by J. P. Wagner
The king spoke up. “I suppose you have a reason why we should not go back and stop the train?”
“Yes, Your Majesty, I do. It’s coming from the north, and most likely has two or more companies of rebels riding on it hoping we do just that.”
“You think it’s packed with rebels under arms, but you won’t even go close enough to see if that’s true or not?”
“Correct, Your Majesty, because if we are close enough to see them, we’re also close enough for them to see us. Best we don’t take the risk.”
The king sat up straight. “My train hijacked by rebels and we skulk here in the woods and do nothing about it!”
“Our numbers are too few and those we have are not fit to fight, Your Majesty.”
The king continued to scowl. “I tell you, when I have put down this rebellion, I will personally see to the punishment of whoever dared to drive my train for their cause!”
There didn’t seem to be any appropriate response to this so Carrtog remained silent and they continued on their way.
#
When they stopped for the evening, Carrtog first made sure that all the wounded were as comfortable as possible, though again the king — and the two other Gentlemen — refused his ministrations.
That done, he informed the king, “Your Majesty, I am about to attempt a very complex series of spells, attempting both to discover whether or not anyone is searching for us with magic, and as much as possible, how much of the surrounding territory has gone over to the rebels. As I say, the spells are complicated, and when I am done, I will be able to do nothing but sleep for some time. Therefore, if you wish to ask me any questions, or if you have a request of me, please speak now.”
The king sneered and waved a dismissive hand. “No, go do your muttering and chanting and all. I believe I shall get along well enough.”
#
In the morning, Carrtog found himself with a vicious headache. He wasn’t surprised; his teacher had warned him about such effects, especially for sets of spells like this. The truth was, while he had learned the set of spells, he had never used it for something so complicated. And now he could not properly remember what the magic had told him.
He remembered his teacher telling him, however, “Don’t expect to be functioning properly the next day until you get rid of your headache.”
He sat with his legs folded under him, staring at a knot in a tree-trunk across the way, concentrating on a mental process akin to untying several complex knots in his head. When he was done, the headache had practically faded away. Then, after he finished a series of muscle-stretches, he was feeling close to decent.
The king was still sleeping, a stroke of good luck, Carrtog thought, since though he himself was feeling better, he still did not feel up to maintaining politeness in the face of the king’s usual attitudes. He spoke to Yakor.
“The news isn’t as bad as it might be,” he said, “The next ten miles or so are pretty firmly in rebel hands, and the next twenty miles after that are mostly controlled by the rebels, with some patches either still on our side or trying to stay neutral.”
“What about people looking for us?”
Carrtog nodded. “There are indeed, several of them, or perhaps several lots. There is one small and fairly powerful group that’s looking for us with our safety in mind, which isn’t really surprising. If it wasn’t for our present position, I’d let that lot find us, but— Oh, the king is waking up. I’d better go talk to him.”
The king, of course, was not in a mood to talk to anyone, and even after his share of the sparse breakfast, his mood did not seem to have improved. He looked over at Carrtog. “Well, Lord Carrtog, stop hovering over there and come tell me the latest bad news!”
“Well, Your Majesty, the news is not completely bad. The next ten miles or so are pretty much under the rebel control, and the following twenty miles are mostly under rebel control but with several patches trying to show favor to neither side.”
The king gave a sour look. “And which side they decide to support will likely depend on which side first gets a significant body of troops into their area.”
“I wouldn’t disagree with that, Your Majesty,” Carrtog responded, “but there is also slightly better news. Though the rebels have several people, singly and in groups, looking for us with magic, there is also one very powerful group on our side searching out there.”
“Then the answer is simple; let that group find us!”
“Unfortunately, Your Majesty, the matter is not quite so simple. The rebels are closer to us than our friends are. If we stand still, they are likely to arrive before any help. And I think the risk of trying to slip between two or more bands of enemies to find our friends is too high.”
The king scowled. “So with this good news and bad news, what are we left with?”
“I’m afraid, Your Majesty, we are left with the necessity of maintaining our pace to attempt to join with the favorable forces before our enemies catch our heels.”
“I see. Then I suppose we had better get to it.”
As Carrtog went back to his horse, the Lady Adengler approached him. “I do hope that when we have gotten out of here, we will find it possible to talk together.”
He smiled at her. “If I do nothing else, I will make sure of that, Lady Adengler. At present, most of my mind is taken up with getting us all out of here safely.”
“Especially the king.”
He shook his head. “Especially all of us. I ask you to please not make me decide who I would leave behind if the necessity arose, which it won’t, Gods willing.”
She smiled., “Gods willing indeed!”
Carrtog had taken to having Yakor ride ahead of them to keep his eyes open for anyone or anything that might appear in their path. About an hour after they started out that afternoon, he came back with a smile on his face.
“We’re about to cross the road into a village.”
“Why’re you smiling? In this neighborhood, they’ve probably sided with the rebels.”
“I think it’d be wise to have someone go into the village and try to buy some food. We’re a little short, I shouldn’t have to tell you.”
“Who should we send? They’ve probably got posters up portraying His Majesty. And the remnants of the Gentlemen’s uniforms are too distinctive. The ladies look too upper-class, and that leaves you and me.”
“Actually, that leaves me. You’re the one with the bit of combat magic; the party can more afford to have me taken or killed than it can you.”
“I don’t like it.”
Yakor’s grin broadened. “That’s what I like about you; you don’t like sending people into danger, but you will if there’s no alternative!”
Yakor spent some minutes brushing his horse, not so much as to remove all traces of travel but enough to remove most signs of having pushed many miles through thick brush.
“You have enough money?” Carrtog asked.
“Probably not,” Yakor answered. “On the other hand, best not to have too much. Somebody might get suspicious if I buy every loaf of bread in town.”
Carrtog nodded. “We’d best find you a selection of small coins. Wait until the rest of the party arrives, and we’ll make a collection.”
By this time the rest of the party were coming up, and the king, in his usual manner, simply demanded, “Well, Lord Carrtog?”
“Yakor is going to cross the road into town, Your Majesty, to buy what food he can manage.”
“Why don’t we all go in, demand their support in my name?”
“Not a good idea, Your Majesty. This town is firmly in rebel territory and the chances are good that they have posters up describing yourself. Best only one of us takes the risk of going in while the rest of us circle around the town.”
“I see.”
To Carrtog it seemed more as if t
he king saw that he had just made a fool of himself again, and didn’t like it. When no useful comments were made, Carrtog went to roundup a small handful of coins that he passed on to Yakor.
“Off you go, then, and we’ll meet you on the far side of town.”
Yakor waved a hand and moved away down the trail.
Carrtog looked around at the rest. “Come now, if you please, Your Majesty and the rest of you, follow me.”
#
They moved off into the brush bordering the road. Carrtog kept a careful watch all around; some of the local brush and trees had been cleared away for fields, and as unlikely as it was for people to be out in the fields this late in the year, anyone would be suspicious seeing a band of horsemen riding across those fields rather than openly down the road.
In addition, the nearness of the town meant the likelihood of hunters out in the surrounding woods. If they came upon such a hunter, there would be no choice but to kill him, much though Carrtog would prefer not. Though the hunter might make strong protestations of loyalty to the king, the reward that was undoubtedly offered for the capture of the king would be difficult for an ordinary villager to reject.
A further difficulty was the likelihood of their pursuers coming on their trail sooner than he had counted for. Surely the tracks the royal party had left on the road back there told a clear tale; one of their group had gone into the town and the rest had circled around. The best bet for the pursuers would be to surround the village, nearly as possible, and hope at least to take Yakor. Then hurry down the road in hopes of coming on the rest of the party. What could he do aside from praying that the pursuers didn’t come up too fast? There wasn’t very much he could do while riding, save devote whatever free part of his mind that existed to coming up with useful spells and making preparations for those spells during their rest periods.
As for hunters from the village, from either luck or good management, they met none.
At their first rest stop, he made preparations for the Grove of Battle, with a vague notion of using it in case the pursuers suddenly came on them.
He noticed the king glancing at him as he worked, but was just as happy that the king did not decide to ask him what he was doing. Shortly, they started out again, and a little later again, they were crossing the road once more.
Carrtog threw up his hand. “We’ll stop here and wait for Yakor.”
The king approached him. “And if, instead of your friend, we find a troop of rebels roaring down on us?”
“I’ve made preparations for that case, Your Majesty.”
The king paused a moment, then said, “I see.”
Carrtog suddenly realized that the king had expected him to explain just what his plan was so that King Bornival could suggest modifications, or perhaps even a whole different plan. It was too late now, and the king was already seriously annoyed at him. Of course, a good deal of the king’s annoyance was the king’s own fault, but even telling him that would only make the situation worse.
As he sat waiting, Carrtog tried to consider just what preparations he might make. Any preparations he did make should fit a number of circumstances; there were several cases, for instances, in which he could make good use of the Battle Grove, such as the case the king had suggested — Yakor coming back with a whole troop of rebels on his heels.
His mind was growing decidedly weary and thinking was becoming a chore.
He suddenly realized that he ought to have had Yakor see about the availability of a horse or two while he was dealing for food. They’d had tremendously good luck so far with none of their mounts suddenly coming up lame. They couldn’t count on that luck carrying on, though; they were going to have to buy some more horses, or perhaps even steal some horses if this chase south didn’t end soon.
He felt his mouth twist into a grimace. He doubted if they had enough money to buy both horses and food for the rest of their journey; they could attempt to trade their present mounts, but people would be suspicious of anyone trying to trade a horse of the obvious quality of the king’s mount for any horse that could be found in a highland village.
And that assumed that no description was given of the horse the king was riding. No, stealing was the only alternative. That would mean he’d have to prepare a spell to hide their traces from the place of the theft, otherwise they’d have the victims of their theft chasing them as well as the rebel troops.
A black spot in the sky caught his eye. At first he thought it was some kind of soaring bird, but he noticed that its wings never moved. “A glider, Gods help us! Quickly everyone move under the trees!”
Most of the party began to move, though not as quickly as he would have liked. The king and two of his Gentlemen sat staring at him as if he’d gone mad. He looked at them and pointed up into the sky. “Your Majesty, it’s a glider! The people who’re most likely to have gliders looking for us are the rebels. We’ve got to get under the cover of the trees, and far enough that they can’t catch sight of us.”
He moved in deeper under the trees himself, conscious of the fact that he might have given them away with his gestures if the person or people in the glider had some kind of long distance vision equipment.
The king and the others were making their way under the trees with a bit more speed, now, apparently seeing the seriousness of the situation.
The glider, however, continued on well overhead, not pausing or circling or showing any other sign it had seen them.
After a few moments in their new place, Carrtog said, “I’ll have to go back to the road to wait for Yakor. The rest of you please stay here and wait for us. Stay under the trees, please. That glider may come back in this direction.”
“You’re leaving us here for any bunch of rebels to find?”
“Your Majesty, I don’t believe any rebels will fall on us in the next few minutes. If I should happen to be wrong, I’ve already put out a ward in a one-mile circle around us, which will let me know if anyone approaches us with ill intent. In that case, I’ll rush back to take care of the situation.”
He turned, not waiting for the king’s leave to go. That would surely offend the king, but he’d already demonstrated to them all that they needed him if they were to get home safe, and he didn’t want to spend any more time arguing.
Furthermore, he didn’t want the king to ask him why that spell of his hadn’t warned him of the glider’s approach. The answer was that he hadn’t thought to cast the spell he’d just mentioned, but he would do so immediately after he reached his post by the road.
Very shortly, he reached his post, a little spot enclosed on three sides by a bunch of willows. He cast his ward spell, burning a pinch of powder by setting the powder on a chip of wood and striking sparks on it with a steel dagger blade and a flint, rather than risk alarming the nearby town by firing a shot through the pistol. Then he settled down to wait.
Chapter 6
Shortly thereafter, Yakor came trotting up the road, a sizable sack hanging from his saddlebow. Carrtog stepped carefully out from his place, slowly enough to give Yakor plenty of time to recognize him. He grinned at his man. “Stand and deliver!”
Yakor returned the grin. “I’m sorry, my dignity will not allow me to be robbed by a bandit in such a grubby state as yourself. I suppose the rest are hiding nearby?”
“Ah, yes indeed, the others. You saw the glider go by overhead?”
“Yes I did. I thought you’d be likely hiding them further under the trees.”
“Exactly so. And speaking of which, we should join them.” He mounted up and headed back into the trees, very much enjoying the feeling of not having to explain or argue over every word.
When they rode back into sight of the others, Carrtog saw the king scowling blackly at him. Uh-oh! he thought, I forgot my own warning about seeming to conspire privately with Yakor. I suspect we’re in for trouble.
“Yakor!”
The king ordered, “Come over here.”
Carrtog made to come along.
“Not you, Lord Carrtog! I’ll let you know when I wish to speak to you next!”
Carrtog got down and began to brush his horse. He was careful not to look in the direction of the king and Yakor, but he certainly hoped the king was not browbeating Yakor or making accusations.
He wondered how many of the Gentlemen would accept an order to arrest the pair of them, and whether the threat of the Grove of Battle would hold them back. Well, it would certainly keep them off long enough for him to make his escape.
If it came to that, though, he would no longer be welcome in the kingdom of Cragmor; from what he’d seen of Bornival’s reactions, even his grandfather might suffer.
He stopped that train of thought altogether. No sense borrowing trouble, not until he saw what the king intended.
A voice broke into his thoughts. “You’re looking particularly bleak just now, Lord Carrtog.”
He looked up to see Lady Adengler standing next to him.
“I’d suggest you not get too near me, Lady Adengler. I’m not in good odor with His Majesty just now.”
“Actually, I serve the princess, and the king particularly dotes on the princess, especially since her mother died. I would have to commit some egregious act for him to punish me against her will. Don’t worry, I won’t press my advantage too far. I may, however, persuade the princess to speak a word on your behalf.”
Carrtog felt a frown come over his face at that. “Thank you, Lady, but I don’t wish to trouble you.”
“Trouble me, Lord Carrtog?” Her face took on a grim look. “I’d say you need someone to trouble themselves on your account.” She turned and strode away.
Carrtog took a half-step after her, then held himself. The king would certainly notice him chasing after Lady Adengler and notice even more if he began shouting after her. He went back to his horse. A few moments later he was interrupted again, this time by Yakor, his face bearing a sour expression.