The journey from Castle Atravain was far worse than Luke imagined.

They had not even left the sight of the walls going south before they ran into trouble.

There were bugs and the hot sun to contend with. And there was little in the way of good conversation to be had. The villages they passed were miserable places. The people were plagued with sores and injuries, and the wild pigs were a menace. If anything, they had become more dangerous after Janice started hunting them.

Here, they saw some real action, though.

Luke, Edara, Saul, and the others all made much noise to send the pigs running. At the same time, Bags, Alasa, and some of their people herded the pigs toward a line of spearmen. Rutger and Peter were waiting for them, and the points of their spears claimed several of the pigs.

Luke does not see the killing blow, but he finds Rutger and Peter speaking over their bodies. There were three of them, and they were huge. A great fire was made and the pigs were put on spits and turned over it. Soon they all feasted together in the center and broke out a great deal of ale.

"Did William kill six of these things?" asked Edara, a freckled girl with brown hair tied behind her head. The pork was cooked on spits in the village center.

"Jehair guided him," said Saul. "She knew the easier marks."

"Sir Gabriel wouldn't leave an area without doing good deeds," said Grace wistfully. "He's a fine knight and worthy of aspiration." She often spoke of him, and Luke wondered how Jaina was doing.

They'd spoken a lot together. Luke wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"They say he's coming to heal them," said Saul. "This could lead to a cult of personality."

"Shouldn't there be a Paladin out here," said Bags, adjusting his crossbow.

"They're stretched thin," said Luke. "They have to rotate villages. And some of them have been worked to exhaustion."

"The Paladin is here," said a grim voice.

Sir Gavkin walked down the path toward them. With him was another Paladin that Luke did not recognize. Gavkin wore a sky-blue cape and plain armor and held a huge hammer on his back. Arriving, he at once turned to the village chief. "Take me to the sick and injured. I am under orders from Lord Dunmoore and cannot stay long."

He healed them quickly and without prayer, and the effort obviously tired him. He did not seem to enjoy the measure and obviously did not want to be there. Coming out, Gavkin seemed more embittered and asked questions. However, Grace put a hand on his shoulder. "You'd best rest and eat.

"You're no good to anyone if you die of exhaustion."

"Yes, I see your point," said Gavkin.

Gavkin ate with them and told them a bit about his mission. He and the other Paladin, Anos, were originally from Bretus. Gavkin had taken part in the wars and slain many undead. That had been in the land of Walesan, which had come under siege by the Dark Queen Sylvar. However, they had departed for fear of losing their grace in the wars.

"Surely a Paladin is needed in the darkest places," said Grace.

"It was a different kind of dark," said Gavkin. "After the victory, Bretus gained control of Walasan. He began building castles and enforcing taxes. The Walesan's refused to acknowledge the supremacy of our race.

"There began a brutal revolt. The tactics employed were unbefitting a Paladin. I could not afford to take them up for fear of losing my grace. Thus I have taken service under Lord Dunmoore."

"I am from Ataka," said Anos, combing his beard. He had olive skin and wielded a flail and chainmail. His voice had a chivalric and tired tone to it but proud with a strange accent. "Of the noble family of Dreshae, though we are somewhat diminished. My Father was unwise in some of his ventures, which left us poorer than we ought to be.

"I became a Paladin to make a name for myself. When Ataka became more dangerous, I came here to seek glory. Unfortunately, the failure of the priests has seen my time spent more in humiliation."

"Was there some kind of local trouble?" asked Luke.

"There's always local trouble in Ataka," said Rutger grimly.

"' Local' trouble is a touch unsophisticated a word," said Anos in amusement. "But yes. My efforts to root out crime in Ataka became inconvenient for the governor, Aedius. And he sent me forth."

"Have you made a lot of arrests?" Edara asked.

"No," said Anos. "The lure of the coin has long subverted the city watch.

"My presence was spurring when my sister's friend was taken captive by a slave ring. They had intended to turn her into a prostitute. Moved by pity, I tracked her down. It took great effort, but I found where they operated.

"From I slew the foul rebels and freed the women they held captive, including my sister's friend and servant.

"Once done, I knew they'd seek revenge, so I deduced the location of their partners and killed all of them, too. Then they sent a group of armed men after me in retribution, so I killed them. Finally, I found the location of the place that they usually bought from them and killed all of them. I wiped out a major prostitution ring.

"Unfortunately, many of the less useful nobility had invested in it, and it lost them a great deal of money. Thus, I went forth and fought in the fall of Zigilus as a legionnaire and did well there. That was where I got my flail after my sword broke."

"Why were you killing these people?" asked Grace.

"Zigilus..." Anos shuddered. "It was a city of horrors, corrupting our land much like this one. They practiced infant sacrifice and were obsessed with the lusts of the place.

"Ill content to stew in their rot, they spread their decay to other lands. We were the judgment of the gods.

"But, now I work as a healer." His tone was bitter.

"What's wrong with being a healer?" asked Grace.

"It's undignified," said Anos simply. "It should be retasked to women's work. The priests ought to have done all this long ago. And if not that, we must hunt wild pigs.

"Necessary but hardly glorious.

"Lord Dunmoore has immense patience to undertake such a task without hesitation."

"Well, we could use your help," said Peter. "We're bound for a confrontation with the satyrs who have been gathering."

"Our mission," said Gavkin. "Is to kill the Blackguard Lamech. He has caused much harm and escaped justice for too long. Lord Dunmoore has ordered his filth be removed from this world.

"However, we lost his trail. We shall go with you until a better option presents itself."

"For now," said Saul. "We should deal with the Healer's Guild."

At that moment, a dark-haired boy, Luke's age, came forward. He wore a long, black cloak and silver chain. "The Healer's Guild in this town has been driven out and their funds confiscated.

"On behalf of Lady Janice, I carried out investigations. As a result, I determined they had violated their charter at several points. I have done this several times, and they were not trying to hide it."

"And you are?" asked Luke.

"I am Joseph Korlac," said Korlac. "In response to the crisis, I've come off the right road. I was bound for the Tournament of Kings."

"Well, you can get back on it with us," said Luke. "We've got some new weapons Bags provided us, and we're hunting satyrs."

"We've been mostly hunting pigs," said Bags.

"The pigs are a pressing concern," said Rutger. "They eat everything. Including us."

"I'll go with you to the other villages," said Korlac.

Organizing the seizure of Healer's Guild property was unpleasant. Luke had to force many people out of their jobs, and what made it worse was that virtually no one cared. However, Korlac proved very good at finding legal reasons to dismantle a business. He did it to several businesses.

His manner was professional and calm, and he learned to use the weapons effectively.

They spent a few days going from village to village as quickly as possible and doing more of the same. Gavkin and Anos proved to be good companions. During this time, he examined defenses, spoke with people, and learned how bad things had been.

William obviously must have been in the worst of moods when he came. How had he kept such an even temper?

"So, Luke, what happened to Sir Gabriel? Shouldn't he be with us?" asked Peter, eventually over the campfire. "We ought to have invited him. We could use his help out here."

"Peter, I know what you mean, but no," said Luke, shaving in a mirror he had brought. William has business of his own, and I'm afraid he'll have people after him. Rundas is probably going to blame him for this.

"Besides, if Antion is the source of all light in Harlenor, as they say, I'd say we're in the wrong nation."

"That's not fair," said Edara, polishing her axe. She looked more at home out here in the camps than in the castle. "We've just had things get away from us."

"You were warned," said Korlac, cleaning his crossbow. He had just joined them, and Luke wondered if his dark hair wasn't too long. Still, he'd taken no time to familiarize himself with how to wield it. "And you did not listen."

"I wish you'd stop pretending to be this archon of judgment," said Edara. "We both know you've never been involved in a hanging. I have. You're just pretending to be an avatar of your position."

"I am not!" said Korlac too quickly.

"To be fair," said Alasa, an elven maiden who had joined them late. She'd thus far remained silent. Everyone was warned."

"Yes, but House Korlac heeded the warning," said Korlac, looking toward the woods. "We quarantined everything long before the situation in Ascorn. And we stopped these criminal scum cold in our lands long ago.

"Lord Arthur was wise enough to ask our assistance. So, my Father has dispatched personal healers to tend to the border villages. And none of these black market back doors exist."

"Rutger, what are our chances, do you think?" asked Peter, looking to his older brother, who had stubble and had cut himself shaving.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"Some of us might die, Peter," said Rutger. "Satyrs are not to be underestimated."

"All of us might die, and I think some of us will die," said Bags grimly. The dwarf was from villages on the border with Seathorius. They often did smithwork for Atravain and her soldiers and had done very well out of it. But they had suffered satyr raids before, and he knew what he was talking about.

Dwarfs did not have nobles so much as a patriarchal structure. "It's why I insisted we arm our servants; we need all the help we can get." He was also polishing his crossbow with a love and care Korlac did not.

"Why not get the militia?" asked Peter.

"We can't rely on the militia, Peter," said Edara. "They haven't been drilled at all, thanks to the disarmament. They might break as soon as things get tough.

"I don't have much credibility; William seemed to think we were doing nothing. Janice is already handling other things, and Jaina is looking around."

"What exactly is the plan?" asked Peter, who never seemed to stop asking questions.

Luke pointed to the ridge near them. It was a rocky one, and it stood very steeply, and the land became barren and closer to Black Mountain. Some of their company turned back or to one side. They had other businesses in different places, and many had had enough.

Behind them was a far green country of scenic villages and well-ordered streets. "There's a ridge down there, right here. It has a clear view of the approaches to the village in every direction.

"We'll wait on it and light our campfires where the enemy can see. The Satyrs are always looking for opportunities, so eventually, someone will attack us."

"And if they don't?" asked Rutger.

"Then we just sit here and make sure no invaders cross this ridge," said Luke. "At the very least, we'll ensure they'll have to take a long walk to get out here."

"How long can we wait?" asked Peter.

"I've rationed everything," said Bags, stroking his beard. "So a week or two, more if we take trips back for supplies."

"Can we resist a determined attack?" asked Rutger up here.

"Yes," said Luke.

"What makes you so sure?" asked Edara.

"Well, yes," said Luke. "But as nobles, we're wearing armor and weapons. We have crossbows, and we're armed. And this isn't an especially important place.

"Just being here will likely deter an attack. And if there is an attack, we can withstand it."

"It's a good plan," said Bags. "Assuming there aren't too many. It won't do much good if enough of them come against us."

"We'll drive them before us," said Peter.

"Yeah," said Edara. "I'll bet each of us will slay ten of them."

Alasa considered things, adjusting her dark hair buns. "You thought this through."

"Jaina helped me work it all out," said Luke. "Trust me, it won't work out as we expect with Father as an opponent. He's been about lately, and that means trouble." Luke had always been able to sense his Father's work just beyond sight.

Right now, he was doing something, and that meant trouble. "Jaina is out there now, trying to negotiate."

"What?" said Gavkin suddenly. "Why has she no escort?"

"Father gives us a kind of luck," said Luke. "So long as he finds it amusing, she should be able to drag some of them down here. They get here, and we'll be on the ridge. When they start climbing and are near enough, we come up over the ridge and fire into them. We've got two shots with our crossbows; we use both.

"Jaina is smart too. She knows enough to avoid real trouble.

"If that doesn't scatter them, it's the sword."

"What if it does?" asked Edara.

"Then we stay here and wait for them to get friends and do it over again," said Luke.

"I'm going to take a look at the trees out there to the west," said Grace. "There's something in the forest. A wound I want to heal."

"You cannot go without escort," said Anos.

"I am quite safe in nature," said Grace. "Don't worry about me. I can talk to animals."

And she hurried off without a word.

"Why didn't we get Suran for this?" asked Peter.

"Suran is an excellent fighter," said Anos. "I'd like to have him with us."

"I tried to get him," said Luke. "But he had to hurry off on a mission on a split run. Apparently, Dunmoore had something significant for him in Ascorn."

"Edara, you said something good, uh..." said Rutger.

"It's symbolic," said Edara. "If we win a victory here, it'll boost morale and give us a chance to get more responsibilities. We don't have anything to do back home."

"We should have a militia," said Saul. "Dismissing the militia system gave us economic power. However, it has allowed us to undercut the lower classes. Without proper motivation, we cannot rely on them.

"The Paladins can only get us so far."

"Personally, I just want to test out my crossbow design," said Bags, finishing his work. "I sold one to Rius, but he never uses the thing. It lies in some vault because it's not that shiny. This is the first chance I've gotten."

"I recommend that the servants from the front ranks of the battle line, Luke," said Korlac.

"Korlac?" asked Luke. "That's hard on them, isn't it?"

"Lower class individuals traditionally take more risks on the battlefield," said Korlac. "A noble who is killed cannot be replaced as easily. In legal terms, the nobility are more important.

"And none of us except me have any real experience in combat. I shouldn't be here, but someone must fill in."

"Well, we're awfully grateful," said Edara. "Saul, what about you?"

Saul adjusted his crossbow quickly. Dark hair and effeminate features made him look younger than he was before. He handled it perfectly. "The action is a serious risk.

"However, if it is not taken, we will do nothing. Economics limits our options for attaining respectability. Even if we do not become professional soldiers, a victory here will give us credibility.

"We should publish at least a small record of all this. House Gabriel has gained major political power through expert propaganda. They utilize the Dust Elven printing presses to show tales of their adventures. Until now, it was assumed they were largely exaggerated.

"It may be wise to send our own documents to show the nobility are not idle."

"Saul is right; if you don't take a few risks, your House will fall," said Rutger. "Just look at Rius; he's in absolute disgrace. The entire Paladin Order has had to go out and divert itself to cleaning up what he let happen. And why?

"Because he didn't do anything, just took his bribes and became irrelevant. He'd have some credibility now if he'd gone to Khasmir or sent some soldiers."

"I wanted to go out there," said Luke. "But Mother insisted it was a death trap."

"She was right," said Peter. "Rutger and I both went.

"It was a nightmare. The satyrs were not good company, the raishans were worse, and no matter how many we killed, more came. I remember Princess Estela, though; she was magnificent on the battle field. She must have cut down dozens of them, and Sir Frederick was glorious out there, too."

"Did you see William in action?" asked Luke.

"We were on the opposite part of the conflict," said Rutger. "It was a big war with a lot of heroes. His usual job was going into dark, hard-to-find caves. Ones' where anything could be lurking and dispelling demons. His companions were Tanith and Rusara and Prince Kusher.

"Nobody wanted that job because most people who went in were carved to pieces. But William just did it as a job. They never drank with the soldiers or anything; I just went from one place to another. He moves with marvelous speed, as do his men. And his harp can create music to disrupt a great many dark powers.

"Tanith and Kusher enjoyed themselves. And at the end, he traded in the Goldenwood Harp to get the Dreaming Goddess out of a political marriage."

"That's sweet," said Edara.

"This is interesting but not relevant," said Saul.

"Saul is right," said Bags. "Most of the diseases we're dealing with are foreign, and they didn't come in from Ascorn. The Healer's Guild was given a lot of money to work in Ascorn, and they didn't.

"So supply broke down, and now fields are rotting. Rius ought to be replaced."

"You don't just replace a noble," said Rutger.

"People are going to starve soon," said Luke. "I know Borinius got off, but that was just one area. We can't look the other way here. And Rius has been corrupt to the gills from the start."

"He's the one who let this whole thing happen," said Rutger. "He's been caught with all kinds of illegal activity he knew about. On top of all of it, he can't even keep order in the streets.

"Reg Hawkthorne was in prison, and now no one knows where he is. And no one has been able to get what happened from him."

"What's your point?" asked Saul.

Korlac nodded. "If there was ever a time to get rid of a noble, Saul, it is now."

"Removing noble houses is a dangerous precedent," said Saul.

"Yes, but letting people do whatever they want also sets a dangerous precedent," said Edara. "Refusing to accept a dangerous precedent can be as dangerous as making one."

"What would you do? If you had your way?" asked Bags.

"I'd enforce the law," said Korlac.

"... That's a little cold-blooded," said Saul, looking disturbing.

Luke didn't get it.

"House Korlac doesn't have this problem," said Korlac. We don't have it because when people commit crimes, we hang them—merchants, peasants, even nobles sometimes. If you behave badly, you suffer the consequences. And if we can't hang someone, we do something else to make them suffer.

"Misdeeds must be punished, or they will be repeated. Pain must be inflicted for instruction to be remembered."

"Doing that would result in bodies hanging by every wayside," noted Alasa. Do you have personal experience with this?"

"Would you call this preferable?" asked Korlac, looking out to where plagued bodies were being burned in the nearby village.

"I'd much rather have neither," admitted Luke.

"Splendid for you both," said Bags. "Focus on the battle."

They stayed there for several days and took turns going out to different places. And to check on their progress. The sun was unbearable, and the nights were miserable camping beneath the stars. Luke tried to remember his training under Jehair. 'Feel the life around you, the world around you, and know it is one and yet separate. Do not resist the stream; flow with it and direct your course.'

Word came in from various areas with Korlac, and they made notes. As they did, Luke began to realize that everyone knew Jehair. She had been all over, and not all these villages could have been visited by William. How had she not seen this coming and warned him?

There were other stories, such as prisons raided, slave camps freed, and channeled toward Ascorn. Tavish's men had broken open several slave houses and taken them off to camps.

"Jehair is a traitor," said Korlac suddenly.

"What?" said Luke. "What do you mean?"

"She saw all of this, yet no warning was given," said Korlac. "And she works in many of the villages we might fight. If she knew of this, she should have told us."

"There might be an explanation," said Luke. "We don't know that she works with these people. Rius knows her well, and he..."

"Rius is corrupt," said Korlac. "He let the criminals walk right in. And he couldn't even keep control of Reg. Unless he had completely abandoned all pretense of legality, how is that possible?

"It's as though he was meeting people at the docks to take their bribes."

"I admit," said Edara. "Father has sometimes had to go through Ascorn on business. Rius is always polite but never takes a stand. And I've never observed his men making an arrest."

"Neither have I," said Rutger grimly. "And I go there often.

"The tolls at the gates are ridiculous; we can't do any business legitimately."

Korlac wrote down all this as everyone talked.

"Is there anyone who's not a traitor for you, Korlac?" asked Luke. "I mean, we had all the information too. We didn't do anything because we didn't understand the need.

"Are you going to wipe out everyone in Antion?"

"I would hang as many people as were possible without disrupting the nation," said Korlac. "Nobles are central to our system and in short supply. So, I would spare the least excessive for pragmatic purposes.

"Nevertheless, there must be many hangings to make up for this."

"That kind of escalation could lead to civil war," noted Saul.

"That's your Father talking," said Bags. "As usual."

"My Father is a great man," said Korlac, standing up. "He kept order in the domain of Brisgald and his own. Between us, his methods are superior."

"On a small scale," said Bags. Then he raised this crossbow. You see this weapon, Korlac. It's beautiful, isn't it? It works well. Piercing armor is like nothing else.

"But if you made it a few sizes smaller or larger, it wouldn't work. All the dimensions would be wrong and you'd have to adjust. Now your Father's system of law and order works well. In a territory he knows well, or when coordinating with a local Lord like Arthur.

"Arthur is competent and knows his own people.

"But try the same system in a larger place with different people, and you'd get revolution. The people here aren't going to put up with that kind of law and order; they've had enough of us. They'll go straight to the criminals and take their side."

"You would need time," said Saul. "Time for them to hate the people they have to deal with. If we improve our image, then the criminals will look worse. The best way to do that is to be seen in action.

"Such as here. It was a good choice, Luke."

"I'll level with you," said Luke. "I camped near the village so we'd have someone to run to for help."

Laughter from everyone. Even Saul.

"Could we arrest him?" asked Luke.

Silence.

"I'm saying it," said Luke. "Arrest Rius for mismanagement or something to that effect. Put someone else in charge."

"Lilas has always been beneficial when we have a problem," said Edara. "He often helps us get what we need when the systems break down. The supply breakdowns have always been wrong; he knows Ascorn's systems.

"We could-"

"One does not arrest nobility," said Korlac, continuing to write his report. "They are either killed or spared in the aftermath of battle. And Lilas is completely unsuitable as a ruler."

"Why?" asked Edara.

"He rules the land south of Lord Arthur's domain himself," said Korlac. "The Hand of Anoa, named for his last battle with King Faras.

"However, he abandoned it to seek work as a financier. It shows a complete lack of personal responsibility and disrespect for our system. Why should he be given greater responsibilities if he can't care for his people?"

"It is a poor and desolate place," said Bags. "No trade can go through there because the Wood Elves do not allow it. So everything goes by the King's Road and such. And it can't be denied that Lilas has done very well for himself and others in his career."

"Sir," said Korlac. "I do not care if Lilas made money for the entire universe. He abandoned his birthright for money. He traded his honor for a business empire.

"If his ancestral domain means nothing to him, why would a new one fit him? If he were given Ascorn, he would immediately begin looking for a way to trade that for something better."

Luke sighed.

Everything had gone wrong since that day. John Korlac had gone to a room with Baron Hawkthorne, Lord Rius, Arkan Lantan. That and many others called for a return to law and order. To phase out the Thieves Guild and restore things to how they had been.

He had been laughed out of the room.

Arkan had said, 'If we're going to have crime,' it may as well be organized crime.'

It had led to a new era of corruption and bribery.

It had led to Father's campaigns.

House Korlac had never forgotten. And Luke had a feeling that they were planning revenge even now. John Korlac had never forgotten anything, and once angered he did not forget.

"Once Rius is dealt with, we intend to look into Lilas," said Korlac. "He owns a great deal more than he pretends. All those favors given have allowed him to do very well in business. That village over there has a number of shops. All of them transport goods using merchants that owe them favors and fealty.

"I will say nothing of their names in the record to avoid trouble being brought on them."

Luke turned his mind to the mission, and Korlac wrote many more reports. The camping trip became dull, and Luke became convinced no one would attack.

Finally, the day of battle came.