The Fireseed Wars

"Exactly, Baron. No, this missive and its contents will stay in my hands only. Is that agreed?"

Ranthos nodded his acceptance.

Sirna's shoulders slumped. Phidestros realized he was losing her, but didn't know what to do about it. He certainly couldn't rebuff Lysandros' offer of a bride; after all, no woman was worth a crown.

"Now, we must decide what portions of this letter we will send to the Grand Commander."

Ranthos spoke. "Your Highness, leave it as it is, only we'll substitute my forgery for the original parchment. That way we will have Anaxthenes' code on Styphon's specially marked parchment should the need ever arise to publicly display this document."

"You're hanging a death sentence on a good man," Sirna said.

Phidestros shrugged his shoulders. "It's not our death sentence; it comes from Styphon's Own Voice. Maybe the gods will spare Prince Anaxon, or maybe he will die in battle anyway. Besides, this Prince is no friend of ours. Many good men die in wars. Is this just, maybe? Maybe not? Ask Galzar the Judge, not me."

"Yes, Your Highness," Ranthos added, "Anaxon's death will be our proof that this missive was not only written by Styphon's Voice, but carried out by his orders. Someday this letter might destroy a kingdom…"

Or create a new one, Phidestros thought to himself.

TWENTY-FIVE

What I'd like to do," Kalvan said in passable Urgothi, "is promote you to Captain-General of the Army of Thagnor."

"Why me, Your Majesty?" Errock asked, shaking his head. "You have no end of good commanders in the Army of Nos-Hostigos." Kalvan had already taken Errock's oath of fealty to Thagnor and Nos-Hostigos, but he hadn't expected a promotion. After all, he was of Grefftscharrer birth and an outlander, even here in Thagnor. At best, he'd expected the Great King to use him as an informant.

"I was just fighting your army, Sire." Not well, either, Errock thought, although that fault lies more with Prince Varrack than myself. Although in Varrack's defense, not even a better armed and trained army could have stopped King Kalvan's bold plan to storm Thagnor City.

"I need someone to head the Thagnori Army, someone that I can trust. Would it violate your Grefftscharri citizenship to become head of a possible enemy army?"

Errock almost spat on the floor; his mouth tasted of bile. "No, Your Majesty! I'm no favorite of Theovacar's; I left Greffa only days before the Royal Executioner was about to chop off my head! Theovacar's father stole our grandfather's estate, throwing my entire family out on the streets. He needed the land to reward one of his favorites. My grandfather was behind with taxes because he refused to pay 'extortion money,' as he called it, to the King. Grandfather spent his last few years in the palace dungeon. We lost everything and my father became a mercenary captain to feed us. He died in some forgotten town in Helmout, fighting barbarians from the Sea of Grass. As soon as we were old enough to hoist swords, my brother and I became Free Companions.

"When I returned to our old tarr, I killed the Baron who had my family evicted from our family home. King Theovacar branded me an outlaw. I fled Grefftscharr and fought in the Sastragath as a mercenary under one of the Hos-Ktemnoi princes who wanted to expand his holding. There I learned to speak some Zarthani, which helped when I was later hired to fight in one of the Hos-Blethan border wars under Prince Stygros of Drathor. When I tired of the heat and mosquitoes, I hired on as a mercenary captain in Dorg. I served there for almost ten winters before I came to Thagnor at Varrack's request."

"I take this to mean you owe no loyalty to Theovacar?"

"If anything, Your Majesty, King Theovacar is a worse thief and murderer than his father. That's why I came to Thagnor, to command the army of his errant vassal, Prince Varrack."

Kalvan nodded. "So there is nothing to prevent you from being Captain-General of the Nos-Hostigos Army of Thagnor."

"No. It is a great honor, Your Majesty. I know that you have many able captains and generals, enough that you do not need to promote outlanders over your own."

"That is not true, Colonel Tortha is from Xiphlon. Former General Verkan, a Grefftscharrer, was the commander of my Mounted Rifles. I have many able officers, but I do not have enough to lead all my own men, not to mention the Army of Thagnor-and none, whom I trust, who speak Urgothi. We'll do the swearing-in ceremony later, before your assembled officers. I want them all to know that you have my backing and complete support."

Errock felt his back stiffen at these words. The Great King had given him a great obligation, but one that he meant to fulfill even if it meant his own death. He bowed his head.

"You have my oath of service, Your Majesty."

"Good. Now, I've just got a few questions to ask about King Theovacar."

"It's been over ten years since I've been in Greffa City, Your Majesty, but I do get news from my brother and cousins."