Admiral's Lady: Eyes of Ice, Heart of Fire Read online

  She stood up from her fall onto the slope and wiped the mud from her breastplate, and even through her leather gloves she could feel the texture of the small bumps which dotted the surface of the armor. They looked like tiny pebbles sticking out of the hide, but she had been told by the craftsman who created this particular suit that they were some sort of gland which became enlarged during rutting season, and it was the emanations of these glands which caused the skin to become so resilient and sought after.

  Mindful to recover her pace before one of her companions offered assistance, she set her feet and continued up the slippery surface. They had been moving as quickly as possible for almost an entire day, and she was determined to make up as much ground as possible, especially if the weather continued to worsen.

  As they crested the slope, she looked out and saw even more hills, some with small trees growing in their gullies but most of them a dangerous mixture of mud and sharp, jutting rocks.

  Persus pointed toward the crest of the next hill, where there appeared to be a large rock formation in the shape of a triangle. “We should make our camp there, my Lady. There is no need to push ourselves further tonight, as we are well outside the path of Argos’ routine patrols,” Persus stated matter-of-factly.

  Akantha considered it but shook her head. “No, Persus, we must continue on. If this weather persists, then the runners will take as many as three days to get to the Citadel, which makes the timing of our arrival even more critical than ever,” she said commandingly, but she was suddenly aware just how tired she had become as her legs ached and her arms quivered slightly in the cold.

  Persus turned to her, his massive, cloaked frame outlined by a flash of lightning overhead. “My Lady, at our current pace I believe we have barely more than one more day to travel. If we stop for a few hours to eat and recover some of our vigor, we diminish the chance of injuring ourselves on this terrain,” he said, sweeping his arm across the vast rolling hills. “You are correct that our presence is more critical than ever, which is why our health and battle-readiness must be put first.”

  Akantha bit her lip and glanced over her shoulder at Leonora, who was wrapped in the same type of cloak, but wore a much lighter leather armor underneath. Persus had argued with her at the livestock pen to wear a suit of metal armor, or at least a shirt of chain mail but she had refused, stating that her mobility would be too greatly hindered by such ‘clunky and unwieldy armor.’

  Leonora showed no signs of tiring, but Akantha had come to know her as someone who never let her weaknesses show.

  Akantha weighed their options, finally nodding her head with resignation at her bodyguard’s suggestion. “You are right, Persus. No one gains by foolishly pushing ourselves to the point of exhaustion. We will make camp there for two hours of rest, then continue on,” she said imperiously, and strode past him to lead the way to the rock formation, hoping to avoid any argument.

  They arrived at the open, angular arch formation, which was just over two meters wide at the base and a meter and a half tall at the peak, making it ideal for a shelter. Persus removed his larger cloak and spiked the corners of it into the ground at the edges of the open side where the rain was blowing in, and he tied the collar straps to a jutting rock above the top of the arch, forming a dry cave large enough for the three of them to comfortably rest.

  Leonora opened one of the sacks and produced three medium loaves of bread, a handful of dried beef and a quarter round of cheese, then flipped out a paring knife and began slicing cheese and meat in preparation for sandwiches for the three of them. Persus unslung his water skins and passed a full one to Akantha, then took two empties and went outside to fill them with rainwater.

  There was no time to build a fire, and no need with such a short stay in mind. So after Persus finished filling their water skins, Leonora passed around the sandwiches and they ate in the dark silence.

  When they were nearly finished with their meal, Persus turned toward Akantha and asked bluntly, “Why didn’t you inform the Hold Mistress of your plan?”

  Akantha had been expecting this question from Leonora, but not Persus. Momentarily taken aback, she chewed on her sandwich before replying. “My last words to our Hold Mistress were not the most…politic. I wished nothing more than to speak with her to ease any unnecessary friction, but I could not lay this at her feet,” she began. “I know that her position carries with it great responsibility, and that dealing with men like Nykator on a daily basis is like threading a needle while blindfolded.”

  Akantha paused to finish the last bites of her sandwich before continuing, and she did so without interruption.

  “My mother must place the good of Argos above all else, as that is her duty as Hold Mistress,” she explained. “But as First Daughter and Land Bride, my duty is to House Zosime first, and to her loyal subjects second. In this task, I believe that I am acting in the best interests of my family and the citizens of Argos, but I cannot be certain that my mother would agree.” Akantha stopped again, trying to find the words to continue but was interrupted by Leonora.

  “Not everyone would agree that the First Daughter owes her first duty to her family, Akantha,” Leonora warned. “To voice such a thought might bring with it certain..consequences.”

  Akantha nodded slowly and saw Persus mimicking the gesture.

  “Which is why,” Akantha continued, “I could not tell my mother. I cannot be certain she would agree with me even in principle, let alone that she would allow us to undertake this effort on House Zosime’s behalf without alerting everyone of our plans.”

  “My Lady,” said Persus with a hint of exasperation in his voice, “Lord Hypatios Nykator is an unequaled warrior in all of the known world. What would lead you to believe that House Zosime, and by extension the Hold of Argos would be better served by his absence?”

  “It’s not about supplanting Nykator, Persus,” Akantha said a bit more sharply than she would have liked. She paused and checked herself before continuing, “At least, not entirely. It’s about returning the ability of the Hold Mistress to make that choice herself, as is tradition. My Uncle has become far too influential in recent years, and his position in Argos’ is no longer the traditional role of Protector. He grips Argos in his fist as though he is some kind of King, and his military might has become a destabilizing force in the Great Hall.”

  Persus shook his head adamantly. “Argos’ warriors are many, her bastions unparalleled and her banners fly high,” protested her bodyguard. “Even with the entire Tegean Host at his command, or twice that many men, he could never find victory in a war with the armies of Argos,” he insisted.

  Akantha nodded and allowed the silence to linger for a moment, but Leonora interrupted. “And what of our neighbors, like the Lyconese?” asked the freckled handmaiden, having just finished her own meal. “Do you think they would sit idly by while we rebuilt our bastions and armies after such a conflict? This is ignoring the absolute certainty that Nykator would approach them or others before ever mounting such an offensive in an effort to secure his own lineage’s hereditary right to the lands of Argos, even if he and his line must owe some form of fealty to Lyconesia or whatever other state with which he allied himself,” Leonora explained.

  Persus sat back in silence and Akantha glanced over at Leonora, who was shaping her provision sack as a pillow, taking up position next to the temporary wall Persus’ cloak provided.

  Following her friend’s example, she pushed a full water skin up against the rock’s edge and settled in for a short rest next to Leonora, leaving Persus to his duty: standing watch in the mounting thunderstorm.

  Chapter Six: Signs

  They continued their journey as scheduled, with Persus waking them after two hours of rest during which time Leonora snored as usual, but Akantha didn’t have any trouble ignoring it that night.

  The thunderstorm continued to worsen throughout the night, but seemed to peak when a lightning bolt struck a tree at least a mile away, causing it to erupt
into a bright orange flame which burned for several minutes before being doused by the torrential downpour. Akantha shivered at the sight of nature’s raw fury, but they continued on without slowing.

  Daylight came some hours later, and the trio was grateful for the modest increase in light that came through the thick clouds. Their progress was easier during the day, since they could see their footing much better and even though the rain continued to pour, they seemed to make good progress. Since Argos Citadel was located on high ground, the hills all led further lower in elevation, which made their journey shorter than the emissaries Nazoraios surmised had left the same night Akantha’s party had.

  Stopping only twice for nourishment and hydration, they pressed onward and eventually found the rolling hills came to an end and a vast plain stretched out before them at the base of the mountain which was their target. With the rough terrain behind them, they broke into a jog, their energy seemingly renewed at the sight of their destination even though it was still many miles away.

  They eventually came within sight of a farm cottage made the traditional way; with mud and stone walls covered by a thick grass-thatched roof, and there was smoke issuing from the chimney. Akantha directed them to make for the small farmstead in the hopes of finding better directions to where the green star had fallen than they had started with.

  The woman who greeted Akantha at the door was of stout, curvy build, red haired and wearing a cap to keep it hair back while she worked. The smell of cooked meat and fresh bread wafted through the doorway as soon as it was opened. Her expression turned to frank surprise as she saw the armor they wore, as well as the simple emblem embedded in the breastplate of her armor which signified her as a member of House Zosime.

  “My Lady Adonia!” the woman gasped, beckoning Akantha to enter her home. “By Men, how did you manage to arrive so quickly?! My eldest son only left yesterday, and in this weather I feared it might be a half week before he reached the Citadel.”

  Akantha accepted her invitation and beckoned for Leonora to enter with her. Persus took up position guarding the entryway to the house, closing the door after them.

  “Word of ill news travels fast enough through our land that it may as well have wings,” Akantha said evenly as she doffed her cloak and found a seat at the main table near the fire pit. The house was small but well-constructed, given the materials available here in the plains. It was a perfectly serviceable home, of which its inhabitants should be proud.

  The woman busily began clearing the table, but Akantha motioned that it wasn’t necessary, and the woman uneasily stopped and sat on the bench opposite Akantha.

  “What is your name?” Akantha inquired.

  “Fedora, My Lady. Fedora Glaros,” replied the woman, still obviously uneasy at the presence of the First Daughter of her hold.

  “Fedora,” Akantha began, “how many are in your family?”

  The woman blushed and began fidgeting with her hands before replying sheepishly, “We have nine children, my Lady: six sons and three daughters.”

  It was Akantha’s turn to blush, as she smiled and replied, “Nine children? You have been blessed with a most bountiful harvest, Fedora. To my eyes, you have not yet reached your thirtieth winter.”

  Fedora laughed nervously and replied, “I am thirty two years old, my Lady, but I thank you for your gracious words.”

  “Fedora,” Akantha started, trying to avoid being blunt or belligerent, “We need to know where the star came to rest. It is important that we not tarry in this.”

  Fedora nodded anxiously. “I’m sure my Lady would like to direct her band of warriors to deal with whatever it is that has come to rest on the soil of Argos,” she said hopefully.

  Akantha bit her lip and shook her head. “As I said, we traveled in advance of any main force, just myself, my guard Persus and my handmaiden Leonora.” She hated deceiving these people, even by simple omission, but word would spread quickly if she were to somehow suggest that the Citadel had not chosen to act directly on their behalf, and that would cause undue turmoil for her mother. “I thought it best to come directly and in person, hopefully gathering what useful intelligence might be had before reinforcements arrive from the Citadel,” Akantha said as evenly as she could. Thankfully, this last bit was at least partially true.

  Fedora considered this for a moment, but she kept her chin up. “Of course, my Lady. Let me get my Defender from the fields. He will show you to what he has seen.” Fedora quickly got up from the table, wrapped herself in a thick shawl and made her way outside past Persus, heading in the direction of the fields.

  Akantha sat at the table, again considering the Glaros’ home. It looked to have been built only a few years ago, everything was neat and orderly, and the furniture was of simple wood construction, well-made and functional. Akantha felt great pride in the lives these people lived and their devotion to the principles which had driven Argos’ society to the heights it had achieved.

  She noticed Leonora taking in the cottage as well and when she caught her friend’s eye, Leonora nodded approvingly. Their bond had been forged long ago, and was so strong that times like these required no words to express their feelings; both Akantha and Leonora felt humbled and honored to be in positions of leadership for fine people such as these.

  After a few minutes, Fedora opened the door and entered, with a slighter-than-usual man coming behind her, drenched from a morning spent in the heavy rain.

  After removing her soaked shawl, Fedora introduced the man she had brought. “This is my Defender, Aetos. He has the finest bow this side of the mountains, and his tracking skills are exemplary,” she said with a measure of pride in her voice. “Just last fall he managed to fell two raiders who were intent on stealing our livestock, and they never saw him coming. He can tell you what he saw and where he saw it.”

  Akantha nodded. “You have my thanks, Fedora. I won’t keep you from your duties any longer,” she said graciously.

  Fedora nodded and made her way back to the table, where she resumed the preparation of her half-finished stew.

  Aetos bowed his head respectfully. “Hold Mistress, I admit I am both pleased and surprised to find you here in our humble home, but I doubt you came all this way to listen to me make a fool of myself by trying not to make a fool of myself,” he said with a hollow grin. “If you would like, I can lead you to what I found, and we can speak along the way.”

  “That would be preferable, Aetos Glaros,” Akantha agreed. “I doubt we have an abundance of time available to us.” She grabbed her cloak and Leonora followed her lead. Akantha noted that Aetos had come inside the house already bearing his sword strapped to his belt, and was also sporting a set of serviceable, if a bit aged banded armor made of strips of metal fastened to a suit of flexible leather underneath. He also grabbed a heavy bow and a quiver of well-made hunting arrows which were resting near his bed and secured them in place across his back. After fastening their heavy weather cloaks, they made their way out into the rain.

  Akantha thought to make polite conversation as they made their way through the rain. “Fedora speaks proudly of your ability with a bow, Aetos, as well as with your tracking and stealth skills,” she remarked casually.

  Aetos chuckled and shook his head. “She is too kind, Hold Mistress,” he replied humbly.

  Akantha shook her head. “I am not yet a true Hold Mistress, Aetos,” she corrected him. “Politics at court can be confusing, even for those who spend every waking moment there. I would prefer if you call me Adonia, or Lady Zosime,” she said with a genuine smile.

  He nodded. “As I said, Lady Zosime, Fedora is far too kind. It is true that I brought two local marauders down before they could spot me,” he continued. “But what is also true is that there were two other bandits who would have certainly been more than I could handle. Fedora dealt with them using her short blade.” He grinned momentarily. “As for stealth, she has taught me more of that skill than anyone else, which is why she was able to bring down
the other two before they closed on my position.”

  Akantha nodded with a grin of her own. It made her swell with pride to know that good people such as these worked so tirelessly to expand her people’s holdings. Once again, she acutely felt the weight of responsibility to them.

  They moved quickly, as the grass here made the ground less treacherous than the mud of the hills, and they were able to move at a jog as they conversed.

  “I am not entirely certain of what it was I saw, since it was an especially dark night,” began Aetos tensely, “but as the star moved overhead, it carried with it a sound like rushing water, or that of a roaring fire. It grew in brightness and slowed at the same time, until eventually I saw a piece of it fall off and plummet toward the ground a few kilometers from here while the rest appeared to go all the way to the base of the mountain, where the trees are plentiful.”

  Akantha listened intently, as did her companions. “Did you find where the star fragment actually struck the ground?” she asked

  Aetos shook his head slowly before shrugging his shoulders. “Perhaps, my Lady. I wish I could be clearer than that, but if I show you then I believe you will understand my trepidation.”

  Akantha decided to take the man at his word and they jogged in quiet for some time before coming to an odd site. The man slowed his pace, and Akantha’s group followed suit.

  “This is what I saw, my Lady,” said Aetos, as though it should explain everything.

  Akantha narrowed her eyes and appraised the area. To her, it was little more than a large square patch of ground, perhaps two hundred meters on a side which had been recently tilled until the dirt was completely broken and ready for planting. “I do not understand, Aetos,” she began suspiciously, “it appears to be a recently plowed field, ready for seed.”

  Aetos nodded his head sadly. “Aye, it does. But there are two problems with that. The first being that we are more than halfway through the growing season, so to plow a field at this time would be utter foolishness,” he said quietly.