The Fireseed Wars

II

Rylla was glad to finally be leaving Morthron behind. Prince Eythart had only reluctantly given the Hostigi permission to cross his lands. Not that he could have stopped them. With the Army of the Trygath, she had the force to push her way through Eythart's Princedom no matter what he wanted or did to stop the Hostigi.

Morthron was an ally of both Nythros and Grefftscharr and the Prince was unsure of King Theovacar's position regarding the Hostigi migration. However, he detested Prince Varrack and thus was not unhappy to see him overthrown. To further a possible alliance with Morthron and warn him about the Grand Host of Styphon, she had spent several days in Morthron Town meeting with Eythart and his advisors.

Of course, it hadn't helped things when the Nythrosi Fleet had arrived with most of their dignitaries and rich merchants, with news of the Styphoni siege of Nythros. Many of the assembled dignitaries had looked at her as if the siege were Rylla's fault, which in a way it was.

Rylla would have much rather spent time with her husband, but instead she had planted the seeds for a possible future alliance. The Morthron Army, from what Klestreus' spies learned, was only three or four thousand men strong, but the feudal levy was another ten thousand. That was good to know as the Styphoni would have to roll over Morthron to reach Thagnor City. The longer it took the Grand Host, the better it was for Nos-Hostigos. She'd made some suggestions about fortifying the city walls and had some of the Hostigi alchemists explain how to make flreseed. The Morthroni had already learned the formula, but not the proper ratios nor the techniques to turn it into reliable fireseed.

She had left the Prince with the promise of a thousand calivers and arquebuses upon the signature of a treaty between Morthron and Thagnor. Hopefully, that would cinch the deal with his Assembly of Merchants. Watching Eythart trying to gain approval from his magnates for policy decisions that she or her husband would have made after a short discussion with their advisors made Rylla truly appreciate their rule in Hostigos. In Hos-Hostigos the Full Council of Hostigos was only an advisory group to the throne and not a law-making body like the Assembly or the Nythrosi Council of Oligarchs. The Middle Kingdoms had some troubling customs and she hoped they wouldn't lead to new problems for their House.

The Prince appeared awfully worried about King Theovacar's opinion. She had pointed out that the Grand Host of Styphon was the enemy of all kings and princes. She wasn't sure that Eythart would believe that until Theovacar put it in writing and sealed the envelope.

One thing she knew for sure, the Hostigi were going to need all the help they could raise to defeat the Grand Host of Styphon's House. Morthron was certainly doomed unless they became a vassal state, which wasn't likely. Too many of the Upper Middle Kingdom rulers saw their new Hostigi neighbors as invaders, or at best unwelcome competitors. The Grand Host would slash their way through Morthron like a saber through a cotton gambeson.

She knew they were drawing near to Thagnor when she saw that all the trees had been recently felled and carted away, and most of the brush removed or burnt off. There were only a few farmhouses and the fields were already harvested with only stubble showing. A few peasants came out of their huts and waved at the men. She thought this was a good sign. The closer to Thagnor City they came the more friendly their reception.

Her big bodyguard Xykos, with his farseer, called out: "City Walls up ahead, Your Majesty! There's a party coming out to meet us flying the Great King's banner."

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.

Someone had shored up the roof with some rough hewn timbers; the floor was swept clean and the plaster walls were newly whitewashed. There was a table with a leg missing and two stools. Kalvan sat on one and she sat on the other. It was cold enough that Kalvan fired the logs stacked in the hearth with his tinderbox.

"Some of the scouts use this place as a temporary HQ." he said, taking a moment to light his pipe.

"What's this all about?" she asked.

"It's not that I don't trust our people, but tongues do wag. How did it go with Chartiphon?"

Rylla smiled. "Very well. The Old Captain looks a decade younger than when he left Hos-Hostigos. Kingship suits him well. I don't think he's felt appreciated for a long time. As Sarrask put it, 'the old dog's been on a three-year snit!'We found Chartiphon a suitable wife, the Lady Sylvra, a widow from a respectable family in good health and with ties to most of the leading Rathoni houses."

"Has she given birth before?"

"Yes, husband. She has two young children, both girls."

Kalvan smiled. "Ah ha, no dynastic complications. I can see you covered all avenues."

"I want this dynasty to work. And, I'd like to see Chartiphon happy again. I expect they'll have their first child mid-summer."

Kalvan let out a lungful of smoke. "To tell you the truth, I'm glad you crowned the old soldier, Rylla. It would have never occurred to me. You're right, Chartiphon is a much better choice as King of Rathon than Prince Sarrask, who would much rather be wielding a mace than overseeing civilians. Nor is Sarrask half the administrator Chartiphon is. We owe the Old Captain a lot and, truthfully, I think many of his problems have been my fault. I played favorites, especially with Harmakros and Phrames. I'm sure it helped put his nose out of joint."

She leaned forward, putting her hands on her husband's knees and squeezed. "Darling, you only did what you had to do. Chartiphon was stuck in the old Hostigi ways. He didn't want to change. Harmakros and Phrames embraced your new ideas. With Chartiphon, you had to take him by the scruff of the neck and lead him to them. Even then he balked."

"Is that going to be a problem now?"

"I don't think so. Chartiphon told me that he will do his best to bring Rathon, screaming and scratching, into the Hostigi way. He's had time to mull over things and come to realize that your ways are best. He even told me so, and asked for your forgiveness."

Kalvan shook his head. "I can't blame him for balking; I've turned his world upside down. Chartiphon's always been a good leader, or your father wouldn't have put him in charge of his army. We've missed his knowledge and leadership. Now he'll have his own army and subjects to govern. You did good, girl."

Rylla tried to keep from blushing, but felt her face redden. Kalvan didn't often give out praise, especially when she acted counter to his orders.

"What about Phrames? I thought you were going to make him Prince of Thagnor?"

Kalvan paused to empty his pipe bowl and clean it with his little knife. "I decided, after I had time to scout out the place, that Thagnor was the ideal center for our new Kingdom of Nos-Hostigos now that we're committed to this area. It occurred to me that it would be wise to make it our possession, one that we could pass on to our children."

Rylla felt a sudden stabbing pain in her heart. It took a conscious effort to keep her voice from trembling when she asked, "Does that mean you don't plan to return to Hostigos?"

Kalvan shrugged. "I can't promise you anything, darling. The Styphoni might not let us return."

Rylla's throat swelled up and she had a hard time talking. "But that's my… our home."

"I know, Rylla. I'll do my best. Right now our biggest challenge is to stop the Grand Host from killing us all."

"You're right," she squawked, her voice cracking. She felt dizzy and her stomach heaved. "I… don't know… I grew up in Hostigos Town. It's always been my home… All my memories are there… my Mother and Father are buried there. I know it's not yours-"

"Hostigos is my home, too. We had to leave or we would have all died there, like so many-I'll never forget, or forgive those Dralm-damned bastards! Do you think I liked leaving your father and my best friend behind?"

"Of course, not!"

"Rylla, I will promise you this, on little Demia's life; I will return to Hostigos if there's any real chance that we can retake it, and hold it. If not, we'll have to make a new life for ourselves here in Thagnor."

Rylla nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She hated herself when she broke out in tears and wasn't about to let it happen. She had promised herself that nothing would spoil her homecoming. When her throat opened, she said, "I know you will do your best, and that your best is better than anyone else's."

Kalvan set his pipe down and took her in his arms. "Darling, I will do everything it takes to get us all home again. But I can't make any promises."

She nodded and blinked back her tears. Someday those Styphoni scum will pay for their crimes!