“Are you sure you want to leave?” Ellison asked. “That’s a pretty full agenda.”
“I think I’ll be useful in this campaign, and I want to see how the cavalry operates so that we can make sure we do it right before the big wars start in the spring,” Alec explained. “And honestly, I’d like to get out of an palace for a while.”
“Well, as long as you’re not leaving me stuck in the office for too long,” Ellison said. “Colonel Ryder understands that there needs to be a leader to make sure the right decisions got made. Don’t discount the importance of leadership, Alec.”
“I appreciate that,” Alec acknowledged. “I appreciate you taking on this assignment, too.”
“Good, I’m glad that’s settled. Go get your supplies ready and let me know if anything else needs to be attended to before you leave,” Ellison said, standing up. “I’ll work on getting these recruits ready to fight when their time comes.”
Alec went to Colonel Ryder’s office to report on all the steps set in motion. “So we’re going to see another cleavage in the ingenairii occur? That doesn’t seem so bad in some ways, given the arrogance the ingenairii have had in the past. But I hate to think that their powers are divided at a time when I’d like to see them unified to help us fight the lacertii. And you will take a few with you? Does that include your pretty friend?” Ryder asked.
“She will be going, but it’s because she can help,” Alec said defensively.
“Don’t worry lad, you’re being teased. You’re just too young to know to let such comments roll off your back. It sounds as though we’ll be able to muddle through without you for a while, but don’t be gone too long, or I’ll give the post of the new northern commander to someone else,” Ryder jested. Now let’s go inform the Duke that his diplomat is about to be rescued.”
They returned to the palace as lunchtime approached, and entered the room where the Duke was sitting with Noah Rastall. “Everything is ready, my Grace,” Alec informed him. “Ellison is going to assume second in command. You’ll need to get ready to accept more ingenairii into our ranks. The leadership of the ingenaire refugees has decided to return to Oyster Bay on ships today and tomorrow. I’ve been told that as many as half of those who came are likely to want to stay here and support us.”
“Alec, please take these papers to Kelvin with you. If for some reason there is a problem, do not allow them to fall unto unfriendly hands,” the Duke instructed Alec. “Kelvin left here for the purpose of instituting improved trade between our duchy and the principality of Bondell. Given the loss of plausible heirs I suffered after Kelvin left, I had sent pigeons to him to work on the potential arrangement of a new marriage for me to the eldest daughter of the prince of that state.
“These papers confirm some of the details of the negotiations, and ask him to bring the princess back with him under the escort of your Guard cavalry unit if somehow everything works out satisfactorily upon his rescue. Can you manage that?” the duke asked, looking directly at Alec.
Alec thought quickly about the arrangements he had made. “In order to travel lightly and quickly, I was going to take a water ingenaire rather than load down the horses with all the weight of skins of water. With additional people on the return, um, I think I’ll need to recruit an additional water ingenaire,” he decided. “With that change, yes we should be able to manage the escort service.”
“Congratulations, my Grace,” Alec said, not sure what else to say about an arranged marriage.
“Well said, Alec. More than you realize.” Rastall chimed in. “She is a lovely girl, and not just a simpering teenager, excuse the term Alec. She was married until her husband died in a hunting accident. Her mourning time is just ending next month.”
Alec took the sealed papers that had been placed on the table before him. “I’ll make sure we deliver these safely. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go arrange a second water ingenaire and a bit more, then we’ll be off. Thank you for your trust in us, your grace. I hope we’ll return soon with good tidings and a bride for you.”
Alec left the palace and crossed the bridge to return to his medical shop. “Is Allisma here?” he asked Ellen.
“She’s with the other girls upstairs,” Ellen told him. “They like to sew clothes for some of the poor children in the nearby neighborhood.”
Alec found a roomful of young ingenairii and apprentices in one room, all chatting while sewing away. The room went silent when Alec entered. “All the other men in the house know better than to try to join us,” Kinsey, a spirit apprentice, told Alec with a mocking smile. “But since you never are here this time of day, I suppose it’s understandable you wouldn’t realize the danger you’ve put yourself in. We’ll have you ashamed of all the merciless rumors we’ll repeat about you if you stay very long.”
Alec held his hand up in a sign of peace. “I only want to speak to Allisma, privately. It’s critical,” he said, looking directly at the water ingenaire who had trained Bethany back on Ingenairii Hill.
“I’ll grant Alec his critical conversation. Be nice to us both,” she said calmly, standing and walking out of the room with Alec. “What can I do for you?” she asked.
“I need a second water ingenaire to ride with a Guard cavalry unit on an assignment. You’ll be with Bethany, Chester, Shaiss, Alder, myself, and about two dozen Guard members on a fast mission to Bondell,” Alec said hastily. “I’d like for you to leave with us immediately.”
“What do you really want?” Allisma asked.
“I’m completely serious. I just found that we may escort a…, an official, back from Bondell, so I want to have a second water ingenaire to help produce water for our members and mounts when we cross the Red Sand Desert,” Alec told her. “This is a matter of extreme importance to me Allisma. Can you help us?”
“Alec, I’d have to change so many plans. Is this really more than just a silly adventure?” she asked.
“This is deadly serious. Our cavalry will fight a battle with Oyster Bay supporters, I suspect, and we’ll have to be ready to help negotiate,” he explained. “It’s a real chance to do something for the cause of Goldenfields.”
“Alright, let me have five minutes to tell the girls, and five minutes to pack,” Allisma answered. “Just because you’re full of charisma I’ll come along. You better make this worth my while!”
“Great! Join us at the stables in the Guard’s section,” Alec said. “I’ll see you there. Thank you Allisma!”
Alec had one more stop to make. He stopped at the Traders Bank and withdrew several golds, to make sure he had sufficient money for the unforeseen expenses and needs that might arise. In the yard outside the stables, Alec found a large group of animals and people milling around. “How are we doing?” he asked a harried looking Imelda.
“This is happening so fast, I’m not sure,” she said looking bewildered. “I hope I have everything.”
“There’s a couple of twists in the plan,” Alec said. “Come with me for a minute.” They stepped inside the stable. “I’ve invited two water ingenairii to join us, so we won’t need to haul much water with us. They’ll create it for us each day as we need, and save us a lot of weight to carry around. The other ingenairii are air ingenairii, and light ingenairii.”
“The main change in the plan is that after we set Kelvin free, he will possibly offer to bring a person from Bondell back to Goldenfields, and we may need to act as escort for the journey back,” Alec felt uncomfortable revealing the Duke’s apparent proposal of marriage, and explained only the barest of facts.
“I wish I’d known about the water ingenairii; I’ve had recruits filling skins for us all morning. I had a devil of a time getting arrows. We sent people out to every fletcher in the city gathering up all there were, and it’s a very motley collection; our people won’t know from one arrow to the next what to expect in flight. They’ve all got swords and saddles and blankets and food rations,” Imelda ran through her mental check list.
“Are the
rations and blankets for everyone, or do I need to make sure the ingenairii have their own supplies?” Alec asked.
“They need to acquire some, and there are plenty over at the supply depot in the large warehouse,” Imelda said.
“I’ll take the ingenairii over to gather supplies then. Anything else they need, or that you need?” Alec asked.
“No, I’m ready to go. And I’ll remain that way until tonight when I realize we’ve forgotten something basic! Go get your materials and we’ll be ready to go,” Imelda said, beginning to pace back and forth in anticipation.
Alec went to his office and found the ingenairii gathered there. “Let’s all go to the warehouse and draw out rations and blankets and anything else any of you might need,” he told them. “You’re going to be the first group of ingenairii I know of to go out to war like this. Let’s make sure we do it right!”
One of Tarpa’s recruits was at the desk of the warehouse, and helped them pick out the same items the cavalry members had picked earlier. “Does everyone have a good cloak?” Alec asked, and then asked the clerk to give each of them a cloak for protection against the desert winter and then sent the ingenairii back to the yard while he went to see Colonel Ryder for any last minute orders.
“Alec, just know that Bondell is not a rich principality. Some of your folks who are used to the wealth of Goldenfields may be surprised at the life people live there,” Ryder told him. “We will carry on here, and I may begin to prepare to send troops up to the Boston lands to establish a force in the north; that depends on how our recruits come along and the numbers we have available. I’ll talk to Colonel Mount about the prospects of sending some of the regular army troops along as well.”
“I’ll look forward to hearing about that progress when we return,” Alec began to say. A sudden strong premonition came over him that he might not return for a long time, something that scared him with all its implications.
“I have appreciated the chance to do so much here with you, Colonel Ryder,” he said, prompted by his premonition to want to thank the colonel for his trust. “You’ve given me a lot, more than you probably can realize. Tell the Duke what an honor it has been to serve him.”
Ryder looked closely at Alec. “Alec, you are a pleasure to work with, and I thank the Lord I have this chance to watch you keep maturing right before my eyes. We look forward to seeing you back soon.”
Alec left the office and carried the supplies he had picked up for himself and Allisma to the yard, where Imelda assigned them all to horses, and the ingenairii joined the Guards in strapping their supplies behind their saddles. Alec found Allisma and gave her the share of materials he carried. “Are we all ready to go?” Imelda asked Alec.
“Let’s all first take a moment to pray for safe passage, success in our mission, and a quick journey home,” Alec said loudly, and they all bowed their heads in silent prayer. “Amen,” several voices gently murmured moments later.
“Alright Imelda, lead us onward,” Alec said.
“Saddle up and form ranks of two. Ingenairii in the rear. Ride on,” Imelda shouted out the orders, and the column began to move out of the Guards’ sector, off the island, and away from the city towards Goldenfields’ first overt military move in the war against Oyster Bay.
Chapter 13 – The Desert Ride
It was still mid-afternoon, and the column of over thirty riders was leaving the western side of the city. Alec watched silently as they passed the small chapel and the graveyard where Leah was buried. He rode next to Bethany, the very last pair in the line that moved at a moderate pace along the nearly empty road west. Alec had never been out in this direction, and knew little about the landscape other than to know that it passed across increasingly dry land before entering an arid desert of scrub and cactus and little else.
Behind Alec followed a string of extra horses, one of several such groups of extras that were brought along to provide speed for the riders and capacity to bring back extra people with them on the return if all was successful. Alec felt a strange mix of excitement, anxiety, and nostalgia as they began to travel on the road.
He’d spent months traveling with a caravan not too long ago. He remembered the routine of making and breaking camp each night, starting the fires, tending the horses, socializing over dinner, and keeping the group in motion. He looked forward to enjoying the camaraderie of traveling with this group of people who he knew would soon be put to the test of battle – a test of themselves, a test of his theory about cavalry, and a test of the ability of ingenairii to alter the battlefield environment, as well as a test of Goldenfields’ ability to fight against the usurpers in Oyster Bay.
He looked sideways at Bethany riding beside him. He hadn’t ever heard the girl talk about riding a horse for any great distance. He hadn’t talked to her very much at all in recent weeks though. His too-busy life had put distance between them, and he sensed that Bethany was beginning to accept that they would not ever be committed to each other romantically, specifically that he would not commit to her. She sensed his study of her and looked over at him, giving him a smile as his eyes remained on her lovely face.
“Have you ever ridden much?” he asked.
“No, not really. We lived near town, and usually took a carriage if we needed to travel anywhere. I’ve been on horses from time to time, but never for any long journey,” she answered.
Alec suddenly wanted to listen to her talk. He wanted to hear stories about her, as well as hear her voice lift its optimistic tones to his ears. “Did you ever have a favorite horse?” he asked.
“No, I seldom went out to the stable house in the back. Mother told me to stay away from there, you know. I think she wanted to keep me away from the dirt at first, then later she wanted to keep me away from the boys, I’m sure. Now look at me; surrounded by dirt and boys! What would she think about this?” Bethany laughed a jolly laugh, and Alec felt his heart grow happier.
I wonder if I will fall in love with her, he thought to himself at that moment of innocent exchange. Just thinking about spending all this time together, and knowing that we’ll be together constantly for the next three weeks, I can see how much she offers.
“What are you doing to me?” he asked. “Are you casting some bewitching spell? I’m over here just riding for the joy of watching you and listening to you.”
“Oh Alec, that is the sweetest thing you’ve said! I wasn’t sure you cared for me any more than you cared for a new smithy or improved recruiting or better supplies or anything else in the Guard,” Bethany spoke huskily. “I believed you were just too busy to have time for a girl like me. But your heart still belongs to Noranda, doesn’t it? Or Cassie?”
“I have been too busy, and I may be too busy again, but right now I know that this time with you is the best time I’ll have to look back on,” Alec told her. “And I do still love Noranda, and plan to rescue her somehow. And I do still have deep feelings for Cassie. I shouldn’t have said anything to you, I know. I just felt a joy in my heart at being with you,” he told her guiltily, and lapsed into silence.
They looked at one another silently and Bethany smiled wistfully, then moved her horse closer to him and leaned over precariously to give him a gentle kiss, that started on his cheek and wound up on his ear as the horses jostled along the route, making them both laugh.
“What is this? A ride to battle or a romantic tryst for you two?” Allisma’s outraged voice came floating back to them from his position in the pair riding just ahead. “Just because she finally snared you Alec after all her scheming doesn’t mean you two have to make a spectacle of yourselves,” the older water ingenaire smiled to take the sting out of her words.
“Allisma! What’s said between girls remains between girls!” Bethany barked indignantly.
“Most of it does,” Allisma agreed. “Come see me sometime Alec to hear about the shopping trip when you swept her off her feet, and the work she did at the Apprentice’s Ball keeping an eye on the door for your arrival, an
d how long she talked afterwards about the uniform you wore.”
Despite his mixed emotions, Alec grinned at Allisma’s enjoyment of Bethany’s obvious discomfort, as her pale complexion turned bright scarlet in a phenomenal blush.
“I’m glad to see you in such good spirits for the trip Allisma, considering you only had a half hour to prepare for it,” Alec said to rescue Bethany from further embarrassing disclosure.
“Well, the way I look at it, I’m going home to Bondell, hopefully for at least a quick social visit with my parents, so I’ve got something to look forward to, even though I’ve been told absolutely nothing about this trip, and I’ve got no one to smooch with,” she directed her last comment directly to Alec.
“You’re right, we’ll need to make some explanation tonight, so that everyone knows the purpose of our journey,” Alec told her.
The cavalry rode through the countryside leaving the environs of the city, the sun still high in the afternoon sky. Once they were further from the city Imelda picked up the pace so that the horses soon broke a sweat in the cool late winter sunshine, and they rode at that pace for hours, until after the sun had set. A meadow between two woodlots became their camping place for the first night.
“Alec, my legs are killing me already,” Bethany complained as she gingerly climbed down from her mount. Alec walked over to her and squatted down before her momentarily. He placed his hands on her thighs. “Alec, ow! That’s where it’s…oh, thank you,” she said abruptly as Alec sent a small touch of healing power into her legs to remove the saddle soreness. “You’re pretty handy to have around on these adventures, aren’t you?”
The Loss of Power: Goldenfields and Bondell Page 17