Chapter 25

Tony settled back and reported to the others:

We set off with a fair wind behind us. The gods must have been smiling on us for once we had left port, the rain stopped and we had fine weather as we made our way across the sea. We landed at a small port called Pollocks Bay, where we quickly took control. The port was controlled by a man named Garforth. He was a man just after an easy life who had no real loyalty to the Brotherhood. He had been appointed mayor and been forgotten about, which suited him just fine. We left him in charge as he seemed to put the welfare of his people first.

Pollocks Bay had a narrow sandy beach, sheltered by high cliffs. There was a small river that fed down into the sea. A jetty had been built along the riverbank where it met the sea. We were able to dock three ships at a time there. Each one unloaded, then had to be pulled by rowboats back out into the bay to allow the next to dock. Two of the ships transferred their men to small boats and rowed them ashore. It took awhile, but we were finally on shore.

We moved towards Belariak. It took us two weeks to get there moving at night and hiding by day. Have you any idea how difficult it is to keep 400 men hidden? It was cold; we could feel winter's grip falling on the land. We sent out scouts; the news was not good. The town was set on a hill and overlooked the surrounding countryside. It was large and well-defended with a wall and ditch surrounding it. There were several gates and each was well-manned and we saw that the guards were alert and searching everyone that passed through. This was not going to be easy.

Weset up camp in the middle of a large forest well hidden from prying eyes. We sent men out into the local villages to gauge the mood of the local population. They were not happy. Half of their harvest had been taken as "tax". Stolen was how they had seen it. We found out from them that people were taken to the town on a regular basis. We decided to attack one of these columns to find out why these folk were being held there.

We received word of a column approaching, so we set up an ambush in a heavily wooded area where the road dips into a narrow gully. We crept into position and waited for them to arrive. We were there before dawn but it was nearly noon before they got there. God, it was cold, lying there not moving. Finally the slavers arrived and we attacked. We took them completely by surprise. It was all over in minutes. There were ten slavers guarding thirty prisoners. They never knew what hit them.

We took the freed captives back to our camp in the forest and asked them why they were being taken to Belariak. There were six men and 24 women and children. It seems that most of these folk were the families of people that the Brotherhood needed for some reason and they were being held hostage to ensure their cooperation. We offered to get them back to the ships, but they all decided to stay with us and do what they could to fight the Brotherhood.

We needed more information. We were lucky when we intercepted a messenger carrying a batch of dispatches and orders from a man named Fedor. It seems he was having trouble taking Dampford. He needed reinforcements and engineers to help build siege engines. We discovered that the name of the man in charge of this prison town was Hagrith.

I decided that we needed to get someone into the town. Going in as a messenger was the best disguise we could wish for as he could get access to many areas that other soldiers could not. I decided that I would go. This started an argument but in the end I convinced them that I was the best choice for if it all went wrong ... Well, I had the best chance of getting out alive.

I made my way towards the town disguised as the messenger. As I approached the gate the guard held up his hand.

"State your business."

"I'm a messenger with important messages for Hagrith."

"That's General Hagrith! Don't forget that or he'll have your balls! Do you know where to go?" the guard asked in a more friendly tone.

"No, it's my first time here."

"Okay, straight down the main avenue, past the market, and head for the big white house in the centre of town. Can't really miss it, and if you get lost just ask. Everyone knows where it is."

"Thanks," I answered as I eased my horse through the gate.

I noticed as I went through that there were crossbowmen on the walls, and the walls seemed to be new and in good condition. As I went through the town the people seemed on edge — skittish almost. I left my horse at the stable by the gate and wandered around the town. I saw that one-half was closed off, almost like a ghetto. In fact that is exactly what it was. They had divided the town off. The original townsfolk lived in one half and the prisoners lived in the other. There was another wall separating the two halves of the town. I found myself near the barracks when a man came round the corner and spotted me.

"You there!" he called. "What are you doing and why aren't you at your post?"

I had to think quickly. "Sorry, sir," I answered. "I'm lost. I'm a messenger with some papers for the general. I can't seem to find the right place. I was hoping to find someone who could help me."

"Bloody incompetent fool. Probably can't find his own dick to piss without his mothers help!"

the man muttered as he came over to me. "Come with me!"

I followed him and he took me to the General's headquarters. I was stood in front of a desk with a rotund man sitting behind it.

"Yes?" He looked at me as if I was something he had just stepped in.

"I have some papers for the general, sir."

"Well hand them over then!" he snapped.

I handed him the papers. He opened them and quickly scanned through them.

"Damn fool!" he snarled as he read "Can't even collect his quota of slaves, and now he needs even more help! Vladik will have his hide if he's not careful!"

He looked up at me. "Well? You still here? What do you want?"

"I wondered if there were any dispatches to go back, sir."

The man thought for a moment. "Yes, there might be. Come back in an hour."

"Yes, sir." I saluted and left.

I went back to exploring the town. I saw that the taverns were clean and well run; in fact the whole place seemed to be well organised, clean (by Chaos standards) and prosperous. It was not the usual shambled mess that Chaos towns usually were. If it wasn't for the fact of the ghetto and the Brotherhood, it would be a good place to live.

I went to one of the taverns and ordered ale. I sat and watched as people came and went. The waitress, a skinny young girl who looked about sixteen but could have been older, came and asked if I wanted anything else.

"What have you to eat?"

"We have stew and bread. We also have a new thing called potato. It's been brought here by a trader. Since these new people have taken over, we don't see so many of them now."

"I'll try some of that. How are you preparing it?"

"We boil it. Why do you ask?"

"Have you tried slicing them into sticks and then frying them?"

"No, we haven't. You sound like you've had them before."

"Yes, once or twice," I told her, my mouth watering as I remembered the chips from Tony's fish and chip shop on Albert Road.

She went away with my order. After about ten minutes a man came out and sat down next to me.

"Excuse me, but Sophie told me you know of a different way to serve these potatoes? We find them filling but a bit plain. If you know a way to make them more interesting then I'll be interested to learn."

I looked up at the man. "I take it you're in charge here?"

"Yes, I'm Frank. This is my inn ... for now anyway, until the taxes get too much."

This was just the man I was looking for. He would have his finger on the pulse but not in the pocket of the Brotherhood. "Certainly. Just show me your kitchen and I'll show you some new ways to prepare them."

He showed me his kitchen and we prepared some chips. We fried them in oil, and when they were ready, smothered them in salt and vinegar. They were delicious! I hadn't enjoyed chips so much in ages. They were a roaring success and soon word spread about the new delicacy.

I asked Frank not to say where he got the idea for his new product, and he seemed quite happy to take the glory for himself. By now it was time to return to headquarters and see if there were any papers to collect.

The fat man was waiting when I arrived.

"Now then, listen carefully. These are very important papers. You must give them to General Ediscor at Verilanium, personally. Go quickly, and don't fail me." He handed me a large envelope of papers. He also gave me a pass guaranteeing safe passage. I saluted him and left.

I quickly made my way out of the town and back to our camp. We opened and read the orders. It quickly became obvious why they had to be delivered personally. Hagrith wanted to replace Fedor as the governor general of the island. Judging from Fedor's reports, the island was about to fall and he needed just a few more troops to achieve it. No mention was there of the defeat and total loss of the troops at Small Cove or of the stalemate at Dampford. These men were plotting not only to replace Fedor, but it seems they wished to replace Vladik as well. These men were playing a dangerous game, and that game was treason!

We discussed what to do, and it was decided that it would serve our purposes to foment discord and rebellion among the slavers. I checked on the map, and we reckoned it would take three days to get to Verilanium. I assembled a squad together and we set off.

"Admiral Peters sent out patrols to buy what supplies they could. The locals were very glad to see us as they thought we were going to drive the Brotherhood out. We encouraged them to tell us about the movements of the Brotherhood's troops. We did hear that several of the officials were local and were in place here before the Brotherhood took over.

We encountered no problems getting to Verilanium. We had added an order for more supplies to the orders. We figured that we may as well have the Brotherhood feed us as well as assist us in our plans. We arrived at Verilanium. It was a massive encampment. What little of the town there had been before was simply swallowed by the vast numbers of troops stationed there. It was the main training establishment for the entire area.

It was obvious, even to the most casual observer, that the people in charge were totally incompetent. Men wandered around without purpose or direction. What training there was was totally inadequate. It mainly consisted of the big guy beating up the little guy. It was thugs training thugs. The men were not even taught how to care for their equipment, and what equipment they had was of poor quality. It really was dog eat dog.

I reported to General Ediscor's headquarters. When I arrived I was met by the same type of pompous, officious twat that always seems to occupy these positions. This time he was a skinny weedy little man who needed to bully and harass everyone he could just to make himself feel more manly.

"Yes?" he snapped as I entered the room.

"I'm here to see the General. I have some papers for him."

"Yes, well give them to me, then. I deal with all the general's important papers."

"Sorry, but my orders are to hand them to the general himself."

"Now you see here!" he puffed, puffing himself up to his full height of five-feet one. "I deal with all the general's papers. Now hand them over before there is trouble!" His voice rose higher and higher as he spoke.

There was another man in the office, and I could see him trying not to laugh at the spectacle. Suddenly this man stood smartly to attention as a large man came into the office.

"What's all the commotion?" he growled.

"Well, General," the pompous little man began, "this man has some papers and he says that he would only give them to you personally. As you know I deal with all the paperwork in this office."

The general glared at him, and the little man seemed to shrink even smaller.

"Papers? What papers?"

"The papers he refuses to give to me!" the little man started again.

"Smothak, stop twittering or I'll send you with the news of the debacle on the island to Vladik personally."

Smothak went white and immediately shut up.

"Now then," the general continued, "where are these papers? And who are they from?"

"Here, sir. They are from General Hagrith," I said, handing him a large sheaf of papers.

"Humff. Follow me," he ordered, leading the way into an office. He closed the door. "Do you know what they contain?"

"No sir. Can't read, sir."

"Good. Best kind of messenger. Very well. I'll have some papers to send back. Get something to eat and come back in the morning."

"Yes sir. Certainly, sir," I replied, trying to sound as enthusiastically incompetent as the rest of those in his command.

I left his office and returned to my men. "He wants to see me in the morning. Let's get something to eat, load up with supplies and be ready to head out as soon as I have his papers."

We did just that. We assembled as big a pack-horse column as we could get away with. We managed to get six heavily loaded donkeys. We placed the loads next to the donkeys and went to find something to eat. We decided to sleep in the stables with the horses. We went into the town to find some food. I told the men to split into pairs and find out what they could from the men there.

We spent the evening talking to the men there to get a feel for the place. It seemed that most of them had no real idea what they were doing or why they were doing it. They did not agree with what they were told but were terrified of their officers whose methods were, to put it mildly, brutal. It seemed the more sadistic you were the higher up the command chain you went. They were not happy.

We discovered that some men were being held as prisoners. These were men who had refused to carry out some of the more outrageous orders that had been issued. There were around forty of them, and they were due to be publicly impaled in a few days. We asked around and learned their story. They had been stationed up north, near Gronhinne. They had been ordered to murder the wives and children of men fighting in the resistance.

They not only refused, but had sent word to the rebels of what was about to happen. Their commander had then arranged for the rebels to 'rescue' these folk while his men were on guard. They had smuggled the women and children out of their camp, and ensured safe passage for them. Unfortunately they had been betrayed and now were facing a particularly nasty form of execution. We discussed it among ourselves and decided that their bravery deserved a more fitting reward. We would attempt to rescue them. The question was, how?

The following morning I returned to the general's office. There seemed to be a bit of panic and confusion as the officious little man fussed around like a headless chicken. I noticed a large sheaf of papers on the corner of his desk, and just to add to the general melee I knocked them down.

"What are you doing?" he screamed as the papers flew all over the floor. "It's taken me ages to sort those out. They're all the travel documents and warrants."

As I picked them up I noticed that some of them were blank, but had the official seal already stamped on them. I slipped these into my jacket.

"Sorry," I said as I handed back the papers, making sure I mixed them up nicely.

"Bloody fool!" he muttered, taking them from me and slamming them on the desk.

Just then the general came out. "Ah! You're here. Good! Come with me."

I followed him into his office. "Take these to General Hagrith. Give them to him personally. Do not under any circumstance give them to anyone else. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir. Only give them to General Hagrith. Deliver them to his hands only," I repeated slowly as if having to take in what he said.

"Good! Now go quickly! Oh, have you an escort?"

"Yes sir, General Hagrith organised one for me. He didn't want the papers getting into the wrong hands."

"Good, good. Now go. Hurry!"

I left the office and returned to my men. I had a look at the papers I had stolen. I wrote an order transferring the prisoners to Belariak. It already had the General's personal seal on it. I wrote another authorising forty horses. I told two of my men to collect them from the stables and wait for us just outside town. The stablemaster questioned them, but they told him to take it up with the general.

"Look. It's signed personally by the general. Do you want to go and question him about his orders?" my men asked.

"No. Okay, there are the horses over there. Go and get what you want, then get out!"