Mistake finished her meal in the Wine Press Inn and slipped out the back door. She looked both ways and saw a series of wagons coming up the street. She dashed in front of the lead wagon and was going to dart down an alley when she stopped and turned around to look at the road. The four wagons coming down the street were lashed together with only two drivers. The first driver was a large bear of a man draped in a black cloak and hood. He sent shivers down Mistake’s spine, just as he had in the inn. The other driver was the young soldier she had seen with the mystery man the day she had arrived in Khadoratung, but he no longer wore his brown and yellow uniform. Now the man was clothed in a simple brown tunic and pants. The wagons were loaded down with sacks of seed, except for the last, which carried six wasooki and six clova. She watched in puzzlement as the wagons rolled by. She was not sure who the men were, but she was sure that they were not farmers.
Mistake shook her head and ran down the alley. She used the alley to cross several blocks of the city before turning onto one of the streets. She slowed down to a fast walk until she reached the house that Lord Marak had purchased. She loped up the steps and the door opened as she reached for it. Mistake smiled at HawkShadow as she slid through the doorway.
“Now we can get started,” taunted HawkShadow. “I have always wondered how those who are so blessed with speed can always be the ones who arrive late.”
“I was eating,” protested Mistake. “It is not good to hurry your meals.”
“There is no rush for this meeting,” smiled Lord Marak as he waved Mistake into one of the rooms. “In fact, the purpose of this meeting is to determine where you three go from here.”
“Our mission is complete,” announced StarWind. “General Didyk has given us the slip.”
“I suppose that I will accompany the Sakovans back to the Sakova,” shrugged Mistake. “Rejji has no need of me right now.”
HawkShadow gazed at Lord Marak expectantly. “You did not bring us here to bid us a safe journey,” HawkShadow finally said. “What did you have in mind?”
Lord Marak grinned. “I am planning a delicate mission, and I could use some of your talents,” he replied. “Two Sakovans who are nearly invisible in the wild and know how to make an air tunnel would be a great asset to me at this time.”
“I know how to make an air tunnel,” interrupted Mistake. “I can be invisible, too.”
“I have something a little different in mind for you, Mistake,” chuckled Lord Marak. “I will get to it in a moment.”
“I am game,” offered HawkShadow. “I could even be talked into teaching the little elf how to move silently.”
Mistake frowned and opened her mouth to protest, but Lord Marak cut her off. “Your tutoring her could be of great help,” Lord Marak stated, “but my time is short. We will be leaving before sun up.”
“Tomorrow morning?” asked StarWind.
“Yes,” nodded Lord Marak. “We will begin to gather after midnight. I want to be well outside the city before dawn breaks.”
“What do I get to do?” asked Mistake.
“Do you still carry that blow tube the Qubari gave you?” asked the Torak lord.
“Of course,” nodded Mistake. “It is always ready. What darts are you thinking of?”
“The tyrik venom,” replied Lord Marak. “How long do the effects last?”
“About three hours for a fair-sized man,” shrugged Mistake. “Maybe less if it is a big man. I only have six tyrik darts. There are other types of darts, though.”
“Six should be enough,” declared Lord Marak. “I am not looking to kill with the darts, so only the tyrik venom will be used. If you could spend some time with HawkShadow today, Mistake, it would be of benefit to the mission.”
“I will,” promised Mistake as she began to get excited about going on a mission with the Toraks.
“Any news about the assassin?” asked Lord Marak.
“Not much,” frowned StarWind. “I did pick up a piece of curious knowledge in the marketplace concerning the attack on you. Everyone was confused about what was happening, but more than one person remembered seeing an Imperial guard running away from the attack. I found that most strange. Even better is the description that people agreed on. This Imperial soldier was wearing gloves.”
“That is interesting news,” frowned Lord Marak. “Did anyone remember anything else about him? His face? Scars? Anything?”
“No,” StarWind shook her head. “Too much attention was drawn your way.”
“That is more knowledge than we had before,” shrugged Lord Marak. “Come over to this map and I will explain what I need you to do.”
* * *
Botal looked around the empty suite for anything his men might have left behind. Satisfied that everything had been taken, he left the suite and stepped into the corridor. The Imperial Palace was dim and desolate, everyone having gone to bed hours before. He had dispatched his men over the last few hours in groups of two, and now he was the only one left. Botal adjusted his weapons and strode quietly along the corridor. He passed through the entry foyer and was stopped at the door leaving the palace by two solitary Imperial guards.
“Another Torak?” questioned the guard. “Don’t you fellows get any sleep? I saw two of you leave the palace not an hour ago.”
“That is why I am leaving,” frowned Squad Leader Botal. “I need to catch up to them. They are on an errand for Lord Marak.”
“You will have to hurry then,” smiled the guard as he opened the door. “They headed towards the stables quite some time ago.”
Botal nodded and ran towards the stables. He mounted his horse and rode out of the city to the meeting spot they had previously selected.
“Any problems, Botal?” inquired Lord Marak.
“A mention of two other Torak soldiers leaving, but it was just friendly banter,” reported Botal. “We will be long gone before anyone notices that the Torak quarters are empty.”
“Excellent,” Lord Marak said. “StarWind? HawkShadow? Are both of you comfortable with this plan? You do not have to take part in this if you do not want to.”
“We are comfortable with it,” volunteered StarWind. “Since General Didyk has already left Khadoratung, there is nothing left here for us to do. We might as well aid in your troubles.”
“I would prefer to be by your side in this Lord Marak,” interjected HawkShadow, “but I understand the need for what StarWind and I are doing. We have the skills necessary. You can count on us.”
“I am not very comfortable with this,” sighed Katzu. “As a Lords’ Council mediator, I have no business being involved in whatever it is that you are about to do. I cannot favor one clan over another. It goes against the very nature of the Lords’ Council.”
“Which is why I have not told you what we intend to do,” smiled Lord Marak. “Katzu, you are only traveling with us because you will have to mediate a dispute. If I told you ahead of time where you were needed, wouldn’t that then give you advance notice of what I intend to do?”
“It probably would,” nodded the mediator.
“And if your prompt mediation of a dispute could save lives,” Lord Marak continued, “wouldn’t you want to be close by to do your duty?”
“Certainly,” Katzu replied as he felt the logical net closing around him.
“And above all,” grinned Lord Marak, “is it not your desire to see justice done in Khadora and honesty upheld at the highest levels?”
“That is my desire, Lord Marak,” Katzu replied testily, “but why do I feel as if I am being used by one clan against another?”
“Katzu,” soothed Lord Marak, “every dispute that you mediate is the result of someone trying to use your judgment against someone else. That is why you are called upon to mediate. If no one thought your words could be used to gain advantage over another lord, your services would never be called for.”
“I will grant you that, although it is a strange way of looking at mediation,” Katzu shook his head. “Lords do not normally drag me off to battle.”
“I have no intention of dragging you off to battle,” promised Lord Marak. “I am merely inviting you to end a dispute. If I sent a messenger to Khadoratung, you would hurry to where we are going and perform the mediation gladly. I am just trying to save time and lives by making sure that you are close by.”
“If my coming with you will truly save lives,” sighed Katzu, “then I cannot argue with your methods. I will forewarn you, however, that my going with you will in no way affect my mediation. I will not compromise myself for anyone, not even the Emperor.”
“I would never ask you to do so,” Lord Marak said seriously. “The mediators of the Lords’ Council are the strength of Khadora. If you and your kind start to waver, then we are a nation without hope.”
“I am glad that you understand that,” nodded Katzu. “Lead me to this mediation, but do not tell me anything of what is to come. I do not wish to know the details until the mediation begins.”
“Fair enough,” agreed Lord Marak as he signaled for Botal to lead the group forward.
* * *
The night air was cool as the column of Nordon soldiers rode down out of the Bear Mountains near Deep Bend. The stars were bright, and the moon was nearly full. The cortain led his column in silence as he rode off the mountain trail and onto the main road. Although the sun would not rise for a few hours yet, the men were alert and ready for battle.
As the column of green and white soldiers neared the Nordon estate, the cortain’s fingers moved rapidly over his head. The unspoken command was superfluous. Each member of the Nordon corte knew his task by heart, and the signal to be alert was merely a force of habit.
The Nordon corte turned onto the estate road leading to the mansion. The guards at the gate waved uncaringly as the soldiers rode by. As the corte approached the mansion, the cortain turned towards the guest barracks. The two sentries outside the mansion watched the procession with halfhearted interest. They had seen this particular corte leave and return at strange hours of the day and night. They were guests from the main estate in the Imperial Valley and nobody paid any attention to their comings and goings.
Cortain Talli dismounted around the corner of the mansion. His troops immediately followed his lead. Two men gathered around the cortain as the others tethered their horses and waited silently. Everyone remained poised, their attention glued to the cortain.
Cortain Talli nodded with exaggeration and started walking towards the front of the mansion. The two escorting soldiers immediately followed him. The rest of the corte turned and began executing their assigned tasks. The three men rounded the corner of the mansion and strode purposely towards the door of the mansion. They were halfway to the door before the two guards even noticed them. One of the guards nudged the other causing him to look towards the approaching soldiers. As the three men got closer, it became obvious that they were heading into the mansion. The two guards stiffened.
“I hope you aren’t planning on waking anyone,” one of the guards said softly to the approaching men.
“I must,” Cortain Talli said with feigned exasperation. “I need to speak with Marshal GeHert right away.”
“Can’t it wait until morning?” objected the guard. “He has a nasty temper when he is awakened without reason.”
“It is not without reason,” responded Cortain Talli as he mounted the steps and approached the door.
“Hey,” said the other guard as he turned to follow the cortain. “You aren’t the same cortain that led the men out. What happened to the other one?”
The first guard also turned to look at the cortain. Neither of the guards realized their mistake until the two men escorting the cortain had attacked them from behind. The attack was not brutal. The fake Nordon soldiers looped wires over the men’s heads and tightened them. The cortain turned around and held his finger to his lips.
“Not a sound and you will both live,” smiled the cortain. “I am going to gag you and then you will be bound. If you make no noise, you will be freed in an hour or two. Do you understand?”
Both men tried to nod, but the wire nooses restricted their movement. They held their hands up in a show of submission.
“Good,” smiled the cortain as he watched several of his men running silently across the lawn in front of the mansion.
Talli stuffed clean rags in the men’s mouths while the soldiers holding them bound their arms behind them.
“Take them around to the side of the mansion,” instructed Cortain Talli. “Make them comfortable and then return here to rejoin me. I am going to speak to Lord Grentle.”
Cortain Talli stripped off his Nordon uniform and dropped it on the porch. He straightened his Torak uniform and observed his men as they secured the barracks by barricading the doors. Two men quietly raced up the road to the gate and subdued the gate guards. Cortain Talli could see another corte of Torak troops riding onto the estate. The two men who had tied up the guards returned wearing Torak black and silver. Talli turned and opened the door to the mansion.
The three Torak soldiers walked softly up the stairs and entered the lord’s suite. They passed through his sitting room and into his sleeping chamber. The lord’s wife awoke when they entered. She sat up with a look of horror on her face, but she did not scream. She reached over and woke up Lord Grentle.
“Who are you?” Lord Grentle asked with a sigh.
“I am Cortain Talli of the Torak clan,” answered the cortain. “I have come to seize your estate in the name of Lord Marak.”
“Does this have to do with the guest troops that we have been housing?” asked Lord Grentle.
“It does,” nodded Talli. “Those troops have been destroying Lord Marak’s caravans.”
“I had a bad feeling about them,” sighed the Nordon lord. “Will you spare my wife? Surely, she can cause no harm to you or this Lord Marak?”
“I have instructions to avoid harming anyone,” smiled Cortain Talli. “If it can be avoided that is. I think you will find that Lord Marak does not believe in punishing the innocent.”
The cortain made a quick signal with his fingers and the two soldiers that had accompanied him immediately left the room.
“Where are they going?” asked the lord.
“To awaken Marshal GeHert,” answered Talli. “Lord Grentle, this whole process will be easier if you are willing to cooperate.”
“What is it you wish me to do?” asked Lord Grentle.
“Swear Vows of Service to Lord Marak,” answered Cortain Talli. “Lord Marak also demands that each person on the estate swear Vows of Service to him.”
“May I rise?” asked Lord Grentle.
Talli nodded and the lord rose and padded to his window. He gazed out upon the dozens of Torak soldiers below. He nodded as he saw that the barracks had been barricaded.
“I have little choice in this matter, Cortain,” said Lord Grentle. “You have apparently overrun this small estate with surprising ease. I will swear the vows that you request of me and order my people to do the same, but I will offer you some advice before I do.”
“Very well,” nodded Cortain Talli as the marshal was ushered into the room. “What is your advice?”
“You obviously know that this is a Nordon estate,” Lord Grentle stated. “I am sure you are also aware that Lord Patel is a member of the Lords’ Council.”
“I am aware of both of those facts,” agreed Cortain Talli.
“Cut off with the speeches, Lord Grentle,” growled Marshal GeHert. “The point is, Cortain, that you are sealing your own casket. The Nordon clan will descend upon you like an eagle swooping down on an ant. You will be lucky to see the shadow of the army that crushes you. Why don’t you just mount up your men and ride over the mountains into Fakara, because there will be no place in Khadora for you to hide.”
“Is that what you were going to say, Lord Grentle?” Cortain Talli asked as he tried to keep a smile off his lips.
“More or less,” shrugged the Nordon lord. “I would have chosen different words, but I am sure that Marshal GeHert got his point across. The Torak clan is performing an act of war against the Nordon clan. There is little time for the Torak clan to run and hide before Lord Patel’s armies arrive.”
“We will discuss this some more after you have issued your vows,” smiled Cortain Talli. “Perhaps over the morning meal?”
* * *
Botal was guiding the Torak squad through the night. Their route appeared to be a confusing tangle of turns on lesser trails, some not more than an animal track, and never included a main road. Katzu knew Khadora fairly well, but even he became disoriented. He was sure that they were still somewhere in the Imperial Valley, but beyond that he was not sure.
About an hour before dawn, Botal suddenly halted on the narrow trail. He held up his hand to bring the column to a stop, and then waved Lord Marak forward. Katzu followed Lord Marak to the head of the column.
“Are they ours?” asked Lord Marak.
“They are,” nodded Botal. “I wanted to halt the column to make sure that our men did not overreact.”
“Good thinking,” nodded Lord Marak as his hand rose and his fingers moved in a signaling fashion. “Lead on, Squad Leader.”
“What was that all about?” Katzu asked softly as the column moved forward.
“In a moment,” Lord Marak whispered back. “Silence for now.”
Several hundred paces farther along the trail, a Torak soldier had placed himself in the middle of the path. As Botal led the column forward, the Torak soldier pointed towards the forest on the southern side of the trail. Botal nodded and turned to the right. There was no discernible trail through the forest, but Botal picked out the easiest path through the trees. Several minutes later, the column entered a large clearing. Over a hundred Torak soldiers were camped around the clearing. Botal smiled and ordered a halt to the column.
“Now I can answer your questions, Katzu,” smiled Lord Marak as he dismounted.
“These are all Torak soldiers,” frowned Katzu. “Two cortes at least. Where have they come from?”
“They have been stationed here for some time,” Lord Marak answered vaguely.
“And where exactly is here?” inquired the mediator. “Your path through the forest has me disoriented.”
“We were in no hurry,” explained Lord Marak. “Botal’s main objective was to get here before dawn without using any main roads. While the roads are not used much at night, it is along the roads that most people live. We did not want to be seen between here and Khadoratung.”
“That explains the path of our journey,” nodded Katzu, “but not our location.”
“Follow me,” grinned Lord Marak as he headed out of the clearing to the south. “Maintain silence.”
Katzu nodded and followed Lord Marak through the forest. A short ten-minute walk brought them to the edge of a small rise. Lord Marak crouched down and signaled for Katzu to do the same. Two Torak sentries watched them approach, but said nothing. As Lord Marak reached the edge of the rise, he dropped onto his stomach and patted the ground beside him to indicate that Katzu should do the same.
“Do you recognize it?” Lord Marak asked softly.
It took only a moment for Katzu to recognize the estate. The nearly full moon illuminated the distant mansion, and the mediator shook his head in disbelief.
“That is Lord Patel’s estate,” frowned Katzu. “Surely you are not planning to attack it with only these two cortes? That would be suicide, Lord Marak.”
“Perhaps,” shrugged Lord Marak, “but I do have the right under the law. The Nordon clan viciously attacked my caravans. You have witnessed that yourself.”
“You will have no argument from me on that,” agreed Katzu, “but being within the law does not shield your men from death, nor your clan from extinction. Lord Patel has a vastly superior army to yours, and the best of them reside here on his main estate. Do you have more armies coming down from Fardale?”
“Hopefully, I will only need these two cortes to accomplish my goals,” Lord Marak said with a hint of nervousness in his voice. “I have spent many days planning this, Katzu. That alone does not ensure success, but I think my odds are fair enough to proceed. Would you prefer that the Torak clan merely forget the heinous act perpetrated against us by Lord Patel?”
“I would prefer a solution that does not destroy the Torak clan,” Katzu shook his head. “While I cannot, and will not, play favorites between the clans, I cannot help noticing the change in the attitudes at the frontier. What was a hotbed of hatred not long ago is now a thriving area where everyone gets along well with their neighbors. I cannot help but think that you had a hand in that change somehow. Why throw it all away now?”
“The changes that were made around Fardale,” declared Lord Marak, “did not just happen. The hatreds that existed were snuffed out one by one. I will admit that luck may well have played a large part, but I have also used the aggressiveness of my neighbors to my own advantage.”
“I thought as much,” Katzu nodded. “I have always been curious about our first meeting. The Sorgan and Litari clans filed a grievance against Fardale, but you seemed to have solved the problem before I arrived. Just what exactly happened there?”
Lord Marak was silent for several minutes. He did not doubt the honesty or patriotism of the mediator of the Lords’ Council, but he wondered if he dared to expose how he had managed to solve his problems. While his methods were within the law, secrecy was paramount for the security of the Torak clan.
“I am willing to enlighten you,” offered Lord Marak, “but only if you vow not to repeat what I am about to say.”
“If you have acted outside the law,” frowned Katzu, “I cannot make such a vow. My first oath of loyalty is to Khadora, and I am sworn to uphold the law.”
“Make your vow, Katzu,” smiled Lord Marak. “While my story is far from the normal conquest of Khadora, my methods have been well researched by the finest legal scholars in Khadora.”
“These scholars already know about the agreements between you and the Sorgan and the Litari?” questioned Katzu.
“No,” Lord Marak shook his head. “They were presented with a hypothetical case. I used my contract with Lord Ridak as a basis for discussion, but the tenets of the law are the same.”
“I will make the vow you request, Lord Marak,” agreed Katzu, “but my conditions remain the same. My oath to Khadora will supercede my vows to you.”
“Fair enough,” declared Lord Marak. “I need for you to understand what is going to happen today with Lord Patel.”