Westhaven by Rowan Erlking (ebook audio reader .txt) 📖

the boy worked in the camp, the others of my people became inspired. And on the day when that boy fulfilled the challenge those smithies of my camp, still wearing the leg irons that evil demon put on him, fighting a man twice his size, I realized that even if those demons beat us down and make us forget who we are, we must still fight back. We are mortal and we may die, but the fight is not hopeless.

“And now I stand here, hearing his voice cry out to us to try one more of his outlandish ideas—another to the collection of many that have all worked as he had said they would—I wonder if perhaps he is indeed a boon. His friend Loid once told me that his village celebrated his birth as a good omen.” Sadena gazed over the crowd of assembled men and women. “I don’t know if that is true or not. But if this man here is willing to support me with all the strength he has, in the same way he has always fought, I will fear no death. That is not to say that I think that we may not die, but that the fight is more important than letting our fears get in the way of giving our all to it.

“So, let us put it to a vote. And let the entire Army of Man stand with the majority, regardless of our personal feelings on the matter. Key has proposed that we ally ourselves with the Cordrils in battle to drive the Sky Children from our land, either by death or by fear.” She waited for her words to sink in. “All in favor, raise your hand and be counted. Lesar Macom, you will be the one to count.”

The Cordril nodded, rather flattered that Lady Sadena would defer that to him. He also knew that it meant he would directly know the results of the voting and therefore have no mistake on how to act next.

“All in favor?” she called out.

Several hands rose, including Key’s though he backed off when he realized that he really wasn’t considered a voting member of the council. Neither was Tiler or Edman, though they grinned at Key with encouragement.

Then other hands rose, making it a majority.

“Any opposed?” Lady Sadena asked.

Lowman stood. “I realize that I am already outnumbered in this vote, but may I speak my piece before the vote is concluded?”

Sadena drew in a breath, but gave a silent nod.

Lowman passed one hard look to Key before saying, “I merely warn of the dangers of trusting any creature that can kill with a touch. Are we to ally with goles next? Or perhaps Night Stalkers?”

Key tilted his head to think about that last one.

Tiler’s eyes flickered on him, then he started to close his eyes as he was forming a headache. Even Madame Olisa peered at Key—though in them was wonder if he really was the type of man to consider such an alliance.

“Is that your main concern?” Lady Sadena asked.

Lowman bowed low. “It is. I do not trust them.”

She then turned to Lesar. “Are you willing to take command underneath a human?”

Glancing to Key first, Lesar nodded. “If the human is of the quality of man that our young friend is, then yes. We would have no issues will following such men.”

“But do you understand that if you act in anyway in betrayal to your captain or commander, we will give him the right to punish you according to our law,” she said.

“If the law or command is just, then I see nothing wrong with that,” Lesar said.

However, Yadis shifted uncomfortably on his feet as if to say he would rather not take orders from a human.

Lady Sadena turned to face Lowman with a graceful bow. “Then, sir, here is your answer. Those that will serve under your command will be bound by the law. See that you do not offend their sensibilities in their adherence to the law. This is an alliance to both our benefits.

“Are there any other objections?” she asked.

The patriarch of Sundri rose. “My concern is with after the war. With the blue-eyes gone, how will we re-establish a national government for the protection of all? And what about a standing army to keep those demons out? And as for these…Cordrils. Their intent had better not be in the meddling of our—”

“We are not interested in human politics,” Lesar said with some bite. His eyes fixed directly on the Sundri patriarch. “All we are interested in is vengeance for our ancestor. Nothing more.”

But that did not seem to settle well with the patriarch of Sundri. He retained his expression of disgust as he watched the Cordril nod to Sadena. She then gazed over the crowd for any more objections.

Bredin Sefesher raised a hand.

“And what is your objection?” Sadena asked, looking surprised since she was sure she had seen Bredin’s hand high up in full favor for the alliance.

“No objection,” Bredin replied. He then looked to the Cordrils. “More like a suggestion. I was hoping to know how many of these vengeful, uh, men are going to be with each army, because I would like to claim at least five if not more.”

Donal broke into a laugh, slapping Lesar on his shoulder. Yadis snorted. The others shared looks of amusement.

“Can you gather more of your people to join us?” Sadena asked Lesar who was still chuckling at the Sea Fisher’s eagerness.

Lesar nodded. “Of course. Your boy already requested that we spread the word among our fellows. The more the merrier, we say.”

Sadena cast Key a look accusing him of superseding her authority again.

Key merely shrugged. “What did you expect? Six Cordrils is not very many, you know. And I don’t know where they all are.”

“And how did you know where these were?” She asked him soon after the council broke up, parting ways since it was clear no one else had any other objections. Bredin went straight to Lesar to make his own negotiations.

Shrugging once more to keep the casual air, though he knew he was kind of in trouble, Key said, “Oh, years ago when came into the Herra camp they kind of kidnapped me and took me to this place….”

“They what?” Sadena quickly glanced over her shoulder to look at the Cordrils.

Key reached out and turned her face back. He shook his head at her. “It’s old history, Sadena. Let’s not dwell on it. The fact is, this alliance is a good thing for all of us. Now we really are ready to drive those demons from our land.”

She gave him a chastening look. However, she knew he was right. The past was over, and they had to plan for the future.

As the council broke up more, Key headed off to the kitchen to get something to eat. Tiler followed right at his side.

The Cordrils chatted seriously with Bredin over his needs in Stiltson as well as what he could offer them.  Lowman talked secretly with Pattron and Patriarch Huro, while General Holbruk approached Callen to go over other details. But the hostess of the home gestured for her servants to leave the dining room and set the table for another meal. She then followed her servants into the kitchen where a few of her Kolden friends had also come along. She stood a foot behind Key.

“Kemdin,” Madame Olisa said as soon as she entered the room, taking on a much more serious tone than usual, making sure the kitchen door had swung closed after her friends. “What kind of tolerance towards demons do you really have?”

Key lifted his eyes and blinked at her, wondering where this question came from. “Pardon?”

“That is to say, would you really take on Night Stalkers to help out the army?” she asked.

That question was perhaps the last one he had expected. Blinking at her more, he then tilted his head to think on it. “Well, Night Stalkers only attack those that murder for avarice. The chances of us actually waking one to negotiate—”

“I don’t mean that,” she said, “I mean, if I knew of some, and they were eager to join the fight, how would you champion their cause?”

Turning to look at her company, then back to her, Key leaned back towards the kitchen table and nodded slowly. “I can assume you have personal knowledge on this. But what I know about Stalkers is what I learned from Kleston. He said., no common man has reason to fear them. However, I do believe that if any Night Stalkers want to join the cause, it is in his or her best interests to hide his or her true nature and fight as humans. Or, if he or she wished to attack at night, it must be at his or her own accord—as I really don’t think those others out there would be that open-minded. A Cordril can’t turn what they are on and off as a Stalker can. But Stalkers can live, respectively, in a less frightening mode. I think a Night Stalker would terrify both armies, and everyone would be shooting at them, regardless. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you for being honest,” Madame Olisa said with a tired smile. She looked to her friends. They exited the room without a word. She said, “And you won’t share with the others what I just—”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Key said, realizing now that his heart was beating a bit harder than usual.

Tiler shifted also, his hand had somehow forgotten he had a sword on him. He wiped his brow once Madame Olisa left, turning to her maidservant who merely looked as if they were chatting about the weather.

“You knew what she was,” he murmured as the girl continued to work on mixing the biscuits for supper.

Shrugging lightly, the maid said, “One does when one works for the aristocracy in the north. We have come to accept it as part of our lives.” She then smiled broader. “And as Kemdin says, the common man rarely needs to fear a Night Stalker.”

But Key’s own hands were sweating. He looked to Tiler to tell him to keep quiet. Indeed, irritating their hostess then would not be a good idea.

*

Like thunder, the battles started.

As with lightening, buildings burned all over the nation.

The rapid appearance of the human armies, with Cordrils in their midst, came as a horrific shock. But the Sky Lord’s army fought ferociously to keep their land of Westhaven, as did the rising humans, armed to the hilt with equally good weapons. And not just in one city or one hamlet or one part of the countryside with a front line to draw and hold back, but everywhere like a plague, rising up in rashy spots, the farmers heaved up their tools to reveal weapons. The shopkeepers, split brooms to draw swords. Westhaven was a haven no more.

Chapter Thirty: War Reality

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The battleground in the fields of Calcumum was strewn with bodies. Most of the fighting was within the city now, the battle on the outskirts had died down and each army attempted to gather their dead and treat the wounded. It was policy for any living blue-eye Sky Child to be killed if it was found. They spared the brown-eyed wounded,