by Alex Janaway
Michael looked at Sasha. ‘It was you who spoke to me last night?’
‘Yes. I thought it had to be you. No one else in your party is as big.’
Michael waved a hand. ‘Cut her free.’
Fenner looked doubtful. Wendell looked plain angry.
‘She wasn’t part of it. She tried to warn me,’ he explained. Even he could hear the weariness in his voice.
Fenner grunted and pulled a knife. He sawed through the Reader’s bonds.
She eyed him for a moment. ‘I’m sorry about your friends.’
Fenner sheathed his knife and looked away. Sasha shrugged her shoulders as if to say that was the best he was going to get.
‘What happened?’ Michael asked her.
‘We went north, sticking to the plan. But the queen, well … she changed her mind. She decided that if there were humans coming back, they’d be easier pickings. The first thing was to take you lot out.’
‘She did a good job of that,’ muttered Wendel. His crossbow was still pointed at her.
‘She figured a little surprise visit would be enough, but didn’t reckon on you blundering up to the boat.’
‘You were alone. Why didn’t you run?’ Michael asked.
‘And go where, exactly?’ she said, looking around.
‘You could have warned us,’ said Fenner, his head still turned away.
‘That’s the kind of behaviour that gets a lady killed. Besides,’ She raised her chin towards Michael. ‘I did warn you.’
‘Still alive, I see,’ Rosen remarked, as he and Ellen picked their way to the fire.
‘It’s what I do best,’ Sasha shot back.
‘So it seems,’ he muttered, taking a spot next to Michael. He sported a nasty red lump on his forehead the size of an egg.
‘What happened?’ asked Michael.
‘Same as everywhere else. Parasa didn’t make it, but we got one of those bastards. Thanks for the knife,’ he said to Fenner.
‘Are we it?’ asked Ellen.
Michael shrugged and looked around the camp.
‘Looks that way.’
‘We’re the only Tissans left,’ agreed Fenner.
Wendell turned his head and spat.
‘Shit.’
‘I’ve been with Nutaaq. He lost twenty of his warriors, plenty more wounded. It would’ve been more but the ogres hadn’t planned on the vargr being so loyal to their masters.’
‘Good, I hope they got ripped to shreds,’ said Sasha, with passion.
Michael pushed himself off the ground. ‘Where is Nutaaq now?’
‘He left with some riders to search for any ogres who might have got away,’ Ellen replied. ‘And Gantak is ministering to the wounded …’ – answering a question he had yet to voice.
‘Alright. I’d like to speak to him about what he did last night. It was impressive,’ Michael was looking at Fenner.
The sergeant locked eyes with him, the message understood. ‘Yeah, damned crazy old coot saved our hides with his magic mumbo-jumbo. Ain’t that right, Wendell?’
Wendell looked a little confused for a moment, looking at both Fenner and Ellen before it dawned on him.
‘Yeah, right you are, Sergeant. Good for the old fleabag.’
Michael closed his eyes and rolled his shoulders. He needed to speak to Nutaaq, make sure the Nidhal was alright. He could only imagine what he might be feeling. Their first losses and against what was supposed to be an ally. Not the best start to their campaign.
‘We bury our dead. Loot the ship for anything useful,’ he said.
‘We’re not moving position?’ asked Fenner.
‘No need,’ replied Sasha. ‘The queen hadn’t told any of the other ogre lords yet. No one else is coming.’
Fenner looked sour. ‘Still … Think I’d like some eyes on the river.’
‘I can help with that,’ said Rosen. ‘Let me go for a walk and I’ll commit a few spots to memory. And I will do the night shifts. There’s no way I’m sleeping for a while.’
‘Alright, get to it,’ said Fenner.
Rosen stood and waited.
Fenner raised his hands. ‘What?’
‘You’re not coming? I need a guard, don’t I?’
‘No, you don’t,’ replied Michael. ‘Actually Sasha, why don’t you go with him?’
She raised an eyebrow. ‘Really?’
‘That’s what I said.’
‘Fine.’
The two Gifted headed off.
Fenner joined Wendel and slapped him on the shoulder. ‘C’mon marine, let’s go look at the longboat. Might be handy having one of those.’
And then only Ellen and Michael were left.
‘He is holding it together well,’ she said.
‘Who?’
‘Fenner.’
‘Oh. Yes. He’s holding it together because he has to. But believe me, he is screaming inside.’
Ellen moved closer, slipped an arm through his and leaned in. It was a comforting gesture. ‘What do we do now?’
Michael decided on the easier answer. ‘We wait for the Emperor.’
CHAPTER 30 – CADE
Cade dismounted and walked a little way up a gentle rise which gave her a view of the road which ran south to north. To the right the Brevis Sea sparkled in the late summer heat and a gentle breeze cooled her forehead. Gathered on the rise were perhaps thirty or forty of Devlin’s cavalry. They were all mounted and looking like they were expecting trouble. She shouldered her way through them and found Devlin waiting for her. She sent a questioning glance his way and he pointed south. She looked and raised her hand to cover her eyes.
‘We spotted their campfires last night. Now they are coming north. Straight for us,’ Devlin said, a grim tone to his voice.
She squinted as she made out what she was seeing. A mass of movement, dark shapes on the road. A lot of shapes. Many appeared to be mounted. Though something about the horses looked … wrong. In the sky above them, several birds wheeled. It took a moment for her to place them, to understand their size and position in comparison to the convoy on the road. Then the shadow of something passed over their heads. Horses whinnied and snickered, some bucked in fright as their riders fought to control them. Cade looked at the spread wings, the gold and brown colours of the body and the figure that appeared to sit astride it, as the eagle flew south towards the approaching mass.
Cade shook her head. ‘Well, shit.’
Yet again, the town hall was approaching the level of excitement that Cade had significant issues with. It was damaging her calm. Gathered around the table were the usual suspects, and filling out the space were scores of townsfolk. Sitting opposite her were Owen and several of his people. Two female Highlanders, and two soldiers, an Erebeshi whose name she’d forgotten and a man who looked like a local who’d introduced himself as Major Roche. She poked Issar in the shoulder. ‘What happens now?’
He screwed up his eyes and his forehead stretched. ‘I think you give a speech.’
‘Great, I love those.’ She slapped out a gentle drum roll on the table and pushed herself up. She raised her hands and flapped them up and down. ‘Alright. Alright! Everyone, settle. You’re giving me a headache.’
‘Got a hangover, Cade?’ someone shouted.
‘Piss off,’ she responded, to scattered laughter. ‘Before everyone starts coming up with what they think they know, I’ll tell you the facts. Owen and his folk have come north from the Highlands. They are seeking refuge.’
‘And will we give it?’ asked Winders.
Cade eyed him for a moment. He eyed her right back.
‘Of course we bloody will.’ Murmurs of agreement greeted her finely crafted response. Like there was any other. What was she going to do? Tell them to bugger off elsewhere? That would go down well. Though there would be a few who were thinking just that. They just didn’t have the balls to say it.
‘The Highlanders are welcome to stay,’ she added. ‘And their Erebeshi friends.’ Captain Rasha
d bowed his head in thanks. ‘Owen. Tell us your story. Everyone, I am sure, wants to hear it.’ She sat down to give him the floor.
The lad stood and placed his hands on the table. ‘Thank you. Thank you all for taking us in. It’s been a hard road. But worth every step.’
Cade listened as he recounted the tale of their battles with the wood elves. It sounded like quite the scrap. At the end of it a lot of folk were looking on the new arrivals with a fair bit of respect. There was a strange, almost embarrassed silence as Owen sat down. Cade coughed and took to the floor again. ‘Thank you, Owen. I think all of us here can relate in their own way.’ She looked at Sent. ‘Do we have somewhere these folk can go?’
‘We’ve spread out over the available islands and such, but there is space here, on the Big Island, plenty of plots and structures still need filling,’ he replied. ‘How many are we talking? What skills do they bring?’
‘I have fifty men, women and children, five eagle riders and forty-two Erebeshi scouts. There are smiths, farriers, hunters. And all can fight,’ replied Owen, looking right at Cade for some reason.
Devlin stood up. ‘Major, Owen, I can accommodate you and your mounts in our barracks. Though we aren’t quite up to building a roosting tower just yet.’
‘Thank you. My scouts and I can help build something for the eagles,’ replied Major Roche. He looked at Owen who inclined his head.
‘Yes, thank you. We can stay camped at the barracks until everyone finds a place,’ he said.
Cade clapped her hands and rubbed them. ‘Right. That’s it then.’
‘Wait a moment, please.’
Cade rolled her eyes. Damn but she’d thought they’d gotten away with it.
Carlha stood up and swept her gaze around the room before resting on Owen. ‘You know our story too. You know we escaped from the east. A hard road, hard miles. And we were pursued. We live in constant fear that they may come back and find us.’ She stopped, letting the statement hang. Cade looked at Owen. He was nodding.
‘You are worried that we may have been followed. Honestly? I do not know. But do you really think you are any less safe than you were before? We are stronger together. My eagles can range further, and my scouts can supplement your own forces. We can be better prepared for what is coming.’ Owen looked around the hall. ‘And believe me, it is coming.’
Carlha smiled briefly.
‘As I suspected. Thank you for the … honesty.’ She sat down and gave Cade a meaningful look.
‘Alright, everyone. I think we have everything we need. Now please bugger off.’ As the meeting started to break up. Cade slapped both Issar and Devlin on the arms. ‘Come on, you two, we need to sort this shit out. Issar? Go have a chat with those two women. What’s their names?’
Issar glanced down at a piece of parchment. ‘Um. Jenni and uh … Naimh?’
‘Yeah, them. Grab Sent, he’ll want to be in on it. Start looking at placing them somewhere.’
‘Yes, Cade.’
‘Devlin?’
‘I’ll go get the two soldiers. Get them settled and situated.’
‘Good man. Look at you with an army.’
‘Hmmm.’
Cade led the way towards Owen and his people.
‘Owen.’
‘Cade.’
‘These two will get things moving. Let’s me and you go have a chat.’
He fell into step beside her. Cade skirted around the clumps of townsfolk and took the stairs on to the landing. She walked to the end and opened the door to the last room. Inside was her ‘office’. A table and three chairs. She took one and offered Owen another on the opposite side.
‘Do you drink?’ she asked.
‘When it’s there,’ he replied.
Cade grunted and reached behind her to a small wooden chest. She opened it and took out two wooden cups and a bottle. She uncorked it and poured out red wine into both. Then she pushed a cup towards Owen. She picked it up and saluted him. ‘Cheers.’
He followed suit but did not utter the word.
She swished the wine around her mouth before swallowing as Owen watched her.
‘Were you going to come?’ he asked.
She put the mug down and studied him. He looked tired. His eyes were hollow, his skin taught. It was like he’d aged ten years. And he hadn’t even been on the sauce.
‘Would it have mattered if we had?’ she replied.
‘Maybe. Perhaps. But the outcome would have been the same. In the end.’
‘Then it doesn’t matter.’
‘It does to me.’
Cade sighed. Ah well. At least he hadn’t kicked off about it downstairs.
‘Look. There were plenty of people who would’ve liked to. But plenty more who didn’t. The damned council was tying itself up in knots. Fact of the matter was, there was no way we could have sent anyone, even volunteers to you, for weeks. They’d need time, training, equipment. And before you even say it, no, no damned way was I letting Devlin take his cavalry south. They are needed here.’
‘You still haven’t answered my question. Would you have come?’
‘Eventually, yes. Once everyone had stopped debating.’ The lie slipped out easily enough. It was a simple one, as lies went. ‘I’m no fool, Owen. I know the stakes here. I know what we need to do to survive. But Brevis comes first. My people deserve that.’
Owen nodded, he took another drink.
‘So what now?’ she asked.
‘Rest up a bit. Then I need to go north. I have a meeting with some ogres that I am well overdue for.’
‘You still hankering for a fight, then?’
Owen looked surprised, almost a little hurt. ‘Like we have a choice?’
Cade thought on that for a moment. ‘Sometimes we do.’
Owen emptied his mug. ‘I’m going to head back to my people. Help get them settled.’
‘Sure. Anything you need, let me know. I’ll get some ale sent over, reckon your lot could do with it.’
A terse nod and he left the room.
Cade sat back and cradled her drink.
Maybe Owen was right. Maybe they were all marking time until someone came calling. And having a few more folk who knew which end of a sword was the pointy bit wouldn’t hurt. But there was no need to rush into anything. She just hoped those damn ogres might do her a favour and eat his crusading arse.
CHAPTER 31 – OWEN
Owen left the hall and made his way back along through Brevis. He walked alone, happy to leave the others to get on with their business. He enjoyed being just part of a crowd, another face among hundreds getting on with their lives. He had not felt like this for a long time, certainly not at Eagle’s Rest where everyone lived in each other’s pockets. If a little ramshackle and rough around the edges, this still looked like a town. Life was going on as if there wasn’t a war just on the horizon. But he hadn’t lied, it was coming. And these people, surely they could see it? There was no escaping it. And at least there was fighting experience here. He crossed the bridge to the mainland and walked through the gateway that marked the entrance to the barracks. It made sense for Devlin to make the barracks into an extended gatehouse, protecting the bridge. They had a natural defensive position. But, as always, he’d rather not rely on it. Defences could always be breached. Better to take the fight to the enemy.
And the enemy was coming. He’d made sure of it.
He’d always hung back, been the one to take the rearguard. Had always ranged farther than he needed to, and lower. He wanted to be seen. And, finally he’d spotted something. Movement. And something he had not expected. But that was fine. It didn’t matter who they were fighting. Either way, the war was coming to Brevis, and it didn’t matter if Cade and her cronies wanted no part of it. Very soon it would be out of their hands. But before that happened, he needed to head north.
CHAPTER 32 – MICHAEL
The Emperor’s arrival was less than the triumphant return Father Michael might have hoped for. Rather, necessity
had dictated a lesser entrance to the capital. There was no way the sailing ships were making it downriver, so instead Michael waited upon the wharf as several cutters rowed against the current and eventually tied up. The Emperor, wearing cloak and breastplate, and the crown upon his head, stepped off the lead cutter. He smiled broadly as he approached Father Michael and took him in an embrace.
‘Father, it’s good to see you. The damn weather is on the turn and I have had enough of ships and boats and … water!’
‘I pray you need never have to set foot on one again, Your Grace,’ replied Michael with sincerity.
‘I’d pray too, if I wasn’t already a god!’ laughed the Emperor. He disengaged and put a hand on Michael’s shoulder. ‘Come, show me Vyberg.’ Behind the Emperor several marines and soldiers started to come ashore and, further back, Michael saw Father Llews and a few of the Nidhal in tow.
Michael and the Emperor walked together along the wharf past the partially reconstructed gateway into the wasted city. Michael glanced at the Emperor’s face, saw the smile start to falter. He deemed it best not to say anything, what was there to say? They continued on in silence for another minute or two before the Emperor stopped.
‘There truly is nothing left. I could not have believed it possible, and yet …’ he whispered.
‘I am sorry, Your Grace.’
The Emperor said nothing.
Father Michael began to feel uncomfortable. And then he remembered the forest. Better to stay still. Better not to provoke.
‘This is the price,’ the Emperor said finally. ‘This is the cost of disloyalty. Of betrayal. Look at what they have done to us. How dare they?’ he hissed.
Father Michael did not respond to that, in truth he did not think the Emperor was even talking to him. There was an intake of breath and the Emperor’s head turned quickly looking at Michael in surprise. ‘Ah, Father. My apologies. It’s quite a shock. Now, tell me. Have you been busy?’
Father Michael nodded. ‘We have built a modest encampment, not far from here. We have a small lodging for you. It is unworthy, but it is solid and made of stone.’