The Fireseed Wars

Kyblannos nodded. "We would follow him through the Caverns of Regwarn fighting demons and fireseed devils if he asked. If not for Phidestros, I would be a lowly soldier in some ragtag army, not a General and Duke of Beshta." He paused to blow his nose. "I just wanted you to know that, Your Ladyship. And the men respect you, too."

"Thank you, Kyblannos." She had to exert all her self-discipline to keep from tearing up. She didn't want to embarrass herself, or Kyblannos.

Kyblannos blew his nose again, dabbed at his eyes with his dirty handkerchief, then said, "I have something I want to show you." He took a crunched up scroll out of one the pockets in his over-large doublet and presented it to her.

As she started to open it, he held up his hand.

"Let me tell you what it's about, Your Ladyship. I know the Captain has told you that one of our Barons, a former Hostigi named Ranthos, was able to decipher the secret code that Styphon's House uses for its important messages."

"Yes, he told me this. It appears there's a Styphon's House way station on his lands that the messengers use to rest and change horses."

"True. Ranthos, a right smart captain, built a good inn and tavern next to the way station to encourage the Styphoni messengers to spend the night there. He has their wine drugged and, when they've passed out, has one of his men open their pouches and bring him the letters and documents inside. The bartender has a deft touch with the seals and, after he's finished, you'd never know they'd been broken! I wish we had ten just like him… but, anyway, Ranthos deciphers the messages, copies them and sends them to your husband."

"Yes, he's told me about that and what some of the messages contained. That Prince Anaxon business was quite horrid!"

Kyblannos nodded in accord. "This new Styphon's Voice is even worse than the old one! The Prince was really tempted to spill the brew on that one, but Ranthos pointed out Anaxon was doomed no matter what we did. It was just a matter of meeting Hadron sooner, than later. And it would hurt us more in the long run to let Styphon's House know that someone had deciphered their code."

"Ranthos was right, although it chills my blood to think of how easily Styphon's House murders those who oppose them." Arminta shivered.

Kyblannos shook his head. "No accounting for priests. This god business makes fools of most men, leastwise them that take it seriously. Anyway, before Ranthos left for Hos-Agrys, he taught me how to decipher the code and he's had their messages forwarded to me here at Tarr-Dodra. I've been deciphering them for the Prince."

"I was aware of that."

"Well, this morning a very important message came through. I usually hold them until the Prince returns, but this one here is way over my helm!"

"What is it?"

"The message I just deciphered was from the Supreme Priest and Styphon's Voice Anaxthenes. In it, he is relaying to Archpriest Heraclestros, who's to be the new Highpriest of Agrys, about another highpriest's research on King Demistophon's nearest heirs. From what I read, I deduced that Styphon's Voice has ordered Soton to behead Demistophon and install his youngest heir as the new Great King of Hos-Agrys with one of his Archpriests as the regent."

"That's very interesting news," Arminta said, "especially now that Demistophon's uncle, Prince Vython, is dead. We may be able to use it to our advantage."

Kyblannos smiled. "That's just what the Prince would say."

"Which heir are they specifically looking for?"

"The son of his deceased cousin, Duke Thalros. The Duke's widow and her young son Dementros are living in Glarth. For some reason not mentioned in the letter, Thalros was banished from court over twenty winters ago. He died four or five winters ago, leaving a widow and his son. It occurred to me that if we could find Thalros' son and foster him, we'd have control over the heir to the Throne of Light."

"That's good thinking, Kyblannos. How old is the boy?"

"The letter says he's ten winters old so he won't reach his majority for three more years."

"We cannot afford to let him fall into this Archpriest's hands," Arminta said, her forehead furrowed in thought. "Does the letter give any information about the other heirs?"

"Yes, Your Ladyship. It gives the names and locations of the other three heirs and instructs Heraclestros to find them and have them abducted. If that's not possible, his agents are to make certain they are killed. Any underage children are to be taken alive at all costs."

"It will be half a moon before Phidestros returns. I don't think we can wait that long. When did the Captain receive this letter?"

"Four nights ago. He said that it was arranged that the messenger would be delayed by tainted food. We probably have two, possibly three nights, before he arrives in Soton's camp."