The Long Road To... - 21. To Two Too

Riding toward the Duke’s city was quiet different than that of riding away. One difference was that a larger army rode with us.

Phaetheon, along with Ismenios representing Justinian, rode farther ahead, near the front. Marius and I rode near the rear, ahead of the support caravan. Artor’s son Galehault, who had received permission to go to observe, talked with Trajan. He had joined us on the trail accompanied by Apolaustus who rode behind them. The small group of us kept close. This trek was comfortable enough. Phaetheon was prepared and brought everything he thought needed.

We finally came close to the place and made camp. After a few short nods and signs, Phaetheon and our group slipped away and found the exact spot.

“Do you think they have any prayers or rituals to observe?” Phaetheon asked quietly. They all looked at me. I shrugged. “Very well, let’s get to it men.”

The graves we had dug well over a month before had been shallow, just enough to keep what was left of the corpses safe from animals. We added another layer of wrapping around the remains and settled them in a single wooden casket. The still recognizable physician’s gear was placed inside as well, further identification, if needed.

We stayed an extra day at that camp. Marius told me that it was because Phaetheon often selected the day of his arrival well before it happened.

“He did the same before we found you.” He looked at me quizzically.

“He always knows when to get somewhere” Trajan leaned back.

“That is what father said.” Galehault shifted closer to the fire.

I doubted his wisdom when it rained that night.

The final march started before sun-up and took us off the road and through the wood. The mist thickened, making the dark murkier. Sometimes it was like looking through water.

We halted and the orders were given to prepare. Ismenios came to us.

“Ride with Phaetheon. Ahead. Stay to him,” he said simply.

Phaetheon was indeed ready. He sat in all his finery, the green-blue glinted. This time he wore an additional headdress covered completely in the same color. He was silent, hidden beneath the protection of the fancy helmet no doubt thinking as always.

At some signal, known only to him. A small group of us rode out of the tree line toward the tightly shut wooden city. We rode quietly, circling the walls. Far from the army, we trod up the side of a rise, a bare one, completely open to the sky. The early rays of the sun glowed on the horizon. The moon still bright above.

Just inside the length of a trained archer’s arrow flight, Phaetheon held up his hand. We stopped and he dismounted, throwing the reigns to Trajan.

No words only a nod. His eyes deep within the helmet passed over all of us before turning away.

He walked slowly to stand open, alone, and bare to the city‘s towers. A horn sounded from the closest archer’s post and soon a full contingent of men stood on the rampart facing him. We stood well behind, yet we were clearly visible to all as well.

Phaetheon did nothing at first. Standing without movement commanded the attention of those watching. We could see them lean to each other, no doubt asking what to do.

A call came and space was made for a single man among them. I could not be certain but it had to be the Duke himself. Phaetheon did not reply. The Duke called again. I did not need to understand the words, to understand the anger in them.

With a simple raise of his arms, Phaetheon cut short the Duke’s tirade. He made several more gestures with his arms that reminded me of invocations of shamans back in my childhood village.

A distant blast sounded from within the city, and Phaetheon quickly made one last grand gesture: he threw up his left hand to the sky and his right aimed to the Duke himself. The sun’s shafts broken across the palisades.

A few arrows flew out of panic. Archers began running along the walls to find the cause of the alarm on the opposite side of the city. One lucky shaft struck Phaetheon in the chest and he went down, hard.

Marius and I got to him first. Others quickly got in front blocking him from the walls. They need not have bothered. The archers and others had run off.

“The city! What does it look like?!” Marius cried out, as he attempted to pull the arrow free. It was imbedded through the cloak and into the padding of light armor.

“On fire,” Trajan called from his vantage point.

“Damnit! He hoped it wouldn’t come to that!” Marius cursed under his breath again.

We half dragged Phaetheon back to the trees and began to strip him. The protection had done it’s job, the tip was a mere inch into his skin. Trajan tugged off the helmet-headdress.

It was Galehault.

I was not the only one who seemed surprised.

Trajan stitched and Marius looked out at the city walls.

When we were finally able to stand Galehault up, we walked him stiffly back to where he got hit. With no archers visible we felt ourselves safe enough. Black smoke billowed from across the city. He shook his head.

“We need to help,” Galehault said quickly.

“No,” Marius said calmly. “We did what we needed to. We stay here. We will know the outcome soon.”

Our horses were brought out and we mounted them all the while watching the smoke rise across the suns face. The moon was finally beginning to fade. The black haze lessened in some places and remained the same in another. We waited still.

A figure on a horse appeared rounding the city. A figure in green-blue. He was followed by two of our own army riders. As he approached, I could see he was dressed as Galehault had been, complete from boot to the helmet. Phaetheon. He rode straight to us and stopped.

“What happened?!” Marius cried out.

Phaetheon removed the helmet.

“I waited for horn.” He breathed out heavily. “I waited for the sun, then I rode toward gates. They saw me. Ismenios and his men were with me.”

“Where is Ismenios?” Trajan prodded.

“City square. Let’s go meet up with him.”

We walked our horses around keeping the walls at a safe distance.

“I was hit and fell. I‘m sorry,” Galehault finally uttered.

“Hold up!” Phaetheon called. We stopped. “Where, show me. Come on, what happened? Let’s see.”

Galehault tugged at his cloak and shirt to reveal a small, stitched wound.

“Someone panicked.” He blushed and shrugged.

Phaetheon laughed. “Thank goodness that was all you got. Your father would have killed me! Here, now, look.” He tugged to show his own stitches. Very similar. “You were not the only one who got to close to fast. Things don’t always go as planned, remember that for the future.” He chuckled again and we continued to the open gates.

“We keep our helmets on,” Phaetheon ordered Galehault gently. “Any remaining resistance should be sufficiently frightened, especially after I was just killed twice.”

Indeed, we walked our horses into the city to the sight of people saying prayers and prostrating themselves before us, before the two Phaetheons.

Ismenios was in the square, at the far end away from the still burning great hall.

“Panicked when saw you,” he said evenly. “Fire offering. For you.” He shrugged.

Phaetheon smiled then frowned. “The Duke?”

Ismenios shook his head. He made a slicing gesture across his throat “Dead.”

“How? His men?”

“Maybe. Many ran. Some in there.” He pointed at the destroyed hall.”

“What next?” Marius whispered to no one in particular.

“Ah,” Phaetheon turned and smiled. “Now for the hard part.”

~ ~ ~

“So few of them know common tongue!” Galehault sat down with our group near what once was my prison. “It was suppressed for over a generation,” Trajan said calmly.

“How am I supposed to pretend to be Phaetheon when I cannot even open my mouth?”

“It is probably better that way.” Trajan laughed and tossed bread to him. “Just stay with Marius or one of us. We can speak it, enough, and you can just look the part. You are doing fine.”

“All the same, its been days…” He trailed off in frustration and we ate in silence.

“Look!” Galehault pointed. “They’re back!”

A small train of men with Phaetheon at the front approached us. He dismounted easily and handed his reigns off.

Marius jumped down and ran to us. “We made contact!”

Phaetheon put a hand on his shoulder. “At the river, the burned out bridge.” He looked us over. “Their scouts had seen it being rebuilt and with no soldiers around.”

He looked at me. “Do you know one named Teucer?” The others looked at me as well.

I shook my head.

He shrugged. “Seemed like a nice enough man. We called across to him and some others. He was going back to the pass to let them know what happened here and that when the bridge is finished, I intend to bring the doctor and his party home.”

His eyes looked inward again.

“How long before we can go?” Marius sounded excited.

“Enough to cross in a few more days. Apolaustus is doing an excellent job out there. We don‘t want to rush this though, we want to be deliberate. Still there is plenty to do here in the meantime.” He looked around. “Ismenios?”

“Barracks I think.”

“Come Trajan. Walk with me I have some thoughts about you and Apolaustus’ future.”

They strolled off slowly.

Galehault turned to Marius as if I were not even there. “So what were they like? Teucer and the others?”

“Actually, normal from what I could see. We were on opposite sides of the river shouting.”

Galehault looked disappointed. “Normal? These people seem to think, I don‘t even know what. Not really like men, more like beasts.” He suddenly saw me. “Sorry.”

Marius looked down then up. “I don‘t know why…” He turned back to Galehault. “Just big men, like heavy, wide. Dark hair and such. Nothing really strange at all. Normal.”

“So then what is the big secret no one is telling us?” They looked at me.

I realized then how much was truly a secret.

I shrugged.

It was not my place. I wondered how much Phaetheon knew. Maybe he was not all that powerful of a seer after all.

~ ~ ~

Apolaustus and his crew had done a remarkable job in such a short time. Although far from complete, the bridge was stable enough to cross with the narrow cart containing the physician and his men.

My anxiety increased as we kept our slow and respectful pace on the barely visible trail.

I knew why I was sweating.

I did not want to go back.

They knew I was a coward.

No one I was with now knew that.

I could not and would not face it, or them.

When a few of the scouts met us, I hung to the rear of our small party. If anyone noticed, they did not show it. Phaetheon and the leader of the group spoke quietly as they rode side by side, the additional two scouts rode between them and Trajan, Marius, and the others. I did not recognize any of them. The only person behind me was one of Ismenios’ that I did not know. His horse pulled the cart and its grim contents.

Phaetheon stopped us for a rest. Word was passed back that we were close. A field, a line of trees then the open land to the walls were all that stood between me and myself. I knew what I wanted to do, but when?

“Are you alright?” Marius crossed next to me, far from the others.

I nodded. He was a good person. I found that I did like him. Young, full of expectations and hope, at the beginning of his life of excitement. Nothing like me. He had grown accustomed to my silence. He didn’t like it, but he accepted it.

Word was given to mount up and display our tree branches as I has suggested to Phaetheon. I touched Marius’ arm before he could climb on. He jumped.

“Marius,” I struggled with words, what exactly to say. I was not Phaetheon or Mari. “Please don’t grow up too fast. Have your adventures, but have a home to come back to. Have a family who loves you. Be happy and don’t ever be alone.”

His look of surprise gave way to a softening in his face. He leaned up and kissed both my cheeks. He stood back and looked into my eyes. Something was there. Maybe he was not so naive after all.

We began the last leg to Stag’s Pass. Into the trees again, then we came to a small open field. I caught the flash of metal to my side. I slowed down and looked. The cart caught up to me. The man on the horse barely even glanced.

I focused and saw what was reflecting in the sun. It was a man’s bracer on the ground. Suddenly, another glint a few yards over. A looked around me and came to a complete stop. I recognized this place. I had killed the men lying here.

I knew where I was.

It was time.

The cart had passed me and I slowly let the space widen between me, it, and the others.

When the cart entered the shade in front of me, I turned my horse and crossed the field to the side and entered into cool woods myself.

I left quietly towards the road leading away, away from the Duke’s burnt hall, away from Stag’s Pass. Only one place left to go. A ride, a boat, and a journey. No where else left to go.

They would understand. They would expect nothing less from someone like me.