“Since when has that mattered to you?” asked Rowena. “How does your crew respond to your outfits?”
“They like it,” admitted Hanna. “It reminds them of father.”
“If you are comfortable and your crew is comfortable then you should not give a damn about what anyone else thinks, especially if the outfits are having the desired results. You’ve become a fetching young lady, and if showing that off helps you in battle then wear it with pride.”
Hanna smiled. Her mother was right. “Thank you, Mother. I believe you are right, it is time for another color outfit. What colors do I have to pick from?”
Rowena returned Hanna’s smile. “Quite a few. We had a good shipment of troll skins come in while you were gone. I spent a good chunk of your money for you. However, I am fond of the white one.”
“White battle armor?”
“Bright white. They will see you for miles away,” said Rowena.
Suddenly an idea came to Hanna. “Mother, you are absolutely brilliant.” Hanna leaned over the table to study the map. “Who leads our northerners now?” When her grandfather had been alive he had several lieutenants who he trusted but Thorodd always lead the men when battle came.
“I have changed things. Your grandfather’s command structure only worked with his leadership. Now I have two main lieutenants: Osric the Black and Bardolph.”
“That is perfect each of them can lead a company of men. Make it clear that I don’t want the Skagges to see them until I give the signal.” Hanna pointed to the map. The Skagges will come through the valley to the west of Cath. They will mostly likely travel through the meadow, especially when they see me and the crew on the eastern edge of the meadow. Have them position their men in the trees on either side of the meadow, well out of sight. And can you tell Captain Rozad that each of our men is to carry a bow and full quiver of arrows along with their normal fighting gear.”
“I’m not sure how this plan makes me brilliant, but if it works I expect full credit,” said Rowena.
While her mother went to give out the orders, Hanna went into the small storage room where she kept her gear. While she had been gone, someone had built a new closest for her armor. In it was a veritable rainbow of colored armor. Green, blue, pink, yellow, a black that was as shiny as polished obsidian and a bright white set. Hanna removed her blood red armor and replaced it with the white. It was perfect for what she had planned.
6
Katla in Gorro
In the far northern western corner of Mykoznia lay the Towers of Gorro. The towers were home to mages. The mages served the king and worked all over the kingdom, but the tower was their home. Secluded and far away from any village or town, the towers were a safe place to learn magic without blowing anyone up.
Katla had heard horror stories about overzealous mages practicing magic in populated areas. For generations, the Towers of Gorro had been home to the kingdom’s mages. Mykoznians, in general, liked magic and knew the benefits it provided the kingdom, but all felt safer having the young mages far away where they could practice their spells without harming anyone unintentionally.
As Katla approached the towers she couldn’t help but notice how dark and dreary it was. The north-western part of Mykoznia was rainforests. Tall trees and an endless supply of clouds and rain made for a damp ride.
At the gates, two guards stopped her.
“State your business,” said the first guard.
“I’m here to see Master Wolden,” said Katla. She pulled out her King’s Guard emblem and showed it to the guard.
The guard examined the emblem and then took another look at Katla. “So it is true. The King’s Guard are the most beautiful women in the kingdom.”
Katla took back the emblem and gave the guard an icy stare.
Unperturbed by her glare, the guard continued. “Is it also true you’re the most dangerous warriors in the kingdom.”
To this Katla smiled. “Where can I find Master Wolden?”
The guard glanced up at the towers. This time of day I suspect he is in his study. A real book worm that Master Wolden. I had better escort you up. The towers can be tricky to navigate if you aren’t familiar with them.”
“Lead the way,” said Katla.
The second guard took the reins to her horse while the first guard led her into the towers. They passed several young men in grey robes and a few older men in colored robes. Katla knew the tower mage’s robes signified skill level. The grey robes were apprentices. Some had stripes of color signifying they had made advances in a discipline. The more color a robe had the more advanced the student. Some had small strips of multiple colors, while others had only one.
“You King’s Guard types don’t have to take a vow of celibacy, do you?” asked the guard as they walked. “It would be a real crime if that was the case.”
Amused by the persistent guard, Katla answered. “Do you speak to all of the King’s representatives this way? There can be consequences.”
The guard snorted. “What? They going to demote me? I’m already in the middle of nowhere, the gods piss on me daily, and I guard a bunch of mages who don’t need to be guarded.”
“You realize I could kill you?”
“At least that would be an interesting death. How many men get to say they died at the hands of the world’s most beautiful woman?” The guard smiled as he opened a door. “Master Wolden’s study. Do you need me to wait?”
“I can find my way from here, thank you,” said Katla. As she went into the room she purposely moved closer to the guard so that their bodies touched as she moved past him. She slowed and lifted her hand to his chest, letting it rest there while she leaned in and whispered in his ear, “No vows are taken.” She then winked at the man and gently pushed him away as she entered the study.
As she closed the door she heard the guard muttering to himself. “Gods above, that would be worth dying for.”
She chuckled to herself as she examined the study. Master Wolden’s study was a library. Wall to wall bookshelves filled and then piles of books and scrolls piled around the room. His desk was surprisingly sparse with only two books on it and another in his hands. Master Wolden was a tall man and his robes were black with large patches of red, blue, yellow, orange and pink scattered over it.
The robes of a true master, thought Katla.
Master Wolden looked up from his book, and studied her. He stared at her for a moment, his face hard, but then he relaxed. “I am surprised to see you.”
Katla frowned. “You know me?”
“Anyone who pays attention to the king’s safety should. How many King’s Guards resign their position and then become assassins?”
Katla bristled at the assassin comment, but it was the truth. Nothing she could do would change that. She pulled out the emblem and showed it to him. “I suspect not too many.” She walked closer and put the emblem on the desk. She moved slow so the mage wouldn’t get the wrong impression.
“Evetal sent you? Well, that is interesting. What can we do for you?”
Katla explained the situation, starting with her own story. She told him of Solotine, Hanna, the spirit stones, getting her sister back, Koyo and Hanna arriving in Mykoznia, the attack on the witch coven and the warning of the return of Quivna. She finished by describing the conversation with the books master and Evetal.
“I see,” said Master Wolden. “And Evetal specifically asked for Hester Porel?”
Katla nodded. “Yes.”
Master Wolden sighed and closed his book. “Not my first choice, but given the circumstances I suppose it is logical.”
“The circumstances?” asked Katla, still confused as to why she was being teamed up with an apprentice mage.
“Demon magic. Master Crabtree is the most experienced mage when it comes to demons, but his years are far too advanced to be traipsing around the country hunting witches and demon warriors.”
“Where can I find the apprentice?”
“Hester? He is l
ikely training right now. I’ll walk you up.” Master Wolden rose from his desk and led Katla back out of his study. They went up a windy corridor that climbed the tower. After five floors, Master Wolden went down a hallway until they entered a small balcony overlooking a large training room. At one end of the training room were a series of targets, while at the other end a group of students stood preparing to fire at them. In the middle of the room stood one student.
“Ah, excellent timing. You can watch the testing,” said Master Wolden.
A master mage that Katla hadn’t noticed before stepped out of the shadows on the far end of the balcony. He nodded towards Katla and Master Wolden and then turned his attention to the apprentices below. “Begin,” he said in a deep voice.
The apprentices started firing fireballs and little blue pulses of light towards the targets on the other side of the room. The apprentice in the middle or the room, a tall gangly young man with one of the most colorful robes Katla had seen yet, started sending spells the other way, knocking the other apprentices spells out of the air before they could hit any of the targets.
“He looks sharp today, Brutis,” said Master Wolden.
The other master snorted. “You know what will happen.”
Master Wolden leaned over to whisper to Katla. “Hester is the one in the middle. If he passes this exam, he will no longer be an apprentice.”
Katla watched as the other apprentices sent progressively more magical spells towards the opposite side of the room. Hester seemed to be doing a fine job defending against them, but then a large apprentice with thick red and black strips of color on his robes stepped forward and started a giant spell. The spell turned into a huge fire serpent the flew in a circular motion towards Hester. To block the serpent Hester made a large blue energy shield that he held in one hand. He kept firing spells with his other hand, but now the apprentice spells were hitting the targets. Hester couldn’t block the serpent and the small spells at the same time.
“I told you,” said Master Brutis as he turned and left the balcony, not waiting to see the results.
The targets on the far wall all started to turn red. Hester tried valiantly to defend the last few targets that hadn’t, but he couldn’t keep up to the attacks with one hand. The last target turned red. The test was over.
The large apprentice who made the flame serpent smirked at Hester and then the room. The other apprentices laughed and then followed the big one, leaving Hester alone.
“Come,” said Master Wolden. He went down a set of stairs from the balcony to the training area below.
Katla followed him.
When they reached the training area, Master Wolden smiled and spoke. “Hester, your aim is improving. You stopped almost all of the early attacks.”
Hester gave a resigned half smile. “I thought it would work this time. A shield to block and keep firing, but I was wrong, again.”
“Regardless, your skills are improving. When it is your time you will pass the test. Now stand up straight. You have a guest.”
Hester noticed Katla for the first time. He stumbled back a bit. “Who are you?”
Master Wolden chuckled. “Hester Porel, this is Katla, a former King’s Guard here on a mission for the king. She needs your assistance.”
Hester stared at Katla. “I… Hello. It is nice to, wait what? You need my assistance?” Hester turned to Master Wolden. “Master, I just failed. I’m still an apprentice. Surely someone more deserving of such an honor can be found.”
Katla shook her head. Were all the young men in this place challenged when it came to talking to women? First the guard who couldn’t stop talking, and now the apprentice who can’t finish a complete sentence when talking to her.
“Apprentice or not, you have been chosen for this mission. Others might argue that you are correct and there are others more worthy, but luckily, they have no say in this. The king needs you. Are you refusing your king?”
“No, Master!” said Hester. “I’m not. I’m here to serve.”
“Good. Katla here is going looking for witches and she expects she may run into demon warriors. You will be her protector.”
Katla’s eyebrows arched and a smirk came to her lips.
The gangly apprentice was going to protect her?
Hester turned back to Katla. “Demon warriors? Are you sure?”
So, he can finish a sentence mused Katla.
“Yes. We’ve already encountered several them, but we fear they are making more.”
“They have spirit stones? How fascinating. When do you want to leave?”
“As soon as possible. Your guards eye me like a piece of fresh meat. I would hate to have to teach them a lesson.”
Master Wolden laughed. “You will have to forgive the men. There are few females here in the towers, and the ones we do have tend to let the guards know their disinterest with fireballs, they find outsiders far more interesting.”
“If you will excuse me, I have things to pack,” said Hester with a short bow, before hustling off.
Katla gave Master Wolden an icy look. “That is the man who’s going to protect me?”
“I realize someone with your skills must find the idea amusing, however I can assure you young Hester will be an asset, and yes he may well be the key to keeping you alive.”
“Are you going to let me in on the secret? Or does the apprentice who can’t figure out the simplest of tests have to tell me?”
“You are a warrior. It comes naturally to you to see what needed to be done to pass that test. Hester doesn’t see things that way. It is what keeps him from becoming a mage.”
“Is he afraid of the big apprentice or does he not understand that sometimes the best defense is an attack?’ asked Katla. “All he needed to do to pass that test was attack the big one. Instead he gave him all the time in the world to begin that fire serpent spell.”
“A little of both I fear. Hester isn’t confident enough in himself to realize he is much more powerful than the rest of the apprentices, and the idea of using an attack for defensive purposes is foreign to him. Perhaps accompanying you will be good for Hester.”
“If he survives,” said Katla.
“True. But the answer to your question is that Hester Porel is one of the only students Master Crabtree has taken in the last thirty years. Master Crabtree studies the dark side of magic, things like demons and spirit stones, and his apprentices must be exceptionally pure of heart. Hester’s innocence and naivety may hinder him in his quest to become a full-fledged mage but they are what allows him to study with Master Crabtree. There is more to Hester than meets the eye. There are many full-fledged mages that don’t have the aptitude for magic or the abilities that that young man has.”
“Master Brutis?”
Master Wolden smiled. “Master Brutis thinks Hester is a waste of talent. He likes mages who are more confident and aggressive.”
Katla could see Master Brutis’ point, but Master Wolden seemed to trust in Hester and Evetal had chosen him, perhaps he would be of some use. For her own sake, she hoped so.
7
Battle at the bridge
Cath, the small village nestled between two large forests, was intact when Hanna and the crew of the Lady arrived. The villagers had heard about the movements of the Skagge clan and were relieved to see Hanna and crew.
Juron Mears, the village leader approached Hanna. “Thank you for coming,” He looked around at Hanna and the crew. “There are more of you coming? Last report from our scouts suggest two hundred and fifty men are approaching.
“There are more,” said Hanna. “We came over the mountain, our riders will be here soon.”
Juron looked relieved. “What do you need from us?”
“I need every man woman and child working,” said Hanna.
. “We will do our best. What do you want done?” Juron nodded his agreement.
Hanna lead the man to the meadow on the western side of the village. “You agree that this is the way they
will likely come?”
“Yes. They might come through the trees, but it is more likely that they will come down the valley and through the meadow on the western road.”
Perfect, thought Hanna. “Then it makes my plan simple. The bridge is where we will fight.”
“The bridge? It is out in the open? Wouldn’t it be better to destroy the bridge and make them come through the ravine?” asked Juron Mears.
The ravine was a rocky ditch that had once been part of the river that ran to the south of the village. Time and erosion had changed the rivers path, but the old ravine still ran through the edge of the meadow. It was over six feet deep and easily that wide. The ravine split the meadow and the only easy way across it was the bridge. The bridge was flat and couldn’t be seen from a distance. A key component of Hanna’s plan. “No, we are going to be turning the ravine into a trap. Cover the ravine with sticks, dirt and sod until it looks like the rest of the meadow.”
“But what about the bridge? They will notice it,” argued Juron.
“No if we cover it too. Besides, I will be standing at the bridge and my men will be forming a shield wall behind me. The Skagge men won’t be looking at the ground.”
“We don’t have much time. Our scouts say they will arrive tomorrow,” said Juron.
Hanna slapped the nervous village leader on the back, “Then we’d best hurry.” Hanna turned to Azad. “You know what to do.”
As Azad started ordering the rest of the men around, Hanna turned to Juron. “Every man who can wield an axe needs to be in the forest cutting branches. Nothing thicker than two thumbs together. We want it to hold dirt and sod, but not strong enough, and two sections of palisade on this side of the ravine. We’ll channel them into the middle.” If the trap worked the way Hanna intended, the main fighting would happen on the bridge. The bridge was only ten feet wide, enough for two wagons to cross. The narrow fighting area would give Hanna and her men a distinct advantage and remove the biggest advantage Skagge and his men would have. All Skagge’s men would have to cross the bridge or skirt around the ravine and into the forests. If they tried to cross the bridge they would be fighting Hanna and the crew of the Lady in a confined space, their specialty. If they went around into the woods they would find the hidden warriors from Irontide.
Hanna Halfblood: Spirit Warrior Page 4