An Empire Forged

by Michael Greenfield

  “Whilst I’m sure you’re all intrigued to know why Duke Kormick has requested your presence here, I believe you would benefit from a brief explanation of the circumstance that has led to my being amongst you.”

  For the next hour Myriana, Cal and Astridson, again ran through the events of the last few months. To their credit, none of the Lords interrupted, waiting for the tale to be told before asking any questions. Predictably, it was Vilstrom, as the senior Lord present, who spoke first.

  “Whilst I am shocked at the passing of your father, my condolences, I’m not entirely sure I see why you seek aid here? Surely, if what you say is true, then we need to be putting our own house in order before concerning ourselves with our neighbours.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Kormick answered, “but at the same time we have to look at the picture as a whole. If Baridon truly is in bed with the Mythra, then we need all the help we can get.”

  “I agree with Kormick,” everyone turned to listen to Periman, “we do need to sort out things here, and the first thing we really need to do is confirm what we’re being told.” He held his hand up as Myriana was about to interrupt.

  “Forgive me Majesty, but whilst I have no reason to disbelieve anything you’ve told us, we would be remiss in the extreme if we didn’t look into the incidents occurring closer to home and make sure we know what’s happened.”

  Astridson decided to intervene, “How would you propose to do that?”

  Periman sat back, staring at the far wall as he thought it through. The others remained silent whilst he did so.

  “Of course,” he sat forward suddenly, “would Her Majesty be interested in a new trade agreement with Galorn?”

  No one spoke for a moment as they all tried to fathom what the merchant was proposing, then Myriana started to laugh.

  “Not if you’re negotiating Sir, that’s brilliant.”

  Still at a loss, Kormick sounded vexed as he spoke up. “What are you two on about?”

  “Who would ratify any new treaty between our two nations?” The young Queen was looking quite smug now, beaming at the portly trader.

  “Of course,” Torran slapped his forehead, “any new treaty would have to be ratified by the King. If someone who isn’t under Baridon’s suspicious gaze was to approach him and ask for an audience to discuss the treaty the Chancellor would either have to produce the King or come up with some rather fancy footwork to avoid the issue.”

  “And if he tries to avoid the issue, we know he’s up to something.” Vilstrom smiled appreciatively. “It’s definitely got potential.”

  “Gentlemen,” Kormick raised his voice to gain everyone’s attention, “I propose that we dispatch a messenger on behalf of Guilmor with a treaty for His Majesty’s signature.

  Whilst we await a response, we can at least begin to come up with a plan of action for if my niece is shown to be correct in her assertions.”

  Heads nodded around the room before Torran spoke again, “Just one thing we need to sort quickly then. Anyone know how to write a trade treaty.”

  Everyone looked instantly at Periman.

  Periman, Myriana and Kormick sealed themselves off in the Duke’s office so they could work on a believable document. The others were left to their own amusements.

  For most of the Lords this mainly involved resting up from their recent trips up to Morning View. Cal, however, found himself alone on the patio with Earl Tarron.

  “So, my young Baron, what do you make of all of this?” Tarron waved expansively to emphasise the question.

  Cal was acutely aware of his lack of experience in dealing with matters of state, but he had started to feel comfortable with the, only slightly older, Earl.

  “To be completely honest, I’m out of my depth with most of this. I’ve only recently been elevated to Baron, most of my experience is in more martial matters.”

  “Oh,” Tarron’s interest was piqued, “you do seem quite young to be accompanying the Queen on a mission of this importance.”

  Cal smiled, “As I said, more martial experience. It was considered that I would appear less of a threat to others than some obvious bodyguard.

  When it comes to politics, I leave that completely to Her Majesty.”

  “Wise. Even so, what do you think to the idea for flushing out our dear Chancellor?”

  “There is something I don’t understand.” He saw the questioning look on Tarron’s face and decided to plough on. “We tell you that the Chancellor has usurped the King, and we agree to this fake agreement to try and draw evidence that what we say is true.

  Surely Baridon will know that its fake. Its been several months since King Sielan was killed and the invasion of Boraan started, news must have reached Galorn. How can we convince him that its genuine?”

  “Ah, you’re right about your lack of experience.” He quickly held a hand up to stop an angry response from Cal. “Not your fault and something you’ll address as you progress.

  Trade agreements are almost never discussed and concluded in the countries involved. In this particular case I imagine we will claim that the discussions took place somewhere in Dorn, and as they weren’t carried out on any government premises, they would be outside the official flow of news one would expect.

  Put simply, our valiant negotiators will know nothing of what is happening in Boraan. As the agreement is between trade factions, Baridon should still inform the King, even if it is something that would then be put on hold until the situation in your homeland is resolved. Possibly with an option to amend the document to take advantage of any weakness demonstrated by Boraan.

  Although observing your Queen up close, I don’t think that will be the case.”

  “So, the agreement will appear to be between traders, but would be under the signature of King Sielan if its agreed?”

  “Precisely. So, we can legitimately claim to have no knowledge of the passing of the King.” Gazing out over the stunning vista available from their vantage point Tarron continued.

  “I would imagine that once Kormick and Periman have worked their magic and produced a document to use, we will be off to a more convenient location closer to the capital.”

  Cal’s face dropped slightly, “Its not quite what I thought it would be.”

  “Oh?”

  “I was hoping that we would be able to gain your assistance here fairly quickly, and then be on our way back to Boraan to try and solve our problems there.”

  The older man rested a hand on Cal’s shoulder, “Such is the price of serving the crown I’m afraid.”

  Cal looked back at him, “True enough.”

  Holdur Reclaimed

  Collett looked up as one of the guards outside the command tent drew back the flap to allow a messenger through. Over the last few weeks he had gotten to the point where he recognised most of them by sight, if not recalling their names, but he couldn’t place this one.

  “Report.”

  “I bring greetings from Commander Ramon, sir.”

  “Ramon?”

  The young messenger’s face broke into a grin, “His exact words, and he asked me to repeat them as he spoke them, were ‘where do you want me to set up camp?’”

  Collett came upright as the meaning broke through his tired mind, “How far away?”

  “Our advance scouts have reached your sentry perimeter and the main body is about two hours behind that.”

  The older man returned the messenger’s grin, “Then I guess we need to find somewhere for his men to camp.

  Go and get yourself some food whilst we figure out where to put you all, then report back here in an hour for my reply.”

  “Sir!”

  As he watched the man leave Collett returned his attention to the map. The reports that the woodsmen had been supplying gave him a fair idea of the layout of the Shaler warriors surrounding Holdur, and he had a fair idea how to shift them, but he would have to wait until he’d spoken with Ramon face to face before he put anything in motion.
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br />   “Westrom!”

  Moments later the Adjutant strode into the tent, “You yelled Commander?”

  Collett chuckled, “I did. I need to you to get billeting organised for the Bor’a garrison.”

  “They’re here then?”

  “They will be sometime in the next couple of hours.”

  “I’ll get it organised. How temporary are we looking at?”

  That was one of the reasons Collett had asked for this man, he may not be the most astute officer tactically, but his grasp of when he needed to move quickly as opposed to when he had time to organise things more sedately was unerringly accurate. As was his sense of when to be ready to move.

  With a few better tacticians under him, he probably would make a fair battlefield commander after all.

  “They’ll be moving again within the week.”

  “Understood.”

  Collett remained staring at the map for a while after Westrom left, before calling one of the guards through.

  “Find Dalen, if he’s not in the camp leave word with the sentries that I need to see him as soon as he returns,”, he paused a moment, “and bring me the senior Ranger in camp.

  He continued staring until he was disturbed by the senior Ranger he had asked for appearing at the entrance to the command tent.

  “Keris isn’t it?”

  “My Lord,” the man stepped forward and took a place opposite Collett by the table.

  “I’ve asked for Dalen to join us if he’s in camp, but I’ll not wait.” He motioned toward the markings on the map showing the disposition of the Shaler forces they faced.

  “I assume you’re familiar with this information?”

  “I am Sir, though I can’t figure out why they won’t use the keep. A couple of the lads have been within sight of the town and report that the Shaler are concentrated to the north of Holdur itself and spread out from the causeway.

  There appears to be no activity within the keep itself.”

  The Commander studied the man opposite for a moment before speaking again, “How would they like to verify that fact?”

  “Sir?”

  “You’ve got five days to get into the keep, make sure it is unoccupied, and then return here.

  Think your ‘lads’ are up to it.”

  Keris stood back for a moment as he thought it through, “I assume you don’t want the Shaler to know we’re there?”

  “No.

  If it’s of any help, you only need to get into the town without being spotted.” He quickly rummaged through a few maps he had set beside the table before finding what he was after. Collett quickly spread a rudely drawn map of the town of Holdur.

  “Here,” he pointed to the main street leading to the causeway, “the forth house from the causeway proper has a hidden tunnel leading to the guardroom within the keep.”

  “How do you know that?”, Keris was smiling as he asked.

  “That’s how Lord Luda and Lady Tamala escaped when the Shaler took the keep originally. Tamala told me about it later, but more importantly, she swore to me that they covered the tunnel back up before leaving it.”

  “So, if we can get into town undetected, we can use that to enter the keep, but what of once we’re inside?”

  “Look around,” Collett grinned at the younger man, “I’d imagine it’ll be fairly obvious if there are any Shaler there.

  A quick look, figure if out if they are, and then hightail it back here.

  I’ll make it even more fun,” this time Collett’s smile reminded the Ranger of the last time he’d seen a hungry wolf up in the forest to the north, “once you get back and tell me it’s clear, I’ll need you to go back with Dalen and his woodsmen and a few other handpicked men.

  Your job will be to close the main gate as we start our attack and deny the use of the battlements to the enemy.”

  “Nothing too difficult then.”

  Collett laughed, “If we’re lucky you’ll have nothing to do once the gates are closed, but I don’t plan around luck.

  If we can pin the forces around the causeway, we can roll them back into their own reinforcements. The chaos that will cause should allow us to push them back and then Ramon can hit them from the east.”

  “You’re leaving them an option to retreat northwest toward Needle Spire?”

  “I am. We have good reason to believe that the Shaler aren’t behind this. Quite probably they’re being used even worse than we are.

  I want them gone, but we’ll need to talk to them before we move further.” Collett pause a moment, “I’m still working on some of the details for this, and I need to speak to some others to clarify, but I don’t think we want this to be a war of destruction.” He thought further whilst the Ranger stood silently waiting.

  Eventually the silence was broken as Keris cleared his throat, “Sir?”

  Collett shook his head, “Nothing, just had an idea that I don’t particularly like.” He stepped from behind the table and held out his hand, “Try not to get killed, Farsighter will moan at me if you do.”

  Both men laughed, before the Ranger turned and left the tent to gather up his men.

  Just over two hours later Ramon strode into the tent.

  “Apologies for the delay, just co-ordinating with your Adjutant getting the men settled. How long will we have?”

  “Seven days.”

  “Not as long as I’d have liked, but better than I thought we’d get,” he grinned at Collett.

  Returning the grin, Collett continued, “I’ve just dispatched some Rangers to check a few things out. If they come back with positive news, we’ll move in seven days.” He glanced behind the commander of the Bor’a Garrison. “Dorrin not with you?”

  “He’s staying at Bor’a to see if he can track down any leads as to where Nagril might be skulking. He also wants to be on hand to organise the Dwarven reinforcements that should start to arrive soon.

  Besides which, I don’t think he trusts any of the officers or nobles left there to actually do what needs to be done.”

  Collett nodded and then turned his attention back to the maps in front of him and proceeded to relate the plan he had come up with to his fellow Commander.

  The next several days seemed to drag for the Commander. He had a plan worked out for retaking Holdur, and he had put the initial parts of that plan into action, but aside from that there wasn’t a lot he could do for the moment.

  They were within a half days march of the town, and he knew that the Shaler patrols were keeping an eye on them to see when they would start moving. A fact that had many in the camp nervous.

  He had spoken to Dalen, who had appeared the day after Ramon, and the local woodsman had agreed that his men would do what he required. Now, the relative quiet was really starting to get to him.

  Fortunately, his private misery was interrupted by a surprise arrival. Keris strode into the tent with a big smile on his face.

  “I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow,” Collett stood from the chair he had been lounging in, mulling over whether he had missed anything.

  “We got lucky.”

  “Oh?”

  “We didn’t even have to enter the keep and search through it.

  We reached the house you spoke of just as someone was coming up from the tunnel.”

  Surprise showed on Collett’s face, “What do you mean?”

  “Several of the Duke’s staff escaped the original Shaler attack, one of them must have known about the tunnel. They’ve been hiding out in the keep, scrounging at night using the tunnel to enter and leave.

  They were just about to risk making a run for Bor’a when we brought the news that the army would be there within the week.”

  “You mean they’ve remained hidden there for months?”

  “The Shaler have completely ignored them. One of them was a sergeant in the Duke’s service, he’s convinced the Shaler know they’re there, they just don’t care.”

  “Well, I guess it’s time to make them care
.”

  This time, when Ramon entered the tent, he found Collett was not alone. Westrom was stood just behind the Commander, with Dalen and Keris stood on the near side of the map table. All looked up as he entered, and the two nearer him stood slightly to one side to allow him a decent view of the depiction of the area surrounding Holdur before him.

  “Good,” Collett refrained from smiling as he spoke, “we’re finally ready.

  “Ramon, I want you and Westrom to have the troops ready to march four hours after sundown, day after tomorrow.”

  “Sorry, after sundown?”

  “Yes my friend, I want our forces in position as dawn breaks that morning. I know it won’t be easy, but the land between here and Holdur should make life a bit easier.”

  “Understood, but what of the Shaler scouts watching us?”

  “That’s Keris’ job.” he shifted his gaze to the senior Ranger, “Have we got all the scout’s positions marked.”

  “We have Commander. I had a few of the men sneak out last night and verify that they were all where we thought them to be.”

  “They must be getting lax,” Dalen suddenly realised he’d spoken out loud, “not meaning any disrespect Keris.”

  “None taken, and you’re right. They’ve been sat around here for several weeks with nothing to do. I’d say they’re probably bored and chomping to actually do something.”

  Collett nodded, “Good. I want all of those positions taken before we move. Preferably within a couple of hours of sundown.”

  Keris nodded, “That we can do.”

  “Dalen, you’ll be moving first. We’ve got some hand-picked men I want you to escort into Holdur itself. Keris knows where you’re going so sit down with him tonight and get the details.

  You task is to shut the gates at sun-up three days from now. If you’re lucky you can then go and watch the fun from the battlements. Just make sure you double check that there are no Shalers in the keep when you shut the door.”

  “Don’t worry,” the older woodsman responded, “I don’t fancy sharing the view with them all that much.” The others chuckled at the show of bravado.