The Invisible Chains - Part 2: Bonds of Fear (71 page)

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Andrew Ashling

Anaxantis let himself be dragged to the big chair and gently be

pushed down. He looked down on his brother, who had kneeled be-

side the basin and had started to undo the leather laces of his boots.

When he felt his feet being guided gently into the warm water, he

sighed contentedly, leaned backwards and closed his eyes.

All the strain and the tension of the last days gulfed over him and

dissolved into nothingness, leaving a pleasant numbness and a cozy

tiredness. He felt his feet being dried with a soft towel and massaged

at the same time, then rubbed with a fragrant oil. Somewhat later a

head lay down in his lap.

Without opening his eyes he caressed it softly with one hand.

“Did you have a good trip, my lord?”

The voice seemed to come from very far away, and Anaxantis had

some difficulty focusing on it.

“Yes. Yes, it was a good trip. A bit tedious after a while, but we

covered a lot of terrain.”

“I am so glad you are back. And that you are safe.”

“Well, I am glad to be back,” he answered, opening his eyes.

He smiled down on the face that was gazing up at him.

“And of course I’m safe. What could have happened? There were

more than enough soldiers to protect me.”

“Except from a Mukthar arrow. Except from a bloodthirsty baron,

sent by our father... I managed to come out unscathed of both incidents,

but will my luck hold? Whatever am I to do with you? And yet, before it

is too late, I must do something. Something to protect you. But what?”

He suppressed a yawn.

“Maybe I should leave you, my lord, and let you go to sleep. You

are tired.”

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Anaxantis smiled. It had sounded reluctant.

“And maybe I could persuade you to stay with me tonight.”

Later, when they lay in bed, he draped the covers carefully over

his lord.

“He’s really exhausted and he’s not telling me everything. He’s

worried about something. I can feel it. I bet something has happened

on that trip.”

He felt an arm reaching over his chest and his brother rested his

head in the crook of his shoulder. It was a simple, natural gesture,

but it made him feel trusted and protective. He wished he could

have been there. With him. To look after him. To see to it that he ate

properly. Rested enough. And above all that no harm befell him.

“I am good with a sword. With all kind of weapons. I could protect

you. And I would still clean your chambers and wash your feet. I love

you. Don’t you know how much I love you?”

Anaxantis sighed satisfied and snuggled a little bit closer. It felt

good being held, lying close to another warm body. He was too tired

for sex. There would be time enough in the morning. For now lying

close to his love was enough.

“My love? Yes, there is no doubt about it. This is my love.”

Through half open eyes he looked at the handsome, serene face

beside him.

“Neither is there any doubt that he loves me as well. Why can’t it

always be like this? This is the real one. It’s this one I want. If only I

could be sure that the other one is gone. Gone for good. Will I ever be

sure of that? What would it take?”

He frowned, eyes closed.

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“Maybe this is as close as I ever will get to certainty. This situation

can’t go on forever. I could set him free. Remove the chains. Elaborate

on the story I told Brenx. Who would dare gainsay me? I’m the lord

governor. I’m the warlord. I could reinstate him. Better. I could make

as if it never happened at all.”

Would he miss Tarno? Would the monsters lie down quietly?

Or would he miss having complete control over his older brother?

Would he miss having his rapist in chains? Knowing he could let him

pay and pay and pay... Was that person even there still? What would

it take to convince himself he was gone?

He smiled.

“A few words,”
he thought, feeling very drowsy.
“Maybe a few

words would be enough.”

He lay motionless, eyes closed, but he was still awake. It would

be a shame to sleep already. To miss the experience of his lord, his

little brother, his love, lying so close beside him. It would be a shame

to not savor every second that their skins touched.

“Maybe I should just tell you that I love you. I’ve told you before.

Dozens of times. Maybe hundreds. You never said it back. Perhaps I

should tell you again. You may have taken everything away from me

and turned me into a naked animal, but my love isn’t gone. You couldn’t

take my love for you. So, maybe I should tell you again. Tell you that

it is for you to say what form my love can take. That it is for you to

decide what I am, will be. That whatever you decide, your Tarno will

always be there, whenever you call for him. That I love sleeping beside

you, but that I will as readily sleep at your feet. That I want to stay by

your side in whatever capacity you allow me to, but that I won’t resist

if you want to send me away. That even though I live for you, I will die

for you too.”

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The soft, regular breathing sound told him that his lord had fallen

asleep. He couldn’t wake him. Not just to tell him that he loved him,

no matter how hard his heart was aching to do so.

Silent tears rolled out of his closed eyes.

How could he find the words that would forever close the wound

he had inflicted upon his love?

That night the words were not spoken.

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Bortram held the knife against the light.

“There are some ragged points, like little teeth on the blade,” he

said. “Must make nasty wounds.”

“Not only that,” Lethoras added, “but it also cuts deeper than the

blades we’re used to, even if the applied force is the same. The smith

I showed it to said that it was very fine workmanship.”

They were sitting in the war room. It was almost noon.

“Does it really make all that difference?” Hemarchidas asked.

“You bet it does,” Lethoras said. “Anaxantis and I have seen with

our own eyes what damage these things can do in the hands of

someone who knows how to use them. Our Mukthars carry three of

them each.”

“So that’s why you want all the soldier’s boots reinforced with

steel plates at the heel,” Tomar said. “It will be a logistical nightmare

and the cost will be prohibitive.” He sighed.

“That is as may be, but I want it done all the same. And I want it

tested thoroughly,” Anaxantis replied. “I’m not taking any risks with

the lives of our men. Whatever the cost.”

“Yes, of course,” Tomar said, “I understand. Consider it done.”

“Something else,” Anaxantis said, moving on. “Hemarchidas,

Lethoras, how is the basic training of our men coming along? I ask,

because I want them to be able to execute a few specific maneuvers.”

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“The recruiting is still going on,” Hemarchidas answered. “Actually

small miracles are performed each day, seeing that we only started

end January. What did you have in mind exactly?”

“We’re training them to fight in the usual formations of ten

men deep, aren’t we? Well, I want them to be able to fan out into a

formation of only five men deep. And I want them to be able to do it

without panicking or leaving gaps, even temporarily.”

“All good and well, but what purpose will that serve? You realize

of course that with only five men deep the line will be far more easy

to breach.”

Anaxantis made a non-committal gesture.

“I’ll explain at length later. I also want them to be able to retreat

orderly, without breaking formation or panicking.”

“If you’re thinking about preventing encirclement by making

our lines longer, that is traditionally a job for the cavalry, or so

the professionals we lured away from Army of the North tell me,”

Hemarchidas said.

“I know,” Anaxantis said. “It was how grandfather kept Berimar

from using the hammer and anvil tactic at the battle of the Karmenian

Hill. Just humor me, will you? Especially the fanning out maneuver

is important.” He paused. “That’s it for now, I think,” he resumed.

“Hemarchidas, I’m dying to know what happened after I left. Shall

we go for a ride?”

Hemarchidas laughed.

“
You
are dying to know? Well, there are some things I would like

to hear as well. Let’s go.”

“Rather uneventful, you say,” Anaxantis mused.

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They were sitting under a tree, somewhere deep in the forest,

the prince leaning against the chest of his friend.

Hemarchidas chuckled.

“Yes, after you left, as by wonder, all became calm and peaceful.”

“That’s right, blame the poor victim,” Anaxantis laughed.

“Just compare my hum-drum exploration trip with what

happened to you... That must have been a shock, when Brenx told

you about the Oath of Sherashty.”

“Tell me about it.” He turned his face towards Hemarchidas. “For

a moment I completely lost it. As if all foundation had disappeared

from under me.”

“Understandable.”

“No, not understandable,” Anaxantis said, leaning his head back

against the Cheridonian. “I knew the solution, the answer. What’s

more, I knew it from the first days we arrived here. But what with all

that had happened in the meantime, it just had sunk somewhere to

the bottom. I’d completely forgotten. Which is strange, because our

exploration of the Renuvian Plains was a direct result of it. There

were other reasons as well, of course.”

“I haven’t understood a word of what you said. What about a

simple explanation, beginning by the begin.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot. Nobody seems to understand the value of

maps. They give you a simplified overview of a given situation, and

provided you’re used to reading them correctly, they can give you

valuable information. I saw it immediately, although the maps we

have are fairly rudimentary. So, how do the Mukthars reach us?”

“As far as we know they are mainly an infantry army, although

they have some cavalry units. On foot, I suppose.”

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Anaxantis laughed.

“No, no, that’s not what I meant. Which trajectory do they follow.”

“We don’t know, do we? That was one of the main reasons for

exploring the Renuvian Plains. Trying to find out which routes they

can take.”

“Yes, but before they enter the Plains?”

“Ah, I see. There are but two possibilities. The Urtdam-Dek Pass

by the coast, or the Queneq Pass. The Somertian Mountains can’t

be crossed by an army and neither can the Marbahari Desert in the

east.”

Anaxantis took the drinking flask they had brought.

“Look, if I hold this flask, opened, upside down, can you stop the

liquid by holding your hands a few inches under it?”

“No, of course not.”

Anaxantis turned the flask upside down, holding his thumb on

the opening.

“See, not a drop can get through. I’m not using my hands, not

even one hand. Just my thumb. The trick is where you try to stop the

liquid. Now do you see? We only have to block both passes. If we can

manage that, suddenly it’s of no importance anymore how strong

their army is. Ten thousand men or five hundred thousand. If we are

master of the passes it doesn’t matter. There is room for maybe ten

men to stand abreast, and the passes run for miles. We’ll only have

to face those ten, twenty men. No matter how many are thronging

behind them. What good does it do you to have an army of a hundred

thousand warriors, if you can’t deploy them?”

Hemarchidas was stunned.

“Is that why you wanted to occupy the Plains? It’s not just a

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