Against the Empire: The Dominion and Michian (50 page)

Alec had a blank look on his face. “We can send pigeons to the Prince of Bondell immediately,” the minister suggested. “It is helpful to let a ruler know in advance before you flood his nation with soldiers.”

Alec agreed with the recommendation, mentally kicking himself for such an obvious oversight. “How quickly can we send our forces to Bondell?” he asked General Hewett.

“Getting our hands on shipping and provisions will take time,” the General said. “You remember how it was with our force when we started out for Goldenfields. And that was going to a land that was prosperous and had food. We can’t count on finding much in Bondell if we don’t send it ourselves.”

“Natha and the Locksforts can both help arrange vessels,” Alec said confidently. “But you’re right; we’re going to have to expect to carry everything with us that we need for food and supplies.”

He turned to Rander. “Can we begin to send supplies to Bondell immediately, ahead of the army?”

“It’ll be short rations for them, but we can send some supplies. The lacertii war depleted our reserves pretty deeply,” Rander reported.

“How are the ingenairii, Ari?” Alec asked his mentor. “Can we count on them to send support?”

“We’re few in number, as you know,” Ari answered. “What do you need? We’ll try to do it.”

“I’d like every warrior ingenaire you have available to go on this campaign; we’re going to need them all,” he answered, looking at Rubicon, Moriah, and Nathaniel.

“And I’d like all the light ingenairii you can provide,” he added.

“What do you want the light ingenairii for, lad?” Rubicon asked.

“We can use them to hide archers or ingenairii. We did it that way when we fought the lacertii a time or two, didn’t we Nathaniel?” Alec told him.

“Would you like some fire ingenairii?” Aristotle injected. “They can be used as a weapon, especially against large groups of infantry that are packed closely together.”

“Thank you, that’s a good suggestion,” Alec replied. “How many ingenairii are we talking about all together, and how quickly could they depart?”

“Well, including you there’s four warriors, we have perhaps a dozen light ingenairii, and about six fire ingenairii you could rely on,” Ari told him. “With one of our own ships and a couple of air ingenairii, we could ship out before tomorrow night and be in Bondell in five days to a week. There are a few other ingenairii who would be helpful if they were cooperative, but I don’t know that you should trust them all just yet.”

“I think those we can trust would be a great help. Could you lend us all your air ingenairii to help move troops faster?” Alec asked.

“We’ll arrange something,” Ari agreed.

“General, could we have the Nineteenth prepared for transport the day after tomorrow?” Alec asked the other side of the table.

Hewett rolled his eyes. “Didn’t you just hear what I said about supplies and shipping? But, yes, if you can find the ships, I’ll have them ready to go in two days.”

“I’ll find the shipping,” Alec pledged.

“After the Nineteenth, I’d like at least a fortnight to get the rest of the army ready and begin shipping,” General Hewett spoke up.

“That will do,” Alec accepted.

They all spoke late into the night, telling Alec about many things, until people began to feel the need for sleep.

“Ari, would you be available tomorrow afternoon and the following morning for a trip I’d like to take to the far north?” Alec asked quietly as people were saying goodbyes.

“You’ve just given me a lot of work to do Alec,” Ari answered. “What do you have in mind?”

“Lord Bayeux, who lives in the north, was the man who delivered me to the orphanage when I was a baby,” Alec told Ari. “A nun at the orphanage told me that recently. I’d like to go visit his lordship to find out if he can tell me anything about my parentage.”

“If you can wait until after lunch tomorrow, I will travel with you Alec,” Ari said.

“We’ll leave after lunch tomorrow, and return by lunch time the following day,” Alec promised.

“Who else will you bring along?” Ari asked.

“I hadn’t planned on anyone else,” Alec told him.

“Why don’t you invite Bethany to join us? She hasn’t seen her family in a long time, I’m sure, and her home is on the way there,” Ari suggested.

“I’ll ask her right now,” Alec assured him, and left to catch up with Bethany as she and Allisma left the palace. “Bethany, do you have a minute?” he asked. “Can I speak with you?”

Allisma stood by. “Don’t mind me,” she said cheerily. “Bethany will tell me soon anyway.”

“Ari and I are going up to visit Lord Bayeux tomorrow and the next day. Would you like to travel with us?” he asked. “It would be close to your home,” he added.

“I haven’t been home in ages, Alec,” she said. “I’d love to join you!”

“Would you like for me to come too?” Allisma brightly asked.

“No,” both Alec and Bethany said simultaneously, then laughed at each other.

“So what do you really think?” Allisma asked without blinking.

Alec made arrangements to pick up Bethany after lunch the next day, then went back to the dining room. Everyone else had left, so he walked back to his own room and fell quickly asleep.

Chapter 45 – The Journey North

The next morning Alec was up early and found guards outside his room. He asked that messages be sent to invite Rander and Rief to meet him for breakfast, then dressed and went to await them in a small room. Rief arrived first.

“I missed seeing you last night after dinner,” he said.

“It was late and you left the room, then Rander offered to walk me back to my room, and I accepted,” she answered. “I needed a guide to lead me here this morning. I still don’t know my way around this place.”

“Why should you after just a day?” Alec asked. “I never did learn my way around the Indige mansion.

“I’m going to go on a little trip later today with Aristotle,” he told her as they sat down to eat.

“You’re leaving us already?” Rander asked as he entered the room.

“I want to go visit a man who may know something about who my parents were,” Alec answered. “Aristotle and I are going up north this afternoon to try to visit him, then come back tomorrow morning. Bethany is going with us so she can visit her family on the way,” he added.

Rief studied him for a second. “Do you want me to go too?” she asked at last. “Or should I stay here and relax for a couple of days?”

“We can certainly keep an eye on your friend, and show her around the palace and the city,” Rander quickly added.

“You’ve got all those new clothes to show off around the city for a day or so before we leave for Bondell,” Alec said automatically, before a thought entered his head. “That is, if you plan to go to Bondell with us; you’re under no obligation to go, but we’ve been traveling together so long I just assumed you’d be with me.”

“I’m not really much use to you as a personal extension here, am I?” Rief asked. “But I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be apart from you in the Dominion,” she said. “If you want me to travel with you, I will. Will Bethany join us as well?” she asked, sure that she knew the answer.

“I haven’t asked her yet,” Alec admitted. “I hope she will, but I don’t know.”

They had finished eating by that time. “Rander, would you have someone show Rief around the gardens here at the Palace? I’m going to go to the armory to practice,” he said.

“In a moment,” Rander confirmed. “May I speak with you for a moment first?” he asked.

Alec motioned and they went to a corner of the room. “May I leave Oyster Bay and join you for this campaign? You have suitable ministers who can govern in our absence, and I missed the lacertii war already.”

Alec looked at his friend, knowing that the urge to be in a battle ran strongly in the men who wore the uniform, and also suspected that the presence of Rief added an even greater allure to the notion. “You may certainly come, if you can make the arrangements for a steady hand at the helm while we’re gone.”

Rander firmly shook his hand in thanks, then turned. “Are you a fan of gardens?” he asked Rief as he joined her, and they left the room before Alec could hear her answer.

He entered the hall and felt his guards fall in behind him as he headed to the armory. Once there, he put on pads, and started working with everyone Brannis assigned to spar, until by late morning he was finished, and returned to his rooms to change. He packed his own bag, found Rief and said goodbye, then saddled Walnut and rode to Ingenairii Hill. He dismounted and looked at the plaza where a fountain of water stood, its flow being largely directed into barrels that were destined to be shipped throughout the Dominion as cleanser.

Alec left Walnut tied at the gate and entered the grounds of the Hill. He’d not walked idly around the ingenairii colony since the day he’d left it to return to Goldenfields, and he felt reluctant to go immediately to Aristotle’s home. Instead he walked up the slope past Ari’s to the healer house, and found the door unlocked. The building had been vandalized, and he shook his head sadly as he thought about how beautiful the furniture had been before it was broken. From there he wandered back to the small gravel pit on the far side of the hill. He’d only been there once before, on a memorable night with Cassie and Bethany, and he thought about all the changes that had been set in motion that night.

Leaving after a few minutes reflection at the small secluded beach, Alec walked up the back side of the hill and came to the Warrior compound near the top, where he walked into Rubicon’s home unannounced. Mariah was on the patio that Alec remembered so well. She was nursing her baby, and as Alec appeared she pulled a blanket over the quiet child.

“Alec! What a surprise to see you here!” she said with a smile.

“I came to the Hill to see Ari, but decided to walk around a bit,” he told her, pulling out a chair and sitting beside her. “I haven’t been here in so long,” he said wistfully. “It seems like such an innocent dream, to remember all the time we spent sitting out here every morning, practicing ingenairii skills.”

“It does seem innocent, looking back,” Moriah agreed, looking down at the child she held.

“Do you have any apprentices?” Alec asked.

“Not a single one, but Merle says he has one developing that he’ll send to us when the boy is ready,” she told him.

“I met the boy when I was in Goldenfields months ago,” Alec recollected. “I hope he works out.”

“Are you glad to have Nathaniel back?” he asked.

“He’s been back over a month, and it’s so good to have him here. It’s a shame we have to go to war again so confoundedly quickly,” she answered, and they strayed into a conversation about life on the Hill with so few ingenairii, especially no other Warriors around.

“I have to go meet Ari,” Alec said standing to leave. “I’ll see you again tomorrow.”

He walked down the hill, and stopped at the Water House first. Allisma happened to open the door and invite him in. “We’ll be ready in a minute,” she said with a mischievous smile, as she called for Bethany.

“Well, this is like old times,” another girl said as she walked past.