Riders of Tethra Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
It had rained for over a week, virtually nonstop. And when it wasn't raining, there was fog. Kelna had turned into a fortress mostly at Korlin's direction. Elbart had moved his crown here now but still demanded more and more from his Maginar captive. Now it seemed to be a cat and mouse game, waiting to see who would make a move and then planning response to all the envisioned scenarios. Korlin had designed the inner citadel that was almost impregnable. During his years with Pagnor, if Korlin had admired anything about the man, it was his ability to secure his environment and think strategically. The young rider not only learned from Pagnor's performance but from his mind as well. If Elbart thought he had a chance defeating his southern neighbor, he was sadly mistaken.
The pub within the citadel walls was the only place where Korlin could bury his misery in a bit of firelight and strong drink. He was there this evening, listening to the endless rain outside and the slobbering conversations of soldiers and sailors. A typical evening except that there was a stranger sitting at a small table to the side of the room. He appeared friendly enough with the waitress but then every male was friendly with her and Korlin suspected she made more money being friendly than waiting on tables.
"Who's the stranger?" Korlin asked Trala when she brought him his third brew.
"Soldiers said he's the son of a tradesman, an apprentice I guess, that visits Elbart once in awhile. He wouldn't be inside the walls if he wasn't carefully checked. He doesn't talk much though." She flipped back her soft brown hair and winked quietly at Korlin. She didn't really know him either but she knew he was important and knowing important people had its benefits.
Korlin simply shrugged and ignored Trala's obvious advances. He changed his position slightly so he could look at the new patron without notice. He focused. It had been so long since he had ridden anyone worth noting, he found it hard to settle his own mind to invade that of another. When he finally succeeded, his face went white and he almost fell off his chair.
"Meet me in the chapel by the western gate in one hour. I have a message for you! Do not fail to meet me."
The stranger got up and left the pub shortly after he noticed Korlin focusing on him. It was as if he was waiting for his mind to be tapped by Korlin. He waited, delivered his order and then disappeared out the door. This was no simple tradesman and Korlin sensed danger. He would be at the chapel but he would wait a sufficient amount of time so as not to be connected with the stranger.
The western gate was quite a distance from the pub which was centrally located. Korlin made his way through the cold bitter night arriving at the chapel ten minutes before the hour given would be over. People rarely ventured out very far after dark and Korlin was well aware that all of his moves were carefully followed by Elbart's spies.
He shook off his cloak as he entered the candlelit chapel. It was very small, a few benches facing the altar featuring some unknown saint for sailors. No one was there. Then from the shadows, a silhouetted figure emerged. Korlin noticed he was small in stature but could not see a face.
"You got my message I see," the figure said.
Korlin started to approach.
"Stay where you are!" the stranger ordered. Korlin stopped in his tracks sensing danger and noting that this was the voice of a youth, not a man.
"Ride!" the cloaked stranger commanded.
"What?"
"Ride, like you did in the pub."
Korlin looked at the dark figure and focused.
"I am speaking to you as Pagnor. You have made no efforts to return to your wife and son. You have made no attempts to contact them or me. I must assume that you are now loyal to Elbart and have abandoned your family to serve him. Shanna and Shayne are safe -- in prison. If you ever wish to see them alive again, you will return to Torinar. Organize a sea trial invasion with Elbart's navy of the northeast coast of Illsbury. Arrive by moonlight on the twenty-seventh day of the next lunar cycle. You have two days to make your way to the northernmost shore of the island's lake. Come alone, you will be met and return to me. If you fail your family is forfeit."
"Tell Pagnor it isn't that I...." Korlin spoke to the stranger he had just ridden but he was gone. He had been sent a message and the messenger would now return to Pagnor. He imagined his beautiful Shanna and Shayne in some dank cell deep within bowels of the palace. He could only try to do what he was told now instead of the escape plan that was so close to happening. Now he must convince Elbart to do exactly what Pagnor demanded. He suspected the youthful messenger was a captive from Maginar without much skill but Pagnor would be holding someone dear to him to force his compliance with delivering this order. Korlin left the chapel and headed quickly back to his lodgings, there to prepare a hasty war game proposal for an invasion of Illsbury.
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Shayne scampered happily from his mother's lap and leaped onto Pagnor's. Shanna gave a weary smile to the overlord of Torinar. His accommodations in the palace were grand but not overbearing or pompously opulent.
"Kevyn returned last night," Pagnor said.
Shanna eyes lit up in interest, waiting for the leader to continue, Shayne happily in his embrace.
"He will be here in a moment, Shanna. I thought it would be better for you to hear from him directly."
Almost as if on command, a youth of almost sixteen was ushered into the inner chamber where the little boy, Shanna and the leader were waiting. He looked tired, not just from a long journey but from the responsibility that had been laid upon him for the past year.
"Hello Kevyn," Shanna said with a smile. She knew the toll his task was taking on him. He had taken on the role of the son of Orlin, a highly-regarded tradesman of Lokinar who traveled easily between all of the realms of Tethra with documents of passage. Although the man was a citizen of Lokinar, he was basically a global spy who reported to all alliance leaders what little information he could gather in his trade routes. He provided just enough information to be allowed to continue his roaming but his access was limited so classified information never reached his ears or eyes. He had his uses.
Kevyn had been introduced as his son about two years ago with the explanation that at fourteen, he was now old enough to take on some of his father's trade responsibilities. Those usually meant that Kevyn, with escorts, would travel ahead of his "father" to take orders and send back messages. No one paid too much attention to the boy at first but after a year or so, he was simply thought of as a nice kid and one that his father did not deserve. For the past year, his hidden task was to remain unnoticed by Korlin and bring back regular reports of his activities.
"How was he?" Shanna asked as the little boy cooed in Pagnor's lap.
"More tired than I have ever seen him. He was drinking a lot in the pub. And after he rode me and got the message, I could tell he was scared."
"I am afraid for him," she said. "I have never liked this idea." She looked directly at Pagnor.
"I can tell he has been planning his escape, Shanna. I have told you that many times but he must return. And he has successfully moved Elbart to Kelna. That stupid imbecile is amassing a fleet for war. We need to see its strength and try to get Korlin back. I know he wants to return but he needs to be back now."
"You are risking his life, my lord," Shanna replied, and called her son back to her arms.
"His life is in peril every moment that he is in service to Elbert. I said he was stupid but he is not. He is dangerous enough that nothing will stop him from retaining and increasing his power."
"Korlin will do you no good if he returns home in a bag. You have used us as bait and I respect your motives, Pagnor. I am just very frightened."
"Do you want me to go back?" Kevyn asked.
"No Kevyn," replied Pagnor, "your task is over now. I would like you to join the party to rescue Korlin if that is possible."
"As you wish, Pagnor. With your permission, I would like to visit my mother before then."
"We have given Korlin less than ninety days to convince Elbart to organize this trial. You will not have as much time as you deserve in Frandown Rise Kevyn after your sacrifice of the last year but as you wish. You will need to be in Orm Kirk on the twentieth day on the next cycle to join our rescue party. Korlin will either succeed or not but we shall be waiting in either case. May your journey to your mother be pleasant and rendezvous with us be successful."
"Thank you, my liege, and my mother thanks you as well," Kevyn responded and then left the room.
"He has performed his duties beyond expectations," Pagnor said looking fondly at Shanna.
"He is still a boy, Pagnor, not yet sixteen and you have demanded much."
"He is a boy no longer. He is a valuable asset to our alliance, well liked and trusted, unlike his idiot, supposed father. But even he has had his uses. Kevyn's mother was correct to request we train Kevyn. She deserves to see what her son has become."
"Mothers are always holding onto their sons as children. I want Korlin to have the joy of seeing Shayne grow up," she replied.
"May our task be successfully accomplished then Shanna. It was my own hasty action that brought this upon us and caused us to lose him. I regret it."
Shanna smiled slightly. "You have always had that remarkable trait for a leader. Korlin has said that it is not common in the lore to find such a one that will admit an error."
"I have had as much power as I can handle and decisions that must be made to satisfy all our alliance holdings which is impossible. That is the reason I have never shared our relationship with Korlin. He has power enough as it is. Had he known, the message I sent with Kevyn would have had little impact. There are lords of the holdings that want my power. I cannot make every decision correctly but I do have to make them. Ignoring or not realizing one's mistakes is the gravest mistake of all. One mistake I did not make was for you to marry Korlin, a political marriage that gave you true love and me a beautiful `nephew'."
"Our friendship has been as close as brother and sister for most of our lives. I shall pray that this action will bring us all back together," she said softly. She called to Shayne and with a gentle bow left Pagnor to his thoughts.