**********
That night a lonely officer came down from the fortress to enjoy a beer and some friendly conversation in the small inn. Colonel Michaels on seeing him enter nudged Ray Connors and the two men wandered across to the bar and ordered some food, and then they began to converse with the officer about the beauty of the country around and about the inn. Inviting him to join them for dinner and another beer, the three men moved over to a table and sat around it to talk while they awaited their meals.
“You might find this area of the Carpathian Mountains beautiful, but believe me gentlemen, its beauty begins to pale after weeks of cold days and icy nights. Give me the capital, or even some of our bases on the planets of our Federation, any place where the sun shines down from almost overhead and allows the heat to get into your bones.” Captain Reynard complained loudly. “I can only hope that my constant request for a transfer will be finally heard.” The captain lamented.
“Yes Captain I must say that I do agree with you about the cold, the thermostat in our car is broken and it was decidedly cold following a truck load of slaves along frozen roads, with only slightly warmer rest stops along the way.” Ray Connors replied with feeling.
“I do not know what I have done to deserve being posted here, I have served for twenty years in the Lyren army with never a discredit to my name, no I think that somewhere along the line I must have trod on some ones toes, and he had me posted here to punish me.” Captain Reynard said sadly. “It isn`t as if there is any interesting company up at the fortress, up until last week all I had was a sergeant, a corporal and a dozen privates, not one man among them has any more intelligence than the slaves who come up occasionally to clean the place.” The captain complained bitterly. “They have now sent me twenty mechanics, the generals have decided on a build-up of the permanent forces based here, except that we do not have any vehicles for them to maintain.”
“You should try our job then, trailing after a truck full of slaves just to ensure they don`t get lost.” Colonel Michaels complained.
“Well I am due to get some company in a little over a week, they are sending a regiment of infantry who are due to go off world, they will be here to train in the sort of terrain they can expect to get on the planet they are being sent to.” Reynard said, sounding just a little happier.
“As long as they don`t send you along with them to whatever cold planet they are visiting.” Ray said laughing.
“Oh you may laugh my friend, but knowing my luck just lately that is just the sort of thing that I can expect to happen.”
Dinner came and went and as the captain rose to leave his new friends, he had a bright idea.
“Look you two, you are here to take in the beauty of the mountains, well why don`t you both come up to the fortress tomorrow morning, the view from the battlements is absolutely breath taking, and anyway we can have lunch up there and it will break up my boring day?”
“Thank you Captain we really appreciate the offer, we will come up after breakfast.” Ray Connors said.
The next morning was bright and clear with no sign of the snow showers that had made their journey to the Carpathian Mountains so arduous. Lieutenant Bragg drove the other two men up to the fortress and stopped forty feet before its heavy gates in an area cleared by numerous military vehicles moving up to the gates and parking here while they awaited their turn to gain entrance into the fortress.
“Take a walk around the outside of the walls of the fortress Karson.” Karson was the nom de plume that Lieutenant Bragg was now using. “You shouldn`t be bothered by anyone as the garrison is extremely small, and they are all probably huddled around its fires inside their barracks, but try not to be seen, even by the slaves of this area as anyone may give you away for the cost of a day’s food.” Colonel Michaels ordered the young officer.
“Yes Sir.” Lieutenant Bragg answered and moved away along a well-worn trail that followed the walls of the fortress, soon he disappeared from their view. He moved slowly and quietly, moving from one piece of cover to the next, his eyes taking everything in, he constantly stopped seemingly to take in the view as he checked the battlements and the countryside about him. He only seemed to be out for a stroll, and no one would have mistaken him for an officer of an elite Corps of men. The air was fresh, the sun warming him as it gradually rose in the blue sky, and he thought to himself that he could have got to like walking the roads of Lyre, if only the planet was not so thoroughly evil.
At the gates of the fortress Ray Connors and Colonel Michaels were stopped by a bored guard who didn`t ask to see their papers, for they were obviously members of the feared state police, instead the guard sent a man to look for Captain Reynard. This hard work done he then sat back on his chair and stared everywhere except at them, but then they were members of the feared state police. Captain Reynard soon appeared and greeted them cheerfully.
“Come in my friends, we will have a cup of coffee before we take in the views, I never do anything this early, not until I have had my coffee.”
Colonel Michaels could see why the man on the gate was so bored; this officer had let discipline slip badly until this was no longer a military unit, just a bored bunch of men letting life pass them by. They entered Reynard`s office and sat around his desk which was almost empty, as the captain had little to keep him occupied. The coffee was hot, it was nice to be out of the cool morning air for a moment, and the conversation was friendly, even if Colonel Michaels had little respect for the man as an officer. As the morning began to slip by Ray Connors brought matters back to the reason why they had come a calling.
“Captain how about this tour of your battlements so that you can show us your views.”
“Of course my friends forgive me, but I like to hang on to intelligent men when I can, for I never know when the next one will come along.” Captain Reynard said smiling at his two guests.
With that, the captain stood up and led his guests back across the courtyard and up the stone steps on the far side that led to the battlements. At the top, he let the view of the surrounding countryside do the talking for a moment before continuing.
“As you can see my friends the view of the surrounding farms stretches for miles until the trees of the far off woods block the horizon from our view, but if we look back across the courtyard then you get a magnificent view of the mountains from here, finely decorated with their mantle of white snow.”
Ray Connors turned the conversation around to the reason why the two earthmen were really visiting the fortress.
“I take it that those buildings on the far side of the fortress are the barracks Captain, but what is that building over there with the bars on its windows, it looks remarkably like a prison?”
“It certainly is a prison of sorts, but one meant to house only special prisoners. At the moment only one inmate is incarcerated inside of its cold walls, down in the dungeons there is an earthman who was caught spying on one of our off world operations, he is being kept alive in case we need to exchange him for one of our own men.”
As the three men turned back to look out at the farms that spread out below the walls, a Lyren who had been recently transferred to the fortress as part of the general build-up of the permanent forces based there stopped to stare up at one of the men on the battlements. He was staring at Ray Connors in puzzlement, his beer sodden brain was befuddled, for the man he knew to be a spy of Earth was wearing the uniform of an officer in the Lyren state police. This earthman had threatened his life and then destroyed the starship Nike. Somehow he had boarded the ship and freed their prisoner, a young girl from Earth, the expression on the Lynen’s face turned to one of resolve. Unfortunately for him he had not noticed that the same young woman from Earth was staring across the courtyard at him, she was so well disguised that not even her own brother would recognise her now. Jean remembered the mechanic who had been working on the hanger deck, when Ray had so miraculously rescued her, and she saw too that the mechanic recognised Ray. If Ray was denounced
then they would all be in danger, and her brother would have to rot inside his cold prison until the war was won, and then he would only be freed if someone remembered he was there. Jean sidled across the yard until she was behind the mechanic, the mechanic had just about summoned up the courage to denounce a person who was dressed up in the uniform of the feared state police, something that was dangerous to do on Lyre. It was now that he felt the pressure of the blade of a knife cut through his uniform and prick his skin. Ray had given her the knife, it had been meant, as a weapon of last resort, and the time to use it seemed to be now.
“If you call for help I will drive the blade of this knife deep into your vital organs; now walk over to the store rooms or die where you stand.” Jean said softly to him.
“Why should I when you will only kill me when we get over there?”
“Because at least you will live for that much longer, and anyway if you do as I say I promise that I will not kill you, I will only keep you a prisoner until I have accomplished what I came here to do.”
The mechanic was thinking about where he had heard this woman`s voice before when it came to him, she was the young girl on the starship, but why was she here in Wallachia, his mind whirled, her brother must be the prisoner in the dungeon. He had heard later that the reason that she was kidnapped was to bring pressure on her brother to work for them.
Cassandra, the wife of Iliad had seen the drama unfolding, she had seen Jean approach the Lyren male, seen her pull out her knife and speak to him with her knife pressed against the man`s abdomen. She knew much depended on Jean and her friends, for her people`s fight for freedom would be much easier with the help of their friends. She decided that she must help Jean against the man who was already turning around, and who would soon attack the inexperienced young woman. Cassandra moved quickly but quietly as only a hunter could do, and taking out a cudgel that she carried to protect herself brought it heavily down on the back of the mechanics head knocking him out. The mechanic sank to the floor with a soft thud and Cassandra looked at a Jean.
“He was about to attack you, quickly we must drag him over to the store rooms before anyone notices.” Jean hesitated for only a moment, she felt her heart racing as the danger of the situation caused an adrenaline rush, then she bent down and took one of the man`s arms while Cassandra took the other, then the two women dragged the unconscious man across the courtyard to the concealment of the store rooms. Thankfully the man didn`t weigh too much, and they were lucky that the Lyren captain on the battlements was absorbed in his conversation with Ray Connors and Colonel Michaels.
“Cassandra if he isn`t dead then we will have to tie him up until my brother has been freed.” Jean said slowly getting control of her rapidly beating heart.
“Jean, who is this man?” Cassandra asked rather belatedly having just struck him down.
“He is someone who knows that Ray isn`t a Lyren police officer but an earthman, if Ray is discovered then it will bring the state police down on all of us, including the Lyren freedom movement. My brother will be forced to stay in that cold prison cell, and they would probably question your people as well if they find out the truth about the rest of us.” Jean answered. “It will certainly finish off the idea of your people fighting to regain their freedom, for the authorities may decide to send you all to the mines rather than risk your people rebelling against them.
“Then he must die, for we cannot risk him escaping and telling what he knows.” Cassandra said as if she were speaking of ordering a meal for them. “There is a side entrance in the walls of this fortress which is open so as to allow me to collect some fire wood that some male slaves have already left outside earlier this morning. We will take him outside and kill him, later Iliad can have his body collected and we can bury it. First though I will get two more of my people, they can keep an eye open to ensure that we are not seen taking his body outside.” Cassandra was gone for just two very long minutes before returning with a handcart that she was to use to bring the firewood into the fortress, and with her were two friends who watched from the shadows.
“Come on Jean we will move him now.”
The two women struggled a little but they finally manhandled the unconscious body of the mechanic up onto the handcart, they then covered him up with some sacking that they found within the storeroom. They then wheeled the cart along the walls of the fortress to the open side door that led them out of the fortress and into a wooded area beyond.
“We will take him further into the trees Jean, there we can hide his body beneath the ferns.”
The area beneath the trees was thickly covered in ferns during the summer, now there were sparse but Cassandra had planned everything out during that short time she had been away. When Cassandra was satisfied that they had gone deep enough into the wooded area she tipped the body of the mechanic onto the ground and arranged the sacking in a thick wad above the soldier`s heart.
“Don`t fret Jean, the Lyrens have enslaved many of my people and killed all who resisted, well I have just began to take the fight back to them.”
Saying that Cassandra bent over the still body and taking out a knife that Iliad had made for her out of Obsidian, she plunged its blade through the sacking and deep into the man`s heart killing him instantly, the sacking prevented any of the man`s blood from spurting out on to her clothing.
“Come on Jean we must cover his body with whatever we can find to ensure that his body is not found.”
Jean had gone very pale, never before had she seen a man killed, and it had been done so matter of factually, without any thought about the act, her body was shaking as she took everything in that was happening at her request. The danger to her friends as they accompanied her on her quest, making Cassandra murder this poor man, her innocence fled her as she stared at the blood on the knife that was in the hand of Cassandra.
“Jean, come on or your man will die along with the rest of us.” Cassandra said cleaning the blade of her knife on the dead man`s clothing.
Jean thought of her brother freezing to death in his cold prison cell, of Ray being tortured by these foul beasts if he were to be caught on this filthy planet, she knew she would break down tonight to cry for her lost innocence, but not right now. Right now, she had work to do and she got busy covering the dead mechanic with the brush and dead leaves that covered the ground beneath the trees. When all was finished to the satisfaction of Cassandra, they wheeled the handcart back to the wood stack and began to load the wood onto it. Just then, the overseer in charge of the slaves appeared; he had been warming himself until now, but thought that he should check on his charges.
“What are you doing here?” He said to Jean.
“I have finished my work so I thought that I should help this woman with the wood as it is very heavy work, I hope that is alright sir?” Jean replied in the manner of a cowed slave.
“Yes that is fine, we need slaves who are not afraid to work, you carry on like that and you will be granted extra food rations. Both of you see me when you are finished.” With that, he turned and re-entered the fortress and went in search of some more warmth, for it was too cold for him out here. As the two women watched him go, they smiled at one another.
“So there is the heart of a warrior inside of your breast Jean.” Cassandra said smiling at her young friend.
“I don`t know about a warrior Cassandra, but I am being forced to grow up fast on this lousy planet.” Jean replied and then laughed. “With fools like him to deal with, our job should be even easier than we could ever have hoped for.
“Don`t take him too lightly Jean, he would probably be an evil son of a bitch given the excuse.”
The snow had now begun to fall again and they grew colder by the minute, even with all of the hard work that they had to get through. By the time that they had finally finished they were truly exhausted, but all Cassandra could do was look in amazement at Jean. The make-up that Jean wore to make her look older and rather plain had been partly washed off with the snow
, that and the sweat caused by Jean doing so much manual labour, a thing she was not used to doing, for on New Caledonia she lived a life of mostly leisure, for she kept house for her brother. The result was to show the young and pretty woman hiding beneath the make-up. Misunderstanding the reason behind Cassandra`s look Jean felt rather embarrassed until Cassandra told her the reason why she was staring.
“Jean you are not quite as old as you appeared to be and not so plain either as you would have us believe, in fact you are very young and also very pretty.” Jean immediately realised that her make-up was being washed off by the falling snow, and she now begged of Cassandra for even more of her help.
“Cassandra I am made up like this as my friends thought that I would be much safer if I looked rather plain, than if I went about as I actually am. I have more make-up back in our rooms; will you help me to reapply it?”
“Of course I will my child, we are friends and friends will do anything for one another.” Cassandra said smiling. “And I agree you are much safer hiding beneath that mask, but we must do something about your face right now.” Cassandra thought for a moment and then said. “Maybe we can apply a little mud to your face to hide your natural youth and beauty, and make sure you keep that hood pulled all the way up, and that your scarf is wrapped tightly around your face.” Cassandra quickly applied some mud to Jean`s face and then helped her with her scarf.
“With luck that should keep you safe until we return back down the hillside to your room.” Cassandra said to her young friend. “Now I see why Ray is so happy to help you, I had thought that maybe he was a saint.”
“Ray may well be a saint Cassandra, for he has gone through so much for me.” Jean replied thinking of Ray and smiling.