men. ‘I requested that I be given a last mission before…’
Torian’s frown broadened as he prompted Utha to continue. ‘Before what?’
‘I have to report to the Black cathedral in Tiris when you and I part ways. It seems that I must have my honour brought into question for some of my recent actions.’ Utha was not going to tell Torian everything, partly because he didn’t want to keep thinking about it, but mostly because he knew his friend would think less of him. ‘I knew you’d been sent after the Black Guard, so I thought I could help. You are, after all, one of the few Purple clerics I can stand the sight of.’
Torian laughed, and Utha thought that he’d deflected any further queries for now.
‘Okay,’ Torian said with a smile, ‘but before we part ways , you will have to tell me what you’ve done, and if it’s just a tale involving a bottle of wine and a whore, I will be very disappointed.’
‘How about… two bottles of wine and a room full of whores?’ Utha joked.
‘Just agree that you’ll tell me.’ Torian’s smile faded and he looked serious again.
‘I promise. Just not here and not now,’ Utha said with honesty.
Torian relaxed a little and Utha’s mind turned to the primary reason he was in Ro Tiris, to give Brother Torian news of the campaign in Ro Canarn and to inform him of his orders from Arnon.
‘May I continue with official church business now?’ he asked.
Torian nodded and leant in. ‘What word from Canarn?’
‘The city fell four days ago, just after you arrived in Tiris. Duke Hector has been captured and I’m sure the knights of the Red are being gracious in victory,’ he said with irony.
Torian shook his head. ‘Who commanded the fleet?’
‘Sir Mortimer Rillion,’ Utha replied in a tone that showed his distaste for the knight.
Torian evidently shared Utha’s opinion and angrily banged his fist on his armoured thigh. ‘So, the men of Canarn…?’
‘Rillion took a company of knights and a bunch of mercenaries. I think Sir Pevain was with him and they didn’t give the defenders much chance to surrender. I know that they took the keep within a few hours and, based on past form, I imagine they killed everyone that didn’t kiss their arses when they entered the city. There was a Ranen Free Company there, but they left before the fight and the men that remained were no match for the knights.’
Torian could be sensitive when he perceived a lack of honour in his brother churchmen and he was flushed with anger as he spoke. ‘The duke was a heretic, but the common men surely deserved better than to be hacked to pieces by mercenaries. There is no honour in attacking men who are defending their families and their lands,’ he said through gritted teeth.
‘What did you think was going to happen when you heard the fleet had launched? Stop being so fucking naive,’ Utha said, with little tact.
‘Brother…’ Torian’s face was shocked.
‘Be serious. The Red knights were sent to kill everyone who got in their way. Rillion will be installed as knight protector and the duke will likely be beheaded.’ Utha had little time for softening the realities of life.
It was the way of things. The knights of the Red were unleashed when the king commanded. They were the embodiment of the One God’s aspect of war and conquest, and were little more than a blunt instrument. A week and a half ago they had been unleashed against the city of Ro Canarn and the house of Duke Hector. The men of that land had, for many generations, been friendly with the neighbouring Ranen and it appeared that the duke had asked the Ranen lords for sanctuary within the Freelands.
Utha had been told that King Sebastian had a spy in the court of Duke Hector, a Karesian enchantress called Ameira, which meant that they attacked with no warning and surprised the defenders of Canarn. The king’s intolerance towards Hector and his Ranen allies had driven him to swift and brutal
Torian’s frown broadened as he prompted Utha to continue. ‘Before what?’
‘I have to report to the Black cathedral in Tiris when you and I part ways. It seems that I must have my honour brought into question for some of my recent actions.’ Utha was not going to tell Torian everything, partly because he didn’t want to keep thinking about it, but mostly because he knew his friend would think less of him. ‘I knew you’d been sent after the Black Guard, so I thought I could help. You are, after all, one of the few Purple clerics I can stand the sight of.’
Torian laughed, and Utha thought that he’d deflected any further queries for now.
‘Okay,’ Torian said with a smile, ‘but before we part ways , you will have to tell me what you’ve done, and if it’s just a tale involving a bottle of wine and a whore, I will be very disappointed.’
‘How about… two bottles of wine and a room full of whores?’ Utha joked.
‘Just agree that you’ll tell me.’ Torian’s smile faded and he looked serious again.
‘I promise. Just not here and not now,’ Utha said with honesty.
Torian relaxed a little and Utha’s mind turned to the primary reason he was in Ro Tiris, to give Brother Torian news of the campaign in Ro Canarn and to inform him of his orders from Arnon.
‘May I continue with official church business now?’ he asked.
Torian nodded and leant in. ‘What word from Canarn?’
‘The city fell four days ago, just after you arrived in Tiris. Duke Hector has been captured and I’m sure the knights of the Red are being gracious in victory,’ he said with irony.
Torian shook his head. ‘Who commanded the fleet?’
‘Sir Mortimer Rillion,’ Utha replied in a tone that showed his distaste for the knight.
Torian evidently shared Utha’s opinion and angrily banged his fist on his armoured thigh. ‘So, the men of Canarn…?’
‘Rillion took a company of knights and a bunch of mercenaries. I think Sir Pevain was with him and they didn’t give the defenders much chance to surrender. I know that they took the keep within a few hours and, based on past form, I imagine they killed everyone that didn’t kiss their arses when they entered the city. There was a Ranen Free Company there, but they left before the fight and the men that remained were no match for the knights.’
Torian could be sensitive when he perceived a lack of honour in his brother churchmen and he was flushed with anger as he spoke. ‘The duke was a heretic, but the common men surely deserved better than to be hacked to pieces by mercenaries. There is no honour in attacking men who are defending their families and their lands,’ he said through gritted teeth.
‘What did you think was going to happen when you heard the fleet had launched? Stop being so fucking naive,’ Utha said, with little tact.
‘Brother…’ Torian’s face was shocked.
‘Be serious. The Red knights were sent to kill everyone who got in their way. Rillion will be installed as knight protector and the duke will likely be beheaded.’ Utha had little time for softening the realities of life.
It was the way of things. The knights of the Red were unleashed when the king commanded. They were the embodiment of the One God’s aspect of war and conquest, and were little more than a blunt instrument. A week and a half ago they had been unleashed against the city of Ro Canarn and the house of Duke Hector. The men of that land had, for many generations, been friendly with the neighbouring Ranen and it appeared that the duke had asked the Ranen lords for sanctuary within the Freelands.
Utha had been told that King Sebastian had a spy in the court of Duke Hector, a Karesian enchantress called Ameira, which meant that they attacked with no warning and surprised the defenders of Canarn. The king’s intolerance towards Hector and his Ranen allies had driven him to swift and brutal
Similar Books
