"You're going to have two sorts guarding that temple," Mallin finally said. "The zealots who consider it the highest honor to die for it, and the ones who think it's already protected enough, so they think it's going to be an easy post."
"You've talked radicals into standing down before," Nahtan pointed out.
"Not ones guarding Zared's temple," Mallin returned. He gave Nahtan a long look. "I assume you'll order the army to advance if they won't surrender?"
Nahtan sighed. "I have to, Mallin," he told him. "My daughter's somewhere around that temple. I'm not leaving without her."
Mallin nodded. "What if it's too late for her?" he asked. "We all heard stories about that temple. You either went in as a follower of Zared's or a prisoner. If you went in the former, you came out a more devout follower, and if you went in the latter, you didn't come out again."
"It's not too late," Nahtan shook his head. He wasn't going to tell Mallin how he knew Valry was safe, just that he did.
Mallin only shook his head. "I can feel them out," he said. "But I don't make any guarantees. Any church guards who got sent down here were a different sort than we had up in Herridon. Those of us up there were loyal to the Archbishop, these men were loyal to Zared."
"I always meant to ask you how you could follow the Archbishop but not Zared," Nahtan told him.
Mallin shrugged. "It's a question of ideals, not religion," he stated. "I still don't agree with some of what you do, and I never will. My religion's my personal business, not yours. My only concern is that lives be spared when men have done nothing but held to different thoughts and opinions from yours." He paused to glance at Nahtan. "But you already know that."
Nahtan nodded. "I do," he said. "But the reminder every so often is good, too, Lieutenant," he said. "You may be a pain in my arse most days, but you do it for a reason and with conviction." He turned when Kiril fell in on his other side.
"This ye're other man?" Kiril asked.
Nahtan bowed his head in greeting to him. "Yes," he replied. "Lieutenant Mallin, this is former BishopLord Kiril. Kiril, this is Lieutenant Mallin, former waystation officer."
Mallin looked from Nahtan to Kiril and back. "You got yourself a damned BishopLord?"
Kiril chuckled. "There's a much longer story than that in there," he said. "It was far more the former Captain and Lady Adiella than the lad here."
"I've heard more than a few mention this former captain," Mallin said.
"Kile 'ad a way of gettin' under ye're skin," Kiril said. "Then needlin' his way through ye until he somehow made ye want to be a better man."
"That's one way of putting it," Nahtan agreed.
When they reached the front of the army, Nahtan introduced Mallin to Asher and Neyl, then let them brief him on the area around the temple. Nahtan and Renato fell back slightly, making sure they had plenty of room to talk and decide the best way to approach.
"Who's that?" Jedrik asked, nodding towards Mallin.
Nahtan glanced at him. Tabari had moved to the side and was talking to Brijade.
"Lieutenant Mallin," Nahtan answered. "A former church guard officer who never resigned his commission, so I guess technically he's still a lieutenant. He's sort of taken a role now as an advocate for church guard prisoners to make sure they're treated fairly and not wrongfully accused of things. He's posed no threat to Herridon or any of my men, so he stays free. Occasionally during times of conflict, he's been able to negotiate surrenders or convince groups to disperse so we didn't have to fight. I thought between him and Kiril, they might be able to save at least a few lives in that army outside the temple."
"What's Kiril goin' to be able to do?" Jedrik asked. He was studying Mallin's back intently.
Nahtan looked at him, surprised, then realized he must not have known Kiril's past with the Archbishop. "Kiril used to be a BishopLord," he replied. "He renounced his title and tried to save Kile's life when we took the castle and Grand Cathedral."
Jedrik turned and stared at Nahtan. "Ye know, Ye're Majesty," he said, his tone firm and scolding. "When ye found out ye're city was under siege, and I asked ye for ye're numbers, don't ye think ye could 'ave also mentioned that ye 'ad an active officer and former BishopLord wit' ye?"
Nahtan shrugged. "I guess I never really thought of them as assets for that kind of situation," he confessed. "I suppose I should also add that I have a former captain of the guard for the Archbishop back in Herridon, then, too."
Jedrik continued to stare at him, then muttered more than a few curses. "I've been tryin' to scrape together some kind o' plan for ye, and now I find out ye've practically got a key to the gates sitting right there in the open," he said. "Is there anythin' else ye'd like to add?"
"I think that's all," Nahtan said. He nodded toward Tabari. "So what's his story with you?"
"What do ye mean?
"You two seem to be spending a lot of time talking while we ride," Nahtan pointed out.
Jedrik snorted. "'At one seems to think 'e's goin' to get me to tell 'im 'bout everythin' I've ever done," he said. "Keeps tellin' me it'll make for better stories." He snorted again. "Ye want to tell good stories, ye got to be there livin' 'em," he stated. "But I'll give 'im due for tryin'." He shook his head. "I just wish to 'ell I could find a way to shut 'im up once 'e gets goin'."
"He does seem to like to talk," Nahtan nodded. He watched as Brijade laughed then shook her head at him. "Brijade seems to like him."
"Aye," Jedrik nodded. He watched Nahtan for a minute. "But I think this babe 'as made 'er realize she's missin' a family," he said. "She's 'ad naught for so long, she didn't remember what havin' one was like until now."
"You've really grown rather fond of her, haven't you?" Nahtan asked.
"Aye," Jedrik nodded. "The Lady o' Takis 'as earned my full respect. Ye don't meet too many women like 'er."
"No, you don't," Nahtan agreed. He watched Brijade and Tabari for a minute. "So Tabari hasn't talked to you about anything except what stories you can tell him?"
Jedrik looked at Nahtan questioningly. "Should 'e 'ave?"
"I guess not," Nahtan sighed.
"Are ye wonderin' if ye can trust 'im?" Jedrik asked.
"I've just learned when people show up out of the blue, it's not always coincidence," Nahtan replied.
"Aside from talkin' too much and usin' more words 'an I drop letters, 'e seems all right," Jedrik shrugged. "Ain't 'eard 'im say anythin' 'at would make me think 'e was a threat." He paused to look at Nahtan. "And if I thought 'e was goin' to be a threat to the Lady o' Takis, 'e wouldn't be ridin' anywhere near 'er."
Nahtan nodded. Jedrik made a good point. As protective as he'd become of Brijade lately, he wasn't going to let anyone near her who he thought might pose even the slightest threat to her.
When they were only a few leagues away, Nahtan signaled for the army to stop. He nodded to Gaurel and the young man lifted the falcon into the air. As it flapped its wings and climbed higher into the sky, Nahtan reached out to it, touching its mind. As it circled and gained altitude, the temple came into view, as well as the army guarding it.
Nahtan swore, not even trying to be polite about it.
"What is it?" Asher asked him.
"The temple's been destroyed," Nahtan said. "Burned." He touched the falcon's mind, urging it to fly lower. The bird grudgingly obliged, drifting in lazy circles over the land ahead. "The army's not five hundred," Nahtan continued. "Maybe three hundred at the road, if that. There are maybe fifty or sixty more back by the temple. It looks like they're either scavenging or looking for survivors." He frowned. "I can't see where the others went."
"Maybe dead at the temple?" Neyl offered.
Nahtan pulled his mind back from the falcon's. So close to Valry and now he gets here only to find the temple burned out. Part of him wondered if what had happened at Basiyr had caused the damage here, and he sincerely hoped he hadn't hurt Valry if it did. Gaurel said he saw rocks when he checked on her after she woke up, so maybe that meant they'd gotten out and
weren't trapped somewhere inside in rubble.
He turned to Mallin and Kiril.
"Head up and see what you can find out," he ordered them. "We'll be behind you, but slow enough to give you time."
Kiril nodded to him and the two men spurred their horses into gallops.
Nahtan looked back at Gaurel, his expression asking if he was sure Valry was safe when he had checked on her last. Gaurel nodded his head, then lifted his arm as the falcon dove down, landing on his arm and flapping his wings several times.
Nahtan turned to Aralt several yards behind him. "Four scouts out," he called. "Give Kiril and Mallin time to talk to whoever's in charge there before they get too close, though." Aralt nodded and turned to the Mo'ani and Olorun soldiers behind him to dispatch the scouts. "I guess let's start going slow," Nahtan said.
"There are a lot of hills and caves north of there," Ehren said from behind Asher. "With a lot of places in there to hide. The missin' guards could be there if they deserted."
"Aye," Zara said as Asher nodded. "It took us four months a couple of years ago to flush out a group of church guards that tried attackin' the merchant wagons that use the roads further up."
Nahtan looked at Asher. "You certainly get called on to cover a lot of land," he noted.
"That depends on which borders ye abide by," Asher said. "Technically, Olorun Hold only covers the plateaus, Steppes and about thirty leagues around."
"Nivan's big enough to hold its own in most cases," Neyl added. "But a lot of the rest of the holds just don't have the manpower or trainin'. Lady Laeth could be, but she's got 'er letch of a husband to deal with, so most of 'er money gets spent on 'is indiscretions and bad habits. The rest of 'em are just rabbits waitin' for the coyotes to pounce on 'em, so they usually go runnin' to Olorun for help when it gets bad."
"That's usually when they start pullin' out old maps that still show Olorun as coverin' everything from just below the pass, down to the Kamir border south of the Steppes and east to the river," Asher sighed.
"And da 'as a hard time tellin' em no," Kenah added.
"So who controls the rest of that land now if it's not Olorun's?" Nahtan asked.
Asher turned to look at him. "We thought ye did," he said. "But apparently not."
Nahtan shook his head. "My border very definitely ends five leagues south of Corydon Hold in the pass," Nahtan assured him.
"Then I guess no one," Asher said. "Like I told ye, we thought we owed ye taxes until ye told me otherwise."
"I guess we should get that all sorted out, too," Nahtan sighed. He really didn't want to make his kingdom any bigger than it was now.
The scouts came back when they were only a couple of leagues back from the temple, telling them Kiril and Mallin were still talking to the church guards there. Nahtan took that as a hopeful sign and they continued on, stopping about a half league back. At Asher's signal, the army began moving out to the side so they would be in position to block any advance from the church guards, as well as let them know Nahtan and Asher had come with a large enough force to take the temple.
They hadn't waited long after that before Mallin turned and rode back to them.
"Well?" Nahtan asked.
Mallin reined in his horse, then took a moment before replying. "You've got a tense situation here," he said. "You've got men there who'll lay down their weapons and walk away on your word that they can return to their families."
"All right," Nahtan nodded. "But--?" He knew the bad news was coming next.
"You've got enough radicals there that they're basically afraid to try to leave," Mallin finished. "The devoted ones are serious enough that they'll kill their own comrades if they try to abandon their posts."
"What about the ones that are missing?" Nahtan asked.
"Kiril's still trying to get details on that," Mallin said. "But from the sounds of it, several were sent into the temple to look for the high priest and priestess and your daughter, but they never came out again. The rest have been dispatched into the hills up north to look for them there."
"I told ye Zared keeps Aduran ahead of anybody who comes lookin' for ‘im," Asher said. "He was probably gone by the time the first fires broke out."
Nahtan frowned. "Is there any way we can tell the ones who'll walk away from the ones who won't?" he asked Mallin.
Mallin shook his head. "If any of them lays down their sword, and one of the radicals is next to them, they're as good as dead."
"And if ye try to provide 'em a way out durin' the fight," Neyl said. "Ye'd run the risk of lettin' out the ones ye want to keep there."
"We could just surround them and take them all prisoner," Brijade suggested. "Then Mallin could take the time to talk to them as we travel north and let the ones go who just want to go home."
Nahtan nodded, studying the army up ahead. A man who was only a soldier was drawn to the life for the discipline, order and structure it provided. One who was drawn there because of overzealous beliefs would have been fully drawn in by Zared's ravings and teachings.
"I guess I could ride up there and see which ones want to kill me right away," he finally said with a shrug.
"Why don't ye engage 'em?" Jedrik asked.
Nahtan turned to look at the old man. "Because we don't want to kill the ones who don't want to be there?" he returned.
"Ye won't," Jedrik said. "They won't stand down because they're afraid the loyal ones'll turn on 'em. But if ye're men are right there in the thick of it, they could drop their weapons and surrender on the field and not 'ave to worry 'bout their own comin' at 'em."
"We'd run the risk of any of the loyal ones trying to escape that way," Brijade pointed out. "Then doubling back and trying to take out someone important."
Jedrik sighed. "Ye set up a reserve spot where they can go when they surrender," he said. "Then ye're man can talk to 'em and feel 'em out. If they're bein' honest, then 'e can send 'em on their way. If they're not, then ye've already got 'em in custody." He looked at Nahtan. "But I'd be bettin' 'at Zared's most loyal would all be wantin' to see ye dead 'fore they'd be handin' over their swords."
"He does have a point with that last part," Nahtan said to Brijade.
"While Mallin's talking to them, that would give us time to clear the temple and start searching the hills and caves for the ones who went that way," Asher added.
Nahtan nodded, studying the army ahead. After a minute, his eyes shifted to the faint, drifting smoke of the temple behind them. If he wanted to find any clue in the temple where Lord Valin and Valry might have gone, he needed to reach it.
"We're going to the temple," he decided. "We'll do two lines like Jedrik suggested. Tthe front line will just walk to the temple. Anyone who tries to engage us will be dealt with, anyone who doesn't want to die can just walk through our line."
He turned Renato to ride back to give Aralt the orders to change the positions. As Aralt started giving the orders, the armies split into two groups, one to advance and the other to hold a secondary line and take any surrendering guards into custody.
Nahtan rode back over to Asher's side and stood up in his saddle to draw his sword as Gaurel, Tabari and Kenah all moved to the back with the others who weren't part of the army.
"Go get Kiril," Nahtan told Mallin. "Tell the church guards what's happening. If they raise a weapon or attack us, we will respond. If they want to live, all they have to do is drop their weapon and walk through to the second line."
Mallin nodded and turned his horse, returning to where Kiril was still speaking with one of the officers. Nahtan watched as they all spoke for a minute, then Kiril raised his voice, announcing to the church guards what was happening. As they turned and rode back, a number of the church guards drew their weapons but Nahtan also noticed several who didn't.
"Let the line on foot advance first," Nahtan said. "Cavalry and us behind them. We don't need them trying to take down any Dwellers' horses." Mallin gave Nahtan a nod and turned to ride to the back, not about to participat
e, while Kiril drew his sword and took a position with Ehren and Zara just behind Asher.
"Ye aren't worried about Zared doin' anything with any priests still around?" Neyl asked Nahtan as the soldiers on foot started forward.
Nahtan shook his head. "We don't have to worry about Zared or his priests interfering anymore," he told them.
"How do ye know that?" Asher asked him.
Nahtan was quiet for a moment. He decided any answer he'd give would require far more explanation than they had time for right now.
"Just trust me," he finally said.
Once the soldiers on foot had moved several yards ahead, Nahtan and the others started forward. Even if all of the church guards attacked, they wouldn't stand any chance against the far higher Mo'ani and Olorun numbers.
Nahtan watched the church guards closely as they neared. Several came to the front, weapons ready, fully intent on defending their positions and what remained of the temple even when they knew they stood no chance. As the first of their armies met, the church guards at the front attacked.
It seemed at first that a far higher number were attacking than he expected, but from his position on Renato, after several seconds, he could see at least one in four of the church guards they came up to were throwing down their weapons or surrendering them to the Mo'ani or Olorun soldier in front of them, then crossing the line. Each one was then taken into custody immediately by the soldiers in the second line. A quick glance that way and Nahtan could see Mallin there, directing the guards where to go and making sure none were attacked.
A few church guards made it through the first line to try to attack Nahtan, Asher or the others on horseback. Each one was dealt with quickly, never getting a chance to take more than a swing or two before being cut down.
By the time they cleared the church guards, they were either all dead or taken into custody. A look back at the second line showed perhaps sixty men there, surrounded by Mo'ani and Olorun soldiers to make sure they didn't try attacking.
"If ye're man clears 'em, ye'll have returned at least a few to their families," Asher noted. "I just hope we don't have trouble with 'em later."
Basiyr: Chronicles of Nahtan: Book 6 (The Herridon Chronicles) Page 25