Council of War (37 page)

"Are there inns in the city?" asked Kalina.

"Oh, yes," nodded Edmond. "People from all over the horse countries come to Traginak. The Courtyard Shadows is a fine inn. Their stables are the cleanest in the city, and that is saying a lot when one is talking about the horse countries. The Zaroccans are fastidious about caring for their horses."

"Are the human accommodations good as well?" chuckled Kalina.

"They are," laughed the Tyronian. "It is a fine inn much like the Gateway Lodge in Zinbar. You will be comfortable there."

The trio approached the large gates of the city. The guards saw them coming and stiffened their posture. Edmond moved a pace ahead of the other two as they neared the gate.

"Good day," smiled Edmond.

"What is your business in Traginak?" one of the guards asked gruffly.

"We are Tyronians seeking a fine inn for the evening," Edmond replied pleasantly. "Can you tell me if the Courtyard Shadows is full yet?"

"I doubt it," the guard replied. "Are you just staying the night then?"

"That is the plan," smiled Edmond.

The guard stared at Kalina for a moment and then waved them through. Inside the great wall, the city was bustling with activity. The stone streets were clean and well-dressed people moved about at a leisurely pace. Garth observed a group of men with a wagon cleaning horse droppings off the street, and he noted the stark difference between Traginak and the cities of the Federation. As they moved through the city streets, a wagon in a hurry turned the corner and almost collided with them. Had the team of horses not halted suddenly, there surely would have been an accident. Garth stared in wonder as the horses appeared to bow their heads towards him.

"Did you see that?" Garth asked softly. "Those horses bowed towards us just like the officer's horse did at the castle yesterday."

"I did not notice," replied Edmund, "but I would not be surprised if the Occan horses are more intelligent than any other. They are magnificent animals. I wish we could raise them in Tyronia."

They recognize us.
Kymia snorted musically.
Even without our horns showing.

Garth frowned in thought.
They know that you are unicorns? How can that be?

I am not sure how they know, but they do. The Occans are descended from us. Maybe it is part of their herd memory.

Descended from unicorns?

Sort of. They are the offspring of a unicorn and a horse. Their race has existed for centuries.

Can they talk?

Not like we can. Their thoughts are primitive, but I can understand them.

Could humans understand them?

No. They are not intelligent enough for that, but I would not be surprised if they understand the humans.

"Isn't that Fakir Aziz?" Kalina asked as she nodded towards a man on the side of the street talking to another man.

Garth snapped out of his conversation with Kymia and stared at the men that Kalina had nodded towards. He nodded his head in agreement and halted Kymia. Garth dismounted and walked away from his unicorn. Kalina quickly dismounted and grabbed Kymia's reins as well as Yurl's.

Fakir Aziz saw the Knight of Alcea approaching. He quickly ended his conversation with the other man and turned to meet Garth.

"Garth Shado," smiled the historian. "I did not expect to see you up here. I thought you were heading south?"

"And I thought you were traveling with my men," scowled Garth. "Why is it that they are imprisoned, and you are walking around free?"

"Perhaps I did not draw attention to myself," shrugged the tutor.

Kalina and Edmond joined Garth in facing the old man.

"Is it true that you are from Alcea?" Fakir asked softly.

"What?" Garth replied.

"The rumor is all over the city," Fakir explained. "People have never heard of Alcea before, but everyone is talking about it. Karl and the others are scheduled to be executed tomorrow on the king's orders."

"For what reason?" asked Kalina.

"I heard that Karl Gree refused to speak to the king unless it was in private," answered the philosopher. "Baron Ohmson was forced by the king to state what Karl refused to. I do not think the baron wanted to say anything, but he is a subject of King Persimon. He had no choice."

"Where and when will this execution take place?" asked Garth as his body stiffened.

"At sunrise," answered Fakir. "It will be in the courtyard in front of the castle, but I would advise a softer approach than what I think you have in mind. Seek out Baron Ohmson. I think he might be of some help."

"Who are you?" asked Kalina. "And how do you know so much?"

"I hear things." The old man smiled at Kalina as he turned to walk away. Almost as an afterthought as he walked into a shop, he turned and said to Kalina, "Beware of Sven."

Garth Shado stood in his room at the Courtyard Shadows staring down at the courtyard where the executions would take place. He listened to the conversation that Edmond and Kalina were having in the room behind him, but his mind was focused on the logistics of a rescue.

"Do you have any idea who Sven is?" asked Kalina.

"The only person I can think of," mused Edmond, "is Norman Sven, but he is the Royal Sorcerer. The old man's words make no sense in that regard unless he thinks that Sven has the ear of the king on this matter. I really don't see how Fakir would know. He is not a Zaroccan."

"Can we trust Baron Ohmson enough to reveal ourselves?" asked Kalina.

"That would be risky," Edmond shook his head. "I think the baron is an honest man, but I can't imagine him putting himself between the king and your men. No baron in Zarocca would purposely rile the king."

Garth opened his breast pocket and awakened Bitsy. The fairy leaped to his shoulder, eager to serve.

"Go out and tell Tedi and Natia to come into the city," instructed Garth. "They may tell the guards at the gates that they are supposed to meet Edmond Mercado at the Courtyard Shadows. Tell them to get a room when they arrive here and then come to this room."

"I am on my way for reinforcements," saluted the fairy.

The fairy darted out the window, and Edmond and Kalina looked questioningly at Garth.

"You are preparing to battle the whole city?" Kalina asked softly.

"If it comes to that," Garth replied seriously, "then that is what we will do. I will not stand by and watch our people executed."

"These people have mages," Kalina reminded him.

"So do we, Kalina," Garth replied, "and I am ready to match your skill against all of their magicians."

"While I appreciate your confidence in me," sighed Kalina, "I cannot perform miracles. We do not even know how many mages they have. Why not try the soft approach first?"

"I intend to," Garth said as he turned around to face Kalina, "but I will not place all my bets on that approach."

"I do not mean to intrude," frowned Edmond, "and I know that I have underestimated your abilities in the past, but what I am hearing sounds a little crazy. We are not talking about a group of bandits here. Traginak is fortified for war. There are enough soldiers in this city to crush a decent sized army. You cannot really believe that the five of us can fight them all?"

"The four of us," Garth retorted. "This is not your fight, Edmond. It might be better if you slipped out of the city before dawn."

"No," Edmond said with determination. "I will not run from a fight if that is what this must come to, but suicide is not a fitting way to mourn for your friends. Talking is the only way that you will free them."

"And I am willing to try that path," stated Garth, "but I believe in being prepared for the worst. Do you know where to find Baron Ohmson?"

"I suspect he would be in the castle," replied Edmond, "but I doubt that I could get in there as a merchant."

"Can you get a message to him?" asked Garth.

"I am sure a message would be delivered," nodded Edmond, "but what can you say to him in a message that might be read by others? You cannot say that you are Alcean."

"I think I can," smiled Garth as he moved to the desk and started writing a note. "The question is whether he will come out of the castle or not."

Garth folded the note and sealed it. He handed it to Edmond, and the Tyronian left the room to deliver it.

"What did you say in the note?" asked Kalina.

"I asked him to come to the Courtyard Shadows," answered Garth. "I told him it was a matter of life or death."

"And you expect him to come?" balked Kalina. "I don't think so."

"I signed it with the number twelve," grinned Garth. "It will mean nothing to anyone who intercepts it, but I am willing to wager that the baron will understand its significance."

"Twelve?" asked Kalina.

"He has already met eleven Alceans," explained Garth. "If he is anywhere near the type of man that we need him to be, those eleven men should be weighing heavily on his mind today."

"And if they aren't weighing on his mind?" asked Kalina.

"Then he would not have helped us anyway."

Garth rose and walked back to the window. He stared at the courtyard analyzing all of the vantage points and trying to determine where the soldiers would be placed to secure the area. He frowned at the complexity of the situation, but the enormity of the problem did not deter him. A knock on the door forced the issue from his mind, and he turned towards the door as Edmond entered.

"I was told that the message would be delivered promptly," stated Edmond. "If he does come, he will not come alone."

"I figured as much," nodded Garth. "I do not blame him. Do you know what he looks like?"

"I have seen him before," nodded the Tyronian.

"Then let's go downstairs and wait for him," suggested Garth. "I need to see things from the street level anyway."

As Garth moved towards the door, Kalina rose to go with him. Garth shook his head and signaled for Kalina to stay behind.

"If it is safe, I will bring him to the room," Garth stated. "If he takes things poorly, it is better if I am alone. Edmond will keep watch from a distance so someone will know what happened. Lock the door behind me."

Kalina nodded and the two men left the room. Garth led the way down the stairs and out into the courtyard. They walked the perimeter of the courtyard as Garth gazed upward at the roofs of the buildings surrounding the plaza.

"Do you think they will have archers up there?" Garth whispered.

"I doubt it," replied Edmond. "The Zaroccans rely on their horses far too much to waste men on the roofs. You do realize that they will seal the city as soon as the alarms start?"

"And you realize that unicorns can fly," grinned Garth. "I will not make light of the odds of a successful rescue, but it is not an impossible mission. There is a lot of talent in our little group. I have no doubt that we can create a great deal of chaos before the ropes snap on my men. The real problem is that I cannot guarantee that we will all survive. In fact, I know that some of us will die, but I cannot let them hang."

"I understand," said Edmond. "Let us hope that the baron will be amenable to helping us."

"Even if he is," frowned Garth, "he is not the king. The odds on negotiations working are almost as long as the odds of a successful rescue. The odds are not good."

"Here he comes," Edmond said. "He has a dozen men with him."

"Move away from me and watch," ordered Garth. "If they take me prisoner, get Kalina, Tedi, and Natia to free me."

Garth turned abruptly and put distance between him and Edmond. He headed straight for the door to the Courtyard Shadows and entered the building only seconds before the baron. The baron and his men filed into the common room and looked around in confusion. Garth, who had entered just before them, turned around and smiled thinly.

"I am the one who sent the message, Baron Ohmson."

The baron glanced at Garth and then his eyes scanned the other patrons of the common room.

"I have a room upstairs if you are agreeable," offered Garth.

"Are you Alcean?" asked the baron.

"I am," Garth answered.

"Are there more of you?"

"A few," nodded Garth, "but only my wife is in the room upstairs. The rest are not yet in Traginak."

The baron hesitated only a moment before nodding. "Lead the way."

Garth turned and led the Zaroccans up the stairs and to the door to his room. As Garth's hand rose to knock on the door, one of the soldiers grabbed his arm.

"We will check the room before you alert anyone that the baron is here," the soldier whispered.

Garth nodded and handed the key to the soldier. "I told her to lock the door behind me."

The soldier raised an eyebrow, but he took the key. He slid it slowly into the lock and eased the door open. Kalina was standing by the window watching the doorway. The soldier moved quickly into the room and immediately searched the bedroom that was connected to the sitting room. Finding no one else in the suite, he gave a signal to the soldiers in the corridor. Everyone flowed into the room, and the last guard closed the door. The soldiers lined both walls as Garth made his way to the couch. Kalina joined him, and the baron sat in the chair across from the couch.

"Why are you here?" asked the baron.

"To free my men," Garth said bluntly. "I am hoping to enlist your help in doing that."

"I truly would like to see your men released," sighed the baron, "but it is out of my hands. I tried my best to make the king see reason, but he gets harder to deal with every day."

"Why is that?" asked Kalina.

The baron blinked and looked at Kalina as if he had not noticed her before. He shrugged and looked back at Garth.

"She has a valid question," stated Garth. "People don't change suddenly without a reason. Could someone be manipulating him?"

"He has just become old and bitter," the baron said dismissively. "The point is, your men will be executed in the morning, and there is nothing that either of us can do about it. My advice to you is to leave the city before then. While I will not mention that I know of another Alcean, others might look closely at any stranger in the city."