Chapter 43

Darras and Balat padded forwards carefully, with Balat guiding them to where Firios and his party were gathered.

“My thanks for the warning,” Firios greeted them.

“You’re welcome,” Darras nodded. “Now all we have to do is keep them occupied whilst the main attack goes in.”

“The Rossarisi will be able to approach much more closely as the dark kin have not had as much warning,” Tinara nodded.

“What are the dark kin up to?” Darras asked.

“Currently they appear confused, though are beginning to infiltrate into the woods towards where the Rossarisi will have to approach,” Traskis replied.

“Best prepare an ambush then.”

“That is why we chose this spot; they will find it hard to concentrate their arrows upon us due to the thick scrub and dense overhead branches.”

“They’re moving out,” Balat informed the group.

“Can Doriel’s people tell us when they reach the copper beech tree near the stream?” Firios asked.

“She says yes.”

“Good. We can begin when they reach there and slow them down until the Rossarisi get here.”

On Balat’s signal, the group let fly with their arrows. They were aimed to penetrate the overhead canopy and fall upon the infiltrating dark kin, bringing two of them down and wounding another. This produced an instant response with a hail of arrows falling on the position that the dark kin were guessing where the group were. Firios, however, had chosen the position well and most of the arrows were deflected by the overhead branches, losing their momentum and power. It was also successful in that it stopped the dark kin advance as they sought to remove the group.

With Balat able to advise where the larger groups of dark kin were to direct the group’s arrows down onto them, a tense stalemate developed until finally the Rossarisi companies arrived and were able to push into the dark kin in a vicious no quarter skirmish that got them to where they could assist the advance on the stronghold by being able to fire arrows at the dark kin who were trying to slow the advance of the Torgillan infantry.

From there Firios ordered the withdrawal of the group back to their encampment and the waiting Thieves Guild members with Sondrast. There they found him chatting to a Dwarf who was apparently waiting for the return of the group to pass on a request approved by Earl Graccen.

“Greetings Elven friends,” the Dwarf began in their normal gruff tones. “I am Doorf, a paladin of the Temple Guard of Sorrak.”

“Be welcome, Doorf,” Firios replied. “How may we assist you?”

“Commander Linota requested your scout group to aid our attack on the Tuurval river region,” Doorf replied, getting straight to the point. “Earl Graccen approved the request.”

“Of course,” Firios replied as Amina pulled out the group’s map of the region for them to study.

“We are based here,” Doorf pointed to a marked village. “Along with the Rachtelin Knights who act as our cavalry wings. Linota will brief you further on arrival.”

“If we take this route, we can avoid any current fighting,” Amina indicated.

“That is the route I took,” Doorf nodded. “Would it be possible for you to use far striding upon it?”

“Yes,” Firios confirmed. “We have enough here to cover those here as well as yourself and a couple of others.”

“Thank you. I have two escorts with me.”

“We need to breakfast, but can leave after that,” Firios replied, getting a nod off Doorf.

The group who had been scouting were given bowls of a honey sweetened porridge to eat along with a weak beer from the thieves as they and Sondrast broke camp and packed their tents with quiet efficiency. Then, after an hour, they requisitioned some horses and were joined by Doorf’s escorts as they set off for the Tuurval valley and the village of Ancel.

Far striding seemed to be a strictly Elven trait and was one of Erren’s gifts to that race. As it appeared to be magical in nature, Darras hadn’t a clue how they did it, just that he couldn’t spot them doing it as they didn’t appear to blur the view or apparently jump forward massive distances. Yet even as the sun reached mid-day, what should have been a three day journey was over and they arrived in Ancel, or rather an encampment outside it.

“Well met, Firios the Elf, and to you too, Darras,” Firios was greeted as both he and Darras entered the commander’s tent. “I am Linota, the head of the Sorrak Temple Guards.”

“We came at your summons,” Firios replied. “How may we assist you?”

At this point two Humans entered the tent and Darras recognised them as Prince Rigilo and his friend Jertin. Greetings were however kept brief as Linota clearly wanted to get down to business as the Dwarven advance was currently stalled due to a lack of information on known enemy positions and strength.

“So you need us to mark the positions of various enemy strongpoints and potential ambushes as you make your way down the valley?” Firios asked.

“Yes. I requested your group specifically as I knew Darras was with you and that you would likely tolerate my kind,” Linota replied bluntly.

“Understandable,” Firios chuckled. “We’ll get you the information.”

“My thanks. It will mean not losing Dwarves and Humans to well-placed ambushes,” Linota acknowledged. “Where possible we’ll be using the forces of Rachtelin as rapid reaction squads to deal with the ambushes, whilst we Dwarves deal with the strongpoints.”

The meeting ended and Firios headed off to get his Elven group, minus Sondrast, to begin an initial scouting of the valley in preparation for an early advance the following morning.

“Tis good to see you, my friend,” Jertin stated as the pair clasped hands.

“And you too, Jertin, as well as you, Prince Rigilo,” Darras replied.

“Well met, sir Darras,” the Prince acknowledged.

“How go the arrangements with the Lady Callani?” Darras asked.

“We will be wed upon the next summer solstice,” Rigilo replied with a smile. “We write often to each other and I always look forward to her interesting letters as she hears much in the way of political rumours in the Kingdom.”

“The ladies have a network of information that appears to hear and see so much more than we men,” Jertin chuckled.

“Just be as honest in return,” Darras replied with a smile. “No doubt you men have your own sources. Plus, I doubt Lady Callani is the type to suffer sugared platitudes terribly well.”

“You have the right of that!” Rigilo laughed out loud. “She took me to task the first letter we exchanged for simply complimenting her looks.”

“I suspect she does not wish to be thought of as a bauble, even if, as I suspect, you were sincere,” Darras nodded.

“Aye, I was, though you have the right of it. Too many of the men she met refused to take her, or her views, seriously.”

“Any other situations in the Kingdom?” Darras asked.

“Other than I suspect my father’s Council have high hopes we will all die here, no,” Rigilo replied dryly.

“Probably down to disliking the fact they cannot control you,” Darras stated, giving word to that which none of the dissatisfied nobility dared say.

“Hmm, Lady Callani said something similar,” Rigilo nodded thoughtfully.

“No doubt many of your Nobles think similarly, though considering the incidents I’ve had with the Council simply for doing Erren’s work, saying such out loud could be singularly unhealthy,” Darras replied as they came to where his party were now setting up camp.

Introductions were made, though it was fairly obvious that Rigilo especially was fascinated with both Sondrast and Amina.

“You are both unique in my experience,” Rigilo chuckled after a time.

“We Elves are somewhat plentiful, if inclined towards isolation in many cases,” Sondrast replied with a smile. “I suspect Amina though is unique to both our worlds.”

“Yes, I rather doubt you’d be welcome in Rachtelin,” Rigilo nodded. “My father’s Council would see you as too big a competition.”

“We only came about due to exploitation of the poor by the nobility of Dobra,” a slightly flustered Amina replied, who, although not nervous of nobility as such, was unused to honest nobility.

“Yes, my father’s Council tread a very fine line in avoiding becoming intolerable,” Rigilo sighed.

“Resistance to them grows daily,” Jertin replied. “I have precious reason to like them myself, having been involved in cleaning up several situations they created.”

“You rarely speak openly about ... politics, Jertin, why’s that,” a curious Rigilo asked.

“As Darras indicated, it can be singularly unhealthy, Rigilo. Duke Cranagh travelled with an assassin in order to ‘deal’ with any of the lower orders he disliked or who had failed or offended him.”

“Yet here at least, you can speak openly,” Rigilo nodded.

“Darras is the agent of Erren. She, at least, would warn him of any dangers of speaking out loud,” Jertin chuckled.

“She would, though I’ve no doubt this Council have ears in your encampment,” Darras warned.

“Count Gravely,” Jertin replied. “He’s already spinning webs and has bribed a few of my men to report on anything the Nobles say that might be critical of the Council ... or putting ideas into the Prince’s head,” Jertin chuckled.

“You know who they are?” an astounded Rigilo asked.

“Oh yes. They all report to me and I use them to feed the Count occasional titbits of misinformation.”

“No doubt there are others?” Rigilo sighed.

“Yes, though we know who they are,” Jertin replied. “The Count has no real friends in this expedition.”

“It seems Lady Callani was right to warn me of the Council,” Rigilo frowned.

“The real danger to us all is not the Count, but his manservant, Lonnor. I’m pretty sure he’s a member of the Black Guild.”

“I can deal with him if you require ... or at least investigate the man,” Amina offered.

“I accept, good lady,” Rigilo replied after a long pause. “No killing though.”

“Consider it done. We’ll let you decide on any action, if necessary,” Amina replied with a nod.

Amina and her group then followed the Prince and Jertin back to their encampment after farewell’s were given. Darras and Sondrast began preparations for a late afternoon meal for all the group, knowing that by dark, all would be back.

The Elves were the first back and eagerly grabbed bowls of the prepared stew before poring over a map and marking concentrations of Thenarronian troops, which, when done, was taken by Traskis to the tent of Linota for a, no doubt, early morning planning session. Amina and her group arrived later, minus Nemmos, who had attached himself to the Count’s retinue by making a small bribe to an over worked equerry.

“I doubt it will take Nemmos long to ferret out all the informants the Count has, as well as investigate the potential assassin,” Amina informed the group.

“I hope he’ll be careful; the Black Guild are both skilled and merciless,” Darras replied.

“He will. He often spied upon the Nobles of Dobra with regards to what they were up to,” Amina explained. “He’ll remain with the Count’s party whilst we continue with the mission Linota requested of us.”

“Very well. We trust your skill set,” Firios replied.