Sovereign Stone (10 page)

His fall began to gently arc away from the mountainside and his free fall transformed into more of a glide. He was still moving faster than he had ever moved before, with the exception of his time in the firmament—nothing was faster than that. He passed the level of the spur road as his controlled fall carried him away from the Keep. The ground rushed toward him with alarming speed and then he felt a sudden lightness overtake him and he slowed. He hit the ground in a headlong run, stumbling for a few steps to keep his footing. He was only a hundred feet from the dozen soldiers sent to escort him to the trap, and they were coming fast. They reined in and Alexander recognized the squad leader.

“Captain Sava, it’s good to see you again.”

The soldier puffed up a bit at being recognized by name. “It’s my honor, Lord Alexander,” he said. “I understand we have an enemy coming for you.”

Before Alexander could answer the question, one of the other soldiers called out and pointed. All eyes followed his finger and saw the scourgling in free fall. It hit the west side of the mountain and bounced out again into the open sky.

Alexander took his horse’s reins and mounted in a hurry. “Easy girl, I need your speed today,” he whispered to the healthy and strong-looking mare, then he turned to Captain Sava. “Lead the way with all possible speed.”

The captain gave a curt nod, wheeled his horse around and bolted in the direction of the trap. They ran with abandon driven by fear and need. The horses could sense something dark behind them even though the only noise the scourgling made was the thud thud thud of its long loping strides. Alexander glanced back and saw how close the beast was and spurred his horse to run faster still.

He heard the scream of a horse and the terrified cry of its rider when the scourgling swatted the animal on the rump with one great clawed hand. Alexander glanced back and saw the beast stumble over the fallen horse and fall headlong onto the ground. A moment later, it bounded to its feet and renewed its pursuit.

Alexander raced toward the platform. It was a stone square, thirty feet in diameter and bordered by walls on two opposite sides. The magic circle was inlaid in gold and it nearly touched each edge of the platform. From his direction of approach, Alexander could run between the two walls, forcing the scourgling to follow him across the circle. Wizard Jahoda was standing in the far corner, waiting to spring the trap.

Alexander heard another horse go down behind him and his own steed poured panic into her gallop and added another step of speed. He leaned into her neck and whispered reassurance and encouragement. She ran like the wind. Another horse squealed in shock and pain as it crumpled from a swat on the rump by the netherworld beast. His soldiers were placing themselves between him and the beast to slow its approach. Alexander felt a mixture of pride, horror, and sadness at their sacrifice.

He rode on, straining to hear the footfalls of the monster behind him. Another horse fell with a horrible, sickening cacophony of breaking bone, rending flesh, and shrieks of fear.

Alexander hit the platform and rode across it with every bit of speed his terrified steed could muster—but it wasn’t enough. Midway across the circle, the scourgling swatted Alexander’s horse on the right hindquarter. Its huge clawed hand tore through the animal’s flesh to the bone and the horse pitched sideways. Alexander flew out of the saddle and sailed through the air with the broken mass of horse tumbling after him. He hit the hard stone, tucked into a tight ball, and rolled. The momentum of the roll brought him to his feet—just the way Anatoly had taught him during his hand-to-hand training so many years ago.

He didn’t look back. He didn’t stop. He didn’t hesitate. The moment he came to his feet, he sprinted the last three steps toward the edge of the magical circle. A step from it, he felt a huge blow fall on his left shoulder blade that drove him tumbling to the ground. He tucked and rolled clear of the platform and onto the grass of the plain, but this time he didn’t come to his feet. He could feel the broken bones in his shoulder. If the trap didn’t work, he was going to die very soon.

The scourgling barreled forward. Jahoda pronounced a word of power, and the netherworld beast crashed into an invisible barrier like a bird into a window. It rebounded and tried again, but the magical circle held.

The trap had worked. The scourgling was contained and the siege of Blackstone Keep was lifted.

Alexander fished around in his pouch for his potion of healing. Captain Sava and Wizard Jahoda came to his side.

“Don’t move, Lord Alexander. I’ll send for a wagon to take you to our camp,” Captain Sava said.

“It appears that the magical circle is holding. Lie still while help is summoned,” Jahoda said.

Alexander drank the potion and smiled up at the wizard. “Pleasure to meet you, Wizard Jahoda. I’m going to take a nap for a while. Tell them not to move me until I wake.”

***

Alexander woke to a small army assembled around him. All of his friends, including Kelvin and Erik, were present. The scourgling stood at the edge of the circle and watched Alexander impassively as if it were waiting to be released so it could complete its task, but not really caring if it did or not.

Isabel was sitting next to him, looking at him with love and worry.

“Am I going to live?” he asked groggily.

She smiled down at him as a tear slipped from her eye. She hastily brushed it away.

“I believe you will,” Lucky said. “But I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a couple of days before you set out on your journey. Your shoulder was badly broken and will take some time and a bit more magical attention to mend properly. Be thankful for Kelvin’s armored shirt. Without it you would have lost your arm at the shoulder and probably your life from loss of blood.”

They helped him into the back of a wagon and Lucky gave him another potion of healing. He drifted into a dreamless sleep and woke after full dark. His shoulder was feeling a bit better but it was still stiff and sore. Isabel and Abigail both sat up when he woke. His sister handed him a cup of water and Isabel got him a bowl of stew from a pot on the small campfire just outside the tent.

“Lucky said you’d be hungry when you woke,” Isabel said. “How are you feeling?”

“Well enough, considering,” he answered. With a sudden jolt, he remembered the soldiers who had ridden with him. “How many died?” he asked.

“Three dead,” Abigail said. “And two badly hurt. Lucky tended to their wounds and says they’ll recover, but both were injured more seriously than you, so it might take some time.”

“I need to speak with Captain Sava,” Alexander said, trying to get up.

Abigail stopped him with a gentle hand on his good shoulder. “Alexander, you’re not going anywhere. Lucky said you’re supposed to rest and that’s what you’re going to do.”

“Your sister’s right, Alexander. Besides, it’s the middle of the night. Captain Sava is probably asleep. You can talk to him in the morning.”

Alexander relaxed back onto his cot. “I guess it can wait. Has the army started moving into the Keep?”

“Not yet,” Abigail said. “Kelvin said you would want to be there when they cross the bridge, so he’s ordered Mage Landi to secure the Keep until you return.”

“Good. I want to look at each and every person who goes into Blackstone Keep to make sure there aren’t any spies or infiltrators.”

“All of that can wait until tomorrow,” Isabel said. “Finish your stew and go back to sleep. Everything will still be here in the morning.”

Chapter 9

He woke just after dawn. His shoulder was stiff and it hurt, but the magic Lucky had given him had mostly mended the broken bones. He got up and found Abigail and Isabel sipping hot tea by the fire in front of the tent. Abigail poured him a cup when he emerged with is arm in a sling.

A cordon of solders stood guard around his tent, which was pitched in a wide open space in the center of the entire encampment with hundreds of other tents arranged in neat clusters. Alexander looked around and saw that Captain Sava was one of the guards standing in the circle around him. He waved the man over to the fire and motioned for him to sit.

“Captain Sava, please convey my condolences to the families of the three men who died yesterday. They died protecting me and I will never forget that.”

“I’ll see to it personally, Lord Alexander,” Captain Sava said. He looked a bit startled when Isabel handed him a steaming cup of tea.

“Can you tell me how the two injured men are doing?” Alexander asked.

Captain Sava nodded. “I looked in on them early this morning. Both were sleeping soundly and looked to be on the mend. Master Alabrand gave them powerful magic and said they would both be well enough to ride in a week or so.”

“That’s good to hear,” Alexander said. “I wanted to thank you and your men for your help yesterday. I underestimated the power of the scourgling. If it weren’t for you and your men, I probably would have died.”

Captain Sava sat up straight. “Thank you, Lord Alexander. We’re proud to play our part.”

“Tell me about the three men who died,” Alexander said quietly. “I’d like to know a little bit about them.”

Captain Sava looked surprised for just a moment. He nodded self-consciously before recounting his friendship and service with the men. Alexander listened quietly and let the knowledge burn into him.

Three men died on his order.

He made a quiet pledge to himself that he would never forget them even though he never even knew them. He and the captain talked for several minutes before Jack, Lucky, Kelvin, and Anatoly came up to the fire.

“How’s the shoulder feeling?” Lucky asked.

“Much better, but it’s still a little stiff.”

“It’ll take a few days to get your full range of motion back. The less you use it, the faster it will heal, so I recommend you keep it in that sling—at least for today,” Lucky advised.

Alexander nodded his agreement. It still hurt and he knew it would be counterproductive to push himself. He was anxious to be on his way to the Pinnacles, but the fastest way to get on the road was to let his shoulder heal.

“I’d like to address the officers and a few of the men and then speak with the commanding officer before we return to the Keep,” Alexander said.

Captain Sava stood. “I’ll relay your orders to Commander Perry right away.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

Alexander tried to get up, but Isabel said, “Just relax for a few minutes and have some breakfast.”

“Breakfast?” Lucky said with an unabashed smile.

They ate hot porridge with nuts, dried berries, cream and honey. It was hearty and filling, and Alexander felt much better for having taken the time to eat.

When Alexander was ready, Captain Sava led him through a throng of soldiers to a wagon in the middle of the crowd. He carefully climbed up onto the wagon, and the murmuring of the soldiers died quickly as all eyes turned toward him. He looked around and appraised the men for a long moment before he drew the Thinblade and held it aloft for all to see. There was a moment of silence, then the soldiers erupted with a thunderous cheer.

He sheathed his sword and motioned for quiet. “Soldiers of Ruatha, yesterday we lost three of our own to the enemy. They died protecting me. I ask that you remember them and their families in your prayers.”

The soldiers fell deadly silent and all heads bowed in respect for their fallen. Alexander waited a moment before he continued.

“Headwater is mustering an army to attack New Ruatha as we speak. This will be the first battle of the Reishi War fought on Ruathan soil in two millennia. It will be our first test, and we will prevail because we must. Blackstone Keep is secure and well defended. Some of you will be assigned to garrison the Keep, while others will be assigned to patrol the surrounding area and guard the netherworld beast that Wizard Jahoda has trapped like a bug in a jar. The rest will return to New Ruatha with me to bolster the troops defending the Glittering City.

“Headwater outnumbers our forces by double, but they do not have the strength of the Wizards Guild behind them nor do they have the support of the Rangers of Glen Morillian. Ten thousand light cavalry are on the march from the Forest Warden to add to our forces, with many thousands more being trained and equipped to join us soon.

“Remember the Old Law in the challenging days to come. It is the core of our purpose and we must remain faithful to it. Most of all, remember those that fall for our cause. They have given everything so that we might have a chance at a future worth living.”

Alexander stepped down from the wagon, and Captain Sava led him to a tent quickly filling up with officers awaiting his orders.

“Lord Alexander, I am Commander Perry. It is an honor to meet you.”

Commander Perry was a tall man with an impeccable uniform. His hair was close-cropped blond and his face was gaunt with deep-set, dark-blue eyes. Alexander looked at his colors and saw a man of discipline and structure who wanted nothing more than to know his place in an ordered world.