by C. R. Daems
In dead silence, I searched the bystanders for suspicious movement. Everyone on the street had frozen or found shelter.
"You're bleeding, Aisha," Rhiannon said as she untangled herself from Leszek, who looked a bit embarrassed.
I examined my hand. It was a shallow cut. Wiggling my fingers, they moved all right.
"At least this time, hi'Lady Rhiannon, you were partying with me," I said as I wrapped the cut with a cloth Leszek handed me.
* * * *
Early the next morning shortly after dawn, we left the castle and headed for the rendezvous in Hazwood Forest, leaving seventy-five Granyan soldiers to defend the castle. I signaled Leszek closer.
"Did you find out anything about your wife and son?"
Leszek just shook his head as he gazed into the distance.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Jaddahan warriors in Dassel: Eagles arrive
Three days later, deep in the forest, Anton Talon and Tafadzwa ate dinner around a small fire. They finished an excellent meal, skewered meats and vegetables grilled over the fire, thanks to the farmers who sold them supplies. The scent of wood smoke and roasting meat hung in the air.
"We're not living too badly for being at war," Anton said, leaning back against a large tree near their tent with a satisfied sigh. In his youth, he had fought in a war. He remembered the excitement as he and his fellow Talons charged the enemy. The opposing army had been poorly matched against Talons, who had spent years learning the art of war. Back then, the heat of battle had been exhilarating. Today, he preferred bodyguard assignments, monotonous work except for the occasional assassin.
"True, Anton. But I never imagined that war could be so boring." Tafadzwa gazed around at his warriors. The full moon showed through the dense foliage of the trees, lighting the camp alive with men and fires and the undertone of conversations.
The men gathered in small groups around the fires, talking and eating and occasionally singing. Weapons were in neat stacks on the edge of the camp, and beyond that was the picket line where the horses were staked.
"Shadow fighting does tend to be minutes of intense danger which, if you survive, is followed by days of boredom." Anton smiled. "And I think it is going to get even more boring over the next few weeks. The Dassel commander is unlikely to send out any of his reduced force. He will wait until he gets reinforcements from Savona."
"I thought being heir to Jaddah was boring. Are you sure there isn't something we could be doing, like attacking the castle?" Tafadzwa laughed. Anton knew he wasn't serious, but he'd watch to ensure Tafadzwa's craving for action didn't result in a premature response that compromised their position and jeopardize the overall strategy.
"Patience, Warrior, we will do plenty of fighting when the reinforcements arrive."
A commotion at the edge of the camp cut off their idle banter. Tafadzwa stood and faced the direction of the disturbance. Anton stayed where he was to observe as a sentry appeared from among the trees, followed by another warrior. One of Tafadzwa's sec'Warriors met them. He waved the sentry back to his post and, after a short conversation, turned to stride toward the two commanders.
"Fir'Warrior, a messenger," Warrior Rafimiz said. He approached the fire with a Jaddahan warrior following behind.
Dripping sweat and disheveled, the warrior bowed to his commander. "Fir'Warrior, close to five hundred Salda soldiers are marching on Dassel."
When Tafadzwa looked toward him, Anton stood and smiled to himself. The game had a new player. One Aisha failed to anticipate.
"Did your commander have any other specifics?" Tafadzwa asked.
"No, sir. Sec'Warrior Arlind said to tell you he thought they might have learned of Dassel's depleted forces and think they can take the city. But he said that was only a guess."
"Messenger, were Talons riding along with the Salda force?" Anton asked. Talon trained he revised. That would further complicate the situation. The stakes had escalated, Talons killing Talons for the first time in their history.
"No…not exactly, but about twenty men and women at the head of the main force wore sashes like you do, but different, red, tied in front rather than on the side. Their tabards were richly embroidered with large birds."
"Eagles," Anton murmured. As Aisha had seen the vulnerability of Dassel, so had they.
"You know them, Anton?" Tafadzwa asked, frowning in puzzlement.
"I do." Anton rubbed his chin. "This will change things. We need to discuss it, fir'Warrior." He turned back to the messenger. "Did your commander send any other news?"
"No, sir. He just said to get that information to you as fast as I could ride."
Anton nodded and went back to sit down as he considered the new players in this very serious game.
"Get yourself something to eat, Warrior. You did well," Tafadzwa said, waving the man away.
"Do you need me, fir'Warrior?" Warrior Rafimiz asked.
"No, that will be all."
Tafadzwa stared into the fire for a while. "I don't believe Aisha counted on Salda attacking Dassel. This complicates the situation. What do you think we should do, Anton?"
"We don't have enough troops to take on the Salda or enough time to set up an ambush if we had. Besides a major confrontation with the Salda force, if we won, would deplete our forces. We can let them take on hi'Radulf's reinforcements from Savona. I think it is another case of sit and see what happens."
"Anton, you didn't answer my question about these Eagles."
"It wasn't something I wanted to discuss in front of the messenger. You see, Eagles are Talons who went rogue some fifteen years ago. About twenty under contract to Salda renewed their contracts yearly. After some time, Master Dragos decided to rotate those in Salda with other Talons. We always return Talons on long contracts to the Aerie for a rest and a change of assignment. They refused to return and betrayed the Raptor Clan." Anton paused. The betrayal had been painful and was rarely discussed. "They are under a fatwa because they broke their oaths, but the clan has never attempted to enforce it. I think the time has come."
"You want us to attack them for you?" Tafadzwa asked, giving Anton a hard stare.
"No, fir'Warrior. They are our problem, not yours. Besides, their force is too large, so I think we sit and watch what happens. We may have it all wrong. The Saldans may be here to help the Valdans." Anton shrugged. "The castle forces are depleted, thanks to us, but it still would not be easy to take. You know that a battle for it is likely to be costly. If the Saldans take the castle, we can keep them blockaded just as we have the Valdans."
"More waiting. I wonder what is happening up north with Aisha and my brother Awotwi." Tafadzwa seemed distracted, looking into the fire as both men descended into silence.
"I do, too," Anton replied after several minutes as if there had been no lapse. "I suspect that the Talons would have met them in Dahab. If so, Master Dragos convened a meeting of the senior Talons to consider Aisha's and my actions. She and I ignored Master Dragos's recall order, which is a serious breach of Raptor Clan law. The clan could have us both executed for that." He couldn't help but note the irony between the rouge Eagles, himself, and Aisha.
"What? What did she or you do that is so serious as to justify your death?" Tafadzwa's mouth dropped open in shock.
"Talons are subject to the clan laws. She and I both broke the letter of our clan's laws by not returning to the Aerie or, in this case, Dahab when Master Dragos ordered it. Aisha and I will claim we acted in the clan's interest as we understood it at the time. But the clan may not agree even though I, a senior clan member, authorized Aisha's actions. Also, Aisha presumed to make decisions that only Master Dragos or the council can authorize." Anton stared into the fire. "I don't know what the clan will decide."
"What decision is that?"
"That the Talon would fight with hi'Lady Rhiannon to regain her throne."
"Won't they?" Tafadzwa straightened up and faced Anton. "Isn't it in their best interest?"
"They could ch
oose revenge rather than war." Anton picked up a stick off the ground and poked at the fire. The Talon believed in quick and direct action. They may not want to align themselves with a Kingdom for any number of reasons. "The council may not care who sits on the throne of Granya."
"You make your clan sound hard, yet I have found you and the Talons loyal and friendly."
"The clan is loyal to its contracts, and we make friends, but a Talon's first loyalty is always to the Raptor Clan. The clan doesn't tolerate dissention. They don't allow fully trained Talons free to wander the land. Too many secrets and too dangerous." Anton looked up at Tafadzwa. "Aisha creates scenarios and acts on them in an independent manner. At Savona, she assumed the role of a mountain-woman chaperone for then pri'Rhiannon. She was the talk of the castle and had pri'Rhiannon and hi'Varius mad enough to threaten her with a whipping. Even I thought she had gone too far with her act. But because of her chaperone act, she saved pri'Rhiannon's life, at least twice. The senior members may see her independence as threatening the clan's way. Even I'm doing her bidding. I think the clan must kill her or support her. She has gone too far for any other option." And that included him. He would accept the consequences, as would Aisha. They were clan not rogues.
"Which do you think, Anton? You're talking about my future wife." Anton stared at Tafadzwa. The lord's face was serious with no hint of a smile. The man doesn't realize the ramifications of marrying Aisha. She was Talon. The clan would not allow her to leave. She could marry, but she would be assigned where the clan needed her. At best, he could expect to see her for short periods once every year or two. Anton shuddered. What would happen to the alliance if the clan decided to execute her? How would hi'Baqir, hi'Rhiannon, and the future hi'Tafadzwa respond? The thought gave him a headache.
"I am on the council and I support her. I went so far as to give her my vote, but that's no guarantee. I can only hope the clan agrees with me and Aisha and chooses to support hi'Lady Rhiannon."
"Come to think of it, I supported Aisha. What a hi'Lady that woman would make." Tafadzwa whispered his remark, but Anton heard it. Aisha was a first-year Talon, yet so much depended on her actions, the fate of Kingdoms and possibly the Talon. Hi'Blessed Tasilaba had pronounced Aisha hi'Blessed. He didn't understand, but he knew Aisha would need the gods' support.
"A dangerous woman, fir'Warrior Tafadzwa. She would certainly keep you alert. What is your famous curse? Oh yes, may the winds bring you interesting times. Maybe we should change it to, may the winds bring you Aisha." Anton laughed so hard he choked.
"The question is, Anton, what kind of a woman does a ruler of a kingdom need? One who is placid or one who is your equal? I assure you my mother is no placid woman, even though she is no warrior. And what kind of a woman is the equal of someone who rules a kingdom?" Tafadzwa eyes were unfocused as he talked as if thinking aloud. "Besides, who better to protect my back?"
"I think you're suicidal." Anton looked at Tafadzwa with some amazement. He had seen the young lord's attraction to his Raptor sister, but the extent escaped him. For everyone's sake, he hoped Aisha wouldn't marry him or that his fascination with her faded.
"Wonderful thoughts, but back to our problem. What do you suggest we do about the Salda force?"
"Patience. Let us wait and watch. When we are sure what the Saldans intend, then we will determine our next action. Besides, why should we take losses unnecessarily? Let the Saldans and the Valdans kill each other off, if they'll cooperate." Anton grinned. "We seem to be a little short on cooperation."
"Do you think they will?"
Anton poked at the fire again. "Think about it, fir'Warrior. We haven't attacked because of the strength of the castle, walls thirty paces high and several paces thick, well designed with murder holes and every possible defense, and inside a formidable keep. If Salda attacks the castle, their losses will be substantial."
Tafadzwa nodded thoughtfully.
"I suggest we send word to your father and Master Dragos. We need to work in concert with the forces in Dahab. They need to know what is happening in Dassel, and we need to know what is happening in Granya." It would be good to know if Aisha was alive and if there was a fatwa on him.
* * * *
For the next two weeks, messengers went back and forth among the three Jaddah forces on a daily basis. Anton had spies sent into the city to monitor the action. Every night messengers brought the latest news to Tafadzwa and Anton.
The Salda forces penetrated the city easily, as the commander at Dassel had insufficient troops to man the walls, and guards were not equipped to defend them. The residents didn't resist since they really didn't care who ruled. Their lives wouldn't change. Once the Saldans had the city, they still had the castle to take. Salda forces spent ten days of bitter fighting to gain entrance. On the tenth day, a messenger brought the news that Salda had finally breached the castle gate.
Early that morning, one of their spies, a warrior with family ties to Dassel so that he could pass for a citizen, slipped away from the city to bring them the news.
"Fir'Warrior, Salda has defeated the Valdan force. They now command all of Dassel."
Tafadzwa and Anton exchanged a glance. This was what Anton had expected.
"Were you able to find out how many warriors Salda lost in the fighting?" Anton asked.
"The castle garrison was killed to the last man and woman. I found an inn where some of the Salda soldiers were drinking. After I bought a few rounds of ale, they started talking, complaining bitterly about how many were killed. From the stories they told and what I was able to see, they must have lost well over half of their force."
"You did well, Warrior." Tafadzwa waved the man away. He turned to Anton. "Ironically, we appear to be in the same position we were in four weeks ago, Anton. The only difference now is that we oppose two hundred Salda soldiers instead of Valdan soldiers."
"I suggest we start over again," Anton said with a wry smile.
"Not quite start over. Our blockade is still in place. So that's what we'll do, even though it's boring." Tafadzwa threw back his head and laughed.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Hazwood Forest: The Plan needs revising
When Rhiannon, Awotwi, and I left the Terni Castle for Hazwood Forest, we knew that Tadzio would soon learn of his castle's capture. He could no longer pretend he was replacing the previous hi'Lord because there was no heir. He would have to relinquish his claim on the throne or declare himself a usurper. In the latter case, he would send an army to retake the castle, rescue his wife and family, and kill Rhiannon. But what does Radulf gain for his part in the overthrow of hi'Lord Varius?
The bright light of midday shone through the dense branches of the forest as we rode into the valley, where our camp with our guards included an additional thirty-five recruits. I glanced around the camp and the configuration of the sentries, who were well placed out from the camp so no one could approach unseen. Two sentries saluted as we passed. The tents were scattered in no particular order but close together. Horses were picketed to the right near the supply wagons.
We rode down the hillside. Our horses' hooves trod with little sound over the thick cover of pine needles. I saw Jiang step out from one of the larger central command tents and watch our approach. We dismounted and soldiers led our horses away.
Jiang smiled at Rhiannon. "I see you brought troops from Terni. You must have done well."
She beamed. "I hope so. I think so."
"She did very well. Hi'Lady Rhiannon is a fine leader." I was proud of her.
Jiang motioned to a table and chairs set up between the tents, where Awotwi awaited us. "How long until you think they'll attack?" Awotwi asked as we seated ourselves and the guards dispersed. I sensed Awotwi was disappointed with his service at the castle and anxious to prove himself in battle.
Jiang looked into the distance, then said, "That's hard to say. He'll have several decisions to make before he attacks."
I nodded. "He'll need to decide the size of h
is army to bring, for one thing. There are about six hundred soldiers in Savona now. One hundred fifty of sec'Tadzio's soldiers, four hundred of hi'Radulf's, and say another fifty of hi'Varius's old garrison. They can't afford to send them all for fear of an uprising in Savona."
"He has to send enough to take a castle," Jiang said. "Now held with about seventy soldiers. We must show only Granyan soldiers and keep the count in that range. I think he will send between two and three hundred."
"But he doesn't have three hundred Granyan soldiers to send. If he sent two hundred, there would be only be Valda soldiers remaining in Savona." Rhiannon pursed her lips like she had eaten something sour. I liked the way Rhiannon participated, no longer depending on others to do her thinking.
"Very true, hi'Lady. I think sec'Tadzio would want to keep most of his soldiers in Savona. If that is true, maybe he will send one hundred, half of them expected to return with his family after they retake the castle." Jiang paused. "Then hi'Radulf will have to supplement sec'Tadzio's force with around two hundred soldiers."
I couldn't suppress a smile. Everything lined up with our plan. "So the question is, what happens when hi'Radulf finds out that Dassel is under attack? How many soldiers does he send to Dassel and how many does he keep in Granya to maintain control with sec'Tadzio as ruler?"
Jiang moved a dagger that he used as a paperweight on some messages, picked a sheet up, and handed it to Rhiannon. "This arrived late yesterday afternoon by messenger."
Rhiannon read the message and passed it to me. The message from Anton reported that he and Tafadzwa had wiped out one hundred and forty of Dassel's soldiers. He expected the commander to send word back to hi'Radulf. I blew out a long breath and gave the message to Awotwi. "Well, we'll soon find out what he'll do."
"If I were hi'Radulf, I would want at least two hundred soldiers to remain in Granya. But when he realizes Dassel is under attack, I think he will have to reduce them to one hundred," Jiang said. "I believe he'll bring between three and four hundred troops, depending upon the timing, when sec'Tadzio hears about Terni and hi'Radulf hears about Dassel."