The Long War 02 - The Dark Blood

by A. J. Smith

  ‘And the cause is?’ asked Bronwyn.

  ‘The cause of good versus evil, my dear lady, right versus wrong,’ replied the Brown cleric with a sincere smile. ‘I understand that the Ranen fellows will make their decision this morning.’

  ‘And they want to speak to us?’ asked Bronwyn, letting her nerves show through in her words.

  Micah Stone Dog turned to her. ‘You were there, Bronwyn, you saw what happened at Ro Hail. You saw the army of knights, you saw the king’s banner, you know what’s coming.’

  ‘So why does my word matter?’ she replied, trying to worm her way out of having to speak. ‘There are hundreds of Wraith Company who were there.’

  Al-Hasim, who had remained quiet during their walk to the assembly, said, ‘But we’re outsiders; it always strengthens a cause when non-Ranen agree... unless you’re Ro, of course... then they tend to ignore you.’

  ‘Not this Ro,’ said Stone Dog. ‘Her brother wants to ally with the Free Companies. That gives her word some weight.’

  Brother Lanry held up his hand, politely asking to interrupt. ‘Er, my Lord Bromvy is a good ally to have, young Micah. The lord of Canarn is a nobleman of redoubtable spirit and great honour.’

  ‘I’m sure,’ responded Micah with a curl of amusement to his lip. He turned to Bronwyn and Hasim. ‘We need to go in... if Brother Lanry is quite finished.’ He looked questioningly at the Brown cleric.

  ‘Oh, yes, quite finished,’ said Lanry. ‘Do lead on, young Micah.’

  The sarcastic young Ranen was unsure how to react to the cleric. He had spoken to Bronwyn of his reluctance entirely to trust a man of the One God. No matter how often she had told him that Lanry would never harm a soul, Stone Dog was still wary around him.

  She knew that Micah had been chosen as the unofficial liaison with Bronwyn and Hasim, and that the other members of Wraith Company were more reluctant to associate with them now that they were in South Warden. The easternmost city of the Freelands had never been under the rule of Ro and had been built long after the occupation. It was a place where the Ranen could be Ranen, where Rowanoco held sway, and Tor Funweir was a world away.

  Micah led the way as they walked beyond the inner palisade and approached the assembly. It looked even larger close up, and Bronwyn felt humble in the presence of Rowanoco’s Stone. The building was five or six storeys high, with stone galleries rising from a central floor and a large open space in the middle. The seating looked as if it could accommodate several hundred men, though it was currently only half full.

  The Ranen that sat in front of them were all silent as Micah led them inside, a low whistle of wind being the only sound as Bronwyn became the first Ro noble to enter the assembly since it had been built a hundred years before. She recognized faces, but many more were unknown and intimidating as she stepped on to Rowanoco’s Stone. Captain Horrock Green Blade sat in the middle, his piercing blue eyes regarding her with friendly reassurance. Next to him was Haffen Red Face, Horrock’s axe-master and close friend. The warrior of Ro Hail was a boisterous man who had stuck up for Bronwyn on a number of occasions when members of Scarlet Company had questioned her presence in South Warden.

  The most intimidating presence in the assembly was Captain Johan Long Shadow, a Ranen with huge shoulders and a tattooed head. The faded, dark blue designs displayed across his scalp were of broken swords and axes, which gave the man an edge of intensity and made Bronwyn decidedly uncomfortable. The captain of Scarlet Company was well into his fifties, but still a respected and astute leader, a man whose word was generally law in South Warden. He sat, on a raised stone chair, facing the assembled men of Ranen and had half the auditorium to himself.

  ‘This assembly welcomes Lady Bronwyn of Canarn,’ announced Johan’s axe-master, a short and stout man called Mathias Flame Tooth.

  A rumble of disapproval flowed through the auditorium and Bronwyn felt exposed for a moment, until Mathias banged the haft of his axe on the stone floor and brought her back to reality.

  ‘Hello,’ she said, as demurely as she could. The echo in the assembly turned the word into more of a statement than she had intended.

  ‘You’re not supposed to speak yet,’ whispered Stone Dog out of the corner of his mouth.

  Bronwyn smiled awkwardly and almost said sorry, before Al-Hasim gently grabbed her arm and led her across to the lowest level of seating.

  There were a hundred pairs of eyes regarding the lady of Canarn. She observed, rather absently, that very few Ranen men were clean-shaven and that there was a definite smell of sweat in the building.

  ‘Sit there and keep your mouth shut, sweetness,’ murmured Al-Hasim, with a cheeky grin. ‘Remember, they all have axes.’

  Bronwyn glanced around the room and saw that every man held his hand-axe in his fist as a salute to the newcomers. The only Ranen in South Warden permitted two axes was Johan, and the captain of Scarlet Company let both his weapons remain on the stone floor in front of his chair.

  When they were seated, Mathias struck the floor a second time and spoke in a deep, clear voice. ‘Never before has a noble of Ro entered this place. I would remind all of the assembled lords that she is here as a guest of Horrock Green Blade and she will be respected as such.’

  A few men whispered contrary words to each other and it was evident that Horrock had had to spend many hours arguing before Bronwyn was allowed entrance. She also noted that the captain of Wraith Company no longer had his axe, having already cast it to settle the matter of her attendance.

  ‘My Lord Long Shadow,’ continued Mathias, ‘we will hear your words.’

  Johan did not stand from his seat and did not require any theatrics to be heard. He casually rested a leg across an arm of his stone chair. ‘Horrock tells us that the Ro have invaded the Grass Sea,’ he said in a throaty rumble. ‘An army of Red knights, and the king himself.’ A few men growled at this, and Bronwyn sensed great anger among the men of Ranen. ‘They have taken Ro Hail and could be here within the month,’ Johan continued. ‘You all know this... and as people of Rowanoco, we cannot let Tiris do whatever he pleases in our land.’ Again, the words were spoken with no real volume and Johan Long Shadow revealed himself to be a surprisingly taciturn man. ‘Horrock, your turn,’ he said dismissively, as if the formality required was a chore.

  Mathias Flame Tooth struck the floor again. ‘Captain Horrock Green Blade will speak.’

  The captain of Wraith Company stood from his seat halfway up the stone auditorium. ‘King Tiris has five thousand knights and bound men, minus what we managed to kill in Ro Hail, and we have not the strength to withstand them here.’ A slow rumble of disagreement rose from the men of South Warden. Horrock looked down at the stone in front of him, all too aware that he didn’t have an axe to cast if things became unpleasant, but he continued anyway. ‘Scarlet Company has five thousand fighting men. More if you muster all the clans of the Moon Wood. But that is not enough.’ A louder rumble of disagreement arose as men began to bang their axes on the stone in front of them, seeking permission to speak. A few spoke of the Fjorlanders and the age-old presumption that the northern realms of Ranen would save them.

  Haffen Red Face, Horrock’s axe-master, looked livid with rage as his friend’s words were interrupted and he, too, struck stone with his axe. ‘Let him speak. The dragon fleet is lost and the high thain dead.’

  Mathias Flame Tooth chuckled, letting his substantial stomach wobble as he retorted. ‘That’s for me to say, Haffen. South Warden has but one axe-master, and he knows his job.’ Flame Tooth glanced over his shoulder at Johan, who nodded. The axe-master of South Warden then said, ‘Horrock, continue, if you would.’

  Bronwyn knew the captain of Wraith Company fairly well. She had seen him fight William of Verellian, she had seen him battle scores of Red knights, and she had seen him inspire his men while standing bloodied and panting on the battlements of Ro Hail. But faced with the Ranen assembly, the tired old axe-man appeared humble and cautious.

 
‘We are not their match for equipment or skill,’ he said. ‘They have engines of war that could batter half your city to the ground before you got the chance to fight.’ More contrary voices arose, louder and more aggressive this time, as several other men stood to shout insults at Horrock, belittling him and claiming that South Warden was a match for any foe, even without the help of Fjorlan. The captain’s piercing blue eyes shot around the room and a curl to his lip showed that he was growing angrier. Haffen looked ready to hurl his axe as the assembly was split down the middle, half agreeing with Horrock and half stubbornly refusing to accept that South Warden could not defend itself alone.

  ‘Silence,’ roared Mathias Flame Tooth. The axe-master struck the floor twice with the haft of his axe and waited until the assembled Ranen had grown quiet. ‘We have heard this before and a man has already died in disagreement. We will hear from the Lady Bronwyn, who has no axe and cannot be killed.’

  Bronwyn glanced around the hall and saw the same sets of eyes, but now their blood was up. She looked at Horrock. He smiled weakly and nodded his head at her, with a slight shrug of his shoulders. To the other side, Captain Johan Long Shadow, who had been silent while Horrock spoke, was sitting more upright now and appeared to take an interest as the lady of Canarn stood from her stone seat.

  ‘Greetings, gentlemen,’ she said quietly, instantly thinking that was a stupid thing to have said. ‘I speak for Canarn and for my brother, Lord Bromvy.’ The Ranen were silent, regarding Bronwyn as if she were a curiosity. ‘I have seen what Captain Horrock has seen and I agree with his words.’

  Instantly the atmosphere changed and she was subjected to a dozen shouted insults about her gender and her race, and how little they cared for her words. Micah Stone Dog and Al-Hasim both stood and glared angrily at those that had insulted her. Stone Dog drew his locaber axe, roaring, ‘You’re big men when a woman tells you the truth. Come outside and I’ll show you how to listen.’

  With a deafening strike of his axe, Mathias silenced the assembly. The only sound that remained was a barely audible chuckle from Johan Long Shadow. He had clearly found Stone Dog’s challenge amusing and, once Mathias had restored order, he stood from his chair for the first time. He looked larger when standing and his shoulders flexed as he knelt down and picked up one of his throwing-axes from Rowanoco’s Stone.

  ‘No man here can cast an axe against the lady,’ he said quietly in his deep, throaty voice. ‘And another word about her honour or her right to be here and I’ll let the little man of Wraith cut a few of you up.’ He nodded at Stone Dog in appreciation of his defence of Bronwyn. Micah and Al-Hasim quickly resumed their seats. The auditorium was now the quietest it had been since Bronwyn arrived. She saw the assembled Ranen slowly shrink away from Johan, until only the captain and the lady of Canarn were still standing.

  ‘That’s better,’ said Johan with another chuckle, this time directed at Mathias, who evidently shared some private joke with his captain. Then he resumed his seat, keeping hold of his axe. ‘We can chant oaths at each other or we can deal with the Ro,’ he stated. ‘It’s really that simple.’

  The assembly was deathly silent now as everyone present listened to the captain of Scarlet Company. It seemed that no one dared question his words. Bronwyn witnessed a level of respect for Johan that he must have earned over many years of keeping South Warden safe.

  ‘Whether we can match them or not is irrelevant,’ he continued. ‘I personally think that, in a fair fight, we’d at least bloody their arrogant noses.’ A slight ripple of laughter came from certain quarters of the room. ‘But the bastards don’t fight fair... we know this. I would personally like to get Greywood Company down here to show the king that he’s not in Ro Tiris any more. If Algenon Teardrop is dead, we have to accept that help won’t be coming from Fjorlan.’

  Half the room agreed with the sentiment, while the other half stubbornly refused to admit that the men of Scarlet were not enough.

  ‘May I speak?’ asked Bronwyn in as loud a voice as she could muster.

  Mathias Flame Tooth smiled at her. ‘Technically, he’s out of order for interrupting you, my lady,’ the corpulent axe-master said, nodding at Johan. ‘But this lot wouldn’t shut up, so things have deviated from protocol.’

  Johan smiled knowingly at Bronwyn and resumed his seat, showing a deference that elicited another ripple of disapproval from the assembled men. Horrock and Haffen remained standing and kept their eyes focused on any man who questioned Bronwyn.

  She moved away from her seat and came to a halt in front of the assembly, isolated on Rowanoco’s Stone. ‘My lords, there is much you don’t know,’ she said simply. ‘I admire your confidence and I wish that it were well placed. The king can call for reinforcements from a dozen barracks and a hundred duchies. Loyal nobles and knights of Tor Funweir will flock to his banner, and they will not care about your confidence, or your people, or your way of life.’ Her words were now loud enough to echo around the building and to carry over the grumbled complaints of the Ranen. ‘You have allies, my friends, and you would be foolish not to call upon them. It’s not too late.’

  Before anyone could insult her, Mathias Flame Tooth struck the floor heavily with his axe. ‘Silence, brothers. Let her continue,’ he bellowed.

  Bronwyn breathed in deeply several times and composed herself. ‘My brother can lend aid, as can Dominic Black Claw and Greywood Company, but time is running out. Your peace terms will be ignored and William of Verellian will likely be killed before your words are even delivered to the king.’

  No one shouted at her now, whether for fear of Mathias or because, finally, they were listening. For a moment, she gained confidence to continue. ‘This is not a time for stubborn honour or flowery words and oaths of battle. This is a time to defend your land from an aggressor who would see you all as slaves.’ The final word was deliberately chosen for its age-old connotation. The idea of a Ranen man being anyone’s slave was abhorrent to Rowanoco and his children, and Bronwyn knew the word would not be ignored.

  She held her breath and waited for the reaction. When none came, she continued, speaking now to a silent room. ‘We have a month. Even if we send for aid now, we will still need to hold South Warden against the king until reinforcements arrive. Much work needs to be done and we cannot afford to be at each other’s throats.’

  The assembled Ranen began to turn away from Bronwyn and to look at each other with questioning glances. Horrock and Haffen stood defiantly, lending their silent support to the noblewoman’s words. Mathias let the assembly mutter for a moment before calling for silence with a strike of his axe.

  Johan stood again. ‘I will gladly cast my axe in support of this motion.’ He let his grey eyes play over the faces before him. ‘The question is whether any of you will cast yours against it.’

  Mathias struck the floor again. ‘A declaration has been made. Will any man speak against it with axe or words?’

  Many of the loudest naysayers hesitated while the assembly looked to them to dictate the tone of further deliberations. If they were to object, Johan would cast his axe, forcing an opponent to cast one in return. The question posed by the captain of Scarlet Company was a fair one. Who was prepared to cast an axe against Long Shadow?

  ‘Time is of the essence, gentlemen,’ said Bronwyn without thinking, causing Flame Tooth to direct a chiding glance at her.

  ‘I would speak,’ shouted a voice from the left of the auditorium.

  Bronwyn looked up and saw a wiry Ranen with blonde hair and cunning eyes. He had not been involved in the previous insults and shouting. Several of her allies, who clearly knew him, exchanged confused glances.

  ‘The assembly will hear the words of Dragneel Dark Crest, axe-master of Brytag’s Roost,’ announced Mathias.

  Bronwyn had not heard of him, but she knew Brytag’s Roost to be an ancient and mystical site for the faithful of Rowanoco. The highest peak was supposedly where the Ice Giant’s raven perched, watching over the Freelands, an
d every priest of the Order of the Hammer was expected to climb the mountain at least once during his teenage years.

  The World Raven was also the patron god of house Canarn, and Bronwyn had grown up hearing stories of Brytag’s love of luck and wisdom. Whether Brytag was actually a god or just an old totem of some kind, she didn’t know, but Bromvy had always believed he was literally Rowanoco’s pet raven.

  ‘I have never spoken before the assembly,’ said Dragneel in a strikingly deep voice. ‘I have never felt the need.’ He stood up and revealed that he had only one leg. ‘But I have seen a third option.’

  A curious rumbling flowed through the auditorium and a few men seated near the front jeered at the man, making fun of his being an axe-master of a mountain range rather than a town. However, the one-legged man did not appear angry or insulted, and merely waved his hand to indicate that he wanted silence.

  ‘I can be insulting as well, but I prefer not to be,’ said Dragneel. ‘I will continue to talk and hope that those with intelligence as well as axes will hear me.’ It came across as a subtly barbed insult and several men shut up instantly. ‘You talk of staying and fighting. With or without the other Free Companies, I propose retreat.’ The words were spoken simply and most of the Ranen did not instantly grasp what he had proposed.

  ‘The raven has no place here,’ screamed a man at the front, holding his axe threateningly. ‘This is Rowanoco’s Stone, not a perch for your bird.’

  The man of Brytag’s Roost did not react to the insult. He merely sat down and scanned the room with narrow eyes. ‘You’ll forgive me sitting,’ he said. ‘My left leg hasn’t grown back yet and my right doesn’t like having to do all the work.’

  A few more jeers and Mathias Flame Tooth struck the stone floor. ‘Dragneel, your comments have been noted, but surrendering South Warden is not an option,’ said the fat axe-master.

  ‘If Brytag’s word is not welcome here, I’ll be sure to light a candle for you all when I return to my mountain,’ Dragneel replied with a wry smile. ‘But stubbornness will get you so far and then it will get you killed... remember that.’