Chapter 13

Darras finally made it back to Erren via the Holy Forest gateway. Though had to make his way to the bathing pools alone. He knew Erren was around by becoming clean-shaven and finding towels and a tankard of chilled ale waiting for him. Erren joined him a few minutes later, though unexpectedly was alone, suggesting that she had been meeting someone she didn’t care for, though Darras hadn’t a clue where, as she ordinarily wouldn’t allow them into the house.

“Issues, my love?” Darras asked.

“In a sense, there’s been a coup in Fordel where the temple of Darmela has usurped power and deposed the Netas and his advisors,” Erren replied.

“Are our friends safe?”

“For the moment, yes,” Erren nodded. “Just had Serulon here informing me of it, and she’s keeping a close eye on Colanthus to ensure he doesn’t interfere, despite his current ban.”

“Ah, wondered who it was ... and where,” Darras chuckled.

“I permit her the run of the demesne as I’m not hiding anything,” Erren explained with a smile. “I think she appreciates that, but can’t afford to appear to be anything but neutral.”

“Does Darmela know?”

“She’ll be finding out just about now, as that’s where Serulon was going.”

“I suspect Darmela will be annoyed at her priesthood,” Darras mused. “Particularly as she’d asked them to seek terms.”

“Yes, though its effect on the current situation is not one I can fully predict as yet,” Erren explained. “Still, the others will be here soon and we’ll discuss it then.”

“Ah, time to clean up,” Darras nodded.”

“Amongst other things,” Erren replied with a sultry smile. “I missed you.”

The first to turn up were Doriel and Crannok, who both happily settled into the pool with chilled drinks, sighing in satisfaction in Doriel’s case.

“I’ve warned my people to keep an eye out for refugees, though I suspect the Darmelans will try to avoid my woods,” Doriel informed the group.

“Amina’s people are safe enough,” Crannok added. “The temple troops appear to be targeting the merchants’ guild and a couple of Royal estates.”

“Ignoring small fry, for now,” Darras nodded.

“Seems that way, though Amina has her people prepared to run to the Holy Forest if things go really bad.”

“My people will accept them,” Doriel confirmed.

“Good, this was unexpected and unplanned for,” Erren said. “Ah, more guests.”

Pelegard, Hallis, Osruit, Sorella, Saltak and Tsumi quickly undressed and joined the group in the pool or, in the case of the male gods, plunged into the deeper part before surfacing to claim a drink.

“Will Fordel survive this?” Pelegard asked.

“My vision currently is clouded,” Erren replied. “It could go either way.”

“The Holy Forest could become a country in its own right,” Hallis nodded.

“Imagine my indifference,” Doriel shrugged. “I’m not bothered who claims it, so long as they do not disturb its tranquillity.”

“And the presence of Humans within it?” Sorella asked.

“Is welcome, so long as they follow my tenets.”

“Such a complex thing, the land and its people,” Sorella replied with a wry smile.

“You have the Sharkmen and the Merfolk constantly fighting,” Saltak pointed out.

“Currently, thanks to Pelegard, my people, the Merfolk, are dominant,” Sorella smiled.

“Who do the Sharkmen worship?” Darras asked.

“Our dark brother, though his grip upon them is tenuous,” Sorella shrugged. “What they have, though, is a hatred of the Merfolk that is ingrained because our brother meddled in the distant past.”

“Long time to bear a grudge,” Pelegard shrugged.

“There’s nowhere to hide in the oceans, so generational things carry on forever.”

“Back to Fordel,” Tsumi rediverted the conversation. “What would be the best outcome?”

“A lessening of the influence of Darmela via her temple,” Erren replied. “The Rachtelinian chastisement and eventual restoration of my temple would have seen to that.”

“Is that still possible?” Osruit asked.

“Yes, it’s still the most likely outcome. However, the death toll is now looking to be far higher as the various merchants are now fighting back.”

“It’s not affecting the east, though.” Pelegard pointed out.

“That’s why the Rachtelinians will focus there,” Erren replied. “They have already negotiated a few settlements with the small towns and villages.”

Just the three big cities holding out then?”

“Yes, Tempath, Lucil and Vardille,” Erren nodded. “The key city is Lucil as it’s their main gateway for overseas trade.”

“I take it they are diverting their trade routes?” Hallis queried.

“Yes, north, via the Dwarven realm,” Erren confirmed. “They have no easy passage to the south.”

“What are they trading?” Darras asked.

“Wood and grain, mostly.”

“Wood?”

“They have an agreement with my people,” Doriel shrugged. “They haven’t sought to break it.”

“Even though the forest kin occupy Gruss and Fancina?”

“Yes, they apparently don’t care,” Doriel shrugged.

“They might when this settles, but yes, I see your point,” Darras nodded.

“Our objective should be to ensure the Darmelan Temple loses,” Saltak stated. “Oh, and try to keep Colanthus under control when he inevitably tries to get involved.”

“Serulon banned him from interfering in Fordel,” Saltak replied.

“They have ordered in mercenaries, expect his champions to be amongst them,” Hallis replied.

“Yes,” Erren sighed. “Still, I expect Darras can, if necessary, deal with them.”

“I wonder if these mercenaries will be better prepared?” Darras mused.

“Seems unlikely, even if they pick up information from the defeated mercenaries, it will be too late to learn new tactics,” Osruit replied. “It took Jertin two years to train the Royal Army up to a decent standard.”

“That’s true,” Darras nodded. “I guess they’ll have to expect tricks to gain a momentary advantage, rather than better tactics.”

“Does seem more likely,” Tsumi agreed. “Oh, there’s been an upswing in the use of transfer circles, though it’s all in the deep southern territories.”

“Wonder what our brother is up to now,” Pelegard muttered. “Not like we can spare Darras to take a look, either.”

“I’ll have Balat get my people to investigate,” Doriel offered. “If you give me locations.”

“No, problem,” Tsumi replied. “Not sure if they are in areas your people will be willing to go through.”

“My people can do something similar if they are near water sources,” Osruit added. “They’re a bit limited too, however.”

“Thank you for the offers,” Erren smiled. “We’ll see what we can find and go from there.”

“Thank you for permitting Mirion to use the gateways your people are setting up,” Hallis said to Doriel. “Her work improving the medical knowledge of the southern Elves is going far faster than I’d hoped.”

“You’re welcome,” Doriel smiled. “She has made any number of friends amongst the Woodnymphs by her aid in improving their healing potions.”

“And they enable her to return home regularly, too,” Hallis nodded.

“It does appear our brother’s forces are taking advantage of the situation in Fordel and the north to consolidate his strength in the south,” Saltak mused.

“Yes, but we’ll deal with that sooner or later,” Erren replied.

Caminas sat upon the throne of the ‘former’ Netas and listened as his clerical councillors discussed various moves and countermoves made by his forces and the enemies of Fordel. He had not spoken with Darmela about his acts, though it was becoming evident she knew about them as trade and business slowed and headed towards a recession. This, he had blamed on the Merchant Guild for their opposition to the will of Darmela, and the fiction still held ... for now. His ardent hope was to secure some victory over the Rachtelinians, or the Merchant Guild and thus secure his position.

“So, we have not yet secured Fermanilk or Shurmun,” Rogas, a senior cleric, stated. “All we know is our spies confirm the Merchant Guild does not know their whereabouts either.”

“Keep looking,” Caminas snapped. “They are the key to ensuring our ascendancy; I do not want the merchants to have a rallying point.”

“Understood, holy Netas,” Rogas replied.

“The mercenary units we ordered have crossed our border to the north and should reach the capital in four more days,” Nimon, the cleric in charge of logistics, informed the council.

“That will secure the capital and environs,” Caminas nodded. “But securing the capital will not drive these invaders out.”

“I believe the Rachtelinians have infiltrated us to an extent,” Rogas said.

“It is unlikely they are Darmelans, surely they would be obvious to our people and priesthood?” Nimon queried.

“We have had no reports as such, and although we observe several groups whom we suspect aren’t Darmelans, none have approached our military or temples to spy,” Rogas replied, “Nor have our people approached them either.”

“Should we expel them?”

“We have no reason to, and it might interfere with trade,” Rogas shrugged.

“Concentrate on those groups with contacts within this council and our mercenary ... allies, though I suspect that the mercenaries are more likely suspects as they have no loyalty to Fordel,” Caminas opined.

“As you command, holy Netas,” Rogas replied.

“I will discuss the situation with the mercenary captains and put a plan into place to force the Rachtelinian to fight on our terms ... and lose,” Caminas declared.