Forged in Fire (Destiny's Crucible Book 4)

by Olan Thorensen

  Yozef didn’t attempt to suppress a deep sigh. He’d believed Rintala could be convinced, but belief wasn’t fact.

  “I believe broadsides from four anchored frigates will be enough, although, as I said, Commodore Kyllo will need to assess the situation. If he concurs, then the frigates won’t be using their opposite side cannon. We’ll contribute them to your efforts, along with all the cannon from the fifth frigate and both other sloops. I believe that will make our total contribution a hundred and twenty 30-pounders and forty-eight 18-pounders. You’ll also need our gunners to train your people. I think our gunners may prefer going with their guns, rather than be without them. Let’s say, close to five hundred men. The thousand marines will also be available for specific uses, with Kivalian’s approval. I think we can assume the base camp in your Mittack Province will not be in danger from the clans.”

  Yozef was stunned. He had hoped to bring the Fuomi around to providing more assistance. They’d met often enough that he had thought it would take extensive negotiations. He was wrong.

  Rintala was smug as he watched Kolsko’s reaction. It was the first such break in the man’s annoying blasé demeanor—as if nothing could surprise him. Rintala sometimes thought he detected a paternalistic attitude toward even the Fuomi. Against the islanders, who were admirable in many ways but less “civilized” than peoples with more outside interactions, Kolsko’s viewpoint was understandable. As it was with the Narthani, whose whole worldview could easily be detested. But Rintala was a typical Fuomi, in that he considered his people the most sophisticated on Anyar or, at worst, one of the most advanced.

  “Well . . . ” said Yozef after composing himself again. “I admit, this is a surprise. We appreciate the help you’ve given so far and your recommendation to Fuomon for more assistance, but this . . . ” He paused. “If I might ask, how did this decision come about so quickly?”

  “It didn’t just ‘come about.’ While it was not among my initial thoughts, the longer I’ve been on Caedellium, the more I’ve come to believe two things. One is the Narthani have major plans for Caedellium. Certainly not to simply expand their empire here. As we’ve discussed before, I think it likely they hope to use Caedellium to circumvent the current stalemate on Melosia. If there is any chance that is true, anything we can do to thwart them is justified. Second is that I’ve come to believe Caedellium has a plausible chance to succeed. Not a good chance—but a conceivable one. If I commit my people to maximum support, that chance goes up. Nowhere near certainty, but more to one chance in two or three.”

  “Is this your decision alone?”

  “Essentially. Kivalian will approve. Saisannin will understand but disapprove, as being too far outside our original orders. Kyllo will disapprove vigorously, although in his case worry about his ships may trump everything else. Approve or not, they all will commit to it, once their concerns are listened to and they realize I’ve made a final decision.”

  Yozef pulled a sheet of paper out of his satchel, along with pen and ink, and began making notes.

  It was something Rintala appreciated about Yozef and fit his own personality. Once a decision was made or a new piece of information known, he moved on to the next stage. In this case, the next stage was moving from ships and the Fuomi base camp ninety 30-pounder and thirty-two 18-pounder cannon, stores of shot and powder, and the men Rintala was committing to where they would be most effective.

  “The guns are too heavy for easy movement, but they’ll be crucial in defending static positions,” Yozef mumbled. “We’ve made larger carriages for the cannon you’ve already loaned us. On ship, they fire straight out in broadsides. On land, they need to be able to traverse at least ninety degrees—especially where positions must support adjoining sections of fortifications, and their new carriages will make that easier. I’ll have to arrange construction of more carriages for additional cannon.”

  Yozef stopped talking to himself and looked at Rintala. “I guess this means we can consider ourselves true allies against the Narthani. I appreciate the risks you’re taking and hope the time comes when we can move forward as true friends, not just two peoples forced to work together against a common enemy.”

  Rintala Bets All of His Chips

  The four Fuomi leaders sat at a table in the Orosz City quarters the islanders had given them for their use. The mood was mixed. Rintala was serene—his decision made. As usual, Kivalian appeared slightly amused, while Commodore Kyllo made no effort to hide his anger. Saisannin, resigned, spoke first.

  “I’m sorry, Jaako. I understand your reasoning, but I can’t approve. What you intend is so far outside the guidelines for this mission that it’s well beyond the latitude even of the commander on the scene.”

  Kyllo was more forceful. “Not only do I not approve, but I protest in the strongest terms. This would be entirely unprecedented. Stripping guns from my ships, planning on trapping four of my frigates inside this Gulf of Normot, and taking a third of the crews leaves my ships seriously endangered and short-handed. In addition, the men onshore will have no naval support and no way off this island when the Narthani defeat the islanders.”

  “Ah . . . but that’s the issue, isn’t it?” stated Rintala. “If the Narthani win. Two months ago, I wouldn’t have conceived it, but I believe the islanders have a chance. Certainly, the new Narthani commander is going to get a rude surprise when he takes the field. They think the size of their army will overwhelm the islanders in short order. You’ve seen what the Caedelli have been preparing, and they have a level of commitment that I doubt our own people could achieve. It’s my assessment that while our total contribution might seem small, the scales are balanced enough that our total commitment might tip those scales in the Caedelli’s favor.

  “And let’s be honest,” continued Rintala, “there’s never been anything in our initial orders about a naval engagement. If it had occurred, I’m sure you could have beaten them off. We’ve kept ourselves hidden from the Narthani, with our ships staying to the northwest of the island, except when a sloop sneaks in for periodic checks. With the arrival of a new large Narthani force, their naval strength will be so much greater that whether our ships have full cannon and crew is irrelevant. Kyllo, you always insist a Fuomi squadron can out-sail any Narthani one, so those ships that stay outside the Gulf of Normot shouldn’t be in danger. The frigates inside the gulf are a different story, but if what the islanders describe is accurate, the frigates will successfully block the Cut and defend themselves, even with only half their cannon.”

  “Possibly. It also means they could be trapped in the Gulf. And you say ‘initial orders,’ as if there were subsequent versions that I am unaware of,” Kyllo said in a grating tone. “They specifically said to avoid any ‘major’ engagements. What you propose is so far beyond those orders, I wonder if you have lost your senses.”

  “You may wonder about my senses as much as you like, as long as you obey my orders.” Rintala’s tone was unyielding.

  Deep lines etched Kyllo’s face. “I will protest officially when I report back to Fuomon—assuming I and any of my ships make it back.” Kyllo’s wording indicated he would strip his ship of cannon, even if he didn’t agree with Rintala’s arguments. Kyllo would take the remaining ships and station themselves a hundred miles southwest of Caedellium to await the outcome of Rintala’s commitment. If the Narthani won, he would sail back to Fuomon, minus any Fuomi on the island.

  Rintala relaxed. “I think all of your ships will manage to evade any unfriendly encounters, Vilho. And without cannon, the original crew size is unnecessary, because there will be fewer gun crew duties.” Rintala had shifted to the naval officer’s first name. They had worked well together on this mission and others previously, and Rintala considered him at least a close colleague, if not a friend.

  “I repeat that you always tell me any Fuomi ship can sail rings around any Narthani. With fewer cannon and crew, and no cargo, you should have no problem outrunning anything you encounter at sea. Be
sides, even if you leave without all your ships’ cannon, if you stay formed as a convoy, no one will have any reason to believe you are with fewer cannon than being fully armed.”

  “That sounds logical, but the world is not always logical.” Kyllo’s shoulders slumped. “I know you have considered all this carefully, Jaako, but I hope this isn’t a disaster for us all.”

  “As do I, Vilho. As do I.”

  “All right, Jaako, I’ll carry out your orders. I’ve trusted you in the past, but I hope you know what you’re doing. I have to say that I will file a notification back in Fuomon on how I objected.”

  “I understand, Vilho. Do what you feel is required.”

  The Fuomi naval officer sighed. “All this is contingent on our confirming what Kolsko told you about the Normot Gulf being accessible only through a narrow channel. Assuming that’s true, we’ll start off-loading cannon and men at this Adris City. We’ll also need to take on ballast—rock, I assume—to counterweight the four frigates that’ll block the channel. It’ll take four to be sure no Narthani war galleon can force the Cut. The ballast will be needed, since all the frigates’ guns will be with a full broadside on only one side of the ships.”

  “Kolsko anticipated you’d worry about that and offered a bit of inducement. Instead of all rock, he’s offered us the islanders’ stockpiles of metal ingots. Mining was not their main industry, but most of their mines kept producing after the Narthani halted all trade. I assume they were hoping trade would eventually begin again, so they have stockpiles of copper, tin, lead, and zinc ingots waiting in warehouses or sitting out in the open air. As much of it as they’ve used in preparations for fighting the Narthani, there’s a lot left, and they’re willing to give us enough to more than pay for the cost of this mission.”

  Rintala turned his head to Reimo Kivalian. The troop commander remained silent during Rintala’s statement of his intent and the protests by the other two leaders.

  “Nothing to say, Reimo?”

  “Oh, I agree with Eina and Vilho that you’re probably crazy, but we’re going to have so much fun.”

  Saisannin rolled her eyes, and Kyllo snorted. As fine a troop commander as Kivalian was, and as conscientious as he was known to be for his men, he had a little boy’s joy at making things go bang that seeped out regularly.

  “It’s settled then, Commodore. I leave it up to you to determine minimal crews to get the ships safely back to Fuomon. I assume excess gun crews will be prominent in those not needed and will remain on shore.”

  Kyllo sighed with at least a trace of humor, now that the die was cast.

  “Many of them think their guns are part of their families and will feel naked without them. At least, I won’t have mooning gunners wasting away without their cannon. I also doubt all that many will be unhappy to be left behind, as long as they get a chance to fire at the Narthani.”

  Rintala brought the meeting to a close. “I will, of course, be writing a full explanation of my decision to be delivered back in Fuomon. In it, I will absolve all of you in this decision and state that you were obliged to follow my orders.”

  Eina Saisannin made a slight gesture by raising one finger of her hand resting on the table. Rintala knew what it meant. He had gotten her perspective on a sensitive topic he now broached.

  “There’s one more item. More for Reimo than you, Vilho. It’s this Kolsko man. An important part of my decision to deviate so far from initial orders is due to a meeting I had with him. You all know what we’ve gotten in return for how we’ve helped them so far. In part of an agreement with Kolsko, we are about to start getting more. A lot more. Some of it you will begin to see, but other parts might not become known to you for many years, if at all, as part of my agreement with Kolsko.

  “We discussed among ourselves the mystery of where Kolsko comes from. As for myself, I dismiss the Septarsh rumors. Yet that leaves us with the same question. Where in the world is there a people with the knowledge he possesses? Eina’s only candidate is somewhere on Krinolin.” The island-continent was located at the eastern end of the major landmasses found in one hemisphere of Anyar. Long and narrow, it ran perpendicular to the equator that cut through its southern part. The inhabitants had not been part of the struggle against the Narthani and had traditionally restricted access to what the Fuomi believed to be separate and insular realms. Krinolin conducted trade only through three carefully restricted ports.

  “We’ve listened to her arguments, but I can’t say I’m convinced,” said Rintala.

  “Neither am I,” said Saisannin. “It’s just that I can’t think of any place else so unknown it could have held a people with the knowledge that flows from Kolsko.”

  “I still favor one of the islands in the Great Ocean,” said Commodore Kyllo. “There are at least three the size of Caedellium and thirty or more smaller ones that are known to be inhabited. As far as I know, we don’t have a complete listing, because much has not been reported on, particularly the south half. Still . . . like Eina, it’s not something I believe likely, it’s just the only guess I can make.”

  “Wherever he’s from, whoever his people are, we can’t let Kolsko fall into Narthani hands. While I can’t yet tell you what he’s promised to give us in return for more help, I can tell you that if what he promised is accurate, it could turn the war in Narthon’s favor before we could respond. It might even lead to total Narthani victory.

  “If the clans fail and Kolsko is captured, we have to assume he will give the Narthani what he’s promised me he will give to us. We can’t assume anything else if they force him or use his family to coerce him.

  “As distasteful as it is, Reimo, it will fall to you to make provisions that the Narthani don’t take him alive.”

  CHAPTER 35: NARTHANI

  Narthani Headquarters, Preddi City

  “So it’s confirmed?” asked Akuyun. “They’ve withdrawn their main forces?”

  Zulfa shrugged. “As far as we know, which isn’t very far. In the month since their invasion, we can only push twenty-man patrols five to ten miles into Eywell or Selfcell territory before they show up in numbers that require our men to retreat back to Preddi. If you want to know more, I’ll need to send more men.”

  “It’s tempting,” said Akuyun, “but I have to believe Gullar is arriving soon. If true, then there’s no point risking stirring up the clans. I think we’ll stick with the status quo, as long as they don’t do anything more than they’re doing now.”

  “From the standpoint of our civilians, that’s best,” said Tuzere. “The panic that spread at the news of the clans’ raids has now died down as much as I expect it to. We have farmers and ranchers back at production, though their families will remain within Preddi City and other towns with defenses. I decided not to resume mining and have told Colonel Ketin the miners are available for whatever he needs to keep improving fortifications. I’m grateful to Narth that the clans made the mistake of not taking more of our horses. We scattered them where the clans might miss them, and we were able to round most up within two to three days.”

  “I was surprised,”said Zulfa. “It was an obvious thing for them to have done and adds to the puzzle of what’s going on with the clans. On one hand, they do something that we might interpret as having tactical sense, and then they make a mistake like this. I sometimes wonder whether it would be better for us if they were either consistently amateurish or professional. The uncertainty of what they’ll do next can be disturbing.”

  Akuyun turned to Colonel Jurna. “Jomzik, how are you faring with your mongrel force?”

  Colonel Jomzik Jurna had assumed command of the Narthani garrison in Hanslow after the previous commander, Colonel Memas Erdelin, was killed in the daring assassination by Balwis Preddi, Wyfor Kales, and three other men insane enough to make the attempt. Jurna had acted decisively when getting the first news of the Northern Force crossing the Eywell/Moreland border—mainly due to the semaphore extension he’d ordered built toward the border.

/>   The early alert had allowed the entire Hanslow garrison to withdraw south, along with several hundred Eywellese fleeing in fear of their fate once the clans captured Hanslow. Akuyun had been impressed by the decisions Jurna made that resulted in his getting all his men and the families of the prominent Eywellese into safe Preddi territory, despite having to duck and dodge larger clan forces.

  Jurna appeared impassive as he answered Akuyun’s question. “With the Eywellese that came with us from Hanslow, those that did the same as the Morthmin garrison withdrew, and of the scattered men we picked up on the way or have drifted in the last sixdays, we have about five hundred Eywellese and forty Selfcellese horsemen. Given everything that’s happened, we can’t depend on them. There are too many who left their clan out of fear for their own skins, rather than any higher loyalty. It’s also likely we have either clan spies or men who will look to defect back to the clans, if given the opportunity. Frankly, I’d rather none of them had come with us. We can’t trust any of them, and our own men never developed good relationships with them. In retrospect, it might have been better to make them feel more integrated into our force structure, although I understand the political reasons for not making it too obvious their clans would be incorporated into the empire as soon as possible.

  “Still, 540 riders are still 540 if we use them only for defined and non-critical assignments. Right now, I’m using them in patrols along the border to help ensure no clansmen units slip through for raids. I’ve placed them in groups of a hundred or 120 with fifty of our men in villages along the border, all under the command of officers I’ve judged best able to keep personal opinions to themselves about the Caedelli they’re put in charge of. Each group includes men whose families came with them, and I’ve mandated that the families stay in Preddi City. That way, the loyalty of these men gives us reasonable assurance against serious problems developing.”