Hidden Ability (Book 1) (9 page)

“Or,” adds Master Enmar, “sharpen your hearing. I suggest you try both. Turning to Tomac he says, “That is your first lesson. Did you like it?”

“Very much, Master Enmar,” says Tomac with a huge grin on his face.

“If you are serious about training, you will have to get your mother’s permission. When you have it we will set up a training schedule.”

“Yes, sir,” says Tomac.

“Get up, Jalan. You already have your mother’s permission,” says Enmar. “Apparently, standing on one leg is not enough of a challenge for you. Let’s see how well this frog hops!”

Δ

Lord Merk Shrift turns away from the window and returns to his final reading of the marriage proposal that will be delivered to Lady Darla Yen. He tries to think of anything else that might strengthen his offer of marriage. The document spells out several advantages to a union, the increased holdings, the family contacts, the business relationships, the generations of fine men and women that have borne the Shrift name with distinction and the final temptation, Shrift armsmen ready to fight alongside House Yen in the escalating border conflict. Shrift has even written his own personal note to Lady Darla. It will be delivered separately and outlines his personnel intent to be an exemplary husband. He made certain to let the lady know that he is attracted to her because of her fine mind evidenced by the skill with which she has led House Yen after Lord Hallis Yen’s untimely death, his memory of her beauty accented by the emerald of her eyes enhanced by the lovely gown she wore the first time they met, and her charming tone of voice and turn of phrase.

Merk assumes that Lady Darla will realize on her own that his holdings and the Yen holdings have become competitors. The merging of the two houses would make a strong financial union. She will see the sense of it, how the sum of the parts creates a greater whole. Rather than competing they would control the majority of grain and flax in western Ojmara. The financial advantages aside, his offer of military aid is not something House Yen can afford to ignore.

After setting the proposal on his desk, Lord Shrift rings a tiny high-pitched hand bell. Yartin, his personal secretary, enters the room almost immediately by way of the double doors that face Merk’s desk and the large window behind it.

“My lord?” inquires Yartin as he waits for instructions.

“This final draft is good. Please prepare the copies and send one to my cousin.”

“Yes, my lord. And, by some coincidence, a letter from Lord Juin has just arrived. Would you like me to bring the correspondence now or at the customary time?”

Merk considers a moment. With so much going on he prefers to keep to his daily schedule to manage it all. “Just the letter. I will take the remainder at its proper time.”

Yartin accepts the draft proposal from Lord Shrift and leaves only to return an instant later with a sealed envelope which he offers to the lord.

“Thank you, Yartin,” says Lord Shrift as he takes the envelope. “Has the special report arrived yet?”

“No, lord,” says Yartin with a hint of apology.

Merk sighs. “Things have gone well enough. I suppose no news is not bad news,” he says quietly. “See to those copies and bring me today’s reports. I’ll look them over after reading Lord Juin’s letter.

“My lord,” says the secretary before he makes a slight bow and leaves.

Lord Shrift examines the envelope he holds. Anticipation is often the best part of any experience, the moment before the first sip of wine, the pause just prior to the musicians beginning to play, or the instant before opening a letter. At these moments, Merk can still imagine that the best is yet to come. Before it begins an event is still a mystery that holds a great and terrible potential. It could be sublime or second-rate. He hopes for the sublime. But as a realist, he has learned to deal with the inferior.

Taking up a letter opener from his desk, Merk cuts open the envelope without disturbing the wax seal. He removes the letter and plunges into reading it. Passing quickly over the customary familial platitudes, he searches for the meat of the missive. “... anticipated arrival..., ... accompanied by...,” mutters Merk as he scans the letter.

The lord looks up from reading as Yartin enters with a loosely bundled sheath of papers. “Yartin, I have one more thing for you before the reports. Please, tell Cartlyle to prepare the guest suite for the arrival of my lord cousin and his wife. They anticipate their arrival in two days, but you know how my brother likes to surprise people and arrive early so let’s have everything, including those copies, ready by tomorrow.”

“Yes, my lord,” says Yartin.

The secretary begins his slight bow when Merk thinks of one more detail. “Oh yes, please be sure that any of Kressel’s men are tucked away somewhere out of sight during my cousin’s visit.”

“Of course, lord.”

Lord Shrift stands and turns back toward the window. He hears Yartin close the door upon leaving the room. The lord finds the view of the out of doors soothing as he contemplates various issues. Kressel’s report should arrive any day. The mercenary had been reliable but he keeps his own schedule which vexes Shrift. He thinks of the large bold man like a blunt instrument, a club or large hammer. Kressel can smash things, but the time for more delicate work is coming. It seems to Merk that he may soon need to rein in his hired henchman.

Δ

Lancer Zahn watches the caravan move sedately toward him along River Road. Southway Outpost sits at the foot of a rise where River Road turns east to climb until it changes course southward and plunges into the Sand Hills. From his marginally higher vantage point, Lancer Zahn has counted two large wagons and four mounted riders. Each wagon is drawn by a team of four horses. The wagon beds are covered with canvas tarps. Zahn suspects the wagons contain cloth, seeds and perhaps lamp oil. Oil has some value. If the goods were rare or the merchant had made a nice profit in Nakra there would be more guards. Besides, they look like oil wagons to Lancer Zahn. He has an eye for that sort of thing.

Zahn turns toward the gatehouse. He figures he has just enough time to write down the description of the caravan before it finally arrives at his gate. It is not really a gate. There is a bar across the road. Once the tariff is paid he swings the bar aside and the travelers pass. First, he has to inspect the loads and tally the tariff.
Most likely lamp oil.

A short distance up the road he sees another gatehouse where Lancer Mikel stands waiting for a second caravan that is slowly making its way down the hill toward him. The wagons are similar to those in Zahn’s caravan except there are three of them and more riders accompanying the wagons. Probably loaded with goods from Lavembra, or even the Turngow Islands. Mikel will be bragging later about all that exotic cargo. Zahn can already hear Mikel asking him what he saw today. Zahn will have to return the favor and ask Mikel what Mikel saw. Then Mikel will go on and on about spices, and artwork and such. Zahn turns his head and spits to clear the bitter taste of the imagined conversation from his mouth.

Something hits Lancer Zahn hard in the back and sends him stumbling forward. “What the...,” is all he can say before it happens again and he falls to his knees. It feels like something is on his back. He tries to reach around and touch whatever it is but his arm is not moving right. Pain begins to slice through his awareness. He tries to call out to Mikel, but he cannot make the words come out. He looks toward Mikel’s gatehouse. Things are darker than he remembers and people are running past him. He is trying to see. He is trying. Somehow he has fallen on the ground. He wonders how he got there.

Captain Erida stands before Darla’s new desk in her private study. She rose early hoping to make up for lost time. Yesterday could not have been more chaotic. Two proposals in one day. The future of House Yen flapping like a flag in the changing winds of matrimony. Darla wants to talk with Lady Shara, but she barely settles into her chair when Captain Erida arrives looking uncharacteristically dour.

“My lady, I have news of great concern to House Yen. Our outposts have been attacked,” says Captain Erida. “We only have initial reports, but it appears the damage and loss of men may be extensive.”

“Attacked?” says Darla trying to make mental room for this new crisis. “By whom?”

“The survivors arrived early this morning. They report that the attackers did not wear uniforms or carry banners. They came disguised as merchant caravans and attacked each road gate. Although others have said that foreign lancers and archers entered the fight once the initial attacks began.”

“You said, 'Attacks’. How many outposts were attacked?”

“All three of them, my lady. That has added to the confusion of determining exactly what occurred. We believe it may have been a coordinated assault on Southway, Midland and Pass all at the same time. Southway may be the most severely damaged, but it is the attack we know the least about. Midland’s commander, Lieutenant Caser, reports that the fires set by the attackers have been put out. The only large structure not damaged is the mess hall. Most of their horses were driven off or killed, and 15 lancers died with another 10 wounded. He has secured what is left of the outpost. The report from Lieutenant Niksus at Pass Outpost is the most detailed. It is from his report that we have the best description of the supposed merchants. Pass is the least damaged. Something about the merchant trains made them suspicious and they immediately formed up their available lancers and met the attackers head on. They still took heavy casualties, but Pass Outpost appears to be the least damaged of the three.”

“How many men were stationed at each outpost?” Darla remembers something about this, but it was years ago when her father discussed it with her.

Captain Erida’s frown appears to deepen as he says, “There are approximately 30 lancers at each outpost if you include farriers, smiths, supply personnel and the like. There would be about 15 civilians working at each post as well.

Darla is surprised that the number of civilians is so high. She tries to imagine what they would all be doing there. “Why so many civilians?” she asks.

“My lady, there is a cook and maid for each officer. A cook and his helpers to prepare food for the lancers. Laundresses. Stablemen. Assistants to any of the tradesmen as needed. It is no small task to keep an outpost running, even such as these.”

“Such as these?” Darla is puzzled as to what Captain Erida means by his comment.

“I only meant that even when undermanned it is still necessary for each outpost to have a sufficient number of support staff.”

“The outposts are undermanned?”

Captain Erida blinks several times before he answers. “Yes, my lady. The outposts were constructed for upwards of 300 lancers each. We barely had a tenth that number at each one.”

Now Darla feels even more confused, “In that case, why weren’t there more lancers at each outpost.”

Darla watches as Erida seems to be at a loss for words. He starts to speak but then says nothing. The Captain looks about as if he might find the words hanging in the air around him and at last settles on a response. “I had assumed you would know that answer, my lady. The cost of the lancers is paid by House Yen, and you, not meaning to be too direct, are House Yen.”

“Oh,” was all Darla could think to say. The outposts were paid for by the road tariffs. The amount collected was relatively steady over the years. Therefore, it maintains the same size force at each outpost year after year. Darla has not considered that the tariffs were perhaps only meant to supplement outpost expenditures and that she should be developing ways to pay for more lancers. Possibilities for funding begin to come to mind and Darla starts to mentally evaluate them before she realizes that Captain Erida is still standing there and they have not finished the briefing. No time like the present. “How long does it take to recruit and train new lancers?”

“A call can be put out for young men of standing. Most would have some equipment and at least their own horse. These men could be ready with a week of daily training after their mounts and equipment pass inspection and they have proper weapons. Given time for the call to go out and a response, plus equipping and training it could be as soon as a month when we could have new lancers in the field. If my lady is considering this, might I also make additional suggestions?”

“Of course, captain. I welcome anything you can offer.”

“We do not know our adversary or his mind. I have dispatched scouts to learn what they can. But, we must assume the worst and prepare as if a new Chalmar war is upon us.”

Even though Darla half expects the captain to say it, she still finds it difficult to believe. “But, my father put that to rest. He led our forces to victory and ended the war.”

“My lady, that was almost 30 years ago. Ankena has had decades to nurse its wounds and rebuild its army. They still claim grievances against us. It is conceivable that they would start another war with Ojmara. They would be ready for it, but we are not. In order to survive until the king can marshal his army, there are things we must do immediately.”

“What things?” asks Darla

“We need to recruit not only men-at-arms as lancers, but archers, mounted archers and foot soldiers. Yen Estate needs to be fortified. At a minimum, an earthen fortification needs to be constructed around this estate. Various strong points need to be established on the grounds and in the surrounding territory to form a network of defensive positions and sally points. Supplies need to be acquired and stored. The estate’s workshops need to be expanded and more skilled craftsmen put to work. The three outposts need to be rebuilt and manned with double the usual number of lancers, plus mounted archers and foot soldiers.”

“What you are asking for is a fortress, an army and renewed and revitalized outposts? Is that it?”

“That is correct, my lady.”

“And what will happen to House Yen if we are beggared by it?”

“Less, I believe, than what will happen if we are overrun by an enemy that hates the name Yen and all for which it stands,” says Captain Erida.