CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE - A VERY MINoR PRoblEM

Alec sat back in his chair and tried to ignore the various pokes and prodshe had been subjected to for the last half hour. He knew that these tests werenecessary, but that didn’t make them any more pleasant.

For a priest suppos- edly skilled in truth spells, he sure seems to be taking his sweet time!

The cleric – Father Ullast, if he remembered correctly – nally turned away

from Alec and faced the Baron. “Well, he

seems

normal enough. I can’t nd

any evidence of tampering with him by spells or any other means – beyond, of course, the obvious signs of the torture he has told us about.”

Alec snorted. “I told you I was ne. Now, Lord Aahron, can we quit wasting

time we don’t have? By my count, ten full days have passed since I left that orcchief’s tender care, and that leaves us with only three days before his armyarrives. We must prepare!”Baron Mournfell shook his head. “If an arc army were three days away,Alec, the scouts would have spotted something. You know that as well as I.”“Do I? A month ago I would have agreed with you. A month ago, I had two

hundred trained and equipped heavy cavalry at my command, not twenty-veill-trained recruits and a handful of cattlemen who have answered their lord’scall. No, milord. After watching those greenback bastards slaughter my men, I

can’t agree with you. He’s coming, and we’re not ready.”Baron Mournfell rolled his eyes, but didn’t dismiss his most trusted subor

dinate out of hand. Instead, he turned back to Father Ullast. “You’re sure he’stelling the truth?”Ullast shrugged. “He thinks he is. If he has been put up to something – be it this tale of an orc invasion or any other sort of tall tale, it was done bysomeone with far more skill than I have. So, yes, he’s telling the truth, as faras I can tell.”“Were you anyone else, Alec, and had you given Ullast any reason to doubt you…” The Baron crossed the small chamber Ullast had commandeered to usefor his magical interrogations, and put his hand on Alec’s shoulder. “We willtake precautions. I will call up the militia –

slowly,

mind you, as to not createany disturbance. I’ll order all outlying posts and patrols to return to the castle,and I’ll double the patrols across the river. Finally, I’ll order the populace tomake ready to evacuate to the castle. But the one thing I will not do is simplyorder everyone to head either for the castle or the hills. That will do nothing butget people killed.”

Alec shook his head.

I hope that’s enough. I know it won’t be, but I still hope it is.

“Milord. I thank you for listening to me, but I must insist – that won’t beenough! That greenback chief has to have at least ten thousand orcs under hiscommand. You

must

send out a call to Earl Stoutheart for reinforcements!”“And tell him what, Alec?! What should I say to convince him that I haven’talready said? You think I haven’t all but prostrated myself before him, tryingto stop the troop withdrawals and ask him for more men?” The vehemence inthe Baron’s voice surprised Alec. “By all the gods of light, man! I’ve tried! Whydo you think that a report from a man I barely believe myself will change hismind?”Alec reacted as if the Baron had punched him in the gut; the wind physi

cally left him. For moments, no one said anything as the two men stared eachother down. Finally, Alec found the courage to speak. “Well, then, perhaps Ishould speak to him myself. I know help can’t arrive for weeks anyway, even if troops left today, but… Don’t you see? We must try something! The lives of toomany hang in the balance!” The Baron turned his back. “Earl Stoutheart can, or will, do nothing for us.If this invasion occurs, Alec – and I am still not convinced it will – we will haveto look after our own, as we always do. As I said, precautions have been taken.

Now, let us go and break our fast. We will say nothing more of this until there

is something more to say.”

Precautions have been taken? Break our fast?

Alec started to follow after theBaron, ready to continue the argument, but before he could, he felt the hands

of the old cleric grab his tunic. “Not now, Alec. Not like that. Give yourself time

to calm down and think before you say anything,”

Alec wheeled about, re ashing in his eyes. “Don’t you get it? We’re about

to be knee deep in orcs! I used to think like he does – then I watched my menbe slaughtered. And yet he does nothing!”

The cleric shook his head. “He does what he can. Let us pray that it is

enough.”But Alec now knew better. He also knew he had to convince the Baron of that, somehow, in the next two or three days. If only he knew how.* * *He walked across the outer ramparts of the castle wall, watching theguardsmen walk their patrol route. The men – boys, more accurately – weredoing their jobs well. He wished that there were more men, but took heart in

the fact that those he could see seemed to be doing their best to make up fortheir lack of numbers with increased diligence.He stopped, resting his hands on the stout stone parapet, and looked outacross the endless plains. For a moment, he relaxed, feeling the breeze uponhis face as he watched the sun come up over the horizon. It was a pleasantmorning; a few wispy clouds were scattered across the sky, but he suspectedthe weather would change later that day. His old campaigner’s sense of the weather was telling him rain was coming.

Well, that isn’t all bad. Rain will slow down the horde…

He cupped his hand over his eyes, and watched as a hawk glided by on anair current. He envied the creature.

No cares. Must be nice.

The clanging of a loud bell brought him back from his peaceful reverie. First

Light. Time for the guard shift to change. He turned, peering around a crenel-

lation in the wall, and saw three guardsmen coming up the walkway from the

barracks down below. One of the patrolling guardsmen turned and saluted, st

clutched to his chest. “First Watch! All is well!”Another watchman faced his comrades, extending his own salute. “FirstWatch, aye! Second Watch relieves you; all is well!” Alec watched them go abouttheir duties, and a hint of a smile crossed his face. The precision and order of military life has always appealed to him. Even as he rose in rank, spendingless time with his troops and more time writing reports and placating angrymerchants, he still loved his chosen profession. Moments like this remindedhim of why.One of the soldiers coming onto watch called out a greeting to his comrade.Alec struggled to remember the young man’s name. Istvan? Isman? He couldn’tremember.Alec snapped back to focus when he heard what the boy said. “Did’ja hearthe news, Tohmas? Everyone’s all abuzz. Word is that it even pulled the ol’ manaway from his meetings with Sir Alec!”Alec sidled around the corner, trying to remain out of sight. Keeping abreast

of the current gossip got him in touch with his troops in ways direct questions

never could. And when the boy apparently knew some tale or rumor that hedidn’t… The boy prattled on for several seconds more, and Tohmas indulged him foronly a few seconds before reining the enthused boy back in. “Isthan!” Tohmassaid, with a crack in his voice. “What’s the story?!”“Oh! Word is there’s been a big battle back west. It seems that Earl Proud