The Sworn Knight, Robert Ryan [good beach reads .txt] 📗

It had been wasted time, but Savanest was not surprised. Hehad trackers in his group, but they were not highly skilled. The enemy,however, were.

The captain looked fearful to bring bad news. Well should hebe, and fear was a good motivator. Yet a man who was always afraid was prone tomake errors and then to try to hide them.

“It is not your fault, captain.” Savanest told him. “The menare assembled in the gardens?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Then I will go and speak to them. I have a plan, and I knowthey will like it. The enemy are skilled at hiding their trail, and they have alead in time. But I am skilled also. They will not escape.”

He strode back to the center of the plateau, the captainwalking respectfully a half step behind him. He knew his place, and Savanestwas glad he had not lost his temper and killed him.

They came to the men, and he saw they were nervous, for wordmust have spread from the scouts. He would do something about that first beforehe did what he really intended.

“Men!” he called. “You have done well, and I am proud tolead you. Never forget that. It is not your fault that the enemy, just now,eludes us.”

He pointed toward the grave of Lindercroft. “It was KnightLindercroft who failed. Not you. And he has received the profits of hisinvestment. He sowed failure, and he reaped death. That will not happen to you,for I lead you, and I value you, and together we will succeed.”

He looked around at the men. The anxiety was dropping awayfrom them. They knew now they would not be blamed for not finding a sure trailto follow. He needed more than that though.

“Lindercroft was tested, and he failed. He was slain by thegirl Ferla. He has allowed the reputation of the knights to suffer, and forthat I will never forgive him.”

He studied the faces before him. They did not know wherethis was going, and they had never heard a knight criticize another knightbefore.

“We will all be tested, just as Lindercroft was. It mattersnot that I am a knight, and you are soldiers. Some of you are young. Someolder. Some are skilled with a blade, others have a background as smiths, orfarmers, or any number of other things. None of that matters. What matters isthis.”

He paused. He would let them wait for what came next.Anticipation seasoned a speech like salt gave flavor to meat.

“What matters,” he continued, and now he lowered his voice,“is that we are all equal. We all serve the Morleth Stone. But that, myfriends, is only a symbol. What the stone will bring is what we trulyserve.”

Some of them knew about the stone. Probably all had heardrumors. Most, likely, did not care so long as they received their monthly pay.But it was time to change that. It was time they knew the purpose they served,and to feel the zeal of that as he did.

“The Morleth Stone is the future. The world it will bringabout is different from that in which we live. Rivalry? It will be a thing ofthe past. All men will be as brothers, and all women as sisters, all workingtogether in unity. Poverty? That too will fade away. The new order will see toit. There will be no rich men, nor poor men. There will only be opportunity toprosper for all, and for all, tasks to do according to their temperament andskill. Our nation will prosper as it never has before.”

They did not need to know that some favored few, likehimself, would receive a greater bounty from this than they.

“Did I say nation? That is an old way of speaking. Faladirwill be no more. Rather, all of Alithoras will become Faladir, and Faladir allAlithoras. There will be no more nations, nor borders nor realms. All will beone. There will be no more wars. One rule will govern all people, and allpeople will enforce the one law, and that law will be just for all.”

He watched them closely now. Some saw the vision of this newworld, and he saw the birth of desire in their eyes. Others were uncertain.That was the usual way, but all would believe in the end.

“You are at the forefront of this. You are the pioneers whowill go before. You will become a legend, and in the days to come men willspeak your name with reverence. But that will come at the cost of sacrifice.Are you men enough to do this? Will you pay with your blood, sweat and tears sothat others can reap rewards and your name live in glory after your death?”

Again, the men took this differently, but there was a gleamof zealotry in some eyes, and where it came to the front in some the sparkscould be fanned to life in others. This he needed, for what he was about to dowould scare them if they were not swayed to his cause first.

He touched the master were-stone that hung around his neck,and it was cold against his fingers. Subtly, he sent his magic into it, andfelt it spread out through invisible lines to all the men. They did not knowit, but many touched their stones just as he did.

Strangely, he sensed the Morleth Stone from afar. He knew hewas connected to it, and loved that connection. But for a moment, he wonderedif the stone was doing to him in some way the same thing he was doing to thesesoldiers. But then the thought was gone, and he knew he must concentrate on thetask at hand to bring success.

“Who among you?” he called, and his voice was now loud andfull of passion, “will come forward and accept a great task. It will be one ofglory, and one that best serves our needs.”

There was hesitation, and he felt many pull away in doubt,but that would not last long. Each time he used the stone, his control overthem grew greater. What mattered now though was that at least one steppedforward.

More than one did so,