by C. E. Swain
"Glansford was built long before Corlindum, and it the strongest by far, but they are both well built." Menimeth agreed.
"We have talked to our sister, and she agrees that we should stay." Caladon said. "Though we do not know what we will do."
"We have no skills outside of the castle." Banadar said. "As prince's we were expected to be solders."
"You are my guests for as long as you stay." Menimeth told them. "There is more than enough time to think about that later, besides I have a problem I had hoped you could help me with."
"How may we help you?" Caladon asked. "You but need to ask."
"The castle needs people to fill positions in many different areas. I need someone to talk with the people of the refugee camp, and send those that have the knowledge and wish to work, to see Brylen in the Dragon Tower."
"That is easy enough." Banadar said. "Besides, there are pretty girls in the camp."
"He did not ask us to find you a girlfriend." Caladon said. "He asked us to fine workers for the castle."
"Pretty girls work in castles too." Banadar said defensively. "All castles have the prettiest girls, you know that."
"That is true." Caladon said. "But it is not just the pretty girls we will talk to."
"That is because the pretty ones will not talk to you." Banadar said. "You will have to stick to the ugly ones."
"At least they will talk to me." Caladon said. "All the girls do to you is, laugh."
"That is because they are speechless." Banadar said.
"No, they just think you are funny looking." Caladon replied. "And so they laugh."
"It is you they laugh at." Banadar said. "And your pony ears."
"No, it is your dog face that does it." Caladon replied.
Menimeth watched the brothers as they walked away, totally oblivious to all else around them, and in the direction of the refugee camp. They did not even realize that the dragon rider was no longer with them, and he smiled at their youthful antics. Turning, he walked from the market, and made his way to the garrison.
Tukhal proved to be a very good trainer, and within days, the training grounds were transformed into the military camp it was designed to be. Menimeth made the decision to use the sashes as a way to show that a warrior's training was complete, and that he was a member of the Dragon Guard. Now he could tell who was available to fight for the empire, and who was not. Menimeth did not plan to take any more men from the new army west, but planned to use them to guard and protect the cities instead. Tukhal would have to run the garrison as well as the training grounds, and assign the warriors of the guard to duties until Menimeth could return. When he did return from Argnon, he would form the different parts of the Dragon Guard to be used to protect the empire, and the people who lived within its borders.
Several days later, the two hundred men from the northern realm rode into the garrison, and Kyler sent them to set up their camp, beside those from the south. The horses that were sent to the king were led to the stables in the garrison, and would be used by those that had completed their training. Hobie was offered a suite in the Dragon Tower, but he refused, staying in the officers building instead. He would not accept special treatment until all of his men were out of danger, and the battle was over.
Kyler worked with the solders of the northern and southern realms, and trained them to use the spear as well as the bow from horseback. He was surprised at how fast they learned to use the weapons, and how fast they could change from one to the other while attacking. Even though he had only a few days to train them before the solders of the eastern realm arrived, he was confident in their ability to fight as an army.
When the solders of the east arrived, it did not take Kyler long to have them trained, even though he had little time to accomplish the task. By the time Menimeth was ready to leave for the west, the men of the three realms had become an army. They were all given the cloak and sash, as well as the weapons and shield of the dragon guard, and they were soon transformed into warriors of the empire.
During the days they waited for the solders of the realms to arrive, Menimeth and his dragon made daily trips to the northeast, to check on the progress of the enemy. They marched east to the fords of the Grayling River as he expected, but took longer to reach them than they should have. He did not believe that their slow pace would continue, and was proven right after they crossed the fords. Adjustments were made, and the overly large siege weapons were able to move faster, which allowed the army to speed up as well.
The solders of the east arrived in Glansford, two days before the enemy reached the fords of the Grayling River, and were trained and ready to depart the day the enemy began their crossing. When Menimeth returned to the Dragon Tower, he gave the order for Kyler to have the men ready the next morning, to begin the ride to Argnon. He knew that he would reach the castle weeks before the enemy, but he needed the time to familiarize the men with the battleground, and discuss the plans with all of the commanders at the same time.
Javen was in command of the first army, and would be the first to reach Argnon. He was too set up his camp around the castle, and send out patrols to the north and west. Feran was in command of the second army, and was only four or five days behind Javen. He was too set up his camp in the trees east of the castle, and far enough away to be hidden from the eyes of any spies who reported to the enemy. Commander Rayden and the Lost Cavalry, was to have his men in several different camps south of the great road. His men were to patrol the lands around their camps, but were not to cross the great road until Menimeth gave the order to move as an army. Kyler would be in command of the third army, which was made up of the solders of the realms, and would be at the castle as well.
The next morning before the sun was up, Menimeth sat in the Sword and Dragon with Litlorn, Darik, and Kyler, while the men were preparing to depart, and the packhorses were being loaded with all the items they would need for the days ahead.
"I want the banners of the empire flown before us as we make our way to the west." Menimeth said to Kyler. "And the banner of the king, as well."
"I have already sent for them." Kyler replied. "Even if you did not ride with us, you would still need them when you got to Argnon."
"The enemy carries the banners of the mage king, and so you are right, I will need them at the battle." Menimeth replied.
"A sight not seen for more than five hundred years." Litlorn said. "The banners of the Great Dragon Empire, against the banners of the mage king, in battle."
"I fear it is only the beginning." Darik said. "Win or lose, he will never quit until he defeat's us, or he himself is defeated."
"The empire was always the land that Arnoran wanted the most." Litlorn added. "But he believed the empire weak because he was given land to try to keep peace between them."
"That was a mistake that will not be repeated." Menimeth assured them. "I will not allow him, or any who serve him, to enter the empire unopposed."
"And we will be with you to oppose them." Kyler said. "Starting with those who think they can capture the castle at Argnon."
"They will find it harder to capture than they expect I think." Litlorn said with a smile. "And they will find the empire is not as weak as they
believed."
"But not before it is too late for them to do anything about it." Menimeth said. "The trap will have already been sprung."
"If you can trap an army of five thousand." Kyler said, thinking out loud.
"That is the only problem with the plan." Menimeth replied. "We have to hope they are arrogant, and believe their information is accurate to the end."
"We will just have to help it along." Litlorn said. "Fool them into believing they were right."
"That is my plan." Menimeth replied. "But we will need some luck to pull it off."
"They were forced to change their plans, and attack Argnon before they wanted." Darik said. "The plan was to defeat some kingdoms far to the west of the empire, and use the men they captured to enlarge th
eir army, to attack the empire from two different sides. They believe you to be very weak now, or they would not have changed their plans and attacked Argnon first."
"They fear that I will unite the empire if they wait." Menimeth said. "But we will use their belief against them, and end the threat quickly."
"The men are now ready to depart." Kyler informed Menimeth when the messenger arrived. "And the packhorses as well."
"Send for our horses then." Menimeth said. "And we will soon be ready ourselves."
"They are already saddled and outside waiting." Kyler informed him. "All of the preparations have been made."
"Then the time has come to depart." Menimeth said, and stood from his chair at the table in the corner. "The journey begins."
The banners were unfurled as the precession began, and Menimeth led the way on Donner his warhorse. Danorathin would keep an eye on the enemy while his master rode west with the men, and would meet him at the castle when he arrived. Soon all of his men would be in place, and ready for the enemy who challenged them. The battle was drawing nearer, and the fate of the empire was in the hands of its king, but not all would go as planned.
Chapter Thirty
It was just after midday when Javen reached the town of Argnon, and the men he commanded began to set up their camp. They were led to a place beside the castle, and behind the training grounds, where the purple and gold tents of the empire were soon placed. The trees and brush had been removed from around the castle from the great road, to the thickets, several bow lengths to the north and west. The trees to the east would not be usable to the enemy because it was not in their line of approach, and because there was enough of the land cleared on that side already, so they were not removed. Menimeth told Falendor which trees to have cut and which ones to leave alone, so the warriors of the empire would have a way to move around the enemy, unseen.
The people that once lived in the town that was across from the castle, had taken all that they owned, and gone to the east to wait until the battle was over. Javen used the tavern Farlin owned as his headquarters, while he waited for Menimeth and the other warriors to arrive. By the end of their first day at Argnon, Javen had several patrols riding the lands around the castle, and guards posted on the road, and around the camp.
Captain Brannor walked from the garrison that evening, and made his way across the road, and into the town. He entered the tavern and found Javen standing over a map of the lands around the castle.
"Falendor has asked me to invite you to supper in the castle Commander." He said. "They all hope you will agree to attend."
"I would be honored." Javen replied. "I have a few more matters to attend to first, but it should not take long."
"Then I will let them know to expect you soon." Captain Brannor said, smiling. "But you had better not keep her waiting."
Javen looked up from the map on the table, and smiled back at the old solder who stood across from him.
"I guess it can wait until tomorrow." Javen replied, as his smile turned into a grin. "I would sooner face the hordes of the mage king alone, than to have her angry with me."
"Wise choice." Captain Brannor said. "You stand a better chance of winning with the hordes."
"That is the truth. She is as strong-willed as she is beautiful, a very lethal combination."
"Then you had better go and appease her." Captain Brannor said, and he turned and walked to the door, before speaking again. "She has watched for you since you arrived, so you had better have a good reason for making her wait."
"That is good advice, and advice I intend to heed." Javen replied. "Please inform the regent, that I am on my way."
"I will tell her." Captain Brannor said, and laughed as he walked from the tavern.
"You old goat." Javen yelled at the retreating solder, but knew she would be the first one that the captain would see when he reached the castle.
That night while he was walking with Chrisanna, he learned that the traitor everyone was looking for had been Saesic all along. She told him of her hiding place, and of what she had heard that day, but could not name the man who was with her brother. Javen worried that there was still a traitor in the castle, but could do nothing about it at this time. He decided to watch the castle and see if he could find out who it was, but he would inform Menimeth when he arrived if he could not.
Over the next three days he sent the patrols farther out, and he had several scouts who looked for signs of the enemy. As far as he could tell, there were no forces close enough to threaten the castle, but he was not going to allow them to approach Argnon undetected. On the third day after they arrived, Commander Rayden found Javen in the inn, and reported the last of the Lost Cavalry was in position. Javen did not know much about the plans Menimeth had made, so he took the report, and asked the commander to send reports daily through a messenger.
Feran arrived the next day, and his men set up their camp in the trees east of the castle, and north of the great road. He made sure that they were far enough into the trees to avoid being noticed by anyone who was not in the trees themselves, and prepared to turn command of the second army over to Commander Fracher until the battle began.
Feran walked to the town to look for his friend when the camp was complete, and Commander Fracher was in command. He found him in the tavern as he had suspected, but was surprised at the reason he was there. He expected to find his friend sitting by the fire drinking ale, but found the inn was a functioning headquarters with Javen hard at work instead.
"You look tired." Feran said when he entered the inn. "And you have been very busy."
"I am relieved that you have arrived." Javen said to Feran when he heard his voice. "I am not as good at this as you are."
"You look to have done just fine." Feran replied. "I could not have done better myself."
"Well, it works for now." Javen said. "But when all of the men are here, we will require more information to function properly."
"Well, I like it like it is, and as time passes, the additional information that we need will reach us."
"I am glad you like it." Javen told his friend. "You are the commander of the combined forces, so the headquarters is now yours.
"You do not wish to move up in rank, and take my position from me?" Feran asked with a smile. "To become the commander of the army of the empire?"
"Have you taken a fever?" Javen asked his friend. "You must be delirious if you think you can trick me into that position."
"You have no ambition then?"
"Two years ago I was a farmer, and now I am the commander of fifteen hundred men, and the most beautiful girl in the western realm is in love with me." Javen informed his friend. "Is that not ambition enough."
"You do have a point." Feran replied. "But some men would not be satisfied with that."
"Then they have not met Chrisanna."
"No, they have not." Feran said. "And you have come a long way since we first rode from Alenvale."
"We all have." Javen replied. "And now we are warriors of the empire."
"And the life we once thought was so hard, is now the one we fight to protect." Feran added. "Yes, we have all come a long way."
"And you are the Commander of the combined forces of the empire, so the headquarters is yours." Javen said smiling.
"Yes, I guess it is." Feran said, "So what information do we have?"
"I have several patrols in the north, northeast, and east, and scouts have been sent to look for any sign of the enemy. So far we have seen nothing that would lead us to believe that any of the enemies solders are nearby."
"Meni said they would be close to two week's away, when we reached the castle, so you should not see any sign of them for at least a week."
"Commander Rayden reported that all of his men were in position, yesterday." Javen informed Feran. "And I have asked him to send a report by messenger daily."
"You have made my job much easier." Feran said. "Do you have any news to tell?"
"The tr
aitor turned out to be the regent's son Saesic." Javen told his friend. "But he was able to escape the castle before Falendor learned of his treachery. A secret passage was found in his room that led to a small door at the back of the castle, that is how they think he escaped."
"He is likely to show up again when we least expect it." Feran said, as he looked at the map that was attached to the table. "But I hope we never see him again."
"I agree." Javen said. "But we will most likely not be so lucky."
"Are the distances on the map accurate?" Feran asked, dismissing the traitor from his mind.
"Yes, we measured it several times, and came up with the same numbers each time."
"And the trees and brush have been cleared in all of these areas?" Feran asked as he pointed to the map.