“How dare you!” Janson Roensil growled. “I paid you good money!”
“You paid me to provide magical support to what you described as an easy rout. This stopped being an easy rout the moment those portals opened, and if you think the seven of us can turn the tide against that horde of dracons—not to mention Kirloth himself—you’re a damned fool. I don’t mind giving my life for my family to eat, but I’d at least like to have a hope of surviving.”
Before Janson could respond, the arcanist swung off the far side of the horse from Janson and knelt to one knee, lacing his fingers behind his head. He wasn’t the only one, either. Mercenaries are, by far, the most pragmatic of professional soldiers. They don’t fight for country; they fight for coin, and the best coin comes from victories…not wholesale defeats. Within ten minutes, the only people still standing were the Roensils atop their mounts (who were exempt from Gavin’s mercy anyway) and a handful of Roensil retainers loyal to Janson and his daughter.
Seeing only fifteen people—at most—still standing, Gavin said, “Dracons, hold your positions. I’ll handle this.”
Gavin cleared his mind of all thoughts except his intent, and he focused his entire consciousness on that intent. Then, he invoked the first Word he ever learned, “Thraxys.”
The Roensils—Janson and his daughter—and the few fighters still standing fell to the ground, dead before their bodies struck the dirt. The Roensils’ horses shied away from their riders falling away, and as the wind shifted to bring the scent of so many dracons—who happened to smell just like dragons to herd animals—to the horses, the rider-less mounts whinnied in terror and bolted at a full gallop.
A short time later, most of the dracons were returned home, with only a couple formations remaining to keep an eye on the surrendered mercenaries. Natan stood at the now-open gate, staring at the bodies that were the only casualties of the so-called assault.
“What’s to become of them all?” Natan asked when Gavin walked up to his side.
Gavin shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t care…as long as they never accept coin to attack you or yours again. I will have a word with them to that effect, and then, I’ll offer them a job.”
“What should I do with the bodies?”
“I’ll deal with them, too,” Gavin said. “I think the remaining Roensils may need an object lesson.”
Chapter 12
“So, tell me why Declan and I aren’t going with you?” Kiri asked, frowning at Gavin her fists on her hips.
“For one thing, if they found out you’re still alive and I knew about them having that knowledge, I’d have to kill them. I’ve killed enough people today. Second, I thought you’d enjoy more time with your grandparents and uncle, and since I will have close to a thousand dracons with me, Declan stays with you.”
Kiri let out a sigh and unclenched her fists as she lowered her hands from her hips. “That makes sense, I suppose, but I don’t like your first response being killing anyone who learns I’m still alive.”
Gavin shrugged. “We all have our burdens to bear. Once you’re home with your father, I won’t worry about it. At that point, you’ll be inside the most secure part of the most secure city in the known world.”
“What makes you say that?”
“According to Mivar’s Histories, Vushaar withstood a siege led by Ak’Rython and Milthas’s lieutenant for several years, before the Army of Valthon got around to breaking the siege. Unless Ivarson somehow has agents inside the city, we could make a leisurely stroll of your return home and still arrive before Ivarson breached the walls.”
“You don’t think Tel Mivar is more secure?”
Gavin shrugged. “I have no way of knowing. The city’s defenses have never been put to the test. I’d like to think it’s just as secure, but until there’s a siege, we’ll never know for sure. Now, enjoy this time with your family. I’ll be back in about an hour or so.”
Gavin stood at the gathered corpses, his apprentices fanned out behind him. Gavin felt this next part was rather distasteful, but he saw no other way. After all, he’d never been to the Roensil estate.
Gavin knelt and pricked the finger of Janson Roensil, drawing a couple drops of blood. It took a few moments, given that the man’s heart was no longer beating. Then, he stood and concentrated on the blood. He formed his intent in his mind and cleared away all other distractions. Then, he spoke the Word, “Paedryx.”
Savage pain tore at Gavin’s guts, causing him to feel on the verge of vomiting, as an archway of sapphire energy rose out of the earth. The pain was worse this time, because Gavin didn’t have a clear vision of his destination in mind…just the intent to open a portal to the man’s home whose blood he held. Still, though, it seemed to work.
Gavin glanced at one of Natan’s people, asking, “Is that the Roensil estate?”
The man was a simple stonemason, and his wide eyes and slack jaw suggested he wasn’t all that comfortable around magic. Still, though, he gave Gavin a jerky nod.
“Thank you, good sir,” Gavin said. He then directed his focus to the corpses and spoke another Word, “Khrypaex.” The gathered corpses rose on conjured cushions of air and hovered a bit closer to Gavin.
“All right,” Gavin said. “Let’s go.”
He turned and led the floating corpses, his apprentices, and three formations of dracons through the portal.
“What is the meaning of this?” Lady Roensil said, her tone gruff and haughty. Lady Roensil stood at the gate to her family’s manor, and she looked every inch the Lady of the House. Her dress was made of expensive silk, its tailoring exquisite, and the hairpins that held her coiffed hair would pay a person’s salary for a year, not to mention the rings, necklace, and earrings.
“I thought we should have a word,” Gavin said. “I bring you the corpses of your husband, daughter, and various individuals wearing your colors.”
The color left Lady Roensil’s face as she looked upon her family’s remains. “I’ll have that Claymark’s head for this!”
“That’s what I wanted to discuss,” Gavin said. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gavin Cross, and I’m Head of House Kirloth. These individuals at my back are my apprentices, and the assorted souls behind them are the dracons who stayed behind to escort me on this errand. Claymark had nothing to do with their deaths…unless you count the fact that they were trying to kill him and his family to take their land. I killed your husband, daughter, and these retainers. If you want to swear vengeance on someone, it should be me. I honestly don’t care, but I want to be very clear about this next part. If you continue the feud with Claymark that led to these deaths, I urge you to dig your own grave along with one for anyone else who lacks sense enough to see reason, because I give you my word. The moment you attack Natan Claymark or his people ever again, I’ll see to your deaths myself…and depopulate your entire estate in the process. If you don’t believe me, send people to Tel and investigate the fates of Baron Kalinor and House Sivas. Trust me; the information won’t be hard to find.”
Gavin directed a casual wave of his left hand as he said, “Rhosed.”
The cushions of air under the corpses faded, lowering them to the ground before dissipating.
“We now take our leave of you, Lady Roensil, and I ask you to heed well what I’ve said.”
“You dare threaten me not ten feet from my gate? I should have you killed where you stand!”
“Lady Roensil, I did not threaten you. I stated facts and made you a promise. The fact you’ve attracted my attention should be threat enough.”
Gavin started to open another portal, but he felt like experimenting. If he was right, he figured it would unnerve everyone watching quite a bit. He formed his intent in his mind and focused his entire consciousness on making that intent a reality. Then, he spoke the word, “Paedryx.”
Instead of a portal, Gavin teleported himself, his apprentices, and every single dracon back to the land outside Natan Claymark’s estate. In the blink of an e
ye, they were simply…gone.
Back at the Claymark estate, Gavin thanked the dracons before their arcanists opened portals to return home. Then, he turned to consider the mercenaries who had surrendered. The more he considered offering them jobs, the more he doubted the logistics of the proposition. All his people were back in Tel, with those troops he’d stationed at the former Sivas estate being the closest. Still, he was always looking for loyal people, and if they wanted guaranteed work and were willing to travel to Tel, he knew his captains would evaluate them.
“All right, people, listen up,” Gavin said, addressing the mercenaries. “I’m always on the lookout for competent, loyal people, and I’m willing to hire any of you who travel to Tel and pass the evaluations of my captains there. I need to know who will make the trip, so I can provide an introduction. The introduction will guarantee a travel stipend if you don’t make the cut…for whatever reason. All who are interested, stand up and form a group to my right.”
About three-quarters of the group moved to the new group.
Gavin nodded. “Very well. The rest of you, listen well. Claymark and his people are off limits. The next time you attack these people or their holdings, you’ll have no mercy from me or mine. Now, be on your way. You should be well away from here by nightfall.”
Those mercenaries not interested in Gavin’s employment gathered their belongings and left.
Gavin considered the mercenaries who wanted to try for his employment, and he didn’t enjoy the thought of writing over five hundred introductions. Well, there was nothing for it; it was time to experiment again. He formed a picture in his mind of the introduction he desired, complete with writing and a Glyph of Kirloth that glowed as a signature. He added the specification that the introductions would dissolve when they were handed to one of his captains, and once his intent was clear and solid in his mind, Gavin spoke the Word, “Nythraex.”
A stack of parchment appeared in his left hand, all manifestations of his intent and identical to one another. Gavin divided the stack into fifths, distributing four stacks to his apprentices.
“Form five lines, and when you’ve received a parchment, be on your way. The closest posting of my forces is the Vischaene Vineyard in the Kingdom of Tel.”
It took longer to get those five-hundred-odd mercenaries on their way to Tel than Gavin would’ve liked, and the sun was low on the horizon when he entered Natan’s house. In the end, he didn’t get to leave that day, as Natan insisted on Gavin and his friends partaking of Claymark hospitality. Neither Natan nor his wife was interested in seeing Gavin and his friends spend the night at a road-side camp after they’d done so much to help the family.
The next morning, Gavin and his friends resumed their travels after Kiri’s grandmother and her kitchen staff provided an excellent breakfast and restocked their traveling supplies. Natan also insisted on exchanging Gavin’s pack-mules for two pack-horses, since the horses would allow them to make better time than the sedate pace the mules tended to prefer.
As they stood at the gate, Natan approached Gavin, his expression stern as he said, “I’ve spent time thinking about what I’ve witnessed of your methods. I want no part of how you live your life to touch me or mine. I appreciate your help in ending the Roensil threat, but I’d prefer you not come by here ever again.”
Gavin shrugged. “I have no problem with that, but you should be certain you’ll never want to call on my help again. If this is how we leave things, neither I nor anyone who answers to me will help you again…not even to pick up a letter the postman dropped along the highway. Do you understand?”
Natan nodded once. “I do. Thank you for seeing Kiri home, and you’d best be on your way.”
“Good day to you and yours, Natan Claymark,” Gavin said, before turning to Jasmine and pulling himself into the saddle.
As they rode away, Gavin turned to Declan, asking, “You heard?”
“I did,” Declan replied.
“Ensure everyone knows that Natan Claymark and his family receive no further assistance from us.”
Declan nodded once.
Soon, the Claymark estate disappeared over the horizon.
“Did you enjoy your time with the family?” Gavin asked Kiri.
Kiri smiled like a little girl who’d received her first doll. “Oh, yes! It’s been so long since I’ve been home. Seeing them…well, I feel like I’ll make it home after all. The capital just seems so far away, especially with everything that’s happening. It’s easy to feel like I’ll never see home again.”
Gavin nodded. “On one side, I can understand that. Still, though, I’m surprised you feel that way.”
“Oh? Why?”
Gavin turned to look Kiri in her eyes, saying, “Because I promised to take you home, and I always keep my promises.”
Chapter 13
They rode south for the most part, traveling through the grasslands and wheat fields of northern Vushaar. The weather was pleasant, with salty breezes blowing west off the Inner Sea, and the ladies, Wynn, Braden, and Declan sung to the accompaniment of Declan’s virtuoso manipulation of the lute. Gavin and Sarres felt discretion to be the better part of valor in that venue, but Wynn’s steady tenor surprised everyone. Gavin would’ve thought the nervous energy Wynn exuded would’ve prevented him from keeping even halfway-decent time, soon possessing considerable evidence to the contrary.
About four days south of the Claymark estate, they were riding through rolling fields, and topping a small rise, they saw a child running toward them, a small lad with light brown hair. Some distance back, four men ran in pursuit. The boy reached them in short order, and Kiri gasped when she saw him.
“Help me!” the boy screamed as he ran. “Please, help me!”
Gavin slowed Jasmine and dropped to his feet. The boy ran up to him and threw his arms around Gavin’s waist. “Don’t let them take me back; please, don’t let them take me!”
Gavin gestured to Sarres and Declan. “See to the men chasing him.”
With the small boy clinging to him, Gavin turned as best he could and surveyed the area. A small copse of trees stood not too far to the west, and he could see some fallen trees among them. Gavin hefted the boy up onto his horse in front of the saddle and climbed astride the animal himself.
“Come on,” Gavin said. “Let’s go over there, so we can at least be in some shade while we sort this out.”
There was an aged fire pit at the center of the copse of trees, and from the position of the fallen logs coupled with the nearby spring, it was clear they had found another waystation. Gavin dismounted and tied his horse to a tree, before turning and lowering the boy to the ground. The others soon dismounted and secured their horses, but no one was prepared for the boy’s reaction when he saw Kiri.
“Kiri!” His face lit up, and he charged her with his arms wide, soon clutching her leg in the kind of bear hug only a small child can produce. “What are you doing here? Uncle Zen said you went away.”
“Well, Garrett, my trip was cut short, and I’m on my way back,” Kiri said as she extricated herself from the boy and knelt to embrace him.
Kiri soon broke the embrace and led the boy over to a log, where she sat and pulled him onto her lap. She looked to each person in turn, but she soon focused on Gavin.
“His name is Garrett,” Kiri said, “and he’s the nephew of my father’s oldest friend, Zentris. Zentris is like an uncle to me, too, and he’s been the governor of Thartan Province for as long as I can remember.” She looked down at Garrett before continuing to speak. “Garrett, what are you doing all the way out here by yourself?”
“They took us, Kiri, me and Naida. They weren’t nice, either. I think they were going to do something to Naida before one woman with them pulled her knife on them.”
Garrett’s words kicked off a fury in Gavin’s soul unlike anything he could remember in recent months. He walked over and knelt in front of Kiri, eyes locked on Garrett.
“People took you from your uncle, G
arrett? You and your sister?”
“Yes, sir.”
Gavin nodded. “Do you know why they did it? Who they worked for?”
“I don’t think so. They never talked around us a whole lot, but I heard them say something about a general one time they thought we were asleep.”
“They must have abducted the children to force Zentris to support Ivarson,” Mariana said from where she stood not too far away.
Declan and Sarres arrived at that point.
Declan said, “They were fierce fighters. Each one fought to the death.”
Gavin nodded his acceptance before shifting his gaze to Sarres. “Can you back-trace the boy’s path, find out where he came from?”
Sarres gave Gavin a look that spoke volumes. “The way the vegetation is disturbed, you could back-trace the boy’s path.”
“Go, then,” Gavin said, “and when you reach the end of the trail, scout the area and find a suitable place for a camp. Be as stealthy as you can. I’d prefer that camp to be on the western side, so we have unhindered access to Thartan.”
Sarres nodded and left.
Gavin walked back over to the group and saw Lillian eying Declan as he left.
“Gavin,” she said, “where is Declan taking that man?”
Gavin’s eyes never left the boy as he said, “We should discuss that later.”
A short time later, Declan returned alone, and Gavin rose to meet him away before he reached the others.
“He’s not moving all that much, and he has plenty of time to consider his past transgressions,” Declan said as Gavin approached.
Gavin nodded. “Go to Thartan, and contact your fellows. They couldn’t have abducted the governor’s niece and nephew without help inside the city. I want your people to identify everyone associated with the plot. Once that’s done and confirmed, bring enough people back to our new camp to conduct Kiri and the boy to Thartan. Your ward-stone will guide you once I set up the camp’s ward. Take those horses for re-mounts if you think they can handle it.”
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