Aelethia's Hope. Leandra Martin
even Boones Ferry, but the men who watched over this tiny inland coastal town were fierce, and they outweighed and stood taller than most of the regular guards. These particular men started out as mercenaries or Bounty Hunters before turning their lives around and joining the kings army for honest pay.
The duel went on for another ten minutes or so, and when one opponent finally relinquished his hold on his sword and it slipped to the dry mud with a cloud of dust, Maddon approached them.
“Captain Lar and Lieutenant Bohen. General Thorne requests your presence in his war room,” Maddon said saluting.
Pter Lar was the larger of the two men, about six two with very broad shoulders and arms the size of a horses thigh. He had close cropped blond hair and a grizzled face, with a scar running down from his ear to his lower jaw. His eyes were sharp, and, under his hawk-like nose, he had a neatly trimmed blond mustache that hid another scar just above his upper lip.
Decklan Bohen was shorter but no less broad in shoulder and arm. He had dark brown hair which was longer than his companions, but not long enough to pull back with a strap. His eyes of blue were alert but held a boyish sparkle that his older, more serious friend didn’t have. He was clean shaven and was quick in wit and popular with the ladies.
Pter looked down at Maddon and saluted back. He eyed him and slapped his shoulder, not hard, but enough for his strength to almost bowl Maddon over on his side.
“Stand straighter boy, especially when you’re saluting a superior.”
“A superior what?” Decklan answered, smiling slyly behind his hand. His sword had been placed back into his scabbard, and he winked down at Maddon after his comment.
Pter, who knew his friend was jesting, didn’t want Maddon to learn bad habits, so he glared at him. “I don’t think it wise to insult a man who’s twice your size and bested you just now in the arena.”
Decklan shrugged, still smiling. “You know what they say. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” He smiled again. “I wasn’t really trying very hard. My shoulder is sore from doing all your duties yesterday.”
“Maybe that will teach you not to bet someone with a higher intellect. I want this boy to learn how to behave himself if he is to become squire for the king.”
“Really boy? A squire?” Decklan said, surprise in his voice, eyeing the boy now clearly impressed.
“That’s what Alekzand’r told me, that I would receive the rank of squire for my help and bravery in Amaris.”
“Impressive. Well, if his ranking is already in the bag, there’s nothing a couple of old mercenaries can teach him about manners,” Decklan said.
“He already knows more than you when it comes to that. All you could teach him would be how to woo the ladies.”
“Yes, that is a specialty of mine. He’ll need that skill to fit in with the fickle personalities of the ladies at court.” He looked over at Maddon now. “Don’t let him try and teach you. He scares them all away.”
Pter cleared his throat and looked down at Maddon. “What he doesn’t tell you is that we don’t have leisure for that most of the time. We’re too busy keeping the riff-raff out of the bay.”
“But when we do have a bit of time, you’re going to wish you had my charm. Your intellect and large size won’t keep you warm on a particularly chilly night.”
Pter glared harder at Decklan now, then pushed him toward the keep. “Come on, lover boy. The general waits.”
The three men went into the keep and entered Alban’s war room. Alban was still pacing back and forth, just the way he was when Maddon left him. He stopped when the men entered, Pter and Decklan saluting their general. He motioned for them to sit down. When the three of them were settled, he unrolled a map of Aelethia, spreading it out across the table in front of them.
“From our information, it’s assumed that Fallon’s troops will be sailing from Kieran, where they control the city, up through the Corlane Strait and into the docks here. This is their plan in order to be able to march closer to Kingswell. Since the Triple Cities have fallen, we have to find a way to keep the ships from getting past the border. I have sent word to Sailor’s Bluff to warn them troops are coming, but we don’t have enough men to fight off that many ships.”
“How many ships do you expect, sir?” Decklan asked, his boyish jesting put aside for more serious subjects.
“I would gather that Fallon would send at least ten ships, packed full of troops. With the word I have received from a runner out of the north, Fallon now sits on the throne in Lachlan Castle, and his troops have the city in lock down.”
“So we’re too late?”
“Not totally. He sits on the throne but is doing nothing to rule over the kingdom. He wants a war, and he wants to get the princess in his possession. Fallon will have to have at least fifty-five thousand troops at his disposal to even think of winning against both King Dainard and King Kevaan. Kevaan has Charbonneau locked down and has adequate troops in McLain as well. He wants troops sent in to surround the city of Kingswell in order to take back the castle. I want us to spread out. I think one garrison can hold down the docks. Our best strategy would be to send the rest of the garrison into the three towns across the border, Thornycroft, Trowbridge and McLain, to put in added men. If we can keep a perimeter around those three, we may be able to stave off the troops coming in from the coast until reinforcements are dispatched. Maybe we’ll have a chance of taking Kingswell and Lachlan Castle back.”
“How long will it be before King Dainard can get more men in to help?” Pter asked.
“He’s sending troops into Danyl to assist Duke Ulric right now. He has messengers on their way to Salador in the Free Province to talk with Chancellor Jaxon. The west must be warned, but if we’re lucky, we can enlist their help. The elves have already pledged their allegiance, and the dwarves are preparing themselves as well. If the kingdom can build armies in every province, we can surround the castles and keep Fallon’s troops from breaking through.”
“What about the giants? And the creatures Fallon has brought forth from the pit?”
“They will be a challenge to be sure. We have no way of knowing what kinds of creatures he will have. Of the fifty-five thousand troops, I’m guessing over half are going to be sinister things from the depths of hell. We won’t know what we’re dealing with, I’m afraid, until they’re right in front of us. The more solid forces we can obtain, the better.”
“This seems all too overwhelming. I don’t understand how we can fight against something we know nothing about.”
“The elves and the sorcerer Sol will know what to do when it comes to those things. The messenger also said that the princess is on her way out of Vallis and travels with escorts. Unfortunately, he also said that Fallon will get the same news. A messenger was seen riding back to Lachlan to update the duke about that. She will be out in the open now, and I assume he’ll make his move while she is relatively unprotected. She’s evaded him long enough; he won’t wait any more.”
“I still don’t understand this whole prophecy thing. How can this woman save us all from Fallon’s spells?” Pter asked.
“I don’t know, but from what I’ve heard, she’s more than what she seems.”
“I don’t know about you, ole boy,” Decklan said, patting Pter on the back now, “but I can’t wait to meet her. A beautiful woman of nobility who is tough enough to fight for the freedom of the whole kingdom. That’s a lady I’d kill to have.”
“Do you ever stop talking about women for even a second?”
Decklan laughed. “Not if I can help it. Come on, don’t tell me that she doesn’t intrigue even you.”
“Maybe a little, but only out of awe.”
Thorne laughed at his friends and the finest men he’s ever had