Two Heirs (The Marmoros Trilogy Book 1) (40 page)

The crowd fell silent as Jeren approached the rock and put his hand on the hilt. He found the stud under his thumb and pressed and a great roar went up as he stepped back with the sword in his hand. At the sound of the cheers, the councillors turned as one to see Jeren standing there with the sword held high above his head.

“How did you do that?” Grekan shouted. “It’s a trick. That sword is mine.”

“I think not,” David said. “The sword is
Prince
Jeren’s. However, we are willing to put it to the test and prove it to you.

“Prince Jeren, would you please replace the sword in the rock.”

Jeren walked up to the rock and nervously touched the tip of the blade to the rock’s surface. It slid in smoothly. He pushed a little harder and the whole of the blade disappeared into the rock, leaving only the hilt visible. He took his hand away and the blue shimmer faded quickly as he stepped back.

“Lord Grekan,” David said, raising his voice so that the crowd could hear. “You challenge Prince Jeren’s right to lead the Lyenar people. If the sword is yours, take it.”

Grekan looked furious at being put on the spot but had no alternative other than to accept the challenge.

“What if he finds the stud by his thumb?” Jeren whispered.

“It won’t work for him,” David replied. “The sword has been… modified for
you alone. Nobody else will ever be able to use it. That’s why I needed a lock of your hair.”

Grekan strode over to the rock, grasped the hilt and pulled. Nothing happened; the sword did not move even a fraction. Grekan took the hilt in both hands and tried again with no success. Even more furious now, he gripped the hilt with both hands, braced one foot against the base of the rock and heaved with all his might. Again nothing happened and now a few jeers came from the crowd.

Red faced now and sweating profusely, he rounded on David. “This is a trick,” he shouted. “You told him how to do it. What did you tell him?”

“What? You mean about the stud?” David replied innocently.

“What stud? Tell me exactly what you told him.”

“I advised Prince Jeren that, when he took the hilt in one hand, there would be a stud under his thumb and pressing the stud might help him withdraw the sword.”

“Hah. I knew it,” Grekan trumpeted. “It was a trick.”

He walked back to the rock and took the hilt in one hand. He found the stud under his thumb as David had described, pressed it and pulled. Nothing happened except that the jeers from the crowd grew louder.

“Prince Jeren, Perhaps you could show Lord Grekan how you did it. If my lord would step away for a moment.”

Jeren walked over to the sword and pressed the stud. Instantly the blue glow reappeared and the sword slid smoothly out to the cheers of the watching crowd. Jeren replaced the sword in the rock and stepped away.

“Lord Bardsley,” he said. “Perhaps you would try to withdraw the sword.”

“I am making no claim to be leader, Lord Jeren,” Bardsley replied.

“I appreciate that, my lord but I would like you to try so that we can prove to Lord Grekan, that this is not some trick that we are playing on him. And you too, Lord Meriden, to prove the same to the people that you lead.”

Bardsley shrugged and walked over to the sword. He found the stud under this thumb and pressed but to no avail. The sword would not move for him or for Lord Meriden.

“Is there anybody else who would like to try?” Jeren asked. “Or would you like to try again, Lord Grekan?”

Grekan’s face by this time was turning an interesting shade of purple as he glared at Jeren and shook his head.

This time as Jeren withdrew the sword and held it aloft, the cheers from the surrounding crowd were almost deafening. The councillors looked over their shoulders at the cheering crowd behind them and one by one, went down on one knee before their prince. Even Falaise sank into a deep curtsey until only David and Grekan were left standing.

“You have gambled and lost, my lord,” David said. “You see the mood of the people here. You sense their joy and their pride. There is nothing you can say or do to affect the leadership of the Lyenar now. They have their leader, their prince. But you are still an important councillor and the leader of a powerful group of Lyenar families. Bend the knee now and I will release your men. Refuse and I will have them questioned most thoroughly and when they crack, you will be stripped of your rank and your authority in the same way that Gaelan was.”

Grekan shifted the focus of his glare full into David’s face. “You play a dangerous game, Lord Held and it appears that I have underestimated you. That is not a mistake I will make a second time.”

“Live with what you have, my lord and accept your share of the glory when we recapture Marmoros. Everyone involved in that victory will have a place in the history books. But move
against Prince Jeren now and you will lose whatever popular support you have left.”

“You really think we can do this? Retake Marmoros?”

“Listen to the crowd, my lord. They believe in that young man and they will follow him to Marmoros. And yes, I think with the military strength we are building now and the enthusiasm of the people, we can retake Marmoros. Because, for all that you think I am a mercenary, I believe in that young man too. Now, shall we give the crowd what they want to see?”

Together David and Grekan walked over to the space in front of the kneeling councillors and turned to face Jeren. When they both went down on one knee, the crowd erupted in ecstasy and cheered and shouted until they were hoarse.

Chapter 21

Josep, Zak and Seb collected the horses from the livery and made their way to Master Solomon’s house where the wagons were waiting for them. They thanked Ishak for his help the previous evening and Josep gave him a letter which he promised to send to
Master Angelo in Puerto Reis, informing him of Cortes’ treachery.

In the meanwhile, Agnes took Beth and Rachel to the market to buy some fresh supplies for the journey and by mid-morning the small train of three wagons passed through the city gates on the road to High Falls. Seb had bought himself a short bow in a case which was strapped to his saddle and his sword hung by his side as he rode proudly alongside the wagons in his first paid job as an official guard. Josep had enquired for other guards in the inns around the marketplace but all of them had been taken by the merchants who had already left for Yarford.

That was not a problem for the first part of the journey because the road they were following was designated a highroad, maintained and protected by Duke Theron, at least as far as the caravanserai in the foothills. From that point on the road climbed steeply as it zigzagged up to the town of High Falls and was largely under the control of the officials based in that town. Duke Theron did maintain a garrison alongside the caravanserai at the bottom but in reality, the protection they offered only extended back down the highroad and not into the hills.

The traffic dwindled away as they left the city behind them and they made good progress, passing dozens of farms along the fertile valley. There were villages too along the way and so they treated themselves to the comfort of a bed and a hot meal overnight in a hostelry.

It was at one of these inns on the third night out from Kell, that they encountered a small caravan coming down the road from High Falls. There were six wagons escorted by four professional looking guards and another two horses trotting behind, carrying arms and armour but no riders.

“Did you run into some trouble?” Josep asked, looking at the empty saddles.

“It was those bastards at High Falls,” Alfonso, the caravan leader replied. “They’re really jumpy at the moment. Soon as they found out we were Lyenar, they slammed the gates in our faces. Didn’t stop them collecting their tolls but they wouldn’t let us into the town. Kept muttering something about a Lyenar army coming to recapture Marmoros. Absolute nonsense of course but it’s got them in a right state.”

“It’s not nonsense,” Josep said. “That’s why we’re headed that way. Lord Jeren Brantyen, son of Lord Gereld, has got himself an army of mercenaries, rallied all the Lyenar under his banner and is marching towards Marmoros. We were in Puerto Reis when we heard the news but by the time we got here, we were too late to get to Yarford and join him there. So we’re heading up to High Falls to wait for him as he comes through.”

“Well for your sake don’t tell them that in High Falls. They’ll slit your throat as soon as look at you. We paid our tolls but were forced to camp overnight outside the gates. Then the next morning as we moved off, we were attacked by ‘bandits’. We were still within sight of the city walls and they did nothing to help. We lost a wagon and two guards in that attack. I don’t know what happened to the family; if they were killed or captured. Maybe I should have gone back to find out but we couldn’t risk the other wagons.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Josep said. “If you like, I can make some enquiries when we get
there. What were their names?”

“They were Anders and Ruth Meissen but tread very carefully if you ask about them. High Falls is a very nervous place at the moment.”

“What about your guards? There were none to hire in Kell. You’re only three days out of the city now and on a safe road. Can you spare some of them? That is, if they’re willing to go back.”

“We can ask them,” Alfonso replied. “I’d like to keep one guard, just in case. But if the other three are willing, I can pay them off tonight. Now tell me, what’s all this about a Lyenar army?”

So over the evening meal Josep told the others what he knew of Lord Jeren and his ambition to retake Marmoros. Their eyes lit up as they discussed the city and what sort of state it would be in after so many years of occupation. But when Josep invited them to turn around and join him at High Falls, they shook their heads sadly.

“Much of our load is already spoken for in Kell. In fact, without the Meissen’s share, we may struggle to fulfil all the contracts. But when we are done there, we will certainly turn round and come back. The possibility of seeing Marmoros is too enticing to miss.”

They parted company amicably the next morning and Josep signed the three new guards under contract. The leader of the guards was Carl, a great bear of a man with a broadsword at his waist and a battle axe strapped between his shoulder blades. He was in good humour, riding alongside Seb as they set off down the road.

“First job?” he asked.

“I’ve been travelling with Josep for a while,” Seb replied. “But this is my first time as a proper guard.”

“I see you’re carrying a bow and a sword. Which of those is your weapon?”

“Oh the sword is my weapon. The bow is more for show but I might get lucky and hit someone before they get too close.”

Carl gave a great guffaw at that. “So you’re a swordsman, are you? Will you let me take a look at your blade?”

Seb looked at him, a little unsure of what to do but finally drew the sword and passed it over. Carl examined it for a minute before silently handing it back. They rode on side by side for a while until Carl broke the silence.

“That’s a fine blade, young swordsman. Care to tell me where you got it?”

“You know where I got it,” Seb replied. “You recognised the mark.”

Carl acknowledged that with a nod. “Sergio Ramirez. He doesn’t make swords for just anybody. How did you come by it?”

“My uncle, Symon Waterson, commissioned it for me. But he died before he could collect it.”

“Symon’s dead? I’m sorry to hear that. He was a good man.”

“You knew my uncle?” Seb asked.

“We travelled a road or two together. Shared a few jars and some good stories. So that’ll be why you’re a swordsman then. Have you used that blade in anger?”

“Why? What’s it to you?” Seb felt a flush of irritation start on his neck.

“Why? Because where we’re going, we’re likely to have to fight. And in a fight, I like to know who’s covering my back.”

Seb paused for a moment before replying. “Sorry, I should have thought. I’ve had to draw my sword twice. Second time I killed two men.”

Carl’s ears pricked up at that. “How did that come about?”

“Well the first one was kind of an accident but the second one was intentional.”

There was another great guffaw from Carl at that. “I reckon you’ll do, young Waterson,” he nodded to himself. “I reckon you’ll do.”

***

The caravanserai at the end of the highroad was a large rectangular compound about eight hundred paces on each side. It was protected by a low mound with a wooden palisade and had only the one set of gates for entry. As a defensive structure, it was more to keep wild animals out than to protect against a determined attack. However, the garrison next door was housed in a small stone-built fort with crenelated battlements and provided more than adequate protection for the whole site. Inside the caravanserai was a modest inn which doubled as the rest and recreation facility for the garrison and a surprisingly large and well equipped livery stable with a corral full of carthorses.

Josep explained that the livery was there to enable caravans to hire extra horses for a day so that caravans could double team the wagons for the climb up to High Falls. At the top, the horses were simply released and found their own way back down to the livery under the eyes of a couple of
stablehands.

Their small group was the only caravan in the compound that night but the inn was still busy with several groups of off-duty soldiers. Beth and Rachel drew a few admiring comments which both girls ignored as they settled in a corner at the far end of the room. The soldiers must have just been paid because the house girls were doing a brisk trade up and down the stairs all evening and Beth and Rachel were soon forgotten. Nevertheless, when they had finished their meal, they decided against taking rooms for the night and slept with the wagons instead.

The next morning Josep negotiated the extra horses and they harnessed them to the wagons. The road began to climb as soon as they were outside the gates and it continued all day; it was only the degree of slope that varied. The town of High Falls came into view around mid-morning; away in the distance, perched on a granite crag overlooking the entire length of the valley. To one side of the town, the Savage River cascaded over the cliffs, eating into the softer limestone rock and threatening to isolate the crag from the surrounding land.