Seeker (The Source Chronicles Book 1) (29 page)

“If I may say so, Lyrra-Sharron, we have every reason to believe the impending invasion of the Medaelians is real,” stated Dak, uncharacteristically verbose.

“So my father goes and declares an Invocation of Royal Commission?  He has still got a lot of soldiers looking for us.”

“What if this is an elaborate scheme to ensnare us, Lyrra-Sharron?” asked Nadav.

“Tilroan?  Plotting
with
my father?  I think the sun would cease to rise before that would happen,” stated Lyrra-Sharron.

“The timing is almost too convenient,” Dak commented.  “He comes to you, just as we learn the Common wants you to present yourself?  I don’t like it.”

“The support of three Barons would definitely help to sway the Common, though,” said Lyrra-Sharron thoughtfully.  “We get them on my side, and after they declare for me, I will have the Crown of Sharron, and I will deal with Wilnar-Medira, myself.”

“This is dangerous,” Cam warned, every fiber of his being sounding an alarm.  “If they are poised to strike at Sharron, and you take the Crown now, they might just invade in the ensuing confusion.”

“No, I doubt very much they are that close to invasion,” stated Lyrra-Sharron.  “The Sharron Army has been massing at the border for more than a month.  I can hardly believe Wilnar-Medira would move against Sharron now.  It is the middle of Stillness, and he has never won a battle against us during this season.  Moreover, we have the largest standing Army in the world!”

“The rumors of alliances with Cordianlott and Lirdarra?” asked Nadav.

“Even if they are true, the numbers would still be slightly in our favor, and even if they are not, we can handle those pathetic excuses for military forces.”

“We should proceed with caution,” said Dak calmly.  “We’re rushing into this headlong.  If we turn our little rebellion into a full-on civil war, they will certainly strike.”

“Dak, there will be no civil war,” Lyrra-Sharron defended.  “When I present myself to Common, with three old, powerful houses backing me, they will almost have to support me!  This is it!  This will make it happen!  We will finally accomplish our goals!”

“I don’t like having to rely on those three useless Barons for anything,” Nadav remarked.

“Watch your mouth, Nadav Rivarr,” said Lyrra-Sharron angrily.  “I allow you a certain amount of brevity as one of my most trusted Lieutenants, but that does not mean you can openly badmouth one of your peers!” 

“This simply does not feel right, Lyrra-Sharron,” added Cam.  “Maybe we should wait this out, learn if there really is an impending battle on the Medaelian border.  Maybe we’d best try and confirm the existence of these alliances.  You don’t want to be given the crown of a Kingdom about to be torn apart by its neighbors.  If we move like this now, we might just break the Kingdom apart from within, and they’ll sweep in from without, and you will be left with nothing.  I think we should delay before we make a rash decision.”

“No!” shouted Lyrra-Sharron.  “I have waited my whole life!  I have stayed my hand long enough.  I will not sit idly by anymore.  I want the crown now!  I will not wait until I am fifty, and my father is gone.  This is my only chance.  I will delay no longer!”

A profound silence filled the room.  Lyrra-Sharron gaped at her officers.  They all simply returned her look.

“We move on this now.  Common wants to call me to account, and by the Falcons of my House, I will go!  I take the Falcon Raiders with me.  All of them.  I will take the support of the Barons, too.  My time to rule as Queen of Sharron is now.  Are you with me?”

The officers one by one acknowledged in the affirmative.  Nadav joined, hesitantly.  Cam alone made no move.

“Cam Murtallan, are you with me?” asked Lyrra-Sharron impatiently.

The Sorcerer gazed at the Princess of Sharron, and at the others in the room.  They all wore concerned looks on their faces.

“We stand together, Cam Murtallan, or this cannot be done.  If you are not still supporting me, you will take your things and be gone before the sun sets this day.  Make your choice.  Are you with me?”

Cam glanced towards Andim, saw the worry on his face, matched by Kallan.  Nadav stared at the floor.  Dak wore a weary look that spoke volumes. 

“I am with you, Lyrra-Sharron,” he said softly.

“Alright.  We make preparations to move out tomorrow.  Nadav, go to Torman.  He just moved his base into the mountains, southwest of Gara-Sharron.  You will find one of his people in the tavern at the Folgan-Mintarn-Gara-Sharron crossroads.  He shall take you to them.  Bring them all to Tarmollo.  We will set up camp near there, and wait.  We march, en masse, to Mintarn.”

“And the Baron?” asked Nadav.

“I shall have him brought in here.  I will send several Falcon Raiders with him, and they will meet with the other Barons involved.  We shall bring them and their guards to different places, in case they
are
plotting with my father.  If they really are with us, we will lead them to Tarmollo as well.”

Nadav let out a shallow, exasperated breath.  “I’m still not sure...”

“It is not your concern, Nadav Rivarr, it is mine,” Lyrra-Sharron said, her patience for Nadav clearly gone.  “You are my cadet, and my subordinate.  Accept your place or be gone.”

“I am at your command, Lyrra-Sharron,” Nadav said without hesitation, but also without conviction.

“Then go!  I want you on your way before sunset.”

Nadav arose, glanced at Cam, then at Dak.  He bowed to Lyrra-Sharron.

“I am yours, Lyrra-Sharron,” he said with surety.

She nodded to him, and Nadav departed from the room.

“Andim, Kallan, go and get the Baron.  Bring him to me.  After that, assign a small company of trustworthy raiders to act as the Baron’s escort when he departs.  Dak, Cam, see to splitting all of our people up, and prepare them to go.  We have work to do.  You are dismissed.”

*****

Cam followed Dak from the old tavern, and they walked swiftly across the grounds of the village.  Cam observed the various Falcon Raiders, some practicing with weapons, a few patching up the run-down buildings, some performing other necessary activities.  Andim and Kallan together entered the building serving as the kitchen, to fetch the Baron.

Cam was led to the old store where the maps were kept.  This had become a makeshift strategy room.  Dak unfolded a map.

“If we march south, we can catch this crossroads here,” The Falcon Raider second stated without preamble, tracing a line along the map he’d unrolled.  “We must be wary of soldiers in the area, amassing on the Medaelian border.

“Is this plan really such a good idea?” Cam began.

“From here we take this road west.  I think if we’re careful, and we have good scouting, we should...”

“What about this plan?” Cam interrupted.  Dak became eerily silent.

“This isn’t right,” Cam pressed.

“She is our leader.  What she says, we do.”

“No,” said Cam.  “This is wrong, and you know it!”

“Wrong, Cam Murtallan?  This is what she has been planning for all along.”

Cam shook his head.  “No, Dak.  This is not what we signed on for.  You and I both know the threat of the Medaelians.  I never met him, of course, but I know what kind of tyrant Wilnar-Medira can be!  He raped my country, left it in ruins, and would not think twice about doing the same to Sharron!”

“If Lyrra-Sharron believes he is of little or no threat, then she is likely correct.”

“How can you say that?” asked Cam.  “She was nearly hysterical!  She wants the Crown so much that she’s willing to sacrifice everyone and everything to get it!”

Dak rounded on Cam, threatening.  Too calmly, he spoke, “Listen to me, Cam Murtallan, and listen well.  Lyrra-Sharron Anduin is our leader.  We follow her.  If she says march, we do.  If she says die, we will.  We’re not blind.  I am not blind.”

Cam straightened his posture, staring at the Falcon Raider second, standing as imposingly as Cam had ever seen him.  After several tense seconds, Dak turned back to the maps.  Clearly, Cam noted, there was something more going on. 

“We can’t just drop this,” Cam pressed, softening his tone.  “This cannot be right.  She’s going to tear this Kingdom apart with what she’s doing.  We can’t let her destroy Sharron.  We can’t let her destroy herself.”

Dak continued to study the maps, ignoring Cam.  Something tickled at the back of Cam’s mind, and he changed his approach.

“Don’t you care about Lyrra-Sharron, and what happens to her?”

Swiftly, Dak grabbed Cam by the front of his vest, expressing greater emotion than he’d ever shown before.  Cam found himself off his feet, and went limp as he was slammed into the nearest wall and held fast.

“What I do, I do for Lyrra-Sharron.  Make no mistake, I care more for her than I do for myself!”

Cam didn’t struggle, didn’t say a word, just stared.  Dak realized what he was doing, let him down to his feet. 

The Falcon Raider second proceeded to a chair next to the map table, and slowly sat, his back to Cam.

Cam paused, watching Dak.  The man just sat still, said nothing.  In a moment of clarity, the Sorcerer figured out the veteran soldier’s true motivations.  He moved closer to Dak.  “So that’s why you’re in this.  That’s why you are as protective of her as you are.  That’s what you’ve avoided telling me.  You’re in love with her, aren’t you?” 

The question was met only by silence.  Clearly, the emotion was not something Dak cared to share.

“Does she know?” Cam continued.  “Does she have the slightest inkling about this?”

There was still no response.  Dak did not move. 

Cam came around the table, stood before his friend.  The emotion in the hard man’s eyes was unmistakable.

“No,” said Dak softly, eyes dropping to the floor.  “She cannot know.”

“Why not?”

“Would I be able to serve as her second-in-command if she knew?  It cannot be.”

“That explains it, then,” said Cam, pulling up a chair and sitting down, adjusting the sword at his side as he did.  “The cold professionalism.  The stern demeanor.  The unswerving loyalty.”

Their eyes met a moment, before the veteran soldier turned his gaze towards the floor again. 

“I’ve never been in love,” Cam shared.  “Then again, no one’s loved me since my parents’ deaths.  But I do know that love is the most powerful emotion there is.  Can you simply bury that deep inside and never let it out?”             

Dak looked to him again.  “I have thus far. I will continue to do so.  But I will protect her, Cam.  I will not leave her side.”

“I think I understand.  But I hope it doesn’t tear you apart.  For what its worth, Dak, I’m sorry.”

Dak simply looked into Cam’s face, a storm of unspoken emotion in his eyes.  Cam understood why Dak would not speak, and let it be.

“Maybe you can still talk some sense into her,” remarked Cam, taking up a new tactic.

Dak shook his head.  “She has made up her mind.  There is no changing her course when she is like this.”

Cam stood.  “I’m worried.  Everything I am tells me she cannot continue this way...it will only lead to destruction.  This choice she has made could be her last.  She is choosing the wrong path.”

Cam could not miss the obvious struggle Dak was having over his emotions.  The veteran warrior opened his mouth to say something, but stopped, and just began to shake his head.

“We can’t just let her do this,” Cam would not relent.  “We have to persuade her that this is wrong.  What happens if the Baron betrays her?” 

Dak had an answer rather quickly.  “Either she is captured…and a civil war breaks out…”

Cam picked it up.  “Or she is killed.  One way or the other, the Medaelians, if they really are threatening at the border, will likely invade in the ensuing chaos.  Sharron will be torn apart.”

“If the threat of the Medaelians is real,” remarked Dak.

“You doubt it?  The Medaelians are dangerous and unpredictable.  Even if the Baron is genuine, and Lyrra-Sharron takes the crown…the Medaelians again may strike as the government shifts.  Can’t we find a way to convince Lyrra-Sharron to consider this more before she makes her move?”

The Falcon Raider second stood then.  He tapped his fingers on the map table.  He paused, glanced at Cam.  “Her mind is made up.  If we work against her, she will dismiss us.  All we can do is try and keep her safe, guide her to a path that will not destroy her...or us.”

“Even if we are certain she is wrong?” questioned Cam.

“Especially if we are certain she is wrong.”

There was nothing more to be said.

They spoke no more of their concerns, planned a route, and began to divide the Falcon Raiders into two groups.  Andim interrupted them once to announce the departure of the Baron, and which raiders had gone with him.  Within three-quarters of an hour, they were ready.

As grey, rain-heavy clouds rolled in, Dak, Cam and Lyrra-Sharron told the Falcon Raiders of what was to come, and gave them their assignments. 

Their leaders had seen to it that the Falcon Raiders could fully mobilize in a matter of hours.  Soon, they began to pack up, ready to move the base, prepared to take the next step.