‘Half the men in this army are thieves, you idiot.’
Owen let him go with a slight shove, and de Beswick landed hard upon his backside again. Leaning over, Greylock pointed to where Erik had gone. ‘That man may be the best soldier I’ve ever known, and I’ve been training them for thirty years. When this war comes, you incompetent lily, he is your best hope for staying alive. If you have the brains the gods give a flea, you will try to learn everything he has to teach you about surviving in these mountains. If you cross him one more time, I will give him permission to call you out, and if you face him with sword in hand, he will kill you. Do you understand?’
‘Yes,’ said the younger captain, and it was obvious he didn’t like what he was hearing.
‘Now get yourself back to your command, de Beswick, while I decide what I’m going to say to Knight-Marshal William in my next missive.’
As the captain started to leave, Greylock said, ‘One more thing, de Beswick.’
‘Sir?’ asked the captain.
‘If Captain Calis had been here, he would have killed you, and that’s a certainty.’
After the young commander of the garrison had departed, Owen went looking for Erik. He found him in the soldiers’ commons, asking the men of his command what had happened.
‘It was nothing,’ said a man named Gunther. ‘It was a lark, pure and simple, Sergeant Major. We were tired after a long day of parading -’
‘Parading?’ asked Erik.
‘Yes, standing formations, marching up and down, turnin’ right, then left, that sort of business.’
Another man, an old soldier named Johnson, said, ‘It’s that Eastern Army sort of business. Sergeant Major. Not fighting, but marchin’ in lines and the like.’
‘Anyway, those four lads just wanted to nick a little ale from the ale shed, nothing criminal.’
Erik could see the men were in a foul mood, and he didn’t blame them. If caught, the men should have stood extra punishment watches, or at worst a flogging, but to hang them was beyond excuse. He was about to say something when Greylock spoke. ‘Erik, a word with you.’
Erik came over to the former Swordmaster from Darkmoor and said, ‘I know, I shouldn’t have interfered.’
Seeing they were out of hearing range of the soldiers, Owen said, ‘Probably you should have killed him, but that’s not the issue. Give him a wide berth; he may be looking to goad you.’
‘Why?’
‘He’s from a well-connected family in Bas-Tyra. His father is a cousin to the Duke of Ran.’
Comprehension dawned on Erik. ‘Which means his family is probably close to the von Darkmoors.’
‘Maybe. I know they know each other, but close? I don’t really know. He could be one of Mathilda’s agents,’ said Owen. The slender man rubbed his chin in thought. ‘Or some idiot who thinks to curry favor from the Baron’s mother by ridding her of a bothersome threat to her son’s title.’
Erik sighed. ‘How many times do I have to tell the world I have no interest in my father’s title?’
Owen said, ‘No matter how many times you do say it, Mathilda won’t be satisfied until you’re dead.’
‘What should I do?’
‘I’ll send a note to Duke James and let him intercede with William to transfer this idiot to someplace where he may die gloriously for the King. I’m going to recommend he command the catapults on the seawall they’re building in Krondor.’
Erik winced. ‘I thought it was going to be manned by volunteers.’
‘It is. We’ll just see that young de Beswick volunteers.’ Owen smiled. ‘Take your other company out at first light. Don’t linger here. I have to move on to Eggly and see to the defenses there. We’re going to have to put up a convincing fight throughout these hills to force the EmeraJd Queen’s army where we want it.’
Erik sighed. So much to do and so little time to prepare. He knew the fleet had departed from Novindus; all those who had served with Calis across the sea knew that. ‘What of Krondor?’
Owen shrugged. ‘Rumors. Some timid folks are starting to leave the city. Nothing that’s stirring up real alarm. There’s a lot of movement along the Keshian frontier, so many folks are thinking we may have war in the south again.’
‘It’s going to be difficult to keep the city under control once the fleet clears the Straits,’ said Erik.
‘I know. I expect James and William have come up with a solution.’
Erik said nothing more. The Queen’s fleet would clear the Straits in less than a month’s time, at the Midsummer Festival. He had fears that the city would be the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the Kingdom, but the problem for him was that the girl he loved was in the city. As Erik left Owen, and gave orders that the company in the garrison would be rotated out in the morning, he wondered if he could prevail upon Roo to help get Kitty out of Krondor.
Roo looked at the books and said, ‘I don’t understand.’