her palm raised and he stopped.
‘I must do this myself’ she insisted breathlessly, before gritting her teeth to take another step.
Gasbron walked beside Silrith for a few paces; his eyes and those of his men, fixed on her so that when she inevitably stumbled, he caught her in his arms and sat her down on the nearest rock. It seemed Silrith had all but forgotten about the pain when she’d been sitting in the cart and when she had been running on adrenaline during the skirmish, but as soon as she had to support her full weight again and do something as apparently simple as walking, it was clear that it had come flooding back to her.
Gasbron saw how red with cuts and blisters her feet were and knelt before her, taking her left foot in his hands and looking up inquiringly. She nodded silently and he took off the sandal and then did the same with her other foot.
‘Water,’ he called back to the other men and one fetched a water bottle from one of the baggage packs that now adorned the mules.
He shook his head in amazement at the poor condition her feet were in, before slowly running water over each of them, then massaging them with the tenderness of a lover.
Ignoring the pain, Silrith enjoyed the attention. She may have only met him hours earlier, but she felt safe with this man.
‘You must have been walking a long time. Did they make you walk the whole way from Kriganheim?’ he asked.
‘Yes. It’s been two weeks maybe, probably closer to three,’ she said quietly.
‘Looking at those feet, I think I’ll side with the second option, my Queen,’ he said, with a wry grin. Silrith raised her eyebrows and sniffed lightly in response.
‘I’m afraid that’s the best I can do, for now, my Queen. Now I must insist that you ride on one of the mules. Our luggage is not so heavy that it can’t be carried solely by the other animal.’ Silrith nodded grudgingly. She knew the sense of it, but couldn’t help feeling that she didn’t want to be a burden to these men, or worse still, look weak. Sooner or later, she would make their efforts worth their while, she decided.
Chapter 6
KRIGANHEIM, BENNVIKA
After losing their home, Jithrae’s family had been forced to join the hordes of desperate migrants travelling north to Kriganheim and on their arrival, they had flooded into the city. Many had been forced to find or build homes for themselves, but fortunately for Jithrae and his family, this was where his wife’s sister, Kanolia and her husband, Naivard, now lived. They were richer than Jithrae and Mirtsana, as Naivard worked as a magistrate’s clerk. Despite this contrast in fortunes, the two brothers-in-law had become close friends.
When the family had arrived, Naivard and Kanolia had not hesitated to invite them in and ask them to stay but, of course, the inevitable question had been asked – where was Vaezona?
Neither Jithrae nor Mirtsana or any of the three boys had found the strength to answer the question at that moment, but it was clear from their hosts’ reactions that Naivard and Kanolia, who had never had children of their own, could see that something horrific had happened. Now Naivard and Jithrae sat together in a loud and dark local tavern, as Jithrae divulged the details of the day the family had been visited by Vinnitar.
‘Surely what he did was illegal?’ he asked hopefully when he had finished retelling the painful story. Naivard laughed grimly.
‘That would involve justice, my friend.’ He was some years older than Jithrae, just a little short of fifty, going thin on top and the finer quality of his clothes hinted at the difference in social status between him and his brother-in-law.
‘The problem is,’ Naivard continued. ‘That, as you have seen, this is becoming a common story. All the Congressors want to impress the new King with their wealth and power and once a Congressor, especially one who is also a Governor like Lord Rintta, has his eye on a piece of land, well, you’ve seen what happens. You’ve seen the vast columns of people coming into the city. I tell you, it’s happening everywhere. Hazgorata has seen the worst of it, I hear.’
‘What am I to do?’
‘I’m not sure, Jith. The only thing I could suggest is to try to seek out this Vinnitar Rhosgyth character of yours, ideally without him knowing. If you can find him, then maybe you will be able to find some clue as to Vaezona’s whereabouts.’ Jithrae supped his ale as he considered this. Then Naivard’s face lightened as if he’d had an idea.
‘The day before you arrived it was announced that the King is raising an army for a campaign against the Hentani and that it would be the soldiers of Hazgorata that will be left to protect the north, not those of Asrantica or Kriganheim this time. I bet that’s where you will be most likely to track this man down. Vaezona may even be among the camp followers. You’ve got to join the army. They want to have sufficient troops for them to be able to head south the day after King Lissoll’s funeral.’
‘Yes, if it means finding her then that’s what I’l
l do,’ Jithrae responded. ‘But what if she’s not there? I’ll waste the next few months up to my knees in some southern bog where I’ll have no hope of finding her. Anything could happen to her in that time.’ He buried his face in his hands. ‘Dear Gods. Even if I do find her, how can I possibly get her back from that bastard Rhosgyth? Who’s going to back me against him, eh?’
‘Calm yourself, my friend. You will gain nothing from wasting energy this way-’
‘-I’ll have to kill him. Yes, I’ll have to kill him.’
‘Oh for heaven’s sake. That would be madness. Even if by some miracle you do manage to kill him without him gutting you in the process, what then? You’ll surely get caught. You’ll be a dead man and then what use are you to Vaezona?’
Jithrae knew Naivard was right. He shut his eyes for a moment to try to hold back the tears that threatened to burst out and bit his lip so as to stop it wobbling.
‘I know. You’re right of course,’ he said eventually. ‘I just don’t understand it. Why us? What did my poor, beautiful Vaezona do to deserve this?’
‘Nothing. Nothing at all. It’s just one of the great injustices of the times in which we live. But as far as I can see, you joining the army is the only chance we have, Jithrae. You might still discover some clues. I’m unlikely to be admitted into the army at my age, but they may well still accept you and that way there is still a chance. The fact is though, technically what Vinnitar did is not illegal, as great an injustice as it is. Look, I know you well enough to know that if there is even the smallest chance of you finding her, you’d take it, correct?’
‘Yes, of course, I just don’t know what I’ll do if I can’t find her there.’
‘Let’s cross that bridge if and when we come to it,’ Naivard reassured Jithrae, patting his friend on the shoulder. ‘Anyway, as I said, even if you don’t find her, you may still find some clue as to where she is.’
‘Perhaps you’re right.’ Jithrae conceded, scolding himself internally for letting worry govern his ability to consider his options properly.
‘Be careful where you go though,’ Naivard cautioned. ‘The King has already had Princess Silrith arrested for murdering King Lissoll. He’ll still be paranoid about assassinations so make sure you don’t get caught swanning around by yourself in the wrong part of the camp trying to look for Vaezona. You’ll be no help to her if you’re dead.’
‘I know. I just want her back,’ Jithrae replied.
‘Then joining the army is the best way to start, but you must be careful. These are dangerous times and that’s something that’s only going to get worse. I’m sure of it.’
Naivard paused for a moment.
‘Anyway, there’s something I don’t understand.’ he continued, evidently trying a different tack in an attempt to distract Jithrae temporarily from his worries. ‘What really perplexes me-’
‘Perplexes?’
‘Oh, it means ‘confuse’ and what confuses me is how they found out so quickly that it was the Princess who murdered King Lissoll. You’d think that it’d take at least a few days to catch the culprit, especially given that they said it was poison. It looks to me like someone wanted both the old King and the Princess removed.’
‘What in the name of the Gods are you saying?’ Jithrae hissed under his breath, grabbing Naivard so hard that they were just inches apart. Just then a heftily built bar girl squeezed between their table and the back of another punter’s chair, carrying some empty mugs and the look on her face suggested that she’d overheard. Both men attempted to look natural, but as soon as she’d gone Jithrae rounded on Naivard again.
‘What if she heard you say that? What if anyone heard?’
‘I make no accusation Jithrae.’ Naivard stared hard into his brother-in-law’s eyes. ‘I simply find it all rather convenient. And don’t let yourself believe that this isn’t connected to what’s happening to people like you, because it is.’ He looked around, before continuing to whisper in a lighter voice.
‘Now, in my line of work, among other things, it is my job to complete records of various cases. As I’m sure you can imagine, these contain the details of any crime that has been committed, as well as other information such as when and where it happened, who was arrested for it and when the arrest took place. It is the law that this must happen for every arrest and this case was no exception. As it turned out, I was the clerk who was tasked with drawing it up. But when I was given the details of this case I thought that it was strange that the arrest was made almost immediately after the alleged murder had taken place. Don’t you think that sounds strange considering that nobody was caught in the act?’
‘Well, yes I suppose. But so what?’
Naivard sighed.
‘Somehow, despite nobody being caught, they were so sure of the identity of the villains that they were positively champing at the bit to arrest and exile the Princess and to execute her maid. That’s what the records suggest anyway. The lack of detail speaks for itself. To me, it looks too much as if they knew she was going to do it and yet for some reason didn’t stop her.’
‘So what are you saying?’
‘I think she may be innocent. I think the King may be-’
‘-What?’ Jithrae hissed incredulously, though still in a hushed tone.
‘I just think it should be considered-’
‘-Oh my goodness,’ Jithrae interrupted, burying his head in his hands again. ‘You’re actually going to say it aren’t you? How can you be so stupid?’
‘I just think that it looks pretty suspicious that-’
‘No,’ Jithrae interrupted again, drawing a few looks from around the bar. ‘I’ll take your advice about joining the army but I’ll hear no more of this nonsense. If you try this we’ll all suffer for it. I’m trying to find my daughter, not get her and all of the rest of my family killed. I’d appreciate it if you did the same.’
Jithrae’s worry had turned to anger now. The two attempted to outstare each other down for a moment until they were both distracted by a call from across the room.
‘May I have your attention please, everyone?’ Standing by the door was a young man in a brown tunic and beside him, an older, grey-haired man dressed in blue.
‘My name is Zethun Maysith and this is Congressor Hoban Salanath. After many conversations with members of the Congressate, I have been appointed as the new Demokroi for the district of Siggatt. But this is Kriganheim and unlike my equivalents in the country’s other cities, as a Demokroi here I have the power to address issues across all of Bennvika.’
‘Get on with it posh boy,’ someone shouted, stirring few laughs from the audience.
The young politician continued regardless.
‘It has come to my attention that many people are being forced to migrate to this city after being displaced from their lands. Lands that belong to them, not the nobility. Am I right in thinking that some of you are among those people?’
A low murmur went around the room as a few people, including Jithrae, confirmed Zethun’s suggestion. He nodded approvingly.
‘I thought as much. These people run our country, but they’re not satisfied. Now they have taken from you your land, your livelihoods and how can we be sure that they’ll be satisfied even with that? It would seem that they’re not. While this injustice persists, there can be no freedom. If freedom for all is to prevail, injustices such as these must be stopped. Tomorrow I will be joined at the public assembly by Kriganheim’s nine other Demokroi and I will do my very best to address this issue, but without your votes on the day the motion to have your lands handed back to you stands no hope of being carried forward for the King’s approval. Will you join me in the city centre tomorrow?’
A cheer, accompanied by a few whoops and the occasional ‘I’ll drink to that!’ was the reply and he turned and left, with a pat on the back from Congressor Salanath. Naivard turned to Jithrae.
‘Well, it seems like a trip into the city centre is in order tomorrow.’
RILDAYORDA, BASTALF, BENNVIKA
As Silrith, Gasbron and their small party reached the crest of the hill, a week after the skirmish at the bridge, they finally drank in the view of the awe-inspiring citadel of Preddaburg and its beautiful surrounding fields, which basked in the midday sun, backing on to the woods to the east. It was a citadel that was designed to impress and not just from a military perspective. Its high walls, its many intricately designed turrets and its sheer breadth made for an imposing sight, yet somehow it was also rather pleasing to the eye aesthetically.
On the far side of the citadel, to the south, a huge connecting wall extended downhill to encompass Rildayorda, a large port city that had for many years been home to the once powerful but now largely defeated and pacified Hentani tribe. Beyond the city, on the horizon, Silrith saw the sparkling blue of where the Kebban Sea met the Eternamic Ocean.
As they moved along the track and approached the portcullis they attracted little attention from the peasants milling about around them, covered as they were in dirt and dripping with sweat, until the guard called out a challenge to them. Letting go of the reins of Silrith’s mule, Gasbron walked up to him and stated the password.
Once the portcullis was raised and the large wooden doors behind had been opened inward, the guard led them under the enormous Preddaburg Gate. Silrith presumed that they would then be led to the Alyredd Gate, which led into the citadel’s inner ward. First though, after passing through the walled courtyard into the tight streets of the outer ward, the guard directed them to a stable where they were given a horse each and he sent a messenger to Yathrud to tell him that they had arrived. After a short rest, Silrith, who felt that after her ordeal she must by now have looked like any commoner, was handed over to a pair of rather nervous looking ladies-in-waiting, who had been sent to escort her, with a guard in tow, to a specially converted room where she could wash and change.