“I agree.”
“So what happened? Your head looks to be attached to me.”
“Dain heard about the incident and came to see me. He asked me what happened and asked me the names of all the soldiers that were there that night. He talked to them and got their side of the story. I guess he felt that a decorated officer such as me would be telling the whole truth. He believed me and told his father so. Only thirteen, too. My execution was stalled until more proof could be gathered. It took days for Dain to convince him, but as the evidence on my behalf piled up and the testimonies of my fellow soldiers came in, Colwyn resigned to setting me free. I didn’t, however, retain my station. I was free of death but would no longer be in the kings guard. Innocent or not, I was to be an example. I became a sailor after that to pay the bills. I lost my wife and daughter out of the deal too, but I’m alive today because the son of the king believed in me. That is why I came. I owe him my life. How about you?”
“I, too, owe him, and I’m not just talking money. He saved my butt a few times too over the years, before I became clan leader. The last one he’s referring to is when I got myself into a bit of trouble with some mercenaries outside the coastal town of Pembroke, must be six years now. I was drinking in a tavern when I heard a guy offering sixty silver pieces to anyone who would take a load of ship parts, or so I thought, over the Danstroms and into Kieran and deliver them to a guy who owned a ship repair yard there. It was mid-winter, and no one but a dwarf offers to travel through the mountains in the snow. Having familiarity with the mountains and all the passes through them, I volunteered. The man said he’d pay half now, then the other half would be paid by the receiver of the load. I agreed. Hired myself two men, a pack horse, and bought enough food for the trip over the range. The men I hired were not hardy enough for the trip though, and I lost both of them before we even reached the top. I managed to make it, but before I could get into town and deliver the goods, a group of Bounty Hunters accosted me. Said I stole the merchandise. Apparently, the load was not ship parts at all, but stolen weapons and war supplies from a rich baron’s estate in Amaris. While I was making my way across the mountain range, the man who hired me was questioned, then squealed to save his own skin, telling the Bounty Hunters it was I who robbed the lord. One of those Bounty Hunters was Alekzand’r Morgan, who I’m sure you know.”
“Aye.”
“I tried to run, of course, and they chased and caught me. I ended up in prison to await trial. Dain must have heard the story from Alekzand’r, who I assume believed my story, and stepped in. I was released, the goods returned to the rightful owner, along with what was left of the silver after expenses, and I was escorted back to Yarden where I would be punished by my clan as was tradition. The Clan Chief was my father at the time. Almost three years later I received a message that the mercenary who had hired me had been tracked down and dealt with. By that time, Dain was King, and he informed me that I would owe him a debt, which included the money it took to track the mercenary down, and compensation for my release. I was young and reckless, not so unlike him I suppose. Kindred in spirit you could say. Now that I’m clan leader, I can repay in full with whatever he needs.”
“I’m glad to hear it, Dagon, because the help is needed and time is short. Fallon and his troops have been wreaking havoc all over. It’s not enough that he has more cities under his rule than he has earned, or deserves. He’s on his way to taking over ones outside his own province. Ashlan has already fallen victim to his wrath, and I fear Randor’s cities are next. He controls the toll bridge on the Xanthe, took it over from Randor months ago. He keeps the money and pads his pockets to fund his army.”
“What does he want?”
“A throne.”
“Randor’s throne?”
“All of them. Dain thinks he’s after the entire kingdom, and he’ll get it if the realms don’t stand together. Dain sent me to ask for your allegiance. If we go to war, it will take all the troops we can gather together.”
“How can Fallon hope to get enough men to gain power over everything?”
“He has the darkness on his side. He has made a pact with the Dark One and has already called up creatures from the depths to help him.”
“Good Lord, that is a feat in itself.”
“Aye. It seems that Fallon is more adept than anyone imagined, more so than even his previous teacher.”
Dagon shook his head. “No wonder my sentries have spotted groups of unexplainable creatures marching through the pass.”