The Silver Sphere (25 page)

And time was running out.

Throg rose from the campfire and plopped down closer to Zach.
"I sense things are much worse than I feared. The United Forces are detained,
and the countryside is likely overrun with Nightlander troops. We may need to take
some risks."

He spoke in a hushed tone as he kept an eye on Brodeur, who was
consoling Morgana. "I believe the Assembly is being held near the Canopus Hills.
Your link mentioned the valley, and the witch specified the Shattered Woods. Plus
Baku said they were close to an ancient battleground. It's possible your fellow
Kin must have had contact, and you are right. With things being this dire, Presage
may well be headed to the Canopus Hills." He rubbed his hands together.

Zach nodded. "So we should go to these hills as well?"

"Yes, Brodeur might want to continue onto Vixen, but maybe
not. I don't think he is a thief, and if he is, he wasn't always. Although her time
with us will be dangerous, we cannot allow Morgana to roam the woods alone, so she
must accompany us." Throg stood.

Once they were agreed, Throg walked over to Brodeur and the girl.
"Are you well enough to travel, Morgana?"

"Sure. I want to get as far away from this place as possible."
She stared down into her cup.

Throg turned to the thief. "Brodeur, we may need to part
ways. We altered our plans, and will not be heading to Meracuse."

Brodeur nodded, sipping tea. "Where are you going, then?"

"The Canopus Hills. We believe our friends may be traveling
in that region." Throg poured the rest of his brew onto the ground.

"Well, I'm not sure if Vixen is even standing right now,
and I realize it might not be safe to poke around these woods by myself with war
breaking out. Let me finish my drink and think a bit. Am I welcome to join you?"

Throg nodded, though Zach sensed he wasn't sure about Brodeur's
company. They both judged Brodeur as trustworthy, but sending him away with their
plans in his head was risky. However, the larger their group, the more likely they
would be spotted. Still, Brodeur had proved useful when they rescued Morgana.

They packed their belongings and put out the campfire. Smoke
sizzled as Zach dumped dirt over the flames. The woods were quiet, as most of the
animals that had tried to escape the earlier blaze were long gone. Zach sniffed
the air. Thunderheads rolled over the sky, mixing with the black smoke rising from
Drake's forest.

Brodeur approached Throg. "I got some friends I can visit
up in the village at Canopus. Also, I know a secret spot to stop at along the way—a
hidden cabin up near Aventail Point. The nickname is the Spangenhelm, and the place
is well stocked with armor, weaponry, and dried goods. We will need to replace whatever
we borrow when we can, and add some extra as a fee." He slung his bag over
his shoulder.

"Who monitors the Spangenhelm, and what if we didn't reimburse
the stuff?" asked Throg.

"Honor among thieves." Brodeur cast a wink.

They traveled on the sides of a path, out of sight of the road.
The terrain grew rougher, yet they did not want to be open game on any of the direct
roads. After an hour's journey, they caught a glimpse of a figure scurrying down
the trail in their direction. The man carried a backpack with a bevy of arrows sticking
out of the top.

"He's traveling alone," whispered Brodeur, "and
our company is four. I think we should stop and ask him if he has come across anything
peculiar up ahead."

Throg nodded. "I'll step in the path, and you will keep
a finger on your string."

The figure bustled along closer to them. He resembled a beaver
and wore a stolid expression. Throg moved onto the course and placed both his open
hands at hip level.

"Good day, traveler. I am curious as to the road ahead.
Strange things have been occurring in the woods."

The man stopped short and studied him. "You can say strange
again. Bedlam replaces sanity. In a week's time, Meridia seems to have collapsed."
He shook his head and shifted the sack to his other shoulder.

"What do you mean?"

"Dear sir, perhaps you have camped in the Cark the past
week? Degei has fallen. Ardent's fallen. Lancer's fallen. Even Halcyon's been pillaged.
I'm a Fletcher in the village Marbank, which the Nightlanders ransacked yesterday.
They are in full force, and have overwhelmed the Meridian Army. All Meridians of
good health are being called to defend the capitol, the last large city standing.
An enormous Nightlander host is marching to Meracuse as we speak."

Throg cast his eyes at the ground and back at the Fletcher. "I
suspected as much. The villages behind me endured the same fate. Did you encounter
any Nightlanders from where you came today?"

"Nay, a few scattered patrols, but from what I gather, excess
Nightlanders are ordered to storm the capitol."

"Well, be careful on your journey. It is not safe to travel
alone, and I suggest you stay off the main path."

"Some friends of mine are not far from here. Godspeed to
you," he said, and then with a nod, he scampered past Throg up the road.

"Unbelievable," exclaimed Throg, stroking his goatee.
He worked his way back into the brush on the side of the trail, where Brodeur, Morgana
and Zach waited.

Brodeur stepped from behind the tree, his arrow still nocked
on his bow. "I've never heard of this swift an offensive by the Nightlanders.
It's obvious the Aulic Assembly has been disabled, and the Silver Sphere inoperable.
The Nightlanders wouldn't be able to overwhelm an army as efficient as Meridia's
without Biskara's assistance, and the truth seekers would never allow such a thing
to happen unless no one had summoned them. Lord Achernar must have called the Kin,
so some hope should remain." He sighed deeply.

Throg frowned. He was watching the way the Fletcher had gone.
After a moment of silence, he spoke. "All is not lost, Brodeur, I can assure
you. I need to know your history if you are to travel with us. I suspect banditry
is not your entire life."

"Ah, yes. I hailed from Candelaria, to the west. I came
to Meridia in my youth and joined the Auxilia for some time, then settled down for
a bit, actually in Meracuse. I ran with the Blunderbuss centurions. I have traveled
alone a few years, thieving mostly, but I lifted from those with abundance, and
only the nasty ones." He took his arrow off the string and placed it in his
quiver. "And now, if you'll return the favor, why are the Nightlanders looking
for you?"

"For the time being, let's just say we are friends of Lord
Achernar and are on a mission to assist him." Throg placed his arm on Zach's
shoulder.

Sounding aghast, Morgana cried, "How? By what means did
this happen so quickly? One of the strongest countries in the world fell to chaos
in such a short time."

"This well-orchestrated attack is under Biskara's care,"
Throg said. "Left unchecked, Biskara can send his son information on where
the Meridian forces are advancing, their weakest points, and when to strike. They
would literally be one step ahead of us at all times."

Brodeur nodded. "We need to keep going and get to the Spangenhelm.
No sense anguishing over things we cannot control."

Throg walked over to Morgana and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"I promise you all is not lost. Shocking, a setback—I agree. You have suffered
greatly, but you are not alone, and this revolt is not over."

Zach soaked in the situation, continuing his osmosis of Azimuth.
Again, he felt relieved to have found Throg, and he was comfortable with Brodeur.
Morgana's plight saddened him, however. She had seen her father slain and her home
destroyed. The anger in that alone gave him motivation to persevere in the battle
against the Nightlanders.

They trudged on for a few hours. On their walk, Brodeur informed
Zach about the Blunderbuss clan, a freewheeling band of soldiers living in the woods.
They sounded like an honorable gang, Zach thought, as he pushed past a low-lying
tree. He held the branches aside for Morgana and Brodeur. Still holding a branch,
he peered around. The forest was quiet, save the sound of birds and small animals
scurrying about. He refocused and followed the others as they approached the crest
of a grassy knoll.

Brodeur smiled. "Ah, right past the hilltop here."
He pointed as he picked up his pace.

They hurried up the mound. Zach slid a bit on the pine needles
littering the ground, and righted himself. When he reached the top, Brodeur and
Throg were already in place. He offered a hand to Morgana, who shook her head.

"Spot the entrance?" Brodeur asked with his hands on
his hips.

They all stared down the knoll and spotted nothing except four
large oaks towering in a circle. The ground was soft and grassy, but otherwise unchanged
from the woodlands floor. Beyond the four oaks, the forest continued, a massive
ocean of pine and oak trees. Hills rose further yet, and in the distance, a few
jagged peaks rose.

"I don't see anything," said Throg, squinting.

"Well, the place wouldn't be hidden if the door was out
in plain sight, now would it?"

They followed Brodeur down the slope and up to the front of one
of the large oaks. He pulled down on a small but thick branch protruding out of
the right side of the tree. A crunching, creaky sound reverberated from the wide
trunk as the center pushed forward. Brodeur placed his fingers into the creases
of the jutting wood and swung the core open. Inside, a staircase descended into
the darkness. They all looked at Brodeur, impressed.

"The tree is actually bogus, made by a mentor many years
ago. I'm not sure who originally obtained access to it, but the thing is old. I
learned about this hideout when I was running with Blunderbuss."

He lifted a dormant torch out of the inside wall and lit it with
a flint. After motioning them forward, he descended the stairs.

Zach discerned the orange glow of the torch bobbling over Brodeur's
head, but noticed several carvings in the wood on the walls as he passed them. He
read one and smiled. "Gurny was here." It was the same as the stalls in
his school's bathroom. Thinking about home made him wonder if Adrian was doing all
right. He hoped his friend was safe.
Safer than me, ha!

They reached the bottom and Brodeur lit several other torches
to illuminate the room. The antechamber resembled a medieval armory. Wooden panels
made up the walls, nailed together with thick, metal spikes. Weapons of all kinds
hung from hooks, and several chests and trunks were neatly tucked to the sides.
Although a bit dusty, the room was surprisingly clean.

Zach took in a breath of air, tasting
a mixture of dust and aged wood. He breathed deeply again, and smiled.

"Okay, now," Brodeur said, "everything we'd want
is here. From bardiches to morning stars. I already spy an arbalest I plan on taking.
Its steel bow can pierce most armor. In the chests should be tunics, breeches, cloaks,
garnaches, and gloves in almost every size. We may also be able to find chud and
water, perhaps some wine. Out of respect, we need to clean the room, and pledge
an oath we will replace what we use plus bring additional useful items as payment,
when we can."

They all nodded in agreement and began going through the trunks.
Morgana found a pair of brown leather pants and a chestnut-colored tunic. She changed
behind a large chest, and emerged with the first smile Zach had observed that day.
Her new apparel fit as if tailored for her.

Zach had less initial success hunting for a change of garb. He
eventually came upon olive-colored suede trousers and a brown tunic, which fit nicely,
and a leather breastplate that he placed over his tunic—comfortable, yet tough and
well suited to travel the rough terrain.

Throg approached them with a pair of oxhide knapsacks. "Here,
fill this with extra clothes. We might need them. Also grab some food and water.
Whatever you like that may come in useful—and isn't too heavy—go ahead and take
it." He plopped the knapsacks down on a chest.

Zach pulled down a sword mounted on the wall, and marveled at
how comfortably its handle fit in his hands. Its silver blade shone in the flickering
torchlight. The iron pommel contained a single, inlaid, fist-sized ruby. The scabbard
was black suede with a sheepskin interior.

In its place, he left the short saber
Throg had given him.

Brodeur strode by and placed some items in his bag. "That's
a bastard sword. Good choice for a primary blade. You can wield it with one hand
or two."

Morgana picked out a rapier and a bow. Zach walked over to her
as she conversed with Brodeur. The bow was a finely carved weapon, with vines of
ivory inlaid in the dark red wood along its front. A leather grip, the right size
for Morgana's smaller hand, had been secured around the bow.

"This bow is similar to the ones from this region,"
Brodeur said. "I am happy to hear about your skill with a bow. It will come
in handy, I assure you. Did all the girls in your village learn to use one?"