The Godling Chronicles (Shadow of the Gods, Book #3) (26 page)

Without a word, Lee drew his sword and
prepared for Lars to charge. He didn't have to wait long. The
hulking Northman sprang forward with surprising agility and speed,
but Lee easily moved aside and brought his blade across the man’s
left arm, laying it open. The Northman roared with fury and swung
his sword in a wide arc, but again, Lee stepped away. This time he
sliced open his right thigh. Lars reached down, clutching the
wound. Lee brought the hilt of his sword square between his
opponent’s eyes. Lars staggered, and Lee struck him again, this
time sending him to his back.

“
Why are you toying with him?” asked
Captain Lanmore. “Has he offended you?”

Lars struggled to rise, sword still in hand,
but Lee brought his boot down hard. The great blade fell free and
Lee kicked it away.

“
Your order stands?” asked Lee, the tip
of his sword and Lars' throat.

Lanmore said nothing. Lee nodded with
understanding and rammed his blade through Lars' exposed neck,
burying it in the flagstone below. The Northman gurgled, clutching
at the wound. After a minute he moved no more. Lee cleaned his
sword on his opponent’s furs.

“
I'm glad I didn't test your skills
with my own blade,” Lanmore remarked, with a hint of amusement.
“You are clearly one of the best trained swordsmen that has come
through here in some time. But then you don't hide it as well as
you might think. In fact, I think you could have taken Lars the
moment he came at you. Why didn't you?”

“
I may have been able to kill him more
quickly,” said Lee. “But, I've learned to never underestimate an
opponent. His first strike may have been a deception. As it was, he
moved with great speed for one of his size. I saw no need to risk
it.”

“
Wise,” said Lanmore, smiling. He
reached in his belt and pulled out a small red ribbon. He handed it
to Lee. “You shall lead the recruits on the journey north. Do a
good job and there may be more rewarding positions awaiting you.”
He spun on his heels and walked toward the keep.

Lee cursed under his breath and walked to the
gatehouse. Four men were already collecting the body of Lars. When
he reached Jacob, he pulled him away from earshot. His face gave
away his feelings.

“
What's wrong?” asked Jacob.

“
I have failed to go unnoticed,” Lee
replied. “Captain Lanmore is a very good judge of people. At least
from a soldiering standpoint. He saw my training in my movements.
Now, I'm promoted.”

“
How is that bad?” Jacob laughed.
“Won't that make things easier?”

“
Don't be a fool,” growled Lee. “As a
simple soldier, I could move about without drawing attention. As an
officer, not only will I be noticed, but sooner or later I'll be
discovered for who I am.” He thought for a moment. “If I am
captured, they will figure out who you are, as well. It may be
better if you flee.”

“
You know I won't,” shot
Jacob.

“
Yes.” Lee reached out and squeezed his
shoulder. “I know. But if I'm found out, you must try to escape.
You must abandon your attempt to rescue your mother, and head to
Sharpstone. Millet will aid you.” He met Jacob’s eyes. “Swear
it.”

“
But—” began Jacob.

“
Swear it!” he repeated, this time more
forcefully.

Jacob bowed his head. “I swear. But only if
rescue is impossible.”

Lee wanted to embrace his son at that moment,
but didn't. He knew he must seem to others to be distant, and
Lanmore may be watching. “I suppose that will suffice.” They
rejoined the others and bedded down for the night.

The sunrise brought trumpets from the
fortress walls. Captain Lanmore and six soldiers emerged from the
gatehouse. Lee attached the ribbon to his coat and strode off to
meet them.

“
Good morning, Captain,” said
Lee.

Lanmore nodded curtly. “Get them ready,
Barath. We march in ten minutes.”

Lee spun around and jogged back to the
recruits. “Form ranks!” The force of his voice snapped everyone to
attention. At first they just stood, staring at him. “Now!” That
was enough to get the men moving. In less than five minutes, all
were packed and lined up along the road.

“
You command men well,” said Lanmore,
approvingly. “Not the first time, I'd wager.” He stepped forward
then walked up and down the line. “We have an eight-day march to
Kratis. We will do it in seven. Those who fall behind will be
considered deserters. And I think you all know what happens to
deserters.” He looked at Lee. “Move them out.”

Lee turned to the recruits and shouted, “On
my order! Move out!”

The line moved with Lee in front, Captain
Lanmore just behind him. The six soldiers positioned themselves
three on each side of the recruits.

“
Push the pace, Barath,” said Lanmore
over Lee's shoulder. “I meant what I said about making it there in
seven days.”

Lee did as he was told and sped his pace to a
near jog. By midday, the recruits were panting and struggling with
each step.

“
Shall we halt for a meal, sir?” asked
Lee.

“
What do you think, Barath?” Lanmore
replied. “Should we?”

“
I do, sir,” Lee replied. “If you
intend for these men to maintain speed, they must maintain
strength. Twenty minutes to eat and rest still puts us in Kratis a
day and a half ahead. And I would recommend a ten-minute respite
every four hours.”

“
And why is that?”

Lee straightened his shoulders. “Because,
sir, most of these men will not be able to keep this up for seven
days without it; unless you intend to execute half of them before
we arrive.”

“
Perhaps I want to weed out the weak,”
said Lanmore. “Or perhaps I simply don't care about how tired they
get.” He chuckled softly. “But as is happens, I agree. The king's
army would not be served if I killed off half of the
men.”

Lee was relieved. “May I asked a question,
sir?”

“
You may,” said Lanmore.

“
Do you usually escort new recruits to
Kratis?”

“
No,” said Lanmore, with a hint of
irritation. “I've been summoned.”

Lee knew better than to ask why. Lee joined
Jacob and Fennio for the short meal, then moved the men out
again.

“
You will no longer eat among the
recruits,” said Lanmore. “You shall take your meals with us. If you
wish, your nephew can join us as well.”

“
He should eat with the men,” said
Lee.

Lanmore smirked. “Not wanting to show favor,
I see. Or perhaps the two of you aren't close.”

“
He is my sister’s son,” said Lee. “I
am bound to protect him if I can. But, no. We're not
close.”

“
It's for the best,” he said
dismissively, “gives a lad a chance to make his own
mark.”

The first night Lee set his bedroll a few
feet away from the soldiers. Captain Lanmore had them set up a
small tent where he would bed down, but chose to eat and talk with
them for a short while before turning in. Lee could hear the men
laughing and talking, and wondered how Jacob was getting on with
the others. He shook his head, quietly laughing at himself. He was
thinking as if Jacob was still a boy, playing with other children.
He wished he could be with him now. He feared soon their time
together would end. Lee knew his chance for success was slim, and
often on their journey wished he could turn Jacob away...to keep
him safe. It no longer mattered that Jacob had betrayed him. Lee
had brought that on himself. His thoughts turned to that day with
the Oracle, and his anger swelled. He wished he had ignored her. He
wished he had stayed with his family.

“
Once this is finished, my part is
done,” he swore to himself. “The world can end in fire, for all I
care.” He would take his family far from this conflict. Even if
that meant living in the remote desert.

Over the next few days, Lee kept the men
moving at a near unbearable pace. Even the hardened soldiers showed
signs of fatigue. They passed dozens of companies of troops
marching south.

“
War comes,” said Lanmore, offhandedly
on one occasion, when they had to make way for five full companies
and their supply wagons. “Soon we can march south and leave this
icy land behind.”

“
When will it begin?” asked
Lee.

“
Soon, I hope,” Lanmore replied, with a
shrug. “I hear there are things to take care of in the west first.
But those are matters for kings and diplomats.” He slapped Lee on
the shoulder. “We're soldiers, you and I. Our job is to fight and
die, yes?”

“
Yes, sir,” said Lee. He couldn't help
but respect Captain Lanmore. He was a true leader and soldier.
Ruthless and harsh, yet educated in the ways of men. Everything he
did was calculated. Even the slaying of Lars had a purpose. By
then, rumors had been leaked about it, (probably at the direction
of Lanmore) and the recruits gave Lee a wide berth and took his
orders without question.

By the fifth day, a light snow began to fall.
The sky told Lee that it would soon come down in earnest. Normally,
this wouldn’t be cause for concern, given how close they were to
their destination, but he knew the recruits, with a few exceptions
were ill-prepared. If a storm came, many would freeze to death.
When Lee brought it to Lanmore's attention, he just laughed.

“
The king hadn't allowed a blizzard for
years,” said Lanmore.

“
Are you suggesting that he controls
the weather?” asked Lee, feigning ignorance.

“
When you meet him, you'll understand,”
Lanmore replied. “He likes to meet all of his new officers, from
the grandest general to the lowliest lieutenant.”

“
That will be something,” said Lee. The
thought of meeting the Dark Knight of Angrääl sent his heart
racing. He hoped to be away with his wife and son, long before that
happened.

“
You have no idea,” said Lanmore. Lee
could hear unease in his voice. “To be in his presence is no small
matter. You may have seen many battles, and slain many men, but
nothing can prepare you for it. The Reborn King possesses the power
of the Gods.” He rubbed his hands together nervously. “I felt like
a naked child. To tell you the truth, I can't even remember where I
was or what he looked like...just that overwhelming feeling.” As if
catching himself in an awkward state, he cleared his throat and
stiffened his back. “In any event, you have some time before you're
worthy of such an audience. Now go tend to your duties.

As Captain Lanmore had said, no storm came,
though the temperature dropped to a point that even walking at a
quick pace did nothing to warm them. On the last night of the march
they all huddled so close around the fire that several were singed.
The only ones seemingly unaffected, were Lanmore and Lee. Lee had
looked in on Jacob, a few times, who had decided to stay close to
Fennio and the other men from Darius' guard.

“
You deal with the cold well, for a
southerner,” remarked Lanmore, as they took their meal.

“
I am cold, sir,” said Lee. “But
there's no point in complaining. Besides, I have to set an example
for the men.”

“
Quite right, Barath,” he replied.
“Quite right, indeed. You'll do well here. And don't worry. We'll
be south soon enough.” Lanmore alluded often to the coming war, but
never divulged anything useful. “Thanks to you we're far ahead of
schedule. It's a break in protocol, but you will stay with the
officers when we arrive tomorrow. I think you'll find it more
pleasant than the recruit barracks.”

“
Thank you, sir,” said Lee. He stared
deep into the camp fire, pleased. Perhaps the officers would have
information on his wife. And it would separate him from Jacob.
Should things go badly, Jacob would need time to escape.

“
If you wish to speak to your nephew,”
Lanmore added. “You should do so before we arrive. It's unlikely
you'll see him again anytime soon. Officers and soldiers train
separately.”

“
I'll do that tonight,” Lee
replied.

Lee finished his meal then went to seek out
Jacob. He found him playing dice and passing around a small flask
of brandy with several other recruits at the far end of the
encampment. When they saw Lee, they jumped to their feet and stood
at attention.

“
Jasper, come with me,” Lee
commanded.

Jacob nodded and followed Lee away from the
camp.

“
Did you find out where Mother is?”
asked Jacob.

Lee shook his head “Not yet. But I'll be
staying in the officer’s barracks when we get there. I hope to find
out more then.” He placed his hand on Jacob's shoulder. “If I'm
discovered, I intend to bring down hell upon Angrääl before I go.
If that happens, run. Keep to the woods. Avoid towns until you are
south of the Razor Edge Mountains, then make your way to the
Goodbranch and take a riverboat to Sharpstone.” He handed Jacob six
gold coins. “Hide these. It's enough to get you to Millet.” he saw
a flash of defiance in Jacob's eyes. “There can be no debate. If
things go wrong, it won't take them long to come after you. If I
fail and they capture you, all is lost. You must survive.”

“
I will do as you say,” said
Jacob.

“
I'm so very sorry,” said Lee, forcing
back a tear. “But I'm about to hit you.”

Jacob stepped back. “What?”