The Fireseed Wars

Rylla's heart quickened. As the walls drew closer, she could see they were much higher than the walls around Morthron. There were work parties with carts and wagons filled with big stones and men moving over the rising walls like ants. My new home. I just wish it wasn't so cold in this new land of ours. She shivered. And it's not even winter yet!

Kalvan was at the head of the party coming to meet her Army of the Trygath. He started waving as soon as they came into sight. She pulled her cloak around her and rode on ahead to meet him, with her bodyguard on one side and Lady Eutare at her other side. Sometimes she wondered if Xykos completely trusted anyone with her person-including the Great King.

They hugged, leaning out of their saddles, until they both almost tumbled to the ground. She felt like a young girl again. "It is good to see you again, husband."

"It's been too long, kitten," Kalvan said. "I want to show you our new home."

They hugged again, then kissed. "It's has been too long," she said breathlessly.

Kalvan nodded. "Where's my little Demia?"

"She's back at the nursery wagon with plenty of company."

"Good. After we catch up, I'll go see my little dumpling."

"She misses her daddy. But what's all this building for?" she asked.

"This is the new third wall," Kalvan said proudly. "When we arrived at Thagnor City, the second wall was in terrible shape. There were whole sections with crumbling stones that hadn't been repaired in decades. We've rebuilt them, made them taller and thicker, and are now building a third outer wall to protect the nearby farms and villages. I've had half the army, prisoners of war and Thagnori laborers working on the walls ever since we took the city. Varrack was a complete idiot when it came to defense; I'm surprised Theovacar didn't put him out of his misery years ago."

She nodded in agreement.

"Theovacar probably had too many problems at home in Greffa to take care of Prince Varrack," Kalvan added.

"Look at my cousin, Baron Sthentros; we knew he was trouble, but as long as he stayed out of our hair we let him plot away. He stabbed us good, too."

"You've got me there," Kalvan said. "Unfortunately, it's impossible to guard against every contingency."

"I know. We learned that the hard way. Now, I hear that Great King Lysandros has rewarded Sthentros, by making him Prince of Hostigos!"

Kalvan looked like he'd just bit into a lemon. "If there's anyone left in Hostigos to rule over after the Arch-Butcher Roxthar finishes his work."

"One of our spies just returned from Ulthor with the news that Roxthar has left the Grand Host."

Kalvan looked surprised. "That's good news! Let him make trouble for someone else."

"Now if only Lysandros and the rest would join him. But let's change the subject. I'm sure Lady Eutare would like to visit with Prince Phrames."

Kalvan looked over at the Lady-in-Waiting, saying, "Lady Eutare, I'm sorry, but your fiance is off on a hunting expedition for buffalo."

"Buffalo!" Lady Eutare said in some distress. "But, Your Majesty, aren't all the buffalo far away on the Sea of Grass?"

Rylla had eaten buffalo meat before, and even seen a small herd of the shaggy animals at the Royal Menagerie in Harphax City six winters ago, when her father had visited the capital to meet with former Great King Kaiphranos. Prince Ptosphes had asked for aid to stave off the raids from Nostor instigated by Styphon's House. Other than for the sight-seeing it had been a fruitless visit.

"Not any more. There are huge herds, some of them within a couple of hundred marches. Phrames left with Vanar Halgoth, in a train of over a thousand wagons, including some of the ones we found in Thagnor. They took several hundred buffalo hunters and three thousand soldiers in case of any problems. If they don't run into trouble, they should return with enough smoked and salted buffalo meat to get us through the winter. It's too late in the season for jerking or sun-drying."

"Where are they going to get that much salt?" Rylla asked.

"From our own Thagnori salt mines and Phrames' new Princedom of Gytha, which is the leading salt producer in the Middle Kingdoms."

"You have been busy," Rylla said.

"We both have, darling. I crowned Phrames as Prince of Gytha. Investing Gytha and adding it to our new Kingdom was the only way we could ensure our dominance of the Burgult River and Eryn Wolan."

Kalvan turned to the rest of the party and said, "Please excuse myself and Queen Rylla. We're going to go over to that abandoned farmhouse to talk in private."

She felt her heart quicken. They had been apart far too long.

"Yes, Your Majesty, but first I would like to scout it out," Xykos said with a salute. She waited patiently until Xykos gave the "all clear" signal. The rest of the party headed toward the city, although Xykos and the Queen's Lifeguard circled the house, staying within hailing distance.