The other Keepers swung to face Khollo as one, the question in their eyes. Khollo waved them off, laughing. “We don’t have the time to prepare for that, unfortunately. Do you remember how many practice runs we had to do last time?”
Too many, Kanin said from the courtyard. Far too many.
“Oh, well,” Sermas said, sitting back in his chair. “We can still make some of those oil pots for use on the ground. They worked well enough at Dun Carryl.”
“Well enough indeed,” Relam murmured, eyes glinting with mischief at the memory. “But, perhaps we should decide what we’re going to do about this army and rogue dragon that are closing in.”
“Yes, let’s,” Erlan called from his seat by Halena. “I’ve come to like this new home, I’d hate to see it destroyed.”
“That won’t be happening,” Janis said flatly. “Not while we still defend it.”
“Well said!” Hern crowed.
“It may not be that easy,” Khollo said grimly.
The room fell silent and every eye turned his way.
“The army Sven and Uthano encountered was massive,” Khollo explained. “Far larger than the forces you currently have here. And, there seemed to be a large number of lutags accompanying them. There’s also the silver dragon.”
“You can handle it though, right?” Janis asked.
Khollo shrugged. “Maybe. Sven and Uthano barely escaped, and they fought just the dragon. If the dragon has a rider – which seems likely – it will be even harder to defeat. There’s also the problem that it is larger, faster, stronger, and fiercer than any of our dragons.”
“Except Kanin,” Relam countered.
“When Kanin is at full strength. But he’s wounded, and even the flight here took a great deal out of him.” Khollo rested his hands flat on the surface of the table. “My team can probably take down the silver dragon, given time, but therein lies the problem: it will take time, and your army will have to hold out against a larger, stronger, and more desperate force without our aid during that time.”
“We can pull everyone inside the walls,” Janis said confidently, “That will put at least one major obstacle between us and the vertaga. This time, we have enough soldiers to man the northern wall too rather than abandoning it as we did before.”
“The vertaga have enough warriors to surround the fortress,” Khollo replied grimly. “And they know this battlefield. They will not try a frontal assault again. If I were them, I would attack from the north and overrun the lower wall there rather than hurling my forces at the main gate and dying in droves.”
“Damn,” Ondus muttered, “Let’s hope they’re not as smart as you are, Khollo.”
“They manipulated us into fighting each other,” Relam pointed out, “The cunning of this enemy should not be underestimated. Doing so has already cost us greatly.”
“So, what can we do?” Janis asked. “Deploy our forces as best we can and hope it all works out?”
“Basically,” Khollo admitted. “Of course, this is all assuming that the vertaga come here and don’t bypass the West Bank entirely. If they do, then places like Ardia or Ostgard or Narne could be overrun before we can help them.”
“How much time do we have?” Sermas wondered. “Can we set snares and traps along the walls?”
“Not this time, unless you can do it in a day or two.”
“Probably not,” Hern muttered. “We can prepare the fire pots though.”
“We’ll need every advantage we can get,” Janis agreed, “Make as many as possible, and train some of the others how to use them as well. The more the merrier.”
“The only other hope we have,” Relam said into the silence that followed, “Is a show of force. It’s possible that if Khollo and the others reveal themselves before the attack has truly begun, the silver dragon and the vertaga will think better of the attack.”
“Possible,” Khollo murmured. “It’s worth a shot.”
“No, it’s not.”
Khollo leaned forward, looking past Aralye and L’tel to where Sven sat. “What do you mean, Sven?”
“You would outnumber them five to one!” Relam protested.
“That . . . thing that attacked us,” Sven muttered, “It was not a rational beast. The hatred, the anger . . . I have never felt anything so strong and uncontrollable. Even Uthano was affected. Both of us panicked immediately, we thought we were dead.”
“And yet you escaped.”
“Barely.”
“If the silver dragon will not be intimidated by force, then maybe surprise will be its downfall,” Ondus suggested. “Draw it in with you and Kanin, then have the rest join the battle when it has committed itself to the fight.”
“That sounds more likely to succeed,” Sven agreed, nodding slowly. “But it will still be hard. And there’s the army to contend with after that.”
“Leave the army to me and Janis,” Relam said grimly. “We’ll hold them until you can help.”
“Good,” Khollo said. “Let’s split up then, and make plans for the battle with our own teams. We should have a full day, maybe two before the vertaga – ”
The door to the council room burst open and a sentry ran in, nearly running into Galen and Johann. “Sir!” he shouted, saluting Janis. “The vertaga are here.”
Janis gave Khollo a long-suffering look. “You were saying?”
The young Keeper sighed. “Never mind. Battle stations everyone. Good luck.”
Chapter 45:
The Vanguard
“How many are there?” Relam demanded. “Are they attacking already or just in sight?”
“You can see from the roof,” the sentry offered. “That’s where I just came from.”
His words provoked a miniature stampede as the council room emptied, Janis in the lead, and the entire group migrated up to the roof. There were two additional sentries on duty there, and they eyed the seemingly endless procession with bemused surprise.
Khollo stepped up beside his uncle at the southern edge of the roof, leaning against the parapet. He found the army easily enough, then frowned. There couldn’t be more than a hundred warriors in this group, and there were no Lutags in evidence.
“I thought you said the vertaga were here?” he said, rounding on the sentry who had originally sounded the alarm.
The man shrugged. “Those are vertaga, and they are headed straight towards us.”
“But that’s no army,” Relam countered. “What do you think, Khollo? A hundred and fifty at the most?”
“All on foot,” Janis added. “That sort of force has no chance of taking the walls.”
“They could be bait,” Ondus suggested. “Maybe the rest are hidden nearby and are hoping we’ll ride out to crush this smaller group.”
“There’s nowhere to hide,” Sermas pointed out.
“Unless they’re under all that snow,” Hern added.
“Not likely.”
Khollo frowned, lowering his hand and mulling over the problem. Kanin? What do you think?
I think wait and see, the dragon replied. Let them get closer, where we can see them better. Maybe that will provide more clues.
“Kanin recommends waiting,” Khollo reported, “Until we can see more clearly.”
“I agree,” Relam said instantly. “Keep all the dragons out of sight, for now. You,” he added, turning to the sentries. “Get our soldiers to the walls, quietly. Just in case.”
“Yes, your majesty,” the first sentry replied, saluting crisply. The three men disappeared down through the trapdoor, their boots ringing on the metal ladder.
“They’re moving fast,” Janis murmured. “Ought to be within bowshot in another ten minutes or so.”
“If they come that close, we can deal with them quickly,” Ondus grunted. “A hundred of them against however many soldiers we have on the walls? I’ll take our lads any day.”
Khollo shook his head, watching the small group. “It’s not as simple as that. I think there’s something else goi
ng on here. They’re not even coming from the same direction as the army ought to be.”
“They’re not?” Relam asked.
“No. Wherever these warriors came from . . . they couldn’t have been with the army Sven and Uthano flew over.”
“Then where were they?”
Khollo shrugged. “Who knows?”
“Well,” Ondus grunted, “I’m going down to watch from the gatehouse. That’s where the excitement will be if they try anything.”
“Good idea,” Janis agreed, “But, since his majesty sent away my sentries, we need someone to keep watch up here.”
“Hern and I can do it,” Sermas offered. “Just like the old days.”
“That will work,” Janis decided. “You see anything, you let us know. But don’t sound the alarm unless it’s urgent. The more we can accomplish by stealth and surprise, the better.”
“Understood,” Hern replied, nodding.
Janis led the way to the trap door, then down into the Keep and out across the courtyard. The dragons were still there, crammed together, trying to move as far out of the way as possible so that people could pass by. A few soldiers were squeezing past at the edge of the courtyard, but in general there was very little room to maneuver.
When the small group finally reached the gatehouse, they were hailed by a soldier on duty up above. “Sir! It’s a good thing you came. We’re not sure what to do.”
Janis frowned as he climbed the steps to the battlements. “What do you mean?”
The soldier gestured to the south. “There’s two vertaga approaching, holding a white flag.”
“What?” Janis demanded, racing up the last few steps, the others not far behind.
“You didn’t know?”
“We came here to keep an eye on a hundred advancing vertaga,” Janis interrupted. “You say two have separated from them and apparently want a meeting?”
“It looks that way, sir.”
The old warrior scowled. “Khollo, Relam, what do you think? This is most unusual.”
“Indeed,” Relam agreed. “Soldier, have you seen anything suspicious outside the walls?”
“No, your majesty.”
“Is it possible these vertaga are actually wanting to meet? That it’s not a trap or a trick?”
Khollo frowned. “Vertaga are not known as great negotiators. Or great talkers at all, really.”
“Yes,” Janis agreed, “They’re more of the attack first and ask questions later variety.”
“Or don’t ask at all,” Ondus added.
“So then, what to make of these two?” Khollo murmured. Kanin? Any thoughts?
They carry a white flag. Does that not mean you must hear them out without trying to kill them?
They’re vertaga, Khollo replied, scowling.
So? Do they not have the same right to negotiate?
Should they?
You know the answer to that question. We are Keepers, Khollo, not warriors. We fight when necessary, but –
Yes, yes, I know. Khollo muttered irritably. But these are vertaga, Kanin. You know what they’ve done.
And I also know what the silver dragon did, Kanin replied. But I do not judge all other dragons by those deeds.
The difference is that the silver dragon was an exception rather than the rule. With the vertaga, these two are the exception. I’ve never seen anything like this.
I think you must hear them out, Kanin countered doggedly. If they prove false, they can be eliminated. But they carry a white flag, and are putting themselves at our mercy. I think this indicates they may actually want to talk.
Khollo said nothing, merely watched. As he did, the two vertaga came to a halt just out of bowshot, waving their flag uncertainly.
“Your majesty?” Janis asked pointedly, glancing at the young king.
“Respond in kind,” Relam replied tersely. “Let us see what they have to say.”
“But keep the gates closed for now,” Khollo added quickly. “No sense in letting them in.”
“Not yet,” Relam agreed. “Anybody have something white?”
After a few moments of scrounging, one of the soldiers ran below and snatched a white sheet from the barracks, waving it back and forth over the battlements. There was a momentary pause, then the vertaga started forward again, flag still held high.
“They are cautious,” Janis observed drily. “They seem to want to make absolutely sure we have seen this symbol of peace.”
“Is there anything else in the area we should be seeing?” Ondus wondered, looking around. “Is this a distraction?”
“Sermas and Hern are on watch,” Khollo reminded him. “If there was trouble, they would tell us.”
“Unless they’re distracted too,” Ondus murmured, glancing up at the keep. “Curious young men do not make the best lookouts in this sort of situation.
The two vertaga were nearly to the gate now, still waving their flag. They stopped just a few meters from the wall, looking up at Relam, Khollo, and the others.
“Who is your leader?” the vertag on the left shouted, his guttural voice mangling the human language.
Khollo’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “What do you know? They do talk,” he murmured.
“Quiet,” Janis grunted. “Relam?”
“Best if they don’t know I’m here. You do the talking.”
Janis nodded. “I am in charge. Who am I speaking to, and why have you come to our gates under a flag of truce?”
“We are emissaries,” the vertag on the right replied. “From far to the south.”
“Do you have names?”
“I am Tarq,” the vertag on the left shouted. “And this is Koah.” Koah waved his flag briefly in acknowledgement. “We would like to discuss terms of peace between our races.”
“Well,” Janis muttered. “That’s unexpected.”
“Don’t trust them,” Khollo urged.
“I’m not, but you have to admit this is an interesting turn of events.”
“You come seeking peace,” Relam called, “Yet there is a vertaga army marching on this place as we speak. And a silver dragon is burning villages and cities at will.”
The two emissaries exchanged a glance. “We know of these things,” Koah admitted grudgingly.
“Know of them?”
“We were not involved,” Tarq growled, “Nor any of our tribe.”
“Then who is responsible?” Janis demanded, “And how can you demand peace when you have no control over the coming army?”
“Because we plan to help you defeat it.”
Janis rocked back and forth on his heels, weighing this response. Khollo glanced at Relam and saw the young king seemed torn between hope and suspicion. Khollo himself was under no such delusions. He didn’t trust these so-called emissaries, not as far as he could throw them. Certainly not as far as Kanin could throw them.
They are emissaries, Kanin interrupted firmly. There will be no throwing.
Khollo grimaced, then stepped to the edge of the battlements. “Why should we believe you?” he shouted. “Do you know what your kind has done in the South? To our people?”
Tarq nodded gravely. “I know. Do you know what the Keepers did to our people when Dun Carryl fell? Thousands died in the avalanche. They are still removing bodies from that mass grave.”
Khollo bit his lip and fell silent, heat rushing to his face. “Those were warriors,” he growled, “You have razed villages and cities, slaughtering the young, the old, and the weak.”
“Many of those we lost were warriors,” Tarq agreed. “But many were not. Dun Carryl was a city, not a fortress. Many females and cubs also met their end that day.”
“If you are not controlling the approaching army, how can you stop it? And who is controlling it?”
“I thought the elder man was in charge?” Koah called.
“He is,” Janis said, shooting Khollo a warning glance. “But I would like to hear your answers to my comrade’s questions.”
Ta
rq nodded. “That is reasonable. In truth, we may not be enough to stop the advancing army, but we have to try. Otherwise, the vertaga will soon be extinct at your hands, save for our tribe. The leader of our people has become a warmonger, bent on revenge. It is he who hatched and controlled the silver dragon, using it to set you against one another and put fear in your hearts again.”
“And he leads the approaching army now?” Janis asked.
“Yes,” Tarq confirmed. “But we do not march with him. We come as representatives of the Banuk tribe, the largest and strongest of our race. We seek peace, and an end to the conflicts which have plagued both of our nations for years.”
“Seems like you should look to your own to find peace,” Janis grunted. “You’ve started all the wars so far, have you not?”
“Our leaders have,” Koah agreed reluctantly. “But perhaps if there were an agreement holding us in check – ”
“You would honor it?” Janis asked sharply.
Tarq roared, baring his fangs. “We are not faithless, lack-horned backstabbers, human! We are as capable of honoring a bargain as you are, perhaps more. The spirits guide us in our actions, and watch over us from above. Broken pacts anger them, whether they are between friends or enemies.”
“And if these spirits demand they march to war in the future?” Khollo muttered disparagingly.
“If it is truly peace you seek,” Relam interrupted, moving forward. “Then you will have to speak with me. I am King Relam, ruler of the Sthan people.”
Tarq inclined his head respectfully. “Peace is our intention, king. If you will agree to spare us and any other vertaga who choose not to fight in the coming battle, we would be most grateful.”
“To what purpose? Without a treaty or anything binding – ”
“As a gesture of good faith, we will speak to the approaching army, and discourage as many from attacking you as we can,” Koah interrupted. “In return, you will not attack us. Those who do attack you though, you may do with as you wish.”
“And the silver dragon?” Relam asked. “Your war-mongering leader? What of them?”
Koah and Tarq exchanged a glance, then dipped their horned heads sorrowfully. “Garnuk was my friend,” Tarq said quietly. “But his heart is too full of revenge, too twisted by pain, anger, and rage. I fear that if we are to have peace, he must die.”
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