Opting for a thick woolen shirt had been a good idea, Alyssa realized as she stepped out into the chilly fall morning. When she had reluctantly untangled herself from Meric and threw back the blanket they had been snuggled up underneath, the frigid air had immediately raised chill bumps on her bare skin and she decided right then that it would not hurt to dress a little warmer. The farther north they went at this time of year would only see even cooler temperatures, and once they hit the mountains it would be even more pronounced. By the time they made it to the caves, they might have to break out the furs that were packed in with the rest of their gear. Even as she was thinking this she could see frost crystallizing the grass next to the inn.
A hasty farewell to their hosts and Malina lead them out of town and down the road. They stayed on the hard packed path for most of the morning allowing Alyssa to get an unobstructed view of the tree lines near the road, as well as, the thick woods off in the distance when they reached a stretch that ran through an open area. Some of the trees were already changing color and the mix of reds, yellows, and greens was quite beautiful. Any other time a ride through the current vistas would encourage her to slow down and enjoy the scenery, but with their present task, she and the rest of the party were all focused on getting to their destination without delay.
When Malina eventually led them off of the trail and across a plain of knee-high tan grass stretching out from the end of the thinning woods and scrub brush they had just rode through, Alyssa could finally see the mountains in the distance. There had been occasional glimpses of the snow-capped peaks over the last two weeks, but now they could see the full majesty of Besial's Hackles as the great tan and gray beast lay among the autumn colored trees in the foothills. The folklore of the range, depending on who you asked, was that Yenharra the Creator of All rode the great wolf Besial across the width and breadth of the land as he formed the world into a semblance that pleased him. To complete his creation, Yenharra gave it life; humans believed that they were first and that the world was left to them by the Creator to tend to until he returned in his true form. Once finished, the Creator realized that the world was too much for him to watch over by himself and so he split in two, becoming Maris the Goddess of Creation and Siram the God of Destruction. The two new deities bade Besial to rest until needed and the whole of the world shook as the great beast settled to the ground right where he was and continues to slumber, awaiting the call, to this day. How a wolf could sleep and still have its hackles raised, Alyssa did not know. Then again, since she did not believe that there had actually been a wolf the size of a mountain, it really did not matter. Thoughts of the way people shaped their beliefs to fit the world around them aside, she had always liked the story as a child. She looked to the mountains many times, enjoying the beauty, until they were once more hidden by the trees.
A fresh stream and good sized clearing about an hour into the woods provided a perfect place to camp, and for once they began to set up while the sun was still above the trees. Breaking camp before the sun was up; they resumed their journey with the hope that the two weeks it would take to get to their objective were going to be uneventful.
Four days later that hope came crashing down, or rather crashing into them. One moment Alyssa was standing next to a stream, water skin dripping from where she had refilled it and laughing with Malina because James had slipped when he tried to cross the brook. The next, Meric comes galloping into the clearing shouting about Goblins and a defensible position. Alyssa wasted no time, but once she was swinging her leg over Dela's back, she looked toward the section of woods Meric had come from. Just inside the tree line she could make out the gray and black body of a wolf. It prowled the edge of the clearing, making yipping noises and watching them as they rode in the other direction. She knew Meric well enough not to question him, but that did not stop her from wondering why they were running from one skinny wolf. Then she heard it.
For a second she flashed back to the ambush that had happened on the road to Yost, when all of her recent troubles had started. Guttural growling and harsh shouts were nearly drowned out by the sound of something crashing through the trees. One last look back before she reached the woods revealed an Orc stepping into view next to the wolf, which she now noticed had a blue glow radiating from its left eye. The Orc was waving his arm at them as if beckoning someone behind him to follow the retreating group, and just as she began to face forward again, she saw goblins come bursting through the underbrush and giving chase. She was directly behind Pierson as she entered cover and caught a glimpse of Meric and Woodard just outside of the foliage, and then the sight was blocked by trees and brush. Both men had been aiming their bows in the direction of the oncoming enemy and she thought she heard a few squeals of pain before the sound of their group's passage covered it up. Sending up a quick prayer that the two would not wait for the Goblins to get too close before pulling back after the rest of them, she trailed Pierson as closely as was safe.
They had passed an abandoned cabin about two hours ago and she wondered if they would be heading there to use the old home for defensive purposes. The run down cottage had not been visible when they came through the area earlier, but the four Rennickans had mentioned it as a spot they used in the past to camp. It had been too early in the day to utilize the cabin, so they saw no reason for the short detour it would have taken to see it. There was also a place not much farther away from that consisting of some ancient ruins that could be used to defend themselves. They had ridden close enough to the ruins that she was able to see them and there were a few structures left standing that might be suitable. She had been itching to explore the ancient site, but knew that they did not have time. Getting a closer look could now be a possibility, but she did not think there would be much time for academic pursuit. On horses they should be able to outrun their pursuers well enough to make it to either location, so she would just have to wait and see which spot Meric would choose.
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
The Traitor
The message shook for the barest of moments before he crumpled it up in his fist. They were here, in Rennick, the Traitor and his henchmen. Why were they back? It had been a shock when he learned from one of his spies that the group protecting the princesses had included the Traitor. That his fellow conspirators had been with him was to be expected, but how they had become involved in this situation was inconceivable. They must have their own spies. The Traitor had run straight to the Glendon monarch when he left Rennick, and now was working for them. They would be plotting his assassination, no doubt.
That must be why they were here, though it did not explain the route they were taking. Xavier decided he would have to send someone after them, but how to find them? The spy had not been able to overhear any of their plans, but he had gotten a look at their supply list and the area they had requested the most detailed maps for. They would obviously cross into Rennick in the north, but where to then. He would see if Fiona could find them using her magic.
A hesitant knock on the door broke his concentration, and he nearly started in surprise. A hurried assessment of the desk and map table in his office assured there was nothing that could not be seen by others, so he called out to them.
"Enter!"
A page's nervous face peeked around the door and he waved the boy in impatiently.
"Yes, what is it?" The boy's hand shook as he held out a message. "From Lord Penner, Your Majesty."
As soon as he took the message the page ducked back out without waiting for a reply. He was going to have to speak to the Chancellor about the staff. He was seeing more and more behavior that was not befitting a representative of the House of Soloman. How else were the sheep to be kept in line if the shepherds were not behaving in a manner that demanded respect? It was becoming more evident with each passing day that the people he surrounded himself with, the people that were supposed to be his voice to the common rabble, were not up to the task. Some changes were in order, and he would make certain that
Penner and Thrask knew that if they could not handle it, he would find someone who could. Then they would find out what happened to servants that disappointed him.
He read the message twice to be sure, and then smiled at the news. He would have to commend Penner. Perhaps he had already realized the need for more competent people, and had acted on it. The message from his man in the small town of Oakwood was about the party he just received word about. It would need to be mentioned to the Chancellor that the delay in getting information out of Glendon was unacceptable. Turning his eyes back to the report he was once more baffled by their choice of direction.
The spy had been able to follow them for a ways after they left the village, and they had once more turned north. It no longer mattered where the Traitor was heading. He was a danger that needed to be removed. Xavier walked over and snatched the door open, causing the two pages waiting there to jump.
"Tell Chancellor Penner to come see me. Now," he ordered the rattled boy to the right of the door.
"You. Give the same message to Lord Commander Thrask." The other runner scurried off as quickly as the first.
He debated finding another messenger to send after the witch, but decided he would go see her alone later. Erland would practically wet his pants every time he was in the room with her, and even Thrask scared the man. Forcing him to endure both would make the man have heart failure.
The pair arrived within seconds of each other, and Xavier wasted no time getting started.
"The Traitor and his minions are in Rennick," he said for Thrask's benefit. "We need to send men to apprehend or eliminate them. We have a general idea of their last known whereabouts, and know that they are heading northeast. It is not clear why, but they must be stopped."
Thrask frowned in confusion. Erland appeared to understand, and nodded before speaking.
"They must be trying to throw anyone following off of their trail. Surely, they are here to assassinate Your Majesty." He turned to Thrask. "You should have the guard doubled at once, and send men out forthwith."
Xavier found it amusing that Erland could not hide the sense of triumph at being able to give the military commander orders. It was even more amusing to see how short lived it was. As soon as Thrask turned his steely gaze on the Chancellor, the man seemed to shrink. Thrask held the stare for a second and then turned back to his king.
"Sire, where were these people last seen?" Thrask remained as unflappable as ever.
"They were last in a village called Oakwood to the northwest. It was four days ago."
"I know of it. We have someone there because we suspected it was a meeting place for a group that had begun sowing the seeds of sedition. If I remember correctly, a patrol was to meet up there and begin searching the area."
Xavier held up his message. "The patrol arrived, but the five men they were supposed to meet were nowhere to be seen. They disappeared, and no one has had any word about them. The spy thinks the rebels got them, but the Traitor was also there at this time. He is the one responsible for the men's disappearance. Not only did he murder soldiers of mine, he is giving the rabble hope, allowing them to use this as a morale boost for the people in the rebellion."
"I thought Your Majesty said this talk of rebellion was nothing more than a few malcontents that were merely a minor annoyance," Thrask stated with a raised eyebrow.
Xavier saw red for a moment. He just stopped himself for reaching for the dagger that was at his waist. If he did not need Thrask, the man would have been dead months ago. The head of his military was starting to make Xavier question his loyalty. The snide remarks were becoming more frequent. He would have to be watched even more closely. Taking a deep breath and loosening his clenched fist, Xavier presented a calm visage to the man.
"Yes. Something that should have been true, if you had been doing your job." The man had certainly not liked that. "Now, you will get your men prepared to move and by the time they are ready, Erland should have a direction worked out for them. They will be directed to a town in the north where they should arrive in time to receive updated orders. You may leave now."
He watched Thrask's back with narrowed eyes as the man left, and then faced Erland.
"You know what to do. If any one of your spies spot them, have an update sent to the soldiers that Thrask sends. I also want you to keep a closer eye on him. He has begun acting suspicious. I will see if Fiona can help in our search."
He watched as sweat popped out on Erland's brow at the mention of the witch, and this time he did not find any amusement in the man's weakness. He would have to figure out some way to keep the witch in check, but unlike with Thrask, he knew Erland would never have the nerve to handle that task. The chancellor was good at his duties, especially as a spymaster and that was the only reason he kept the fat coward around. Though, how the man could be so good at spying while being afraid of his shadow, was a mystery.
Xavier dismissed Erland and walked over to the sideboard to pour himself some brandy. Things were proceeding mostly as planned, but these surprises that keep popping up were becoming more than just inconvenient. The timing of the Traitor's return was troublesome. If he was traveling with the princesses, could he have caught Terrance? If so, he might have been suspicious of why the man was involved. No, if he had come across Terrance, he would have killed him and there would have been no reason for Fiona's spell to go off. Besides, if he had tried to question the man, he would have died in the blast. It must have been as he first suspected; Terrance had tried to sell his secrets to keep himself out of trouble.
Satisfied with that reasoning, Xavier began to work out a way for this to be used for his benefit. If he could catch the Traitor and execute him publicly, then any hope he had given this rebellion would turn to ashes. That had to be why the man returned. He thought he could lead a force to overthrow the rightful king. That would be just the right level of arrogance to befit the treasonous dog. Well, let the dog see how well he fared against a wolf. Xavier was eager to confront the man once more. He might just give him to Fiona as one of her playthings. Either way, a long torturous death awaited him.
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
Backed Into A Corner
Not really sure where they were in the first place, Alyssa realized that she would not know which place he chose until they reached it. Since all she had to do was follow, she hunched close to Dela's neck to avoid the most of the tree limbs and tall brush rushing by and held on tight. After what felt like hours they broke free of the heavy thicket and she could see the ruins ahead of them. Meric angled toward a crumbled archway that was just tall enough for them to duck through while still in the saddle, and led them past several remnants of buildings and walls until they reached a stone edifice that appeared more intact than most. Like the rest of the ruins it was covered in moss and climbing vines, and there were trees and bushes growing out of the middle of rooms or through tumbled down walls. Weathered stone was covered by lichen in green and yellow patches, and some areas were completely obscured by overgrowth. They followed Meric down what was once a hallway and into a room that was close to the center of the large structure. The space was big enough for all of them and the horses, with room to move around. It had three entrances, one of which was partially blocked by detritus consisting of who knows what, and the other two only wide enough for one enemy to enter at a time.
She stepped past Meric to walk around the perimeter of the room, and at his questioning look she nodded and began to concentrate. She knew he was silently asking if there was anything she could do to make defending the room any easier. There was not much, for fear that the ancient walls were not quite stable enough, but what she could do would help somewhat. She focused on the pile of stone, dirt, tangled growth, and what looked like a half rotted woodpile that was blocking a good part of the one doorway. Reaching down into the earth with her Gift to coax the dirt, vines, and roots to move with her will, she began carefully shifting the mound into a barricade that completely plugged the entryway and wou
ld not need to be guarded. Drawing moisture up into the construction and using air to pack it all together, she finished it off with heat to turn it into a two feet thick brick that was almost as tough as the surrounding stone. The heat was so intense that it caused a few of the others to step back, but Meric stayed by her side to steady her if needed. When she was done her shoulders slumped and she leaned into him, hanging on with one arm as she wiped the sweat from her brow with her other. While the task had not been that difficult, the speed made it more taxing. Without hesitating she moved toward the other entrance that they had not used, and studied it for a second. The room it led to was small and had no other exit, except for where a tree had grown in through the wall. It had knocked down part of the wall, and the hole might be big enough for some of the smaller Goblins to squeeze through.
"I can put an air shield up, but there will be a gap of five or six inches in places. I am not sure how sturdy the walls are here, and the shield should not brush up against it. I think if I put it just inside the opening it will work as long as none of you touch it," she said.
A Soldier's Honor: The Scepter of Maris: Book One Page 23