《Quartercup》


 000

    All the houses danced merrily in flames, as if they¡¯d found their true calling this violent night. One had recently been home for the woman kneeling on the apple-tree hill just outside the village.


    She¡¯d made serious attempts against her bonds, tree roots extending up from the earth and coiled around her sooty arms and legs. She¡¯d bruised her limbs, yet the pale roots showed no signs of releasing their grasp. The only defiant activity left to her was wailing through the gag in her mouth, her desperate song joined by the thin bawling of the cloth bundle carried her captor.


    Her eyes seeked the man¡¯s who held the babe, oblivious to its cries. But his focus was on the charm swaying from her sweaty neck, though for what reason she could not determine¡ªperhaps he was contemplating her bust instead. The cloaks of the silent others billowed like their leader¡¯s in the firewind; together they waited in the smoke-scented night.


    Eventually, the man spoke.


    ¡°¡­ Ungag her.¡±


    A figure nearby moved to pull the rope out, wary of a potential biting. But only pleading captured the captive¡¯s mind. The saliva still stretched between cracked lips and cord when the woman uttered the first consonant of the word she couldn¡¯t finish, her eagerness tripping over the throat¡¯s after-gag coughing reflex.


    And so the man got to talk first.


    ¡°So, woman, what¡¯s his name?¡±


    No longer coughing, the female ignored the question and begged, in a voice hoarse from exertion, ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him! Please, don¡¯t hurt him! I¡¯ll¡ª"This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid,¡± interrupted the man, ¡°I can¡¯t promise anything of the sort.¡±


    ¡°No! I¡¯ll do anything! Please, anything you like lord! Just don¡¯t kill him¡ª¡±


    ¡°What? Ridiculous,¡± he scoffed. He ran a hand through the crying infant¡¯s hair. ¡°That would be such a waste. No. I¡¯m going to raise him.¡±


    ¡°Rai¡ªraise him?¡± she said, clearly taken aback, dangerous hope touching her eyes.


    ¡°Of course. Just imagine how powerful of a mage he could be. Will be.¡±


    ¡°Mage? ¡ªPlease, lord, there¡¯s been a mistake! We¡¯re plain folk! Peter¡ªPeter was but a humble carpenter!¡±


    The man stared at her a moment, then laughed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe this! Oz, the great Oz, never told you?¡±


    He reached down to her neck ¡ª she recoiled as much as she could, still bound ¡ª grabbed her necklace and tore it off with a wrench.


    ¡°Never told you what this is about?¡± he said, waving the charm in her bewildered eyes. He stood up and scoffed. ¡°Well, what would a lemen know anyway. If he never told you then I won¡¯t. The wishes of one so great should be respected.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯ve decided on the boy. I can¡¯t keep my men waiting anymore. You understand, it¡¯s a long trip home, and every Everrockian agent within ten leagues felt that battle with Oz. So belay your confusion, bid farewell to your son, and his name¡ªsay it now or I give him another.¡±


    He bent down then and held forth the still-bawling infant to the bound woman. As told, she gazed upon her child. In her eyes was resignation, and some hope. Before she spoke she hushed soothing things until the babe¡¯s tiny throat settled down. (Some of the surrounding figures visibly relaxed with the quieting.) The man looked pointedly at the young mother, whose eyes were roving over her son, engraving his features in them.


    ¡°His name is Able,¡± she said finally.


    ¡°Able,¡± repeated the man, nodding to himself as if it was satisfactory.


    He stood, giving the woman a final, apathetic glance before turning his back on her rising, panicked protests and walking to his horse.


    On the way down the hill the boy started crying again, as though he knew he was being parted from his birth parents forever. Never again to be tickled by his mother¡¯s brown hair hanging over him, and sneeze no more at his father¡¯s wood dust scent after a good day¡¯s work.


    But even if then he knew, the chorus of twelve winters passing would have drowned their voices into scant echoes of the soul.

 001

    The sun had almost climbed to its peak when the townsman came jogging down the track between the newborn crop fields.


    At this hour, the runner from Yerner should¡¯ve been asleep. Instead, sungoggles were strapped to his eyes, and he was staggering and panting as if he¡¯d unwillingly slowed down from a dead sprint.


    Three fields away, Able spotted him from afar and instinctively knew something was wrong. ¡°Wait, wait,¡± he said in a haggard breath to Sarah, retracting his thrust. His opposition lowered her parry and languidly followed his gaze to the stumbling figure in the distance. Able noted with inward exasperation at how unruffled the older girl looked for having been at the blade with him for hours.


    ¡°He¡¯s up late,¡± he remarked, leaning on his sword for support. ¡°He must want something urgent with us.¡± It was a fair guess. The fields were empty except for them, the guests from the Ormr Order, and the cows¡ªand the man had not likely rushed down here on bovine business.


    ¡°There¡¯s Milly now,¡± said Sarah. ¡°I¡¯d better go see. Wow, she¡¯s done a lot.¡±


    Their small group had split up for the morning. While they¡¯d been sparring, Able¡¯s sister had been working in a field on the other side of the road. And now a sizeable portion of it no longer played host to mere seedlings, but showed its true identity as wheat, shafts of yellow up to the knees. As neither Able nor Sarah had learnt any real greenmancy, they hadn¡¯t been able to help. For that matter, Milly had no real duty to Yerner with their crop either. She just wanted to do it.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    As Able crossed the raw fields, his mind, freed from swordplay, eventually returned to the worries he¡¯d had since early morning (the first dawn of his first visit to a Lemen settlement with his sister). Back to the moment he¡¯d witnessed Milly working her magic on that plot of land. The bewilderment had been hard to hide. Actually, he wasn¡¯t so sure she hadn¡¯t caught it on his face. Was this what she always did when she went away from home to Lemen places? Help them with their crops?


    Perhaps he should¡¯ve known. After all, she¡¯d always been weirdly polite, even kind, to the slaves back home. And people were beginning to wonder where the daughter of the Seventh disappeared off to for weeks at a time.


    Sarah must¡¯ve known all along too. He snuck a look at the tall girl striding beside him. Long brown ponytail, firm muscles, scabbard and mage gear hanging from her belt. Sarah had been Milly¡¯s personal guard for as long as he could remember. And being of the same age, also her best friend.


    But Able supposed even his father couldn¡¯t have predicted she would be enabling his daughter¡¯s strange tendencies rather than protecting her from them. And now the Order leader was worried that her daughter¡¯s peculiarities might be more. That there was a possiblity the future head of the Knights of Ormr could be a Lemen-sympathizer.


    Or so Able guessed.


    Well, wasn¡¯t that partly why father had pushed Milly to let him accompany her on her trips? He was almost a man now. And, the only other person Milly would allow to travel with her. And for good reason had she been so stubborn, now that he¡¯d seen why.


    ¡­ Good Dragon, what if his parents or the Order found out?


    The thought rumbled some panic through him. If it got out that Milly wasted her time and energy on Lemens ¡­ No; they could never be allowed to find out.


    Able sighed inwardly at the burden of a secret he had to adapt to, and locked it up as they reached the road.


    His problematic sibling turned from the doubled-over Yernersman before they reached her, puzzlement lining her face. ¡°The Mayor wants to see us. Urgently.¡±

 002

    As expected, the streets of Yerner were empty and quiet when they passed through. With the sun shining overhead, the town was deep in slumber.


    The messenger walked them wearily to the centre of Yerner, where he led them into a small building and to its first door. He knocked, it rattled. ¡°Come in,¡± came the muffled invitation, and they entered, leaving the spent guide at the portal.


    Two men waited within the dark office. Curtains draped across the windows, dimming the interior to a comfortable level for the two native Medunese. But owing to their three daymen guests, narrow gaps had been left to allow beams of light which played across the redwood desk and planked floor.


    The hosts bowed.


    ¡°My Lady Quartercup,¡± said the Mayor, the tall one in the middle with a wide smile, ¡°and Master Quartercup. Thank you for coming on such short notice.¡± He came forward to take Milly¡¯s hand in his night-paled one. ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t interrupt your activities.¡±


    Able had met the town leader before, upon their arrival to Yerner two days ago when he¡¯d welcomed them at the gates. The other guy, standing off to the side, was a stranger though. Uniformed and armed, Able noted, eyeing the leather scabbard at his belt. The pommel looked well-used. Said experience.


    Then again, what lemen soldier wasn¡¯t experienced in these parts? The grey-haired veteran caught his gaze and looked him up and down for a moment, then flicked his eyes back like magnets to Sarah.


    It was understandable. Sarah looked the more dangerous, cutting an imposing figure up close and indoors, stretching above even the Mayor. She¡¯d had to lower her head to pass through the door. But no lemen was a match for Sarah, or himself.


    ¡°Just Milly¡¯s fine, Mayor Plinley,¡± returned Milly, ¡°whatever is the matter at this hour? Your messenger¡¯s all worn out.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Tim¡¯ll be fine. Would you care for refreshments? Please, sit, sit.¡± Plinley gestured them into wooden chairs, and passed a cup to Milly before grabbing a seat himself. Able would¡¯ve liked to remain standing, as the soldier did, but Milly found his arm and yanked him down next to her. Was that a smirk that just ghosted over the Lemen¡¯s lips?


    ¡°Forgive me for skipping the pleasantries,¡± said Plinley. ¡°I do wish I had the time, my Lady, but what I have to say is urgent.¡±


    Milly nodded intently.


    ¡°This is Captain Wilboot, of the Central Meduland Regiment,¡± said Plinley. ¡°He¡¯s our ¡ª Yerner¡¯s ¡ª troop commander. This matter involves him.¡± So he wasn¡¯t the Mayor¡¯s guard. Meaning there was blood among this business. Which was smelling worser by the minute to Able.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Plinley continued. ¡°There¡¯s been some news just now. From the town of Colille. I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve been before.¡±


    ¡°Colille? Yes.¡± Milly nodded.


    ¡°A week ago, a group of their hunters returned from the Blomary Glades, having seen something troubling. Colille sent a squad of scouts to confirm it, and a day ago they returned.¡± Plinley paused and took a breath. ¡°What they saw was a huge band of trolls, several hundred strong, are heading for Colille. They¡¯re probably already past the Mistfall River by now.¡±


    Able frowned, unsure whether he¡¯d heard the man right. His sister took a sharp breath beside him.


    Her guard was doubtful too. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Did you say several hundred trolls? In one group?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Captain Wilboot¡¯s voice was deep and gravelly. ¡°The Regiment posts some of our best scouts at Colille.¡±


    ¡°What about the messenger?¡± asked Able. ¡°How trustworthy is the message?¡±


    If Wilboot or the Mayor felt insulted by that, they didn¡¯t show it. ¡°I trust it like I trust the stars to come out every night. The message arrived off a well-known Regiment rider,¡± replied the officer, ¡°not an hour ago. He rode day and night with barely a stop to get here, and is recovering in bed now. I could get him for you if you wish, Master Quartercup?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, of course not Captain,¡± said Milly hastily. ¡°I believe it. My brother¡¯s just shocked by the news, I¡¯m sure.¡± She patted Able on the hand.


    Sarah must¡¯ve shared some of Able¡¯s doubt. ¡°But this has never happened before,¡± she objected. ¡°These numbers are like the North Culling! And that¡¯s not for several months.¡±


    ¡°Then the Culling¡¯s come early this year,¡± said Wilboot gravely. ¡°It¡¯s rare, but I¡¯ve seen it happen before. Once when I was a child, and again maybe twenty years ago. Your Ormr Order came the year after.¡± Able felt Milly fidget slightly at the mention of the Order¡¯s history.


    Sarah wasn¡¯t done. ¡°Fine. But all in one group? The kind of trolls that come for the Culling are never all together. They should be too hungry and aggressive to be able to work together, or even stand each others¡¯ presence without constant fighting.¡±


    The captain nodded in agreement. ¡°We¡¯re surprised too. The message from Colille said their best guess is the Culling trolls are being led by a strong leader, or group of leaders, this year. It would also explain why they¡¯re early this year. A leader, capable of uniting near five hundred starving trolls, might have the thought to catch us off guard. And it¡¯s worked ¡ª they¡¯re just five days from Colille now.¡±


    Silence entered the office at the foreboding proclamation. What the captain said made sense, thought Able.


    Milly sighed. ¡°I must get a message to father, immediately. The Order must act.¡±


    ¡°I already sent one as soon as I got the news,¡± said Plinley. ¡°And I¡¯m sure Colille has sent hers ¡­ but ¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t need to say it. It had taken their small party three days to get here, travelling north-east from Order Headquarters. Colille was even further north of Yerner. It wasn¡¯t possible that a message could arrive at HQ, and a repelling mage force arrive to the town¡¯s defence, before that five-hundred strong raid stepped upon her fields.


    ¡°Many of our troops won¡¯t make it in time either,¡± said Wilboot, ¡°except from the nearest garrisons. We¡¯ll likely have to fall back and concede Colille, wait for reinforcements to retake it.¡± His face turned apologetic. ¡°Since, well, begging your pardon, my lady, but the mages won¡¯t be quick to our aid.¡±


    Milly stiffened. ¡°They will if they know I¡¯m there.¡±