Akalla," he said quietly. "The fool was so nervous that he actually drew his sword against me."
"Even I would not be foolish enough to do such a thing," stated Draliak.
Saroth smiled coldly. "It felt strange that all of my instincts cried out to kill the man where he stood, yet I did not."
"If you had killed him, then we would have had to find another informant. You made the right choice."
"It sounds as though this rotian could be a problem," said Balthus, fully aware that neither man was speaking to him.
Saroth glanced at him. The invoker was nearly half his age, which meant that Saroth could not see him as an equal. However, the protégé of Sephonis' had no fear it seemed.
"This rotian is my problem, invoker. Let me decide his fate."
Balthus nodded. "Of course." He thought for a moment. "Does this rotian know much about us?"
"No. He knows nothing of Shada-Kaviel or its people. He does not know that I am sixty-three years of age. He looks at me and sees a man who has not yet reached his thirtieth year, such is the difference between us and them."
"Why is it they live for a shorter period of time?" Balthus asked, more to himself than the others.
Draliak sighed deeply. "That is of no consequence. We age slower and thus live longer. It is the way of the world, now I tell you for the last time to concentrate on the matter before us."
"Of course, commander. I apologise." Balthus smiled to himself.
"Tomorrow evening, as night falls, our force rides into Barentin from the east," said Draliak. "Today, we move the camp in preparation."
Balthus frowned. "What of the town's protection?"
"Minimal," answered Saroth, drawing his hood back up. "They have a town guard who are slow to act. Our men will cut them to shreds before they can even raise the alarm."
Draliak pointed towards the river. "Our force will split into four units once we enter Barentin, with men taking any of the ships who are unlucky enough to be moored there at the time."
"Surely the ships will set sail when they realise the attack is happening," pointed out Balthus.
"They will not have time to sail. The men will be upon them quickly and whilst they are preparing for sleep. Chances are that most of the crew will be drinking the night away in the local taverns."
Saroth raised his hood. "Where will you be, commander?"
"I will be leading the main force into the heart of the town, where the market is situated now. When the attack is over, I want to be able to ride to this hill again and look down at what's left of Barentin."
"What will be left?" asked Balthus, already knowing the answer.
"We will burn Barentin and kill anyone who opposes us, invoker. The townsfolk will be taken. Sephonis has plans for them back in Shada-Kaviel."
"Slavery?" came Saroth's quiet voice from within the shadows of his hood.
"Most likely, yes. What else he has planned for them, I cannot say."
Saroth looked west and could see where the Ulmerien forked. Further to the west lay Tamriel, then Boraila. "What of Sephonis? Is he in Boraila with the others?"
Draliak answered before Balthus could. "Yes. He has his ways of knowing when we begin our attack. The attack on Boraila will begin at the same time, but from the inside as you know."
Balthus chuckled, drawing an angry glare from Draliak. "The Rotians must be foolish if they cannot even realise that a force of Shada-Kavielians has been growing beneath their city. Imagine their faces when our soldiers emerge."
"You of all people should know, Balthus, that Sephonis' magic keeps them well-hidden. The abandoned dens used by the smugglers came in useful. Once the attack on Boraila begins, the other ships will sail into port and join them."
Balthus' face became suddenly more serious. "Let us hope that these attacks go to plan, commander. The Rotian soldiers at the northern border did not give in as easily as hoped."
Draliak bit back his response and instead turned to Saroth once more. "You are heading west?"
Saroth nodded slowly.
"Even I would not be foolish enough to do such a thing," stated Draliak.
Saroth smiled coldly. "It felt strange that all of my instincts cried out to kill the man where he stood, yet I did not."
"If you had killed him, then we would have had to find another informant. You made the right choice."
"It sounds as though this rotian could be a problem," said Balthus, fully aware that neither man was speaking to him.
Saroth glanced at him. The invoker was nearly half his age, which meant that Saroth could not see him as an equal. However, the protégé of Sephonis' had no fear it seemed.
"This rotian is my problem, invoker. Let me decide his fate."
Balthus nodded. "Of course." He thought for a moment. "Does this rotian know much about us?"
"No. He knows nothing of Shada-Kaviel or its people. He does not know that I am sixty-three years of age. He looks at me and sees a man who has not yet reached his thirtieth year, such is the difference between us and them."
"Why is it they live for a shorter period of time?" Balthus asked, more to himself than the others.
Draliak sighed deeply. "That is of no consequence. We age slower and thus live longer. It is the way of the world, now I tell you for the last time to concentrate on the matter before us."
"Of course, commander. I apologise." Balthus smiled to himself.
"Tomorrow evening, as night falls, our force rides into Barentin from the east," said Draliak. "Today, we move the camp in preparation."
Balthus frowned. "What of the town's protection?"
"Minimal," answered Saroth, drawing his hood back up. "They have a town guard who are slow to act. Our men will cut them to shreds before they can even raise the alarm."
Draliak pointed towards the river. "Our force will split into four units once we enter Barentin, with men taking any of the ships who are unlucky enough to be moored there at the time."
"Surely the ships will set sail when they realise the attack is happening," pointed out Balthus.
"They will not have time to sail. The men will be upon them quickly and whilst they are preparing for sleep. Chances are that most of the crew will be drinking the night away in the local taverns."
Saroth raised his hood. "Where will you be, commander?"
"I will be leading the main force into the heart of the town, where the market is situated now. When the attack is over, I want to be able to ride to this hill again and look down at what's left of Barentin."
"What will be left?" asked Balthus, already knowing the answer.
"We will burn Barentin and kill anyone who opposes us, invoker. The townsfolk will be taken. Sephonis has plans for them back in Shada-Kaviel."
"Slavery?" came Saroth's quiet voice from within the shadows of his hood.
"Most likely, yes. What else he has planned for them, I cannot say."
Saroth looked west and could see where the Ulmerien forked. Further to the west lay Tamriel, then Boraila. "What of Sephonis? Is he in Boraila with the others?"
Draliak answered before Balthus could. "Yes. He has his ways of knowing when we begin our attack. The attack on Boraila will begin at the same time, but from the inside as you know."
Balthus chuckled, drawing an angry glare from Draliak. "The Rotians must be foolish if they cannot even realise that a force of Shada-Kavielians has been growing beneath their city. Imagine their faces when our soldiers emerge."
"You of all people should know, Balthus, that Sephonis' magic keeps them well-hidden. The abandoned dens used by the smugglers came in useful. Once the attack on Boraila begins, the other ships will sail into port and join them."
Balthus' face became suddenly more serious. "Let us hope that these attacks go to plan, commander. The Rotian soldiers at the northern border did not give in as easily as hoped."
Draliak bit back his response and instead turned to Saroth once more. "You are heading west?"
Saroth nodded slowly.
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