Adversaries Together (5 page)

Pallas winced but did not look after Vander.
Another meeting during the small hours at a nearly abandoned
chapel, he was not looking forward to it. Yet, he knew he was
getting closer now and would soon know the inner workings of the
Vicegerent’s machinations. Stepping back, he took in more of the
great map. He needed to see more, he thought.

Far Port’s North Sea route slowed, but its
own river traffic along the Falkstone increased. Soon Far Port,
Midhalm, and Havan were the central axis of trade under the sway of
the Spires and The Cathedral. The so-called monopoly hadn’t merely
changed hands but expanded as the Silvincian armada now dominated
the sea. Sea trade for Essia was all but dead. The Paraonese had
already cut itself off from Rikonen, focused almost entirely on
whaling in The Deep and North Sea. Rikonen was left with its
farming plains, but Pallas knew that the land had soured leaving
the common folk starving and the great city desperate. Heveonen was
still able to nurse what it needed from the rich lands along the
Elmander River but its trade along the river was hampered by the
fact that Havan, a city firmly in the hands of The Cathedral, sat
at the headwaters and had grown stingy.

Some Heveonese had already begun raids into
the Cassubia, the Lakes District as the common folk called it. At
first, the Essians had struck out only against Cassubian
settlements too near their own territory, but that quickly turned
into more frequent sallies. The Cathedral saw a serious threat
looming and its options were simple, Essia needed to come under its
control or the Spires’. The common wisdom was that several
Vicegerents were working to sway the Patriarch towards annexation,
using the Spires as a holy army. Pallas’s doubts ate at him,
Silvincia had grown to be the force in the world and far too many
of the elites in the Spires simply wanted it to continue, to have
their nation become empire.

“
A war,” Pallas murmured,
“a real war would shatter this world.” He stared at the map knowing
that it would soon have to be completely remade.

The Lake District,
8
^th
of
Lammas

Following the paladin and the alm wasn’t
difficult for Declan. The two moved slowly, seemingly taking their
time at every turn. Upon leaving Sulecin, they took a rather common
path that was unrushed but avoided the usual Cathedral
business—marriage blessings and family tithes, birth benedictions,
dying sanctifications, blessings for new buildings, absolution
indulgences, etc. Even a lowly friar usually had a day filled with
weaseling coin from common folk for indulgences of some sort. These
two, however, meandered through the outskirt villages and unnamed
towns that encircled the city of The Cathedral calling on no one,
collecting nothing, but still taking their sweet time. Declan felt
no love for The Cathedral bleeding of the folk, yet these two were
driving him insane.

To the people of the Lake District, of
Cassubia, so commonplace was the presence of Cathedral authority
that these two travelers raised no eyebrows. In fact, it was only
the alm who insisted on inflicting herself on people. She made it a
point to stop to aid the peasantry at every chance, whether they
wanted or needed it. The paladin seemed indifferent yet never
hesitated to help, never once attempting to hurry her along.

When they passed out of the Lakes proper at
Carlisle’s Crossing, they paused only long enough to re-check their
gear and add a small amount of supplies. Declan realized that it’d
be more conspicuous to shadow these two from afar; he needed to get
in close. Carlisle’s Crossing would be the best place to cozy up to
the two. The crossing wasn’t so much a village as an outpost, a way
station, for pilgrims to get their bearings on their way to The
Cathedral or out to the other realms. Those heading away from The
Cathedral got onto the great highroads that headed south to Havan
and further on to Anhra, as well as east to Ardavass or Elixem, and
though it happened hardly at all these days, west to Essia.

The alm often appeared
distracted, unaware of her surroundings.
No
, Declan thought,
not unaware, just uninterested
.

She had no care for the hawkers or the
rover’s trinkets yet had no disdain for them. As Declan got a bit
closer to the two, he hoped to get an idea of the pair’s
relationship. Kyrio Tobin had only given him the slightest
understanding of the depth of his task. Shadow the two, steer them
either to the Spires’ agents in Dystos or to the Spires themselves.
What they actually meant by ‘steer’ was anyone’s guess, but Declan
figured he had more than enough time to figure something out and
from Tobin’s tone, he was given leeway to do whatever he saw fit.
Nearly seven hundred leagues to Dystos would give him at least a
month to get it all sorted assuming that there were minimal
complications.

The Crossing was the last bit of proper
civilization before heading south took them through the empty
hinterlands on their way to Havan. Hopefully, the two lingered a
bit so Declan could refresh his own supplies. Doing so was the
perfect cover for monitoring the two. In the press of the
marketplace, he could linger near enough to eavesdrop without
raising suspicion. Although the alm was detached yet fascinated by
every single commoner, the paladin was patient. He stayed close to
the alm but he clearly had his guard down banking on his armor and
Cathedral insignia to keep others at bay.

“
I don’t see why we don’t
just press on.” The paladin was browsing a table of bronze coat
clips but was clearly bored. He gently nudged the alm along but she
lingered.

She was smiling amid three vendor women
handing out what appeared to be metal scrolls, she turned to the
paladin, “Because we need to offer succor to those we meet along
the way.”

“
Giving out prayer wheels
isn’t quite the same as succor.” He mumbled. “We’re not
hawkers.”

The alm made a gesture brushing him aside,
“There are those in your chapel, Goshen, who would contend just the
opposite.” She came over and began to pull him along further down
the market.

“
You know better, Kira.”
Goshen allowed himself to be lead, “Besides, I’m quite certain I
was picked for this trip to get me out of the city.”

“
I hardly think so,” Kira
reached out to several passersby who bowed to her smiling and made
a few hand signs as a passing blessing, “you were chosen because
they wanted to send me.”

“
Which still doesn’t quite
make sense. Why send an alm on her first mission all the way to The
Aral?” Goshen shrugged.

“
Are you doubting my faith,
Goshen Staad?” Kira teased.

“
Never would. But I hardly
think we need to proselytize here so near The Cathedral. The Lakes
aren’t lacking in the Light.”

“
There are those from the
city here about to head out into the wilds and strange lands, we
owe them some last consolation or assurance. And so many from afar,
perhaps they want more knowledge.” Guileless, Kira’s tone was that
of a teacher to a small child, and Goshen had to smile at
her.

“
I think you’ll find most
outside the Lakes have only a fleeting interest in the Light.”
Goshen scoffed.

“
That is cynicism.” Kira
playfully poked him in the chest.

“
I’m a crusader, girl,
attrition is our ministry.” He gave some false bluster.

Kira slapped him on his shoulder and
pretended to admonish him, “That is not what we are up to this time
out.”

“
Certainly not,” they
stopped at a stall filled with a myriad of different colored
incense sticks and cones, “but it won’t be an easy going.” Goshen
said.

Kira closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, “I
love it when they all blend together.”

Goshen winced and blinked, his eyes watering,
“I’m not with you on that.”

“
The styrax and…the
sandalwood. Two fistful, please.” Kira bowed to the vendor who
began to wrap up her request. Goshen was glancing around impatient,
seemingly more uncomfortable the longer they lingered in the
market.

“
We need to go to the
chapel here before we leave.”

He shook his head not looking at her, “First
off, there’s no chapel here and second, we need to be moving
along.”

“
Lappala is going nowhere.”
Kira rolled her eyes, “For nearly five thousand years it’s been
there.”

“
It’s nearly eight hundred
leagues, and I don’t want to be on the road for three
months.”

“
It won’t be that long,”
she grabbed his arm and moved him along, “If there’s no
chapel…”

“
There’s a belvedere we can
use, it’s open to both the east and west.”

Kira smiled, glad that the paladin knew what
she wanted and how to accommodate her, “Goshen, I’ve never been
beyond the Lakes. I want to savor this. I’m traveling the length of
the world.”

Her eagerness made him smile. He winked at
her, “It’s because we’re traveling the length of the world and this
is your first time out that I’m cautious.”

At the end of the market, he paused and lead
her out in front of him, “Head down the path and then just to the
left. Pray and then come back down, I’ll have our mounts and
supplies waiting.”

“
You’re not coming?” Kira
was surprised.

“
My order only prays at
first light.” He said matter-of-factly.

“
Then once on the highroad,
that’s what I’ll do as well.” Kira hugged him before she went on,
and Goshen watched her go a bit bemused.

Declan was loitering near the incense stall,
the vendor was getting annoyed and started haranguing him. He
stepped away holding his hands out to apologize and calm him down.
It didn’t help much, the vendor kept shouting after him. Annoyed,
Declan tried to blend into the throng of people only to run into
Goshen.

The paladin smirked, “Not one to barter,
eh?”

Declan didn’t hesitate as he continued to
walk alongside Goshen and deployed his best Cassubian accent, “My
thoughts on the quantity seem to have been misconstrued as thoughts
on quality.”

Goshen laughed, “Be mindful, friend. They’re
always looking to separate you from as much of your coin as
possible.”

Declan nodded, “Duly noted.” He paused
casually at a stall hawking satchels. Goshen gave a slight nod and
melded into the crowd.

“
These are all lambskin.”
The vendor spoke to Declan.

“
Damn it.” He muttered as
he watched Goshen disappear from his peripheral vision.

“
I have some calfskin…” The
vendor added.

Declan shook his head, “Naw, naw…it’s ’right.
I’ll take dis.” He held up a gray bota and handed the vendor a few
silvers continuing to curse himself in his head. He’d have to keep
a further distance from the two as they left the Crossing, more
cautious now that the paladin had seen him. He doubted Goshen would
recognize or remember him, but he couldn’t take that chance. Out of
sight, out of mind, Declan reasoned.

A few hours later, the mounted paladin
trailed the alm’s horse and pack mule laden with supplies. When the
alm emerged from the belvedere, she was somehow more airy and
cheerful than she had been in the marketplace. The idea of enduring
the alm for the better part of the fall and early winter made
Declan feel sorry for the paladin. Even a good few spans away,
Declan caught her scent from the incense she had burnt even though
he was up wind. He made a note, might be a good way to find them in
the future. He kept his back to the two peering over his shoulder
indiscriminately waiting for them to get going so he could follow
at a safe distance. Goshen handed Kira a simple bow, which she
slipped over her chest before she mounted. Declan made a note, he’d
have to keep an eye on that; if the woman could shoot it might make
his job easier. The two of them left Carlisle’s Crossing at a slow
trot as they made their way onto the highroad south.

Ardavass, The Seven
Spires, 11
^th
of Lammas

“
You would have us in open
war.” Kyrio Landico’s voice was harsh and piercing. The other lords
of the council were unsettled, grumbling and calling out in both
dissent and accord.

“
I would have no such
thing…” Kyrio Matias tried to dismiss the charge.

“
You would! You would have
us march across Novosy—no doubt bullying them into your manic cause
along with the bitter Cassubians—and into Essia. Do you have any
idea the trail of blood you would stain the ground
with?”

“
Kyrio Landico, I do not
want war. I do not want unnecessary bloodshed.”

“
All bloodshed is
unnecessary. Don’t hedge your speech with me, boy. You know nothing
of war.”

“
I know enough. I know I am
not afraid to do what needs be done.”

“
Fear? Fear, you fool,
that’s what you throw at me? At me!”

“
I apologize, Kyrio
Landico; we all know your history. We have been told of it for
ages.” A combination of snickers, scoffs, and snorts of contempt
came from the council, “But now we need action, not tales of
action, not empty words.”

“
You, boy, are the one
whose words ring hollow. You’ve only known luxury, you and your
whole cohort. The luxury won by our fathers and at great cost, it
makes no sense to put that at risk. To put that at risk for no real
gain.”