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Addeded 8 Nov
As my escort announced me, I saw the border post between Gostel and Socorro up ahead. This would make the fifth and final kingdom of my trip. That put me three kingdoms inland of any place that had ever seen a giant, four from any place that saw them regularly. Even from here I could see tension as the honor guard formed.
I made an effort to keep my stroll gentle and smooth. No loud noises, no sudden movements. The escort behind me started to lag back. The lead said something to the guards at the post, then circled wide around me to join the rest in a forbidding wall of military force between me and the kingdom of Gostel.
Or, it would have been forbidding, if any of them, mounted, stood as tall as my knee. I tried not to smile and slowly knelt before the post. A young officer of Socorro looked up at me and swallowed.
"I am Kisar," I said softly. "I am an envoy of Emperor Duncan, here to escort Princess Staccia to his household in Freeport." I offered my papers. To keep them from grinding to lint in my pockets, they'd been pressed between two sheets of amber.
Between my size and the novelty of preserved writs, the officer was a bit off of his game, but he rallied. He took longer than usual to inspect the documents, but the familiar prose got him back his balance.
"Yes, Sir Kisar, we were expecting you." He returned the sheets and "I am Lieutenant Cavanaugh, I'll be taking you right to his majesty." He looked up at my shoulder, then away, then back to my face.
"You'd like to inspect my pack," I said. "But you don't want to offend a diplomatic representative of the Emperor." I slid the pack to the ground and opened it up. "I'm quite willing to make any effort to put you and your men at ease." Cavanaugh sent two men to look through my things as I rocked back on my heels. They reported a total lack of any invading myrmidons and I put it back to my shoulder.
The officer gestured to the cavalry unit waiting nervously. Half of them took to the road, blowing a horn to clear all persons from the road I'd be walking on. I rose, formally bowed to the Gostellan escort, and proceeded to follow my honor guard.
Cavanaugh tried to engage me in conversation, but it was too difficult to perform as I walked and he rode. The horse kept shying. Finally he made excuses and rode off to inspect his men. I didn't mind, it left me to pay more attention to the country. It was a bit more into the mountains than Gostel had been. More hilly, more forested. I found it relaxingly natural after all my years in Freeport. Nothing much grew there except in gardens.
I noticed the crowds leaking out of the villages we passed, all lining up to see me go by. They were at least an arm's length away from the road. My arms, of course. I had seen the reaction most of my trip. I'd learned not to wave to the crowd. They weren't sure how to take it. So I just smiled, without showing teeth, and stepped slowly along.
A the castle itself, they led me around the back. In a small area between the castle wall and the river shore was a horse exercise area. There was just enough room for me to sleep. I lowered my pack and thanked the officer. They dispersed, relieved as honor guards by a heavy infantry unit.
The Marshal in charge of castle security detailed my freedom. I had the exercise yard and a few paces of shore up and down the river bank. Beyond the grounds set aside for the royals, the city was built up. I was not to step on any buildings or citizens.
"Yes, I understand. I will be sure to alert the guard if I feel a need to take a walk," I assured him. He stared for a minute, trying to detect sarcasm. I was on my best behavior, though, and within a moment he grumped he way back indoors. I stood in my tiny camp and looked around. On a balcony in the southernmost tower, I noticed a young woman.
I stepped close, finding that the balcony was just a bit below my eye level. The girl sported long red hair and was wearing court finery. Another girl, also red headed, but in slightly less fine clothes watched from the doorway. I made a deep bow.
"Do I have the pleasure of addressing Princess Staccia?" I asked. I had my suspicions.
"You've already bowed," she said haughtily. "Don't you know?"
"Well, you're pretty cute," I replied, dropping the courtly tone. "You deserve formal attention just for your looks. If you're the princess, it's doubly deserved." She sniffed, looking at my forehead to avoid eye contact. The lady in waiting looked at me more frankly. She was much more comfortable in dealing with an envoy...or with a giant.
I turned to face the girl by the drapes and made another bow. "A pleasure to meet you, Princess Staccia." They both stared at me, open mouthed in surprise. I offered a pinky to the rail. Staccia stepped forward to take it and shake.
"How did you know?" she asked.
"Clothes don't entirely make the woman," I answered. I focused on the fake. "You had the haughtiness down, the air of superiority that others expect in a princess." I offered her my finger. "But you're not quite comfortable as the center of attention." Somewhere near my ankle, two men were shouting at each other. I guessed I wasn't supposed to be talking to the princess just yet. But most foreign guests weren't tall enough to make that a security concern.
She nodded slowly as I shook her hand. "I'm Annette," she said, "Staccia's attendant."
"And stand-in?" I asked. They both giggled. "Well, pleased to meet you both." I leaned closer to the balcony and whispered, "I'm Kisar, son of Emperor Duncan and envoy to your father." I looked left and right. Even more quietly, I hissed, "Don't tell anyone, but I was adopted. I was born a giant."
They giggled again as someone started to beat on my ankle with a staff. "You'll excuse me?" I asked. "Someone is calling me down in the exercise yard." I bowed again and knelt.
"No one is allowed to visit the princess in her private rooms," the Marshal was yelling.
"I wasn't in her rooms," I pointed out. He turned red and started to swear. Nothing I hadn't heard before. I grew up in a sailor's port. But before he keeled over, I apologize and promised not to talk to the balcony again without official permission.
--------
My arrival in Socorro had been delayed. Travel was slowed by some fears about my inflicting damage to the kingdoms I passed. My orders were clear, though, and I cooperated with every tiny, nitpicking, outrageous and unwieldy effort to keep me safe.
But our departure was to be delayed even further. It was now close enough to Queen Terrai's birthday that Staccia wanted to attend it before departing. I shrugged when the seneschal explained.
"I am okay with that," I said. "I hope that a message can be sent to the Emperor with our expected departure?" He nodded. "The only problem, I can't really wait for two weeks in this exercise yard."
"Her highness anticipated this difficulty," he replied. "She suggests that you might be interested in seeing the Falls of Heaven?"
The famous landmark was beyond the northern border of Socorro. It would fill the time, taking a leisurely march up to see it, then down again. The lands were largely uninhabited, I could spend time in places I didn't have to watch every step.
And the guard force could relax. It seemed like a win-win for everyone. I agreed. I could just about see the weight drop from the man's shoulders. Then he braced himself for a second issue.
"Now, about your dinner," he started to say. I pulled the pot out of my pack and handed it to him. An iron bell about as big as he was, meaning about half as big as my fist, he stared at it as I lowered it to the flagstones beside him.
"Just fill this with something, whatever is cooking. It's magic, it'll make the food last as long as I need to fill up."
"Handy," he said, signaling for two scullions to manhandle the thing to the kitchens.
------
Two days later, I was at the last outpost of the Socorro military. I had mounted the shoulder-howdah since I had company, but no one was inside it.
Queen Terrai and Lady Annette rode in a carriage along the road in front of me. An escort rode around it. Staccia had chosen to ride her stallion rather than bounce around inside, and was between me and the carriage. More cavalry rode behind me.
Terrai had been worried about the rigors of travel by giant. The king had suggested that she accompany me on the short trip to the Falls. It should satisfy her curiosity and settle her fears. I suspected that it would also get her out of the way of preparing her birthday celebration but would never say it out loud.
The problem, then, was all the preparations for the trip. Ostensibly to see how we'd be traveling when I took Annette and Staccia down the river, it ended up being a standard royal day-trip, with a giant at the end of the parade.
Well, at least I wasn't in the yard.
"What's that?" I asked, pointing. Staccia glanced in the direction I indicated, rolled her eyes, and shrugged.
"I can't see that far," she said, "there are trees."
"Oh. Well, I could lift you-"
"And I could scream." She'd gotten moody since we'd set out. I wasn't sure what the cause was, but it seemed that I'd become the target.
"It's a tower," I said, skipping whatever insult I'd offered. "White stone, with a bright red roof. It looks as tall...as me?"
"That's the witches' headquarters," she shouted up to me. It wasn't necessary, my hearing is quite good. But I feared that correcting her would get me in more trouble. "I've never seen it. I've never seen much of anything outside the city."
We went on for a bit. "Can you still see it?" she asked.
"Yes," I said. Then I had a thought. "Maybe Annette would like to see it?"
"Oh, yes, that's a thought. I'll ask her." She kicked her horse up to the carriage and spoke through the window. A few minutes later, I was holding the howdah down for the three women to enter.
After holding it for them to appreciate the view of the tower, then circling around for them to see the entire vista, I lowered it back to the ground. Annette looked from me to Staccia and back again. "Thank you for the lift, Sir Kisar."
"It was entirely my pleasure," I assured her.
"A very smooth ride," the queen said, looking askance at the leather straps cradling her own conveyance. I knew that my howdah offered a much more relaxing ride, but kept my own counsel.
The night was spent in the inn that claimed to be the most northern pub on the planet. As an experiment, they filled the magic pot with beverage and we discovered that it would supply the northernmost mead for as long as I dared to drink it.
Finally, the women retired, the guards set up posts, and I lay down in the field beside the inn. My cloak tented up to cover my head, the rest of me was proof against any weather. I think I heard a voice call a good-night from the window, but I was half asleep by then.
-----
Staccia's mount turned up lame in the morning. Every soldier offered her his own steed, even if that meant they were forced to stay with the ale... I mean, stay at the inn until the party returned. Instead, she looked up at me and asked if she could try the howdah.
"Have to get used to it some time," she said.
"I am honored," I assured her.
The morning passed quietly. The road grew worse beneath us, but that only affected the carriage. After lunch, Staccia became talkative. Well, accusational.
"So, you make a good living kidnapping young women?"
"It's not a kidnapping," I said. "You're joining Duncan's household. You'll be a lady in waiting to the Empress, you'll make friends and contacts from many countries and-"
"And I'll be a hostage," she said. I almost shrugged, but caught myself.
"Human politics has always confused me," I admitted. "I know that the Emperor controls the river, and you have trade on the river..."
"If we are to have markets abroad, for export and for import, we have to join the Empire. Duncan demands hostages of all his vassal states."
"Are your people intending to profit from the arrangement or to rebel against it? Hold on." I dipped down to lift the rear of the carriage over a rut that was holding it back. The horses surged forward and I straightened.
"Profit, of course," she said.
"Then it seems to me that you lose nothing in the arrangement. You may even gain a royal suitor."
"But it's the principle of the thing," she hissed. "Don't you know anything?"
"Not much," I admitted. "No one explains much of anything to me. I'm The Giant. I'm there to be big, to lift heavy things, to beat seamonsters to death, to frighten rebels and," and I turned to face her directly. "And to show Duncan's highest favor by being their escort." I turned back to the road. "I've always been The Giant, though."
"I've always been The Princess," she said softly.
----
By morning, Terrai had decided that the carriage had to go back, at least to the tavern. She intended to ride on my shoulder the rest of the way.
Her senior guard had no problem losing the heavy, city-limited wagon. He had a problem with her attempt to dismiss his entire force.
"But you're only holding Kisar back," she said.
"Hell with him," he shouted, "I'm protecting you." He went pale for a second after that. "No offense to yourself," he offered to me.
"None taken," I said. "But seriously, I can protect her better if you're not around. I can just walk away from most threats, especially if I'm not worried about leaving you guys far behind."
That said, I stepped quickly down the road. Ten steps away, I stopped and turned, watching the force scramble in my wake. The women clapped in the howdah. The officer's face acknowledged defeat by the time he reached us. With a wave, he turned back to organize the return effort. "Wait for us at the tavern," I said, repeating the queen's order that it might be heard.
Then I was finally free. The road got smaller and smaller, becoming a path and then more of a hint. The women and I told stories, exchanged riddles and stopped at anything even slightly interesting.
A brief rearrangement of my cloak created a two-room tent. One was enough to cover my head, the other was a roomy shelter for the women. They had become rather comfortable with my presence and settled quickly down to sleep.
I thought I felt a bear sniffing around my legs during the night. I rolled to one side and farted, clearing the immediate area of all fauna.
Addeded 10 Nov
--------
The forest between the last outpost of civilization and the famous falls was dotted with little clusters of families, three to five in a compound. After the first night of camping, the queen felt more like guesting in homes of some of her subjects.
After Terrai introduced us and politely requested shelter, people would bow, scrape, and scurry off to make her welcome. I'd offer to clear some land as compensation; there was always a boulder or tree root that needed to be hefted out of the ground, and they seemed to appreciate the help as much as the honor.
I overheard several conversations which were veritable copies of one another. At some point in the day or night, someone would ask: You spose tha's really the queen?
And whoever they were talking to would say: You know anyone else puts a saddle on a giant?
By such stages we reached the Falls of Heaven. I was delighted to discover that if anything, rumors of their grandeur were understated.
A lake wound through the range at the foot of steep mountains. It was deep enough that if I stood on the bottom, onlookers at the surface couldn't even see me, but the opposing shores were closer together than my head to my feet. It snaked through the crags as a large, blue, placid serpent, soon disappearing from sight of the small community at the end of the lake.
I couldn't vouch for the safety of passengers as I tried to navigate the narrow, rock y shores. In the end, we rented a boat that I towed along as I swam through the icy waters. After a lengthy, invigorating swim in the brisk lake, we came to the falls. Three times my height, they descended from a mountain lake in a spray that kept the surrounding area drenched year round.
The roar drowned out even my voice, and when I attempted to respond to the women's waves and gestures, I nearly swamped their craft. I righted it swiftly enough, which was fortunate. I already knew that none of the three could swim. I thought of teaching them, but the water was chilly enough for my bulk, they would have been miserable.
The queen wrung water from her usually impressive locks and clearly gestured that the tour was at an end. I slipped back down the lake and recovered my clothes and pack.
So back we went, wending our way from farm to farm, never ones we'd stayed at before. This spread any burdens as well as any honors as widely as possible. We regained the military unit, who were quite relieved to reestablish the escort.
But the queen didn't move back down into the carriage until we reached well-maintained roads. Annette and Staccia stayed in the howdah all the way back to the castle.
We returned in time for the women to have two days to rest before the party.
-----
Two days after the party, I was examining my map and the calendar. Annette came into the yard and asked what I was doing.
"We leave for Freeport tomorrow, and I have worries about the trip back."
"Ah," she said, looking over the map. "What worries?" I had laboriously copied it from the biggest surveys I could locate. I pointed out my path up to Socorro.
"I left Freeport, paralleling the Wend river through these cities." She nodded. I explained the delays imposed by the authorities as I advanced.
"And you feel they'll impose worse ones on the way back?" she asked, looking up at me.
"No, the delay, plus waiting for the party, means that everyone's going to be having their end-of-the-season fairs over the next week." She interpreted my concerns quickly.
"So, many more people on the road, taking their herds to market, or taking their acquisitions from market."
"And many more drunks at each city," I added.
"Can you go down the river? The way you took us to the Falls?"
"Thought of that," I said, "but more trade ferries up and down the river than marches on the roads these days. Plus, having to get out at every bridge and go around..."
"So what's to be done?" I looked her in the face, shrugged, and turned back to the map. With the tip of the stick I was using to scratch notes in the sand, I traced a path on the map. It went up north, around civilization, to the Dark Forest. Then it hugged the edge of that wilderness down to the shore, then over to Freeport.
Out loud, though, for the benefit of any listeners, I said: "There are options, of greater and lesser danger, greater and lesser delays, more and fewer officious bastards. The princess may have an opinion on how she'd like to travel, but it remains the king's final word."
She'd followed the end of my stick very, very closely. Then she gave me a wink. "As you say, the king will probably favor safety over speed. And it would be his will, no matter that Staccia would be the ranking royal once we're beyond the border." Annette skipped off towards the door. Above me, I heard the door of the princess' balcony shutting. I didn't look up as I rolled the map into its case.
Addeded 12 Nov
Finally, the time came for us to leave. Annette and Staccia stowed some food and drink in the howdah. The rest of their chests went into a carefully padded pocket within my pack. Goodbye hugs were issued all around, waves, exchanges of final words made, warnings, cautions and a promise to send word ahead to clear the roads.
I thought of the herds that must be crowding the ways through the nations, then imagined a herald trying to get sheep to get out of the way.
"Perhaps, milord, that might be unnecessary. They will certainly be able to see me coming."
"That's true," he nodded. "Well, I'll leave that to you. But I will send word to Duncan that you're away."
"Yes, sir, thank you," I nodded, then stood. Staccia had arranged a short side-trip to Annette's home, for her final goodbyes to those that hadn't made it to the castle. I stepped carefully through the town, then off across the hills.
Halfway there, I spread out my map on the ground. Staccia and Annette stood upon it as we discussed our route.
"I count two dozen cities along the Trade road," Annette announced from Freeport, where she'd finished walking the line of the road.
"Half again as many bridges cross the river," Staccia added, stepping to join her friend.
"And those," I pointed out, "are only the ones big enough that the Royal Cartographer felt they deserved a mention." The two girls looked up at me.
"Big enough bridges, or big enough towns?" Annette asked.
"Both," I replied. "Luckily, His Lord Mapper is a military man, so there are more details than might have been noted." I plucked a sapling up and used it to point along the Dark Forest. "Now, if we can make this corridor, humans don't build too close to the Forest."
"For a good reason," Staccia pointed out.
"Yes, for the nights. But I can travel quickly along the border, then at sunset turn towards one of these walled forts Duncan's built up to fend off the denizens of the Dark. You can sleep in safety, I'll be okay under the walls, then we do it again the next day.
"I can have you in the Freeport Palace by Festival," I promised. Annette looked from the markings to her princess, and back again. Finally, Staccia nodded.
"I would like to see Festival," she said. "Is it true the lights...?"
We discussed the habits, the magic and the delights of the imperial capitol while I stored the map, loaded the passengers and started walking. Annette's family was a little more leery of me than those in the city had been, but after dredging a century's muck out of the moat with my bare hands, they found it worthwhile to welcome me.
A comfortable party atmosphere surrounded us that night, unlike the funereal gloom at the castle. I finally realized that though they knew and loved Annette, she hadn't actually lived in this steading for years. She was more of a distant relative than a family member, and they truly enjoyed her success.
Even the princess shook off some of her depression. I watched child after child run up and ask her something about the capitol. When she got tired of admitting ignorance, about the population, the fashions, the way the ocean looks, she finally turned and pointed to where I lay across the edge of the fields.
"He knows," she said. "And the friendly giant would love to tell you all about Freeport." They looked over at me, giggled, and ran away. I laughed, though I never truly enjoy being seen as a monster.
An hour later, though, one of the children came up to me. A little girl, about the size of my thumb, offered me a chance to kiss her dolly good-night. I gently pecked the air a foot over both of their heads. I looked around for a nanny but there were no adults near me. Then I noticed that the girl had curled up in the folds of my sleeve and gone to sleep.
Trapped, I moved the cloth to cover her and waited for rescue. I actually went to sleep that way, it turned out. I woke to a gentle tapping on my nose. Staccia was in front of my face, so close that my eyes crossed to see her. She shushed me and pointed. Annette was stooping to collect my tiny tenant, who I'd covered with my hand, fingers spread as the poles of a tent.
I removed the hand and she removed her cousin, niece or sister with a smile. As they drifted off in the darkness, Staccia sat upon my wrist.
"You sleep very still," she said. "And you make a great protector."
"The stillness comes from a childhood of knocking down walls when I moved carelessly," I said. "And it's my role to be a protector." She looked at me, face inquisitive in the light of the nearby bonfire.
"Dad died fighting a sea monster in Freeport. He was the mercantile factor for the giant king, living in the city. Something swam in from the sea, ate a couple of sailors, and the alarm was sounded." Staccia hunched over, clearly cold but too polite to interrupt. I moved my hand a bit, allowing a fold of my sleeve to fall over the princess, blanketing her.
"He heard, told me to stay on the wharf, and waded out into the harbor." I had to take a breath or two, then. She waited patiently. "I stayed on that wharf for two days. No one knew what to do with me."
"Weren't there other giants?" she asked.
"The trading season had closed. Storms fill the sea during the winter. They're dangerous for all shipping. Nothing but a military unit would dare the crossing, and everyone was at peace right then. Finally, Duncan came down, gave me a great big medal for what my Dad had done, and adopted me."
"Didn't your family get you back the next spring?"
"No family," I said. "Mom died in a scandal after I was born, her relatives blamed Dad, wanted nothing to do with me." She offered no sympathetic words, but sat quietly on my hand, stroking my arm gently and slowly.
"But, Duncan's been very good to me," I finally ended. "I have no regrets, not really."
"It must have been tough," she offered.
"Hey, if you want tough, wait until you meet the Empress." She shivered again, so I picked her up and rolled over once. That put me next to the bonfire. She was a bit surprised when I placed her back on the wrist, only slightly disheveled. "You know, Corrette has spanked me?"
"What?" She giggled, at the image or the concept.
"I threw a toy, once."
"All kids do that."
"Yeah, but mine was a bronze statue of a horse and rider. I hit a ship at the waterline. No lives were lost, but they took the cost of the cargo out of my allowance." Her eyes bugged out a little bit. "Anyway, the queen, Corrette, blew this whistle. It summoned the Emergency Discipline Battalion. Forty men tugged me to the ground and pulled my britches. Corrette climbed up, with a broom, and beat me until I was howling."
"Oh, surely it didn’t really hurt you?" she cried.
"Enough that I am, to this day, afraid of brooms and whistles. Anytime I hear a toot, part of me is sure that forty strong men are on their way to discipline me. Scares the hell out of me."
"Well," she said, shrugging off my sleeve and standing, "I shall look forward to meeting this fearsome woman."
"Because she can make me behave?" I asked with a smile. She stepped up to kiss me lightly on the tip of my nose.
"Because she raised such a gentleman," she said, and she was gone.
--------
Addeded 16 Nov
For the next week, we skirted the northern edges of civilization. The freedom was marvelous. I loved crossing an entire highland meadow with no fear of upsetting someone's crop, stampeding a herd or crushing a shepard.
Staccia and Annette responded well to the situation. No one was looking them over, judging the realm on the behavior of its nobles. They wore rougher clothes, asked for frequent stops to pick flowers or climb trees or hunt the banks of a river for...well, for whatever appealed. One of the pockets of my pack started to swell with the pretty rocks they'd found.
Very, very rarely we passed some sign of habitation. Coarse shacks hunched near single-man mines, or huddled near a swamp. There was usually smoke from the chimney, but no other sign of humanity showed as we passed.
We left them alone, figuring they were miles upon miles from their neighbors for a reason.
Annette turned out to be a crafter of riddles. Staccia had already heard most of her best ones, so she just watched the land roll by as Annette riddled me this and riddled me that. I'm really not one for riddles, but it passed the time.
"Thirty white horses, on a red hill," she called up from the howdah. "First they stamp, then they champ, then they stand still. What are they?"
"Dinner."
"What? You don't eat horses, do you?" she cried.
"Little one, if we were snowed in up in a mountain cave, and all I had were thirty horses and two nobles, and my stomach started to growl..."
"Stallion steaks, coming right up!" she replied.
"Ask me another," I said. "I can really sink my teeth into these things." She glared up at me suspiciously.
----
Manfire, the northernmost fortification Duncan had constructed was at the edge of a great valley. We saw the keep a half a day before I managed to walk to it.
"Just how far from Freeport are we?" Annette asked.
"On the map, about three Staccia's distance." The princess leaned out of her window to stick her tongue out at me. "A few days, as the Kisar ambles," I amplified.
"So the Empire extends this far?"
"No, this is just something Duncan did to add to the defense of humanity in general, not his realm."
"How do the locals feel about this much army being this close?" Staccia asked, looking thoughtful.
"He only stations cadre here. Locals provide volunteers on a rotating basis." I pointed down the valley to our left. "That town, there? The chances are good that their Watch has been in this fort, or another. And their town council. Half of their farmers. So if anything should happen, they've got a force of veterans ready to hand."
"But are they loyal to Duncan or their own king?" she went on.
"You'd have to ask them. But since people up here realize that if there was a war, the only things to benefit live in the Dark, it seldom comes up." I stepped easily over a meandering stream, watching the specks of mountain-trout scatter from my shadow. "The motto of the garrisons is: 'Humans first, Kingdoms second.' They take it seriously."
By then we were approaching the hill topped by Manfire. They had to have been watching me for quite a while, and almost certainly had recognized me. I ambled easily around to the front door (which always faces away from the Dark Forest in these constructions. It allows troops an extra moment to form up in response to....anything.) and sat down in the assembly area.
The commander was already waiting for me at the wall over the front gate. "Greetings, Sir Kisar," his herald called out.
"Greetings, milord Caston," I replied. Staccia looked up at me oddly, mouthing 'milord' silently. "Excuse me for a moment?" He nodded. I turned to explain to the princess.
"Duncan feels that merit is more important than birth. I'm the emperor's son, but I'm only a knight. The Marque Caston does indeed outrank me in all but very specific social situations." She looked thoughtful again as she considered that. But not for long. I unshipped the howdah and held it to the battlements for introductions.
"Milord, if I may introduce..."
"Princess Staccia and Lady Annette," he interrupted. "We know." He jostled the elbow of his herald. "Tell him what the courier told us."
"My lord and all who shall be present, greetings," the herald called out, in the singsong pacing of the trained courier, "Be it known to all that our son, whom we did once trust entirely, has gone to great extent to test that trust." I smiled, as much at the message as at the look of fear on Annette and Staccia's faces. It wasn't as bad as it was phrased, but they didn't know Duncan.
"Charged to bring to our side two women of the household of Socorro, for the purpose of their assimilation to our order, he has taken a holiday in parts unknown and not under royal nor imperial surveillance. If the great idiot should be seen by anyone in our uniforms, please point out to him where his duty lies.
"Or, it may indeed be the case that he is merely lost. Please, then, point out to him where his home lies. Sir Kisar may be recognized as one having an above average size, but lacking proportionately larger intelligence." He stopped reciting. Staccia was starting to relax, though Annette still seemed to think I was actually in trouble.
"I have sent a courier by fast horse," the Marque said, "reporting that you had been sighted in the valley. I was going to send a following messenger with greater details. Is there anything you wish to amend to my report?"
"Why, yes, thanks," I said. "Let me see. 'Duncan, Emperor of the Greater Cities, please feel free to bite-"
"MILORD!" Staccia called. I was still holding the howdah across from the wall. Caston waved and I set it down upon the walk that they might dismount. The princess was talking a mile a minute as they did.
"The fault is mine, sir, I did entreat upon my most excellent escort to see some of the countryside, which I had never had occasion to do in the castle growing up, so I wanted to travel, to see, as it were, many of the places I'd heard about, fearing that once I got to Freeport, I would be restricted to the Emperor's castle much as I had at home. A much finer castle, surely, but still, confinement grows boring quickly."
She kept on apologizing for me, which did her credit, but it wouldn't fool Duncan for a second. Caston knew this, and knew that arguing with her wouldn't really change anything. He winked over her head at me, then started ushering the two women inside. I lowered my pack and fished out their belongings. A handful of soldiers took them inside, along with my magic pot.
As night fell, I made myself comfortable outside Manfire's walls.
--------
Addeded 18 Nov
The next day, we crossed south towards the next Imperial border post, Enderpike. The Dark Forest was only visible from the tops of the highest hills. Staccia was disappointed, wanting a closer look at the place.
"It's just boring, boring trees," I assured her, "unless it's really, really exciting troll bands swarming over the fields towards you. I'm not getting closer than I have to." We were skirting the border, much closer to the interspersed settlements of man than the forbidding trees. The lands were slightly more densely occupied than the first leg of the trip had been. But where I was walking, it was still undeveloped.
Towards noon, we sighted smoke. Annette pointed it out to us. I changed my direction and picked up speed a little bit. It was a fortified farm. Or it had been.
The gate had been forced, the people slaughtered. A few horse paced frantically in a corral, a single dog barked from under a wagon. Nothing else moved.
I lowered the girls gently to the ground. Wordlessly, Annette led a search for survivors. They looked for hidden rooms or bolt-holes, while I poised just outside, ready to rip the roof off whichever building they were in.
Finally, we gave up the search. I stepped to the gate and examined the tracks. They led towards the Dark, of course. "They shouldn't have been able to do this, not in daylight," I muttered.
"There are bodies missing," Annette announced. "There aren't any children between toddler and teen."
"Healthy enough to walk where they're going," I replied. The trolls wouldn't have taken adult captives, or anything that they'd have had to carry." I stood, staring off into the west.
"Then let's go save them," Staccia shouted.
"It's not that simple," I said, shaking my head. "If the trolls can attack in daylight, they're much more dangerous than they were. Someone has to be told." I started to reach for the two of them. "And you have to be taken to safety."
Staccia ducked under my hand. "But there are children in trouble!"
"Yes," I said, trying to catch her. "But spreading the alarm takes precedence. No matter what the casualty, you always spread the word. No one can help you if they don't know there's a problem." While she was ducking behind a watering trough, I switched and scooped up Annette. She kicked a bit, but settled into the howdah.
"I won't accept that my possible danger is greater than the very real danger those children are in!" Staccia shouted. I placed my foot carefully, cutting off her avenue of retreat. Then I reached both hand to pick her up.
"Knights who carry princesses towards danger aren't very good knights. Even foolhardy princesses who want to go on adventures." That got her. She stood, frowning, glaring up at me.
"I do not see an adventure. I see my duty. Humans first, right?" I winced, but kept reaching for her. "So, you make a good living kidnapping young women?"
"It's not a kidnapping," I said as I picked her up. I shook my head. "Look, there's no way around it. I simply MUST pass the word-"
"I'll do that," Annette shouted. I stared. "There are two horses. I can ride one, lead the other, switching off. I can get back to Manfire and spread the word. THAT duty I can meet for you."
"Enderpike is closer," I started to mutter.
"But Manfire knows who I am," she pointed out. "No delay in the ride to rescue as they try to figure out who I am."
"Good point," Staccia said. "And you'd never let ME ride around without you, right?"
"No," I agreed. I could go after the trolls. I really, really wanted to go after the trolls. I mean, after the children. Revenge is not a good knightly quality. Rescue is. And if rescue included stomping green things into a slimy paste, all the better.
"And you can't leave me here," the princess went on. "We can see that the walls aren't safe." I moaned. There was no right answer, here. Nothing could meet all my duties perfectly.
I carried Annette and her steeds to the top of the nearest hill. At least she got that much of a head start. The horses were a bit upset at the treatment, but after the day they'd had, they were only slightly jittery as she saddled them with Staccia's help.
I left my pack there, bid Annette luck, and started down the track of long, bare feet.
------
We found the camp just after dark. The track had led straight to a ford, then into the woods. This portion was not densely treed, but the canopy above intermingled to make everything below rather cave-like. I crept along the trail until I saw campfires.
Then I dropped gently and crawled. Trolls seldom posted sentries. Party because they were so damned evil they had little to fear, and also because they actually liked being attacked. It usually meant more prisoners.
A ring of some forty warrior trolls surrounded some twenty young men and women. Fires were placed here and there between the two groups. As I gauged numbers and directions, Staccia swung up to the top of the howdah. Hanging from the railing, she whispered in my ear.
"If you start attacking, the kids won't know you're on their side." I nodded silently. "So they'll scatter in the woods. Here, that'll be as bad as staying put. Put me down, circle around. When you start, I'll call the kids to me. I'll give them something to rally around."
I looked, but couldn't see any restraints on the humans. It might work. And it would be better than trying to attack and keep them from stampeding at the same time. I could just imagine that dance. "I mean you no harm!" I'd shout, stomping on the nearest trolls. "Stay where you OW!" pulling a spear out.
I didn't really like the plan, but had no better one. I grabbed her in the dark and lowered her to the ground. She'd carried a sword in the howdah at all times. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be for defense or ceremony and had never asked. Now, I couldn't ask if she had it, or even if she knew how to use it.
I just put the whole carriage on the ground and crept off.
I was about half way around to the far side of the camp when I heard some sound behind me. I later found that Staccia had remembered the sword, fetched it, and lost control of the door getting out. It slammed shut.
All I knew then was several trolls on that side of the camp perked up their ears and turned towards her location. I'd wanted to be completely across. All attention would turn away from her, towards me, and the kids' stampede would be in the best direction.
No help for it, I charged the camp right then. Before they could figure out what the dark outline was, I ran up and stomped a few of them flat. As they started to respond, I shouted a wordless roar. Then I retreated a bit. A little more to the far side, I grabbed a tree, ripped off the branch, and turned to slap the nearest trolls with it.
They stormed towards me, battle shouts filling the air. I never heard Staccia, but I did see the forms of the kids moving out of the campfire. In the right direction.
Trolls don't come to the top of my boots, and nothing on this continent will pierce giant-made boots of thunderlizard hide . My footing was secure as I stomped, move a bit to the right, stomped some more.
The branch mostly knocked them down, scattering them with little harm. The central bole, though, would kill at least one on each swing. They countered by throwing a few spears, which lodged in my trousers, or climbing up my shoelaces to stab above the thick leather.
I was bleeding, but holding my own. One of the smarter trolls must have agreed with me. Suddenly, a low call from one of their horns sounded. After a moment, it was answered from somewhere in the distance. Help was on the way, and it wasn't for our side.
Just as I determined to go down fighting, a piercing whistle sounded as well. On the side of the camp, a torch waved back and forth. Staccia was calling me. When I looked up, she turned and ran off into the trees. Then she whistled again. Near as I could tell, she was signaling that the kids were well down the road.
I may change my mind about whistles being bad.
I turned and dashed into the forest. And bounced off of a tree. Staggering to the side, I went a little less dashingly through the trees. The trolls were more familiar with the area, but couldn't match my stride. After we were some distance away, I circled around, taking the campfires for my bearing. Beyond those, I found the howdah (on only my second guess for the direction), scooped it up and continued on. The kids were just at the ford, Staccia organizing them into a hand-holding line. They were going to have to put down the few torches they carried to do so.
"Can I be of assistance?" I asked. I thought that moving the princess across first would make them trust me. She refused to cross while one child remained on the forest side. Royals. We're crazed. So, we packed the smallest into the howdah, I carried that across in two steps and put it down. Then I gathered as many as I could in cupped hands and took them across.
Voices were sounding from the forest as I carried the last handful, Staccia and the torch bearers. Then I knelt in the water and dug through the mud. The humans ran for it, Staccia stayed beside the howdah reassuring the littlest. I splashed out of the river and caught it up. Staccia went into a pocket beneath the howda.
I caught up to the running kids. Their fear had wrung them out. Whoever was the last kid in line, I pocketed. Some ran faster at that, others flagged and waited for me to carry them.
Screams sounded behind us and I turned to watch. The trolls were very familiar with the ford and charged in boldly. Then they hit the channels I'd gouged out. One by one they sank, bobbed once or twice to the surface, then went down and stayed down.
------
At sunrise, I was sitting on top of a hill, keeping watch on that part of the river. All the kids were asleep in my pockets, or the hood of my cloak, curled up like piles of puppies.
An army rode up from my right. Annette rode beside Lord Caston as they came up the hill. A nod detailed units to ride to the ford, others to ride up and down the river, looking for any stragglers on this side. The larger part, though, set up a quick camp to see to the needs of the children. Food wasn't a problem, I'd been using the magic pot. Of course, it only has enough power to feed me, but I could go a day or two without.
I carefully moved so each pocket was next to the ground and allowed the men to fish out the children. The ushered them to the tents others were setting up.
Annette and Staccia's happy reunion was subdued in the face of the horrors the children had faced. Then Staccia recounted the night's events for the Marque. He wasn't thrilled about my taking the princess into the forest, nor setting her down within it, but it was nothing I hadn't already thought of. He forbore any lectures, though, figuring Duncan'd take care of that. He just accepted her report and stalked off towards his men.
Two days later, I stepped to the side of the road to let an army pass. A punitive expedition promised to find out how the trolls had braved the daylight to catch the farm by surprise. They'd also attempt to dissuade any repeats.
Imperial troops led, bolstered by volunteer units from the other kingdoms. Duncan's command unit rode behind the Imperials. He rode to my side where I waited. I made introductions.
"Ah, Princess Staccia and Lady Annette," he bellowed. "I hear good things about the two of you." He bowed in the saddle to where they stood. They nodded back.
"Nothing heroic, sire," Staccia replied. "Just doing our duty."
"If that were how most saw their duty, young lady," he snorted, "I'd barely have to leave the throne room." He looked up at me. "You were not supposed to be here."
I shrugged. "I can cover the thought process that led me here," I offered. He waved it aside.
"You were fated, perhaps," he said. "Doesn't matter now." He glanced back at where his aides stood beside the road. Decisions had to be made and orders given. And this was the man that had taught me the place duty held in our lives. He glanced back up to me briefly. "Good job, son," he said, then wheeled his horse and caught up with his force.
We stayed by the road until the last unit had passed. Then I reslung burdens and guests and started down the road. It was a day to Freeport, three days to Festival. If there were no more little distractions, I'd be able to keep my promise.
"So I guess he's okay with your detour?" Staccia asked.
"Army tradition," I said with a small shrug. "Success cleans the slate."
"Good," she said. "I was worried that you'd be in trouble for taking us into the wilds."
"Nah," I said. "But would you do me a favor?" She nodded. "When we get the next courier from Socorro? The one after YOUR parents hear about Dark Forest adventures? I want to be in the room when he reads his message."
Annette and I both giggled at the look on Staccia's face.
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