Dark One Rising(155)
“Well, then I guess I owe them both a debt of gratitude for bringing an old friend back alive.” He shook hands with them both.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Majesty,” Bort said, slightly uncomfortable, shifting from one foot to the other. “It’s an honor to serve you in whatever way I can.”
“Please, I am too weary for the pomp and circumstance that my station requires. I’m sure you are tired and cold and hungry.”
“We seem to have just ridden in ahead of the storm. It’s moving North through the peaks, and it looks like it could hit here by tomorrow.” He paused. There was silence for awhile, then he broke it. “We are tired and hungry.”
“Of course. Where are my manners?” He clapped and a servant appeared. “Please have some dinner brought in here for my newly arrived friends. And some ale.”
The servant bowed and hurried from the room. Dain motioned for them to join him at the table, then introduced the two parties, starting with Brogan’s.
“This is Brogan, Bort and Baird. They have just returned from Yarden with news that the dwarves have promised aide. This is Zayn and Aldis, from Danyl. They have ridden all this way to bring very bad tidings. Fallon has begun his campaign to take over all three provinces earlier than I hoped. He has bribed, or coerced, Baron Malor from Ashlan and Lord Krondor from Bardolf into his enlistment. Lord Ulric is the only baron in that far east region of my realm that he was unable to coerce. The other two were neutral territory once, but no longer. Lord Ulric has enough troops at his garrison to hold off the army for a while, but not as long as I wished. I’ll have to bring in some extra help to keep Danyl fortified against Fallon’s army. We also have confirmation that the Triple Cities have fallen under his onslaught. The wall is now in control of Fallon and his generals, which means…”
Brogan finished the sentence for him. “Which means that he controls the border into Aaralyn now.”
“I’m afraid so.” He paused, then said, “Fallon has also taken Lachlan Castle. The king is dead.”
“What! How?”
“Fallon’s right hand, the wraith, about a month ago.”
Brogan shook his head in sadness. “God be with him. So Aaralyn has a new king.”
“Yes, but perhaps no throne if he cannot reach his destination without being captured or killed. Because the castle has been taken, Alek is escorting Kevaan to Charbonneau where he will prepare his army. I pray they make it without incident. We have to assume that his army at Lachlan have been detained or worse, dead. Getting more men is more imperative now than before. After Kevaan is safe, Alek will head to Vallis to get representatives to escort him to Salador to speak with the chancellor. We must get an alliance from the chancellor now, or Aelethia will perish.”
“What about the coast?” Brogan asked now.
“The giants were seen headed in that direction, and we do think that they’ll try to barter passage from Kieran through the Corlane Strait and up to Boones Ferry, where they can bring in more troops to Kingswell, taking over the city now that he has control of the castle. I can only hope that Alek and the elves reach Salador first, before Fallon does.”
“What does Fallon hope to accomplish by getting to the Chancellor, more coercion to allow him passage?”
“We think,” Zayn added now, “that he will try to enlist the Chancellors allegiance to him, then he would have free reign on the Free Cities as well. If he can surround Aaralyn from all sides, getting to Azlyn will be easier.”
“This is quite overwhelming,” Bort said now, from the far side of the table.
The door opened and two servants carried in trays of steaming food and goblets of ale. They placed the tray on the far side of the table, then left again.
“Go ahead and eat and drink. We can continue this after your sated.”
Bort, Brogan and Baird went to the far end of the table and seated themselves, then began to eat and drink. Dain sat down across from them and sighed heavily.
“You look tired, my lord.”
“I am, Brogan. I feel like I haven’t slept for days. I can’t stay even one step ahead of him. He’s a menace that I look forward to snuffing out.”
“Aye. He has plagued this kingdom long enough. What will be your first move?”
A servant came forward and refilled Brogan’s cup when he placed it empty on the table. He then offered one to Dain, but he waved it away. He answered Brogan’s question. “I will send a dispatch into Danyl with Zayn and Aldis, letting the baron know I’m sending troops his way and I have representatives headed into Salador as we speak to try and reach the Chancellor before Fallon does.”