Part 3 Chapter 10

Sirius Black stood uncomfortably beside a long, conjured stone table which was surrounded by five stony-faced goblins. He recognized none of them, except for the matron that had tended to Sephtis in the field hospital, but even then there was some small difficulty introduced by the fact that another goblin matron was present at the table. They all looked very much the same to him, so he relied entirely upon Sephtis for social cues. Given the fact that the pale lord was a somewhat quiet, stoic character, Sirius ended up with little idea of how he was supposed to act. So, he held his silence.

A painful thirty seconds passed before Sephtis cleared his throat and the quiet murmurs of the assembled advisors immediately died out. "Good morning," he began, eliciting a subtle scoff from a few of the assembled goblins. It was a rather…human expression. "Let's get down to business, then. We're here to make sure that the transition between the late King Ithrigan's rule and the beginning of my own is as swift and painless as possible. We walk the knife-edge. At any time, the Ministry could collapse and the war will begin in earnest. Before that happens, there are tasks set before us, all vital. Before we get to these things, however, I want an introduction from each of you and a report of the current circumstances."

He glanced meaningfully to Sirius. The older wizard was still gaping at him for the implication that he was a King of some description, but as soon as the rest of the council was looking at him he hastily cleared his throat. "Yes, well," he waffled uselessly for a moment. "My name is Sirius Black. I am Lord Sephtis' steward, responsible for the castle and its inhabitants. Currently, there are fifty-six people residing in the castle. Our stores of food and water are beginning to dwindle, and all of us are in desperate need of clothing, bedding, and toiletries. The castle's defenses are in excellent condition, although a small section of the southeastern wall is beginning to crumble as the cliffs below are eroded."

Sephtis nodded. "The issue of supplies will come up again, I'm sure. For now…" he gestured to the goblin at Sirius left side.

The wizened creature laid his hands upon the table. All the goblins were standing on stepstools so that the table was at a comfortable height for everyone, but he still had to look up to see Sephtis' face. "I am Bullhorn. I am a skilled weapon-smith and armor-smith, and I am responsible for equipping the nation's warriors for battle. Currently, I lack the facilities and resources to ply my craft. I took the liberty of performing a check of arms and armor, and I have found the current state of your forces to be miserable. The last battle ruined a good portion of the equipment, and most of our crossbows were lost with the atrium of Gringott's Bank. Those weapons that remain lack ammunition or require repair."

Sephtis nodded his head, and Michkal held her hand to her chest as she introduced herself. "I am a healer, responsible for operating and maintaining the field hospital. Currently, there are twenty-seven injured warriors resting in the hospital. We have completely run out of a variety of potions and salves that are necessary for proper treatment of curse wounds, and our supply of thread and cloth for stitches and bandages is low. We also have no supply of clean water and a lack of surgical implements."

Sirius checked out after that, already understanding the general state of affairs. They were desperate. The next goblin, Gunhilde, reported that there were two thousand six hundred forty-six civilian goblins on the island. She also gave the current status of goblin food, water, clothing, bedding, and other necessities. It was about as hopeless as expected.

"I am Grayheim," one of the final advisers, a monstrous goblin, began. "I am the general of your armies and the marshal of the goblin nation. Currently, you have five hundred and six battle-ready warriors, two hundred and three injured warriors, and thirty-six warriors who lack the proper equipment."

"And I am Tostrus, captain of your royal guard. Those of us who survived the battle are ready to assume our role as your protectors," the final goblin concluded.

Sephtis swept his eyes across the table. "In summary, we have little food, little water, little clothing, no raw materials for weapons or armor, few medical supplies, and a great number of people who need the aforementioned items."

A collective nod answered him.

"So," he continued. "I approached the Queen of England, hoping to negotiate an alliance of convenience. Unfortunately, the mundane government has had no actionable intelligence about the threat of Voldemort, and regarded me as the more immediate threat to the stability of England. We will receive no help from them."

Sirius gaped openly. "That's outrageous!" he exclaimed, much to the surprise of the goblins in attendance. "How can she so blatantly ignore an obvious threat?"

"It seems that the Ministry did not inform the Crown about Voldemort beyond describing him as a dangerous criminal. And recently, they have failed to even alert the mundane government that Voldemort is on English soil once again, let alone of the fact that he marches with an army of more than three hundred witches and wizards," Sephtis explained. "I do not blame her for her ignorance. It seems, however, that the Crown is not without its own wizards. I had to fight them to escape the palace when the Queen attempted my arrest."

At this, Tostrus gave a low hiss between his teeth. "That was a grave insult."

Sephtis turned his head curiously. "They did not even scratch me," he replied blithely. "We will take no action against England at this time. She will attempt to renegotiate when Voldemort shows his true colors. In the meantime, we have the issue of supply to resolve. And I know exactly what we can do.

After a breath, he leaned forward, as if sharing a secret. "The Crown does not appear worried by Voldemort. I say we give them something to worry about. I want to orchestrate raids on muggle property to procure for ourselves what supplies we require, and we will use disguises and Voldemort's trademark to muddy the waters. To the Ministry, it will be clear that it is not Voldemort's work, but to the Crown, who appear to be ignorant, it will be more difficult for them to differentiate between our raids and Voldemort's."

Sirius blinked in surprise at the proposal, but before he could speak an objection he caught the expressions of barely contained excitement on the faces of the goblin advisers around the table. He held his tongue. "How will we make our raids look like the actions of Voldemort?" Tostrus asked, looking pensive rather than excited.

"The spell morsmordre throws his sigil into the sky. Combined with dark robes and masks, it will appear at first glance to be the work of Death Eaters," Sephtis replied. "If it does nothing else, it will compel the Crown to approach the Ministry for a report on Voldemort's actions. Once they are aware of the threat that he poses to them, then perhaps they will reconsider their opinion of me. Whether or not they believe it was Voldemort, we do require the supplies, and I see no other way of procuring them."

"Do you have targets in mind?" Grayheim asked.

Sephtis nodded. "Storehouses for muggle grocery stores contain large quantities of food. Industrial warehouses contain pallets of metal. Clothing and other textiles can be stolen from warehouses or superstores as we require them. In any case, the theft will take place via apparition and portkey. Large canvases spelled to deliver the stolen goods will be used to transport the items. Arrival, theft, and escape should take place in as little time as possible. We can use the field between the castle and the village as the destination point for portkeys."

"Can you make a portkey?" Sirius asked hesitantly. "Can you cast morsmordre?"

"This leads me to my second point. I recently welcomed a friend to the island, an elf, who was once the servant of Lucius Malfoy, the Death Eater lieutenant. It appears that he was savagely beaten and cursed before being set free, assuming that either his injuries or magical exhaustion would destroy him. He came to me, rather than succumbing so easily. Using the knowledge he possesses, I intend to conduct a raid upon a smaller property of one of Voldemort's followers. I want to capture them alive for interrogation," Sephtis declared. "From a Death Eater, I can learn the spell. As for portkeys…their construction is simple enough to anyone accomplished in charms."

Sirius nodded and scratched his chin. "It could work," he offered quietly. A few reluctant nods met his statement, but Tostrus seemed the most skeptical.

"Good. The raids will be conducted by wizards, in teams of three. Sirius, you will find some volunteers for the task. When you're ready, go out and find suitable targets or choose someone to search them out for you. Tostrus, we will need an organized method of moving the stolen goods away from the arrival points before the next raid. I want you to cordon off nine plots of land and mark each of them with a number. The portkeys I will make will fill each plot with the items beneath the canvas."

Sirius and Tostrus agreed with his plan.

"As for the rest of you, I want you to find some assistants and organize your responsibilities. The island will be run like a military base for the foreseeable future. All supplies are to be rationed by Gunhilde or Sirius Black. All medical supplies, from the smallest bandage to potent salves, are to be collected from everyone and taken to the military hospital for storage. Make sure that the citizens of the island understand what you are doing. Grayheim, you and your men are responsible for public order. If there are any incidents I will come looking for you, understood?"

"Yes," Grayheim agreed. "Although, my responsibility is to ensure your safety…"

"I have no need for guards on the island," Sephtis replied. "And in the field of battle, I much prefer the company of familiar warriors. Redtooth's men bled with me before; they will bleed with me again before the war is done," Sephtis declared. "Now that each of you have your duties to attend to, is there anything else we need discuss before I go to abduct some Death Eaters?"

No one spoke. "Excellent. Somebody tell Redtooth to assemble his men and bring them to the courtyard."

Sephtis turned away from the table and disappeared into his office, leaving the council in silence. They each looked at each other, shrugged, and wandered back through the castle, towards the village.

Redtooth clapped his wrist over his breastplate and bowed deeply. "We are most honored that you consider me worthy of serving at your side in battle," he intoned. The rest of his warriors likewise bowed, and Sephtis returned this with a nod of his head.

"Were you told of our mission?" he asked.

Redtooth shook his head. He looked down, surprised, as a house elf appeared at King Sephtis' side. The pale wizard gave a small smile to the creature as he spoke. "This is Dobby, my loyal servant," the elf peered at the goblins with suspiciously wet eyes. "He once served Lucius Malfoy, and knows much about the Death Eaters and their allies. He has provided me with a target: The Crabbe House. The father of that house was a Death Eater in the last war who escaped prosecution because of Malfoy's interference, and it is currently being used, along with many other pureblood properties, as a staging point for the Dark Lord's forces."

"How many?" Redtooth asked.

"Fifteen," Sephtis replied shortly. "Perhaps more."

Considering there were only twelve goblins in Redtooth's company that were combat-ready, it was a somewhat daunting number.

"And how quickly can we expect reinforcements to arrive?"

"Twenty minutes." Upon receiving skeptical looks, the gaunt wizard reached into his robes and withdrew several large stones. "These are anchors for a ward scheme. Placing them at three corners of a property covers the area with an anti-apparition, anti-portkey, anti-floo ward, preventing anyone from entering or leaving the premises by these methods. We will approach the property from a good distance, far outside the range of any detection wards. These stones will be placed a mile apart, at the vertices of an equilateral triangle. They will remain inactive until I activate them. Once the stones are set, we will approach the property and regroup on the northern side, behind a knoll which will hide us from any pickets they have in the manor. The attack will commence. Our goal today is to take a prisoner or two. The prisoners can be sent back to the island by portkey."

Here, the king withdrew several crossbow bolts with barbed points and intricate runes carved along their shaft. "These bolts will stun the target. They are also a portkey. I will indicate a target with green light. Your best marksman will make the shot. Once I have confirmed the hit, I can speak the passphrase and the prisoner will be secure."

"Where does the portkey go?"

"A cell in the castle. We will continue fighting for as long as we have the advantage. Kill as many of them as you can. When we are ready to depart, I will throw down the wards, and we can escape by portkey."

He waved his hand and a bag dropped to the ground in front of the goblins. "There are bracelets in the bag. These will return us to the courtyard when the word 'withdraw' is spoken."

Redtooth and his men equipped the bracelets. "If portkeys are blocked during our retreat, what will we do?"

"I can identify the one who set the anti-portkey ward and kill him, or we can retreat on foot until the ward no longer restrains us," Sephtis replied. "In any case, we must be swift and we must be lethal. Once the battle begins it will only last a short time. I am sure you already know this, but don't stand too close to one another. Explosive curses will make short work of a tight formation."

Redtooth nodded sharply.

"Good. When you are ready to depart, step forward."

Sephtis summoned his staff and straightened his shoulders. A moment later, his robes transformed to a vest with matching black trousers. His off-hand opened and suddenly held a dark, triangular shield with a silver hand embossed upon its front. The staff slowly transformed to a spear with a long, wicked barb with twin hooks at its base, taller than Sephtis with a pointed butt. With bare arms and hair tied back in a knot, he looked very much like a soldier.

The goblins assessed their equipment, each stepping forward at their own pace. One of them held out his arm. "I will secure the prisoners."

Sephtis relinquished the portkey-bolts with a nod.

Once everyone was ready, Sephtis turned to Dobby. "Can you take me to the place that we discussed?"

The elf touched his master's shield, and both were gone. A second passed, then the elf was back, taking hold of a pair of goblins before apparating once more with a soft pop. He repeated this six times until he was the only one that remained in the courtyard, at which point he wrung his hands nervously at his waist before disappearing once again, in search of a task with which he could distract himself.

Sephtis and his warriors were crouched beside one another in a small copse of trees many miles away from the island. The Crabbe House was located somewhere in Northern England, near the border with Scotland, but its location was unplottable. Regardless, Sephtis was able to utilize a Roman mapping spell to quickly familiarize himself with the local area, and he knelt down in the midst of Redtooth's men to speak in a quiet voice.

"The first stone goes here." Taking it, he placed it on the ground. "We are about a half-mile north of the manor. Proceed slowly until you reach the second hill. Stay there, silently, until I arrive."

Glancing at Redtooth to make sure the goblin understood, Sephtis hoisted himself up with his spear and stepped to the side, disappearing silently mid-step. The goblins blinked at the magnificent feat of magic and hustled briskly through the trees, moving with surprising ease considering the plates that they wore. They skirted the foot of the gentle rise just beyond the trees, unwilling to mount the crest in case anybody was watching from the manor. Eventually, they were forced to crawl over the lowest rise on their bellies, minimizing the profile that would be visible from the manor.

The depression between the hills was long and shallow. They jogged the distance, and by the time they reached the place that Sephtis had described they were all feeling their blood rushing through their limbs, and their breathing was just beginning to come quickly. Warmed up, they waited.

Sephtis appeared in their midst, startling a few of the goblins into raising their weapons. The wizard held his hand out and knelt once more.

"The ward stones are in place. I inspected the manor's defenses; it will take some effort to bring them down. You will have to cover me once I begin," Sephtis explained.

The warriors grinned dangerously as Sephtis rose up once again and mounted the hill with his shield before him. It was midmorning by this point, and the sun was bright at his back; he cut an unmistakable figure as he stood above the Manor grounds, and he was almost immediately spotted.

Redtooth heard his king muttering as he descended towards the ward line, and even he, who had no magic of his own, could feel the snap-hum as the anti-apparition, anti-portkey, anti-floo ward burst to life in the sky above. The sunlight turned violet as it passed through the active field of magic, before the ward settled and became invisible.

Then, leveling his spear towards the manor, Sephtis unleashed hell. A bolt of lightning as thick as his waist snapped across the distance and collided powerfully with the wards, crawling like spiderwebs across the dome and screeching thunderously. The goblins surrounded their king, forming a shield wall on either side, but the Death Eaters hardly had time to react to the attack before the wards were beginning to buckle.

Five seconds…ten…fifteen…

BOOM!

The ground shook and the sky split as the bolt of lightning cracked over the ward, splitting the ward-stone which had been buried someplace in the depths of the manor, and arcing up into the sky. Sephtis released his spell and straightened up.

"Attack."

The Death Eaters who had scrambled into the manor regretted it as the ward-stone smoldered and exploded beneath the foundations of the house. A group of six or seven had gathered and approached their attackers swiftly, barking spells and raising a group shield. Sephtis, spotting an opportunity, surged beyond the shield wall of the goblins and engaged all six of them, casting their shields down with a single percussive blast and painting three of them green.

The color poured from them as they continued to fight, oblivious of the fact that they had been hit. Their compatriots quickly found themselves being driven back as Sephtis continued his inexorable approach, firing spell after spell in a continuous stream as he deftly redirected their counterattacks with his shield.

A crossbow bolt slipped in among the storm of spells and struck true, dropping one of the marked targets. Sephtis immediately covered the fallen Death Eater with a shield to prevent him being revived and pressed forward. He killed a second and severed the limbs of a third before a second bolt arrived, dropping another unfortunate Death Eater.

Rather than waiting for the third, Sephtis barked "carcarem" and his captives were secure.

The intensity of his attack remained the same but there was a tangible difference in the order of his attacks. His shield breaker came first, like before, but it was followed immediately by piercing hexes rather than bludgeoning hexes. They were advanced spells capable of inflicting a gruesome injury not dissimilar to a hollow-point bullet, and the instant that he switched the rest of the desperate Death Eaters were either driven back, lethally wounded, or killed outright.

By this time the rest of them had poured from the house to confront their attackers. A few were taking potshots from the windows.

The goblins had turned to face the more dangerous threat as soon as they had seen the captives go down, and they were beginning to falter under considerable fire from the defending wizards. Sephtis swept towards the manor and unleashed a series of explosive spells which tore the windows out of the house and pocked its stone walls with gaping, smoldering craters.

Beginning to tire, he drew attention away from Redtooth's men and began a systematic retreat. The goblins had abandoned the shield wall, preferring a staggered firing line. Each warrior used his crossbow from behind his shield, trading shots with the spell-casters that danced between the trees and statues of Crabbe's garden. Sephtis skirted the edge of the garden briefly, felt a group of wizards passing his wardline, and used most of his remaining magic to unleash fiendfyre.

He apparated behind Redtooth and knelt with a gusty sigh. "Pull back," he commanded, Shielding the both of them. Redooth fired his crossbow and dropped a wizard who had foolishly stepped out of the cover of his compatriot's shield to take aim at a goblin ten yards to their left.

A command in gobbledegook had the goblins pulling back, over the crest of the hill, where they stepped together.

Sephtis dropped the wards and slumped his shoulders in relief. Anchoring them to his own magic had strained him, but it was the only way for him to control them without interacting with one of the ward-stones. Feeling more energetic, he traded a final set of spells with an enterprising Death Eater who had rushed the crest of the hill.

The unfortunate fellow had his legs blown off at the hips before he was set ablaze and left to die.

"Withdraw," Sephtis shouted over the screaming wizards who continued to battle fiendfyre in the garden and the dying man upon the crest of the hill. The world spun away from them just as a cacophony of incoming apparition marked Death Eater reinforcements.

The goblin company landed in a heap of flailing limbs and rattling armor at the center of the courtyard. Sephtis stumbled only slightly, five paces apart, and dusted himself off, dismissing his shield and allowing his spear to return to a staff. He leaned upon it and breathed deeply.

"Injuries?"

"Lubeck's got a bad cut. Tirol, cruciatus exposure. Boldfoot, burns," Redtooth spat as he stood, drawing up a trembling, insensate warrior at his side.

Sephtis immediately swept forward, gathering each of the wounded at his side, and together they apparated with a crack like thunder. When Sephtis returned, he was paler than usual and swaying on his feet. "Good work. Your fellows are being treated by Michkal as we speak," he said. "See that your men get some rest, Redtooth. I have prisoners to interrogate."