by Aldus Baker
“I hope you’re not making that face because of me,” says Sedic.
“No, nothing like that. It’s the ale. Tastes bitter,” says Jalan.
“Like the life of a lancer they say,” comments Sedic.
“If the ale’s the worst of it then I am much relieved.”
“Merely the sauce we are cooked in, captain.”
“We won’t know the worst of it until the cook lights the fire, captain,” says Dost as he enters the tent.
Sedic grins while Serks, Harna, Miltrip and Reest file in behind Dost.
Jalan stands, folds up his camp chair and sets it on top his camp box. He does the same with his empty bowl and mug before turning to his men and saying, “Gather around the table as best you can.” Jalan picks up the map case that lies on the edge of the table, removes the only map he has and spreads it out across the tabletop. He uses four stones he found to weigh down the corners and keep the map flat. Looking up he asks, “Does anyone know where we are?” The men chuckle and Jalan smiles before he points to a spot on the map and says, “All right, as you all know, we are here. Reest, can you show us where the camp is that you and Brax found?”
Reest studies the map for a moment and then touches a spot saying, “About here, captain.”
Jalan nods and then indicates a new spot on the map before saying, “Palst said the wagon tracks he found are about here.” Jalan examines the map for a moment longer and then says, “Anyone have some string or cord?”
Sedic reaches two fingers into a small pouch hung from his belt and fishes out a bowstring. He hands it to Jalan.
“Thanks, Sedic. This should do.” Jalan stretches out a section of the bowstring and then lays it across the location of the discovered campsite and the wagon tracks. The bowstring forms a line that runs generally from the southeast edge of the map to the northwest edge. And along the line’s northern run it almost touches Pass Outpost. Jalan gets an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach and he does not think the ale has anything to do with it. The string line does not run near anything else noteworthy. But the path makes even less sense than driving heavy wagons across farm fields and rough country instead of using the road. According to the map, the men and wagons that appear to be headed toward Pass Outpost are not coming from anywhere within the Yen Holdings. Midland and Southway are both a little west and much more directly south of Pass. And from the last report, Southway no longer exits. Everyone left is at Midland. They would not be traveling across country to Pass.
“I think we’ve found the enemy,” says Miltrip.
Jalan feels excited, satisfied and worried. He is excited that they might know something the enemy has tried to hide and satisfied that he and his men have figured it out. He is worried about what to do with the information. There are still things they do not know. Jalan lets the bowstring go slack and leaves it lying across the map. His first instinct is to mount up and give chase. There is so much more to take care of than just a hunt for those wagons, but the wagons might be the most important thing, more important than the caravan. The lancers standing around him in the close quarters of his tent remind Jalan that he has help. “Does anyone have a suggestion?”
“I want to go after them,” says Serks. “Look at the refugees along the road. They’re out there causing trouble and we need stop them.” A couple of the other men make sounds of agreement.
“What about our orders?” says Sedic. “We’re to go to Midland. We can’t abandon the caravan, especially if the enemy is active in this area.”
“We could send scouts to locate the wagons,” suggests Miltrip.
“What will the scouts do when they find them?” says Sedic.
“Hmm. I see what you mean. By the time they get word back to us or Midland Outpost it could be too late,” says Miltrip.
“Then we should send enough men to engage the enemy when we find them,” says Serks.
“What do you think, captain?” says Sedic
“Serks is right. We need to send enough lancers to make a fight of it if we find those wagons or to aid Pass Outpost if it is threatened. But, Sedic is right too. We can’t abandon the caravan. The resupply wagons and merchants need to make it safely to Midland. Here are my thoughts. With luck we will take the enemy from behind. If we can capture those wagons we’ll gain useful vehicles and whatever they contain. If we cannot capture them then we can destroy them. Either way, the wagons are traveling across country and even with a couple of days head start we have a chance to catch them with a day’s hard riding.”
There is anticipation in the room. Jalan knows he is not the only one that wishes to be tested in battle. The lancers are older than he is, but they have never faced more than bandits. These could be Polnue troops from Ankena, the old enemy of Ojmara. These men are House Yen lancers. They know they represent the legacy of Lord Hallis Yen, the last great general of the kingdom, the man credited with having led Ojmara to victory over Ankena in the last Chalmar War.
“Let me lead the chase, sir. I’ll find those wagons,” says Reest.
All the men except Sedic immediately make the same request, each trying to speak over the other. Jalan holds up a hand for silence and shouts, “Hold!” He tries to make his voice sound like Major Erida because everybody listens to him. Silence falls. Before anyone else interrupts Jalan says, in the calmest most self-assured voice he can manage, “Thank you for your ideas. I will consider your requests. Dismissed.” He meets the eye of each man one by one, almost challenging them to say anything more.
Harna and Reest both look angry, but neither says a word. Miltrip and Dost act a little embarrassed. Serks’s face gives nothing away. Dost looks down and shrugs. Sedic simply nods and turns to leave along with everyone else.
“Sergeant,” says Jalan
“Yes, sir?” says Sedic as he pauses and half turns back to look at Jalan.
“Stay for a moment.”
“Yes, sir.” Sedic turns fully back around and waits.
Jalan grasps his hands behind his back and tries to let some of the tension flow out of him. “Who do you think should lead the hunt for the wagons?”
“You, captain.”
“Why?”
“You’re the captain.”
Δ
Ultimately, Jalan calls all the Fist Leaders back to his tent. He has them draw straws because he has no reason to prefer one over another. Serks, Harna and Reest pull long straws. They and their three fists have won a place in the hunt. Jalan will lead all 15 men. Miltrip and one lancer from his fist are given the task to deliver a report from Jalan to Lieutenant Caser, the commander of Midland Outpost. Miltrip leaves immediately to travel through the night and reach Midland as soon as he can. The hunters will leave at dawn. They need light to be sure they do not miss anything important as they track the wagons.
Jalan wakes up when the first night watch is called. “End of watch. All secure,” is repeated in loose unison by four voices before the response, “Start of watch. All secure,” is given by the relief watchers. He wakes again at second watch and forces himself to remain on his cot. Drawing long slow breaths, Jalan practices letting his body relax. Sleep settles over him. Jalan rises when third watch, the last watch of the night, begins. The fire ring closest to his tent still holds hot coals from last night’s banked fire. He kneels at the uneven circle of stone and earth which surrounds the shallow pit, and blows on the coals until they are hot enough to light a taper. The candle burns brightly. Jalan uses it to light a small lantern that hangs from the central roof poll of his tent, then he blows out the taper. By the light of the lantern, Jalan dons his armor. Sergeant Sedic arrives to help Jalan check over his armor and be sure everything is in place and fastened properly. Jalan does the same for the sergeant.
In the predawn gloom, the white flecks on Axe’s black coat stand out when Jalan walks to the picket line. Axe performed well yesterday. Each lancer will take two horses on the hunt. Stone looks like a magnificent horse and Jalan is delighted to have a chance
to ride him. He grooms and saddles Stone while trying to be careful not to irritate the warhorse. There are enough things to worry about without getting bitten or kicked by his mount. He pats Axe and says, “You’ll get your turn today too,” as he fastens a long lead to Axe’s halter and ties the other end to a ring attached to the back of Stone’s saddle. The other lancers are forming up on the road. Each of them has their spare horse on a lead as well.
The lancers chosen to hunt the wagons chase their long shadows down the road as they ride away from the newly risen sun. Palst leads them west toward the wagon tracks he found the day before. The hunters slow their horses to a walk and continue to follow Palst when he turns north off the road and crosses open ground. When Palst halts, Jalan calls the riders to a halt as well and dismounts to examine the tracks. Signs of wagon ruts, horses’ hooves and booted feet are clear.
“Serks!” calls Jalan as he rises from examining the tracks.
“Sir!” says Serks from horseback a few yards away.
“You and Palst scout ahead along the most likely course the wagons took. Once we verify their direction of travel, we’ll ride fast to gain on them. When it is time to switch mounts, we’ll scout again to make sure we’re still on the trail.”
Jalan knows that his men can easily cover in one morning the same distance the wagons could travel in a day. He has to be careful and certain the hunters stay on the trail. Riding hard in the wrong direction would be a foolish waste of effort. He still does not know what to expect when they find the wagons. Hopefully, an opportunity will present itself.
“Sir, what will we do when we find the wagons?” says Reest.
“If they are friends we’ll help them. If they are enemies, hurt them,” says Jalan with a shrug. “We’ll figure out how when we find them.” He addresses all the lancers in a louder voice adding, “We need information. If we run afoul of anyone, capture them if you can or kill them if you must. We can’t have anyone escape and spread the alarm.”
It bothers Jalan that he and his men have to sneak through Yen territory like criminals avoiding capture. The wagons they follow are using the least populated route they can find. They are hiding and Jalan wants to know why. In order to find out, he is forced to hide too.
The lancers nod in acknowledgment of the orders. Harna and Reest both say, “Yes, sir.”
Jalan leads the lancers forward in the same direction taken by his two scouts. The hunters move at a walk when they must and a trot when the terrain allows. Once Serks and Palst return near midmorning, the direction of the chase is set and the mounted men begin to move faster by taking their horses to a gallop over open ground. Two lancers switch off acting as outriders and scout to the left and right of the main body of hunters to minimize the chance of riding right past signs of their quarry or being surprised by an enemy.
Near midday, the lancers halt again by a stream that runs past a stand of brush and trees. They have crossed many trails used by game, livestock and the locals that inhabit the rural lands they traverse but have rarely been within sight of a hamlet or cottage. The men eat trail rations of dried meat, dried fruit and hard bread before they water the horses from the stream and allow the animals to graze. As the afternoon comes on the men switch mounts. Jalan is ready to ride Axe. Stone requires a firmer hand and likes to take advantage of any lapses in his rider’s attention to see if he might find a convenient tree to rub against or low branch that would scrap Jalan off his back.
Jalan concentrates on his riding, the reports from the scouts and the needs of his men in order to keep his mind off wondering how far ahead the wagons truly are. With three days of travel they could have reached Pass Outpost. Should he have taken the road and ridden hard to arrive their first? What if that isn’t where the wagons are going and he didn’t follow them? The opportunity to solve the puzzle of who the lancers are hunting would be lost. But, if Pass is under attack, could Jalan have warned them? He feels his jaw clenching tight again. If this is what command is like, Jalan is not certain he is ready to command.
Chapter XVI
Lady Darla and her sister, Lady Guri, sit in the parlor of Yen Manor laughing and reminiscing with their mother, Lady Shara.
“I am so glad that Tomac offered to give Juin a tour of the grounds. He would never say it, but I know he is feeling out of place in a house run by women,” says Lady Guri.
“It is too bad Jalan is not here. I know he would love to see you. Together he and Tomac would keep Lord Juin occupied,” says Lady Darla.
“It’s only one more day and then we will be heading back home.”
“So soon,” says Lady Shara. “Can you not stay another day and help me with plans for the wedding?”
“Surely Darla has been some help,” says Guri.
“As she can. But, you have no idea how busy your sister is. I’m afraid the current troubles have left her little time for her dear mother’s wedding,” says Shara.
“Mother,” chides Darla, “you make it sound as if I’ve done nothing.”
Lady Shara looks carefully at Darla and says, “On no, dear one, you have done a great deal. It is only that Guri, as our guest, has an abundance of time to assist me. Something that would also lighten the burden I’m placing on you.”
“Oh yes, that and you two could happily spend hours in the company of Mistress Treana,” observes Darla.
“You wound me,” responds Lady Shara in an overly dramatic tone.
Guri and Darla laugh and Shara joins them.
“Very well, I will speak with Juin and see if he can bear another day or two. He does enjoy it here. He simply feels at a loss as to how he can make himself useful.”
“Don’t worry. If Major Erida sees him, he is likely to have your husband leading a company of men on patrol before Juin can form two words of protest,” says Darla.
Lady Guri hesitates and then says, “You don’t think there is a real chance of that do you?”
“Of course not dear sister, your husband is perfectly safe. It was a jest. The Major would never dream of forcing such an imposition on Lord Juin,” says Darla. At least I don’t think he would.
As her sister settles back into place and looks less like a bird about to take flight, Darla’s thoughts turn to her newest concern. Despite the pleasant distraction and real enjoyment of Guri’s visit, the trip is not about mother and Lord Brace. As Guri had warned in her letter, Guri and her husband have brought a formal proposal for Darla to marry Juin’s cousin, Lord Merk Shrift.
Perhaps her mother picks up on the turn of thought or it is simple coincidence when Lady Shara says, “Guri, dear, your help with my preparations would be marvelous. And, good practice should your sister accept Lord Merk’s offer.”
“Oh yes, there is indeed a lot to consider,” says Lady Guri brightening considerably. “It will be such a wonderful wedding.”
“You have me matroned already, but I do not find it so easily done,” says Darla. “There are so many concerns before me each day. It is difficult to imagine having time for a wedding, much less a husband and new family.”
“It was certainly unsettling for me at first,” says Guri. “Leaving father and mother, you and my other siblings and moving into a new home and new life. I had looked forward to marriage, but it was very difficult those first few months. Juin was so patient with me. Now I would find it even harder to leave Shrift Manor. My family is there. My husband. My children. As much as I love the old, I never guessed how deep my ties to the new would be. I want you to have that, to not be afraid of losing the past and to discover the same joy I have in your own future.”
Guri’s words and enthusiasm are a flame beginning to light the fire of Darla’s own hopes. If only it were so simple. “Guri, I am so happy for you and just a bit jealous as well,” says Darla with a smile. “But, I am the head of House Yen just as Lord Merk is the head of his house. I am not willing to leave that behind or simply pass it over to a husband.”
“Merk has made it clear he wishes to combine bo
th houses. How could there be less to do then or less need of your talents? Surely, there will be a place for you in the administration of the joined houses if you wish it.”
Darla does not know what to say. She feels selfish and foolish. How can she tell Guri that she does not want a husband to take over the leadership of House Yen? She wants to lead House Yen as she already does, not take a lesser role even if that role were part of a greater house. Her father’s legacy and her own ability would be buried, hidden beneath the Shrift name and legacy. But, would that really be so bad? Am I too proud to take help?
Darla speaks, uncertain of what she will say or even what she wants. “I am not just Darla. I am House Yen. If I wed, then I wed the fate of my house to another as well. If I take a diminished role then House Yen is also diminished. And if I reject Lord Shrift’s proposal and his offer of funds and armsmen, House Yen might not only be diminished but very possibly destroyed. Taking the offer does not save House Yen either. The lands will still exist and the people will be saved, but our father’s legacy will become only a part of another house. I don’t know if I can do that to our people, or to the memory of our father.”
“But Merk doesn’t want House Yen. He has said as much by suggesting you turn over the estate to Tomac,” says Guri.
“The estate is only a small part of our holdings. What Merk asks for is the greater share of Yen arable land in exchange for saving a small portion for Tomac.”
Guri wears an apologetic frown as she says, “But Juin read the entire proposal to me. I don’t recall anything like that in it.”
“Contracts, agreements, merchants’ deals are all rarely what they appear to be on the surface. You are correct. The document does not state the resulting division as clearly as I did. I would not have seen it even a week ago.”
Lady Shara, perhaps sensing a rising tension between her daughters or because of her own curiosity, asks, “Seen what, dear?”