The Fireseed Wars

FORTY-NINE

Archpriest Grythos and his command had been traveling for half a moon through occupied territory but still were over a hundred marches from the village of Salis. They had been delayed by three attacks since they'd left the siege of Argys City. It appeared that the League of Dralm had sent word out that Styphon's House was going to Investigate everyone in Hos-Agrys, just as they had in Hostigos. Every peasant and villager was up in arms and on the look-out for Styphon's House invaders. It made poaching and looting difficult and deadly for both parties. There were armed bands of soldiers at every fork in the road or stream crossing, searching for parties of Investigators or armed bands of Styphon's House's soldiers.

Hadron curse Roxthar and send him straight to Regwarn! He was the one who'd caused this mess. When Grythos returned, he was going to explain to Grand Master Soton just how much trouble the Investigation had brought Styphon's House throughout the Northern Kingdoms. It would take a massive army to subdue the Kingdom and an even larger standing army to keep the peace unless the Investigation was stopped. Even now it might be too late.

The only solution was to send Archpriest Roxthar straight back to Balph, where his excesses could be contained, or kill him. He preferred the latter, but for some reason Soton refused to take that necessary step. Maybe because he'd have to fight Xenophes' Temple Bands of Styphon's Own Guard. Still, a little internecine warfare in the short run, to his mind, was preferable to having every hand and sword in the Kingdom of Hos-Agrys raised against them

Tonight he'd have to draft a letter to Styphon's Voice with his views. He wouldn't hesitate to kill that wolf in human guise for a moment!

According to his patchwork map of Hos-Agrys, up ahead about half a march was the closest ford of the Massilos River. Grythos halted the party and broke off a small unit of ten men. After the second attack, they had learned that there was a group of passwords given by the League to their Agrysi subjects. It had taken the third attack before, under torture, they'd discovered what it was: "Death to the false god Styphon who eats night soil and drinks from chamber pots."

Due to the sensitive nature of their expedition, Grand Master Soton had sent his own handpicked men, most of them being either believers in Styphon, or pretenders who for reasons of advancement within the Order feigned belief. Fortunately, Grythos had also brought five of his own men who were admitted nonbelievers and had found, by process of elimination, five other Brethren Knights who could speak the abominable passwords without cursing or choking on their words.

It had also taken several battles to exchange the Knights' distinctive reins, saddles and other distinctive horse accoutrements with captured Agrysi armor and kits. By that time, they'd already lost over fifty troopers. Now, after almost six hundred marches, they looked like a band of Army deserters, or prosperous Agrysi bandits.

In the distance they heard the far-off clash of arms and the call of the battle horn. Everyone saddled up and they cantered off to the sounds of battle. The battle, if such a small exchange rated such a worthy title, was almost over by the time they arrived. His own small patrol was down by eight casualties, and the other two troopers were hard-pressed by about fifty mounted Agrysi cavalrymen-regulars, by appearance.

They quickly overran the outnumbered Agrysi soldiers, cutting them down like winter wheat. Still, they put up a spirited resistance and another eighteen men were either killed or grievously wounded. At this rate, he'd be lucky to return to camp with a handful of men.

He had one of the survivors of the initial patrol, as soon as his wounds were dressed, brought to him.

"I'm sorry, Your Worship. One of the Knights wore some spurs that were known to one of the Agrysi soldiers to be particular to the Order. We couldn't have known." He paused to catch his breath. His head was swathed in bandages and one arm hung limply. "They came at us like panthers… this Investigation has put fire in their veins!"

Grythos shook his head. Damn that Roxthar!