A Darkness at Sethanon (Riftware Sage Book 3)

“When he heard King Rodric had named Lyam the Heir, Guy cut from Krondor and ran for Rillanon. He had hopes of seeing something of his plans salvaged when the Congress of Lords met to ratify the succession. By the time Lyam got to Rillanon, enough of the eastern lords had gathered for Guy to judge the lay of the land. It was clear Lyam would be King - this was before anyone knew about you, Martin - so Guy resigned himself to being tried for treason. Then, the morning of the convocation and coronation, word came about Martin’s being legitimized, so Guy waited to see what would happen later that afternoon.”

 

 

“Waiting to seize the moment,” commented Arutha.

 

“Don’t be so quick to judge,” snapped Amos; then he continued in softer tones. “He was worried over a civil war and if it came, he was ready to fight. But while he waited to see what would happen, he knew Caldric’s men were out snooping about. He had been dodging them -barely, a couple of times. Guy still had friends in the capital, and some of them smuggled him and Armand aboard the Royal Swallow - gad, what a pretty craft she was - just about the time the Ishapian priests reached the palace to start up the coronation. Anyway, when I . . . borrowed the ship, we discovered we had passengers.

 

“Now, I was ready to toss Guy and Armand over the side, or turn about and deliver them trussed up to you, but Guy can be a convincing enough rogue in his way, so I agreed to take him to Bas-Tyra, in exchange for a healthy price.”

 

“So he could plot against Lyam?” asked Arutha incredulously.

 

“Damn it, boy,” bellowed Amos, “I let you out of my sight for a pissing two years and you go and get downright thick-headed on me.” Looking at Martin, he said, “Must be the company you’ve been keeping.”

 

Martin said to his brother, “Let him finish.”

 

“No, it wasn’t to plot treason. It was so he could put his affairs in order. He figured Lyam’d ordered his head, so he was going to tidy up some things, then I was going to bring him back to Rillanon, so he could give himself up.”

 

Arutha looked stunned.

 

“About the only thing he really wanted was to get pardon for Armand and his other followers. Anyway, we reached Bas-Tyra and stayed a few days. Then came word of the banishment. Guy and I had become a little more friendly by then, so we talked and made another deal. He wanted to leave the Kingdom, to seek a place. He’s a fine general, and there are many who would have given him service, especially Kesh, but he wanted to go someplace so remote he would never have to face Kingdom soldiers in the field. We figured to head east, then turn south, and make for the Keshian Confederacy. We might have made a name for ourselves down there. He was going to be a general and I thought I’d take a bash at being an admiral. We had a spot of trouble with Armand, for Guy wanted to send him back home to Gyldenholt, but Armand’s a funny one. He’d sworn fealty to Guy, years before, and as he had not sworn to Lyam he’d not quit his liege lord’s service. Damnedest argument I’ve ever heard. Anyway, he’s still with us. So we set sail for the Confederacy.

 

“But three days out of Bas-Tyra, a fleet of Ceresian pirates took out after us. I’d be willing to take on two, even three of the bastards, but five? The Swallow was a fast lady, but the pirates stayed right on her heels. For four days it was all clear skies, unlimited visibility, and fair winds. For Kingdom Sea pirates, they were a canny lot. They spread out across each following quarter, so I couldn’t lose them at night. Each night I’d sail around, this way and that, then come morning, there’d be five sails on the horizon. They were like lampreys. I couldn’t shake them. Then we hit weather. A line squall came roaring out of the west, driving us east for a day and a half, then a full gale blew up carrying us north along uncharted coast. The only good thing about that storm is we shook loose of the Ceresians at last. By the time I found safe harbour, we were in waters I’d never heard of, let alone seen.

 

“We lay up and took stock. The ship was in need of some repair, not serious enough to sink her, but enough to make sailing damned inconvenient. I took her up a big river, must have been somewhere east of the Kingdom proper.

 

“Well, the second night we were at anchor, a damn army of goblins swarmed the ship, killing the sentries and capturing the rest of us. Bastards fired the Swallow and burned her down to the waterline. Then they marched us to a camp in the woods where some Dark Brothers were waiting. They took charge of us and we were all marched north.

 

“The lads I’d recruited were a crusty lot, but most of them died on the march. Damn goblins didn’t care spit. We got almost nothing to eat, and if a man took sick and couldn’t walk, they killed him on the spot. I got a touch of the belly flux and Guy and Armand carried me for two days, and believe me that wasn’t pleasant for any of us.

 

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