The Fireseed Wars

III

They came back with a squadron of soldiers and some pack mules. There was only one old man on watch and he was fast asleep up against a railing. It only took them a quarter candle to round up all the occupants, the Lady Timolyara and her daughter, three young serving girls, two young men, the guard and an old lady, with all the manners of Hostigi Head Midwife Amasphalya, who lumbered behind, screeching curses. One of the soldiers casually cuffed her in the mouth and she shut up.

The Duchess was ill and could not be moved from her bed. The boy, Dementros, stood by her side as if rooted there. Ranthos stood over her while he tried to come up with a plan. He turned to the Mnestros. "Go fetch the Lady Timolyara, and take the boy downstairs."

"Yes, sir."

From the looks of the Duchess, a quick stab in the heart might be the most merciful thing he could do. Her gray hair was caked in tangled strands and her pale skin hung in wattles from her face, leaving the bones underneath in stark relief. Ranthos doubted she weighed thirty ingots, all wrinkled skin and bone. From her labored breathing, he suspected pneumonia or pleurisy. While Phidestros would accept her murder as the logical course of action, he might have a more difficult time explaining it to Duke Mnestros, or Captain-General Hestophes.

Of course, if they put her in her coach she'd die soon enough, regardless, although it would be a lingering and painful death. As a Paratimer, he knew a fast end would be the best cure for her ills.

The Duchess came to with a start. "Who are you?" she asked, between coughs.

"I have come to rescue your son. He is wanted by Styphons House."

She shuddered. "I feared this day would come. They will use him badly, if you allow it. I don't have long for this world, Bless Yirtta Allmother." She began a series of coughs that wracked her thin frame. When her spasms stopped, she implored, "Please, promise me you'll take good care of my son."

Since that was the plan anyway, Ranthos had no trouble giving her his oath. Somehow that seemed to release her; the Duchess gasped a few times, and fell back upon her bed. She looked at rest and he checked her wrist for a pulse.

When Lady Timolyara arrived, she looked at the Duchess and asked, "Did you hurt her?"

"No, she made me swear not to harm the boy, then she quietly passed."

The Lady nodded. "She's suffered so much."

He nodded. "It is for the best. I have seen this illness before and it never ends well."

"May Yirtta take her to the Allmother's Blessed Fields."

He asked, "My Lady, is the boy a lackwit? He doesn't appear to have his senses about him."

She shook her head. "No, Dementros is just in shock. He had to sit and watch his mother being devoured by the coughing fever. He's refused to leave her side. The Duchess was in fair health less than half a moon ago. Although, she has never been very strong; still, she was always kind.

"What do you intend to do with us, sir? You are no peddler. Are you bandits? As you can see, there's little here worth stealing."

Ranthos pondered for a moment, then decided the truth couldn't hurt. "No, we are soldiers. Has word reached your village that Styphon's House has laid siege to Agrys City?"

"Yes, about a moon ago someone brought the news to Salis. Have they taken the City?"

"Not yet, but it won't be long. It won't hold out past summer. The Styphoni defeated the League of Dralm's Army which attempted to break the siege. Now, the Styphoni have patrols throughout the Kingdom searching for King Demistophon's heirs. The boy's father was the Great King's cousin."

Her face scrunched up and she practically snarled. "He was always a terrible braggart! But, while he was alive, a purse of gold came every moon from Agrys City. He claimed to be in line for the Throne of Light. We did not believe it since he lived as a friendless exile. The Duke died over five winters ago, while I was still a girl. He was a terrible man and all the manor rejoiced at his passing, none as much as the Duchess."

Ranthos did the math, remembering that the Duke had been exiled because of his penchant for young girls of noble blood. It was possible her daughter was the Duke's bastard. He needed Timolyara's cooperation so this wasn't the time to question her about it, nor was he the right man to make further inquiries.

"We are going to spirit you out of the manor before the agents of Styphon's House arrive."

She made a quick circle around her chest, as the worshippers of the Allfather were prone to do when they made their silent prayers. "We have heard the terrible tales of Styphon's Investigation of Hos-Hostigos, even here. I would have killed the Duchess and her son before I would have let them fall into their unclean hands."

Considering the abominable security his men had encountered at the manor, he doubted that she would have had the opportunity.

"Can we stay until the Duchess is buried?"

Ranthos shook his head. "She comes with us."

The Styphoni might only be days behind them. They had to evacuate the manor and buy time for Great Queen Rylla to put forth her own choice for the Throne of Light.

Turning to Mnestros, he said, "It's your job to burn the village and chase away the villagers. If we fail to stop the Styphoni, I want them to believe the inhabitants were snatched by demons."