Ashener's Calling

by David Partelow

  Norryn’s soul ran cold and for a moment, there was a deathly silence. “Explain.”

  Grahnis took another long, pained breath. “I have come from the north, part of the Ro’Nihn bearing a message from your father. We went to talk of peace, in hopes to open communications with Thorne, but that peace was rejected. As soon as we reached our destination, we were attacked. I was part of a small group charged with getting word back to Vallance. We split in groups of two and my group was charged with reaching Bannar to warn you of Thorne’s treachery.” Grahnis coughed then, the last cough he would ever make in his mortal coil. “After we split up, my group arrived at the outpost near Bellan, eager to spread our message. It was then we discovered treachery and how deep it ran.”

  “What do you mean, Grahnis?” Norryn asked.

  “The outpost, along with I’m sure many others, has been overrun by Thorne, fortified with Thorne regulars posing as Vallance defenders. I barely made it out, but Reddrak was not no lucky. I have eluded capture since, knowing that I could not take another chance until I reached you.”

  Norryn nodded at the Ro’Nihn. “Then you did well and have made us all proud,” he said.

  As his message and the gravity of it sunk in, Grahnis again squeezed Norryn’s hand. “I’ve come to tell you the enemy is near, Norryn, much nearer than you imagine. This threat has come from the east and the west. They will be upon Bannar within an hour, maybe sooner.”

  Serra could hardly absorb what was being told to her. “That cannot be. How could that be?”

  Grahnis squeezed harder to Norryn’s hand. “I do not know. But I am certain many have died to keep this secret. Forgive me for not bringing this information to you sooner. I fear that we have failed you.”

  Norryn held fast to the dying Ro’Nihn. The blood loss that Grahnis endured was ending him quickly. “There is nothing to forgive, Grahnis of the Falloy.” He looked about for a moment. The sense of dread in him began to work its way from his heart and into his guts and then his soul. “How many would you say there are?”

  Grahnis closed his eyes. His soul shriveled as he delivered the news. “10,000, at least. I believe there are more. That is all I can say, Norryn.”

  “Then it is enough, my friend.” Norryn clenched his teeth. We don’t have the forces to defend against that. Bannar is being given to a slaughter. How did they get so far so easily? Norryn looked around again, and what he smelled now was an ill wind. If he strained, he could hear into the distance. Rumbling echoes in the dirt, the sounds of footsteps in the rhythm of a march, Thorne is upon us. How could I have missed this? “We must get back to Bannar, now! Serra, help me with Grahnis please.” Norryn began to stand. As he did the wounded man grabbed his arm with what strength he had left.

  “No, Norryn Ashener, you must go without me. My duty is done. I am just one but there are thousands who will perish without your haste.” Grahnis’s pain seemed to be dwindling. Shock was now evident, and Norryn knew death was calling to the Ro’Nihn now. As much as he screamed against it, Grahnis was right. Frustration on all accounts ate at the young man.

  Resigned, Norryn nodded at last. “Very well. Bannar must be warned. This place is no longer safe,” he said before kneeling again and taking Grahnis’s hand once more. “For what you have done, for the sacrifice that you have made, all that I can give you is my gratitude for the lives you will have saved tonight. Rest easy now, Grahnis of the Falloy. I will always remember you for your spirit and your love for life, for you are a true measure of a Ro’Nihn.” Grahnis smiled at him as the boy placed his head against his own. Squeezing his hand a final time, Norryn stood. He lent a hand to his silent friend, helping her to her feet. “We have to go, now.” Nodding silently to Grahnis, he led Serra into the night and back to the town.

  Grahnis of the Falloy closed his eyes and listened to their quickened footsteps. For some reason, the young Ro’Nihn found that comforting. Maybe he had helped after all. For the first time in long hours his broken body ceased its throbbing agony. Grahnis’s mind enjoyed a final moment of calm lucidity. That little comfort made it easier to open his eyes one last time. He listened until Norryn and the girl could no longer be heard. The last thing his eyes saw on Earth was the tranquil hues of a clear night sky.

  {30}

  An assembly more than 6,000 strong, half of the strike force presently falling upon the capital of Vallance, formed rank east of the town. They were still a few miles away, but their target loomed in the distance, even through nightfall. Shedding their false Vallance garments, the full shine of their Thorne allegiance shimmered in the dark. The anticipation of battle now drove the ranks of Thorne like blood in the water.

  Leading the battle group, the spear toting Lance divisions stood proud as the mobile infantry readied their rifles. Behind them the supposed cargo convoys opened to reveal Thorne's artillery weapons. Driven forward by their commanding officer, this army needed to worry itself with but one single, solitary order. They were to annihilate their enemy’s capital or die trying.

  From atop his horse, Colonel Frederick Hickson watched excitedly as his men made their final preparations. Inside a calm facade, the man was boiling over in exhilaration. Colonel Hickson clenched his teeth as he surveyed his troops readying for combat. He was grateful for the fact that General Cresul was to the west with Miller’s group, overseeing their actions. It allowed Hickson to do his worst, a trait he greatly reveled in. Goading his mount, he galloped down the front lines of his men, ready to bring hell in his wake.

  Unable to wait any longer, Hickson addressed the soldiers under his command. “Proud soldiers of Thorne, brothers of the cause, hear me now!” The colonel’s voice thundered as he addressed his men “Our day of glory is here for the taking. The next few hours will undoubtedly be the best of your life. Do with it what you will but remember that your country counts on you.” He let his words sink in as he watched the eyes tracking him. “Everything you have learned, everything that you have trained for has been for this moment. It will define you forever and always in the annals of history. Remember your training and know that as you strike down the heart of Vallance, you are doing so for the sake and preservation of your country and for all of humanity.”

  “Hear, hear!” came the response of his men as the held their weaponry up in tribute, ready now for the hell charge that would ensue.

  Hickson turned his horse for another pass. “You have come far. You have reached the capital of our enemy, but your journey is not over yet. Soon we will begin our siege and you will charge upon the hordes of Vallance. Do not falter. Do not stop. Do not show weakness for I will be behind you and I will shoot you myself. We have come too far to slip now, and I will not allow you to fail yourself, your country, or me!”

  Colonel Hickson then moved his horse over to the soldiers who manned the bridge equipment that would cover the gap of the Lorne River separating Hickson’s army from Bannar. “I don’t have to remind you how crucial your role is. Get this bridge up before we catch you, or I will assure you that your failure will cost you more than your lives in the end.” On his final words he gave the signal for the bridge crew to race forward ahead of troops. They went forth as if the very hells burned at their boots. Hickson gave them a feeble head start before returning his focus to his troops.

  Taking a great breath, Colonel Hickson drew his sword and raised it above his head before pointing it toward Bannar. “Remember this moment. Remember this day! Keep what you value most close to your heart and let no Vallance blasphemer strip that from you! Strike hard, strike quickly and give no mercy. For Thorne! To arms!” With those final words, he launched his sword forward, pressing the button that released a laser blast from one of the small barrels within the blade.

  With a near unified scream, his men replied. A scourge of 6,000 troops surged forward past their commander and toward the Lorne River and Bannar. Fueled by fear and rage, only a few soldiers would falter and be shot before they reached their destination. Their single duty was
the complete destruction of the enemy capital town of Bannar. The Lance divisions led the way, weapons pointed high as the infantry ranks followed close behind. Behind them mobile artillery units began firing their payloads into the air. To the east, Colonel Miller’s men would be following suit, gathering upon Bannar in a viscous flanking maneuver.

  In the distance, a sleepy town dozed, oblivious to the fact that its moments were numbered. All through the town men and women rested contentedly, full and worn out from the nights of the Grand Harvest. Soon they would hear the rumbling of charing feet, feel the heat of blue artillery blasts that summoned bitter death. Soon would start the battle cries of soldiers trained for years to hate and fear them. Soon they would realize that death and doom were indeed upon them.

  And of course, by then, it would be much too late.

  {31}

  Alderich Ashener looked over the balcony into the depths of Lorne River. He had just bid a goodnight to his chosen. Alderich had caressed her head and hair until she had found sleep at last. More than anything in the world, he was relieved to find her at peace. Now alone, Alderich rested his elbows on the balcony ledge, savoring the gentle night and stars that greeted him on a calming wind.

  Alderich closed his eyes, feeling the soft breaths of air on his face and in his hair. The sounds of the Lorne below helped to free Alderich's mind of the burdens of the day. It had begun. The war for Bannar and Vallance had commenced with no way of intervention. Alderich longed to understand the motivations of his adversary. Despite that, Alderich knew that now he had a land and people to protect. Thedron Ralick, with every ounce of my being and by my word, I will stop you.

  The leader of Vallance had done all that he could for the night in terms of preparation. Wyndall would be out there to bolster and rouse the forces, and he and Rhoneck would set out early to bolster them further. It was obvious now that a peaceful solution was out of reach. All attempts to communicate with Thorne were met with silence and aggression. There seemed no end to the nightmare that threatened on the horizon.

  A welcomed voice pulled him from his thoughts. “I know that you come here to be alone. I can only imagine what all is on your mind tonight.” Alderich turned his head to the voice of his older son.

  Alderich smiled as he turned from the balcony view. “Well the only people who trouble me here are the ones that I don’t mind being troubled by.” He motioned his son over. “You might as well join me. How is that arm of yours faring?”

  Rhoneck moved it in a circle, grimacing. From fingers to elbow it had been wrapped with care and precision. “It is better of course, though I would much rather go without the inconvenience.” He replied with a grin and a wink. Rhoneck stood to Alderich’s left, looking with him then out into the night. “Try to ease your mind, father. I can’t imagine the burden you carry now, but I know in my heart that we will see the end of this soon.”

  Alderich’s head bowed as he surveyed Lorne River. “It could end tomorrow. Next week. Maybe next year. The fact is people have died and more are going to follow. That does not sit well with me, son. Not at all.”

  Rhoneck nodded at his words. “Being a leader is not easy.”

  Alderich looked earnestly at his son. “Nor should it ever be, Rhoneck. When we start playing a god and thinking of our people and friends as pawns and tools, then we have become no better than the monsters we choose to fight.” Alderich scratched the back of his head. “We must never lose sight of that. If that happens, then all will be lost. Every foundation we built Vallance upon will be forfeit. I have seen the other side of that coin personally during the Unification Wars, and the toll it took on great men, including your grandfather and uncle.”

  Rhoneck chewed on that thought for a moment. “When it is all over, where do you see us in all this, father?”

  Alderich’s frustration bled out in clenched fists. “Whatever happens, Vallance and Thorne both lose, in my opinion. Sure, we may drive them back from our homes, but the cost will be high. It always is. Blood is a terrible price to be paid. It has bothered me for weeks, knowing that it could come to this. Sadly, there are fewer choices today than there was yesterday. It is settled. Tomorrow we tempt our fates.”

  Rhoneck thought on this before replying. “Then let us pray for the strength to see it through, father. And when this is over, let us make Bannar grander than it has ever been, so that no force from any land would think of standing against it.” His eyes lit up and the passion there reminded Alderich of himself when he was his boy’s age. “Our sky will be our limit!”

  Alderich offered a genuine smile. “Now there is that fervor that I have missed in the months you have been gone.” He put his arm over Rhoneck’s shoulder. However, even in that moment of joy Alderich felt the sting of the past. That fire, that zeal. You are more like your uncle than you realize, he observed. These thoughts sobered Alderich momentarily. His brother was long dead now, lost in his fervor and zeal for battle. Removing such thoughts, Alderich again looked at his son lovingly. “We have all missed you. Norryn has asked for word of you almost every day you were gone. And do not get me started on your mother!”

  “I’ve been gone for some time.” Rhoneck turned to fully face his father. The lights of his enthusiasm darkened into more serious hues. “But father, if I may. That reminds me of what I have wanted to talk to you about since I left months ago. Something has troubled me every night since that day, and it is time to address it.”

  Alderich put his back to the night and crossed his arms. His full attention was now on Rhoneck. “Speak your mind, son.”

  Alderich’s oldest boy sighed heavily. To his father, it seemed as he was inwardly reviewing a rehearsed speech. As he spoke, his eyes carried between the ground and just above his dad’s eyes. “Well, father, I have had a lot of time to think. Being in the field at the borders of Thorne leaves you ample amounts of it.” As Rhoneck took a moment to gather his thoughts, Alderich could begin to see where this was going. “I guess this all goes back to what we discussed just before I left. I have been a member of Bannar’s defenses since I was 18, and I have risen up in the years that I have served.”

  “It is a rise that must all be credited to you, son.”

  Rhoneck nodded. “Thank you, father. Nevertheless, that brings me to the point. I have done my duty for Vallance. And I have served to the best of my abilities. You say that you are proud of me and that I am a good soldier who has risen on his own accord. But the gravity of our last conversation has weighed on me each day since. So, it has brought me here tonight to ask you this one question and this one question only: Why have you chosen Norryn as the heir of Vallance instead of me?”

  Alderich had expected this, knowing that their reunion would bring about this inevitable moment. He had not meant to hurt his older son. Pain was never his intention. Alderich closed his eyes and took a single, long and calming breath before he fell into his response. “Rhoneck, I bear you no ill will. I love you and your younger brother equally. You both are the best sons that any father could have asked for.” He paused for a moment, regaining himself. How does a father explain such a decision to his children? In all the months you were gone, I don’t think I found a way to soften such a blow. “I have mulled over this for as long as I can remember. I’ve watched you and Norryn grow into the fine individuals that you are today. But I have tried to look at this decision in every possible way that I could, and in the end, I had to go with my heart. Rhoneck, you are a great man, a bold warrior, and an excellent commander. You remind me so very much of my own brother, your uncle Arylleus. You have the same fire to rise to the challenge, to make it your duty to crush any opposition in the way of our country’s well-being. But my heart tells me that it is Norryn that can bring the people together like nothing we have ever seen before. He has a way with others that I have never seen before in my life. He does not crave power; he only wishes to know the heart of his populace and country. If I would have one wish in my death, it would be Norryn as Bannar’s keeper with
you at the head of its defenses. When I envision it that way, I see the Vallance capital being like nothing anyone could imagine or contest. There are no other words to give you, save for that I am sorry that you do not agree with it.”

  Rhoneck’s head turned away. His eyes closed and his jaw clenched. The pain on his face cut deep into his father’s heart. He put his good hand over his injured arm. The balcony gave no sound, save for the wind and river below. Soon he turned back to his father, hurt staining his eyes. “It was my hope that with time you had reconsidered.”

  Alderich shook his head softly. “I am sorry. I have not.”

  At last, Rhoneck looked at his father. “Then that is your decision, and I will have to live with it. It is your wish even though I feel that you are wrong about it. I will drop the subject, but I had to ask one more time. I had to know. I think that inside I knew the outcome, and I should have known that it was futile to hope as I did.” Even in the moonlight it was easy to see Rhoneck’s tears as they bled down his face. “I cannot help but feel that I have disappointed you in some way.” He lifted his hands up to stop his father’s comments. “And I know you would say otherwise, but I cannot help but feel that way just the same.”

  It took much of Alderich’s strength not to go and put his arm around his son. But that would not do. You would not have it. You are a man now and not my little boy. I wish I could have that back for one fleeting moment at least. “Rhoneck, if there had been another way to handle this I would have found it by now. I love you more than anything in this world, and I want to be honest with you always.” He put his hand on his son’s shoulder, squeezing slightly. “You mean the worlds to me and your mother. In your heart, I think that you know that. We both feel strongly that this is where you should be. You are meant to be a commander of troops. It is in your blood just as your grandfather before. In your eyes I see the fire he possessed. It is nothing more than that, Rhoneck. It is not who is our favorite between you and Norryn. Enora and I feel that this is the best for you, for Norryn, and for all of Vallance. And we hope that one day you will see that too.”