Fire And Ice (Book 1) (43 page)

             
The High King thought over her words then finally spoke to Treska.  “You may deliver your messages Captain.  We will see if they are indeed what you claim.”

             
Treska was relieved to finally get rid of them, but also a little worried at the King’s words. 
What I claim
?  Certainly his Majesty would not hold him responsible if they turned out to be false.  Would he?  Treska handed the map to the King first.  “He said that had the information you needed.”  He handed the letter over next.  “He said that had additional information he wrote himself.”  He handed the final letter into Katelyn’s hands.  “He told me that was a personal letter from him to you, Your Highness.”

             
“Thank you, Captain,” she said with sincerity. 

             
The gratefulness in her voice and the smile on her face filled him with pride for the service he had provided.  “It is an honor to serve you, Your Highness, and to be of help to Lord Coran.”

             
Her smile faded to worry at the mention of his name.  “Was he well, Captain?”

             
“Please, call me Treska,” he insisted.  “Besides being a bit dirty he seemed well enough.  We got him out of there before the Karands got hold of him anyway.”

             
“What do you mean by that?” the King questioned alarmingly. 

             
“Only that the Karands in Crecy were about to detain him.  I took him on board my ship to get him out of the city and dropped him off on a deserted beach.”              

“Why were they going to detain him?” the Princess asked.

              “Well, they thought he was an Anagassi.  You know who they are?”  They both nodded.  They were well educated so he shouldn’t be surprised.  “Those Eastern Karands couldn’t let a Westerner go free.  They hate each other.  Of course it wouldn’t do for them to find out he was a Midian either.  Not with the hostilities and all.”

             
“I think the question should be why he is not here himself?” King Stemis demanded. 

             
“I asked him about that.  I figured if he was who he said he was you would want to know.”  He took a breath.  “He said that he made a promise.  He is going to help the locals liberate Crecy.”

             
Silence filled the room.  The two members of royalty exchanged a long look.  Finally, Stemis looked away.  “That does sound like him,” he admitted.   The King took the map and unrolled it on the table.  After a brief glance at it Stemis spoke excitedly.  “He did it.” 

             
“Of course he did,” his daughter stated.  “Did you have any doubts when you sent him?”  She smiled and the King returned it.  She turned her eyes to Treska.  “Is there anything I can get you, something to eat or money for delivering the letters?”

             
“No, Your Highness.  I came directly from the harbor and should be getting home to see my family.  I have been gone for a while.”

             
“I would not keep you from that.  Father?” she said to get the man’s attention.

             
“Hmmm?”  He was busy pouring over the map.

             
“I am going to escort our guest to the gates.”

             
“That will be fine.”  He waved a hand without looking up.

             
The Princess smiled warmly and guided Treska out into the hall.  The guard he first met was still out there and he fell in behind them.  Treska wondered if the guard was for him or for her.  Treska found it strange walking next to the Princess herself.  For one thing the top of her head barely reached his chin, yet she had seemed so much taller in the room.  They didn’t speak until they were in the courtyard by the iron gates. 

             
The Princess turned to him.  “I thank you, Captain Treska, for bringing such good news to us.”

             
“No need, Your Highness.”

             
She seemed to hesitate before saying any more.  “By the mention of your family I take it that you live here in the city?”

             
“I do.  In the south section, not far from the harbor,” he answered.

             
“Do you plan on sailing again anytime soon?”

             
Wondering why she seemed so interested, he replied.  “Not soon.  My trading is confined to the runs between Western Karand and Midia.  I never go any further east than Crecy and that far, rarely.  With the way things are now there is little for me to do until things return to normal.”

             
The Princess nodded.  “It may be that I will have some business for you before long, something suitable to your skills.”

             
He understood the meaning of her words.  She might need his help in the near future and it would involve his ship.  “I will be at your disposal, Your Highness.” 

             
“I would appreciate that Captain.”  Her smile was very pleased.  “Do not let me keep you from your family any longer.  Good day, Captain.”  It was a dismissal, but a very polite one. 

             
Treska left through the gate, passing by the four guards still on duty there.  He whistled a pleasant tune as he walked the streets to his home.  He was going to have a story to tell the family tonight. 

 
              Katelyn went quickly through the halls toward her rooms.  Some of the people she knew showed surprise at the smile on her face.  Once inside she checked her bedroom and then her sister’s, but neither Alys nor Margery were there.  Unable to hold off on reading the letter any longer she decided to find them and tell them what had happened later. 

             
She threw herself into one of the chairs in front of the cold fireplace.  In her eagerness she had to force herself to carefully unfold the letter from Coran so she would not tear it.  She ran her fingers over the rough parchment, savoring every word that she read. 

             
Coran wrote of the barren hills around him and about the Karands themselves.  She could imagine him there, in a set of Karandi robes writing this letter.  He put down how much he missed her as best he could by saying that there were no words to express it.  He apologized for not being there in person and explained why he could not.  He reiterated his promise to return by the first day of winter.

             
He wrote that he missed her, and told her that he loved her.  That feeling of loneliness that had been growing inside her was suddenly gone.  He was alive, and nothing else was as important as that.  He would come back and everything would be all right again.

             
She read the letter three times before lowering it to her lap and putting a hand to her mouth.  Something dripped onto the paper and she realized it was a tear.  She was crying.  At least this time they were tears of joy.  

Chapter 24

The First Healing

             
The room was not very large which was common in castles as old as this one.  The hard-faced Lord seated before Naras wore a thick red robe for the morning while he picked out a pastry from the tray placed on the small carved table in front of him.  Naras watched as the man chose one out, took a small bite, and then replaced it on the tray.

             
“I must thank you for your hospitality, but it is time for me to be leaving,” Naras stated.  “I hope you have had the time to consider what we talked about last night?”

             
The Lord licked the tips of his fingers before speaking.  “I do not doubt that the one you serve is powerful, but can he really deliver what you have promised me?” he asked doubtfully.

             
“You know the army he has now under his command.  I assure you that that is only a fraction of the number Makkura has to send against the West.”

             
“Perhaps.  I know why you came to me.  It is no secret that I am loathe to bow down before any woman.  When it was clear that Stemis would not have a son, I knew it was only a matter of time.  But Stemis is still King.”

             
“He will not always rule,” Naras pointed out.  “If the West should somehow win this war, and that is a very big if, then his daughter will succeed him.”

             
“That is true,” the Lord conceded.

             
“Then you will side with us?”

             
“I have yet to hear what it is you want from me besides a vague promise of support.”

             
“For now, that is all that is required.”

             
“Would your master not like something more?  You may know that my daughter is somewhat close to both of the King’s daughters.”

             
“Actually, I do know, and from what I hear she is friends with them,” Naras said, wondering if his words meant what he thought they did.              

“She is my daughter and will do as I command.  You can be sure of that.”

              Naras smiled slightly.  “I am sure Elthzidor will be pleased with any effort you may expend on his behalf.”

             
“And that pleasure could mean rewards for the one who brought such pleasure?”

             
“Most assuredly,” Naras told him.  His informants were correct.  This man was concerned only with increasing his own power.

              Naras rode down the dirt road lined by trees, leaves in many shades of orange, red, and brown decorated the branches.  Leaves that had already fallen crunched under their horses’ hooves.  The hulking Urik rode beside him on a chestnut mare.  A wind blew in from the west to stir the leaves in their path and tug at their cloaks. 

             
“Do you think he will do it?” Urik asked.

             
“I don’t know,” Naras replied as he watched the clouds gathering in the sky.  “He doesn’t like the idea of bowing to a woman, that’s for sure.  If it’s enough,” he shrugged.  “All I can say is that he is definitely interested in power.”

             
“Maybe when she takes the throne he will make up his mind.  The way he was talking I don’t think he will go to Summerhall if it comes to that.”

             
“Maybe,” Naras agreed.  Actually, that was what he had hoped for when he first brought up the idea to Elthzidor in one of his letters.  His boss wanted anything that would stir up trouble and when he heard about a certain Lord he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try.  He had no idea how eager the Lord would be.  Whether the man would actually help when the time came was another question. 

             
“Where to next?” Urik asked, breaking his line of thought.              

“Grendin first, then the boundary lands.”  They had been on the move for months.  Elthzidor wanted his money’s
worth and for the amount in question he would get it.  From Volton to Ithan they had been meeting with people on his behalf.  Naras knew most of what was going on and he almost felt sorry for the simpletons in Summerhall.  They had no idea how long Elthzidor’s, or should he say the Destroyer’s, influence had been in the West or how deep it ran. 

             
“Why there?” 

             
Naras smiled at his not too bright companion.  “We, my friend, are going to start a war.”  He laughed at the confused expression on his friend’s face.

              Coran scratched at the stubble of a beard that had grown in over the last two months.  It was coming in slowly, but he didn’t think it was too bad considering that he was only eighteen.  The last time he shaved was aboard the Northman ship when the sight of all those hairy faces reminded him of his own appearance.  A month ago he changed his mind and decided not to shave anymore.  It was sort of a form of self-protest until he was home.  He rethought the choice a few times since then.  The thing itched.

             
“It makes you look older,” Shirri commented as she came to sit beside him. 

             
They were not far from the original camp where he had first met Neheya, and closer to Crecy.  He had a sketch of the city scratched out in the dirt between two boulders on the valley floor.  The rock strewn valley and bare hillsides were covered with Karands who were resting in preparation for the fight that would occur either tonight or early tomorrow depending on any changes he might think of in the plan.  Thousands of people were gathered here.  More had come in the last month from other villages further south and some as far as the other side of the mountains to the west.  His army had grown to over five thousand.  A little less than half were of a suitable age to fight.  The others were men that in Midia would probably be old enough to retire, or boys who wouldn’t be considered old enough to fight.  They all wanted to, but he argued to set an age limit with Ruan.  Finally they agreed on fourteen.  Ruan promised that no one younger would take part. 

             
“I thought you were with Neheya,” he said.  She had been learning more of healing in order to help with the wounded they knew there would be. 

             
“I must rest.  If I practice too much I will be too tired to be of much help,” she said looking at the drawing in the dirt. 

             
The city was laid out in a square.  Walls ran along the west, south, and eastern side, the last ran along the coast.  Another wall ran along the north side to separate the city from the harbor area.  The harbor itself was an indent into the land, and buildings covered the horseshoe-shaped land around it.  Another square representing walls was inside the city in the northern section.  That was the central complex where the main garrison and Tammaz himself was located.

             
“I hear some of them talking,” she stated, gesturing to the Karands around them in the steep valley.  “Those who will fight think they will just charge into the city; that it will be an easy victory because they are so many.  It will not, will it?”

             
He raised his eyes from the sketch to meet hers.  “No.  That is why I am trying to come up with something that will give us the best advantage.”

             
“Tell me what you have planned.”  They both turned back to the drawing.

             
“The guards in the city are lax.  They haven’t faced any serious resistance in a long time.  That helps, but not enough.”  He was getting into it now.  There was a certain thrill to coming up with the best plan possible for a battle.  There was even more of a thrill when it worked.  “I want to use the darkness as much as possible.  Anyone approaching the gates is visible from a half mile out.  Ruan has some men who are good at hunting, so they should be able to sneak close.  Hopefully, they will be as good with this prey.  The real question is how far we can get before an alarm is given.  If we could reach the inner complex before being found out we should win.”

             
“Can you not win if you do not?”

             
“Yes, but the casualties would be higher.”  He grabbed a nearby stick he had used earlier and drew in the dirt.  “A few men sneak up to each gate and secure it.”  He circled the two empty spaces in the walls.  “We split our army in two, enter the city by both entrances, and leave some men to hold the gates.  Then the two armies split off again, sending men to move up their respective streets.”  He drew lines up the streets in the drawing.  “Another party branches off to secure the harbor.  The main groups converge on the central complex.  This is the problem.  If we reach it without warning we can send some of the better men over the wall and take the gates from the inside.  If we are found out then we are looking at a tough fight to breech the walls.”

             
She looked over the drawings thoughtfully.  “Are all their men going to be in the complex?”

             
“No.”  He circled an area in the southern part of the city, near the harbor.  “Reinforcements sent in have been staying in barracks here.  I am detailing a number of men to take care of it.”

             
“What do you mean take care of it?” she asked suspiciously. 

             
He swallowed uncomfortably.  He didn’t like the idea himself, even if he was the one to have come up with it.  “They will set fire to the barracks.”  She did appear a little appalled.  To fire them in their sleep was unpleasant.  “If they come out and surrender I have ordered that it be accepted.”              

She nodded.  “It is war.”  That summed it up.  “You will lead one of the groups who take the gates?”

              “Yes.” 

             
“Who is to lead the other?”

             
That was a good question.  The Karands acted like he had a disease or something the way they avoided him. He only really knew Miko and Ruan among those who would be going to fight.  Miko had a good head and already proved that he knew how to kill if it was necessary.  Ruan had started it all by getting the people here, but was not completely reliable.  He didn’t want to ask Miko, but what choice did he have?

             
“I will do it,” said a voice from nearby. 

             
Coran saw the man’s shadow fall across the drawing first.  Turning he saw a man in the sand colored clothes and red sash of the Anagassi.  The only clue to his identity was the voice. “Soelidin?”

             
“Yes,” he replied simply.

             
“What are you doing here?  The last I heard you were heading south.”  He asked before thinking what other things his presence might mean.  “You are not going to try and kill me again?” he asked warily.

             
Soelidin squatted down and peered at the sketch in the dirt.  “I have spoken with the others.  The Anagassi will not trouble you.”

             
Shirri stifled most of the gasp that escaped her mouth.  When Coran glanced over she shook her head and mouthed ‘later’.  Whatever Soelidin’s pronouncement meant to the Karands, she would tell him when she was ready.  Soelidin was so calm in saying it he had to wonder.               

             
“A good plan,” the Anagassi stated.  “But there will be guards patrolling the streets.  If even one sees you and gives the alarm it will not be good.  In those narrow streets ten men could hold a hundred.”  He surveyed the Karands gathered in the valley.  “Maybe two hundred if this is what you are sending against them.”

             
“I was thinking of going ahead of the main group to take out any guards along the way,” Coran informed the man.

             
“Good, but you cannot cover all the streets.  Perhaps if you had a little more time and went all the way to the inner complex, open the gates there and then the army can advance.”

             
Coran considered that.  What they had now would be difficult for the inexperienced Karands.  If they tried to time things out to make it work it might be too much.  They had to keep it simple.  “Let’s get inside the city and then we will see how it goes.”

             
Soelidin shrugged.  “You are in charge.”

             
That surprised Coran a bit.  That he was in charge of the others made sense.  None of them had the knowledge that he did from his education and training.  Soelidin had to be older.  His eyes showed his experience and that couldn’t come from the young.  Why wasn’t he taking charge?  “Soelidin?  Maybe you should take over here.”

             
Shirri looked at him like he was crazy. 

             
Soelidin didn’t show any emotion in answering.  “No.”  Then he stood and walked away.

             
At least he didn’t sound angry.  Who knew what would be a touchy subject to Karands.  “Why were you so surprised before?” he asked Shirri, “about him not killing me.”