Eventually, as the sun was just sinking below the tree line up ahead of them, the Captain directed the convoy to the right off of the path and up a gentle incline to an elevated spot with a mostly unobstructed view. The only exception was a few trees that would make an excellent picket line for the horses. When they came to a halt, the group dismounted and went about the business of setting up camp for the night. While Lieutenant Pierson began organizing the soldiers into camp duties and informing them of the watch rotation, Brody went about getting a fire started. Meric came over to Alyssa as she was just starting to unhitch the horses and joined her in the task. Once the horses were free he took them over to where Private Third Class Miller was securing horses to the line he had just finished setting. After passing off the horses to Miller he went to care for his, Brody's, and Silas' animals. She gathered the girls, passing Silas and Corporal Harper as they began taking supplies from the back of the cart, and headed toward the center of the camp to the tents that had been set up for them. By this time, Brody already had a good fire started and was steadily adding wood from a stack that was being deposited by two soldiers.
Just as Alyssa was about to ask Brody if there was anything she could do to help, the soldier named Carver shouted that Malina was coming back down the path. The scout approached, riding in at an easy pace, so Alyssa assumed all was well. As Malina climbed off her horse and passed her reigns to Miller on her way to James, she noticed that there was a deer strapped behind her saddle. Without comment, Silas and Brody headed straight for the horse and removed the carcass, taking it out beyond the edge of the camp to dress it. Hearing a noise from by the fire she turned to see Meric setting up a sturdy spit over the blaze from which he then hung a pot half full of water. Taking ingredients from some bags he had sitting on a camp stool next to him he began cutting up and adding potatoes, onion, carrots, and some other vegetable she could not make out. As he was adding some spices out of another much smaller bag she could not help but blurt out, "You cook?"
He turned a grin on her and dusted his hands off over the pot as he replied, "You have something against a man doing the cooking?"
"Not at all. I think you would look very cute in an apron," she quipped and some of the men close by chuckled.
Meric pretended to be offended and sniffed while turning his nose up in the air. At this time Silas walked up with a pan full of meat that he handed to Meric before heading back to help Brody. She watched Meric season the new pan's contents and begin cooking them before he added it to the pot. She was on the verge of making another teasing comment, but just then James walked up still talking to Malina. She turned to catch the last part of their conversation.
"So we should be okay for the night," James stated.
"Unless someone rides through the night to get to us. If that's the case, whoever is on watch should still have plenty of time to rouse everyone. They'll be able to see anyone well before they approach," was the reply. Alyssa was surprised to realize that she talked like a native of Glendon. If Meric had not already confirmed that Malina was from Rennick, she might have believed otherwise.
James nodded and then pulled over a stool for her and one for himself before turning back to his gear. As Malina situated her stool next to Alyssa she called out to Meric, "You know Meric, you're gonna make a good wife someday."
Meric turned a narrow eyed glare on her while she and Alyssa laughed. "Just for that, you get served last."
The two women just grinned at each other and sat back to watch him work. James was chuckling as he walked up with three mugs and sat in the chair next to Malina, then handed them each a mug filled with wine before sipping from his own. Meric pulled his seat over to Alyssa's other side and the four of them chatted quietly, the sound combining with the encampment's other occupants as everyone got sorted out while waiting on the food to be done. Alyssa was finally able to relax much more than she had in last three days and let the murmur of conversation blended with the crickets singing in the background sooth her tattered nerves.
While they had been talking, Brody and Silas had added larger chunks of meat to the spit across the fire and Silas was warming some bread to go with the meal. The three men had done all of the meal preparation with very little communication, a fact which she brought up to Meric at one point.
He laughed and said, "We have spent many nights camped out just like this. We started out taking turns, but eventually developed a routine that works for the four of us. We set up camp and prepare the meal while Malina makes sure no bad guys get us. A fair system."
Malina smirked at him and turned to Alyssa. "He's just trying to spare my feelings. They made me promise not to ever cook for them again. It's not among my many talents." Laughter filled the night air at this pronouncement.
After several trips to the pot to check on the food, Meric pronounced it done and began filling bowls, passing them to Private Weber to hand out. The conversation died down for the most part while everyone ate. The quiet was broken by sporadic approving noises and one hearty "This is delicious" from Teresa. After everyone was finished eating and the cleanup began by the two most junior soldiers, James explained what to expect for the next few days.
"We will camp along the road the next two nights, and should make it to the Ellis farmstead by late afternoon of the fourth day. We can overnight there and then it will be two days to get through Haster Forest and in to the town of Seegrin. Creator willing, with no further excitement." James stood and tossed the dregs of his wine into the fire before moving toward one of the three tents that had been set up. The girls would take one and Alyssa offered to share the last with Malina, who gratefully accepted. The rest of the men would sleep under the stars. With a quiet "Good night." to those around her, Alyssa ushered the children to their tent and then retired to her own for the night. She was sleeping soundly not long after her head hit her pillow.
CHAPTER SEVEN
A Day at the Farm
Morning was coming on clear and relatively cool with the dew heavy on blankets and rolling off of the tents in a few spots where it was disturbed by the light breeze. Meric stretched his arms overhead as his boots swished through the wet grass, on his way to the camp fire so he could get it stoked again for breakfast. He was the only one up so far except for the two men that had the morning watch, and after he got the fire going well enough to start the coffee he sat back to enjoy the quiet while watching the eastern sky slowly lighten to a pink and orange hue.
He had just poured two cups of the dark brew, intending to take them to the sentries, when he heard the rustle of cloth from the direction of the tents. He looked over to see Alyssa emerge and start to head off for some morning privacy. When she looked in his direction, he motioned to the cups he carried and then toward the fire and said "Coffee is ready."
She nodded sleepily and went on her way. By the time he had gotten back from delivering the hot drinks to two grateful soldiers she was holding out a cup for him. "Good morning." She smiled and shifted her stool closer to the fire.
"Morning. Sleep well?" Meric asked quietly.
"I did. I have always been a bit of an early riser though, and once I could smell the coffee I had to have some." She sipped at the steaming cup she had her hands wrapped around and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I must admit, this is better than I was expecting. I thought soldier's coffee was supposed to be thick and taste like ashes from the campfire?"
Meric let out a low chuckle. "I think it normally is, but one thing I learned in my years of traveling with Brody is that you do not fool around when it comes to his morning nectar. It's almost like a religious experience for him."
"He is quite the character. He is from the northeast of Rennick, right?"
"You could tell that just from the way he acts? I am impressed."
"No, though when you add in the boisterous nature I suppose it might have helped. It was the braided beard with the decorative clasp that was the biggest clue. All he is missing are furs and the embroidered scar
f naming his clan. The different regions and peoples of Rennick were part of my studies."
"Still impressive. But you are right. That rat's nest is his pride and joy. I think he started growing it when he was five years old."
Just as he finished speaking and was about to sip from his steaming mug, he received a rap to the back of his head. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to talk about a warrior's beard? Especially when you can't even grow a real one yourself? And let's not even get started about my coffee. I don't recall hearing you complain too much when you're gulping down a cup produced from the finest ground beans found for hundreds of miles around," Brody grumbled and reached over to pour some for himself.
"Well I know how sensitive you can be first thing in the morning, and would hate to have to deal with your pouting all day," Meric returned.
"Ignore him Brody. This is just about the best coffee I have ever had," Alyssa told him with a grin.
"Finally! Someone with a refined palate that can truly appreciate the subtle nuances of flavor involved with such a sophisticated beverage." Brody followed this statement with a sip and a long contented sigh.
Meric looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "That was some awfully big words first thing in the morning."
"That was how the merchant I buy from described it. Makes no better sense when I say it. The man would not shut up. Gave me a headache." Brody shrugged and went back to enjoying the hot liquid.
Meric and Alyssa both chuckled before sipping their coffee and relaxing in the peace of the early morning, knowing it would be another full day of travel ahead for them all.
All too soon Meric decided he had better get some breakfast started, so he went about warming up some of the meat left from the night before to go with bread and cheese. Not fancy, but filling enough to hold everyone until lunch. The noises around the camp began to pick up while he prepared the meal, as everyone else began breaking camp to get back on the trail. Not long after, they were moving steadily west again.
-X-
Three days later, with about three and a half hours of daylight left, Meric was riding behind the wagon next to Silas, who had traded places with Brody. They were wistfully discussing the game that would be plentiful in the surrounding countryside, and their desire to be out hunting it. Just as Silas pointed out a trio of deer visible at the tree line of the woods some distance to the north of them, they heard a shout from the front of the escort. They both focused in that direction in time to see Malina coming, at a gallop, back down the road from where it topped a hill in the distance ahead. Meric pulled out of line and sped up to come alongside the captain just as she was reigning in on the other side. As the whole procession came to a halt, she began her report to James.
"The farm ahead appears to be deserted. No movement in the immediate surroundings of the house, and I also checked some of the fields on this side. No people or animals visible. No smoke coming from the house chimney or the smithy attached to the barn. There were vultures circling on the far side of the property." She gave the information in an even tone, but Meric knew her well enough to see the concern.
James wasted no time asking if she was sure. He immediately started giving orders. "Malina, Meric, you two go back and scout out the rest of the area surrounding the farm. Make sure that there is no ambush waiting to bottle us up at the buildings, and make sure there was no lookout left behind to report back to someone our whereabouts." Meric saw her nod and turn back west just as he did. He could still hear some of James' orders as they headed up the road.
"Lieutenant Pierson, take Brody, Silas, and three others to the top of the hill to wait on the all clear then check out the farmhouse..."
Not long after, they were headed down the west side of the hill and making haste for the farm. As they got closer Meric peeled off to the north and began scouting the outlying areas on that side of the farm. They would search from opposite directions and meet at the mid-way point. As he made his way around the outer edge of the fields, he only found a few tracks that showed animals that fled the area, most likely sheep. There were no signs of any bipeds or horses coming in to the area, and none of the distinctive barefoot prints left by a goblin. He eventually made his way to the north-west side of the farmstead and was just wiping at the water on his chin that spilled as he took a drink from his skin, when he caught sight of Malina coming out of the woods that bordered the property on that side. She had a grim look on her face, as she reigned in next to him.
"I only found sign of some sheep fleeing the area," he told her.
"A body, not enough left to tell male or female, surrounded by Goblin spoor, not more than a day old. Two of them ran down the person as they were fleeing the farm, killed and ate a good portion, then headed back to the farm," she shuddered at the memory of what she had seen.
"Let's head back, check the path leading up to the farm. They may have been using horses, wagons, or both. That would explain why we haven't found any previous sign. After that, you stay and keep an eye on the house and I will get the others," he stated.
She gave a terse nod and they headed out moving quickly while still watching for any trouble.
After splitting off from Malina, Meric wasted no time heading back to the escort. He spotted Pierson's group at the top of the hill and waved him forward, reining in as they came even with him.
"Malina is waiting ahead. She found a badly mangled body and goblin tracks, but all coming from the area of the house and barns. She's keeping an eye on the buildings and can fill you in while I get the others," Meric was already moving when Pierson agreed with a nod.
He topped the hill and made his way to James.
"We found signs suggesting that the farm was attacked by goblins, but no tracks to or from the farm until we searched the path from the road. Goblins go barefoot, for some reason; we found enough tracks to suggest that they came right up the trail, to get to there and to leave. Malina is filling in the Lieutenant and his men."
James was silent for a moment before glancing back at Alyssa and the girls. "Let's all meet up with them and we can plan the next course of action."
Meric nodded and then pulled back to let everyone pass while he kept an eye on the surrounding countryside. He still felt there would be no trouble coming up from behind them, but he had never liked leaving things to chance. As the wagon passed he gave Alyssa what he hoped was a reassuring smile to counter the worried look on her face. Moving in behind the soldiers at the rear of the group, and pacing them until they met up with the lieutenant, Brody, Silas, and the three men Pierson had picked to go with them.
The captain surveyed the farm house and barns with a critical eye before turning back to the expectant faces surrounding him.
"We will send a force to check the interior of the buildings to make sure this still is not a trap, and then the rest of us will regroup at the house. At the first sign of an ambush, fall back and we will either fight as a whole unit or retreat to safety. Pierson, take your men and secure the buildings. Archers be prepared to provide covering fire as needed. Malina, you and Meric find spots to keep watch for anyone trying to sneak up on us from the outside. Any questions?"
When there were none, he waved Pierson on. Meric quickly strung his longbow and moved off to an area that provided a good view of the area while Malina did the same. He took a quick look back at the men advancing on the buildings and then went to scanning the fields around the property. He hoped they would not find any trouble, but did wish for something that might provide answers. He had the sinking feeling that any answers about the fate of the farmers would not be good. The Ellis farm was home to three families; Pete Ellis was the older brother that owned the land and he had a wife, two teenage sons, and a younger daughter. His younger brother Jacob was also married with a son and Virgil Turner, who worked for Pete Ellis, had a son and daughter.
Meric felt a pang of sadness for the families, knowing that the odds that any survived were not good.
CHAPTER EIGHT
A
Wolf Amongst the Sheep
Bright motes of dust danced haphazardly around Xavier's right hand as he waved it lazily through the shaft of sunlight streaming into the hallway parallel to the west side of the throne room. Flashes of red would catch his eye every time the sun hit his signet ring at just the right angle. He continued for a few more moments before stepping back out of sight and settling against the wall again. The passage was normally used only by servants and minor functionaries scurrying headlong, anxious to do the bidding of their superiors while attempting to escape the attention of anyone with enough authority to yell at them or interrupt their supposedly all important task. If they knew that their King was in the shadows watching them, their nervousness would be transformed to fear. The high windows allowed the bright shafts of light into the hallway, but the angle that the light entered at this time of day would ensure that the brightness hitting people walking down the center of the hall would leave them blind to his presence in the alcove he had chosen to observe from. Several people had passed completely oblivious.
That thought brought a smile to his face. A smile that he knew would make the fear even greater. Oh, as much as he loathed the necessity, he did know how to present a charming countenance to those around him when called for, but when there were no nobles, politicians, or Merchant's Council members around he was less than inclined to put forth the effort. Certainly not for the low born and common rabble. A wolf did not need to appease the sheep.
A Soldier's Honor: The Scepter of Maris: Book One Page 5