The Crown Of Yensupov (Book 3) (16 page)

Astorax smiled at his little ploy and the others patted his back.

-

One saber-wolf kept trying to get past the skunk odor to find the quarry. The orc restraining that pair of wolves was careless. The saber-wolf snapped its chain and leapt into the river.

“Leave it,” another orc said. “You can’t swim.”

“They’ll flog me for losing a saber-wolf,” the handler said. He turned back up the bank, jerking the remaining wolf behind him.

“Flogged? You think you’re worth as much as a saber-wolf?” another orc asked.

-

The lone saber-wolf paddled down the river, sniffing the air as he went. When he reached the point where the travelers climbed up the tree trunk, the wolf caught the faint familiar scent again. He swam closer to the bank until he caught the deer’s scent. Fighting the current, and keeping his head down, he searched up and down the bank until he pinpointed the source.

He crept out of the water, sniffing back and forth among the rocks. Finally, he located deer scent on a rock. Head lowered, following the trail, he tracked the deer back to where the trail merged with the people’s.

When the wolf knew he had the prey, he tossed back his head in a long, blood-curdling howl, calling his pack. Then the wolf jumped up on the log, following the adventurers’ trail up the steep incline into southern Heggolstockin. His pack didn’t hear his howls, but others did.

*

Walking along the riverbank’s crest, the Neuyokkasinians froze. “That’s a lone saber-wolf,” Astorax said. “It’s on this side of the river. He’s found our scent.”

“There’s only flat pastureland to our left and the lowland forest along the river to the right,” Tonelia said. “There’s no place to escape to this time.”

“The only place to get away from the animal now is in the trees,” Saxthor said. He searched the woods along the river for a tree, suitable for climbing, and large enough to hold the troupe. “Keep moving!” he said, as he sized up the woods they passed. He found a suitable prospect, which would support most of them, on the far side of a clearing. “Over here,” he said. The band followed.

“Astorax can’t climb this thing with hooves,” Hendrel said. It’s not like that little cedar tree back in Prertsten. He stood beside Astorax at the tree.

“The rest of you, up the tree,” Saxthor said. They looked to each other, then Bodrin helped Tonelia up the branches first. He scrambled up the tree behind her. Tournak went up next. Saxthor handed Delia up to him to give to Bodrin. “Tournak, you’re the best shot with the bow and arrows,. “We’ll have to count on you to hit the wolf, when it comes into the clearing. Can you shoot from the tree?”

“I’ll do my best,” Tournak said.

Saxthor drew his sword and hunkered down with Hendrel and Astorax behind the tree. “Hendrel, get up in the tree. There’s not enough room for three of us to take refuge here. You can shoot wizard-fire better from the tree branches.”

“There isn’t enough room to maneuver the bow up here in the tree,” Tournak said.

The wolf stopped howling, chilling Saxthor. Silence… then he heard leaves, rustling.

“It’s running up the bank,” Bodrin said. “Any second now, it’ll charge into the clearing, racing at us.

Saxthor moved in front of Astorax with Sorblade raised, clutched in both hands, fingers adjusting to the best grip. Poised, he could get maximum force and swing from that position. His heart pounded. Tournak will only have one chance to stop the wolf, he thought. Then its closeness will prevent him from shooting another arrow. If Tournak misses, the wolf will be on us.

“Stay behind me and out of my way, Astorax. Don’t get hit by the sword swing.”

The panting wolf dashed into the clearing, yellow eyes gleaming. Spotting his prey, he stopped from a full run. When he saw the man and deer-man across from him, the wolf snarled and surveyed the clearing for others. Suddenly, the monster bolted across the opening, then leaped at Saxthor’s throat.

The racing wolf stunned Saxthor for an instant. He heard a sudden sound and saw Tournak out of the corner of his eye. His mentor had dropped back down and positioned himself behind the tree just as the wolf began to dash across the clearing.

In his frenzy, the wolf apparently hadn’t seen the hidden men in his initial surveillance. Tournak’s sudden appearance took the wolf off-guard. The wizard sighted his arrow, but the wolf was almost on Saxthor before Tournak could take aim. Then the creature was too close for Tournak to shoot. The wolf’s huge muzzle gaped open, saber fangs angled to rip out Saxthor’s throat.

Saxthor ducked, dodged, and rolled under the beast. He slashed up across the wolf’s belly as he rolled. His glowing sword cut through the wolf’s soft underbelly. Tournak shot an arrow into the wolf, after it sailed past Saxthor. The beast collapsed. Tumbling, his head plowed through the leaf litter. The beast came to rest, lifeless.

Bodrin lowered Delia to the ground. Shaking, she stared at the saber-wolf several times her size, waiting for it to move. The others came down from the tree. All gathered around the dead wolf to see the pony-size monster up close.

When they recovered, the travelers followed the Akkin down through Heggolstockin’s pastures and fields to the Sengenwhan border. The adventurers made good time and beat the orcs to Sengenwha.

-

“Let’s stop here at this grove of old trees,” Tonelia said.

“They must have shaded a farmhouse once,” Bodrin said. “Disease and weather took many limbs and the shrubbery has grown to small trees. Nature is taking it back.”

Tonelia set out a celebratory meal beneath an oak. The travelers ate peacefully and rested until the evening. Saxthor laid back, his arm behind his head, against the great tree’s cool bark. He nodded, chewing a grass stem.

“Not knowing the situation in Sengenwha, we don’t want to cross the border until tonight. There’s little cover this time of year.”

“More orcs contingents at night,” Tournak said.

Tonelia was repacking the cooking implements into a satchel Bodrin held for her. “What’s the situation in Sengenwha?”

“We know little of the country,” Saxthor replied. He tossed the chewed grass stem aside and sat up, his arms around his knees. “I know there was rivalry between a former Sengenwhan king and my grandfather over my grandmother. There hasn’t been real communication between our kingdoms since. If the current king, King Calamidese VII I think, continues the tradition of hatred for Neuyokkasin and my family, we could be going into a very hostile environment. The orcs may control significant portions of Sengenwha. That evil presence will make a very dangerous situation for us as well.”

As they sat on a bluff overlooking the deep, narrow chasm that separated Heggolstockin from Sengenwha, they enjoyed the brilliant sky in silence. At sunset, the weary travelers looked to the west and saw vibrant pink, puffy ribbons streaked across the sky, resting on bands of rich purple. The full winter moon’s huge silver disk sailed behind the pink and purple veil, the details so close Saxthor felt he could reach out and touch a tarnished crater.

“Whatever’s in Sengenwha, I’m glad to be out of Prertsten,” Tonelia said.

Bodrin nodded. “So say we all.”

By golden moonlight later that evening, the quiet trekkers crossed the ravine into the Sengenwha.

“Tournak, tell me more of Sengenwha, so I have an idea of what to expect in this country,” Saxthor said.

Tournak walked along in silence for a moment. “You won’t like this very much.”

“Sengenwha is the oldest kingdom on the continent. When the Occintoc Empire imploded generations ago, its former imperial governor, General Calamidese snatched and held the imperial province for his own. As the continent disintegrated into warring states, the general held off invasions of various peoples, who migrated around in those dark days.”

“Sengenwha today is a former imperial Occintoc province?” Bodrin said. “I didn’t know that.”

“Shush!” Saxthor said. “Continue, Tournak.”

“For security, the people demanded General Calamidese take the crown, declaring himself king to preserve the territory and peace. To keep his state sovereign, the general ascended the throne as the first king of Sengenwha.”

“Bet he liked that,” Bodrin said.

“We’ll never get to the end of this, if you keep interrupting, Bodrin,” Saxthor said.

“Sorry.”

“The original kingdom was a third larger than it is today. It extended south to the Nhy River, and east to include all of Lake Pundar up by Lake Lemnos to the Talok Mountains.”

“What happened to it?” Bodrin asked.

Saxthor glared, and Bodrin moved behind Tonelia.

“Subsequent generations lost territory to Talok-Lemnos, then Neuyokkasin. As far as I know, Calamidese the Seventh still resents the loss of his lands to the newer, more vibrant kingdoms. The monarchs instill hatred of Neuyokkasin in their children before they can stand up.”

“You think King Calamidese still nurtures this hatred?” Saxthor asked.

Frowning, Bodrin moved back next to Saxthor, but said nothing.

“Please continue, Tournak,” Saxthor said.

“The present king’s grandfather, King Calamidese V, was the dynasty’s best warrior since King Calamidese III who seized territory in the north to the Akkin River. Calamidese V was determined to regain the territory lost in the east and south. He invaded across the southern border and was initially successful until Neuyokkasin sent troops from the garrison at Olnak to check the advance of Sengenwhan army. When the Neuyokkasinian army arrived from the south, the Sengenwhan army was already exhausted from the stalemate with Talok-Lemnosian troops in the east. The fresh Neuyokkasinian army drove Calamidese back and seized Sengenwhan territory, pushing the border back up to its present location. Sengenwha lost all the lands east of the Nhy River and the control of shipping going south off of Lake Pundar.”

“King Calamidese V died soon after. It was said he died broken by his failure to take back the hereditary lands, and for losing additional territory on the rich Vos Plain.”

“Made him a bitter man, I guess,” Saxthor said. “That’s sad.”

Tournak nodded. “King Calamidese V had drilled into his son and grandson’s heads they must avenge the family honor. The grandfather repeatedly warned his heirs that a new struggle would arise between Dreaddrac’s dark wizard and the southern kingdoms’ growing power. He told them Sengenwha would be one of the battlegrounds. It would have to grow or be swallowed up.”

“Vengeance, that’s not good. He blamed Neuyokkasin for his invasion debacle. Funny how people make their mistakes your fault,” Bodrin added.

“Yes, and now it’s a dynastic feud,” Saxthor said. Tournak cleared his throat.

“Sorry, Tournak,” Saxthor said. “Please continue.”

“It gets worse,” Tournak said.

“You’re telling us this, now that we’re in Sengenwha,” Saxthor said.

“You asked.” Tournak smiled a rare smile. “When King Calamidese V failed in his war in the South, he tried to arrange a marriage between his son, the future Calamidese VI, and Princess Lyttia, the Princess Royal of Talok-Lemnos.  If he couldn’t stop the growing power of Neuyokkasin by war, Calamidese V figured he could at least ally himself with his neighbor to the east, Talok-Lemnos, to check the growing power of Neuyokkasin. However, his bad luck-holding steady, Princess Lyttia declined the proposal. She married Neuyokkasin’s King Minnabec II, Calamidese’s archenemy as he saw it. It was this humiliation that killed King Calamidese V.”

“No wonder there’s been a feud,” Hendrel said, shaking his head.

“King Calamidese VI came to the throne enraged at the slight of his father’s proposal to unite Sengenwha and Talok-Lemnos by marriage. The failure to check the northern expansion of Neuyokkasin was too much for him. The new king declared war on Talok-Lemnos, trying to retake lands to the east of the Nhy River. King Henri of Talok-Lemnos held back Calamidese for a month. The Neuyokkasinians broke the stalemate when they joined the fray, defeating the Sengenwhan army. Talok-Lemnos not only regained lost lands, but also pushed the border back to the Pundar River and took control of Lake Pundar. To add insult to injury, King Henri tripled the fortifications at Hoya and seized all customs fees from traffic on the Pundar.”

“I think you know the rest, the family history,” Tournak said. “When King Henri of Talok-Lemnos died, his ineffectual son ascended the throne for only a short time. Soon his sister, Lyttia, then Queen of Neuyokkasin, displaced her brother on the throne of Talok-Lemnos. The marriage united Talok-Lemnos and Neuyokkasin. When all the wars and negotiations of Calamidese V failed to unite Talok-Lemnos with Sengenwha, the marriage and passing of a crown changed everything from the Sengenwhan point of view. In a single stroke, both Sengenwha’s southern and eastern borders faced its enemy, Neuyokkasin.”

“So we should turn around, go back to Heggolstockin, and avoid this place,” Bodrin said.

Tonelia nodded. “Good idea.”

“Well, there’s a problem with that,” Saxthor said.

“What’s that?” Bodrin asked.

“There’s another jewel, and it’s somewhere in the Sekcmet Palace, the royal palace of King Calamidese VII.”

“We have a problem, another big problem,” Bodrin said.