by Ben Hale
She shrugged dismissively. “Three thousand children is not so different from seven.”
“Most mothers would disagree with you,” Raiden said.
She laughed. “Perhaps.”
“They do not like the presence of our Verinai friends,” Raiden said.
“They are still learning discipline,” she replied.
“. . . they get to sleep in the house while we sleep on the ground . . .”
Raiden glanced towards the speaker and the sullen group drifted away. Winter still stood on the porch talking to John and Red, but many cast veiled glares at her and her Verinai companions.
A shout drew Raiden from his thoughts and he looked to the fort. Marrow was playing on the treeship with John and Holly’s youngest, the cries of delight making it difficult to discern which was the child.
“Resentment runs deep,” Holly said. “When the Empire took over they kidnapped any leaders that failed to support them. Most were executed, others returned after swearing allegiance to the Empress Council.”
“Did no one fight?”
“Many,” Holly said. “But the oracles foresaw the gatherings. Empire battlemages arrived and slaughtered them. The message became very clear. Fight and die. Submit and live.”
“And you didn’t?”
“Some of the Defiant sought to fight, and we lost a handful. Then we received your message and changed our tactics to scouting. When the Empire pulled back their army and began construction on Herosian we gathered our forces, and hundreds joined our ranks. They may be undisciplined, but they hate the Verinai, and the Empire.”
“Still,” Raiden said, eyeing yet another group glaring at Marrow. “Perhaps it’s best we move on before your forces begin to revolt.”
Holly barked an order and the group separated. “They’ll be fine,” she said. “In such a conflict, we do not get to choose our allies.”
“True,” Raiden said. “But we are fortunate to have such strong friends. Winter and her friends sacrificed everything to save us at Herosian, and they are now traitors to the Empire. If caught they will be executed.”
“We have scouts two days out,” she said. “And John came up with a series of flags to relay a warning. If they’re coming, we’ll know.”
Raiden smiled, recalling John’s inventive nature. As much as Holly was the general, her husband was the innovator, and his farm was dotted with examples of his handiwork. His creations made farming, washing the linens, and even bathing easier for his family, and prior to the Mage War he’d actually begun selling his work.
“Does he have any ideas for the war?” Raiden asked.
She smiled and pointed to the barn, where a series of swords were fastened to a rotating wheel, the weapons sharpening against the whetstone. The machine was flawless, shifting the swords to sharpen along the entire length of the blades.
“He never stops tinkering,” she said. “Even when he should.”
Her eyes drifted to the treeship, where her daughter and Marrow stood at the helm, pretending to be captains of a pirate vessel. It had been over a year since Raiden had stood on the deck and spoken to Alydian’s lightcast bird. In the interval John had added to the back of the ship, nearly doubling the size of the whimsical vessel.
“How does he find the time?” Raiden asked.
“His machines do a great deal of the framework,” she said, a soft smile appearing on her face. “He says he creates so he can play.”
“He’s a good man,” Raiden said, “and lucky to have a general as his wife.”
His smile faded as he thought of Alydian, and he looked away. Misinterpreting his expression, Holly laughed lightly.
“He doesn’t mind my appointment,” she said. “He’s never been one to lead.”
“I know,” he said, turning back to her. “And we’ll need leadership in the coming weeks. How soon can you march?”
“A couple of days,” she said. “Where is our destination?”
“Herosian,” he said. “With what she will face, Alydian will require as much force as she can muster.”
“I still don’t understand why,” she said. “Why would the oracles gather their forces to a single location?”
“A question without an answer,” he replied. “By all accounts it’s tactically foolish, but then, the oracles see much more than I.”
“And Alydian?” Holly asked. “Can she stop Teriah and Meressa?”
“Did you see Dawnskeep?”
She shook her head. “The tales are disturbing enough. If rumors are accurate, she destroyed a citadel and a city in her escape. It’s nothing but ruins, now.”
“She was in solitude for a year,” he replied, and mentally added, she came back different.
“But can Alydian stop them?”
“I believe she can,” Raiden said. “But Teriah has a plan for victory, and I suspect we are approaching the final stages of this war.”
“Then we’d better be ready,” she said.
She called out to one of her daughters, who was busy refilling water skins from a barrel on a cart. John had placed a latch at the base that allowed the girl to fill the water skins as the soldiers lined up. The girl passed her duties to her younger sister and dutifully approached.
“Mother?” she asked.
Holly gestured to Raiden. “The Soldier and his companions have been on the road for some time. Gather their clothes and have them washed and dried by nightfall.”
“Yes, mother,” she said.
“You don’t have to do that,” Raiden protested as the girl departed.
“Yes, we do,” Holly said, wrinkling her nose. “You might be fine with ill-smelling soldiers, but not in my army.”
Raiden burst into a laugh and readily agreed. The day of respite was marred by the undercurrent of tension from the bulk of the army. Revealed in glares and muttered profanity, they voiced their sentiments regarding the Verinai. Holly sought to quell the unrest but the sentiment lingered into the night. When Raiden finally retreated to his room he found it difficult to cast it aside.
Would the people ever trust the Verinai? Or was the guild doomed, regardless of their respective actions in the war? He watched Marrow cast a toy bear out of air and give it to one of Holly’s children.
Raiden reclined on his bed but kept his armor close at hand. Throughout the day he’d seen too much anger on the faces of the men and women in the camp, and could not entirely shake his unease. Unwilling to reveal his fears to the others, he pretended to remove his armor and weapons in the dark, and then reclined on the floor.
But Raiden couldn’t sleep, the image of hatred directed at Winter stuck in his thoughts. Although he tried to shake his doubt, the fear would not dissipate. His mind said he slept among friends, but his heart told him they were foes.
He tried to fight the thought, to convince himself that all was well, but as the minutes passed his skin began to crawl. In the darkness he listened for the silent approach of an assassin, and his hand crept towards the hilt of his sword.
Abruptly Jester blew out his breath and sat up. “Am I the only one feeling this?”
Red groaned. “Blast you, I was almost asleep.”
“Are you not worried?” Jester asked.
“You know I am,” she said, also sitting up. “But why do I feel fear?”
“She doesn’t like it either,” Marrow said, yawning as she rolled over.
Raiden shook his head and came to his feet. “Whatever the cause, we must depart.”
“Now?” Red asked.
“Now,” Raiden said. “Gather your gear, but do so quietly. I’ll warn Winter.”
Jester nodded and stood, but in the dim light it was clear he was already dressed for combat. “I’m ready,” he said sheepishly.
Red sighed and stood. “I as well.”
“How did you know what was coming?” Marrow grumbled, reaching for her travel clothes.
Raiden flashed a tight smile. “I’ll be back. Be ready.”
He sli
pped out the door and descended the steps. After numerous visits to the home, he knew which steps creaked and passed them by. It was after midnight but the dark house felt foreign, and he kept his hand on his sword hilt. He crept to the base of the stairs and noticed a light in the front room. Gliding to the doorway, he spotted Holly poring over a map.
“Holly,” he whispered, and she looked up.
“Raiden?” she asked. “What are you doing?” Then she noticed his stance and frowned. “Do we face a threat?”
Winter drifted out of the darkness of the basement stairwell. “I too would like to know the answer to that question.”
“You feel it as well?” Raiden asked.
“We do,” she said. “My command is preparing for flight.”
Holly straightened and stepped to the door. “I’ll wake the watch.”
“No,” Raiden said quickly, stepping past her to the door. He peered out the window and scanned the darkness.
“I don’t understand,” Holly said. “What’s going on?”
Winter joined him at the curtains, but an instant later she sucked in her breath.
“What do you see?” Raiden murmured.
“We’re surrounded,” she said.
“By whom?” Holly asked, squinting into the darkness. “How did they get past the army?”
Then Raiden saw it as well, the shadows of soldiers forming ranks around the house, drawing weapons and lighting torches. The bursts of light illuminated faces filled with dark intent, of hatred and fear. They also revealed their identities.
“Our foes didn’t get past the army,” Raiden said, his stomach tightening. “They are the army.”
Chapter 23: Captain Marrow
“I don’t understand,” Holly repeated, staring through the window. “They’re your army. Why are they attacking?”
“Because of us,” Winter said, her tone filled with regret. “Once we depart I’m sure they will forsake their mutiny.”
“Can you hear what they’re saying?” Raiden asked, pointing to the trio at the heart of the mob.
She cast a tiny mouse from the dim light and sent it down the stairs. A moment later the Verinai ascended. Their caution marked their understanding of the situation and one of the Verinai stepped to the window.
“Lorth is a body mage,” Winter said. “He can enhance his hearing so we can know their conversation.”
Lorth cocked her head to the side and closed his eyes. He frowned as he listened to the conversation taking place a short distance from the house. Then his expression registered surprise, and then anger.
“It’s not just us they wish to kill,” he said. “It appears they wish to eliminate the Soldier as well.”
“Why?” Holly demanded.
“They aren’t saying,” he said. “They must think he betrayed them.”
“I’m sorry,” Winter said. “I had no desire to cause a division among you.”
“There’s more,” the man said. His eyes widened and flicked to Holly. “They want you as well.”
Holly’s expression would have melted iron, and she strode to the door. Raiden caught her before she reached the handle and spun her about, lowering his tone as he spoke in a rush.
“Why would they turn against you?”
“I’ll have them in the stocks for this,” she snarled.
“The whole army?” Raiden asked.
Lorth nodded apologetically. “It looks like they are surrounding the house.”
“What about the Defiant?” Raiden asked.
He shook his head. “It doesn’t look like they have joined them.” He grunted and then pointed south. “They’ve been bound and gagged outside the camp. They are talking about them like they are captives.”
“They mean to attack my house?” Holly struggled in Raiden’s grip. “I fed them.”
“There’s more to this than just the Verinai,” Raiden said, and quickly described what had happened in the village of Lorendale.
“You think the Empire is behind a mutiny?” Holly demanded, finally going still. “Is that possible?”
Winter bore a strange expression on her face. “There is a rumor among the guild of a master that sought to manipulate loyalty.”
“Master Skerl?” the other Verinai scoffed. “A rumor, no more.”
“That’s not a rumor,” Raiden said, stabbing a finger toward the rebellions army.
“Whatever we’re going to do, we need to act fast,” Lorth said. “They’re getting ready to charge.”
Jester, Red, and a yawning Marrow descended the stairs, and Jester said, “We saw them. What’s the plan?”
John stepped into view and tucked in his shirt. Evidently roused by Jester, he blinked the sleep away and shook his head. “We can’t kill them,” he protested. “They’re friends and neighbors.”
“They’ve betrayed us,” Holly snapped. “They deserve the fate of traitors.”
“Mommy,” a girl said, coming down the stairs and rubbing her eyes. “What’s going on?”
“Gather your siblings,” she growled. “And prepare your weapons.”
“Holly,” John said, straightening. “I’m not letting you take our children into battle.”
“Don’t argue with me, John,” she hissed.
“We’re running out of time,” Lorth warned. “They’re starting to advance.”
Raiden stepped between the husband and wife. “We aren’t going to kill them. We’re going to leave.”
“I’m not going to abandon my home,” Holly growled. “I’m going to stay—”
John stepped to her, his voice swelling with emotion. “Holly, our house is not our home. It is our children. We will do as the Soldier directs, and we will save our family.”
For an instant it seemed she would argue, and then she gave a curt nod and turned to the Soldier. “What would you have us do?”
Her voice betrayed a trace of fear, and for the first time, Raiden saw the burden she’d carried for her family. She’d hidden it from her husband, her newly acquired army, even her children. But to one accustomed to shouldering the lives of others, Raiden saw through the façade.
“We will lead them away,” Raiden said, gesturing to his companions, “When we do, free the Defiant and get them to Herosian. From there you can join Alydian’s forces.”
“And you?” John asked.
“We escape,” he replied.
“How?” Winter asked. “They have the house surrounded.”
“The treeship,” he said, looking out the window again. “We can jump to it and get past their line.”
Winter was nodding. “Clever. Perhaps we will not have to spill their blood.”
“They will pursue us,” Red said.
“I’m counting on it,” Raiden replied. “Holly? Get my Defiant out.”
“Aye,” she said. “John, gather the children.”
He caught her hand and nodded, and a wealth of love passed between them. Then he turned and ascended the steps, collecting his daughter into his arms. Raiden inclined his head to Holly and then leapt up the stairs after John, reaching the northern bedroom with his companions and the Verinai trailing.
“Remember,” he said, pausing at the window. “We want them to see us. Holly will need time to escape.”
“And no killing?” Marrow asked.
She’d been surprisingly quiet, but her eyes were bright with excitement, as if she’d woken in the middle of the night to discover a dragon at her door. She was veritably dancing from foot to foot, drawing looks from the Verinai.
“Not this time,” Red said.
Her eyes glowed with mischief. “Then our ship awaits!”
Darting around Raiden, she leapt through the window and landed on the roof of the back porch. He tried to stop her but heard a great groaning of wood, followed by shouts of surprise and the thudding of footsteps. He instinctively rotated to look, and spotted the treeship . . . sailing towards them.
The great oak glided forward, its huge roots and branches plungi
ng into the earth as it charged, its branches cradling the ship like it floated upon the sea. Men cried out and dived away as the roots flailed into them, knocking them aside as the ship banked to dock against the house, awaiting its captain.
Releasing a cry of exultation, Marrow leapt onto the dock and caught the helm, casting over her shoulder, “You have permission to come aboard!”
“How does she do that?” Winter breathed, her voice tinged with awe.
Raiden grunted in amusement. “I think it’s best not to question.”
Jester smirked. “And enjoy the ride.” He leapt through the window and dropped onto the ship. “Captain,” he said, offering a mock salute.
“Man the rigging,” she giggled, and the upper branches coiled into great sails, the leaves bending and overlapping to form sails.
Marrow’s childlike humor was infections, and despite Raiden’s conflicted emotions he grinned and joined Jester. One by one the others followed until all had boarded the vessel. When the last of the Verinai alighted on the deck, Marrow spun the wheel and the ship banked to the north.
The mob had recovered and they surged into ranks to stop their escape. Drawn to the sounds of conflict, those on the opposite side of the house charged around the structure. Their shouts of alarm pierced the night.
“Traitor!”
“Your death is at hand!”
“Your magic cannot save you!”
Marrow looked back to the Verinai. “A gust of wind, if you please.”
The Verinai grinned and those with air magic reached to the wind, channeling it into the leafy sails. They swelled to contain it and the ship glided forward, accelerating towards the line. Marrow turned the helm, the ship responding as if on the sea. Her maniacal laughter boomed across the forces, causing many to stumble back.
Roots coiled and slammed into the ground, carrying the ship forward on waves of wood. Others flicked outward, striking the line and knocking men sprawling, their helmets soaring through the air.
“Repel boarders!” Marrow shouted.
Raiden took a position on one side and used his sword to strike at the torches being thrown onto the ship, knocking them away. Red and Winter joined him, and the Verinai cast more wind charms, sending gusts into the hasty missiles. Arrows and crossbow bolts were knocked wide, others plunged into the wood of the tree.