Gerard couldn’t sleep that night.
He knew that he was going to have to do something dishonourable, and yet it was the only honourable thing to do.
He was going to have break an Oath of Allegiance, and risk being labelled a traitor.
It would require careful planning and all would need to be in place well before Duke Arrin returned to Strant.
He had one legion with him. One was here at the Castle. If he got it right, then the legion billeted here would
stand against the Duke and with Terin. He would have little problem in persuading Terin to vie for the Dukedom
he was sure. It was his by right. Everything hinged on being able to demonstrate Arrin’s guilt in the murder
of Harol, and Gant’s innocence before they returned, but not early enough to allow Arrin to fabricate more magical lies.
He planned to put Gant in command of that legion, with himself as overall commander.
The current commanders were Arrin’s men, and he didn’t know whether he could trust them or not.
There is nothing an army likes more than to see one of its own vindicated and a corrupt commander unmasked.
Also for once it seemed that the soldiers would have some real prestige in this fight. From what Terin had said,
their own mages would be almost useless against the dark force that the Order of the Elite were using.
That would bring a smile to the face of a lot of warriors who had been to date thought of as second rate, and little
more than policemen by some. Morale had not been good for a while amongst them, Arrin becoming more and more
interested in magic over the years and disparaging as regards physical means of combat.
He was worried about the explosive devices that Terin had described. These were something he didn’t like the
thought of people being in the middle of. Also he was in agreement with the idea that the portals could be used
by an enemy to gather mages gradually at portal points.
With regard to the castle and the mage school, he hoped that he could get the two experts with twine and lights to
fix them, to prevent anyone using them. He was tempted to leave the Kanar one working. It would be useful to
know where they would gather. He realised that preventing them from reaching Strant would only mean that at a
later date they could take them by surprise. No, Arrin had set a trap and Gerard intended that it catch, except
that it would be a different prey caught in it than had been intended.
The trapper himself.
He hadn’t met the group from Minthrall’s Northern Edge yet, nor seen his sister, but could see little point in
discussing what were obvious actions with them.
If this Avin was the man that Terin made him out to be, then he’d understand. Gant certainly would.
This would leave the four of them and what mages they could muster to deal with the Order of the Elite magically.
He lay back on his bed.
So that was what needed to be done.
Now did he have the treachery in him to do it?
He thought it through. If the Duke sworn to protect these lands was opening the gate to an invasion, then it was
clear where the accusation of treachery lay.
No, his lot would be cast with his sister now. The consequences, well, he would have to own them.
A knocking at his door. At this hour? It was one o’clock in the morning, Kirt entered full of apology.
“Excuse me Sir, but there is a person outside desiring to see you on a matter of great urgency he says.
He said to give you this note. Puzzled Gerard rose from his bed and read it.
“I beg your attention in a matter of great importance to the Dukedom.
I have an urgent concern about security.
Hirn
Mage assistant to Duke Arrin”
Gerard didn’t like this.
"Thank you Kirt. Please will you show him into my study and then fetch Lord Terin and ask him to join us?"
“Certainly Sir” and the yawning Kirt was gone.
Gerard had no love of magic, but in certain cases saw no need to be pedantic about it.
Riani had once given him a wristband that prevented spells of mental coercion or confusion.
He found it in the drawer and put it on.
Then donning a dressing gown he went to see what this man wanted.
According to Terin, he was known to be a senior member of the Order of the Elite, and had been an occasional advisor to Arrin for some time.
Gerard was feeling more than a little nervous.
Hirn sat in the study looking very much as if he was about to breath his last breath.
He lowered the hood of his cloak and it was obvious that he had not disguised himself with a glamour.
Gerard saw the full results of the Order of the Elite’s practices.
“Gods man!, what has happened to you?” he asked truly shocked.
Despite already having had this condition described to him it was an horrific and inhuman transformation.
Hirn began to laugh, considering everything that had happened to him in the last twenty years, and said to Gerard eventually,
“I wish I could explain but there’s no time. My current state of health is no-one’s fault but my own. “
Terin rushed in. So this was what they looked like.
He looked with distaste at the swollen red face and broken veins running in harsh ridges over his face.
Over his whole body Gant had said.
Neither man wanted to betray too much knowledge, and their eyes flashed that understanding one to the other.
They sat regarding the sad figure of Hirn waiting to hear what he had to say.
“Your Duke told you he was coming here at midsummer?
Before he arrives a force of mages from the Order of the Elite will swarm the mage school and castle.
His arrival will appear like a victory over them, except that it will be a show.
The only people likely to be killed are weapons warriors and incompliant mages. Oh, and you two of course.
It will appear as if he is a hero, you will both probably receive posthumous honours, and all rumours about him
and our Order will be regarded as merely tales. With neither Steward or a nephew to question matters, or succeed him,
or replace him, his position will be secured. From here the Order will entrench and systematically rape the
magic from every person in your land with half an ounce of power.
Eventually Duke Arrin will rule a kingdom, and to the populace our Order will simply be here as mages have always
been here. No-one will ever know that we are any different from the ones you had before. Not many will care,
until a few decades time, when we will have moved on to repeat the process, leaving this land without any
magic at all.
That is the bargain your Duke made with the Order of the Elite in order to steal a throne.”
“What!” Terin and Gerard exclaimed together.
“Why are you telling us this preposterous tale?” asked Gerard. They couldn’t trust this man surely, and yet
something about him made Gerard take notice.
“Because you are the only one who may listen, and have the power to act, and because I can no longer bear to be the
thing that I am.” The man had tears in his eyes.
Terin was more gentle “When do you think this will happen?” that information was crucial.
“One week before you expect your Duke.”
So, they had less than two weeks to ready an army, but one thing might be easier.
“Are you willing to say this under oath in a court of law?” asked Gerard.
“Yes” he said, his eyes glazing over, tears brimming into his eyes,
“My time is short, I have perhaps a month to live. No possibility of your punishments puts me in any fear.”
“One of our priests can perhaps be of comfort you?” Terin offered. He would prefer this man to be fitter than this
on the witness stand, at least emotionally, he was a wreck at the moment.
Hirn shook his head. “There is no redemption for me, I have betrayed everything I loved,
and now I even betray the thing that I betrayed them for.”
Terin and Gerard looked at each other astounded. Both knew that this information needed to get to Avin’s group as
soon as possible. Terin thought quickly.
“What you’ve said to us, as I’m sure you are aware, is information of the most delicate nature.
I would like you to agree to come with me to our Magemaster where you can be protected.”
Hirn shook his head again, “we already have five spies there. I would be executed within an hour and of no use to you.”
This certainly made Terin feel more like believing him. He knew that information to be true.
It made him also feel that taking him now to the old barracks would not be inappropriate.
“How did you get here?” asked Gerard, anxious to know who knew he was here.
“You have a portal in the castle. I used that.”
Gerard summoned Kirt. “Kirt please ask the Captain of the Guard to report to me here.”
Kirt scuttled off to find her.
“Who knows you’re here” asked Terin
“No one, I cleared the coordinates, like she always used to do… “
His voice trailed away and his eyes simply looked at the floor, interested in neither of them now he had said his piece.
The Captain arrived with an escort of four guards.
Gerard took her to one side.
“Alena, I want a guard on that Portal in the courtroom day and night until I say different. At least six warriors,
and no mages please. Just weapons warriors. The Court Room is to be closed to everyone until further
notice. Arrange for an escort for Lord Terin in about half an hour with a carriage. Also, no one enters
this castle without you knowing about it. Just a list of names and where they are headed for now.
Pick me out a dozen of your best for special duty and have them here in half an hour.
“Understood Sir.” with a salute she was gone.
“We need to take you to a safe house Hirn. Can you walk?”
“Yes, not a fast pace but well enough…”
Two of the guards had remained with them at Terin’s signal.
Gerard and Terin left them guarding Hirn and moved away to speak in private. Terin spelled a privacy ward with a
flourish. “I just learned how to plug up your leaky study“ he said proudly, hoping that Hirn wouldn’t absorb it
before it had served its purpose. He didn’t.
“Terin, take the carriage and go on a scenic tour around the outskirts of the Castle, make sure one of the guards
has a cloak like Hirn’s and then come back. Terin smiled. “Oh I see” he said. Gerard wanted to make sure anyone
seeing movement at this time of night would be uncertain of who was going where.
“I’ll take Gant some initial backup and our friend here.”
Kirt returned to tell Terin that the carriage was outside and he went off for his late night decoy ride.
Gerard and Hirn flanked by a dozen soldiers headed for the guardhouse, next to which was the tunnel to the old barracks.
An hour later they were there.
Gant had raised the alarm the minute a proximity sensor, newly installed in the tunnel, had warned them of the
approach and all five of them waited on alert to see who was visiting at this hour. Gerard called a Hail to let
them know who was approaching. Riani was running to greet him before Avin could stop her.
Gerard carried on walking with his arm around her and motioned for her to hurry without lessening his pace,
but she could be in no doubt that he was delighted to see her. Riani sensed Hirn before she saw him.
Puzzled she let the group get out of the cellar and into the large mess room without asking any questions.
The guard halted. Gerard looked around at the group and smiled.
“Where’s Gant?” Gant stepped forward.
Gerard clasped his hands in greeting.
“Gant these warriors are under your command, and this man “pointing at Hirn “is under your protection.”
“Yes Sir” answered Gant and had them all stand at ease. His eyes never left Hirn.
Hirn was visibly shocked to see them all and a look of anguish crossed his face as he saw that Sil was with them.
Everyone had a weapon drawn, except Riani.
Sil stepped forward. “What are you doing here?” she asked him curiously.
“Making things right” was his only answer. He turned his face away from her.
“I wish I had more time to get to know you all” Gerard said earnestly, “but we have little time and this news is
pressing urgent. Hirn please sit down, and repeat the information that you just gave to me.”
Hirn did.
“It’s of vital importance that he make this statement in a Court of Law. I hope you all understand that.
I know that you will, Gant, and you Riani, your sentences can’t stand once he has given his evidence.
Its certain you’ll be exonerated.
It will be the day after tomorrow, the soonest that I can gather everyone together who needs to hear it, Gant and Riani will need to be present”
“Then we’ll all be present.” Avin moved forward and took Riani‘s hand, the other unconsciously wandering to the
hilt of his sword.
Gerard made no comment. So this was the mage warrior who had claimed his sister?
Terin had been right, he had the look of a man who would march unarmed into hell for her. He would certainly do.
“Before he gives evidence I would appreciate it if the portals at the castle and the school could be rendered
ineffective for incoming visitors. The castle will present no problem, but there are five Elite Order mages that
need to be dealt with at the school first. Terin tells me that your group have the skills to do that.
Can you deal with that tomorrow?”
“No problem” said Jan
“Castle first then the school” Sil confirmed.
“Kanar?” queried Avin.
Gerard nodded “I want them to arrive there. That way we choose our battle ground, not them.
They have a long trip to get to us, and we know they are coming.”
Gerard relaxed his official manner. “If we can prove Gant’s innocence we have an army at our backs.
If we can prove Riani’s too, we have the Dukedom. I’m hoping that people will accept Terin as Duke, and then we can deal with
informing the King of matters without anyone losing their heads, I mean mainly me of course.”
Riani knew how this breaking if his Oath to Duke Arrin would affect Gerard. She saw him doing what was right
despite, his feelings and was very proud of him. She had a most valiant brother.
Hirn was sitting quietly looking at none of them. Sil couldn’t help herself. She moved back over to where he was.
“Why Hirn, after all this time, why?”
His red eyes and face looked at her for a long time, “ You know why.”
Then he couldn’t bear to look at her any longer and turned away.
Gant took aside the sergeant of the small group of soldiers and said quietly,
“get everyone assigned billets. I want two in a room with him at all times” he said pointing to Hirn, and one in
here on guard. The rest around the perimeter. Two shifts, it’ll only be for a day or so until we get more people.
The rapid hand signal he made told the sergeant that this was a suicide watch with Hirn. Gant had seen men like
this before. He was certain that Hirn finding Sil here made it highly likely, and he was not about to have
Gerard’s plan scuppered by Hirn’s having an attack of increased self loathing. Who could know who he might take
with him?
“Two to escort Steward Gerard back to his quarters and then to return here.”
“Yes Sir” answered the sergeant, and then turning back having found her boldness.
“Permission to speak frankly Sir?”
“Granted” answered Gant flatly.
“Welcome back Sir, no soldier ever fully believed in your guilt, and you’ve been remembered by soldiers at least.”
Gant nodded and smiled. “Thank You. Now get to it, you can gawp at me later.”
Sir. He’d been given no rank by Gerard, but rank was meaningless to him now anyway. So, the people that mattered
had believed in him. That was good to know. Looks like he was a bit of a folk legend.
He hoped that wouldn’t get in the way.
“Time for bed children” Gant announced loudly “Lots to do in the morning.”
He didn’t want this lot talking for the rest of night and half asleep tomorrow. Mainly he didn’t want Sil talking
to Hirn. He didn’t like the thought of that man being any more unstable than he already was.
Riani walked to Gerard and hugged him. He whispered “I always believed in you, but I didn’t know who was listening.
´Forgive me? “
“Already done “ she said kissing his cheek.
Avin joined them and held out his right hand, the other taking a favourite position around Riani’s shoulders .
Gerard shook it warmly.” Thank you for helping my sister.” he said looking Avin in the eyes.
Avin nodded his understanding.
The two men had no issue over Riani. That was good. It seemed he was “approved of”.