The Emperor and the Temple Ch. 18

The days became longer and hotter in the City of The Goddess, and many of the people within, both citizens and warriors of the armies that were gathered to defend it, began to wonder if the Emperor would ever come to their walls. But Prince Taneric, Peto and High Priestess Ashala never tired in their efforts to prepare for what was to come. A vast quantity of food - much of it pilfered from farms to the south - had been stored within the city in preparation for a siege and Fris, assisted by a legion of helpers, worked tirelessly to design and construct new weapons of war. After the attempt on Queen Zantina's life, Taneric had moved Fris and his sizable entourage into a cluster of large barns located in the northern quarter of the City. He had no doubt that Osta's spies were at work within the walls, and he was determined that secrecy be maintained.

As the summer days went by, men of the south began to arrive at the city; not to attack it but to offer allegiance to the northern alliance and to fight on its behalf. Perhaps they were men with no love of Osta, or dismayed at the prospect of welcoming a foreign emperor of whom they knew little, aside from his reputation for cruelty. And perhaps they were simply hungry, as starvation now held the south in its bony claw. Fearing treachery, Taneric would not let them into the city, but instead he gave them work at the farms and mines in return for food and the promise of protection. They replaced slaves of the City who were freed, as had been promised, and encouraged to join in its defence.

And throughout all of this, lady citizens watched with trepidation as their slaves and husbands were taken from them, swords put in their hands and trained how to fight. And everywhere, in the streets and markets, the women's voices could be heard; 'This is not the way of the Goddess!', 'Will my boys ever be returned to me?' and, finally, 'We must trust in Ashala and the Temple.' For what else could they do?

Taneric and Ashala, like Osta, had their spies of course. And one morning an exhausted fellow arrived from the south and told them sails had been seen approaching Cana. "Hundreds of sails", he said. "I set out immediately, and did not wait to see them land."

"How long did it take you to get here?" asked Peto.

"Eight days. I rode as hard as I could."

"Well, finally they are here," said Peto. "I am almost relieved. They will spend some days in the south to organise their forces before moving north. We have some time; perhaps half a moon or so."

"I am not so sure, Peto," said Taneric. "There is no food down there. I think they will carry what they brought with them and march quickly. But I am determined that they should come to know us before they reach the city. An army is vulnerable when it marches, Peto, you taught me so yourself. And though I was young, I saw with my own eyes the bloody trail through the valley after Tajorg. It is a sight that must surely haunt all who were there that day."

"The men for your endeavour are already selected, Tak."

"Good. And have them take down the bridges as they go south! Fris will provide the necessary devices. If we cannot stop the Emperor's army, at least we can slow the journey of his cannon."

But even as they discussed details of their defence, another messenger was ushered into the hall and approached Taneric, Peto and Ashala nervously.

"Prince Taneric, I am a farmer from a village this side of the Tajorg Valley. Yesterday some men came and took our dear innkeeper and her guest. They say she is a witch and plan to burn her! They sent for the High Priest of Wodh to attend her trial. I came as quickly as I could, My Lord. Please do not let them do this horrible thing to our beloved Silfe!"

"Silfe, you say?" replied Peto. "At The Badger? Tak, I know this place, having stopped there many times on my travels between the City and Vosgir. The landlady is an honourable woman, much loved by those who know her. These allegations must be a mistake. Nevertheless, we cannot allow ourselves to be distracted at this time, Tak. She is just one woman."

But Ashala then spoke up, taking issue with Peto, "Tak, Peto, ask yourself what must be happening in Vosgir! Alfard, would never allow this. And what point is there in making a great defence of our lands, at the cost of many lives, if we are then ourselves to be oppressed by men like your High Priest? This is important, Tak! It is an attack on the Goddess."

"How so, High Priestess?" said Peto. "They say only that she is a witch. There are no followers of the Goddess in the North."

"Think again Peto!" she replied. "Many priestesses and temple boys were taken from here after Tajorg. Do you assume they were all glad to leave? And yes, there was a 'Silfe' among my sisters. Tak, if you do not help her I will send Hanja with one hundred City Guards____"

"And make matters worse," said Taneric. "But Ashala is right, Peto. We ask our men to fight for freedom, not for the right to be cruel to others. And why would followers of the Goddess wish to stand alongside Sons of the North if they think that a woman can be burned for being a priestess in our lands?"

Peto sighed, "The Badger is halfway to Vosgir. I will send men immediately and hope they arrive before the High Priest.'

"No Peto. Your men will not have the authority to stop him. We must go, you and I. Besides, I need to know if this is a signal of greater troubles in Vosgir. Ashala is right; what happens there is of great importance to our mission here. Get twenty men with good steeds and meet me at the north gate!"

****

On the afternoon of the following day, after much hard riding, Taneric, Peto and his men rounded a curve in the trail and saw The Badger Inn before them. But it was something else that drew their attention; a ghastly sight that was at once shocking and dismaying. From a stout tree in the clearing before the Inn, the body of a man hung by the neck, swinging softly in the summer breeze.

As they got closer, Peto cried out, "I know him! He is Brade! Ostin's most trusted man and one of my greatest friends. Oh, what evil has occurred here!? Cut him down! Now!"

Two men dismounted and attended to it, but now they could see a large group gathered on the village green beyond the Inn.

"Control your anger!" said Taneric to Peto, but he could himself feel rage building within.

The High Priest sat on a chair that had been brought outside from the Inn. Behind him stood his men at arms, perhaps two dozen of them, bearing the symbol of Wodh on their tunics. They eyed Taneric nervously as he rode up to them.

On the ground before the High Priest's chair lay a sobbing woman in the black robe of a priestess, now torn and bloody. She did not look up as Taneric dismounted and walked over to the group.

"You are responsible for that?" said Tak to the High Priest calmly, gesturing towards the tree.

"Welcome Prince Taneric, and indeed yes, I am responsible. He was found engaged in a black mass with this witch here and appropriately punished for his deviance and heresy. I am sorry that you missed it, My Lord. And now we engage in the trial of this whore, so that we can promptly burn her and be gone from this place. But where are my manners? I will have my men fetch a chair for you so that you may watch in comfort."

Tak turned his head and saw with horror that a pyre had already been constructed to the side of the green. A stake rose from its center.

"You think I would condone this?" he said, still maintaining his calm demeanor.

"Yes Prince Taneric! Why not? What better opportunity to prove the naysayers wrong? Because you know how they speak of you in Vosgir, do you not? It is said you are secretly a follower of the Goddess. That you consort with priestesses in the Temple. That you have turned your back on Wodh. That you are even worse than your heretic father, whom the devout have tolerated for so many years. But those days are gone now, My Lord. The North shall once again live in fear of Wodh. Now, join me and show that you will be a worthy King! Else perhaps you will be no king at all. This witch would dare to worship a false deity, in defiance of our laws. I will not tolerate Goddess worship in my lands!"

"She does not presume to tell you what you should believe, High Priest," said Taneric calmly. "Why should you tell her?"

The High Priest began to laugh, thinking that Tak had made a joke. Behind him, some of his men began also to laugh, in sycophancy, but they stopped abruptly at the look on Tak's face.

"Stand ready!" whispered Peto to his warriors. And as the High Priest's laughter crossed the green, the men of the village appeared from their homes carrying pitchforks and axes and other makeshift weapons and arranged themselves with Peto's men, tipping the balance of numbers in their favour.

"We will not let them have poor Silfe." said the blacksmith behind Peto's shoulder.

The explosion, when it came, shocked even Peto in its violence and intensity. With an incoherent scream, Tak stepped forward and smashed a fist into the face of the High Priest, with such a force that he was thrown backwards from his chair, landing at the feet of his own men behind.

"BASTARD!" screamed Tak, stepping forward again. "You dare to call these your lands? You dare to brutalize my father's subjects?"

The High Priest called to his men for help but they hesitated, in awe of Taneric's rank and of his rage. It was Peto and a sergeant of the King's Guard who threw themselves on Tak, endeavoring to restrain him. But they were cast off like rag dolls by the larger man, as he reached for his victim's hair and drew back his fist once more. But now more King's Guards arrived and they were finally able to hold him, until he began to calm.

"I do not think he could have survived another blow from you," said Peto, as Taneric finally ceased to struggle.

"Let me up! I will not strike him again," said Tak. And the men raised themselves from him, one by one. He walked over to the line of the High Priest's men, taking each in turn by his tunic, jerking them to him so that their eyes were just inches apart and demanding they swear their allegiance. And each one dropped to his knees and pledged himself to Alfard, the King and to Taneric, his Prince. Finally, Tak stood over the High Priest himself, shaking on his knees, blood dripping from his face into the dirt.

"I have always known you to be a coward and a bully, but now I see that you are a traitor too. It occurs to me that we might make use of that pyre you have had your men so carefully construct."

"I beg you, Prince Taneric____"

"Never mind! I have decided to be merciful. More than merciful. I am going to provide you with an opportunity for redemption. Indeed, an opportunity to achieve great glory. You have cost us a good man today - a better man than yourself by far. I am going to bring you to The City of The Goddess and allow you to take his place in its defence against this foreign Emperor. I am generous, am I not?"

Tak squatted next to the High Priest, raising his head by the hair. He whispered, "You shall be the very first Son of The North to face the Emperor's armies! The very first. I shall make sure of it. Do you understand me?"

"Bind him! Put him on his horse!" shouted Taneric. And it was quickly done. Next he turned his attention to the woman, still lying on the green and still weeping.

One of Peto's men had been attending to her and he now rose and said to Tak, "She has been beaten but I think she will be alright, with rest. She is traumatized though. And, My Lord, she keeps asking for Brade and I do not know how to tell her____"

"Let me see to her," said Tak, patting the man on the shoulder.

He knelt beside her and whispered, "Forgive me, Mistress," before scooping her up easily in his arms and carrying her to the Inn, where he found her room and laid her down on the bed. Seeing the altar, with its contents strewn on the floor, he set to work restoring it, carefully putting the candles and other items in their place, until only the carving of the Goddess remained untouched. He looked over to the bed and saw that the woman was watching him.

"You are Prince Taneric!" she said softly.

"Indeed Mistress Silfe. Please, come join me here by the altar if you can. I would pray with you, but I cannot touch the image of the Goddess, and neither can I bear to see Her on the floor."

She rose from the bed gingerly and limped over to kneel with him, taking up the wooden statue and placing it in the center of the altar.

"I know you were a Temple boy, Prince Taneric. You are still of the Goddess then?" she said.

"Yes, Mistress, I am. The warrior Brade; they have killed him. I am sorry. Was he your boy?"

She sighed, "I thought they had. No, I had known him properly for only one night, but already I saw the Goddess in him and began to love him for myself."

"He is at the feet of the Goddess now," said Tak.

"She will be well pleased by him," replied Silfe. "Let us pray for him then."

And so they did, and when they had finished, Tak once again helped her to the bed.

"You can come with me to the city, Mistress," said Tak. "There are priestesses in the Temple who you will know. They will welcome you and love you."

"Thankyou Prince Taneric, but this is my home now. The people of the village will look after me."

"Indeed they love you, Mistress. They joined my men on the green outside and would have gladly fought with the High Priest's men to save you."

"I saw. And what of the High Priest?"

"Do not worry, Mistress Silfe. Brade will be avenged."

"The Goddess does not care for revenge," she said as Taneric left her.

****

Outside the inn, Peto came to Taneric and said, "I have been questioning the High Priest's men. In Vosgir your father still lives and rules but his illness confines him to his chamber. Recently Ostin went north to the coast to gather more men for our army and it seems our bastard priest saw an opportunity to increase his power. We will need to act firmly, Tak."

"You go, Peto! Take ten King's Guards and leave me the others. Support my father and nip any rebellion in the bud! And I will take these men at arms to the City and spread them throughout our forces there, for they have forfeited the right to return to their families in Vosgir while braver men await battle in defence of the North. Send men to find Ostin and bring him back to Vosgir, and only then return to me at the City!"

Peto protested, fearing that war would begin in his absence, but he could not deny the importance of his mission. Eventually he called for his men and they mounted up. As they left the village, heading north towards the Tajorg Valley, the sergeant Edvad rode up alongside Peto and spoke to him.

"I have never seen Prince Taneric so angry."

"Hmmm," replied Peto.

"Nor so violent, My Lord."

"What is your point, Edvad?"

"Lately I have been escorting Priestess Ashala around the City, My Lord. As her personal guard, lest agents of Osta should try their hands at murder, as they did against Queen Zantina."

"Lucky you," said Peto, feigning boredom.

"She likes to talk of days long past, Peto, but she is a wise woman and always there is meaning in her stories. Did you know that the Old Queen was previously a priestess, My Lord? You nod, but perhaps you did not know that she was Mistress of the Infirmary, like Ashala herself but many years earlier, of course. A humanitarian, kind and loving, held in the highest esteem by her boys and sisters, and considered the wisest priestess of that era and closest to the Goddess. She would have been High Priestess, but the City needed a Queen____".

"Enough Edvad! Taneric will not become a despot like the Old Queen. He is surrounded by those that love him! Ashala! Alfard! Hanja! Princess Kasmine! Myself even! Enough of this talk!"

Peto rode ahead, shouting to his men to hurry, but he could not help but think about Edvad's words, for he was himself a student of history. Which bodies were first gibbeted at Besan, not long into the Old Queen's reign, as her paranoia and spite grew? Those of her closest friends and advisors. 'Let the Circle be redrawn,' she had said as her dungeons filled. Even the poor beloved boy, Haral, whom she once could not bear to be without - taken with her from Temple to Palace - had ended his days swinging in a cage at the crossroads.