Song of the Wolf, page 12
And Golmin had been shocked. He had half-expected the lord commander to recoil in disgust or threaten to expose him, but none of that had happened. Red Wolf had understood.
He had not turned against Golmin back then. For the captain to turn on him now would be a betrayal.
This is the same man who lied to the court about Ettrias. Whose testimony helped send Ettrias into exile. He lied to you about the case. Kept secrets from you.
So absorbed was he in his thoughts that he only registered Lord Cassius coming towards him moments before they collided, the spymaster muttering a curse and brief apology. Golmin opened his mouth to take the blame for it, but the man had already vanished down the hallway, leaving him standing half-stunned by himself. He glanced at the spot where Lord Cassius had been moments ago, then frowned.
He slipped something into your pocket.
Golmin dug out the note.
Spies in palace. Your involvement known. Corvan called away to small hall, thief to steal general’s message. Burn this note.
Golmin crumpled the paper in one hand and hurried back to the healer’s tower to find Corvan.
By the time he arrived, Corvan’s study had been trashed. Papers were scattered all over the desk and floor, and one glance at the broken lock on the top drawer told him all that he needed to know.
They had severely underestimated Wormwood and Highett, and now, nothing was left to stop them from carrying out their plan.
We must contact the queen somehow.
He turned, tossed Cassius’ note into the still-burning fireplace, and took the stairs back down towards the hallways two at a time. If Corvan had been called away to the small hall, no traffic would be going through the area. Palace staff were forbidden from accessing it without approval. It was the perfect place to make a person disappear.
That old man had better not get himself killed before I show up.
Golmin skidded around a corner and took the steps down again to the palace’s second level, then opened a secret shortcut to the ground level which put him right by the small hall. He burst through the doors with his sword drawn and visor down.
“Come in, Captain. You’re expected.” Wormwood’s voice rang out from the far end. Golmin raised his weapon and scanned the room. A dozen guards surrounded him, with another pair on either side who circled behind him to block his escape. One more guard held Master Corvan, who stood beside the meeting table with his hands tied behind his back. Lord Wormwood sat at the head of the table, sipping from a gold cup, with Lord Karl Highett standing just behind him.
“You know, I had my suspicions when I first caught you patrolling the cellars,” the Master of Coin continued. “You might have fooled me, had you not tried to redirect our conversation. Lord Karl didn’t believe me until we caught you again tonight.”
Golmin felt his heart plummet. They’d known all along, and now he and Corvan had played right into their trap. “Let the old man go.”
“No, no, you do not make the demands here.” Wormwood set down his cup and leaned forward, pressing his fingertips together. “This is what will happen. In a moment, I will call out for your arrest on the charge of treason. You and this old fool here…” he waved a hand at Master Corvan, “…will stand trial in front of all of Belanore’s nobility, facing the High Court itself. They will find you guilty and sentence you both to death.”
“The only act of treason here is yours,” Golmin spat.
Wormwood held up a finger. “Ah, but I’m not done yet. I am, of course, willing to let you both go…if you swear allegiance to Ettrias and recognise him as your rightful king. We will forget any of this ever happened, and you can both go on your merry way.”
“I’ll do it!” Corvan squeaked. “I swear my allegiance to Prince Ettrias. Please, whatever you do, do not kill me.”
Golmin scoffed. “Swear my allegiance to Ettrias? My allegiance is to the Crown. To Queen Talin, as it should be.”
“The queen helped frame her brother for murder, yet you still defend her?” Wormwood asked.
“The queen had no part in any of that.”
“Yet Ettrias must bear the consequences. You would really turn your back on him again? I thought you were close.”
Golmin hesitated. Join Ettrias…and condemn Red Wolf. Commit treason. Hedge his bets on a coup that might fail. Was that something he really wanted?
The time has come to choose. I’m sorry, Ettrias.
“Whatever our relationship may be, whatever it may have been, I cannot condone his actions now,” he said. “He hired assassins to kill his own sister and now plots treason against the Crown. I will play no part in it.”
“Oh, I grow tired of this,” Lord Karl said dismissively. “Arrest him, and let’s go.”
One of the guards took Golmin’s sword while another slapped manacles around his wrists.
“Traitors, all of you,” he growled.
Wormwood only smiled. “When all this is over, Captain, the only act of treason will have been yours.”
XV
Despite the length of the war and the effectiveness of Kies Tor’s western front, Talin had never seen the Western Forts up close. Now, at the foot of the wall that marked the border of the safe zone she’d been living in all this time, she finally saw what it was that made the Forts legendary. The wall was made of massive stone slabs, towering at least fifty feet into the air and giving no purchase for climbing on either side. Stairs every few hundred metres led to the top of the wall, with watchtowers placed next to them to give a good view of the land beyond. Gateways were carved into the wall, too, blocked with heavy iron doors and laden with traps. Beyond the wall ran the Calegate River, which branched off the White River in the north and ran south past the border into Astaria. The only way across was through the drawbridge crossings built into the wall.
“No wonder this defence has lasted so long,” Talin said as they led their horses through the village just before the Forts, keeping their heads down and hoods up to avoid being recognised by any off-duty soldiers lazing around. Ettrias posed as a wounded villager who had been ambushed by outlaws. Red Wolf took him to find the town healer while Talin and Ashera were left to sign in at the inn and look for a tavern to have their supper.
“Red Wolf always told me stories about the Forts,” the girl said as they led their horses through the town square. “I never thought I’d get to see them up close. Are all the stories true?”
“Most of them, yes,” Talin said. “My grandfather, King Gandar, assumed the Hellhounds would try to cut through the White River from the west, at the edge of the Draconian Empire, and take Belanore from there. He ordered this built to stop their advance if they ever got through. But they found that breaking our northern lines was easier.”
“Oh,” Ashera said. “Then we’ll run into Hellhounds once we pass the Forts?”
“Yes, though I’m more worried about passing the Forts themselves,” Talin said. “We can hardly say we’re planning to take a stroll in Hellhound territory.”
“Red Wolf mentioned bribing the guards with money,” Ashera said.
“I remember.” Talin sighed. Much as she hated to admit it, her bodyguard had been right; if word got out about her travelling past the Forts, it would only serve to confirm the rumours of her fleeing Belanore and leaving her people behind. She would lose all support from her people.
“Either way,” she continued, “we cannot delay here. The sooner we cross the border, the better.”
They found their way to the tavern by following the sound of music and the smell of food and took a table for four in the corner of the establishment. Talin noted a sign outside on their way in advertising some kind of ‘dance night’. Ettrias and Red Wolf joined them not long after, the former explaining that he was well enough to leave tomorrow as long as he remained on horseback.
“The rumours have spread even here,” Red Wolf said as he nursed his mug of ale. “They’re getting worse, too. Wilder. Some say you’ve turned on your people completely and struck some kind of bargain with the Hellhounds to save yourself. Others are saying you never intended to lead your people, that you’ve been plotting to abscond for months with all the kingdom’s gold.”
Talin hissed through her teeth. “How could these rumours have spread so quickly and so far? My council wouldn’t have allowed information to leak out, especially not…Wormwood and Corvan…”
Do you really trust Wormwood?
She shook her head. “Anyway, we’ll rest up here and leave tomorrow morning. It’ll be nice to unwind after so long on the road.”
“I don’t suppose I could convince you to stay until the full moon is past?” Red Wolf said. “Move out once the Hellhounds’ strength is past their peak?”
“You know we can’t stay,” Talin said.
Towards the centre of the tavern, folk had already left their seats to dance to the bard’s music. Some of them had even jumped onto nearby tables to make room for more people to join.
“Seems like a regular tavern event here,” Red Wolf said. Ashera looked to him hopefully, and he gave a nod, sending her into the throng of dancing townsfolk.
“Looks fun,” Talin said.
“Perhaps you’d care to join them, my queen.” Red Wolf stood and offered her a hand.
“Oh, I…don’t think…this is for me…” she began, but he was already pulling her to her feet. “One dance. Just one.”
The two of them shouldered their way into the throng of people and onto a table as the music started up again. The crowd burst into cheers. Talin recognised the tune, too; it was the classic Highlander song Raven Mountain. Red Wolf offered her a small smile as the tune picked up. Despite all the royal balls and parties she’d attended, this type of dancing wasn’t something she was used to. The table was rickety at best and threatened to break or topple any second, but Red Wolf’s firm grip on her hand helped her keep her balance. At one point, she thought she saw something flicker across his eyes—sadness, maybe—but it was gone in a flash and she decided that she’d imagined it. She was out of breath by the time the song ended, though the thrill was enough to make her agree to a second dance. Talin glanced over at Ettrias at one point and discovered that he was singing along too, cup of ale in hand.
“Well, that was fun,” Red Wolf said once they’d taken their seats again. He ordered another flagon of ale and leaned back.
“Yes…I suppose it was.” Talin smiled. For the first time in years, she felt free to do as she pleased, without having to consider council meetings or news of the war or palace etiquette. This life was so much simpler, so much more…free. She met Red Wolf’s gaze and smiled again. He grinned back at her, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Oh, wow, would you look at the time,” Ettrias said with an exaggerated yawn. “I’m going to head off to the inn and get some sleep. Ashera, come on, let’s go.”
“I want to stay,” Ashera said. “There’s music here. And dancing.”
Ettrias waved his hand absentmindedly. “Suit yourself. Red Wolf’s in charge of you anyway. Goodnight, everyone. Don’t go staying up too late.” He stood and hobbled off while Ashera disappeared back into the crowd to dance.
“Not going back out there?” Talin asked.
“It’s too…loud.” Red Wolf offered nothing more.
“I understand. I think.” Talin took a sip of ale. “Though I do wish there were parties like this in the palace. None of that etiquette and protocol everyone must follow. Just…good folk dancing on tables and singing songs.”
“Perhaps I could convince you to stay a few extra nights to enjoy their company.” Red Wolf nodded at the bard and the boisterous crowd.
“We cannot stay. You and I both know that,” Talin said.
“Well, then, I think I’ll need to take you to a good tavern once all this is over, my queen,” Red Wolf said. “Palace etiquette be damned.”
Talin laughed. “I look forward to it.” She looked at the table and realised just how close their hands were, and quickly reached for her mug. Red Wolf, thankfully, didn’t seem to notice.
“Do you have a plan for how to get past the Forts?” he asked.
“I think bribing a guard may be our only option,” Talin said. “Even if we could somehow sneak past the wall without drawing attention, we still need to cross the river. We can hardly operate the drawbridge by ourselves.”
“Very well, then,” Red Wolf said. “I take it that means we’ll be leaving early in the morning.”
“Any later, and we will never make it across the border before the full moon,” Talin said.
“Hmm.” Red Wolf seemed lost in thought. “I think it’s time we retired to bed too. We’ll need to be well-rested for tomorrow.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Talin finished her drink and stood. Red Wolf found Ashera in the midst of the crowd, and the three of them left the tavern and its partygoers behind, with plans to meet at the wall before dawn. Red Wolf took the room next to Talin’s that night and sent Ashera to claim the spare bed in the queen’s room.
The four of them rose early the next morning, well before the sun, and met at the gate where a lone guard stood on watch duty. In a hushed voice, Talin explained that they urgently needed passage across, forking over a hefty sum of yarii to ensure the man’s cooperation. He let them through as soon as he pocketed the coin. They travelled as far as they could before stopping to make camp in an open field under a star-speckled sky, while the waxing moon stared down from above, watching them silently. Talin glanced at Red Wolf at one point and found him staring at it as if in a trance.
They saw the full extent of the Hellhounds’ damage in the morning. Their path took them through what had once been a small village near the White River, though there was hardly anything left to distinguish the buildings from one another. Everywhere they walked, Talin could see charred remains and rubble, and what was left of the villagers was no longer recognisable. The Hellhounds had torn through this place with no mercy and razed it to the ground.
“Do they…?” Talin began, then thought better of it and stopped.
“Eat the bodies?” Red Wolf finished, almost as if reading her mind. “Yes.”
“I was hoping you wouldn’t answer that,” Talin muttered. The storm season had turned the village into a flooded mess; it was difficult to move two feet in any direction without kicking something under the mud and water. She sorely hoped she wasn’t disturbing the bones of the dead.
They let the horses rest here for a while; the creatures seemed glad of the clean puddles left behind after the last storm, giving them a chance to drink. Red Wolf sparred with Ashera to sharpen her sword skills while Talin practised her magic. Ettrias looked at the three of them forlornly, nursing his bandaged leg. The girl eventually yielded under Red Wolf’s brutal offensive, and Talin found herself now on the receiving end of her bodyguard’s training.
“Control the fight. Do not let your opponent lead you where they want you to go,” he said between swings. Talin could only block and hope to recover quickly enough to block again. She was growing better at noticing gaps in Red Wolf’s defence, and even wondered how easy it would be for a skilled attacker to find those gaps and exploit them, but the thought quickly fled her mind every time she was forced to parry one of Red Wolf’s blows.
There would be no time for an attacker to find a gap, she thought. Not when they’re so busy parrying blows this powerful.
Nevertheless, she ducked under one of his wide swings and drove her blade towards his chest. He overbalanced but recovered in an instant. Talin jumped back to avoid a counterattack. He followed her movements neatly and tripped her when she tried to feint.
“Not bad. But your feints are too obvious,” he said, helping her back up. “I could see what you’re doing from a mile away. Whatever you do in battle, you must commit to it.”
“Has anyone ever actually beaten you?” Talin asked.
“Your brother. Once.” Red Wolf nodded at Ettrias. “I was challenged to a duel in the dungeons after his trial. He was…understandably angry.”
“But you didn’t kill him,” Talin said, looking at her brother.
Ettrias exchanged looks with Red Wolf. “No. I…I couldn’t. I suppose I still saw him as a friend then.”
“Times have changed.” Red Wolf shook his head. “But it doesn’t do any good to dwell on the past. We should get moving. The full moon is tonight. We must get across the border before it rises.”
“Yes, let’s move out,” Talin said, mounting her horse. Red Wolf helped Ettrias up before getting his own horse.
“I’ll scout out the area, if it’s all the same to you, my queen,” he said. “Clear the path ahead, so to speak. I will return in the morning.”
“We should stick together,” Talin protested. “I won’t have you make the road safer only to get yourself killed.”
“You needn’t worry about me. I have my magic to defend myself,” Red Wolf said. “I will return by morning. I promise.”
“Red Wolf…” Talin began. “No, I am giving you an order. You will remain with us.”
“My queen—”
“You should let him go,” Ettrias cut in. “He can clear the way for us if there is a threat.”
“I...” Talin sighed. Much as she hated to admit it, Ettrias knew Red Wolf better than she did, and if he was confident in her bodyguard’s abilities, she knew she also had to have faith. “Very well. But I expect you back tomorrow, first thing.”
Red Wolf dismounted. “Best not to risk the horse. The Hellhounds have a particular taste for horsemeat.” His horse gave a panicked whinny. “Don’t worry. You’ll be safe with Ettrias.” He handed the prince the reins and took off at a fast jog.
“How is he expecting to outpace us on foot?” Talin asked.
