The next few days passed easily and Anthanasius made several more visits to his men in the infirmary. Lord Marillac all but insisted on it. Looking from his window early one morning, he looked over the sloping plain below and followed a pathway winding through fence-lined fields and ruminant-filled meadows cropping an early-morning meal with a dog stretched lazily close by until his gaze reached the forest.

  In the early morning, the forest lost most of the horror of the previous month, and Anthanasius recalled idyllic childhood days make-believing himself as a King’s Ranger with his friends. No children played in the forest now, and his mind wandered to Agar—not for the first time since his loss.

  Anthanasius dressed in a tunic and descended to the prayer room to hear an early service. He sat in the back, but after the admonitions ended and the others dispersed he signed himself, made the short way to the rail, and knelt. Fervently breathing a few hopeful prayers for Agar, he rose to his feet and left, returning to his borrowed room to gather a few belongings before starting the journey to Rohalot Castle.

  *****

  “Good morning, sir,” Luke said, seeing a good friend and traveling-companion for the day. “I hope you slept well.”

  “It certainly is a lovely morning and a perfect day for traveling,” he replied. “How many are in our party?”

  “Some twoscore I believe, and among them many stout soldiers who can bend a bow right well,” Luke answered, as the two walked together, “I don’t think we need to fear an ambush, especially on a highroad.”

  “You read my mind,” Anthanasius said, laughing.

  “Truly, it weighs on mine as well and I spoke mostly to reassure myself.”

  “Attacks near the highroads are rare but one rightly grows more cautious the more he knows.”

  “Is there something more you learned since we arrived?” Luke asked, slinging a quiver onto his shoulder and grabbing up his bow of yew.

  “Nothing more, but it pays to be prudent.”

  A few minutes later, both Anthanasius and Luke sat atop lightly caparisoned horses and jostled around the courtyard waiting for the others. A bugle sounded and the group made its way smartly down the steep and winding access route from Echo Slope.

  Anthanasius, Luke, and several other soldiers urged their horses faster to reach the bottom quicker, their swords slapping at the horses’ left flanks. The horses sensed the lightheartedness of the group and pawed the ground gently.

  The soldiers joined some merchants who waited at the bottom for the rest of the party. Luke turned to Anthanasius as the others arrived and asked, “Was not Boniface coming today?”

  *****

  “Please, Lord Marillac, I’d like to have a word with you,” Boniface called as he jogged up behind him in a passageway.

  Lord Marillac never looked up nor gave indication that he heard Boniface. The letter at which he stared held his attention entirely.

  Seeing his preoccupation, Boniface slowed to a fast walk and made his steps fall heavier to try to gain attention. He called out again. “Lord Marillac?”

  At this the man in front finally noticed his friend and turned about. “Ah, Boniface,” he said, stopping to wait while folding his letter, “it’s good to see you; I thought you had left.”

  Boniface caught up and saw Lord Marillac looked distracted. He hated to bother him now, but needed to speak with him before departing.

  Lord Marillac urged him on. “You wanted me for something?”

  Boniface replied, “Well, what I have to say is private, urgent, and somewhat lengthy.”

  “Then we better discuss it immediately so you can join your party. Shall we up ahead?” He motioned at the righthand side of a passageway they would soon come upon and opened the door when they reached it. Boniface locked the door and gave more than usual care to make sure only he and Lord Marillac occupied the room before finally sitting down.

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  He sat next to Lord Marillac and gazed out the window. He then drew in breath and sighed. “It’s about the king,” he said simply.

  “Naturally.” Lord Marillac replied after a long pause.

  Boniface deliberated this meeting for weeks and already knew what he wanted to say, but all his preparation seemed to spill out the window now that he sat beside Lord Maillac. He couldn’t delay any longer so he started.

  “When did you last see the king?”

  “Some months ago I suppose. It’s been longer than normal”

  “Right. Was he his usual self then?”

  “I suppose not entirely now that you mention it. Surely stress from the war?”

  “It might have been, but it’s gotten much worse. He hardly seems to have a will of his own any more.” Here he stopped to see what Lord Marillac would say.

  “Who has been running the kingdom?” he finally asked as he turned his head from the window to Boniface.

  A sensible question from the level-headed lord. “I have been running it somewhat through the king along with his other two advisors.” Another minute passed before he spoke again. “You remember Cajetan, do you not?”

  “Yes, certainly. Why?”

  This conversation advanced more rapidly than Boniface planned, but he decided not to fight the current. He needed to word this carefully. “Because,” he began slowly, “Cajetan seems wiser in handling affairs than a certain other advisor.”

  “I believe that,” Lord Marillac said. “And what of the final one?”

  “I try to hold with Cajetan. But you don’t understand,” he said more rapidly, “even since you last visited Rohalot the king’s weakening progressed rapidly. He’s no longer the same man. I hardly recognize him from the youth we watched grow up with Anthanasius and Luke. Semias stays constantly by his side and I think he is the main cause.”

  Silence reigned a few more minutes while Lord Marillac took this in. Finally Boniface spoke, “You must think I’m mad.”

  Lord Marillac took his turn to sigh. “No, I think you are as sane as anyone. Of course you know I can’t do anything about this.”

  “I only ask that you be aware of it.”

  “I shall. Now I better let you join your party.”

  They both stood and Boniface gave a short bow to excuse himself. He exited the room without another word. Lord Marillac soon saw him mount a waiting horse in the courtyard and gallop away through the gatehouse to join the rest of his traveling party returning to Rohalot.

  Lord Marillac watched him meet up with the others at the foot of the escarpment and begin to travel along the winding road. Momentarily, he reached into the folds of his robe and again pulled out the letter. His lightened brow furrowed again as he read it over from the beginning. The rising sun shone full upon his face as he watched them begin the journey back.

  The gray October day brought forth masses of clouds with the well-defined upper layer marching along in a steady, solemn rhythm. The lower layer danced in and out of view, gaily playing shadows across the meadow below, interspersing dark patches among the golden fields. The early-morning coolness not yet abated, the insects droned a constant melody of marching music for the clouds.

  This day dawned bright as all the clouds floated high enough to let the sun shine unimpeded for the first bit of day.

  Even if they didn’t know it, the travelling group would recognize the coming to a great city with the increased number of people and the decreased distance between farmsteads. Such telltale signs greeted them and grew in number now as they journeyed the final miles to Rohalot Castle.

  They met with no ill incident along the road during their five day journey and passed by numerous friendly guardtowers. The garrisons stationed along the highroad reported no particular suspicious activity to watch out for and the journey continued as well as one could expect in those troubled days.

  Upon nearing the city gates, the group, organized for the trip, said cordial good-byes, and separated for each to attend to his own business. The group initially formed for traveling safety as, even though they took the highroad and the invading Shalmen remained to the north, the risk of bandits always loomed.

  Most of the soldiers, including Anthanasius and Luke, kicked their horses to a trot and headed to the open gates. Massive towers with rounded fronts and checked with arrow loops flanked each side of the highroad as it narrowed toward the town. The drawbridge rested atop the moat for the day and a few soldiers stood to the side, ready to refuse entry to any ruffians.

  The horses’ hooves tramped hollow as the group passed over the ditch on the stout planks. Luke looked up as he passed under the artificial tunnel and saw two portcullises with murder holes between the slats. It made him shudder to think on the carnage of a possible assault.

  The inhabitants of Rohalot Castle bustled about in the pleasant morning air to complete their difficult work before the October sun reached the heights of its burning zenith. Accordingly, several squires ran to catch the soldiers’ horses so they could dismount with more ease.

  Recognizing his face, someone shouted, “Anthanasius is back!” Immediately all turned their eyes to search for him and they crowded around, desirous of hearing of his month long mission.

  Anthanasius and the soldiers on his mission replied with superficial answers to the many questions put to them and slowly pushed out of the crowd to have an audience with King Nigel.