Darkstone - An Evil Reborn (Book 4) (12 page)

Vish sat there. Leshyam had to have been the culprit unless two of the brothers worked together. Vishan now knew he was a target. He just didn’t know if Leshyam’s attack was opportunistic or planned along with Daryan’s death. Oldest and youngest.

“Leshyam tried to kill me with his sword until you ordered us to fight the fire,” Vish said. His brother looked at him through hate-filled eyes.

“Your sword, Leshyam.” Sergeant Vaka sighed.

His brother drew out his sword. “It’s clean,” Leshyam said with defiance and arrogance in his expression.

Vaka put it up to his nose and looked at the blade closely. “Smoke. There is smoke and ash on the blade. This sword was drawn during the fire, probably after you wiped off the blood.”

Leshyam ran off into the darkness. Vaka let him go for a few moments and then ordered the remaining troopers to capture him.

“We have to clean out the farmer’s barn and that includes all of you, princes. We’ll start with your brother’s body.”

Parvenu and Vishan, as the youngest, dragged Daryan’s body out of the barn. The dead prince’s clothes had mostly burned off, but they could make out a small gash above his heart and an ugly rent in his neck.

Dawn finally came and the barn sustained less damage than Vishan would have thought possible. Perhaps his magic had actually helped.

Vaka took Vishan aside and led him into barn. “What’s this?” He pointed to the hole in the wall.

“I kicked out the planks so I wouldn’t lose my gear.”

“That’s quick thinking, Vishan, but now I know you use power. Wood doesn’t break like that.”

Vishan began to sweat. “I, I had to save my things after Leshyam attacked.”

“I won’t tell anyone, but you’re going to have to be smarter than that. Understood?”

“Yes, Sergeant Vaka.”

“Good. You caused this damage, so give me whatever dreks you have on you. I’ll have to pay more for barn repairs.”

Vish emptied his purse into Vaka’s hand. Seven dreks.

“That will have to do. I think I hear the wailing of your guilty brother.”

As they walked out of the barn, troopers walked out of the farmer’s wood with Leshyam trussed up and tied to a horse.

“That branch will do,” Vaka said. He looked back at Vishan. “Nice slice on your armor.”

Vishan looked down to see a scoring of his armor. Leshyam would have done serious damage if Vishan hadn’t immediately donned protection.

“Leshyam Daryaku, by the authority given to me by the Emperor through the Red Army and Captain Bishyar, I sentence you to death by hanging. Since you killed a good soldier in cold blood, I don’t much care what happens to your sorry soul. Oh, and willful destruction of Imperial property through arson as well.” The sergeant nodded and a rope was thrown over a suitable branch, a knot was tied and in moments, another brother had ceased to exist.

The troopers were as solemn as the brothers as they broke their fast. Leshyam was cut down and buried with Daryan on the farmer’s property.

“To think, two of Emperor Shalil’s sons laid to rest at my farm,” the farmer said.

“Be glad I don’t charge you for the privilege,” Vaka said. “Time to go. Here’s enough for your barn and then some.” Vaka handed the farmer a purse. Vishan didn’t know how much came from Leshyam or Daryan, but it certainly held more than seven dreks. “The raider’s trail might already be cold. We do have a mission apart from facilitating the murders of Imperial heirs.”

Vishan had thought that one or two of his brothers might not make it, but four in two days? Sergeant Vaka didn’t suffer fools and Astyran and Leshyam were no exceptions. The sergeant had easily found the proof of the murders moments after he discovered them. If Vishan had harbored any plans to do away with his brothers, he would have stopped right then.

He looked at the trio and wondered. He had liked Daryan and regretted his death. Of the seven, Daryan had deigned to talk to him. Vish thought Daryan to be a good man under other circumstances, but he didn’t seem nasty enough to be Emperor. Was he too nice? Vishan wondered. Would he kill his other brothers if given the chance? Vishan had no desire to do so. That didn’t mean he was nice, it meant he was practical.  He wanted to survive and wanted to learn illusions from Peleor. He liked his old life in Baku and wished, once again, that he were there.

Unfortunately, that life would be different when he returned. He didn’t know what effect his little brothers’ deaths might have had on his mother. She doted on them like she never had on Vishan. They were the last of her children. The thought made his foul mood darker.

His father still played his deadly games and would continue. Could Vishan decline to rule? Could one abdicate their place in succession? He’d have to find out once he survived this patrol, if he survived.

~

After the midday break on the third day out, Sergeant Vaka took them south towards the Cuminee border and an hour later they came to the destroyed farm. Every building had been burned to the ground. The remains of eight people, five men, a woman and two children had been staked to poles in the ground in front of the black shell of the farmhouse.

“The Cuminee do this after they’re finished with them. These folks were killed before they were put on poles. That’s a change in Cuminee practice. Princes, you’ve got burial detail. I’ll take the troopers and see if we can find tracks out of here. It’s been a week, but there’s been no rain. Vishan, you’re in charge since you’re a regular officer.”

“Yes, Sergeant Vaka,” Vishan said and saluted and turned to his brothers. “Let’s get this done. They left the pack horses, so we can wrap up our hands in something before we take care of the bodies.”

The other three brothers stood and gawked at him.

“You think we’re going to take orders from the 22nd son?”

“You will if you don’t want to end up like Leshyam. If any of you want to be in charge, feel free. I have no desire to incur Sergeant Vaka’s wrath. I have taken enough of his abuse since I’ve been here.” He walked to the pack horses and rummaged around, finding a roll of bandages. “Here,” he pulled out his dagger and cut off strips of cloth.

“I heard you were given a dagger, but I didn’t think the Emperor would give you that one.”

“Which one?”

“The Assassin’s Blade. It has a name, you know. Specially made to kill father. The story is that father fought the assassin and killed him. He prized the dagger above all others and put this unique gem in the pommel. I guess he thought you wouldn’t hold on to it for very long.”

The words surprised Vishan. Did his father give him the blade knowing that his chances of survival were slim? It didn’t matter. If he did, so what? Vishan had survived so far and he intended to survive for a lot longer.

“Let’s get these buried. Do you want to dig the graves or move the bodies?”

“Dig the graves,” they said, nearly as one.

“I suppose one grave for all of them,” Vishan said. “I’ll move the bodies. You get started.”

Vishan tossed them a shovel from one of the pack horses. “One of you can use Leshyam’s sword.” He pulled that from Leshyam’s former mount.

The three brothers had dug a hole six feet square and four feet deep when Sergeant Vaka returned with his troops. Vishan had laid out the bodies close to the grave and pitched in using a pole that he had carved with a flat point.

“That’s good enough.” Vaka pointed out two of the troopers. “You help them dig another foot down and then cover ‘em up.”

“Did you find any tracks, Sergeant?” Vishan asked as he washed off his hands at the farm’s well, some distance away from the others.

“Enough. I’d say maybe ten. But they weren’t Cuminee. I told my men not to tell your brothers. All they’ll know is that there are too many for us to attack since we’ve down seven men from when we started.”

“The staked out victims. Isn’t that what the raiders do?” Vishan said.

“Not like that. The Cuminee savages urinate and defecate on their living victims when they string them up on those poles. Every time.”

Vish didn’t notice anything other than mortal wounds on the bodies. “So this is a set-up?”

“Uh huh,” Vaka said, nodding his head. “I had hoped I’d see other Cuminee signs. They typically carve totems on the trees and other such nonsense to mark their raid. I don’t see any of that here. Whoever did this read some reports and didn’t bother to see what the Cuminee savages really do.”

Could his father be so cold-hearted? “Do you think my father—”

“More than likely one of those ‘princes’ has friends.” Vaka looked over to the burial party. They had just started rolling in the bodies, using the shovel and the pole that Vishan had modified. “We’ll not be staying the night and there will be watches consisting of a trooper and a prince all night long when we do stop to camp. If we had more men, I’d be tempted to wait them out, but we are at least evenly matched. In addition to the watch, I’ll take the first half of the night and you take the second, so make sure you get some sleep. It will be a long night, Lieutenant.”

The sergeant used his title this time.  Vaka’s concern came through loud and clear and Vaka had treated him like an ally. Vishan nodded and finished up. He pulled up some water from the well and threw it over his head.  He began to inspect his equipment again. As the others began to do the same, Vishan sharpened his knife, which never needed more than a pass or two and worked on his sword. He put his sling and stones at the top of his bag before they headed back the way they came.

Vaka made them ride north into the night alternating between walking and trotting. They reached the fork that they had used the same day and didn’t ride as far as the farm.

“There’s a wash a bit to the North. We’ll spend the night there.” Vaka led them in the moonlight. They dismounted and led their horses down into the wash. It was less than six feet deep. “If they follow us, they’ll likely come up from the South. I want a trooper facing south and a prince facing north. Both of us will back up the prince. Three watches should get us to morning. Get as much sleep as you can. I want you to fill up on trail rations tonight since we may have to take off at a moment’s notice.”

“Would the Cuminee follow armed soldiers?” Kartor, a prince, said. Vishan didn’t know what number he was, but he looked familiar.

“Third wife’s son?”

Kartor narrowed his eyes. “Yes, why?”

“I saw you run past me when I was ten years old after a Council meeting. You were with a concubine.”

His brother shrugged. “I certainly don’t remember you.” Vishan didn’t appreciate the coldness in his voice. “Should I sleep with my sword out?”

Vishan smiled. “I will.”

Vaka checked in with Vishan after the watches were set out.

“Would Parvenu know how the Cuminee leave their victims? He was here for a year or more,” Vishan asked.

“More likely than not.”

“I don’t think it is Kartor. He asked me if he should sleep with his sword undrawn. I think he is scared. That would leave Teshyr”

“Don’t trust any of them,” Vaka said. “Parvenu has this watch. I’ll keep an eye on him. Make sure you’ve got ready access to your weapons.” Vaka chuckled. “Although I wouldn’t suggest sleeping on a naked sword.”

“I won’t,” Vishan said. Vaka had suddenly developed a sense of humor along with the unexpected trust. He nearly began to like the sergeant.

~

A trooper shook Vishan awake. “Cuminee!”

Vishan had slept, sitting up against the dirt wall of the wash with his leather armor on. He found his pack against the other side of the wash.  He grabbed his weapons and his bag of rocks with the sling inside. He nocked an arrow only to see it had been cut in two. Panicked he shook all of his arrows out of his quiver and they had all been nearly cut through so he wouldn’t notice. Vishan had no idea when that happened. He tossed his bow down now that it was useless and took the sling out of the bag, the thongs of which were now cut into pieces.  He frantically pulled the spare thongs out of his armor and fastened them to the intact pouch, and then he tied the sack of rocks to his sword belt.

He heard Vaka giving the troopers instructions. They ran to both sides of the wash.

“They haven’t attacked yet. I saw a few glints in the moonlight. They’ll be here in minutes. You go watch your brothers. Don’t hesitate to kill the one who begins attacking another prince. I’m trusting you, Lieutenant. Remember, you are still an officer of the Red Army.”

Vish saluted and moved towards the princes. “Swords out and knives if you have them, once you’ve got your boots and leather armor on and secured. Cuminee will give no quarter; so do not hesitate to kill the enemy. You’ve been through enough training to know that.”

“We will,” Parvenu said as he looked out into the darkness. He sounded very nervous.

Vishan still didn’t know whose men they would fight. Would any of them survive? What would his father think of an ambush of mercenaries intent on killing all but one of the seven brothers on patrol? Why were they all sent out? Could the Emperor be working through one of Vish’s brothers? He didn’t know and wouldn’t think any more about it. He heard fighting down by the troopers and looked out at the darkness.

A man stood above him and jumped down into the wash. Vishan was ready and thrust his sword up into this chest. The attacker’s momentum took Vish down into the wash. He stood up and struggled to remove his sword as he saw a spot in the darkness. One of his brothers had an enchanted token of some kind, probably to warn the attackers not to confuse him with the others.