Chapter Thirty Two
The Night Conspiracy
ANNA
There's only one path he can go, Anna recounted as she tried to adjust her sight to the dark as they moved further and further away from the camp which was at least lit with fires at intervals. The road they had taken on the way here stretched back quite a distance at least, and there wouldn't be any alternative roads to go down just yet. King Uxzas would need to backtrack the way they had come during the day.
With her cavalry thoroughbred making good time, within a few minutes she saw Uxzas on his own mount in the far distance. Anna slowed her horse into a canter, and then into a trot when she was much nearer. Keeping her horse at least a hundred and fifty yards back, she made sure that Uxzas wouldn't be able to hear her following him.
It was easy enough to follow. Uxzas had lit a lantern while riding at trotting pace, which lit up most of the road in front. All Anna had to do was tail him. This went on for some time - Anna didn't keep track of how long - but finally Uxzas turned his mount right, where another smaller road branched out, heading down a hilly terrain.
Likewise, Anna guided her mount in that direction, and found herself moving down a road that stretched all the way to a valley floor. The Coalition had been riding across a hill that day, and Anna hadn't really paid attention to the terrain they were traversing.
It was quite impossible for her to navigate her horse in the dark, since there would be rocks and little obstacles that she wouldn't be able to see, but her horse seemed to be able to do the job without her guidance. The light cavalry horse was a young but experienced one, trotting downhill carefully. It was just as well that he could do the job for her. Anna had never really been a stellar rider.
She was reminded of that incident when she had first chosen to take her horse out beyond the boundaries of Arendelle to go in search of her sister after Elsa had accidentally frozen the entire kingdom and fled. That had been an absolute disaster, since her horse had abandoned her out in the snow, and she had to make the rest of her journey on foot.
Of course, that had brought her to Oaken's trading post where she had first crossed paths with the reindeer Sven and the mountaineer Kristoff, who was now her husband and faithful companion on this arduous campaign. Fate has a funny way of making things happen, Anna mused to herself. I wonder what will come of my choices tonight.
She didn't have to wonder too long, for Uxzas soon stopped up ahead. He hadn't reached the bottom of the hillside, but had wheeled his horse into a small ridge, where a small camp had been concealed by the heights and other taller ridges.
Anna stopped where she was, and guided her own mount to a higher ridge. There, she dismounted and went on foot, trying to shadow Uxzas from above as he too got off his horse. Anna surveyed the little campsite. A small fire blazed and smoke rose into the cold night sky, and around it sat figures dressed in loose crimson brown cloaks, looking similar to the ones Janus had described.
Crouching wasn't enough to get stay low, and so Anna laid down on her belly, leopard-crawling across the dirt and dried mud to see things better while keeping well out of sight. Moving to the very edge of the ridge on her belly, she squinted below, but quickly realised she could not make out any of their features, for they were concealed by hoods drawn over their heads.
Her eyes flicked over to Uxzas, who was approaching the campsite on foot, adjusting his garments to look presentable after riding hard. So we were right. Uxzas is working with these men in cloaks. But who are they, really?
"Good evening, Brother Uxzas." Anna strained her ears and she could barely make out the words. Brother Uxzas?
"Thank goodness you're here." This voice belonged to Uxzas. "I had my doubts you would still be with us."
"Where His Eminence commands us to go, we shall." Another voice said calmly, his accent foreign.
"Ignahon Malkovtoh." The others chorused.
"Yes, yes. Listen, I have news." Uxzas said, his tone urgent. "Developments that concern us. And that the High Priest would want to be made aware of."
"Developments? Such as?"
"The League of Sorcerers." Uxzas blurted out a little loudly. This part Anna could hear just fine. "A few days ago I came to you with the news that my task force captured the Snow Queen and her allies. But I just got word tonight that they've escaped custody."
There was a chilly, stiff silence. But it wasn't from the winter night. The air of tension could be felt, even from where Anna was lying on the ridge a good distance above.
"And you're sure of your sources?" The first voice questioned.
"Yes, yes." Uxzas said. "Listen, Brother Salvadore. You have to tell His Eminence that I knew nothing of this till now. I swear that I will work doubly hard to make sure they're recaptured."
"Yes, you would do well to take action quickly, Brother Uxzas." Salvadore said, his voice sharp as a razor. "His Eminence will not be pleased with this news, and will be expecting a better report at the earliest."
"I'll do my best," Uxzas grovelled, and for the first time, Anna saw a scared, vulnerable man afraid of a mysterious authority greater than himself. "Please, convey my deepest apologies to His Eminence. Assure him that I will have them recaptured and secured this time."
A hand suddenly gripped her shoulder tightly, and Anna spun like a cat to shake it off. A man in a brown cloak stood behind her, but did not loosen his grip. Instead, he squeezed, and Anna felt a lancing pain beginning to make itself manifest.
"Vjlurg Maneous Swaktith?" The man spoke in a language Anna didn't understand, but from the tone and emphasis of the words, she guessed that he was asking something along the lines of 'who are you?'. She didn't intend to respond however, for she violently twisted away, and the man lost his grip.
Sure footed on the ridge, the cloaked man didn't lose his balance but steadied himself. Anna took a second to look him over. Like the rest, his features were hooded, swimming in the shadows. But the fact remained that he was a threat, and he now knew of her presence here.
He made a grab at Anna, and she faded away, moving precariously to the edge. The back of her left foot trod on a loose piece of the ridge, which dislodged itself and fell away into smaller particles of rock and dust. She gasped sharply, and moved out of harm's way swiftly as the man tried to envelope her with both arms as though trying to hug her.
Anna suppressed the urge to yell, knowing that it would do more harm than good. No, she was alone out here. She silently cursed at herself for being so hasty. Waiting for Kristoff, or one or two guards to come along couldn't have hurt now, would it? It was too late to wallow in regret though, for she had bigger problems at hand.
The man was cornering her again, presumably to either kill her or take her captive to his similarly dressed brethren. Both options were out of the question for Anna, and she knew what she had to do. Escape.
She feinted right, where the ridge edge was, and dove left, bending low as she squirmed past her predator. For once, Anna was thankful for her slight frame, which made grabbing her a much harder task. Slipping away from the man's reach, she made a sprint for her horse, which she had left a distance further up the slope.
The hillside was tricky to manoeuvre. Small pebbles and random large rocks jutted out of the ground, causing Anna to almost trip up twice as she pumped her legs up the slope. Behind her, she heard the man scrambling to follow. No stopping now.
Panting, Anna reached her horse and jumped, swinging herself back into the saddle with the proficiency of an untrained but adrenaline-fuelled rider. "Go, go, go, go, go." She chanted like a mantra as she wheeled him around and applied the spurs, and off rocketed the cavalry horse.
Offering up a silent prayer of thanks, she was thankful that she had at least thought out this bit. Getting a good light cavalry horse would at least ensure speed and a better chance of her getting away safely without being caught. Anna heaved a sigh of relief, heart pounding audibly in her chest like a hammer. Or were that horse hooves?
A glance over her shoulder shattered her fragile hope. Her pursuer was mounted on a sturdy looking brown horse, and was beginning to gain on her. His horse had seemed to appear out of nowhere, like he had.
"Move, move, move, please move." Anna leaned forward, urging her mount to go faster. It was already moving at a full gallop, which would take them both back to camp soon enough. The man in pursuit would have to turn back at some point. He can't risk showing himself in public.
Apparently, the man had a similar train of thought. He brought his horse up to speed, levelling with Anna side by side. Drawing a scimitar, he drew nearer to Anna and slashed at her in a simple broad stroke.
Her old fencing training from her childhood days kicked in, and she veered her upper body out of the way quickly while still in the saddle. As best as she could manage, she tore her rapier free from the scabbard on her hip, one hand still tightly clutching on the reins as the two horses galloped side by side. Thank God I thought to bring my sword.
The horse that Hayley had picked was a really good one, for Anna was finding that out firsthand. He had a good mind of experience in battles, it seemed, for he appeared to know what Anna was doing. Cavalrymen would usually draw their carbines to fire at the enemy or engage in swordplay from horseback. Horses knew how to react in such situations, and didn't shy away at the sign of danger or the loud sounds. Thus, he required very little coaxing or tugging on the reins from Anna, who was an indifferent rider, and at best, a barely competent one.
Still, Anna found herself clinging onto dear life as she parried a heavy swing from the man's scimitar, which almost sent her off balance and falling onto the road. Nonetheless, her horse helped to compensate, and she found herself back upright and clashing swords again with the persistent assailant.
He'll have to turn back soon. Anna gritted her teeth as she parried again, and returned a riposte which he avoided. The lights from the camp were not yet visible, but it couldn't be very long now. Just hang on, a little while longer.
And then all of a sudden, the cloaked man's mount gave a sudden burst of speed, galloping and cutting directly into the path of her horse. Even a cavalry horse as well trained as could be wouldn't have been able to avoid that in a brief millisecond, and both horses collided with screams that sounded almost human-like in nature.
Anna found herself tumbling from the saddle as the impact sent her off balance, flailing madly as she flew, and landed not too far away. Sense told her that rolling would break her fall, and she did so in the split second she had before she hit the ground. When she came to rest, she could feel pain spreading all over her body like a dull ache. Damp mud stuck to her coat, and there were bits and pieces of dirt clinging to her hair.
Groaning, Anna tried to lever herself to her feet while her ears still rung, and stumbled back down to a knee. The sword wasn't that far out of reach, lying not far from where the two horses had tangled themselves in a bunch on the road. She scrambled on her hands and knees to reach it, keeping her eyes on her assailant.
The man in the cloak was walking towards her quickly with his scimitar in hand, and Anna felt a small stab of panic. Adrenaline took hold of her again, trumping the pain and fear of death, and she snatched up her rapier from the ground and hastily parried a downward cut from the scimitar.
Steel screeched against steel as the two swords grated, and the man pushed down hard. Anna released the built up tension, rolling aside as the man bulled forward due to the lack of resistance. He spun round quickly upon regaining his footing, and tried another swing, which Anna faded away from.
Her guard raised, her eyes darted around, considering the options she had. Run? She most likely wouldn't be able to make it very far before the man could catch up to her. The camp was still quite a distance away, the light not yet visible.
Stay and fight? She didn't know how long she could hold out in a swashbuckling duel with the mystery man in the cloak. But what other choice do I have?
The man lunged, thrusting his sword in an angle which would have slipped right through her breastbone and up into her heart. Quick reflexes blessed Anna, and she danced out of the way. She riposted with her own rapier, flicking away the point of his sword and very nearly nicked him on the shoulder but he pulled back as well and back-pedalled a step.
This could go on all night, Anna realised. We're evenly matched in skill. He's not a soldier for sure. But who is he, and what is he and his cohort of brown cloaks doing out in the middle of nowhere?
"Who are you?" Anna said, unsure if he even understood her.
He neglected to answer, instead circling round, scimitar flickering a little in the faint pale moonlight. Then, without warning, he lunged again, feinting left this time. When Anna dodged right, his arm went out, and he dragged her down to the ground.
Both fell onto the road, and began struggling in a flurry of arms and legs. The man appeared to be faster and got the better of the exchange as he brought his sword down. Anna just managed to bring her own blade up in a clumsy parry, and the two swords grated again as the man leaned closer towards her.
Horse hooves could be heard galloping towards them, and they were coming up the road from where the Coalition had been camped. Anna felt a glimmer of hope as she struggled to match the man's strength.
The report of a pistol went off with a deafening blow, the shot echoing through the night. It was enough to startle her attacker, for he eased his attack for a brief moment. And that was enough.
Kristoff threw aside his pistol and drew his cavalry sabre, jumping from horseback and nearly sprawling on the road. Running up, he gave the man no time to turn, and ran his sword through the back.
The brown cloak began to grow wet with crimson, and the man went limp, dropping the scimitar as Kristoff yanked his sword out of the man's back. He sagged onto Anna, who was still on the ground. With disgust, she pushed him off hastily and he rolled away onto the road, breathing hard.
"Anna!" Kristoff knelt beside her. "Are you hurt?"
"No, no. I'm fine." Anna said. Well actually, her body was protesting a little from where she had been tossed from the saddle, but she decided to ignore it for now.
"Who was that?" Kristoff asked, helping her to her feet. "Why did he try to kill you?"
"I don't know but I intend to find out." She scurried over to the man, who was still alive, chest heaving hard. Curiosity got the better of her, and she pulled back the man's hood, dispelling the shadows for whatever that was worth in their unlit surroundings.
She didn't know whether to be surprised or not. The man looked completely ordinary. Middle aged, with greying hair and some wrinkles across his face. His features had a eastern cast to it, but Anna couldn't exactly place where.
"Who is he?" Kristoff asked again.
"I don't know." Anna repeated herself. She stared at the man. His eyes were still open and very wide as his chest heaved, and it was clear to her that he didn't have very long.
"Who are you?" Anna asked sharply. "Who are you working for?"
His voice was a rasp. "Vjlor sherkintov, sorvlaign."
"What?" Anna leaned in closer to hear what he was trying to say. "Can you understand me?"
"I understand you fine." He spat in heavily accented English, his words blubbering as blood poured out of his mouth. "Unholy one."
"Unholy one? Me?" Anna was puzzled by his strange words, but she pressed on. "Who are you working for? Answer me, and we might have enough time to get you some help!" She knew that was a lie. By the time they got him in the saddle he would already be dead, and something told her that he knew it too. But better to at least sugarcoat it before he dies.
"I do not fear death." The man spat. "My time has come, and I shall know eternal peace. Reward from God for my sacrifice. But you heathen will burn for allying yourselves with sorcery."
"Heathen…what?"
"The Crimson Order shall come for you. We will no longer remain in the shadows. Your precious Coalition shall soon fall, and you will all burn, and the world will be righteous once more."
"What-what does that mean? Crimson Order?" Anna nearly shouted. "Who are you working for?"
"His Eminence be praised. May the Crimson Order live forever. Ignahon Malkovtoh." The man rasped, and then gave up the ghost. His head slumped to one side and his chest stopped heaving.
"Damn it!" Anna sat down heavily in the mud track beside the dead body. "We almost had it!"
"Anna, this is madness." Kristoff said in bewilderment as he stood over the still frame of the man. "What's going on here?"
She felt rage suddenly well up inside her, and she turned to her husband. "Why did you have to kill him?" She asked angrily. "He was going to tell us everything! But you just had to run him through with your sword, didn't you?"
"Anna, he was going to kill you!" Kristoff gestured at the motionless body, where blood was already pooling in the mud. "I didn't have a choice! You think I wanted to skewer him?"
"I had him!" She stood up to Kristoff. "He was going to talk, but now we know nothing!" She clutched her head in her hands. "Why?"
There was an awkward silence as tension hung heavily in the air. All that remained were the sounds of the night. The wind howling occasionally, the crickets and other insects chirping in the dark, and the rustling of bare branches of the trees along the roadside.
"I'm sorry." Anna shook her head, and looked up at Kristoff. "That wasn't fair of me. You saved my life. I shouldn't have shouted at you. I'm…I'm sorry."
"It's alright." Kristoff enveloped her in a hug, not caring that her clothes were caked in mud from the road. "You're alright. That's all that matters."
She let herself rest in her husband's embrace for another long moment, burying her face in his thick leathers. "I was angry." She admitted. "It's…I'm just…we were so close. So close to figuring out what happened."
"I don't understand." Kristoff released her from his embrace. "What's going on?"
Then it dawned on Anna that he didn't know. Didn't know that Janus had been back. Didn't know that there was something fishy going on in Stormtide. Didn't know that Uxzas was secretly working with this shadowy organisation called…The Crimson Order?
And so she explained the story to him as they dragged the lifeless body behind a big rock where it wouldn't be seen by anyone passing down the road. He listened with great intrigue, obviously quite indignant that his wife had put herself into harm's way without second thought. One would have imagined that he would be used to it by now.
"And so I saw Uxzas talking to the men in the cloaks." She said, coming near to the end of her story. "Then this one ambushed me, and chased me on horseback until we both fell, and then I held him off." Anna finished. "And that's when you arrived."
"It's a hell of a story." Kristoff said lamely, wiping his hands on his leathers as the two of them began to sort out the two horses to take them back to the Coalition camp. "It sounds like Uxzas is answering to these people, whoever they are."
"Seems that way," Anna said as she mounted her horse, and Kristoff mounted his with his hands holding the reins of the enemy's horse. Her mount hadn't really sustained any injuries, and they were back on the road again in no time. "It may be that this Crimson Order has been manipulating King Uxzas from the very beginning."
Kristoff gave her an incredulous look. "So what you're saying is they could have been behind the CAST this whole time?"
"That's what I intend to find out," Anna grimaced as the lights of the camp grew visible. "If that's the last thing I do."
