Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 01 Ch. 21

I am trying to save lives which is why I told you. You have to end it with the married officer. He is infertile as well but your husband and lover would not approve. I think you have someplace to get to now. Best of luck with the Queen. She is a good lady and has a lot going on right now. These decrees will have to start soon if she wants to avoid chaos."

The Guard Captain nodded to him, "Thank you, I will let you know what she says."

Eldar smiled as she mounted up and rode away. He walked back inside, "Aunt Triana could I see you upstairs in my room please."

She nodded. As he walked he asked her, "Did you volunteer for this?"

She smiled, "Yes, I did. Especially when I heard a Silvertree was at the heart of it all. Outside the family inner circle even."

They arrive at his room. He saw Karra and Annette. He looked at Karra, "Could you go downstairs and get some wine, cheese, and fruit. Have it billed to the room, please?"

She nodded and headed off. He looked at his wives, "This is Charlemagne and Annette my wives. Charlemagne is carrying the preordained for the Lady of Dreams--a girl. This is Triana Silvertree, a priest and my aunt." They both looked at him in shock. "I thought you should meet her. She is the only priest we have who has done a multi-birth pregnancy. She volunteered to go with us."

Annette got up, "Welcome!"

Charlemagne waved and smiled. He looked at his aunt, "She is not well at the moment, and we moved her here recently. I wanted the 3 of you to meet for another reason. Those visions I have been having. They have given me some disturbing news without details.

As we have an open and honest relationship with no secrets, I have to tell you 2. You will each deliver 3 sets of twins in the next 10 years, after which something will occur. No more children from the 2 of you.

The really disturbing part is that between that time and before the war starts one of you will die. I do not know who. I only know I cannot prevent it from happening. We need to live every day as though it is our last. I will be crushed to lose either of you. I know your long-held bond as twins will take a toll on the one who survives.

You know I hope I am wrong on this but I could not keep this from you without violating your trust. You are in shock over this so I thought my Aunt could talk with you for a while and help you make peace with what will come. Her being a cleric for the Lady of Dreams, she might understand this better."

Charlemagne sat up now. Annette sat back down. "So, you can either hate me for telling you or be glad I kept my promise to you."

Charlemagne nodded, "I prefer the trust."

Annette looks over, "This is what you wanted to talk about earlier, what was weighing you down?"

Eldar nodded, "I also know half our team will not make it through the War. I do not know who. Annette finally got up and hugged him.

Eldar sighed, "I pray to the Gods that they limit the prophecy stuff to things that I have a chance to change. Leave all this other garbage out."

Annette hugged him, "I prefer the trust. Thank you for telling us. We would love to talk to your Aunt."

He nodded, "I will let our city planner know you will be delayed. I will check how things are progressing. Aunt Triana, what can you tell me of this inner circle?"

She shrugged, "A lot of vipers in that nest, your father is a good man just misguided in his priority toward his children."

Eldar nodded, "Thank you."

He left the room as Karra entered. He grabbed a couple of slices of cheese and some apple slices and headed outside. He downed the cheese and ate one of the apple slices as He walked out to T'suras and fed him the others. He mounted up and went to see the City Planner, "How goes the manpower hunt?"

He shook his head, "I was able to squeeze another 12 carpenters and 3 journeyman leather workers and another 60 laborers." We are still short about 150 hands."

Eldar nodded to him, "Can you go around the guild? Attract some talent to move there?"

Greentree smiled, "I like how you think; I will be back in a while."

Eldar traveled down and through the gate passing Keyno on her new horse. He looked at her, "Did you stable the other horse?"

She nodded. He continued riding forward, to the gate, "Is Fireball on the other side?" The guard nodded. "I need to go through then."

He opened the gate. He rode through to the sounds of explosions. He found Fireball and smiled, "So how is the talent playing out?"

He smiles, "The only big standout is Blaze."

Eldar nodded, "I liked him too, where is he?"

Fireball thought, "The inn, at the bar, last I saw him."

Eldar nodded, "Thanks."

He headed over to the gate and headed back through. He stopped at the inn and headed to the bar, "Give me an Elven ale. I have not had one in a while." Eldar looked at him, "Blaze, we want to bring you on as a provisional lieutenant. That is a lieutenant we are considering to be a Captain."

Blaze looks at Eldar, "I would be working for you?"

Eldar nodded, "Also my wife Charlemagne, she is the other Commander, she is sick at the moment. We do have a snag. All pay comes in as an even split between 3 governments. That means it goes into an account here that you can draw upon. To have an account you are going to have to give us a name for pay purposes, the only one who will know is Charlemagne Tranosa, and myself. Can you work with that?"

He chuckled, "The 3 governments are splitting the cost of our pay?"

Eldar nodded, "Two are splitting land and one is providing labor; dwarven labor. Great for things like garrisons and watchtowers. Foundations for buildings. The good stuff."

He smiled, "Talius'vae Goldeagle."

Eldar held his head down, "I now know why you wanted to keep it secret. You should know we have Blade Singer Apprentice Goldeagle traveling with us on this trip, is that a problem?"

He sucked in the air for a second, "It might be a problem, when will he be here, and for how long?"

Eldar looked at him, "Just a week or two and we have 2 towns and a large area to patrol but that means getting some of these wagons moving tomorrow. I will see what I can arrange. He comes in the day after tomorrow. But I have to know why us and now?"

Blaze smiled, "You are not the only one who cares about this fucked up place. I have seen the impact you have had on this city in just days. I want to ride and be in the middle of it."

Eldar laughed, "One more question. Should we be expecting anyone searching for you or have they cut ties either way?"

Blaze shrugged, "Someone might come looking for me. They cannot do anything but they might try."

Eldar nodded, "I may have just found an adjunct garrison commander for the second garrison closer to the front lines of what we are patrolling. By the way, come with me. We can get you entered. One other person probably will know but that is my other wife Annette.

They are twins and each is carrying twins. If anyone can hold a secret it is her. He shook his head, "Life is never dull for you is it?"

Eldar shook his head, "No. Are you interested in an Ironclad contract? To help keep you in our service?"

He chuckled, How long?" Eldar shrugged, "50 years, or a hundred up to you."

He laughed, "Why 50?"

Eldar sighed, "We will likely be neck-deep in shit by then. That garrison will become a prime target. Full out war."

He sighed. "You sure?"

Eldar looked at him, "41 years and 8 months. Give or take a month. Not to be shared. Based on a prophecy. The same one that predicted me, the arrival of the second hero, the seven preordained grand clerics, and the Queen is carrying one of them. She is expecting twins. I hope it stays that way.

My wife another.... the list goes on but I know where all of them are and where all of them will likely be born. Minus the Queen. Sound solid?"

He nodded, "Yeah that sounds pretty solid."

Eldar glared at him, "Our work is to keep it back until then. Weaken it. Ensure it does not last as long."

Blaze looked at Eldar, "Why did you say hopes too for the Queen?"

Eldar sighed, "A threat the goddess made about getting changes implemented quickly. Turning the kingdom into a theocracy that would only happen if one of them dies and the other assumes both roles. Head of the church and country. Did you hear my talk at the Academy?"

He shook his head. "I went over a lot of shit. Apprentice Goldeagle is coming out to be a part of a ritual to reactivate a dead Moon Blade. One of 3 we recovered. There will be 3 others who have family swords to claim. Four current blade holders performing the ritual; that takes us from 4 active blades to 10 active Moon Blades. It is a big deal."

He nodded, "That is a good choice for a candidate. Who chose him?"

Eldar smiled, "The Queen and King did with my input on what the criteria should be. I have sparred with him over the years but do not know him well."

He nodded, "My younger brother."

Eldar smirked, "Now I know where you sit. I want you out with the first load. You got a horse?" He shook his head. "Follow me."

As they walked outside "T'suras Unta. T'suras we need to get this lieutenant a horse that is not skittish about fire going off from the saddle and knows how to get to safety if needed. Does that sound about right?"

Blaze laughed at Eldar, "You're talking to your horse?"

Eldar sighed, "Highly intelligent. Knows a good set of commands. Fearless but not foolish."

T'suras walked over to the stables and around the corner, "He has a mare in mind. He followed him around the corner. There was a beautiful white and black mare like a diagonal line had been cut through and the white and dark was a split. He looked at Blaze. "I have known T'suras for 3 days, and I know 14 commands like this one T'suras Kata.

T'suras bowed to them, He looked at Blaze, "Look at the back-left hindquarter. Tell me what you see. T'suras Ota." Blaze comes back to look. "Night I was born, the night of my wedding." He pulls off his gloves. "My wedding ring and Grand Master ring. My armor, my cloak, and a birthmark on the back of my head. Add in what the goddess did..." He pulled out his Moon Blade.

"She stripped this from my father. She had him present it to me, Silvertree on one side, and double Crescent. When I see that horse in the middle of that holding yard with none of them able to get near it?!

I knew. I walked in with a few apples and had him saddled and out in less than 30 minutes. T'suras, has two mares he has impregnated and six others lined up. If this one horse has those qualities, he is going to nail her too."

Blaze just laughed, "You are so certain about that?" Eldar looked over, "T'suras show us your 6 mares and stand behind ones that are is in heat. T'suras went over to a small-sized holding pen with six female warhorses. He opened the gate, "T'suras fika."

He moved over and mounts one of the six mares right in the holding pen. "T'suras If any other are ready when you are done with that one fika all of them if you are up to it. Let us go find the stable master about that 11th mare."

Blaze stared, "Did you just tell him to fuck on command?"

Eldar nodded, "He will nail everyone in heat. I told the guys these riding horses will be the last they pick up. I will start breeding them out."

He found the stable master inside, "Standard saddle, no bit reigns, and soft blanket. We are looking at the black and white one in the mare section.

Reigns in white if you have it. Saddle in black. Stablemaster looked at all of them. "By the way, I put my stud in with the 6 mares and he is fucking away."

He came back, "Only have them in brown or black on the reigns looks to be 700 with the discount." Eldar looked at him, "Add it to my tab you have my account number. I want to select 4 more complete saddles, bridles with no bit, and soft blankets. Just hang onto those for me right now. Let us move it over with the other 6."

He headed back out and T'suras was back at the fence waiting. He went over and opened the gate and they saw 3 freshly fucked mares out of the six. T'suras stepped out, "T'suras I need two more horses; these are for my Blade Singer apprentices. They won't have much riding experience upfront.

But could be doing acrobat stuff like me in no time. Good selection of commands but knows when the getting is good. These will not be adult riders but they need mature horses they will be 2 young adolescent riders. Show me one will be for an elf blooded. Then show me the other which is for a Gold Elf Wood Elf mix."

T'suras walked over past the fillies and a colt approached. Strange black and bronze mix. "Now show me the second." T'suras stood there and another colt came over. This one was grey. He looked at the stable master; "What about these two colts?"

He looked at Eldar, "For riding? They're not broke yet."

Eldar nodded, "Perfect, fine creatures should never be broken remember."

He smirked, "700 for the pair."

Eldar looked over at him, "Put them with the others." Eldar looked at the two colts, "You two will know your owners, we will bring them to you so they can be taught the right way. You black and bronze will have a journey before meeting your new owner. They do not even know you are coming unless they have dreamed about you. Add me in one saddle bridle and soft blanket all in brown, how much? He looked at me, "975 gold pieces."

Eldar smiled, "Now the gray one, use the money to keep it on hold. I expect to have you turn it over quickly. The man buying it is a real asshole. When I bring him in, make sure your most expensive saddle and bridle sets are on display.

Whatever you sell him the horse for we split the difference. I will come back to collect them once he is on his way home. Saddle and bridle. He can FICKA afford it! Blankets are not that much but a soft blanket for both of them. Set the one aside for me, I will saddle it up for the journey so he gets used to having it on. The gray. That is another matter, it will be ridden every day for 3 days straight. To break the kid in."

The Stablemaster smiled, "You must not like this guy much!"

Eldar smirked, "Does taking a junk sword and smacking him in the ass till it breaks sound like I like him much? The apprentice is behind the curve. Nobody would have taken on this student except me. I know how to reach him and bring him up to where he needs to be to succeed. Besides he is a Goldbar and owns the bank."

He looked at Blaze, "Can you go find Captain Tranosa? I need to borrow him for about an hour and the same goes for Lieutenant New Moon. You might know him as the Royal Guard New Moon. I am bringing him aboard, I hate to see wasted talent. Bring a couple of dozen apples with you."

Blaze sighed, "I know Lieutenant New Moon. Why is he joining?"

Eldar shrugged, "Somebody bounced him back to a sergeant all over a woman that New Moon loves. The other guy could not have. He is frustrated, underutilized, and resigned today."

Blaze nodded, "Sounds like he needed a change, but that is one more who knows me."

Eldar nodded, "I will take care of the problem."

Eldar went out front and saw the two of them standing there looking over a couple of grunts wielding swords very badly. Eldar looked at Tranosa and shook his head and waved them over. He stopped them and sent them on their way.

Eldar stopped the two men, "Some openings are becoming available in the Royal Guard you might want to look into those." They nodded and walked off.

New Moon walked up behind Eldar, "You are bad."

Eldar shrugged, "Only when they actually take them and then make one of them a sergeant to fill your old job based upon name only. I want you 2 back at the corral behind the stable. We have 2 issues."

He got them back there. Eldar looked at them as New Moon groaned, "Oh, shit."

As Blaze walks around the corner. Eldar looked at Tranosa, "I need these 2 out of here tomorrow morning with 3 sergeants with squads for each lieutenant. They will escort out wagons 2-15 and the bulk of the excess workhorses and leave any unused riding horses behind. We have another 30 or more wagons that will be here the day after with VIPs. I do not think the market is going to have room let alone the drama."

Tranosa looks at Eldar, "What drama."

New Moon fired in, "Like having a member of the royal family in your mercenary group."

Tranosa looked at Eldar and then at Blaze. He sighed, "I will get the groups together so they can leave at first light. Why leave wagon one?"

Eldar looked at him, "Charlemagne, Annette, and the City Planner have been operating out of that wagon. Have Hunter lead them with all the healers except for Doc and Priest Silvertree, my Aunt."

Tranosa sighed, "You got more surprises?"

Eldar shrugged, "I gotta save some things for tomorrow. The other reason I wanted you here is War Horses. Two more and the horse shopping should be done for this trip. T'suras need a couple of commanding horses, fearless in battle and willing to protect others.

Hard chargers who know how to take orders. Take me to Tranosa's first; first of my Captains, a two-handed fighter. T'suras walked over to the studs and a big male brown just rippling with muscles walked them, "Now the other for New Moon." A big white with a brown mix." He looked at the three of them and gave them six apples each. "Now these horses are unbroken. No crops, whips, spurs, bitted bridles, they will respond to you with voice commands.

Tranosa can walk you through what I did with T'suras, they respond to elven command words. Tranosa and New Moon have heard the bulk of those. If you have questions, talk with our horse trainer because I got her one earlier today. I will go in and get with the stable master to pay for them and pick up your tack."

Elder walked into the shop and looked at the stable master, "Two males out at the rail; two brown saddle setups."

He looked, "2,000 gold pieces each. I paid a pretty coin for those two horses."

Eldar nodded, "Heavy warhorses and they are the last two for this trip. I will bring in the asshole banker tomorrow."

He nodded, "On your account, and will see you tomorrow."

He looked at the three of them, "Get your horses named and come to terms. I will be back in a few hours hopefully."

He stepped outside, "T'suras Unta." He hopped on T'suras and look as Tranosa steps out, "I want Blaze and his group out the door first scouting party when they get to the village site. Before the sun is up on the day you arrive. No chances. Keep New Moon's group back, he has a blade, like yours, and will be at the ceremony."

Tranosa nodded, "Never dull with you."

Eldar smiled, "What fun would that be. Officer meeting when I get back."

He rode down to Annette, "How goes the search?"

She smiled, "Our Town Planer Greentree has got us another 100 craftsmen who are looking to move with families; another 30 wagons."

Eldar nodded, "Tell Tranosa and any group that shows up early we will get them on the road 6-10 wagons at a time; details at officers meeting tonight. The time has come to go into the viper's nest."

Annette glared at him, "House Silvertree?"

Eldar nodded and went over to Hunter, "You will be pulling out tomorrow with wagons 2-15. When you get to the crossroads send lieutenant Blaze out with six squads onto the first patrol, New Moon stays with you. Have them travel to the dwarven settlement side. Wait at the border until we send a squad with any caravan coming that way. We need to get our presence out there."

He nodded. "When the next lieutenant arrives with their squads, send them to the first crossroad toward the dwarven and human side. Have them wait and do the same. Lieutenants should ride back with their last squad. Lieutenant Blaze's group comes back in last from those 2 groups."