by T J Trapp
Truth, thought Erin to Alec.
“So you don’t know what it is to be used for?”
“No,” the man answered, clearly concerned that if he didn’t give full and complete answers he would be beheaded on the spot. “I have no idea why. It doesn’t seem to be a reasonable size – it’s not wide enough to move an entire army into your land, if that’s what they have in mind. But they are going to a lot of trouble to make it. We supposed that it would be used to either provide a secondary path for some planned attack or resupply for a future battle.”
“Where does it start?” asked Erin. “Who wants to build a road into my land?”
“I don’t know where it starts. I was brought onto the job after the last foreman was executed, a couple of weeks ago. The Aldermen hired me, for a good price considering the dangers, and I joined them in the Grasslands.” The man cowered before Erin.
“The Aldermen are hard taskmasters. The path was supposed to be finished three weeks ago, but the terrain is difficult and the workers got behind. I think that’s why they did away with the last foreman. An incentive to the other workers to catch up. Captain drives us unmercifully to speed things along. But we don’t have enough workers – we need more slaves. Between them dropping dead from exhaustion, and accidents, we are losing seven or eight workers a day.” He looked up at Erin, and at Alec, to see if there was any sympathy for his hard lot.
“Tell me about this blasting material – the stuff that goes ‘boom,’” Alec asked. “Where did you get it, and how do you know what to do with it?”
“It is a magic power, and it is forbidden to talk about it,” the man said, eager to share his secrets. “There is one Alderman who gives it to us, back at the main camp on the Grasslands, and he said it was magic and to use it only in the way he taught us. He showed us how to use it.”
“Where did it come from?” Alec asked.
“I don’t know, my lord,” the man said, shrugging. “Where it came from, what it is made of, I have no idea. They told us to be careful with it. It must be precious, because they measure it out to us very carefully and we have to account for every pouchful. After seeing what happened yesterday, when our wagon caught afire, I can see why they warned us to be careful.” His eyes darted back and forth nervously. “I am sure that the loss of the entire wagon-load of magic powder yesterday will not be viewed favorably. But that was not my fault. There was nothing I could do after the fire started.”
“And the Aldermen. Their Captain said they serve Lord Alder. Who is he?”
“I do not know, my lord. They speak of him reverently, but I think that very few have met him. He must have great power.”
After they dismissed the foreman, who was very willing to be led away in chains if it meant his life would be spared, Erin’s riders reported on the results of their interrogations. As expected, the workers were slaves, captured in some slave roundup or another. They came from lots of places; many were from villages on the Grasslands. They feared to stay in the Alder camp, and they feared to flee. Their backgrounds ranged from farmers to laborers to merchants to an itinerant peddler bard.
The last one interested Alec and he asked them to bring him to talk to them.
“Were you at a little village called Cantin when you were captured?” Alec asked.
“No,” the peddler said. “Do you know of Cantin? I was at Cantin when the slavers came, but I escaped their notice and made it back to my peddler-wagon, camped outside the village. But,” he stopped and spread his hands. “My companion, my lady friend, was not there. I guess the slavers took her or she ran away. The next day she had not returned, so I headed down the road to the next village. By pure bad luck the very next day I encountered another raid – they captured my wagon, absconded with my wares, and took me as a slave.”
“Was your consort named Lily?” Alec asked.
“Yes, that was her name,” the peddler said with surprise, “but she wasn’t my consort. Do you know her? She was some country girl who wanted to leave home, so she linked up with me to get away from her village. She was good in bed and useful around camp, but it was just a passing affair. Why do you ask? Have you seen her?”
“Yes,” Alec said, “we ran into her in our travels.”
“Was she all right? I hope she is doing okay. She was a nice enough girl. I needed someone to fill my bed, and she was willing.”
“She is doing well,” Alec answered.
“Well, that’s a relief. Now,” the peddler said with a sly grin, “I have in mind seeing if that chunky little kitchen girl in this camp will come with me.” He looked at Erin. “You are going to let us go, aren’t you?”
Erin nodded in affirmation.
The peddler continued, without prompting, “That little kitchen girl seemed to have always made the soldiers happy, and I need some of that right now. You know they kept the best girls for themselves and just had two or three girls for us slaves. There was such a long line, and the girls always seemed so tired and beat-up that it was hard to get much satisfaction.”
“I think Lily will do just fine without you,” chimed in Erin, dismissing the peddler.
With a bow and a mumbled word of appreciation, the peddler backed away from Erin and headed over towards the woman he had mentioned.
17 – Winding Pass
The next morning Erin and Alec met with their team to make plans.
“First, we need to close off this new road, before more of these Aldermen see fit to invade our country,” Erin said. “Is there a way you can do that, my Great Wizard?”
From where they were sitting, they could see a large rock overhanging the new roadway, a few hundred paces away. Alec created several holes underneath the rock; finally, it came loose and slowly started moving down the slope. It picked up speed as it tumbled, releasing more rocks in an avalanche of boulders and dust pouring over the roadway. By the time the dust cleared they could see that much of the mountainside had tumbled down and created a rubble field across several hundred arns of the trail.
“I think that will make that road unusable for some time,” said Alec.
“Yes, I think we have kept them from using this trail,” said Erin, nodding in agreement. “It will be weeks before they can clear this blockage. By then we can put some savvy foresters in the mountains. They will be able to harass and stop any crew if they decide to try again. Even if the Aldermen bring their death rods, in this rocky terrain they will be of limited use and our people should be able to keep them from rebuilding their road.”
“They don’t seem to have a large supply of guns … death rods … and they seem to be using them sparingly. But – I wonder what else they have in mind,” Alec said thoughtfully. It was apparent to both Alec and Erin that some major battle was brewing, and they would be drawn into it.
“For now,” Erin said, “our immediate task is to determine what to do with all these people here in this camp. We can’t take them with us. There are too many of them. We haven’t enough supplies, and the nearby villages won’t be able to handle this many people.” After some discussion, they decided that they would let the slaves go free and take the others back to Freeland City as prisoners. They gathered the Aldermen, their camp staff, and their slaves to tell them their decision.
“You are on my land illegally, working for a power that is hostile to my people,” said Erin to the slaves, “but I believe that it is not your fault. You did not have control over the actions that brought you here. I am going to allow you your freedom.” A low murmur rippled through the crowd. “We will divide the available food and distribute it among you. We will also let you have any extra weapons that are here. When that is done, before this evening falls, you are free to choose whatever path you want. If you want to leave, leave before the sun has set. You will have free passage for the next week. After that, you will be arrested for trespass. If you decide to stay in my land, you must tell my lead rider Thom of your choice before sundown; you must then report to the authorities in the vil
lage nearest to this spot and show you have useful skills. If you do not report, you will be arrested for trespass. If any of you cause any trouble, you will be punished severely. This is my word as the Princess of Theland.”
The meeting slid into details like when the slaves would get their ration of food and who would get the weapons. Erin let her riders address those issues.
Erin could sense that about half of the freed slaves were happy to be released, and the rest were fearful that they were being left in the wilderness to die. She could do nothing about those fears. They had been brought here by the Aldermen with the expectation they would all die working on the road. It was likely that some had outdoor skills and could survive the trek through the mountains to their homes, but others not so skilled would have a harder time and might succumb before they escaped the mountains. However, Erin was giving all of them a chance for life that they would not otherwise have.
Thom warned the departing slaves there probably would be another force of Aldermen coming up the road from the Grasslands and they should exit through the woods. About half, including the peddler and his new woman friend, seemed to take their advice. The rest chose to use the road for their escape.
Thom was bothered by their choice to cling to the roadway. “The Aldermen will capture them, and then the Aldermen will know what happened. We need to round them up and kill them if they don't go through the mountains.”
Erin thought for a second.
“No,” she said. “The slaves won’t know anything more than the obvious – a force came out of the mountains, destroyed the camp, and left with prisoners. Besides, if the Aldermen do recapture them, it will give them more people to feed and take care of, and it will slow them down while they recapture the fools.”
Erin’s riders tied the captured soldiers and staff together to walk them over the mountain. There was a sense of urgency to it all since they knew the Alderman reinforcement force would probably arrive early the next day, and they wanted to be well away from the area before then. They gave the freed people three hours to receive their supplies; then Alec set all the Aldermen’s wagons ablaze. The freed slaves were very unhappy about this event, but Erin didn’t want anything useful left in the camp, or tempt the freed slaves to hang around and use the wagons for shelter.
Late in the day, Erin’s band started back towards their base camp at the bottom of the mountain. Just before dark, they came to the place where they had left the Alder scout. The scout was no longer tied where they had left him; blood was spattered everywhere. They found his body about fifty arns away, half eaten.
“It looks like the hyra got him,” said one of the riders.
Alec was bothered by the fact that he had left a man tied up and defenseless against the threats of the wilderness. “They ate him,” he said to Erin, shaking. “He was alive, and they ate him.”
Erin took it in stride. “He was our enemy. This way we won’t have to feed another prisoner or guard him.” She shrugged her shoulders.
They spent the night on the ridge away from the man’s body.
It was slow going the next day with the string of captive Aldermen. It took until almost evening before they reached their base camp and their trogus and wagons. A force of another twenty riders had arrived earlier in the day at their camp and had been making plans to enter the mountains in the morning. They were relieved to see Erin and her returning riders. Thom welcomed the replacement riders: the fresh faces brought news from home, replaced some of the battle-weary people, cared for the wounded, provided appropriate departing ceremonies for the fallen, and replenished equipment and supplies.
✽✽✽
“What do we do now?” said Erin. “We have discovered a formidable intruder, the Alder, building a road in our mountains from the Grasslands, leading towards the center of our country. We hear a rumor that there is a large army massing in the Grasslands on the other side of the Evening Mountains, heading towards the mountain passes into Gott. We don’t know how big the army is, what its intentions would be, or even where it is heading.”
“How many passes are there through the Evening Mountains?” Alec asked Thom. “Is it easy to cross them?”
“No; the Evening Mountains are very rugged, and largely uninhabited. There are very few ways across them,” the lead rider answered. “The best pass is the distant one in Gott, Raner Pass. There is also a small pass just across our border that both lands use, called Winding Pass. The road through the mountains is very steep and narrow; it is acceptable for small merchant wagons, but would be difficult to move an army through. But merchants and mercenaries like it because it is a week shorter travel into Gott than Raner pass.”
“Would the Alder death rods and explosives change the conditions?” asked Alec.
No one knew.
“Then it seems like we need to take a little trip to Winding Pass to understand what the Alder forces are doing,” Erin said. “Thom, I will need a force to accompany me, with you as lead rider, of course.”
That evening Erin prepared an accounting of the events for the Queen, and sent a night rider to carry it back to Freeland City by fast dispatch. She also requested the Queen to provide a force to keep the mountains clear of the Alder and to send additional riders to the border to be ready in the likely case that they were needed at one of the passes. Erin knew that given her group’s slow pace, they wouldn’t hear back from the Queen until they reached the Gott border.
In the morning, Thom directed a wagon contingent to accompany the wounded back to Freeland City. The Alder prisoners would be taken to the nearest village jail before transport to the City to mete justice. With the deaths in the battle and the injuries, they were back to their original number of twenty riders.
A small number for a big battle, Alec thought, but then decided it might be right-sized for their scouting mission.
Erin led them moonward, toward the Winding Pass just over the Gott border. At each town, the people turned out to greet the Princess, just like the beginning of their trip; the battle with the Alder seemed a world away from the gay festivities. After the third village, the main road took a large turn towards the direction of morning. A smaller road branched off and turned back in the direction of the Evening Mountains. A signpost with a weathered board pointed towards the smaller road, with a single glyph in Theland’s runes.
“What does it say?” asked Alec.
“It says, ‘Winding Pass, this way,’” answered Thom. “People around here call this ‘Winding Pass Road.’”
“Originally, I intended that for our tour of Theland, we would follow the main road and start down the other side of our realm,” explained Erin. “However, if we go investigate Winding Pass, we need to take this road. The mountains on this side of Winding Pass are a day’s ride. Then it is another day to the pass.” She turned to her lead rider. “We used to have a small garrison on our border on this side of the pass. I assume the garrison is still there.”
“I have not heard anything that would indicate it is not, my Lady.”
Alec and Erin had both agreed they had no other choice but to continue with their mission, dangerous as it seemed. They knew it would pain the Queen for Erin to again be in harm’s way, but they had to discover if there was a real threat to Theland. If they waited for someone else to do the scouting and return with reports, weeks could pass, and it might be too late.
However, it took two days to reach the border garrison. There had been recent rains and the path was in bad shape. Alec had been forced to use dark energy to improve the way in two places to be able to get the wagons through. Two of the wagons broke down on the rough rocky terrain; both were readily fixed but caused delays. They discussed leaving the wagons and moving ahead, but they didn’t have enough drungs to carry their food and supplies. They arrived at the mountain garrison late in the afternoon. Messengers had gone ahead to announce their arrival.
The garrison was smaller than Alec was expecting. It was a crude stone structure built on the s
teep side of the mountain and was more a way-station than a fort. A crusty officer, Sergeant Urgan, ran the garrison. He had been there for ten years. Since this was a quiet and out-of-the-way spot, he hadn’t expected any military action for the rest of his career and was intending to retire soon to the nearby village. The garrison was staffed with twenty people. Ten of them were riders, and the other ten were clerks that monitored the traffic through the pass. Alec thought that the ten that could ride looked like they were out of shape and hadn’t practiced with a weapon for months.
Sargent Urgan came forward and greeted them when they reached the garrison.
“Welcome Princess Erin,” he said with a flowery bow. “This is a rare honor. We welcome you to our humble quarters. Our accommodations are minimal, and our food is worse.”
“Thank you for your kind words and loyal service to Theland,” said Erin. “But we do not mean to intrude upon your hospitality. We will use our wagons for lodging. We have food and cooks, but they would like to use your kitchens instead of our field setup.”
“That would be fine,” said the Sergeant, with some relief showing in his voice. They set up camp, and Erin’s cooks fed everyone, including the garrison staff. After eating, they sat down with the Sergeant.
Sergeant Urgan cleared his throat.
“Princess, we are most honored to have you here, but I am sure that your visit comes with a reason. All I know is that a messenger came yesterday and said you would be arriving. He gave no details about the purpose of your visit.”
“Good,” said Erin. “We are trying to keep our intentions quiet.” She briefly described what she knew of the hostile situation with the Aldermen in the mountains and their reconnaissance mission.
“That might explain some things,” said Sergeant Urgan. “It has been unusually quiet here this year. We haven’t had any traffic for almost a month. Usually this time of year we get several wagons a day – merchants and whatnot. We were wondering if something had happened in the pass that blocked it, like a rockfall or wash-out.”