Chapter 24

Darras stepped through the gateway in the town of Torgel and was greeted politely by the clerk in charge. The entry fee was a standard twenty coppers now, a far cry from the corrupt days of Darras’s previous visits. All Darras had to declare were any goods and his initial destination.

From there, Darras headed to the manor of Lord Jonvel and was granted an immediate meeting with the man.

“It is good to see you, Sir Darras,” Jonvel greeted Darras.

“It is good to see you so well,” Darras replied.

“I assume you have a reason for visiting?”

“I’ll be heading towards Cranagh. I need a letter identifying me to any who might stop and hold me,” Darras replied.

“Ah yes, King Rigilo instituted these checks to prevent spies from approaching his forces,” Jonvel nodded.

“A necessity,” Darras agreed. “Whilst Erren could have supplied me with such, I felt it would be more agreeable to visit you and see how Torgel is flourishing under your care.”

“Ah, I see,” Jonvel replied. “The town is indeed flourishing without the corrupt and venal hands of Barron Mirrs constantly gouging away at any profits the local merchants might make.”

“I noticed the standard fee now,” Darras nodded.

“I increased the clerks’ wages, and they know what will happen if I catch them taking bribes or additional fees,” Jonvel chuckled. “Yet the lower fees have vastly increased the mercantile traffic into the town, more than enough to make up the predicted shortfall in the town’s coffers.”

“Good,” Darras nodded. “Increased profitability means a better life for all.”

“It does; it’s enabled the increased funding for the town orphanage and the beginnings of a Healer Infirmary.”

“Erren blesses your generosity,” Darras stated.

‘As does Hallis, ’ Erren added, a message Darras passed on.

“A necessity, I’m afraid,” Jonvel sighed. “I know our King is worried over the damage to the economy the former King’s Council is causing.”

“Yes, the coffers will likely be bare,” Darras nodded.

“Yet still, we must try to win.”

“Yes, but trust in Erren; that trust will be rewarded,” Darras replied before saying his goodbyes and leaving.

Darras was able to hire a horse from the bustling stables and set off on the busy road, making his way northwest initially towards a junction and then planning to head southwest to the royal encampment sat before a bridge over the river Rachtele and the main road from the east into the city of Rachtelin.

Once at the camp, Darras was allowed into the royal pavilion to wait for the return of Rigilo, who was inspecting his lines.

“Darras, my friend,” Rigilo greeted Darras upon his return.

“Well met, Rigilo,” Darras replied, causing an attending flunkey of some kind to frown in irritation at Darras’s familiarity with the King.

“What brings you here? Not trouble, I hope.”

“Not this time, my friend,” Darras smiled. “Just bringing you word from Erren that Colanthus has withdrawn from his hostile position over this conflict.”

“Good news indeed, though I suspected so owing to the drop in atrocities within the Council-held lands.”

“How goes it from your forces?”

“Well, Coolos is still isolated, though Cranagh has withdrawn to try and break the siege of his castle,” Rigilo replied. “Trasgel is still attempting to keep Coolos contained, but they are struggling with Coolos holding the northern route to the Forest Kingdom.”

“And Rachtelin itself?” Darras asked.

“Simply contained,” Rigilo chuckled. “I’m simply sitting here daring them to attack, knowing that the forces arrayed on the other side of the river have to remain there and not be used to deal with my forces elsewhere.”

“No attempts to negotiate?”

“None; I believe they think they can still win, though desertions of knights and units from their side are beginning to mount as I currently sit on the eastern farmlands and with the surrounding of Cranagh, they are facing a food shortage.”

“All part of winning without fighting,” Darras nodded.

“True, though I feel for the people trapped behind their lines who are being robbed of their stores,” Rigilo sighed.

“Banditry is taking its toll on those raiding the villages, and the goddess of the woods is aiding with food supplies,” Darras replied.

“That is good news. I feared for my people.”

“How goes the siege of Cranagh?”

“Slowly, though, it’s now surrounded, and we’ve cut off resupply from the lake,” Rigilo replied. “I suspect it will fall sooner rather than later, however. Cranagh spent no part of his fortune on the walls, and Miront reports they are crumbling in places.”

“And when it falls?”

“Unite with Coolos and sweep south to encircle Trasgel and Tremina.”

“Leaving the Former King’s Council to stew in their juices in Rachtelin,” Darras nodded with a smile.

“Aye, and all without a pitched battle unless they bring one to me, on my terms.”

“There’s a chance they’ll try to flee; they may even be channelling their ill-gotten gains via the gateway,” Darras pointed out.

“That seems likely, though there’s little if anything I can do about it,” Rigilo replied. “Nor much about the debt incurred in my father’s name.”

“Running the kingdom’s finances along with good land management will enable such debt to be paid off swiftly.”

“All the while trying to find lands and positions for my supporters,” Rigilo chuckled. “Something of which is a scarcity.”

“Offer ten gold coins to settle in the New Territories,” Darras suggested. “The land is good and plentiful, and work is available in the towns and villages for those who can maintain order.”

“Interesting,” Rigilo nodded. “Though I can see Geesorn objecting.”

“They were the ones who signed a treaty with Gomesh to open up the territories. Gomesh specifically requested that it be open to all as they hoped the land would become productive farmland to feed their burgeoning population.”

“Interesting,” Rigilo nodded thoughtfully.

“Erren wants you to succeed. Hence, she sent me to offer a few suggestions,” Darras chuckled. “Along with the information of what is happening in the territories of the former Council.”

“My thanks to her.”

“You, Callani and your children all carry her blessings,” Darras replied. “She foresees a golden age for Rachtelin should you succeed.”

“A lot to live up to,” Rigilo chuckled.

“True, but you’ve made a good start.”

Having dealt with the issues concerning Rigilo, Darras headed north, stopping at various inns and taverns until he finally spotted the signs of the siege of Cranagh. From there, Darras made his way to the Miront encampment, where he waited patiently as the guards held him until he was permitted entry on the word of the Earl.

“Sir Darras, a pleasure as always,” Miront greeted Darras politely.

“A pleasure to be here,” Darras chuckled. “I bring personal messages from the King and Lord Jonvel.”

“My thanks,” Miront nodded.

“How goes the siege?”

“Slowly, though Cranagh is not in residence, his forces have a lot of provisions and water,” Miront replied.

“The loyalty of some must be suspect?”

“Indeed so, the Fordelian mercenaries,” Miront nodded. “Sadly, according to my sources, their contract payments are currently up to date.”

“Yes, Erren is aware of this; however, she also wants you to know that the eastern tower is not as well built as the others as its foundations have been undermined by water inundation from the lake.”

“Really?”

“Really,” Darras nodded.

“Kind of ... cheating,” Miront chuckled.

“Erren wants this war over, and she wants Rigilo in charge.”

“Can’t disagree with that.”

‘Plus, I didn’t tell him you did, ’ Erren giggled. ‘Sophistry, I know, but Serulon will keep out of it.’

“Yes, though I suspect your brother is doing similarly,” Darras murmured as Miront called out for Count Balen, who was directing the siege weapons.

“It will take up to three days to mount our full strength against the tower,” Balen advised. “However, if I begin now, we’ll have double the trebuchets by nightfall.”

“Please begin,” Miront ordered.

“Anything else, my love?” Darras asked as he made his way from the encampment.

‘No, you’ve done as I asked, and Rigilo’s resolve will have been strengthened, plus Cranagh will fall sooner rather than later, ’ Erren replied.

“Now what?”

‘Chezruul.’

“Found something?”

‘The forest folk have a target; Firios and his team are heading there now.’

“No hints from your brother’s minions?”

‘No, not yet.’

The King’s Council met as called for by Chancellor dal Verris, the opulent luxury of the surroundings at stark odds with the mood of the Council.

“What support we were sending to Duke Cranagh has been turned back from within the Saltion Forest,” dal Verris informed the room.

“Rigilo has forces there as well?” Bastos Creln asked.

“No, they were turned back by the forest folk.”

“Why?”

“They did not say,” dal Verris replied. “One can only assume one of us has offended their goddess.”

“The siege of my domain must be relieved,” Cranagh burst out. “We’ll lose the north if it falls!”

“The troops are having to skirt the forest, though they are suffering from minor raids by the forces of Sinoris and Alvastros,” Bansis, Duke of Tolner, added.

“Damned upstarts!” Cranagh raged.

“All this would have been unnecessary if your forces had simply done their job,” Duke Trasgel snidely remarked. “Indeed, it was you who ordered the assassination of the former King and started this.”