Errant

by Armas, Florian

  “I will ask Mona to bring the gift,” he said, still not sure why should I leave in such hurry. “She is in the kitchen. Are you sure don’t want to stay?”

  “I am sorry, it would have been my pleasure, but you know how hard a protector’s life is.” I left the window for the door; Dan and Vlaicu were almost in the front of the house. Balan followed me, and I went to the kitchen without asking for his permission – after so many visits, there were no secrets related to the layout of his house.

  “Codrin!” Mona, Balan’s wife exclaimed when I entered. “You came just in time, lunch is ready,” she let me understand that I was invited, and I knew that it would be even more difficult to escape now.

  “I apologize, Mona,” I said in haste, “but there is a kind of emergency, and I have to run. I just came to collect the package for Delia and Panait.”

  “Dan is coming,” she interrupted me. The large entry door of the house screeched, announcing incoming people. “You can’t leave without meeting him. And we have a nice guest.”

  “Mona, I know how impolite I am, but I must run through your back door,” I insisted. “Please bring Dan here,” I said to Balan. Mona was right, there was no way to leave now without meeting him.

  “Dan, I apologize,” I stopped him before he could start the same story about lunch and having a nice guest, “but I have an urgent errand, and there are some people in Deva looking for me. They are not from here,” I said before he could question me about them; it was his duty to keep the city peaceful. “There is no need for you to interfere, but I have to leave incognito. You know how we work.” For any protector, stealth was more important than the forceful protection Dan could bring to me. And I needed stealth as Vlaicu was now sitting with Balan in the next room.

  Slight confusion and some irritation were reflected on Dan’s face, and I understood that he was questioning my story. Lacking any other idea that could help me, I stayed silent, hoping that he would not insist.

  “Deva is a peaceful city,” he insisted.

  “Yes, you are doing a good job, and no one will attack me here, but my problems will start outside your walls.”

  “For Delia.” Mona saved me, coming with the package for her daughter.

  I grabbed the package, and went for the door – there was at least the luck that the back door was in their kitchen. “I hope you will still invite me for another lunch,” I smiled and left the house, in a strange silence.

  The more people I know, more dangerous things become for me. Sooner or later, someone will catch me…

  The journey back was without problems, and we arrived in Severin just in time to catch the gathering of Seigneurs and Knights waiting for Devan’s answer and signature on the treaty. I avoided entering the castle, letting Vlaicu tell Mohor and Jara what had happened, and I rode to Arad. Before leaving, I found a small medallion from my hoard as a gift for Delia’s newborn – it belonged to the assassin paid by Big Mouth to kill me.

  By a strange coincidence, I arrived on the same day Delia gave birth to a boy. Arad was a large city with a flower market, and a bouquet of freesias joined my medallion. It felt awkward to offer just a gift from my spoils.

  “Thank you, Tudor” Delia said. “But it’s too much.” Crafted in Tomis, the medallion, while not as striking as the one I returned to Jara, was beautiful and worth a small fortune.

  “Oh, Delia,” I said, embarrassed by her belief that I bought the jewel. “It was paid for only with a bit of blood.” Just a small cut, I remembered.

  “That makes it even more valuable.” Delia embraced me, and I realized that she was in much better shape than Jara was after giving birth to Mart.

  Maybe because she is younger, I thought, not having much experience in such matters.

  “We have some news,” she said, with some tension in her voice, and gestured to Panait.

  “There are two people searching for you,” he said. “Normally, I would not bother you and send them away. But,” he scratched his beard, “one of them has a sword like yours,” he pointed to my Arenian sword. “And they came with a recommendation from Movil, the innkeeper at the Caravans’ Inn in Hateg. One of them works as protector. Movil told them that you could be found in Arad and my name, too.” There was a hint of displeasure in his voice. “But he is an old fox, so it must be safe. I told them nothing,” he shrugged. “If you want … they are lodged at Two Roses.”

  Arenian sword… Vlad or the Royal Guards of Arenia. “Any names?” I asked calmly, not wanting to scare Delia.

  “I should have started with that. Vlad is the name of the one with the foreign sword.”

  “A good friend,” I smiled, and their tension disappeared. “I will see him tomorrow morning, after visiting Cantemir. You were right about bad times coming,” I said to Panait, “Mohor’s embassy for Deva was annihilated.”

  “I heard about that. Nobody expected such things, but Mohor deserved it. When you start attacking embassies…” He stopped talking, subdued by new thoughts. “The strange thing is that Orban and Cantemir were not involved, yet everybody is pointing at them.”

  “Everybody who?” I asked.

  “Everybody, both friends and foes,” he shrugged.

  “It may suit Orban,” I suggested.

  “Orban…” Panait gestured in displeasure, and I was surprised, it was his first reaction of that kind. “It may be. But it doesn’t suit Cantemir. He opposed any tit-for-tat reaction.”

  I convinced him, I almost smiled. “Any dissension between Orban and Cantemir?”

  “They don’t like each other too much,” he confirmed my own impression, “but they are able to work well together.”

  “Why is Cantemir working for Orban?” I asked, Panait seemed to be in a strange mood. Maybe because of his son… Split between my loyalty for Jara’s family and my friendship with Delia and Panait, I felt uneasy. This will be my last question for today, I suddenly decided.

  “Because he could not work for Malin, Lady S’Severin’s former husband,” Panait clarified, thinking that my reaction was from not knowing who Malin was, when the opposite was true. “Very old story,” he shrugged. “Would you stay for lunch?” he stopped our discussion, and I nodded with guilty relief.

  In the evening, I went to see Cantemir, and started with the ‘rumors’ related to Saliné’s wedding. As expected, Cantemir already knew about the possible marriage, and, without having any idea about it, he confirmed that my plan had some chances.

  “A Grand Seigneur’s son and a bride with no dowry. I agree the girl has some qualities, like her mother. Unlike her father.” Cantermir’s voice went gradually quieter until his last words became whispers, so low that I had to lean forward to catch them. “What makes you think there is a chance for the wedding?”

  “Whatever the chance, you will not let it happen,” I said. “Their plan doesn’t suit you.”

  “Oh, no,” Cantemir smiled. “The planning of that wedding suits us well. But the wedding, I agree with you, it doesn’t suit us, and it will not happen.” He stared at me, amused, as if my appearance was not very intelligent at that moment.

  “It suits and it doesn’t suit you,” I repeated mechanically, just to gain some time. “If the marriage contract is signed, the wedding’s cancellation is a good opportunity to weaken S’Severin,” I said hesitantly, unsure that I grasped his logic. “Before attacking him.” Now was the best time to test what Panait had said to me when I joined his caravan to Mehadia. “Next spring.” The timeline was just a guess, though I knew that Orban would attack next year.

  If Cantemir was surprised by my knowledge, he did not show it, or maybe he thought that we had touched on the subject before. “The link between the cancellation and the attack is of secondary importance,” he shrugged, and again I could not perceive his plans.

  “Would it be of more importance for the alliance with Devan?” You want to press Devan to cancel his alliance with Mohor…

  “Maybe.”

  “Then you have to
wait for proof that the marriage contract has been signed,” I said, trying to give him another reason to postpone Orban’s attack on Severin for the next year.

  “Maybe,” he closed the subject.

  “The second rumor I heard might be even more interesting to you,” I tried to stir his attention again, then moved to the window just to create an open space of silence. When I turned back, his eyes were staring at me in anticipation, yet I kept quiet.

  “Plenty of rumors today,” he let some impatience to flow in his voice.

  “Mehadin’s son was killed,” I delivered the ‘rumor’ in straight, short words, and it was my time to stare at him.

  “Mehadin’s son is dead,” Cantemir repeated in a bland voice, his face immobile, only his eyes revealing some inner feelings going from irritation to anger – the war games he planned became now more complicated. “Who did it?”

  “We can only guess,” I shrugged to prolong his confusion.

  “Mohor?” he asked again.

  “We are guessing the same,” I smiled, and decided to keep hidden the ‘rumors’ related to Mohor’s second embassy – there was no way to justify how could I get the news in such short time, when all Mehadin’s people were killed in the fight. “It’s well worth it to send an embassy to Mehadia.”

  “Your small diversion in the south,” Cantemir served me back my own words from our previous encounter.

  “You are an established player, and most times you stir the course of action, but sometimes you have to follow or risk to be left behind. Mehadin lost a son, and if he doesn’t act, he will lose face too. That’s even worse for a Seigneur. How can he keep his vassals after losing face? He is forced to react now, and you must take the lead. Mehadin can’t be left to act alone.” If Mohor wins, Orban will have one less ally to attack Severin next year. And I might be able to get a good position too. Wing commander? I have to persuade Jara and Cernat for this…

  “You are pushing me,” he reacted coldly, making me fear that my intentions became to transparent.

  “It’s not me, Cantemir, it’s Fate,” I shrugged, and in a way it was true: one’s action could be somebody’s else fate.

  “Fate,” he shrugged too, mirroring my reaction, and that calmed me – it was an involuntary sign that I convinced him. “Any other rumor I should know?” he asked resigned.

  “Will you survive to hear another one?” I laughed, and his left eyebrow raised with unhidden expectation. “Don’t look at me like this, I have nothing more.”

  “I feel relieved,” he joked. “Our embassy will leave for Mehadia in two days.” Cantemir stared at me, and I guessed that he wanted me to be the Lead Protector.

  “Are you going to Mehadia?” I asked, hoping for a negative answer; there was no way to escape if he would go, and I wanted to return to Severin.

  “No”, he shook his head, and asked me nothing more.

  “What are these strangers doing here?” I asked, winking at Pintea to ignore me, forcing my voice to become grave. There were not many people in the Two Roses Inn, so I did not care too much. “Maybe I should arrest them.”

  Revealing good control, Vlad turned slowly. “It may not be so easy to arrest a protector, but why would want you that, anyway? Tudor! You developed a weird sense of humor in Frankis.” He stood up, and I felt that he was much stronger than before, when we embraced.

  “When I last met you, I barely escaped alive from your hayforks,” I joked. “And you Pintea, you are almost a man.” He was fifteen years old now, and where Vlad was sturdy and average in height, Pintea was tall and skinny. Like I was. “Why are you here?”

  “Looking for you. Gran died last winter.” His voice became sad from remembering her – Gran took care of them after their parents were killed, and she was a fine woman that I missed too. “There was no reason to stay in the old inn anymore, so we sold everything, and went west after you. I thought myself good enough to be a protector, and Pintea will soon be, too. A more interesting life,” he said eagerly, making me feel guilty – in front of the fire, in the long winter nights, my stories about protectors, Knights and wars instilled in them the desire for adventure.

  A more dangerous life. “You are a protector.”

  “I was lucky. In Hateg, we stayed at the Caravans’ Inn, and the owner showed some interest in the sword you gave me. He knew you well, and was happy to hear that I had trained with you. He even shouted that we were from the some fighting school. It was not true, but why contradict him?” Vlad smiled. “And anyway, I did not know what was in his mind.”

  “Well, I do,” I laughed, remembering the huge man I put under the table.

  “I learned later, too, and Movil took care to parade me each evening to your unfortunate victim there. After one week, he managed to find a caravan for me. Ah, and Panait, I got his name from Movil too, but he was not very happy seeing me.”

  “Merchants are cautious people,” I said. “Panait sent me here. What are you doing now?”

  “Waiting for you. I have no other caravan yet.”

  “Come with me. I have a house, you can stay there, too.” I gestured to include Pintea in the agreement. “Sometimes I might have work for you, and you can find your own caravans too. Pintea has a safe place when you are on the road.”

  “I am big enough to come with you,” Pintea protested.

  “You are tall, but far from big enough. Don’t worry, your time will come sooner than you expect.”

  We left the next day, and the road back was safer than I ever remembered. Before arriving home, I told them that my name in Severin was Codrin.

  “Which is the real one?” Vlad asked, intrigued.

  “Both,” I said, trying to avoid a long discussion and bad feelings from giving them a false name. “I have two names.” Then I explained the links between the many swords I had and my names, and that nobody else knew about that.

  The first link between Codrin and Tudor is made, I thought, afraid that everything would be more dangerous from now on.

  War

  Chapter 18 - Codrin

  Up on the road from Cernat’s house, still distant and unrecognizable two riders were approaching fast. We will meet in a minute. After the curve. I pushed Zor faster, to arrive there before them – I rarely had visitors. Hidden in the forest, I rejoiced when I recognized Saliné, the first rider. The second was Bucur. I went onto the road again, and stopped in a visible place, ready to meet them. Her, I corrected myself.

  “Hi, Codrin!” she cried, passing me like a storm.

  Hi, I said inside; it was already too late to answer. Forcing myself not to stare after them, I rode on down to Cernat’s house – he had requested I visit, and I was expecting Jara too, but she was not there.

  “Make yourself at home,” he smiled, gesturing toward an armchair close to the large window.

  “Nothing urgent, I suppose.” There was some strangeness in my voice, offended that they wanted to see me only when they needed it me – war was coming. Apart from Vio... She was the only one not caught in the game at court. Saliné is forced to avoid me… But she is not forced to ride with Bucur.

  “Mehadin is raising his army to attack us, and Mohor will have the small war you wished for him. It happened faster than anyone could foresee.”

  Yes, I hastened it… “You will raise an army too,” I shrugged; he could not know that in my plans the small war was a necessity for both Mohor and me. I don’t want to be involved yet. Spatar Big Mouth would lead the army, and there is no better place to eliminate an inconvenient man than in battle. You have eyes for the enemy and a ‘friend’ stabs you in the back. Big Mouth’s friend. “How is Vio?”

  “She is well. Saliné too.” Surprised by a question having nothing to do with his opening, Cernat tried to preempt another ‘how is’ question.

  Jara too, and Mohor, I parodied him. “Saliné just crossed my path, so to speak. She was riding like a storm. With Bucur.”

  “Saliné is not happy that you protected the embassy for
her marriage. She did not want you involved.” Cernat stared at me, though his voice was casual.

  “And you just realized it,” I said, with a trace of sarcasm. “I suppose Bucur is the entertainment you provided for her bad mood.”

  “Bucur doesn’t really count,” Cernat shook his head. “Codrin, all of us knew that Saliné would be upset if you led our embassy to Deva.” His finger gestured back and forth to include me in the circle of the people that knew. “But we had no choice. You know what is at stake. She is as unhappy as you are. I am not talking about this small thing with the embassy, which will pass quickly. Just that you are free while she is in a cage, as large as the castle, but still a cage. Allow her some relief from time to time, like riding.”

  “Big Mouth started a new game, pushing Bucur closer to Saliné. One small step today, another one tomorrow. The third one will come when nobody is expecting it.”

  “Everybody is playing, Mohor, Jara, you,” he pointed at me. “Aron has a certain position in Severin, and some liberty to move pieces in the game.”

  “Unlike me,” I involuntarily snapped, yet I should have pushed more for the consequences derived from Big Mouth’s game.

  “For Mohor, your position is politically marginal,” Cernat shrugged. “You have helped us several times, but it is mostly Jara’s influence that keeps you close. Severin is in no way different to other courts,” he made an oblique reference that I should know the game from Arenia, and stop complaining. What he did not know was that I had no intention to join Mohor’s court – a certain degree of independence was mandatory for my game. “Don’t be offended, the same things look different to Mohor and you. Aron brings soldiers and contacts with other Knights. Allegiances are slippery these days. If he deserts, Mohor would lose half of his power. If you leave…” Cernat did not continue, and did not need to, he had made his point, in his usual perceptive way that bothered and persuaded me at the same time.

  “Big Mouth is Mohor’s most loyal Knight, his best friend, his best everything. Why are you afraid of his future actions? Let me rephrase that. Why are you afraid about things that he may do in the future, but not about things he is doing right now?” I returned to my issue with Bucur.