Reciprocity : Volume 1 of The Fledgegate Cycle

by Zachary Smith

  His free hand lashed out with streams of liquid fire that burned everything it touched.

  Before the soldiers could even begin to mount a defense, it was over.

  Only Glem remained standing, the road around filled with the ghosts of the burning dead.

  The fire that had consumed Glem retreated from his blade and arms as he looked around him at the destruction. He sheathed his sword and turned toward Jorick and the men. His strength exhausted, Glem collapsed before he could take a single step.

  Chapter 14

  “Eiriean has food on, are you hungry?”

  “For her cooking? Always,” Kiiryas replied. “I’ll tell you what’s going on while we eat. Then I have to get back into the town. I need to find the girls who were staying here and the old man who was with them. I think he might be the best chance we have.”

  “Any idea who he really is?” Oarf asked as they sat at their usual table in the back of the inn, Eiriean joining them with bowls and a crock of soup and a fresh loaf out of the oven.

  “Jorick was telling me that when he walked in a few days ago, he already knew the Captain of the Guard. Loren said something about having thought he was dead, and that he had been Lorne’s master of the sword when he was young.

  “He hasn’t said much more but I get the impression that Jorick is in awe of him and you know, Eiriean’s brother is a tough soldier and doesn’t get surprised easily.”

  “I have been keeping an ear out. I overheard some conversations. Before he disappeared with Jorick for the last couple days, he showed up at the guard’s grounds and thumped a couple trainees and then beat Jorick, Loren and Garen all at same time with a practice sword in no time. A couple younger guards were whispering about it. He keeps that dirty canvas wrapped around the hilt of his sword and dagger, but I got a glimpse of his sword blade while he was sheathing it. It was perfect. I don’t know who he is, but I am sure he used to be someone,” Kiiryas said softly, staring into his nearly empty soup bowl.

  “You have an idea, don’t you?” asked Oarf. “Who do you think he was?”

  “Do you remember the stories from years ago that a new guardian had been found? For a while, the roads of the Kingdom were quiet and safe. Then suddenly, the stories stopped. It was like he disappeared. There were rumors that he’d been killed in fight with a huge group of brigands,” Kiiryas said.

  “I remember that,” Eiriean said. “I was only a little girl, but we all dreamed about meeting and marrying him.” She looked shyly at her giant of a husband. “Silly dreams of little girls. I had forgotten about him after the stories stopped.”

  “I think Glem was him. I think something happened and he gave up everything to take care of the girl. I don’t know, but that’s what I think, for what it’s worth,” replied Kiiryas.

  “Hmm. Could be. Could be,” said Oarf.

  ✽✽✽

  "We have to get back to the city. That army is already moving, and this took too much time," Glem said. "Leave the bodies where they are, and gather the horses. We’ll use them as alternate mounts as we ride. We have to push straight through to the city to warn them."

  The men are frantic and terrified of Glem now. We don't have time for them to be scared, thought Jorick. "Well, get a move on. You heard the Sentinel," Jorick barked at them.

  He nodded to Glem as they moved quickly through the carnage. "I knew sentinels were supposed to be powerful, but this is beyond anything I have heard of."

  "Humph," Glem replied. "Let's go."

  The ghost of the destruction wrought by the sentinel made the morning seem dark.

  We are running out of time, Jorick thought.

  The men raced back toward the city; they were struggling to shake the abiding fear that hung on them under the thick canopy. The sounds of the horses blowing hard in their bridles, and their pounding hooves, were the only ones heard aside from the creaking of harnesses and the jingle of chainmail. Riding hard and changing horses frequently, their frantic flight through the forest had brought them rapidly into the light of the clearing surrounding the town.

  Jorick pulled up his horse to a sudden stop. "Glem, you're with me. Men, ride to each of the guard posts in the city and have the sergeants assemble immediately at the main yard, on my authority. Split the posts between you, and after you have given them my orders, come to the Captain's office. Hurry, we don't have much time before the army arrives."

  The men rode hard toward the city. "We'll need to make plans of our own. The city wall won't hold that army long," Glem said, setting a fast trot toward the nearest city gate. "At least no siege engines were being moved with the army. They'll have to build them once they arrive. That’ll take at least a day, maybe two. You don't have any trained raiders among the guard, do you? Some strategically set fires in the night might delay those engines an extra day."

  The guards at the city gates stepped out, pikes at the ready, as they thundered up to the open port. "Excuse me, Sir," the older of the pair said, recognizing Jorick.

  "How has the traffic been today? Anything out of the ordinary?" Jorick questioned.

  "No, Sir. just the usual locals coming to trade or sell vegetables in the markets."

  "Thank you. As soon as we are through the gate, I want it closed and the beam set in place. It is not to be opened except on my or the Captain's orders. Is that understood?"

  "Yes, Sir." He turned to the gatehouse. "Close the gates," he bellowed rapidly, riding back into the city following Jorick and Glem.

  The crash of the gates closing echoed into the city. "Set the beam," he yelled.

  The counterweighted beam the full width of the gates settled smoothly down into the vast stone locks on each side, and into the thick steel brackets securing one of the thresholds of the city.

  "We need to move quickly; the sound of the gate closing will carry for some distance. The people will flood the streets to investigate. If we're not clear, it will take hours to get to the yard," Jorick said to Glem.

  He kneed his horse to a trot just as the first people appeared in the doorways on the street.

  Glem followed Jorick as they quickly traveled through the city streets. He studied the people peeking out of doorways and in the markets as they passed through. They were slightly nervous and aware that something was wrong but couldn't quite identify what that might be.

  There shouldn't be a reason for them to think there's something wrong yet, except for the people near the gate we had sealed when we came through.

  Glem listened carefully while he crossed one of the markets and picked up comments about storms, laden with tales about people who had disappeared when they left the city or never arrived when expected.

  He pulled up alongside Jorick. "How long have people been going missing for?"

  "I’ve only been hearing rumors of it the last couple of weeks, and then only occasionally," Jorick replied. "Most of what I have heard has come from a reliable source: Oarf, and his little network of information gatherers. He is surprisingly good at putting together and filtering rumors to get to the truth of a matter. It started out, from what I understand, about four or five weeks ago. Trade with Hasdingium slowed some, and people were unable to find their regular trading partners and there were lots of missed meetings.

  “Then we started hearing about farmers who didn't come in from the field at the end of their workdays. But no bodies were found, not like you would get if it were an animal attack, when the families went out and searched. That was about three weeks ago. Roughly about the time your town was overrun."

  "Hm. From what we know now, that was probably about when the Hasdingian army started across the border. The farmers were probably taken by scouts that thought they might have spotted them. There is not likely a Laterian soul living between this city and the border now," Glem replied as they passed through the gates of the main guard facility.

  The clatter of practice swords was sharp after the low hum of the city outside. Riding quickly around the yard, they dismounted near t
he entrance. "Take the horses and rub them down; they have had a hard ride. Give them some extra oats tonight,” Glem said to the guardsman standing nearby as he turned to follow Jorick into the building.

  "Hey, old man, who are you to give me orders?" the guard asked rudely. "I don't work in the stables, in case you hadn’t noticed."

  "You do for the next week," Jorick said, turning back from the door. “I expect that the stalls will be spotless anytime I happen by, or you will be in them for a month."

  Glancing at Glem, Jorick saw him waiting patiently with one eyebrow raised at the guard. "You should thank your stars that I was here to stop your stupidity before you annoyed Glem, and also be grateful that he is a patient man."

  Stammering with sudden fear, the guard turned to Glem.

  "I... I'm sorry, Sir, I didn't know who you were, and my mouth runs off sometimes," the guard said. "I will personally take care of your mount, Sir, and I will clean and oil your tack. I'm good with horses. I used to help my da with them on the farm."

  "Good enough," Glem said with a grunt, reaching up to take his sword from its mount on the saddle. "Thank you, lad. Always make sure you know who you are going to run your mouth at before you start. Some men are indeed not as patient."

  Jorick and Glem stepped through the outer door of the offices. The inside was dark as their eyes adjusted from the late day sun. Jorick asked the clerk, "The Captain in his office?"

  "Map room," the clerk replied after a quick glance up to identify Jorick.

  "Have one of the men bring dinner for a dozen shortly. All the guard sergeants from the gates will be joining us. Send them through to us immediately," Jorick said.

  "Of course, will there be anything else?"

  "Not right now. Thank you," Jorick replied, passing into the hallway behind the desk.

  The map room was well lit, with additional lamps having been brought in.

  There was a heavy fog of smoke from the oil burning in the extra lamps hung from the ceiling beams, damping the light they cast, causing shadows to fall strangely in the room.

  Lorne came around his desk as Glem and Jorick entered.

  "You're back awfully fast," Lorne said, surprised.

  Looking at Glem, Jorick replied, "In two days, three at most, this city will be under siege. The Hasdingian army is moving this way and has wiped out every village between here and the border."

  Lorne strode to the map table, his brows drawn down, and a dark look on his face,

  "Show me. Where is the army? How big is it? Which route did you travel? How are the roads between them and the city?"

  Taking a deep breath, Jorick replied, "We left as we had discussed, out the west gate. A couple of miles into the woods, we circled the town and moved onto the goat track that ran southeast and then onto the southern road. After two days of hard riding, we left the road. We thought we might be getting close, and that stealth through the forest would be better than speed."

  Reaching into a pouch at his waist, Glem took out a small handful of silver coins that had been taken from the bandits and began setting them out on the map table.

  "Here is roughly where we changed direction after leaving the city," he said, laying the first coin down. "Here is where we moved onto the goat track." Another coin. "Here is where we joined the road." Another coin was added. "That is where we left the bodies of the highwaymen that jumped us." He lay a final coin down. "This is the army."

  “Were there any injuries with the bandits?”

  “Only on their side,” Jorick replied.

  “Well, that's a positive to come out of this. Those bandits have been causing problems all over, south of the city. I hadn’t had the men to deal with them before,” Lorne responded. “Now, tell me more about what we are up against.”

  "Glem and I discussed it on the ride back, and we think that it's likely the entire force of the Hasdingian army. It covered a huge area; between foot soldiers and cavalry, it was at least fifty thousand soldiers and their supporting personnel. There were no visible engines, but trebuchets could easily be built when they arrived. The gate we came in through is sealed by my order already."

  "We have to prepare the defense of the city," Lorne said.

  "I sent men for the sergeants at each guard post. They should be here soon. I also sent for food," Jorick replied.

  "Just a moment," Lorne said, crossing the hall into the anteroom.

  "Go get the Governor. I don't care if you have to wake him up and drag him back here in his nightclothes. Get him here now," Lorne said to the clerk.

  The three men studied the map quietly, each considering the potential for the survival of the city. How long can the resources of the city sustain both its population and that of the surrounding countryside? With the limited guard force, is there any chance of holding the wall, and is there any way to close off sections of the city to make it too expensive for the army to bother once they breach the walls? Glem thought.

  "Are there any sections of the city that are walls or have secondary fortifications?" Glem asked.

  “No, this city was built to protect the population from raiders or small upstart armies. It was never designed to hold out against the force that's coming. So, the gates will hold for a little while, maybe as much as a few days, but that would be the best we can hope for.

  “If they build siege engines, the walls will only last minutes against them. Once they break through the wall, it'll be a short fight. We are outnumbered at least a hundred to one, and that is guards against trained soldiers. If they breach the gates instead of the walls, that will limit the men they can get into the city at a time. The streets are narrow, so the horse will only be able to come in four abreast. It will slow them, but only a little," Lorne replied.

  Garen arrived from the practice yard, still pulling on his shirt, sweaty from the day’s practice. "The clerk said you would probably want me to come in. What's going on?" he asked, looking around. "Good evening Jorick, Glem," he nodded at them.

  The Governor, a short, droopy looking older man with gray hair cut collar length and fashionably dressed in a doublet and hose, arrived quickly. He slapped the door open with his shoulder as he staggered into the room. Having just come from dinner, he still carried his wine glass in one hand and the skin to fill it in the other.

  "What's all the fuss about now? You send a man to drag me away from my dinner and guests! If it’s anything less than the city burning to the ground, I will have you flogged and run out of town," the Governor said arrogantly.

  "Hmm. Yes, that's about the shape of things," Glem responded drily.

  "Whoooo are you?" the Governor asked.

  "Glem," he replied, turning back to the map, and raising an eyebrow at Jorick.

  "Governor, thank you for coming so quickly. I'm the one that asked for haste," Lorne said. "You know Garen,” he said, nodding at him, “and you might remember Jorick as well. The irritated-looking man next to Jorick is Glem. He was my instructor of the sword as a younger man. He is here at my request."

  "Fine, fine, why am I here, though?" the Governor demanded impatiently.

  "We are facing a crisis and desperately require your wisdom and guidance," Lorne said smoothly, with no trace of sarcasm in his voice. "The army of Hasdingium is at most two days’ ride away. We have scouted the army and found that it is at least fifty thousand men strong. Archers, foot soldiers, and heavy cavalry. It may well be the entire army of our southern neighbor. We need to prepare for the defense of the city."

  “We won't be able to hold out long, but maybe long enough to get help here from the capital. There were no engines visible with the army, so to take the walls, they will have to build them onsite. They may have scaling ladders in with the supplies. There is no way to tell for sure until they arrive," Jorick replied.

  "Shit," Garen said.

  "Ha, you’ve got a way with words, Garen," Glem said.

  The Governor, suddenly sober, asked, "How long do you think the city can hold against the army wi
th the guard compliment we have now?"

  "If they are careful of their strength, one day longer than it takes them to build the trebuchets. Maybe half a day,” Glem replied. "I have seen multiple walls of this city and several of the gates. If they are all roughly the same, then the walls are roughly nine feet thick at the bottom and four feet thick at the top with the wooden walkways supported on the interior side for the guard to walk. No siege engines, and those would hold forever. Trebuchet throwing three-hundred-pound stones will pound it to gravel in a few hours."

  "We need to make decisions on the defense of the city and whether we want to try to evacuate the people before the army arrives, and can we move them fast enough to get them somewhere safe in time," Lorne said to the Governor.

  "First thing, we need to get men headed to the capital for help," Glem interjected, looking at Lorne for confirmation.

  Lorne nodded and said, "Garen, Jorick, gather the six best riders you know in the guard and get them moving, sending each with two extra mounts. I will write letters to the General in the capital explaining the situation and asking for help for each of them. Tell them to ride fast; our lives are in their hands."

  Stepping away from the map table, the two men quickly discussed the men to send.

  Garen rushed out to make the arrangements.

  "Now, do we evacuate or hunker down? What resources are in the city to provide for the people? How many can we support for how long?" Glem asked Lorne and the Governor.

  "The city was built up around an artesian well, so the water's not a problem, and last year was good for crops, so the grain storage is still full. We can probably support the city population for at least three weeks before things start to get lean," the Governor replied, glancing down at the wineskin he was still holding.

  "Will the people fight? Can they?" Glem asked.

  "We'll give them a choice. They can stay and fight, or they can run. Any that will help defend the city, we will try and find weapons for before the army arrives. Anyone who wants to run, we wish them the best, but we don't have the resources to send guards to protect them. They will be on their own," the Governor replied. "I’ll leave the distribution of the guard to you. I'm going to go start arranging the supply distribution around the city."