A Stolen Crown, page 13
Downstream, Brian and Fergus had felled several trees and, using heavy ropes they had strung across the river, they had rigged a series of logs together on an angle across the rushing water. Brian was amazed that the contraption worked. Fergus had told them that he had seen it done by a fisherman on a fast river near his home. He was about to ask the man where his home was when one of the ropes they had rigged in a loop along the logs now pulled tight as though something had caught on it. He could not see very far out across the river since they had only lit a small lantern so Jax would be able to mark their position.
“Let’s see what fish we’re catching tonight,” Fergus said with a grin and headed down to the edge of the water with an extra length of rope. The river on this side of the fortress was fairly wide so it took a while before they heard the heavy splashing of something, or someone being pulled free of the current. Fergus tossed the shorter length of rope out to the figure that had appeared, clinging to the logs, then he used it to pull the man ashore.
“You made it!” Brian said as Jax's face, pale white with purple lips appeared in the dim lamp light.
“Barely, it’s bloody freezing,” Jax said as he stamped his feet and slapped his hands against his legs, trying to get rid of the numbness. Fergus unwrapped a thick blanket he had been wearing over his shoulder and draped it over the wet, frozen man.
“How’d it go?” Brian asked. Jax looked at him and stopped chattering for a moment.
“Like a charm, except for the cold water part.” He looked around. “Where’s Kaleb?”
“Keeping the homefires lit, you might say,” Fergus said. “You’re wantin' we be heading over to him now?” he asked. Jax nodded.
“First, where are my dry clothes?” he asked. Brian held the lantern so Jax could see where they had laid out his clothes. “Good.” He responded and started tearing off the wet garments. Though frozen and numb, Jax changed clothes faster than Brian thought humanly possible. He thankfully accepted yet a second blanket from Fergus’ warm shoulders and wrapped it around himself even though he was now wearing warm clothes and winter cloak. Jax was not sure whether he could remember what warmth was and would have given anything to be near a fire. Still, there was work to do and he was not about to let Kaleb have all the fun.
They were just about to leave when they heard yelling from the direction of the water, voices calling for help. Fergus held up the lantern and bellowed out across the sound of the rushing river.
“Anyone armed gets a sword in the gut. If we've got yer surrender we'll pull you to shore,” he said. The voices called out that they were unarmed and that they surrendered.
"They won't have any fight in them after being in that water," Jax commented, but Brian kept his axes handy nonetheless as they rescued a bunch of Manfred's soldiers who had ended up in the river, unintentionally saved by the log trap.
*****
All in all, it was a sad victory, for there was little glory in it and many soldiers died needlessly when the water topped the walls of the fortress, sweeping them down the river and over the falls. Manfred was smarter than most and realized that there were a few points that were higher than the rest and that the water would pour over the walls before it could rise up and claim any who stood with him. Kaleb called out to the Baron and asked him whether he would surrender, for certainly no one could for long withstand a siege such as this. From atop the highest wall, Manfred called down across the rushing water that he and his remaining men agreed to surrender.
It took two days to remove the braces and free the stones that had plugged the tunnels below the palace. They had to work carefully because the stones now had mountains of water behind them and Kaleb did not want his men getting killed when the stones let go and came crashing out. When they finally did get the tunnels open, the water made such a deafening noise it was almost as though the ground shook and the fortress might come tumbling down. The ancient structure held firm and, with the water gone, they were able to enter the grounds before long.
Kaleb received Manfred’s surrender in person once the water had drained from the fortress and the Baron was able to walk down from the high wall and give himself up. Only thirteen of his men remained, the rest of them having been flooded into the rapids. Kaleb did not tell him that over a hundred had been saved by Fergus, Jax and Brian. The baron wept openly in shame for he had lost over four hundred men in one night and was not only humiliated but appeared to genuinely feel responsible for the lives of those in his charge. Brian was surprised that the baron, who was the most plain-looking, non-descript person he could think of, acted in such a way since he had pictured the man to be some kind of evil monster who mercilessly ordered women, children, old people and more importantly, his family, killed. He was also surprised to find himself almost feeling sorry for Manfred, and now that the man had been removed from power, Brian's anger left him.
“The enemy looks a lot different close up,” Kaleb commented, guessing at the conflicting feelings going through Brian’s head. Some time ago, Brian had told him of his desire for revenge upon Manfred. “If you still want to kill him, at this point, you would probably be doing him a favor.”
“He is nothing,” Brian said.
“You're right. Manfred has lost everything,” Kaleb confirmed. “Even if he’s stupid enough to show his head at Maramyr, Cerric would probably arrest him for treason. He’ll be stripped of his titles for sure and there will probably be bounties put on his head. Manfred lost a lot of men here tonight, all of whom have families, some of whom I wouldn’t put it past to hunt him down and make him miserable.” Brian nodded.
“Good,” he said coldly. “Then he will know what it’s like to fear and to be hunted.”
Brian turned and stiffly walked away. Kaleb watched him leave and marvelled at how much more a man Brian seemed to have become since he had met him such a short time ago.
One of Kaleb's men shouted for him and he turned back to look at his river-moated castle. He shuddered to think of how it had been ruined by the days of water rushing through it. The man gestured for Kaleb to cross the drawbridge. Everything with Manfred and his men seemed to be in order so Kaleb decided he might as well inspect the damage.
What he found when he entered the fortress was something very unexpected. Gone were the thick looking white plaster walls, which had been washed clean away. Instead, the original structure of the castle had been exposed and it was some kind of hard green stone that glistened almost as though it held some kind of magic. Kaleb noticed that everything seemed bigger as well and realized how thick the plaster must have been.
He laid his hand on one of the greenish stone walls and then quickly pulled it away. When his hand had touched the stone, he thought he had heard voices. Carefully, he put his hand back on the wall and to his amazement, he saw the wall glow slightly. Again, he heard voices, what sounded like a kind of murmuring. He held his hand, listening and marvelling over this strange and wonderful surprise. It sounded almost as if the voices were confused echoes, disjoined and all speaking out of time, but he thought they were trying to say something to him. After a short while, standing, listening, Kaleb heard a distinct change in the tone of the murmuring and he distinctly heard the voices, with a discernible warmth to their tone, merge together and utter one word.
“Master,” the fortress said in unison to its lord, glad that he had returned.
*****
Word travelled quickly that Kaleb had reclaimed his castle and talk soon began of the Borderlands declaring independence from the throne of Maramyr. People flocked to White Falls to declare their fealty to the outlaw lord and offer what support they could before the inevitable was bound to happen. It was almost certain that Cerric would disapprove of Manfred’s deposal and send soldiers in number to put down Kaleb’s supposed revolt.
In an attempt to ward off the perception that he was leading a revolt, Kaleb sent an open letter to the palace, explaining his actions and reaffirming his loyalty to the throne of Maramyr. Despite the reality of his actions, Kaleb was genuinely trying his best to keep the peace. He had even spent several days on the wording of the letter, trying to make his point while leaving things open and blameless. Cerric would surely see that it would be more sensible to accept that White Falls now, once again, belonged to Kaleb and to accept the traditional tithes from the people rather than these new and unreasonable taxes.
At Maramyr, Cerric slammed his fist onto the heavy walnut table. This Kaleb had become a real problem. Not only had he led a revolt against the rule of Maramyr, but he had usurped the rule and lands of that most incompetent Baron Manfred. Cerric did not care that Kaleb had taken over lands that had previously belonged to him, and that he now claimed a stewardship only over Manfred’s holdings. As far as he was concerned, this was treason and he would see Kaleb’s head on a pike for it.
“Get me that captain, what’s his name…Nathas!” Cerric shouted at a servant. He looked around the table at Dakar, Duke Mirdel who had just brought him two thousand new army recruits from his lands to the southwest, and Lord Barant who had been more successful than Manfred at quelling provincial unrest.
“If I may, your highness,” Duke Mirdel interjected. “Would it not be wise to have this man’s support since he seems to hold such sway over the people he governs and has clearly demonstrated that he is a more than able commander?” Cerric’s eyes widened.
“He has disobeyed my edicts and, including those who were slain at White Falls, he and his outlaws have murdered nearly seven hundred of my men! You would now have me welcome him back to court with open arms?” Cerric’s face flushed with anger. “Do I look mad to you?”
Keeping his calm, Duke Mirdel paused a moment while Cerric got his anger under control and then continued.
“I am not suggesting that this Lord Kaleb be welcome within our ranks, but he and his men would make a perfect first wave against the Kandarans, would they not?” Mirdal said without expression. Cerric pondered the idea.
“But what if he tries to convince the men to revolt?” Cerric objected.
“I’ve had dealings with Kaleb,” Barant interjected. “He is a man of his word, and if he agrees to support this campaign, then he will do so.”
Cerric looked to Dakar who held up his hands. The Priesthood had little interest in helping him deal with the petty matter of a disagreeable country lord. Both Mirdal and Barant agreed, though Cerric wondered how much they were basing their opinion on the knowledge that White Falls was one of the most secure fortifications in the kingdom. Still, if Kaleb agreed, it would take a major thorn out of his side, one that he could throw at the Kandarans where it could do some good.
The heavy wooden doors swung open and a uniformed soldier of Captain’s rank entered the room. Cerric recognized the head of the Academy and remembered that he had been one of the representatives sent to assess the situation in the White Falls area when Manfred had first started having difficulties with Kaleb. Nathas bowed deeply to all three men then dropped to one knee, following the new protocol Cerric had instituted since taking the crown.
“Rise, Captain,” Cerric commanded. “We have need of your knowledge and expertise.”
“Yes my king.” Nathas stood.
“You were sent to White Falls some time ago to investigate the problems between Baron Manfred and Lord Kaleb, is this correct?” Cerric asked.
“Yes my lord, though Kaleb was no longer a lord at that time,” Nathas told him, wondering at Cerric’s use of the title.
“Yes, yes, don’t correct me soldier. Just answer my questions.” Cerric was irritated though he knew that the Captain was merely being precise. Such was the way of the Maramyrian army and he supposed he would have to get used to it if there was to be a war. “And what was your assessment?” Cerric asked. Nathas shifted slightly before speaking.
“I made a report on this matter. At the time, I was fairly certain that Baron Manfred would be unsuccessful at removing Kaleb from the dark forest and would likely see some form of organized attack made upon himself before the onset of winter.” Nathas told them. “It was my opinion, which I did submit to the palace in my report, that the Baron did not have the necessary resources or military expertise to succeed at neither the tasks your majesty set for him, nor in holding White Falls, should Kaleb undertake a campaign against him.”
“But Manfred had over five hundred men garrisoned at White Falls and dozens more on regular patrols through the borderlands,” Cerric objected. “Kaleb did not have such numbers on his side.”
“No, he did not. I would estimate Kaleb’s forces to have numbered nearly two hundred at most.”
“He was outnumbered almost three to one and yet you, in your expert military opinion, thought more men should be devoted to this enterprise. Why?” Cerric asked.
“May I speak freely, your highness?” Nathas asked after a moment.
“Of course.” Cerric nodded.
“Baron Manfred was not an exceptional commander,” Nathas started uncomfortably, unsure about the wisdom of criticizing a noble of the king’s court. “I am not saying that he was incompetent or negligent, but he was not a skilled soldier and he lacked the support of the people and even many of his own soldiers. The main reason Kaleb is garnering such support is that the people trust him and believe what he says. They follow him and do what he commands because they believe in him, because he has proven his loyalty to them, shown them that he will protect them and keep them safe. He is a leader in a way that Manfred could never be.”
Nathas wondered if he had perhaps gone too far. He knew that the same criticisms he had of Manfred could easily be said of Cerric and hoped the king would not take offence. There was silence in the room and the Captain felt the dampness of perspiration under his arms. Nathas would rather that he was facing forty men swinging swords than the four men in this room staring at him. Finally, Cerric smiled at him and he breathed a sigh of relief as the king strode up to him and clasped his hand.
“Thank you for your candor, Captain Nathas. You have enlightened us to the reason for Manfred’s failure and you have helped me come to a decision. I would like to commission you for two tasks.” Cerric told him.
“Yes, your highness,” Nathas said, wondering what the king had in store for him.
“First, I wish you to travel to White Falls to negotiate an agreement with Lord Kaleb. We have accepted his proposal for him to regain his titles and lands and furthermore accept his pledge of loyalty to Maramyr on one condition, that he and his men agree to assist you in the second task, which is to lead the Royal Maramyrian Army to war with Kandara.”
“Are we now officially at war with Kandara, highness?” Nathas asked, knowing full well that even though no official declaration had yet been made, Cerric had already set things in motion for the upcoming campaign. Cerric smiled.
“The war will happen in the spring when the passes through the mountains can once again be traversed. Until then, there is much to prepare, for it is not likely to be an easy campaign and that is why I am promoting you to the rank of Captain General. You will offer Lord Kaleb the rank of Brigade General and you will report to Lord Generals Mirdel and Barant and myself. I trust that you are willing to accept this command?”
Cerric kept his warmest expression on his face. He had just offered Nathas the highest rank attainable for a commoner, and in a practical sense, the highest rank in the Maramyrian Army. It was a rank that would put him on a footing equal in command to that of a Lord General. Of course Cerric would be sure to give writs to both Mirdel and Barant with which they could rescind both Nathas and Kaleb’s ranks, but there was no need to tell them that. Nathas smiled and nodded.
“I would be most honored to help command your army, highness and look forward to serving with Generals Duke Mirdel and Lord Barant,” Nathas said, careful to show his deference to Mirdal and Barant, wondering whether they approved of Cerric’s choice. “I will arrange to travel at once to White Falls to enlist Lord Kaleb’s support.”
“Very good,” Cerric said to the newly promoted Captain General. “Then you are dismissed. I will send the appropriate documentation to your offices at the Academy later this day.”
“Thank you, my King.” Nathas saluted him and exited the chamber. Cerric watched the man leave then turned to the other three men.
“Well, I think our little problem is well solved for the time being,” he said, feeling rather pleased with himself.
CHAPTER TEN
The months passed and both Aaron and Ariana noticed that the sun began to shine more brightly every day. As the weather warmed with the coming of spring, they realized they would soon be able to leave the mountains for home. As the snows melted, the wreckage of the wagons and horses were revealed and they noticed that they were riddled with arrows of the kind fashioned in Kandara. They both agreed it was ridiculous that the Kandarans would be involved in a plot to have her killed but it seemed that things were made to look that way. No doubt that was the story told by the soldiers who had attacked them and, if their suspicions were correct, it was likely that the people of Maramyr believed that she was dead. Ariana remembered all too well that her uncle had been the one who had hand picked her escort, all except Aaron, whom she had herself requested. If her uncle had chosen those soldiers himself, then the orders had to have come from him and that could mean a lot of trouble.
