"I cannot imagine the drain this schedule must have been for her. She slept from sundown to sunup and ate prodigiously, but still I saw her labors taking their toll.
"On the day of departure. Lileah begged to be allowed to remain. She agreed to join our mission to the Far Eastern Shores because she was a hedge witch without a village. Here was a town more in need of her skills than any she had encountered. I had to agree. She was so happy and their need was far greater than ours.
"The town poured into the marketplace to watch us leave. Although we spent only a short time together, I made several friends and, thanks primarily to Lileah’s skills, the town was grateful for our time there. As we walked through the square, a shower of flower blossoms rained on our heads, spontaneous cheers rang out, and friendly calls of 'return soon' rifled the air. It was a welcome feeling I had never known.
"As we passed through the gates, I realized I had not thought to bring the Lead Merchant with us. It dawned on me I had not seen him after the encounter in the market square when we arrived. I assumed he was still angry and avoiding me, biding his time until he could find a way to repay me for the effrontery of placing him under arrest. He was a problem I would have to deal with some time, but he would be safe here for now. I had more pressing concerns so I put him out of my thoughts.
"The trip took two weeks. I walked beside King Ballan, followed by the King’s personal guard. Each morning Sergeant Wolffang and his men disappeared in the brush. Each evening we found the Sergeant had a camp prepared and food waiting.
"After dinner, I instructed the soldiers in the sword. Since the Sergeant’s impressive showing in the castle, the King’s guard no longer looked down on the common soldiers. The guards welcomed them to the training and eagerly gave private instructions to those slower to learn. Because the Sergeant’s men were forced to use branches for practice to avoid damaging their fragile weapons, I added instruction in how to use the staff as a fighting weapon. At first many found this amusing, but after a few solid whacks they realized a simple tree branch could be effective.
"When they were adept at their weapons, I started training them to function as a unit. Tactics in Sauwerdah consisted of everyone rushing together and hacking one another until one side gave up or was decimated beyond resistance. The thought of planning a battle and using forces in ways that increased their effectiveness had not occurred to them.
"They took to tactics like a duck to water. In days they were developing ingenious strategies for multiplying the effectiveness of their troops far beyond my teachings, although I hoped it would never be necessary to use them in actual battle. I respected and admired these men who had so little yet could survive where others would have perished.
"Days passed in pleasant conversation as the King and I came to know more about each other and our nations. I learned he was King only through consent of the people. True, his father had been King and his father before him, but the law permitted any to challenge his reign if they felt he was inadequate for the job. When a challenge was issued, town leaders would poll their people then meet as a group of leaders to decide whether he or the challenger should be King. This system assured the King had to be responsive to the needs of his people and do what was best for them. It forced him to be the servant of those he ruled.
"After fourteen days we reached the intersection where the road to Oliman split from the road to Ler Dan. A scent of ocean floated on the mild breeze. From here, it was less than a day’s travel to Ler Dan. I suggested we camp where we were and send Sergeant Wolffang ahead to alert the town to our approach. It occurred to me that I had no way of knowing what had happened since I left for Riverford. It would be unfortunate if the ships had not docked in Ler Dan. What would the town think of a small army approaching?
"The Sergeant took two men and, eager to see his hometown, trotted away. With time to scout the situation in the town and return, we estimated the Sergeant would return in three days at most.
"A week later we still awaited his return."
CHAPTER 30
Darius slipped into silence, considering what to say next. Leena sensed his memories were troubled by this part of the tale. She waited quietly, certain he would continue once he sorted through his thoughts.
She wanted to look at him, to look into his blue eyes and reassure him all would be well, but she feared it would break his concentration. She lay quietly and listened to the soft scrape of hooves against snow, the mild tearing of grass being pulled, and the crunch of horses’ teeth grinding.
"On the morning of the eighth day, we woke in dense coastal fog. At six feet distance, a man was nothing more than a shadowy shape. It was impossible to identify one another.
"Both the King and I were impatient with waiting. After a quick conversation, we decided to use the fog to approach town and discover the problem. We knew the Sergeant’s mission had not been successful.
"In the thick shroud, we quietly packed our equipment. The world was still and the fog magnified every sound. Chilled, moist air cut through our jackets and touched skin with cold, clammy hands. The smell of the sea was thick in the mist.
"We finished packing and were assembling to march when I heard familiar sounds in the distance. Although the mist made it difficult to know from which direction noises originated, I knew the rattling and clinking sounds well. They could only be coming from the direction of Ler Dan. King Ballan stared with a puzzled expression on his face, trying to penetrate the fog.
"I told him he was about to get his first sight of horses. The noises were the creak and clatter of saddles and harnesses.
"A thousand thoughts raced through my head. Had the Sergeant finally brought the knights of Allivan to find us? It was not supposed to be part of his mission. He was to scout Ler Dan, learn what had happened in our absence and return so we could decide the best way to approach.
"The situation felt wrong and I said so to the King. I suggested we hide to see whether any information could be gleaned from the sight of the knights passing. If all appeared well, I would call out and meet them.
"The land was much like the area at the top of the cliff where we first arrived. It was covered with low brush and a few widely scattered trees gnarled by sea mist, wind and weather. We gathered the men and whispered instructions to seek cover and remain hidden, no matter what happened, until they were called by either me or the King.
"The King and I selected a tree that allowed us to barely see the road. From this vantage we would be invisible to the riders unless they knew exactly where to look.
"The horses were farther away than I suspected. It took more than fifteen minutes for them to arrive. The jingling and creaking rose to an almost unbearable level. As I hoped, they paused at the signpost marking the road junction.
"When the horses stopped, I heard the tramping of several feet. So there were more than just mounted troops. This column had many more men than required to welcome us to Ler Dan.
"I heard the Colonel shout to bring up the prisoner then the sound of shuffling feet and the rattle of approaching chains. I cursed the fog for hiding the party on the road while I was grateful it concealed us. Who was this prisoner and what had he to do with their presence here?
"'Where are they?' the Colonel’s voice echoed menacingly through the shrouded air. 'Speak quickly scum, or perhaps you’d like another taste of the lash?'
"'No M’lord,' Sergeant Wolffang’s voice was flat and emotionless. 'I've no way of knowing M’lord. They were here when I left.'
"We heard the sound of creaking armor, a thud, and the thump of a body falling to the dirt road.
"'Search the area.'
"We heard the scurry of troops spreading along the road and into the vegetation around us. It was a hopeless task. A person would have to be right on top of someone to notice them.
"'Colonel,' it was the voice of Melling, a friend of mine, calling from where our camp had been, 'there was a fire here, Sir. Not long ago. The ashes still glow.'
&
nbsp; "'All right,' the Colonel’s voice rang out, 'cease the search. Somehow they knew we were coming and either left or are hiding. Either way, we’ll not find them in this blasted fog.'
"'Darius!' I was startled to hear him call my name. 'I suspect you can hear me even if I cannot see you. I think you should know the Lead Merchant managed to escape the prison you and your bandit king threw him in. He returned to tell us of your traitorous ways. Ler Dan is now under my control and we’ve taken steps to punish those who kidnapped our sailors and merchant ambassadors. We’ve recovered the ship they set loose and sent it back with the merchants to Allivan to request more troops. It is only a matter of time until this land is the property of the Great Wizard. So I suggest you and your bandit king friend surrender to our mercy now. I cannot guarantee I will be so lenient later.'
"'Darius!'
"His voice was angry, frustrated.
"'So be it. You’ve had your chance. I’ll leave this dung pile to show you the consequences you will soon face for your treason.'
"We heard the sound of manacle chains, the bustle of reassembling troops then, an eternity later, the marching of feet toward Ler Dan.
"Risking alerting the receding troops, I rushed to the road. Sergeant Wolffang lay inert on his stomach, bleeding from a cut to his forehead. Through his tattered shirt I saw a back crisscrossed with dozens of lash marks. Many fresh and dripping blood, many festering indicating they were received days ago. Clearly, he had been beaten many times over several days.
"I dared not risk shouting to the hidden men. I could still hear the sound of retreating knights. Carefully, I removed the remains of his shirt, poured water on his back, and washed it as gently as I could. A bright-red lump was growing around the cut on his forehead. Using hand signs, I indicated to the King to quietly gather the men. We had to find whether any had herbs that would help the Sergeant. I wished we had brought Lileah.
"We had pitifully little in medical supplies and even less skill in healing arts. I sprinkled what salt we had on the worst of his injuries, but there was not enough to help. Unless a healer was found soon, the Sergeant would die.
"King Ballan and I held a conference over the unconscious form of the Sergeant. Returning him to Riverford was out of the question. He would not survive half the trip. We had to find a healer now. The only ones available were in Ler Dan."
"It would serve no purpose to give up. The Sergeant was meant to die as an object lesson. Our surrender would not save him. It would only gain us the same fate. We had two choices, allow the Sergeant to die, an option I could not accept, or find a way to get him to a healer in Ler Dan."
CHAPTER 31
"I looked around. We had twelve of the King’s personal guard and nine of the Sergeant’s men. All had barely started training in the Allivanian arts of using weapons. We were twenty-three against an army.
"We needed a plan.
"The fog would not last forever. Darkness would be no help because wizards would surround the town with guardian spells at night. In daytime, too many people moved about to make guardian spells effective so knights would be guarding the town. If we followed the army, we could move much closer to town while the fog hid us. When the cloaking mist lifted we could hide and reconnoiter to see what plan could be devised.
"Using two branches and several hastily volunteered jackets, we improvised a litter to carry the Sergeant. Face down, his back was a sharp reminder of the consequence of failure.
"Ler Dan was closer than I hoped. In less than an hour we came on the wooden fence of a cattle field. The fog held. In the haze, I sought one of the Sergeant’s men. In a whisper, I asked him how far we were from town. It was less than three miles.
"By the time we covered another two miles, the fog was thinning. I could see the men around me at ten feet. Now was the time to leave the road.
"'Sir?' Jonathan, one of the Sergeant’s men, whispered in my ear. 'My family's farm is just across the field here. I think it safe to put up in the barn while we figure out what to do. They cannot guard every farm.'
"The man was right. Hastily, we made our way through the mist. By the time we arrived, we clearly saw the barn from twenty feet away. We were running out of time. I looked back as we entered. The sun was a pale round ball peeking through the fading mist.
"We made our way to the loft and secured ourselves behind a wall of hay bales. Jonathan suggested he go to the main house to see what he could learn. The Sergeant groaned as Jonathan departed, but slid back to unconsciousness.
"The wait seemed an eternity. I sensed the Sergeant’s life slipping away. How could I have been such a dolt? I knew the Lead Merchant was a threat to the peace we achieved. Yet, I let him run free. I could have asked that he be detained. I told him in Riverford he was under arrest and assumed he would stay put. Now Sergeant Wolffang suffered horribly and might pay with his life for my mistake. What an innocent, stupid fool I had been.
"Rather than waste time in self-recrimination, I suggested we devise a plan for securing the services of one of the two hedge witches in town. I asked whether there was a hospital or healing room. There was a building, the Rest House, used to house the ailing and injured during work hours. It allowed families to perform their jobs while the village midwife watched over the sick and injured.
"The Rest House seemed a likely place for hedge witches to set up a healing station. I suggested that, when Jonathan returned, he send someone to the station to bring one of the hedge witches. However, I warned, unless we could convince her of our innocence, she would be honor bound to tell the Colonel where we were.
"Hastily, we tried to develop a plan that would allow us to recapture the town while the hedge witch healed the Sergeant. We concocted several daring ideas for creating diversions and capturing the Colonel. However, they depended on a great deal of luck, a commodity we were short of. Every plan also risked injury or death to the Sauwerdan troops or the knights I served with for more than five years. Both were friends. I found none of the choices acceptable.
"There was only one solution. I had to surrender to tell our side of the tale. A whispered shouting of protests rose from every man in the group. I held up my hand for silence.
"I explained there was no other choice. In less than four months, a great army would arrive to subjugate the country based on the distorted tale of the lead merchant. Unless someone convinced the Colonel of the truth, there would be a bloodbath. I had to do whatever was necessary to prevent a war Sauwerdah could not win.
"Men protested. We could capture the hedge witch and head back to Riverford. I pointed out that it is extremely difficult to capture and hold a hedge witch. We had no way to combat the magic she could wield. Also Allivanian knights had horses and could easily run us down long before we reached the safety of the castle.
"We were engaged in these arguments when Jonathan returned. His family knew little about what caused the knights to turn against them. The Allivanian army arrived more than a month ago. Except forays into the town to purchase provisions, most stayed aboard their ships. The Colonel met several times with the Town Leader. The Colonel made it obvious he disliked the poverty in Ler Dan and thought the Town Leader uncivilized and slow. He told the Town Leader he would await a report from his knight ambassador, me, before he decided how to proceed with his mission.
"Two weeks ago the Lead Merchant arrived, protected by a squad of knights, and was escorted to the Colonel’s ship. They spent an afternoon shut in the Colonel’s cabin. That night, there was intense activity between ships. In the morning, the knights were scattered throughout town. A whistle sounded from the Colonel’s ship and knights immediately began knocking on doors. When they were opened the knights stormed in and demanded any weapons in the house be surrendered immediately. Failure to do so would constitute a crime against the Great Wizard and would be punished by flogging. Any attempt to resist would be punishable by death.
"The town was quickly disarmed and the residents herded into the market square. The Co
lonel stood on a vendor’s table glaring at the crowd. He informed them Ler Dan was now the property of the Great Wizard and they were his captives. All rights and privileges accorded under the previous rule were suspended. Until a proper government from Allivan could be installed, he would be the sole and final ruler of the town and his knights the only armed force. All kidnapped sailors and merchants were to be returned immediately. The trollops that falsely testified against them would be brought to trial and sentenced for their crimes as would the Town Leader and the soldiers that pirated the Allivanian merchant ship. The rest would be free to go about their business for now.
"For the past two weeks the town had been under strict military control. Allivanian troops restricted movement in the town and no one was allowed to leave. They commandeered the stored supplies of the town. These were meant to support the town through the coming winter months. When the Town Leader and Council of Elders went to the Colonel to point out the loss of these provisions would mean starvation, they were locked in the town jail. They were told that, once all soldiers who supported the seizure of the merchant ship were rounded up, as a group they would be charged, tried and sentenced.
"On the second day of the occupation, the pregnant women were tried and sentenced to twenty-five lashes each to be meted out six weeks after the birth of their children. No town person was permitted to testify in the trials. The Colonel said the facts were so clear no testimony could refute them. Testimony would be a waste of time. Over the protests of the husbands, the Colonel declared their marriages illegal. They were forced to sail with the merchant ship back to Allivan on penalty of being declared deserters in time of war. According to the Colonel, even for noncombatants, desertion carried an automatic sentence of death.
"The loft fell into shocked silence as Jonathan gave his report. I felt King Ballan’s eyes boring into me. Was this the justice of Allivan I had convinced him would benefit both nations?