Heirs of the Enemy (67 page)

“I still might,” scowled Edmond, “if you don’t tell me what I want to know.”

“I am a Knight of Alcea,” smiled the blind man as he carefully sat down on a chair. “You can call me Wylan.”

Edmond’s mouth fell open as he stared disbelievingly at Wylan. Sidney had said that he was taking Wylan’s place, but he had failed to mention anything about the Alcean being blind.

“Prove to me who you are,” demanded Edmond.

Wylan nodded with understanding. He stuck his finger in his pocket and woke up his fairy. Twerp stuck his head out of the pocket and then leaped to Wylan’s shoulder.

“Greetings, Edmond,” chirped the fairy. “Where are we?”

“The Gateway Lodge in Zinbar,” Edmond replied as he sheathed his knife and looked at Wylan. “Why didn’t my father tell me that you were blind?”

“You were to take my place here,” shrugged Wylan. “What significance would it have had if we were not to meet?”

“None I suppose,” frowned Edmond, “but then why are you here now?”

“Because the plan of your traveling with the prince through Ur is no longer practical. The prince will have to be moved to Herinak in a more unconventional manner. I brought three unicorns with me.”

“Unicorns?” frowned the merchant. “I do not think that is wise.”

“Why not? I thought you were close friends with the prince.”

“Not that close,” answered Edmond. “I am a close enough friend to gain admittance to the Royal Palace and a private interview with the prince. I might even be able to get the prince to travel with me, but I would never reveal a secret to him. I had not even planned to tell Prince Bultar what our destination was. I had planned to talk him into accompanying me back to our estate in Ur. Once there, I would find some excuse to get him to board the monthly boat to Zarocca.”

“I am confused,” admitted the Knight of Alcea. “Prince Bultar would not willingly go to Herinak?”

“Candanar is a part of the Federation. The horse countries are enemies of the Federation. King Bartomir would never permit his heir to be taken there.” Edmond sighed and sat down next to Wylan. “We have to trick him somehow.”

Wylan nodded. “Have you spoken to the prince yet?”

“I just arrived in the city earlier today. I planned to rest for the remainder of the day and approach him tomorrow. With this bad turn of the weather, I doubt we will get him to Herinak before spring.”

“Garth wants him there soon,” retorted Wylan. “He wants all of the heirs to winter in Herinak so that they no longer think of the horse countries as enemies. Arriving in spring would not be acceptable.”

“So that is why you have arrived with unicorns,” Edmond sighed knowingly. “Our only option then is to kidnap the prince.”

“I would like to avoid that if possible. The prince would likely resent being kidnapped, even if it was for his own good. I want him in a frame of mind that makes him thankful to be in Herinak.”

Edmond shook his head. “I don’t know how we can accomplish that. What could possibly make him glad to be in the enemy’s camp?”

“That fact that he is still alive,” Wylan smiled thinly. “I think I have an idea.”

* * * *

Cracker paused in the hallway and nervously looked in both directions before softly knocking on the door. Morro quickly answered the door of his suite in the Aranak Dunes Inn in Olansk. Cracker swiftly slid into the room, and Morro closed the door.

“Why the summons to come here?” Cracker asked softly. “You know your way around underground.”

“Come and sit down,” Morro smiled thinly. “I will explain everything.”

Morro crossed the room and sat on the couch, waving his hand towards one of the empty chairs. Cracker’s eyes examined the sitting room thoroughly before taking a seat.

“How is business?” Morro asked pleasantly.

“It’s bad,” frowned Cracker. “Ever since the A Corps decided to dally here, we barely make enough to feed ourselves. I wish I could find a way to get them to move on.”

“I can accomplish that for you,” smiled the elven thief, “but it comes at a price. Are you interested?”

Cracker’s brow creased heavily as he stared at the elf with disbelief. “You can get the army to leave Olansk? Why don’t I believe you?”

“Because you have no faith or vision,” answered Morro. “You are good at what you do, Cracker, but these times are ending soon. A new era in the history of Zara is just around the corner, and I can make you part of it, or you can die with the old era. The choice is yours.”

“Your words make no sense to me, Morro. What are you talking about?”

“Perhaps I am not the best person to explain it,” Morro replied casually as he rose and walked to the door to the office.

Morro opened the door and moved away from it. Cracker tensed as he warily eyed the door, but Morro’s movements away from it distracted him. When he glanced back at the open door, a Federation general filled it. Cracker leaped to his feet, a knife instantly filling his hand.

“That would be a foolish mistake,” Morro said from the area of the front door. “You would never leave here alive.”

Cracker glanced from the general to the elf and backed away from both of them. As he backed towards the bedroom, he suddenly bumped into something. A hand reached around him and grasped his wrist of the hand holding the knife.

“Let it fall,” a voice behind him said menacingly.

Cracker let the knife drop from his hand. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a colonel behind him. His eyes focused on Morro and lips curled down in anger.

“I will find a way to repay you, Morro,” spat the thief.

“Sit down,” ordered the general. “I have promised Morro that you would have safe passage if he got you here to talk. He has not betrayed you.”

The colonel’s hand released his wrist, and Cracker hesitantly moved towards a chair. “His invitation certainly wasn’t an honest one. What does a general want with me?” he asked as he sat down.

“I have an opportunity to present to you,” smiled General Forshire as he moved to the couch and sat down. “I am the Commanding General of the A Corps, and Colonel Treman here will soon be the Commanding Officer of the Olansk garrison. I thought the two of you should become acquainted.”

Cracker glanced towards the bedroom and saw the colonel standing, his arm extended towards the thief and his hand holding out Cracker’s knife.

“We truly wish you no harm,” the colonel smiled thinly, “but keep that in its sheath.”

Cracker nodded as he took the knife and sheathed it. He turned to look at the general. “What is this opportunity that you speak of?”

“A change is coming in the spring,” answered General Forshire. “It is the type of change that will make you leave your thieving days behind you. Between now and then, we all face a cold and brutal winter. I am offering you and your men a way to keep food in your bellies this winter, and a way to start easing your way out of a profession that will no longer exist. Are you interested?”

“We could use some food,” conceded the thief, “but I suspect that it comes with strings attached. Am I wrong?”

“You are perceptive,” the general smiled. “The catch is, you have to stop thieving.”

“Entirely?” frowned the thief. “You can’t truly expect us to just lie around all winter and eat?”

“Certainly not. I expect your men to train for war.”

“War?” gasped the thief. “You can’t be serious. My men are thieves not warriors. Where do you expect them to wage war?”

“Right here in Olansk. Your men will become members of the A Corps, and you will be tasked with defending Olansk. You will be fed properly, and you will be paid for your service. Your men will be properly trained and outfitted.”

“How many men do you have?” asked Colonel Treman.

“Over one hundred,” answered the thief, “but I cannot imagine that they will be thrilled about becoming soldiers. Most of them would probably be hung in the first week for refusing orders.”

“You manage to handle them fairly well,” interjected Morro. “Why do you think that would change?”

“You would be a captain, after all,” smiled Colonel Treman. “Your men would still report to you.”

“An officer?” frowned the thief. “You would really make me an officer? Can you do that?”

“I can.” General Forshire nodded. “Look, Cracker. I have a need to make Olansk secure against attack. If I am to succeed at that, I cannot have a bunch of thieves living in the warrens underground. That means that I would have to send my soldiers into your lair and exterminate you and your men, but Morro tells me that you are good people. You are starving while my men are in this city anyway, so why not join us?”

Cracker frowned in thought. Had Captain Takir said those words, he would have laughed in his face, but the A Corps had proven to be capable of capturing his men on a regular basis. Morale was at an all time low even before the winter snows arrived. The truth was, his band could not steal enough to survive, but there was no way his men would fight for the Federation.

“Your offer is interesting,” Cracker replied, “but it is unworkable. If you wanted us to police the city, I think we would accept, but my men will not fight for the Federation. Most of them are thieves because the Federation has rejected them in one way or another.”

Clint glanced at Morro and saw the elven thief smiling.

“Your men would be a company in the A Corps,” stated the general, “not the Federation army.”

Cracker stared at the general’s uniform and shook his head in confusion. “What is the difference?”

“The uniforms may appear the same,” smiled the general, “but that is where the similarity ends. Not one of your men would ever be transferred to another army. I will promise you that, and each of them will be treated with the respect they deserve.”

“What the general is saying,” interrupted Morro, “is that the A Corps is not made up of the same people who rejected your men. The army was formed from the prisons of the Federation. There is not a man among them that adores the Federation.”

“You would still control your men, and you would report to Colonel Treman or me,” declared the general.

“And your sole purpose would be to defend your hometown,” added the colonel. “You would become a hero to your people instead of a scoundrel.”

The colonel’s words hit a chord with the thief, and Cracker found himself nodding in agreement.

* * * *

Sergeant Lamar raced into the Olansk garrison and immediately barged into Captain Takir’s office. He closed the door. The captain looked up and frowned.

“What is it?”

“General Forshire is back!”

“How in the world can he travel in weather like this? I thought the roads to both Zinbar and Giza were closed?”

“They are,” answered the sergeant. “What do you think he wants?”

“I don’t know,” answered the captain, “but it hardly matters. The A Corps has been camped here for months, and they haven’t bothered us much. In fact, they do a better job at catching thieves than we ever did, but then again, we never really tried. I can’t think of anything the general could want that would bother us much. Go and relax. I will deal with the general.”

The sergeant opened the door to leave and saw General Forshire standing there. He saluted and slipped past the general. General Forshire and Colonel Treman entered the captain’s office and closed the door. Captain Takir rose to his feet and saluted the general.

“Welcome back to Olansk, General Forshire. I trust your journey to Despair was pleasant.”

The general ignored the pleasantries and got straight to the point.

“This is Colonel Treman, Captain Takir. He is the new Commanding Officer of Olansk.”

The captain’s eyes grew wide with concern. “I don’t understand, General. I have had no word from Despair.”

“I just came from Despair, Captain. In addition, the entire garrison is being merged into the A Corps. That means that your men will be required to train, and they will be inspected for fitness on a regular basis. It also means that no one in your command, including yourself, is to have any contact with Despair. All communications will go through Colonel Treman. As you are aware, my authority comes from Emperor Jaar and not Grand General Kyrga. If I find anyone trying to go around Colonel Treman, I will have him hung. Is that clear?”

“Very clear, General,” the captain said hesitantly. “Have I done something to offend you? Is that why I am being punished?”

“You are not being punished, Captain. You are being given a chance to become a true soldier once again. Olansk has been known as a dumping ground for the Federation’s misfits. I plan to change that. As to why you are being relieved of your post, the Olansk garrison is growing larger. It will be too large to be commanded by a captain, and frankly, you have done nothing to warrant a promotion. That is one of the reasons that Colonel Treman has been assigned the task of getting this garrison into shape. I think if you work along with the colonel, you will find it more satisfying than your meager existence has been since you came here. It is possible that you will rediscover the same zeal that once carried you to your present rank. Maybe it will carry you beyond it this time.”

“I will try my best, General. May I ask when the new men will arrive?”

General Forshire smiled thinly. “Some of them are already here, Captain. Cracker and his men are joining the A Corps.”

“The thieves?” balked the captain. “You can’t be serious?”

“They ran rings around your men, Captain. Colonel Treman will begin training both your men and Captain Cracker’s. We shall see which group performs the best.”

“Captain Cracker? He is to be a captain?”

“The thieves will be his company,” smiled the general. “Are you afraid that his men will show up yours?”

“Not a chance, Sir!”

“Good,” smiled the general. “You had better get your men prepared. Training starts first thing in the morning.”

Captain Takir saluted as his two superior officers turned and marched out of the building. He immediately ran off to find Sergeant Lamar. Outside, Colonel Treman and General Forshire walked down the center of the street.

“That was clever,” the colonel commented softly. “Pitting the garrison against the thieves will make both groups strive for perfection, but won’t it also lead to a rivalry that might cause problems?”