Fifthwind (48 page)

Later
that afternoon, Captain Belfrey's men marked off a large unused
stockyard and set up camp. Belfrey wanted his men outdoors and
prepared to face any attack that may come during the night. Captain
Hodge agreed and ordered his men to make camp in a nearby field
behind Harry's Hideout. With practiced efficiency, both companies had
their tents pitched and were settling in by early afternoon.

Squads
of ten men made regular patrols in and around the nearby alleys and
buildings, but did not venture too far away from the central
encampments. Ben was not entirely happy with the outdoor
accommodations, but for the first time there were enough men to
secure the area. He had cautiously agreed, and suggested the best
locations for the camps. It was time to stop hiding indoors.

With
several hours remaining until nightfall, the kitchen of Holton House,
as well as the cookeries of the other inns, began the long work of
preparing meals for an army. There was plenty of food since the
town's population had been reduced to only a few dozen and there
would be no difficulty feeding everyone. At least for a while.

Inside
the Masked Pig, the two Captains joined Ben for a meal and
conversation. Vincent and Kyla were introduced as a local scholar and
his daughter, but the significance of his knowledge and her talents
were not mentioned. Cobalius was content to sit quietly at the end of
the table and be largely ignored by the two newcomers. He offered no
further explanation for his presence, a fact that bothered Belfrey,
but the Captain put his judgments aside.

Ben
helped Kyla and Megan serve an assortment of food and drink to those
seated at the long table. Once everyone had been served, he took his
seat to the right of Captain Hodge. "You mentioned that you
received orders to mobilize your men eastward. What news is there
from the west that warrants such a movement?"

Belfrey
broke off half of a loaf and sopped it into his bowl of stew. "A
move for sovereignty, is the word. I'm guessing that one of the Trade
Barons is getting a little too bold. King Erlich doesn't have the
resources to impose his will in the Eastern Realm, but he cannot
allow the Kingdom to be divided. There is even talk that Prince
Reilich will be taking up residence in Estrid at the old palace
sometime in the spring."

Hodge
said, "Our orders weren't specific, but there's definitely
something brewing here in the east. After seeing that creature
outside though, I'm hesitant to jump to conclusions. The Trade Barons
are always pushing for too much control, but now I think that it's
more likely something more closely related to the threat that has
presented itself here in Kishell Springs."

Cobalius
spoke up from the end of the table, "There are at least three
battalions moving into position farther south, and a full brigade
marching east of Kinston, along the southern coast. Combine that with
the placement of loose companies, such as your own, in many spots
along the divide, and I'd say that whatever it is, the King must be
taking it seriously."

Hodge
glanced up and gave Cobalius a disapproving glare. He was clearly
surprised and disturbed by Cobalius' uncanny knowledge of the
goings-on in places too far away for any assumptions. Through a
contemptuous smile he said, "You seem to know a lot about things
that do not concern you."

Cobalius
lowered his eyes and spoke in an apologetic tone. "These matters
concern us all. My travels have brought me into contact with many
people, and I have seen many things."

"Leave
matters such as troop movements to those of us who deal with such
things. Sometimes there are reasons for things that a layman might
not fully understand."

Ben
resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It was the standard answer
spouted to civilians: Stand back and don't ask questions, if you see
things you don't understand, that is because you were not meant to.
He almost felt that he should defend the honor of Fahd Cobalius, but
knew that it was not needed. Cobalius was beyond the burden of pride
and surely was only laughing behind his emotionless face.

"Failure
to fully understand something is a fault that can get you killed."
Cobalius said it, not as an admission of his own ignorance, but as a
pointed warning to the arrogant Captain.

Hodge
turned a distasteful glare to Ben. "Why is this man seated with us?
Who is he to question what I know?"

Ben
said in a calm tone, "There are things happening here that may
exceed your experience."

Captain
Belfrey nodded slightly at Ben's comment, but kept quiet. Though
obviously an experienced man himself, he apparently also knew that no
man can ever be prepared for everything. More and more, he was
showing himself to be the more experienced of the two Captains and he
was doing so by listening instead of talking.

Captain
Hodge, on the other hand, decided to continue his defensive rant.
"While I'll admit that I'm not familiar with that particular type
of animal chained up outside, but your pest problem will be solved in
a matter of days. I've been around long enough to know that there's
little I haven't seen and even less that I can't handle."

That
was enough. Ben couldn't help but stand and grin at the seated
Captain. "So, you've seen all there is to see have you?" Ben
lowered his head and sighed regretfully. "Kyla," he said, "I'm
suddenly feeling a bit stuffy. Would you mind opening a few shutters
and letting some air in?"

Kyla
understood what he meant and raised a balled fist toward the windows
on the front side of the Masked Pig. She closed her eyes and let a
little hiss escape her lips as she flung open her hand. The shutters
on all four windows flew open with a clatter. Both Belfrey and Hodge
grew wide-eyed in disbelief, but before either could react to the
sudden display of magical prowess, Ben turned to Cobalius.

"Fahd
Cobalius, If you'd be so kind as to pop over to Harry's Hideout and
arrange a table for a private briefing. I think it's time that these
men understand what they'll face here in our little town." Ben felt
a little uncomfortable giving orders to his mentor, but he had had
just about enough of Hodge's arrogance and knew that the coming
display by Cobalius would shut the man up.

"Sir?
Are you sure?" Cobalius asked, playing along.

"Get
going."

Cobalius
took a last drink from his flagon and set it down very deliberately
in front of the resentful officer and leaned forward with both hands
on the table and grinned. He remained motionless until he saw that
Hodge was about to speak. Then, just as the old officer cracked his
lips to admonish him, Cobalius vanished and his passing sent a dusty
breeze over the table and into the face of the astonished Captain.

"Where...?"
stuttered the shocked man.

Vincent
was giddy in his quick response. "Fantastic! Oh, how I love it when
he does that!"

Belfrey
continued eating and did not say a word. Again, he was an experienced
man who knew when it was wiser to just sit and listen. If there was
any surprise on his face, he hid it well behind his intent chewing.
With a practiced air of indifference he reached for his own drink and
poured most of it down his throat. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve
and then reached for more bread.

Ben
said, "Look gentlemen, you may think you have seen and done it all,
but I can assure you that what you will face here is not a '
pest
problem
'. The Murg are real, and there are other forces at play
that you have never dealt with, much less even imagined. If you and
your men are going to survive, you will need to be prepared. Meet me
in one hour in the common room of the inn across the street. Leave
your doubts behind and arrive prepared to follow orders. Or you can
leave my town and send someone who is."

Ben
pushed his chair back away from the table and closed his eyes. When
he opened them, a second later, he was standing in Harry's Hideout
and knew that his disappearance had stunned his two guests.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

That
evening, Ben exited Harry's Hideout, after several hours of speaking,
knowing that he had just changed two lives forever. Captain Belfrey
had been the first to arrive, as expected, and Captain Hodge had
grudgingly arrived a few minutes later. They had both sat quietly and
received a thorough briefing of everything that had happened and
everything that could potentially happen in the coming days. There
was no time to choose easy-to-swallow words; the lives of over a
hundred men depended on their ability to make the right decisions.

The
briefing had gone as smoothly as could be expected, given the subject
matter. It wasn't everyday that that a man was faced with the reality
of things he had stopped believing in as a child. Ben offered no
patience and very little sympathy to the two men. As far as he was
concerned they were part of the same fabric that had blighted him in
Arden City. He pushed aside thoughts of Lady Elaine and how she, and
uncounted others, had betrayed him and perhaps the kingdom. There
would be time later to investigate that treason, but for now he had
to deal with the two sycophants seated before him.

They
were kingdom men of respectable grade, but nothing more than bodies
at his disposal to use as he saw fit. He was not impressed with their
rank, it was only their men that served him any usefulness at all.
His days of bowing to the whims of ambitious men were over. Even his
own lofty rank and kingdom privileges meant nothing. Those days were
over.

He
considered how long it had taken him to snap. Hodge's assumed
authority over Cobalius was an example of a typical, under-qualified,
military blockhead trying to make himself feel more important than he
was. While this may have worked in Ben's past, he was now clearly
beyond such pitiful ploys. Cobalius held more integrity and ability
than both these men combined, and Ben wasn't in the mood to tolerate
their arrogance any longer.

All
questions worth answering were answered. Ben had explained, to the
best of his ability, the nature of the Fifthwind and how it was
affecting the land. The appearance of the Murg was explained, which
meant that, like it or not, the subject of sorcerers was also
discussed. At first, there was disbelief and denial from both men,
but the recent memory of Kyla's demonstration and Ben and Cobalius'
disappearance was fresh on the Captain's minds. In the end, they were
forced to put aside their doubts and accept certain things as
undeniable truths.

At
several points during the briefing, when one or both of the Captains
would question the reality of Ben's words, he Shifted to the far side
of the room and the reluctance to believe was instantly quelled. It
was difficult to argue with one's own eyes. Between the show of his
abilities and the fact that a creature of folklore was chained up
just outside the window, he eventually convinced the two men that
Kishell Springs, and the threat against it, was anything but
ordinary. More importantly, he was able to reinforce the point that
what would inevitably happen in the coming days would have lasting
ramifications throughout the kingdom.

The
Captains received and acknowledged their orders. They no longer
questioned or doubted anything that they had been told. Ben could see
in their eyes that they secretly wished they had not come north to
investigate rumors of monsters, and given the opportunity they would
rather be somewhere else. But they weren't somewhere else, they were
in Kishell Springs. At least Ben felt better knowing that they were
now better prepared to lead their men against a known threat.

When
Ben was leaving he realized that there had not been time to put
Cobalius' test into action, and found himself giving a most unusual
last-minute order. He instructed that the Murg chained in the plaza
was to be protected throughout the night. It was imperative that it
survive to serve its intended purpose.

Outside
the Masked Pig, watch fires burned, and for the second straight
night, the town of Kishell Springs was spared an attack. Sleep was a
welcomed commodity to those who had been going without. Tension was
high, but any break in the action was a relief. Rest and recovery
were rarely boons given by any enemy, and taking advantage of it was
important.

Ben
was thankfully afforded another pleasant night with Kyla, and he knew
that somewhere Mason was in the arms of Megan. There was an unspoken
understanding that it was likely the last night before battle and
everyone was spending it in whatever way was important to them. A
tentative calm passed over the town as if holding its breath before a
storm. The additional men outside brought a blanket of security that
had been lacking in the small town. It was a cold, starry night and
morning came maybe a bit too quickly.

Dawn
did not bring sun, but rather snow. The temperature had dropped
sharply during the night and daybreak brought low-hanging clouds that
stretched from horizon to horizon, dropping a steady curtain of snow
onto the valley. Thankfully, there was no wind or the day might have
been miserable to those outside. Instead, it was merely weather,
something a good soldier eventually got used to. Ben was pleased to
see that everyone was coping well, but also saw no sign of worry or
fear in their manner. He wondered how much information Belfrey and
Hodge had passed on to the men. They were prepared to fight, but had
not necessarily been told the nature of their opponent. Perhaps that
was best.

The
usual group assembled in the common room of the Masked Pig, except
for the two Captains who both declined an offer to join them for
breakfast. There was work to be done preparing defenses, and Ben
understood that a Captain's place was with his men; he would have
behaved no differently.