Soarer's Children, Part 3
Chapter 13, East of Dulka, Southern Lustrea
Alucius stood on the side of the highway, several vingts east of Dulka. It was less than a quarter glass after sunrise. After considerable thought he had decided that he would try his experiment with unlinking a section of highway here for several reasons. The first was that if successful, it wouldn't matter if snow wouldn't melt away anymore since it didn't snow around Dulka. The second was that if the roadway was to crumble away it would happen where it would cause problems for two potential sources of trouble. And lastly, if it worked as he hoped it would, the blindfolded Talent wielder he ran into the last time he was in Dulka might sense the change and find it cause for concern.
He looked down the road in each direction and seeing no one in sight, he let his senses slip below the road surface, searching out the tendrils that linked the paving stones to the life force of the surrounding environment. Tracing along the tendrils he found the first node and then moved on until he located a larger node. This one appeared to link smaller trunk lines for the paving stones of a tenth of a vingt or so of roadway. He extended a probe and with a deft twist the node unraveled with a brief flash of talent.
It was immediately evident to Alucius that the road surface was 'dead'. He watched it intently for any signs of rapid decay but the surface remained unchanged. He waited for a quarter glass or so and still saw no change. He knelt down at the edge of the road surface and took out a small chisel he had borrowed from the workshop. He scratched several short lines at the very edge of one of the paving stones. He'd return in a week to see if they were still there, and to check on the condition of the stones.
Having done what he needed to do, he dropped back into the earth and began his trip home, but he was going to take a little detour. He was going to check the status of the southern and northern passes and try to determine the Praetor's intentions. Using the eastern edge of the Spine he drifted along until he arrived beneath the pass through which the Lost Highway entered Lustrea. The mass of humanity above was nearly overwhelming. He drifted further, edging a bit more northwest so that he could emerge in the peaks that defined the northern edge of the pass. Finding an area devoid of traces of people, he drifted up and emerged in a shallow, rocky depression. Climbing the small lip he found a spot where he could look down and see the plain to the east of the pass. Thousands of troops were assembled, long lines of tethered horses defining the limits of the encampment.
From what Alucius could see, the Praetor appeared to be preparing to go after the scattered nomadic tribes of the high steppes. He could also see a number of wagons isolated near the entrance of the pass. He had an uneasy feeling he knew what at least some of the wagons contained. He slipped back into the earth and drifted back toward the outlet of the pass. Settling under the wagon closest to the pass, he began probing the contents. While there was no feeling of operating Talent, it was obvious that there were multiple versions of a complex arrangement of crystals. While he had never come up against this particular arrangement, his experience with crystals generally meant weaponry. He sent out a probe, looking for anything resembling the rotating nexus that he used to destroy the crystal spear thrower, but all he found was inert materials.
He moved along beneath the other wagons and found more of the same. There were several dozen. He could do nothing at the moment so he headed north to Passera and the pass located just to the west. An even larger concentration of force was located there, obviously preparing for the invasion of Deforya. Unlike in the south he was picking up a heavy usage of Talent further to the west. Based on what was going on above him, or the lack of it, he couldn't imagine that any significant combat was occurring so he drifted along below the pass until he found what he was looking for. Moving a bit north so that he would emerge in the rocks above the pass, he once again found himself looking down at what was going on.
To the west, the pass was blocked by a large mass of rocks and debris. It must have been a monumental effort to create it as with all the passes cut for the highways by the ancient Efrans, the cut was half a vingt wide. It appeared that large amounts of rock had been blasted from either side and then manhandled across. The source of the Talent energies he had sensed was clearly evident. A large, metal covered wagon was positioned on the road about two hundred yards from the face of the rock wall. To either side were skirmish lines of riflemen who would occasionally shoot at snipers that were hiding in the debris pile. The Deforyan fire was concentrated on the armored wagon but was having no affect. From behind an armor shield placed beside the wagon, a Lustrean pulled down on a lever and a distant hum reached Alucius a moment later. At the same time he felt himself begin to weaken. Instinctively, he drove a thread down into the earth to link with the closest line of energy. He immediately felt better, so he watched as a line of blue-green fire flashed out, striking the rock wall.
Alucius had to blink several times to clear his tear blurred vision and when he could focus again he saw a section of the wall perhaps twenty five yards wide and half that deep had disappeared. Maintaining his link to the earth he sent out a probe to try and learn how the light cannon functioned. At the rear of the wagon was a large bank of crystals that were slowly refilling with life force energy. If allowed to continue, the use of this device would have a severe impact on the amount of local life force. He would have to try and see how the energy was tapped and directed the next time it was fired, which based on the rate at which the main crystals were recharging, would be in less than a quarter glass. The amount of fire from the Deforyans was increasing and the Lustreans were returning with heavy volleys of their own.
In less than a quarter glass, the operator pulled down on the lever and again the whining hum rose. Alucius concentrated on the probe and while he could feel additional life force flow through him he was able to discern that the storage crystals drew from the environment around them, then dumped the energy into the discharge crystal. Unlike the spear thrower there was no spinning nexus. He could sense, however, that the entire assembly was under a great deal of stress. The line of blue-green light flared again and another section of the wall disappeared, taking with it two of the sniper positions. Alucius knew he was going to have to put an end to this. Not so much for the sake of the Deforyans but such a device was a huge danger to the world and not just because of the military advantage. He thought about what he could do. It quickly became evident that the high stress seemed to be the key. A plan formed in his mind and he strengthened the
link into the earth.
He maintained his probe to the light cannon and waited as the storage crystals recharged. He traced the path from the storage unit to the discharge crystal. He thought he felt a slight restriction in the flow, causing some localized heating. This may have been the cause of, or contributed to, the stress he sensed. Perhaps there was a flaw he could exploit. Anchoring his probe to the location of the restriction he used some energy to create a flow in the opposite direction. He could feel the heating increase. He could also 'see' the flaw in the crystal become more pronounced. He could feel that the storage crystals had reached capacity and he began to feed more energy in the reverse direction. Watching the operator, just as the man began to pull the lever down, he slammed as much energy as he could muster through his probe connection. As the storage crystals discharged, the stored energy collided with Alucius' supplied Talent and the whining hum turned into a reverberating shriek. He cut his probe and ducked behind the stone lip. He could sense the two opposing flows combine and then flash towards the discharge crystal. When the overload struck the weakened flaw the crystal fractured and the uncontrolled discharge let loose with a deafening blast.
Similarly to when he destroyed the two spear throwers, Alucius chose not to rely on just the ground for protection. He threw up a shield and hunkered down until the sound of debris ricocheting off the other side of the rock wall stopped. Dropping the shield, he looked up over the edge of the lip and saw a scene of total devastation. Where the wagon once stood was a crater a least two yards deep and ten times that in diameter. Most of the line of riflemen on either side of the wagon were wiped out, with perhaps the last few on the far ends alive but incapacitated. From what he could see, the rock wall on the far side was heavily gouged, most likely from fragments of armor. The rock obstacle wall suffered some damage as well, but the Deforyans were responding quickly and several squads of foot troopers were scrambling down from the wall to finish off any Lustrean survivors. Alucius decided it was time to head for home. He paused to make sure he wasn't fatigued but all seemed well so he willed himself to drop down into the earth. He headed west without worrying about what was above him.
Chapter 14, North of Iron Stem, Iron Valleys
"So tell us, son, where do you think they got all those Talent weapons?" Royalt asked Alucius.
"Well, sir, I know that there were Efrans or those possessed by them working in Lustrea. Since it's only been a few months since we severed the connection I'm sure there are more than a few of their artifacts lying around. Hopefully, that was the only one of those light cannons but I wouldn't count on it. And there was all that gear in the wagons at South Pass. I'll have to figure something out."
"You'll have to figure something out?" Wendra asked, with heavy emphasis on the first word. "You know that your grandfather knows a thing or two about tactics and I can travel the lines as easily as you. You don't have to do this alone. In fact, I think I insist you don't."
Alucius looked across the table at Wendra, taking in the intense gaze of those green eyes and the serious set of her mouth.
"Alright, you make a good point. So, who's got any ideas?"
"May I ask the most obvious question?" Lucenda asked. "Why do you have to do anything? I thought you said you didn't really care if the landowners were overthrown. And wouldn't it be a good thing to have the nomads suppressed?"
"Yes and yes, mother," Alucius replied. "The problem is, what happens afterward? It's not a very long ride from Dereka to the eastern border of Lanachrona and the Lustreans would control both the northern and southern routes if they quell the nomads. We'd have to face possible invasions from either or both routes. Without those weapons they'd spend generations chasing the nomads and that way we could focus on the north. And they wouldn't have them to bring against us."
"I suppose you might be right, son," Lucenda said, " but then I'd have to agree with Wendra that you not do all this by yourself."
"Yes, mother," replied the man who was, when all things were considered, the single most powerful individual on the planet of Acorus. "So, Grandfather, what do you think?"
The elder herder sat back in his chair with pursed lips.
"As to the matter of additional light cannons, I'd think that you'll know soon enough if they have others. I would have to think they would bring it to the North Pass to continue the assault on that barrier wall. As to the weapons or whatever they are in the south, are you willing to wait to see how they operate?"
"I'd rather not, Grandfather, but I might have no choice. There doesn't seem to be a common pattern as to how they work so I don't know right now how to destroy whatever it is that's in those wagons."
"You said that there seemed to be a least several in each wagon, so we can assume they aren't particularly large. They were standard wagons, correct?" Royalt asked.
"Yes, sir."
"When you went after the spear throwers at Southgate, you brought blasting powder with you, didn't you?"
"Yes, sir, but that was more of a cover for what I was going to do. I don't know how effective it would have been against the heavy components of the spear thrower itself," Alucius said.
"Understood, but I'd imagine the wagons would have suffered heavily. Let's think about this. Can you recall the impressions you had of how these crystal devices were constructed?"
Alucius had a fleeting glimpse of himself as a young man before he entered Militia service, being trained by his grandfather and his method of asking probing questions to guide the learning process.
"Let's see," he replied leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. "What I believe is the device is an assemblage of several identical crystals feeding into a large single crystal, not unlike the big light cannon but on a much smaller scale, likely man portable. I think each wagon held five."
As he spoke he felt a light touch on his consciousness, a touch he immediately recognized. He couldn't help but smile.
"Dearheart, what is that around the crystals? It feels like wood of some kind?" Wendra asked.
"Yes, it did feel like wood, but not particularly substantial," he replied without opening his eyes.
"See if you can concentrate a bit more, dear. It feels like something else was there but I can't quite see it," his wife said softly.
He tried to focus on the feel of the complete contents of the wagon and the image of something long and narrow surfaced.
"A portable stand," Wendra said. "Three wooden legs and some sort of metal bracket where the legs join."
Husband and wife opened their eyes and looked across the table at each other. Alucius smiled as he said,
"You're really very good at this. You seem to see things more easily than I do."
"You store so much information, sweetheart, I think it's easier for me to see it from the outside. I could clearly see what you sensed. Rectangular wooden boxes with crystals inside, a tall three legged stand for each, five in that wagon. They didn't strike me as being very robust," she said.
"That was an interesting thing to see," Royalt interjected. "You two may be the first couple to be able to truly say they have no secrets from each other. But back to the issue at hand. I think we should consider some form of blasting charge beneath each wagon. A big enough charge should be enough to damage these smaller light cannons, perhaps even destroy them completely."
"Alright, father, so where does a herder obtain that much blasting powder?" Lucenda asked.
"I'd imagine he'd have no trouble getting it from Feran or the Lord Protector," Royalt said.
"I have another idea. I could use some help, though," he said, looking across at Wendra. "Would you be interested in taking a little trip with me tonight?"
"Surely, sweetheart. What did you have in mind?"
Alucius smiled.
Chapter 15, Heiron, Madrien
It was two glasses past midnight as two tall figures stood in the shadow of a large tree overlooking the city of Heiron and Eltema post. The man and woman, were dressed in black herder attire, each carrying several satchels over their shoulders.
"There's Eltema post. The long building over to the side there is the armory. That's where we should find what we are looking for," Alucius told Wendra quietly. "I don't think we should run into anyone but be prepared to put them to sleep."
"Alright, dear, I understand," Wendra replied patiently.
There was an edginess to Wendra's tone that Alucius picked up on but didn't mention. He looked at her in the fading moonlight and her eyes looked tight around the edges.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Yes, dear," she replied tersely.
"Let's go," he said and willed himself to drop back into the earth.
He could sense the presence of his wife next to him, a warmth in the coolness, but again he was sensing something was there, a tension not normally associated with the 'feel' of his wife. They arrived beneath the front end of the armory building and then drifted slowly along, seeing up inside where racks of rifles and sabers were arranged with precision. In the next room were boxes of cartridges and spare belts. Towards the rear of the building, they found a deep basement that had a separate entrance from the outside. Sending Wendra a thought, he willed himself up through the stone floor, arriving just an instant before Wendra. It was dark. There were no windows and at this hour, no lanterns were lit. Two herders with Talent enhanced night sight had no trouble making out the major items in the room but Alucius came prepared and took a small crystal light torch from his pocket. Shining it around the room he saw that several large cabinets with heavy padlocks were labeled with warnings in Madrien.
"Let's each take one," he said.
Wendra nodded and walked up to one of the cabinets and took hold of the lock while Alucius did the same. He heard her lock click a moment before his did. He felt silent pride at his wife's ability as he removed the lock and pulled the doors open. A number of small wooden casks were arrayed on shelves. He took several down, one at a time and put them on a work table nearby. He could see Wendra was doing the same. Using belt knives, they each pried open the tops and began pouring the powder into the satchels they carried. Working quickly but carefully they emptied the contents of nearly a dozen casks into the bags. They'd be heavy but manageable.
Alucius took the empty casks and put them back on the shelves in the cabinet, rearranging them so the empty ones were moved to the back. He didn't want to give any indication that anything had been touched. He looked at Wendra, who had her satchels packed and she was returning her casks to the cabinet.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Just a moment," she replied as she was closing the cabinet and fastening the lock.
She took the satchels down off the bench and holding them by the straps she said,
"Let's stop back by the side of the road so I can get sorted out. I don't like being in here."
"Alright," Alucius replied, as he shouldered his satchels.
Wendra was gone before he could even think about it. He dropped through the floor and began moving to the outskirts of the city, the shadow of Wendra moving quickly ahead of him. When he surfaced she was standing there, the satchels at her feet. She was looking back towards the city and the trooper post.
"So that's where they took you after you were captured. And you were trained there, correct?"
"That's right. And it's where I was when I destroyed the first crystal. Why?" he asked.
"Just this," she replied.
Invisible to all those without talent, a line of intense purple fire lanced out from Wendra directly to the rear of the armory building. The amount of power was staggering. Alucius could tell she had linked directly to the flow beneath them. In an instant the night sky turned bright white as the armory exploded with a deafening report. The entire back half of the building was obliterated and burning debris was raining down all over the post. Blast damage to the buildings nearest to the armory was evident even from where they stood. Alucius was looking at Wendra in shock. When she turned to face him he could see the tension was gone and replaced by a sense of immense satisfaction.
"What did you do that for?" he asked.
"Those bitches seriously disrupted our lives. Now they know I didn't appreciate it. Let's go home," she said.
She easily got the satchel straps of powder over her shoulders and dropped into the earth without another word. Alucius followed after her.
Chapter 16, North of Iron Stem, Iron Valleys.
"So, where did you put that Legacy of the Duarches?" Lucenda asked.
"We wrapped the satchels in oil cloth and put them in an old crate. We buried that at the far end of the wash where the escape tunnel comes out. That should be safe enough."
Lucenda's look indicated some disbelief but she said nothing further. Alucius yawned. He had only gotten a couple of hours of sleep and then he had to take the flock out. Royalt had gone to Dekhron with Wendra's grandfather and uncle to make a delivery of nightsilk to a factor from Lanachrona. He would be staying overnight.
"So what do you plan on doing with this powder?"
"When grandfather returns we'll contrive some sort of charges out of it and then take them to the Southern Pass and destroy those talent weapons."
"Just like that?"
"Yes, mother. Just like that," Alucius replied with another gaping yawn.
Lucenda looked a Wendra and gave her a knowing smile.
"It seems to me that all of your adventures have taken the wonder out of life. He makes a journey of thousands of miles in a fraction of a glass sound like a walk to the stock barn. And he adds a huge yawn as well."
Wendra tried to hide a laugh behind her hand.
"Oh, thank you," Alucius said to his wife, "you at least had a chance at a nap this afternoon."
Wendra stifled her laugh because it was true, she and little Alendra shared nap time that day. Lucenda simply shook her head and began clearing the table. Alucius was asleep within the hour. The following afternoon, as he was bringing the flock in he saw Royalt standing by the door to the workshop. As Alucius got closer, his grandfather called out.
"Come see me when you get the flock settled."
"Yes, sir."
Less than half a glass later he was standing beside his grandfather at a workbench. They were both looking at a roll of heavy brown paper roughly the length and diameter of a man's arm.
"I was thinking about how you'd get those charges to the Pass. I thought boxes or those satchels might be cumbersome. Then Kustyl and I were in the drygoods store in Dekhron and I saw the roll of wrapping paper. I would think that two of these per wagon should do the job."
"You didn't go and dig up the crate did you?" Alucius asked.
"No, of course not. This is just sand. When did you figure on doing this?"
"I'm going to need at least one more good night of sleep. Then I'll want to do a scouting of the Pass and how they have the wagons guarded. Then we work it out," Alucius said.
"We?"
"Yes, we, sir." Alucius said with a crooked grin.
Chapter 17, Southern Pass, Lustrea
The man and woman sat crouched in the rocks above the southern side of the Pass watching the activity in the encampment below. The number of campfires flaring in the darkness was significant. The wagons were still in the same location as Alucius had remembered.
"It doesn't look like they're up to all that much," Wendra said softly.
"I noticed signs of patrols when I was here a couple of days ago. They may be trying to locate major concentrations of nomads before moving in force," Alucius replied.
"Do you think what you did up north might be making them think twice about what they are doing here?"
"Considering the distance they probably aren't even aware of it yet," he replied.
"You're right. I have to remember what it takes to cover such long distances. I can't imagine what is like for you making all those longs trips on horseback. It must have been mind numbing."
"The mind wasn't what went numb," he replied dryly, looking out over the plain below.
Wendra had to stifle a laugh but she reached out and squeezed his arm. She looked down to the group of wagons. Alucius' further scouting determined that the last two wagons contained a higher number of just the boxed crystal sets. Apparently, someone had the foresight to build spares for the firing units. It was decided that an additional charge would be placed under each of these wagons. The plan was for them to each take enough charges from their stock pile in the rocks to deal with three wagons. They would return for more. Based on the number of wagons, they would need to make three trips. Alucius discovered the construction of the wagons allowed for the charges to be wedged into place beneath the bed and then tied off with twine wraps that Lucenda recommended.
"Ready?" Alucius asked.
"Yes, dear. Let's get this done."
They each grabbed a carry bag and strapped it to their chests. This would allow them to rise up under each wagon laying on their backs and work from underneath unobserved. With a nod they each faded into the ground. While cognizant of each others presence they went about their work independently. Guards were walking their posts less than a dozen paces away. Quickly and quietly they attached the charges to the wagons, returned for more charges and continued working. Wendra completed her work first and she hunkered down and waited for her husband. He materialized at her side a tenth of a glass later.
"Any problems?" she asked.
"One of the guards decided to relieve himself against the wheel of the first wagon. I had to stop setting the charges. It set me back a little."
Wendra looked at her husband with a curious expression on her face and then asked,
"Why would he need to use a wagon wheel? It's pitch dark away from the fires, and they're in the middle of nowhere down there."
Alucius just shrugged and smiled. Wendra simply shook her head and said,
"Shall we?"
"Yes. We'll do it like we planned. Just like you did at Eltema Post. We'll have to be very quick about it. The wagons are close enough that one blast might dislodge the charges of the next one."
Wendra nodded.
"Ready," Alucius said, "go."
Instantly, a rapid succession of purple lances flashed towards the wagon, invisible to the troopers below. And just as rapidly the charges detonated. The remnants of shattered, burning wagons and their contents rained down over a large area of the encampment. More than a few tents caught fire and a large number of horses pulled loose from their tethers and ran terrified into the night. The pandemonium was wide spread. Alucius looked over at Wendra.
"That worked out very well. I can't be sure but I thought I sensed some of your wagons exploding simultaneously. How'd you manage that?" he asked.
"Didn't you know, sweetheart? Women can handle several things at once although it usually takes place in the home, but it seems to apply here as well," she responded happily.
Alucius shook his head and said,
"Let's go home."
They faded into the ground leaving behind blasted wreckage and an encampment in chaos.
Chapter 18, North of Iron Stem, Iron Valleys
Lucenda stood in the kitchen pouring tea into two cups as Wendra and Alucius walked in. She gave them a close inspection and then offered a grim smile,
"I assume you were successful in destroying those Legacies of the Duarches?"
"Yes, mother. As best we could both determine, all the boxes containing the crystals were destroyed. They might be able to salvage a few crystals but unless they are far tougher than the ones I've come across, I'd have to think they'd have shattered in the blasts," Alucius replied.
Lucenda nodded her approval and then gestured to the table.
"Sit down and relax a bit. I checked on Alendra not too long ago. She's sound asleep. I'm off to bed."
"Thank you, mother," Alucius said as she left the kitchen for her room.
Sitting down across from one another, Alucius and Wendra sipped their tea.
"So, what now?" she asked.
"I'll wait for a few weeks so that I'm sure the Praetor has gotten the news and had time to consider it. Then I'll pay him a late night visit and we'll have a conversation. Hopefully, I can convince him to stay on his side of the Spine."
"Will you be needing help?" Wendra asked casually.
Alucius regarded his wife for a moment and said,
"You're actually enjoying this, aren't you?"
"I don't know if I'd say I was enjoying it, but there is a certain satisfaction in it. And I have to admit to a certain exhilaration," she replied with a smile but her eyes held more. "Are we finished here?"
"I'd think so. It'll be good to get some sleep."
Wendra rose and took both cups to the sink to rinse them out and put them in the rack to dry. She then took Alucius by the arm and walked him to their room. As she closed the door behind them, she said,
"It may be a while before you get a chance to sleep."
Chapter 19, Lord Protector's Palace, Tempre.
"So, Colonel, it would appear that your efforts of late in regards to the Matrites have born considerable fruit. By latest accounts fully three companies worth of former captive troopers have returned and more than two thirds of those have expressed interested in returning to service in the guard. And they brought with them horses and weapons, along with those cursed torques. It was decided that we would trade them gold for silver and we are melting them down. The borders are quiet and we have a timetable to begin discussions. Apparently, you must have been very persuasive," the Lord Protector said with a smile.
"I think the facts spoke for themselves. I just had to suggest they look at them more closely," Alucius replied with a small smile.
"We have also received rumors that the Matrites have suffered some rather spectacular accidents. A large explosion not far from the Matrial's Residence not long before they made their first positive response to the truce offer, and another one approximately two weeks ago at their main headquarters post in Heiron. A very large explosion that caused significant damage to the post."
"It would seem the Matrites are beset on all sides, sir. It's good that they are seeing reason," Alucius replied.
"I suspect this is more of that which I shouldn't know too much about?"
"Yes, sir, for the moment, at least," Alucius replied casually.
The Lord Protector smiled with a slight shake of the head.
"As to the east, it is a much quieter summer than I would have expected. I would have thought to have heard of at least an incursion into Deforya by now. And possibly some action on the steppes."
"I have done some scouting along the eastern reaches of the Spine, sir. Lustrea has massed forces at both the North and South passes but they have run into problems. The Deforyans are proving more resourceful with their resistance and have the North Pass blocked for now. The Lustreans have been scouting along the Lost Highway but have hesitated to deploy troops in force."
"Well, that's something then. I wish the Praetor much ill fortune on both fronts. We'll need at least two years at this rate to establish a proper defense. Anything you can determine would be greatly appreciated and it lends substance to your notion of leaving the post in Dekhron in a caretaker status once you've moved headquarters. When next you speak with Colonel Feran I would appreciate your assessment of what it would take to defend the Northern route from any movement by the Praetor."
"Yes, sir. We've discussed the situation in general but we will take a more detailed look at it," Alucius replied.
"Excellent. So tell me. How are the herders faring this year?"
"The price of nightsilk is steady. A consignment was sold within the last couple of weeks. The futures market doesn't seem to have taken recent events into account. We think it may be that the market doesn't trust the truce to hold. If it does, eventually prices should start to drop, but we hope with the opening of the border between us, the cost of solvents produced here in Lanachrona will come down as well," Alucius explained and the Lord Protector nodded his understanding. "In addition, the availability of nightsilk might diminish by a bit within the year so that might compensate."
"How do you mean?" the Lord Protector asked with interest.
"My grandfather told me the other day that we might lose as many as three steads within the year. It remains to be seen if the rest of us could absorb those flocks," he said.
"Why would these steads be lost?"
"The herders currently holding them have no one to turn them over to. The wars have been difficult on all in the Valleys and even with your prohibition the steads have lost sons with talent."
"Are there still such within the Northern Guard that could run these steads?" the Lord Protector asked.
"It's possible, sir. I don't know them all," Alucius replied.
"And what of the other steads? Are there no younger sons or daughters that have Talent that could take over such a stead?"
"Well, yes, sir. But that usually occurs through marriage or inheritance through some family connection. My understanding is there isn't any in these cases."
The Lord Protector seemed visibly upset at this news. He sat in his chair, his finger tapping on the armrest. Then he seemed to make a decision and he said,
"Come with me, if you would, Colonel."
"Of course, sir," Alucius said as she stood up to follow the Lord Protector into his private apartments.
When they entered the living quarters he saw Lady Alerya sitting at a desk, stylus in hand watching them approach.
"Is there something wrong, dearest?" she asked.
"In a manner of speaking. Might I impose upon you so I could write out two messages for the Colonel to take with him?" he asked.
"Of course, dear," she said and rose from the desk and stepped to the side so the Lord Protector could be seated.
He took a fresh sheet of paper and began to write. Lady Alerya looked to Alucius as if for a hint but all he could do was give a barely perceptible shrug and head shake. The Lord Protector's consort raised her eyebrows a bit and then said,
"So, Colonel, you have tendered my invitation to your wife, I trust."
"Yes, ma'am. She was quite pleased but also a bit dismayed at finding something fitting to wear," he replied with a smile.
Alerya waved this off and said,
"Nonsense. This is meant to be quiet meeting of acquaintance, not a grand ball. I believe you once mentioned something about one's 'gather best'? That would be more than satisfactory. And when did she feel comfortable in coming."
"She asked if the trip after next was satisfactory, ma'am. Little Alendra is sleeping through the night now, but Wendra wants to be sure it is a pattern and not just an aberration."
She laughed at this and said,
"She is wise to do so. When Talus first started sleeping through the night it lasted some three weeks and then the next four were a mix of all kinds. One night a sound sleeper, then next up until nearly dawn. It was ghastly. But I will look forward to her arrival in two months time."
The two waited in silence for a few moments longer and then the Lord Protector handed Alucius two folded sheets of paper. The first was addressed to Colonel Feran. The second, surprisingly, to his grandfather, Royalt.
"The first is to Colonel Feran, directing him to determine if there are any herders among the troopers that could be released to fill the void on any of these three steads. The second is to your grandfather. I'm requesting that he, and any others he deems suitable, to work out some arrangement to keep those steads operating. If there is need for any sort of proclamation to legalize the transfer, if that is what is required, I can issue those and will do so. I am most adamant that steads should not be lost if a way can be found to prevent it. You will see that those are promptly delivered?"
"Yes, sir, tonight," Alucius replied.
Chapter 20, Northern Guard Headquarters, Dekhron
Colonel Feran, Commandant of the Northern Guard sat in the one chair he found truly comfortable in his quarters. He was reviewing a number of documents related to the impending relocation of the headquarters post. He was interrupted by a gentle knocking and his name being called. The voice sounded familiar. He was quickly at the door and when he opened it he found Alucius standing in the shadows on the other side.
"Alucius? What are you doing here? Has something happened?"
"No, no cause for alarm. I'm playing at dispatch rider," he replied as he stepped inside. "I have a message for you from the Lord Protector."
"What? How did you get hold of a message from him? Wait, is this one of those things I don't want to know too much about?" Feran asked.
"Most likely. Suffice to say I saw him write it and sign it himself," Alucius replied as he held out the folded sheet of paper.
Feran accepted it and began to read. His eyebrows pulled down and then he said,
"Why would the Lord Protector care about a handful of herders in the Guard?"
"Apparently, he's taken a strong, personal interest in the health of steads. He was pretty dismayed when he heard that three might be lost by next year. He's asking my grandfather to mediate a solution."
"Well, he's in charge. I'll send out the orders for the companies to check," Feran said.
"You can't check the record?"
"My dear Colonel, did you ever see your record papers? Do you think there's a line that says, 'possesses copious amounts of Talent'? We know who came off the steads, we need to ask quietly who likely has Talent," Feran replied.
"You are right, of course. I need to get some sleep. Oh, by the way, he also told me that he wants you and I to take a look at the Northern highway and figure out what it would take to defend against the Lustreans coming by way of Deforya."
"You expect trouble?" Feran asked, all business.
"Not yet. Think of it as an exercise for now. Give it some thought and we'll discuss it the next time you come out for a ride."
"So you've really been talking to the Lord Protector?" Feran asked.
"Once a month."
"But how...never mind, I don't want to know," Feran replied.
Alucius smiled and began moving to the door. He looked back and said,
"And don't take too long before you come out for that ride. Mother will make something special."
"That's reason enough for the ride. It'll be soon, I promise."
Chapter 20, North of Iron Stem, Iron Valleys
"A message from the Lord Protector?" Royalt asked as he took the folded paper from Alucius.
"Yes, Grandfather. I saw him write it himself," Alucius said.
"I wasn't doubting you, son," Royalt said with a laugh. "I just find it hard to believe he would have something to say to me."
"Why don't you see what it has to say, Father. That might make things clearer," Lucenda offered straight faced.
The older herder shook his head but chose not to say anything. He flipped open the message and began to read. At first he frowned and then his eyebrows lifted.
"Is he serious?" Royalt asked.
"Very. It took me by surprise too, but when I happened to mention the possibility that we might lose as many as three steads by next year, he was quite upset. He has Feran combing the Guard for any herder sons with Talent that could be returned to their steads."
"Yes, he mentions that here. He wants me to work with any of the other herders I think appropriate to find a way to keep those steads going. What does the Lord Protector care about a few steads?" Royalt asked.
"He's mentioned on several occasions that he values what the herders have to offer the country so I imagine he's not going to wait until we're in a crisis before he acts. I can't say that I disagree with him either. Do you think you can do something?" Alucius asked.
"Well, I suppose I could get with Kustyl and a few of the other older stead holders to see what we can come up with. One stead shouldn't be an issue. Old Zestert is a childless widow. As to the other two, there are Talentless family members that would need to be taken care of somehow, but let me see what we can do. It's a problem worth working on. I'll go see Kustyl tomorrow."
"Thank you, Grandfather. Oh, and Wendra, Lady Alerya was quite pleased to hear you accepted her invitation," Alucius said, then he looked a bit uncomfortable. "Um, I let it slip that you had some concern about what to wear."
"Alucius! How could you? She must think I'm some sort of uncouth back country girl," Wendra said in dismay.
"She thinks nothing of the kind, dear. From what I've told her she thinks you're something special and she said that gather best would be just fine."
"How does she know about gather best?" Wendra asked in confusion.
"She must have been paying close attention when I described how we first met. I know I talked about how you looked and were dressed."
"You were able to remember all of that while you were talking to the Lord Protector and his lady?"
"It was easy. I can remember every detail of how you looked that day down to your boots and belt," Alucius replied with a smile.
The look his wife returned would have melted iron. Royalt coughed a bit and said,
"If there isn't anything else to discuss tonight, I'll need to be up early tomorrow so I'm off to bed."
"Good night, Father," Lucenda said with a odd tone in her voice.
They watched Royalt walk towards his room. Then Alucius looked toward his mother and said,
"What's the matter, mother?"
"Oh, I was just thinking back to when I first met your father. With me being a Talentless only child, your grandparents faced the same problem as those two stead holder families. It reminded me of how much I miss your father, even after all these years," Lucenda said with a melancholy smile.
Alucius closed the distance between them in a few steps and pulled his mother to him.
"I'm sorry, mother. I completely forgot the circumstances of your consorting to father. I should have been more circumspect," he said.
"Nonsense, son," she said from the circle of his arms. "It was a love match almost from the start. Not unlike someone else I know," she said smiling over at her daughter-in-law. "And thanks to you two I am content and happy knowing that the stead will stay in the family for generations to come. Now, off to bed with the both of you. Alucius will be taking out the flock in the morning."
"I think I'd like to go with you, dearheart. It's been a while and Alendra could use the fresh air," Wendra said.
"I'd like that very much. What herder wouldn't want a beautiful sharp shooter with an explosive personality riding his flank?"
He managed to dodge the punch she threw but wound up stepping right into the slap on the arm from his mother. The mark lasted for over a glass.