The Merchant and the Menace (26 page)

Cefiz remained outside the city with Brelg until
nightfall. The two soldiers silently packed their gear, entered the city and
journeyed through the silent streets of Zodra to the Hold. In the shadows of
the fortress, a unit of the king’s guard milled about laughing and jesting. As
the pair of warriors approached, the king’s guard abruptly silenced and fell
into formation. A short distance away Yanwin stepped from behind a pillar into
the moonlight.

Brelg halted three yards from the unit, turned and
bowed low to the lady. Yanwin smiled and nodded in reply. The troop edged forward.
A leader separated from the others.

‘In the name of King Macin I am to take you into
custody Sergeant Brelg. You are to ...’

Cefiz stepped in front of Brelg. Two years of
pitched battle against the worst nightmares Amird conjured had turned the eager
recruit into a hardened and haggard warrior. Death hovered in his eyes. He drew
two short swords and moved on the unit of ten men. They nervously backed away.

‘Cefiz, save your steel for the Ulrog,’ Brelg said
calmly and fell in amidst the king’s guard. ‘Now is not the time to start
spilling our brother’s blood.’

The sergeant turned back to the lady.

‘It is late and the streets of Zodra are no place
for one so fair. My homecoming is complete,’ smiled Brelg to Yanwin. He looked
to the leader of the troop. ‘Put your men to good use, soldier. Escort the Lady
Yanwin back to the palace. You will find me in the Hold in the morning. Your
duty can wait until then.’

In the morning Brelg woke in a cell in the bowels
of the Hold. At noon he was led before King Macin and his court. A hum passed
through the marbled room as Brelg and his guard approached the throne and
bowed. The lords and ladies, dukes and duchesses averted their eyes as Brelg surveyed
each side of the room.

‘Sergeant Brelg, you deliberately disobeyed an
order from your king. Explain yourself,’ demanded Macin.

‘Your highness, my men were in the throws of battle
for two long years. To deny them the gratitude of their people is wrong,’
stated Brelg.

‘Do you dare call your king mistaken to his face?’
growled Macin sweeping his arm across the room. ‘In front of his entire court?’

‘To his face, in front of this entire room or
completely alone, I’ll tell the man who issued that order he’s an ass!’
retorted Brelg. ‘I’m a leader of men. However I cause disfavor, my men
shouldn’t suffer for it.’

A murmur swept the crowd and a few braves souls
called out, ‘Here! Here!’

‘Silence!’ shouted Macin. ‘Brelg, you’re far to
valuable to the defense of this land and its people to throw into my dungeons
for your arrogance and insubordination. You will, however, be confined to your
quarters in the Hold for two months time. Upon which, your unit will return to
his majesty’s defense of the borderlands.’

The Duke of Ymril, whose nephew was a guard in
Brelg’s unit, immediately stood and interrupted.

‘But your highness, that is far short of the usual
furlough for returning guardsmen. These young men spent twice the time of any
other unit at the front. Perhaps your highness might reconsider,’ said Ymril.

‘Two months time, Brelg!’ shouted Macin flashing an
icy glare at Ymril. ‘And my dear duke, please return to your properties in the
South on the morrow. Your quarters in the palace are dearly in need of repair
and I cannot spare the room to accommodate you and your family!’

The Duke clenched his teeth and bowed to the king.

‘With your majesty’s permission, I’ll take my leave
to prepare the journey. Under such time constraints it will prove a difficult
undertaking,’ said Ymril.

‘Permission granted!’ snapped Macin. ‘I grow weary.
That will conclude the court’s business for the day. Guards, you may escort
Sergeant Brelg back to his quarters in the Hold and see that he complies with
my wishes. The rest of you are dismissed.’

A close watch was kept over Brelg during his
confinement. He was unable to leave his quarters and strictly forbidden from
receiving visitors. His troops were allowed to return to their homes for
several weeks. Cefiz remained at the Hold. He was allowed to meet with Brelg
daily, often to bring him meals and consult concerning the troops’ training.
Unbeknownst to Macin or the guards, Cefiz also carried a steady correspondence
between the sergeant and Princess Yanwin.

After two months time, Brelg’s unit was ordered to
the Pass of Hrafnu. More Ulrog than usual were traveling along the mountains
through Keltaran held territory. Hunting Ulrog in Keltaran land was the most
dangerous assignment a troop of Guardians had ever undertaken.

Macin ordered the unit to depart the Hold before
sunrise on the morning of their sixtieth day in Zodra. The streets were empty
as the unit’s horses trotted toward the gates of the city. The only sound heard
in the crisp morning air was the clink of their armor and weapons. A lone,
hooded figure stood next to the empty guard post.

Brelg halted and dismounted. Yanwin threw back her
hood and warmly embraced him. Soft words were spoken, and the soldier dropped
to his knees. The princess bent low and cradled his head in her arms,
whispering in his ear. Brelg took her hand and rising he kissed it. With a nod
from Yanwin, he bowed, spun on his heels and mounted his steed. Smiling to her,
he ordered the troop to move out.

Three years the unit roamed the borderlands
protecting the villages and towns speckling the countryside. Their legend grew.
The king constantly ordered Brelg’s unit into harm’s way. The General Staff
didn’t countermand his orders, but they revolted in other ways. Brelg’s units
were replenished with the best recruits when their ranks thinned. Brelg was
never without supplies of food and weaponry. Every village they passed took
them into their homes and sat the troops at their tables. Often villages low on
supplies shared the best of what they possessed with the unit. Blacksmiths and
their apprentices put aside their plowshares and horseshoes and worked through
the night repairing armor and short sword.

Macin never recognized the service or
accomplishments of Brelg’s unit. The heralds of Zodra never spoke of them,
often reporting the happenings of other’s lesser accomplishments. But in the
pubs and marketplaces, stories of Brelg’s unit circulated daily. The people
referred to the unit as ‘The Orphans.’

Yanwin wrote to Brelg when she was able. A training
sergeant at the Hold was a comrade with Brelg. This sergeant made sure Yanwin
received the names of recruits being sent to join the Orphans. These recruits
never left the Hold without a packet of orders for Brelg and a letter from
Yanwin.

After three years of constant battle, ‘The Orphans’
lost three quarters of its original members to injury or death, but Brelg and
Cefiz held on, pulling victory from defeat on a daily basis. Yanwin grew in the
favor of the people and when she traveled through the city a throng appeared
around her coach. The princess tried to keep her life private, but the citizens
of Zodra followed her every move. She took to wearing veils in order to protect
her identity. The people referred to her as ‘The Orphan’s Widow.’

King Macin believed he squashed his daughter’s
interest in Brelg. He grew out of touch with the people. His confidants were
unwilling to present stories about the people’s love for his daughter and
Brelg’s unit.

However, one sly young colonel focused his eye on a
seat amongst the General Staff. Colonel Ellow looked hard to find leverage with
the king. He took charge of the supply line to the fighting troops and proved
adept at confiscating food and supplies from the citizens of Zodra. Often, more
supplies were confiscated than made it to the troops. Rumors surfaced
surrounding a black market in goods and weapons.

Ellow’s chance came one day when a young recruit
was being prepped to join Brelg’s unit. A change was to be made in the location
of the supply wagons bound for ‘The Orphans.’ Ellow demanded to see the recruit’s
orders so he could change the rendezvous location. The colonel found a letter
from Yanwin to Brelg bundled within the orders. Upon reading the letter, Ellow
concocted his scheme.

Normally, Macin only met with members of the General
Staff. Ellow knew this, but was desperate to present the letter to Macin
himself. Ellow was clever and a student of the human mind. He spent his entire
career intimidating and seducing. He knew the king would be in a rage. People
were most open to the power of suggestion when they were at emotional extremes.
Colonel Ellow sent a messenger to the king requesting a private audience, in
order to ‘protect the honor and reputation of the king and his illustrious
family.’

After King Macin held court the following day, he
sent a runner to Ellow’s offices in the rundown river wharf area of the city.
Ellow arrived at the court and was led before the king. Macin sat alone in his
chambers.

‘Colonel Ellow is it?’ asked the king.

‘Yes, your Royal Highness. At your service,’ stated
Ellow bowing deeply.

‘Why is it I have never heard of you, Ellow? I’m
aware of most of the officers under my command,’ questioned Macin.

‘I reside in what is commonly referred to as the
“underbelly” of the city, your Highness,’ snarled Ellow. ‘The wharves.’

Macin’s expression grew grave. Ellow quickly
realized his mistake and his voice became like honey.

‘A position as crucial as any in the defense of our
great land, your highness. A position I possessed the honor of filling for
seven years now. I toil long hours making sure the troops on the front lines
receive the best, my lord. After all, it is they who put their lives on the
line everyday to protect us from the beast and his bloodthirsty servants.’

‘Yes. The troops are the backbone of this great
land. Without their sacrifice there is no nation, no people and no king,’
stated Macin.

There was a pause as Macin reflected on his troops
and their sacrifice. Ellow sensed uneasiness in the king and a profound sorrow.
This was not the emotion he desired. Snap decisions were never made by the
depressed. He needed to ignite this prideful man.

‘Of course, no nation or people amounts to anything
without a powerful man of purpose at the helm. A man willing to force his
people to make sacrifices for the good of their land. A king willing to make
hard choices,’ said Ellow.

‘Quite true, Ellow. Quite true,’ stated Macin
snapping out of his reflection.

‘Surely your highness is aware that his troops,
those men sacrificing for his kingdom, don’t always receive the best of these
lands,’ queried Ellow.

‘Yes, these rumors filter back to me from the
front. The General Staff hear complaints about the rations and armaments the
front-line obtains. The Staff theorize that unscrupulous haulers create a black
market for these goods. They have yet to act on their speculation.’

‘Your Majesty, I’m involved deeply in the heart of
these matters and duty compels me to break the news to your royal highness,’
Ellow paused. ‘The people are to blame. They lose faith. They no longer support
our defense freely. They must be coerced, nay begged for the supplies of that
defense.’

‘What are you saying?’ demanded Macin. ‘The people
aren’t ignorant. They understand the import of their cooperation with the
king’s collectors. To shun the troops is tantamount to treason!’

 ‘It’s my duty to my brothers-in-arms that I reveal
this devastating news to your highness. My commanders in your General Staff
shun admitting the weakness of the people. They wish you to believe they will
stamp out this so-called “black market”. Meanwhile our troops go hungry in the
field. I don’t blame the Staff your highness. They’re soldiers, unused to
dealing with matters such as this. War is their game, but wars are lost in the
farm fields and warehouses of a great nation. A little waste here, a little
hoarding there and a weak soldier with an empty belly dies from the chop of an
Ulrog cleaver.

‘Your Highness must create a new position on the
General Staff. Someone must be commissioned to rally the people to the cause of
the nation’s defense. Someone must be given even greater power to commandeer
the goods and services required for our troops needs. Someone must be able to
contract trustworthy haulers and draftsmen to bring this lifeblood to our
fighting force,‘ Ellow’s voice grew. ‘Someone with the unique knowledge to
handle it properly.’

 Macin sat quietly contemplating Ellow’s words as
the colonel constructed his plan. However, upon the last statement the king
flashed a wicked smile.

‘Colonel, your attempts to beguile your king for
your own benefit, although quite bold, were also severely ill-advised. When my
guards relieve you of your duty and throw you in...’

‘Your highness, I beg you forgive me for the interruption,’
stammered Ellow. ‘As proof of my loyalty and trustworthiness, I present you
with this document.’