A Warrior's Redemption

  *****

  I swallowed, as the vision from the past turned and left the room with Zarsha. I turned back to Sebastian, wondering what he must be thinking about my ogling what was obviously his slave or, at best, a servant.

  His face showed no reaction at all, at least on the surface. My face colored at the thought of what he might be thinking of me. Maybe he had missed it all, but I doubted it.

  “Now then Roric, fill me in on your journey.”

  I told him everything, leaving nothing out. A servant brought refreshments during my recital of the recent events. Throughout my telling of the events, Sebastian sat back in his chair listening, appearing to be in deep thought with his hands folded in front of him. He hadn’t interrupted me with questions throughout my whole recital. When I finished, I sat back in my chair, waiting for him to comment on what I had said.

  There was a long pause and then he broke the silence, “The book getting out and seeing the light of day is a regrettable occurrence, but life is often filled with such unavoidable circumstances that one simply has to deal with. Don’t feel bad about it Roric. It’s my experience that problems of the moment can often prove useful later on in the completion of a greater purpose. The key is to adapt with the situation and remain fluid.”

  “What does that mean in this situation, Sir?” I asked, not sure what he meant by being fluid.

  Sebastian smiled and perched his fingers together again. “I don’t know yet. You see that’s the challenge. I’m afraid the consequences, whatever they may be, that will come as a result of the release of the book, will have to be overlooked for now as we have more pressing concerns. Roric, it’s good that you came. The threat to the Valley Lands from this proposed invasion is greater than we had at first imagined. You see Roric, there’s something else they want that’s more valuable than the knowledge that you destroyed, something that they’re willing to sacrifice everything for and now it’s within their grasp.”

  “What is it?” I asked, wondering what secrets Thaddeus had yet neglected to tell me.

  “Ships,” Sebastian responded quietly.

  “Ships?” What could be so important about ships?

  Seeming to read my mind Sebastian said, “They’re not just ordinary ships Roric. They’re ships that can travel between worlds and now the Zoarinians know where they’re located. How they arrived at that knowledge I do not know. Worse than that, they now have the military ability to smash through the great wall at Kingdom Pass anytime they wish. This long buildup on their part has only been a precaution. They want to be sure that they have enough trained forces to completely take and level every fortification and settlement that exists in the Valley Lands. They mean to claim the ships for themselves and utterly destroy us, so that we will never give them a moment’s trouble again.”

  “What can we do then?” I asked.

  Sebastian gazed sadly out one of the windows of the study bedroom, “There’s not much that we can do, except to avoid doing one thing. The Valley Lands, for hundreds of years, have relied on the wall at Kingdom Pass to keep them safe and they will do so again, which is exactly what they cannot do! If our forces commit to holding Kingdom Pass at all costs, it will become a Valley Lander bloodbath of epic proportions. A strategy that involves a different set of rules than simply relying on an outdated defense is critically needed or I fear all will be lost. You must convince them of this, Roric! The siege engines they have created will level Kingdom Pass to the ground within hours, but what’s worse than that is that they have found several of the passes over the mountains and have entered into a secret military alliance with the Attorgrons. Kingdom Pass will be attacked from two sides, something it was never designed to be able to withstand. The situation is grim and the correct plan of action unclear, but at least we know what not to do and we must act on that accordingly and hope for the best; that what follows will go in our favor. It is up to you to convey that to the Valley Lander high council.”

  “Why can’t you come and instruct them as to what is best to be done? Surely they would listen to you before they would to me!”

  “Not necessarily, Roric. While I may come from a respected blood line and have been quite useful over the years to my country, I am and always will be viewed as the illegitimate son of a greater man than I could ever hope to be. In the eyes of many, I’m fit for nothing better to do for my country than be a spy. You, however, have what they want. You have the respect that your family name gives you, the honorable actions of a hero to your credit, and the physical abilities and presence of character that say you’re likely to win any fight in which you find yourself. They’ll love you and you’ll be surprised at how eagerly they convey all the responsibility that they can onto your shoulders to get free of it themselves. You’ll see what I mean. Very few people, when it comes down to life and death situations that correlate to every decision that is to be made, are actually willing to step up to the task and do what is needed, when it is needed.”

  I shook my head slowly in denial, “I don’t think I’m the man for the job, Sebastian. You’re asking for a lot more than I think I’m capable of.”

  Sebastian smiled, “Which is precisely why you probably are the best man for the job. The Creator loves a humble heart, Roric, and if our people are to continue on, it will take an act of the Creator to do so and people who know that they don’t have all the answers and that instead look to the Creator for their help in time of need rather than themselves. You’ll do just fine. Now, back to the matter at hand. I have one more intelligence report to gather before you’re off on your way back to the Valley Lands.”

  “You’re staying? Surely there’s no reason for you to stay here any longer! Why don’t you come with me?”

  Sebastian looked reflective, “Two reasons; one is that I would slow you down, for you will need to move quickly if you are to escape. I also fear that the enemy may have become aware of my involvement in spying on them and I do not wish to pose a risk to your escape because of my notoriety.”

  “Why do you think that you have been found out?”

  Sebastian quickly corrected, “Might have been, I’m not sure yet. A courier that we bribed, in order to gain access to the letters he carried, was replaced unexpectedly with another courier. We cannot find any clues as to the whereabouts of the old courier and his replacement seemed to cave in too easily to our attempts to bribe him. We had arranged to meet at a certain location, but I withdrew from the meeting place before it was time for us to meet, some sixth sense of mine I suppose. I sent a third party in my place that knew nothing of my involvement and the courier himself had never actually seen me either so he did not know that he was not meeting with me.”

  “It was a trap?”

  “Yes, it was. Most disturbingly was who was involved in the deception. The Zoarinians have a secretive sect in their higher ranks of hierarchy that oversee the most intimate affairs of the empire, including the actions and private lives of the governors themselves. They are very cunning and, I have been told, quite evil.”

  Interrupting him I said, “I think I know who you’re talking about. Are there many of them?”

  “Nobody knows, but whenever they are involved it’s serious business. I have kept a low profile throughout most of my spying career, ever careful to never reveal too much at any one time as to my involvement in the spying community. But of late I’ve had to take some risks, which men of their cunning could possibly piece together given enough time.”

  “It would then seem to me a good idea for you to get out before they do find you out!” I said, not understanding his reticence against leaving.

  Sebastian looked up at me, “Better that I stay and deflect the attention from you. I don’t mind sacrificing myself for my country or I would never have come here in the first place and as it is I don’t have long anyway.”

  “You’re dying? That’s your real reason for staying, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, I suppose, but I would appr
eciate it if you kept it to yourself.”

  I nodded and asked, “You mentioned that you still have some information to gather yet before I can leave?”

  “Yes, I’m having a get together tomorrow night. The exchange will be made then and you will depart shortly thereafter with it, while I will remain here. Now, I’ve kept you long enough from your much needed rest. Rugar, show my nephew to his quarters, would you?”

  The man from the carriage separated away from the wall behind me at his master’s request. It didn’t surprise me that he had slipped unnoticed into the room sometime throughout the course of our conversation. The man was skilled. I followed Rugar down the hallway to a room he indicated.

  “Rugar, my horse, has he been..?”

  Rugar held up his hand forestalling my question, “I saw to it myself, master Roric. He is a very fine animal, a fit mount to carry any warrior into battle, but I pray he never knows any master other than you to grace his back.”

  I looked at him, appreciating his comment. What would he do when the master he had served so faithfully through the years was no longer around to serve? That would be a sad day.