Darkstone - An Evil Reborn (Book 4) (31 page)

Chapter Thirty-One

Besseth

~

N
ight had fallen over the main camp
of the Valetan army. Lotto escorted Duke Jellas and the remains of Morio’s force from Sally’s Corners. He sought out Restella’s tent to personally bring her up to date.

“I assume your heroics saved the day again?” she said after dismissing her servant. She sat in a camp chair by a full-length mirror, wearing a robe and toweling her hair.

“I can leave if you want the report in the morning. It wasn’t my heroics, but one of Anchor’s Ropponi commanders. You should know the gist of things anyway.”

Restella looked away and continued to rub at her long hair. “I do. You transported out of here, came back and grabbed all of my battle-mages and fought. Then you came back. That meant a great victory over Histron. What is there to say?”

“Morio Jellas died. A Dakkoran sorcerer slipped through our lines and burned The Traveler’s Rest killing Regetta, the innkeeper, Anchor’s old friend. Gensler lost too many men and Valetan lost more than a few rangers. I brought what’s left of the Duke’s army with me. There are quite a few cavalry. Without Anchor receiving a message from that princely prig, Peeron, Sallia could be dead and Histron would have the Bloodstone. Then you would be next.”

“You mean we would be,” Restella said.

“Daryaku is after the stones. He doesn’t care about who has them. It sits in the pommel of your sword. Anchor wants to take the fight to the Dark Lord. He thinks he’s already heading towards Besseth through Ayrtan.”

“Learsea’s navy will take care of them as they cross the Ayrtan Sea,” she said. She picked up a brush and began to run it through her wet hair.

Lotto didn’t know how many times he’d have to have this conversation with Restella. The Moonstone would tell her that he spoke the truth, but she perversely discounted his very thoughts. What ever had attracted him to Princess Restella had been boiled out by her self-centered attitude. Could the Moonstone be at fault? He didn’t know. Mander Hart didn’t either. He’d told him a number of times that the Valetan princess was always headstrong.

“Daryaku can overrun Learsea with enough ships and men. Anchor wants to take the fight to Ayrtan before Daryaku can get to the sea.”

“What does he know? He’s a tired old wizard beneath that shell.”

Lotto shook his head. She just couldn’t accept anyone’s opinion other than her own. “That tired old wizard saved Sally’s Corners, saved Learsea and captured Histron’s southern army. He’s run rings around Histron and just destroyed his secret force through improvisation. You know better, I can sense it. Why can’t you accept that anyone could actually be better than you?” Lotto took a deep breath. “You sit here as head of the Valetan forces and what have you done?”

She stood and slapped the back of her brush to her palm. “How dare you question my abilities?” Her eyes were wide with anger and the link between them seemed to shake with emotion.

“You know I didn’t question your abilities,” Lotto said. “I said he’s accomplished more than you have. You have a good record fighting the Oringians and you defeated Duke Ashdown a few years ago. Both are admirable accomplishments. I merely said that Anchor has accomplished more than that, more than the both of us together. He’s united most of Besseth into the greatest alliance the continent has ever known. He’s a strategic master and has developed into a formidable warrior, as well. I say that because I am committed to going with him to Ayrtan and I’m letting you know that’s what he intends so you can think about supporting him when he brings it up after we’ve taken Foxhome.”

Restella sat back down, her face blotchy. Lotto could feel that his words had hit her hard.

“Well, if you just want me to think about it, I will. Perhaps we can talk to father when we are done and let him in on the decision.”

“Mander already has broached the subject via bird. The king is thinking about it, as we speak.”

“Then, it’s decided, we think about it.” Restella’s eyes narrowed and folded her arms.

Lotto gritted his teeth. “I also wanted to tell you about Anchor’s plan to take Histron before the battle.” He laid out the plan to enter the castle surreptitiously and use teleportation to capture it.

“So he seeks all of the glory?” Restella said.

Could she be this petty? He already knew the answer. “No, we will have the Ropponi transport soldiers into the castle. We’ll have Ropponi, Valetan and Red Kingdom forces inside with us. That’s why he needs to sneak in Red Rose sorcerers to return to their camps and bring in alliance forces to restore Princess Sallia.”

“I can fight?”

“You command the Valetan army, you choose who will be best at the close quarters fighting in the castle.”

Restella began to brush her hair again. “When?”

“Tomorrow night,” Lotto said.

“I don’t mind who you choose to take. I’m better on the battlefield and will pressure Histron’s defenses.”

Lotto nodded. “I’ll be taking your leave.”

“Send in my aide on your way out,” she said and turned to the mirror as she began to brush her hair again.

~

After spending the last week and a half sealing a western retreat from Foxhome, Armand Lessa laughed as he sat with his officers in his large field tent, trading bawdy stories. A messenger walked in.

“Bird message, sir. It’s from Marshal Anchor.”

The men quieted down as Lessa’s face turned serious. He read the message and then grinned.

“Get a good night’s sleep men. We move down from our mountain camps tomorrow and get into position. Anchor will begin the final hostilities sometime tomorrow night. We will be the nets that catch Histron’s fleeing birds.” Lessa made his hands into a bird flapping his wings, grinning. “As always, try to get them to pledge fealty to Princess Sallia before you run them through.”

Actually, he had surprisingly good results in building up the forces of the western army with loyalists. They had helped him find hiding places for his scattered units. Tomorrow, they would begin to converge on Foxhome behind Histron’s western defense. The terrain to the west of the city was forested and hilly, rising up to form the Western Mountains.

Anchor’s strategy of Lessa’s smaller fighting force keeping the West free of large forces had paid off. Lessa sealed the ports and Histron’s small detachments had been destroyed or converted to loyalists. After the winter incursion into Histo, Lessa itched for more fighting and hoped to soon get his wish.

“To the Alliance!” he said raising his mug. His officers echoed his cry. Lessa shivered in awe as he thought that he and Prola would always be counted as part of the alliance of Besseth. Oh the songs that would be sung of them all!

~

Shiro located Chika at an inn, a few days away from Foxhome, and some distance away from Histron’s lines. He walked into the common room. His eyes were drawn up to the patched up wall next to the fireplace. The inn had recovered from an awful fire in the recent past. He spied two women sitting in a corner. Sallia wore commoner’s clothes and bound up her hair in a faded blue cotton scarf. Chika’s clothes were much the same. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her in anything other than a uniform, much less a dress.

They blended in well enough. The tavern wasn’t overflowing with good cheer. He noticed the subdued talking as he sat at their table.

“Shiro!” Sallia said. “He’s here, Chika.”

“I think he just wants to make a point,” she said, curling a lip.

“Among other things,” Shiro said quietly and turned to Sallia. “Princess can you stay here tomorrow?”

Sallia furrowed her brow. “Why? I’m expected at the Valetan camp. I’m to spend tomorrow night surrounded by troops.”

“You will be, I’m pretty certain, but it won’t be at Princess Restella’s camp.”

“Anchor has something up his sleeve?” Sallia said.

“He does. I’m going to collect Chika early tomorrow night and, hopefully, she’ll be coming for you somewhat later.” He looked around the tavern and noticed all of the men. “Some of these are escorts?”

“All of them, actually, are here to protect Sallia,” Chika said. “I need only one protector tonight.”

“A fellow Ropponi, I suppose?”

“Definitely a fellow.” Chika grinned.

~

Sallia stood at the small window in her room, looking out into the darkness. A crescent moon had risen, brushing the tops of the trees with a faint silvery light. Chika and Shiro kept somewhat quiet in the room next door. She smiled, happy for their carefree relationship.

She only wished her life could be so simple. Anchor presented a challenge for her. How could she not be attracted to the young handsome leader of the Alliance? She kept trying, but she couldn’t get Unca to change into Anchor in her mind. Even staying in this inn, where they had together fought the fire that still marred the inn.

She had talked to Willow about Anchor as a suitor. Unca’s housekeeper had as hard a time as she did reconciling the old Unca and the newer Anchor. Willow admired both versions of the same man and just couldn’t help her talk out her dilemma. Unca always had a certain wry nobility about him, but Anchor rarely showed the humor that made up much of Unca’s personality.

She touched the silk pouch that held the Bloodstone that hung between her breasts. Where did Unca leave off and Anchor begin? If she made him her consort, could they continue the dynasty? Willow had brought that up. It still made Sallia blush, but her fertility was a matter of state. She felt her face warm as she heard a muffled sound next door and wondered if Anchor could, uh, perform fatherly duties.

When he left her at Sally’s Corners some days ago, after Regetta’s burial, he reminded her that he still wore the ragged scarlet scarf. Was his intense devotion more than duty? Was it love? He all but said so that day he admitted his identity. She didn’t doubt that they loved each other and that made her even more confused.

She left the window and began to undress for the night. Tomorrow night. She might again walk the halls of her father’s castle, no, her castle. She felt afraid about the consequences of taking back Foxhome. Anchor had always left something unsaid. Would he finally tell her everything once they reclaimed the throne? She didn’t know what that might entail.

An owl hooted in the night and broke her mood. She could barely wait until tomorrow night, but she felt she needed to spend more time sorting out the implications of her feelings for Anchor.

~

In the morning Chika and Shiro made their farewells to Sallia. Shiro made Sallia commit that she wouldn’t leave the inn under any but the direst circumstances.

“Don’t worry about her, worry about yourself,” Chika said, punching him in the arm. “I don’t want you to go soft tonight. We have some serious work to do together.”

Shiro saw Chika’s wink at Sallia and the princess’s face blush. He smiled at Chika’s comment, but chose not to respond. Chika confided her fears to him as he told her about Anchor’s plan. He saw her comment as an expression of her anxiety. Their incursion would be dangerous, but if they did more teleporting than fighting, the risk would only decrease. Shiro had become numb to risk. An errant arrow could have ended any of their lives along the way.

Sallia shoved a note in his hand just before she stepped back. Shiro and Chika left her standing amidst her one-hundred-strong guard.

He led Chika to Anchor’s tent. Anter sat in a chair looking over plans of the Foxhome castle. He stood up when he saw Chika.

“We are here,” Shiro announced. He turned the note over and gave it to Anchor.

“You two look over these plans. Your cohorts will arrive any time. The more familiar you are with these plans the safer the teleportation,” Anchor said looking at Shiro.

Shiro nodded. Anchor always listened to him. He wondered what Anchor had been like as Unca. He knew what Unca did, but the Sunstone didn’t give him a feel for the man’s previous personality. Chika had told him that Sallia and Willow had told her that the old wizard always smiled and cracked jokes. He hoped Anchor wouldn’t be so dour after the hostilities.

~

Fingering Sallia’s note for the entire time it took for the Ropponi and Lotto to arrive, Anchor finally told them to continue to memorize each level of the castle and every tower. He walked into the sunlight and let it beat on his face. Would this be his last day? He didn’t know. Anchor wouldn’t take the opportunity to retreat like the Ropponi and Lotto. If separated, he was committed to fight his way through to Duke Histron. What tricks would the duke have in wait for them? He knew Histron would not disappoint.