Tides of Blood and Steel (18 page)

“The sergeant of the guard appears to be the only one,” Jarrik replied.

Harnin hissed. “And he is dead. There must be another.”

“All of the guards have been questioned.”

“Then we interrogate them harder.” Harnin’s voice turned bitter. He contemplated setting the Dae’shan on his own people. The only thing that mattered was finding Argis and crushing the rebellion that was building. It was the only way he could see to solidify his power.

Heimdol protested. “You ask too much. We cannot begin a war against our own people based on rumors. What will Badron do when he learns of this?”

“The king is not here! I rule in his name and stead. Mind your own affairs before I suspect you of treason as well,” Harnin spat.

Heimdol begrudgingly backed down. His cheeks burned crimson.

Harnin turned back to Ulfdane. “Go. Find the traitor and bring us any rumors of this rebellion.”

Ulfdane nodded sharply and left, glad to be away from the plotting and backstabbing of the king’s court. His passions lay in the hunt, making his task perfect for his talents. Ulfdane marched through the wooden halls of Chadra Keep with thoughts of murder on his mind.

Harnin hid an evil grin as the youth disappeared. “I want agents in the city and port. We must stop this rebellion before it gets out of control.”

“Let us hope Ulfdane finds Lord Argis and puts an end to this nonsense,” Heimdol added, eager to be back in Harnin’s good graces.

“The rebellion might prove more dangerous than we think,” Jarrik cautioned. “If Argis is involved, he might be successful in bringing the population to a full-blown revolt. He has been a favorite among the masses.”

“I will not hesitate to burn this city to the ground,” Harnin affirmed. “Leave me. I have much to think on.”

* * * * *

“Matters have changed drastically,” Argis said dourly.

Murmurs circled around the underground leaders. Many watched the fires in the harbor and the orange glow of Bahr’s former estate burning to the ground. There were increased street patrols. Tension threatened to choke the city. Reports poured in of a rising tide of violence against the people. Chadra was becoming a dangerous place.

“We have every reason to believe that you had a hand in bringing all of this to bear,” said Joefke, a young man with hard eyes the color of flint.

The assembly broke into a dozen voices.

“Wasn’t his fault.”

“…risked his life for us.”

“Doesn’t matter. He’s one of Badron’s men!”

Argis could not remain silent. The time he’d spent with Bahr and the others had shown him the level of strength necessary to combat Harnin. He doubted these men and women had enough strength. Argis raised his hands and bellowed, “Silence!”

One by one they fell quiet. Satisfied, Argis turned on the speaker. “Joefke, I have pledged what remains of my life to ending the horror Delranan is becoming. What more would you ask?”

Joefke refused to back down. The fire in veins was contagious, though misguided. “You could have stood up to the One Eye. All of this might have been averted.”

“We can argue what if until the dawn and it will get us nowhere. Bahr and his companions had to leave the kingdom immediately. I was the only one in a position to help them escape.”

A raven-haired woman with a forceful face countered, “Captain Bahr should have stayed. He has been a hero of the people for many years.”

“You all saw the fires. Harnin was already moving on Bahr. He’d be back in the dungeons or worse if he had stayed. What happened did so for a reason. I can make no accurate excuses or assumptions.”

“What then does the mighty lord of Delranan suggest?” Joefke seethed.

Argis was unaffected by his youthful temper. “Harnin will move quickly. He knows that I am involved and will be relentless in his hunt. We need weapons and the able bodies to use them.”

“None of the guards have deserted,” an old cooper said.

Argis found that disheartening but not entirely unexpected. “What about weapons? How many do we have?”

Joefke shrugged. “A few swords and some farmer’s tools. We have plenty of people but without any weapons.”

“We go get the weapons then,” Argis proclaimed.

The woman asked, “From where?”

Argis actually smiled. “There is a small arms room down by the docks in Stouds. Give me twenty men and a cart and we will have weapons before dawn.”

A collective gasp circled them. Even Joefke paused. For all of his talk he hadn’t expected much of anything to happen so quickly. The leaders of the underground made a quick vote, faster than they anticipated. Truthfully there wasn’t much of a choice. The only chance they had for survival was to move now while Harnin wasn’t prepared to stop them. Joefke volunteered to lead them, at Argis’s side. Argis nodded approvingly and took his band out into Chadra. Too much had changed too soon, leaving the former lord with an uneasy feeling that refused to go away.

Argis stepped over the dead guard. A sliver of blood ran down the edge of his sword. It felt good to swing his blade again. He looked down into the man’s unseeing eyes and shrugged off the silent accusations. The bustle of activity behind demanded attention, forcing Argis away from the dead.

Men had formed a chain and were emptying the arms room quickly. Time was already short. It would not be long before a patrol came by. Argis decided to abandon caution. Secrecy wasted time and put them all in jeopardy. Men unceremoniously dumped swords, daggers, and quivers full of arrows into the small wagon bed. Most of the men did not know how to properly handle such weapons and those who did were on a small perimeter Argis had established for security. Argis, his sword drawn, made the rounds from point to point. The harbor master surely had sounded the alarm already. The underground would prove no match for the trained and disciplined city guard.

Argis rounded a building corner and found Joefke. The younger man was in mild shock. Blood stained his hands and dull yellow beard. He looked up at the taller Argis unbelievingly and then down at the body of a solitary guard at his feet.

“You did well,” Argis told him.

Joefke held up his hands. “Did I?”

He nodded. “That is how it is done, boy. Take no pleasure from killing. I do not believe it is a natural act, but do not dwell on it much either. It was his life or yours. Put it behind you. We have to leave before reinforcements arrive.”

Argis all but dragged the youth back into the action where they helped load the last of the weapons. Satisfied, he collapsed the perimeter and the band of rebels stole off into the night as the sound of hobnailed boots echoed across the pier.

Final Days

“I don’t think we have anything capable of stopping them,” Aurec told his father.

He was upset that his father forbade him from returning to the front lines. The danger was acceptable considering the situation, so far as Aurec was concerned. Enemy pickets were less than a kilometer away. Aurec quietly thought his father acted too conservatively.

Stelskor stared at his overzealous son. He wanted to say how proud he was, but this was not the place. All of the senior commanders were present and he wasn’t about to embarrass the boy.

“The Wolfsreik is almost upon us. You have done more than our people could expect from you, Aurec. All of you have. Your actions have given us the opportunity to evacuate our people from this city. A tunnel is nearly complete that should allow most of our defenders to escape once we deem the city is lost. Badron will pay dearly for his aggressions. My question to you, my advisors, is what do you need from me?”

Aurec glanced at the commanders. This was their campaign as much as it had been his. Their needs must come before his. Venten spoke first.

“Sire, I believe I can speak for us all when I say that we do not need anything. The defense of Rogscroft has been our first priority from the start of the war. Aurec’s campaign was designed to buy us time and he has done so. We are ready to meet the Wolfsreik.”

“Thank you, Venten. Keep up your performance and I might draft you back into service for me,” Stelskor smiled. “We must keep in mind that each day we delay the enemy costs them in supplies and manpower. I hear that the Pell Darga are fulfilling their promise to you.”

“Yes, Father. Cuul Ol and his people have been attacking the supply caravans coming through the mountains. This has forced Badron to double the resources needed to ensure they get through. Even so, the Wolfsreik is almost at full strength now. They will be ready shortly to make their advance on us.”

The king nodded glumly. “How long can we expect to hold?”

“Not long. We are down to almost half strength. Their casualties are more than twice ours, but their numbers promise our defeat.”

“I am not willing to throw away our strength so willingly. We continue with the original plan,” the king told them. “What remains of the outer defenses?”

Venten pointed at the map. “We have ambushes set up here in Edgeson Vale and another in the Martis Forest.”

“How can you be so sure the enemy will go into the forests? It is almost two kilometers from the main road.”

Aurec answered. “We have a handful of volunteers willing to draw them in.”

The king frowned. He didn’t condone suicidal gestures, even if it was for the good of the kingdom. Every life was precious. Worse, the sacrifice of one man was a waste and took from the overall defense. “This is foolish. You’ll only waste valuable lives. Our enemy is not so foolish as to follow a handful of random men into an obvious ambush. Their heavy horse will be able to ride those men down at will long before they gain the safety of the trees.”

“Sire, we have the road mined with caltrops. There is a heavy stream to the immediate west and a small swamp to the east. The enemy will have no choice but to take the secondary road into the forest,” Venten added.

Stelskor studied the map. He soaked in the terrain features he’d spent a childhood exploring. The memories were saddening. All that he knew and loved threatened to be wiped from the world. The long days of his life were nothing compared to impending demise. His kingdom was going to burn and he was powerless to prevent it.

“Perhaps it will work,” he said slowly.

“It is the only clear chance we have. All of our primary fortifications have been overrun,” Aurec said. “The enemy has paid dearly for each one.”

Stelskor clasped his son’s shoulder. “You have brought great honor to your name, my son. Gentlemen, I am spending the night here. I wish to see firsthand how the battle goes in the morning.”

Aurec bit back the feeling that it was an unnecessary risk. Nightly skirmishes were often chaotic and violent. He failed to see the need for both king and prince to be on the front simultaneously. That time was fast approaching and it would be on the walls of Rogscroft. Not here in the wild.

Wisely, Aurec held his tongue. “My quarters are yours, Father.”

“Thank you.”

A young scout poked his head into the command tent. Raste, if the king recalled correctly.

“A small enemy force is approaching from the rocks to the west of our lines,” he said after a nod from Venten.

Aurec’s eyes lit up. “How many?”

“Just over a score.”

“That is no attack force,” Venten cautioned.

“Possibly engineers?” Aurec suggested.

Stelskor added, “Or a reconnaissance for a coming assault.”

“Either way we need to stop them. Assemble the men. I will be there shortly.”

Raste nodded and offered a slim smile.

The sounds of fully armed men rushing by drowned out the murmurs from the field commanders. Another night with another battle. Aurec was tired, bordering on sheer exhaustion. All of them were. They’d been going nonstop for nearly a month and there was no end in sight. He got less than four hours of sleep a night and hadn’t eaten half as much as he should. Rations were running low and there wasn’t much game left in the valley. Water was the only thing they did not lack.

Stelskor gave his son a curious look. The boy had a hollow look, his skin greyish and tight. His eyes seemed darker from the perpetual bags beneath them. “You mean to lead the attack?”

“I am more comfortable that way.” Aurec slid his now well-dented armor on and then his greaves.

“Armor at night is not good for ambushes.”
Aurec smiled. “Delranan iron is hard, Father. We learned that early on. I will be back as soon as this is finished.”

King watched prince leave. A large part of him left as well. Stelskor longed to be young again, to have a sword in hand and to meet the enemy in an honorable contest. Only there was no honor in this war. All that left was survival. Losing meant death.

“Luck in battle, my son,” he whispered after Aurec.

* * * * *

Mahn slowly pulled an arrow from his quiver and nocked it. He slowed his breathing, exhaling in long, drawn breaths. The first enemy soldier eased into his line of sight. At first he was naught but shadow, a figment in the tired scout’s imagination. Then came the smell. Mahn scrunched his nose at the odor the man gave off. It was the smell of a soldier who had not been able to bathe after weeks of light fighting.