Count Vaspar

After Casper gave his report, I said, "So, the reports from the dock say that the ten other ships are a simple escort fleet?"

"Yes, they say that they left the Isle Rabiss early this year in order to get ahead of all the other traders. They are hoping to pull in a bigger profit this year."

"Ten of their Malimic-style ships is an excessive amount for an escort fleet."

"The merchants said that the fleet captains approached them and gave them a good deal as long as they would carry some of their supplies. The warships also unloaded a lot of goods as well. The merchants are handling the sales of the larger ship's goods. After dropping off the goods and spending a few days here, they will be making the return trip. They said it was a trial run to see if it would be profitable enough to do in the following years," he said.

"Peter, what do you think?" I asked my son. I had been inviting him to all my council meetings lately, and I wanted to get his insight on this latest development. He had a good head on his shoulders and was proving to be very capable.

"What's to say? They are trying to get ahead of the competition. If they want to risk their ships while we are at the tail end of the stormy season, that is up to them." He said in a disinterested tone.

"You don't find the escort ships suspicious? You believe that the ships usually used to raid the southern coast are only here for trade?"

"Oh, they are definitely not what they seem. But I doubt they would try anything against us. Most likely, they will continue north to that upstart's barony. All the better for us, in my opinion. We will get our land back, at the cost of a few peasants and a noble that nobody wants." Peter said with venom in his voice. He had not yet learned to master his emotions.

I shook my head in disappointment, "First and foremost, those are the king's lands, not ours. It is up to him whether or not Count Amos retains his lands. I received a report from the Clairmont twins after they returned from North Cove. Apparently, the Count is doing an excellent job running the County, and from what they have told me, I doubt we will be getting that land back any time soon. If I had any daughters left, I might even consider putting them forth as marriage candidates."

"You cannot be serious! Marry a family member to that backwater Marsh Dweller."

I gave my son a stern look. "Watch your tongue, Peter. That man is a count. And shortly, he will be a rising star among the nobility. So yes, currently, I would offer one of your sister's daughters, in a few years, but by the time they are of age, I believe only a direct daughter of a count would be appropriate. So anything we could offer would be unacceptable."

"Why not give him a Duke's daughter?" Peter said mockingly. "He will never amount to anything. Even we could not glean enough benefit from that land to make it profitable."

"It is not his lands to will elevate him, but his mind, which seems to be able to pull insight from the air. To express the seriousness of my words, I will say this, a fourth or fifth daughter of a duke is not out of the realm of possibility if what the Clairmonts told me is true."

"If that is true, then I hope the Rabiss do clip his wings."

I took a steadying breath to calm myself. "Speak against the count again, Peter, and you have my word that you will receive five lashings. Set aside your petty hatred and consider this opportunity. It is time to curry favor with our neighbor. I believe, as you do, that the escort ships are the very ones rumored to be here for Bicman. Ten ships are more than I expected, though, which means those opposing the king are putting a lot of money into this. There is something bigger at play. I believe that this event will determine the opposition's future course of action."

My son matched my gaze for a moment and then said, "I believe I need a break from this conversation, Father."

"You are dismissed."

Peter stood, bowed, and left. I shook my head in frustration.

"May I be frank, my lord?" Casper asked.

"Speak."

"He will never see things your way, my lord. He is not in favor of the king."

"Are you saying my son is a traitor?" I said, barely containing my anger.

"I would never spy on a member of the family, so I have found no evidence to support that. Nor is there a law stating a man cannot disagree with the king."

I began to become annoyed. "This is unlike you, Casper. State it plainly, do you believe he has any affiliation with organizations opposing the king?"

"I don't know," he said without emotion.

"But you believe he may," I said, holding in my anger.

"I will be honest with you, my lord. You are a very pragmatic individual. Except you have a blind spot when it comes to your heir. I know you want to believe he will change, but the company he has been keeping lately is suspicious."

"You believe he may be among the rebels?"

Here, Casper hesitated.

"Speak," I commanded.

"We are catching more and more dissident people actively spreading discontent throughout our country. They are paid money to enter taverns and speak against the king. We have yet to capture leadership due to the fact that they have been given money in secret and by third parties."

My blood boiled. "Are you saying my son is giving money to sow dissension among the people?"

He said nothing. Neither of us did while I calmed down and mulled over his words. My son's words did reflect the common statements of discontent among the rebels. I have tried to train him to be politically savvy, letting his brother work among the people and represent us in war. Had I truly made a mistake? Had I emphasized how to navigate the court but not taught him honor and duty. Lately, he had been more concerned with fashion and parties than with his duties. Yes, the signs were there. I had tried to instill confidence, but had I been blinded by my love for my son? Was it pride and arrogance? No, I would not believe that my son was too far gone to save.

"What do you recommend?"

"There is a way to determine if he is involved with the rebels. Have him oversee your troops in the south?"

"Send him instead of Fredrick?" I said in surprise.

"Send him with loyal retainers that can instruct him in the ways of war. We can send Fredick next year if the war has not concluded.

This would upset both my sons, but I saw the logic in it. If Peter were truly stirring up trouble, then this would calm the populace. "I concede your point. He needs to show military valor, or he will have no influence in the king's court when this is over, and he becomes a count. I will discuss this with him. He will leave for the front in the summer and I will send Fredrick to North Cove to examine what is going on there.

"Shall I send a group of soldiers to assist Bicman, now ?" Casper said.

"No, you know we cannot. They are no longer a part of our county. So we would need permission from him or the king to march more than a small escort into his lands. The council has played its hand well. By convincing the young duke to give him his own county, they have blocked our ability to move quickly. It also makes the new duke look foolish, as well as the king, for not stopping this like he should have. They will twist Bicman's defeat to their advantage. And now that it is no longer part of our county, it will be easier to take the land. At first, I thought this whole thing was about embarrassing the king and weakening his position, but with the insane amount of money it would take to pull ten raiding ships from their usual hunting grounds to attack a destitute barony, there must be something we are missing. What did we miss in Bicman that is truly worth all this effort?

Zed, Saltmaker of North Cove

I awoke suddenly in the middle of the night. I had always been a light sleeper since my father and brothers had been killed. Something was wrong. Was that a scream? I grabbed my wife's shoulder and shook. "Wake up. We have to go."

Delilah shot up. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling. We need to get the children and their families. We need to run."

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I heard another shout and then a scream. My heart pounded in my chest. "We have to go now!"

Not again. Please, not again.

I ran out of my room and into my son's room. "Lance, you must get up!"

He shot out of bed. "What is going on?"

"I don't know. Maybe an attack. You need to get to North Point. Bring the army."

"Should we not flee to the baron? It is shorter."

"No, others will flee to the baron, including your mother and me. Take the horse. Make your way through the woods to the northern road, then ride as hard as you can. Grab a lead rope and bridle, no time to saddle. You need to go now!" I said sharply.

The boy knew how to take orders. He fled out the door without even saying goodbye. May the Endless One help him. Unlike my son, whom I sent to North Point without packing anything, I put a pack together for my wife and me. It was difficult in the dark. I was hoping to leave through the back and travel parallel to West Pulman Road through the woods to Plimgus.

My head had cleared slightly from the panic, and I told Kiri to run to our children's houses and make sure they were awake. As I exited the house, I looked back at it sadly. Whoever was attacking might burn it to the ground. It was a beautiful, two-story, half-timbered home. It was a gift from our new lord, just like the homes my sons had received. Well, it's not exactly free. We would be paying him back in salt. But it was a very good deal.

Our homes were situated on a hill on the north side of the village of Oceanside, a town located on the north bank of the Pulman River estuary. If everything went according to Count Bicman's plans, Oceanside would eventually become a major port city in the County of North Cove. He said that if not for the command to build a city on the cove, this would probably have become his choice for a county seat. It really was beautiful.

However, now, as I looked out towards the ocean, three black shadows sat on the water. Ships. Raiders? What are they doing so far north? The town had a garrison of twenty men permanently stationed here due to the fact that this was one of the wealthier settlements in Plimgus. It would keep away most bandits, but these were raiders.

Shouts drew me out of my stupor. They were coming this way. We had to flee. Trevor's wife and his children were the first to reach me.

"Run!" I shouted at them, pointing to the woods to the north. There was no time to try for the road. With three ships, I doubted there would be time to make it to the road. Additionally, the fact that this was a large group of raiders, rather than simple bandits, meant that they would likely send people up the road to capture anyone else they could catch.

The rest of the family was there a fraction later, and we all fled into the woods.

Kevin Plimgus

I sat at the dining table with my entire family, but my mind was far away. Yesterday, my father said that I would be traveling with the army down to Hitub to represent Plimgus. I would be responsible for leading soldiers. I knew that this was coming; it was my duty, but it still felt like I had been kicked by a mule every time Father talked about it.

I had visited North Point a few times and tried to get Baron Malcomp and his sons to engage in military discussions, but I just didn't have the mind for it, I guess. They would discuss why they were telling their men to do things, and it still didn't make sense to me. It would be nice if Rufus were coming down with me. He was a better leader than I. I knew why he was staying, though. Father wanted him here in case the rebellion started. He needed to look good in the eyes of those of us who fought against the tyranny of King Asput.

I didn't like Rufus; he was cruel to people, but he would be a better leader than I. He knew how to get people to listen to him. I just hoped he wasn't serious when he said he would give me the mining site as my inheritance because that was all I could handle. I sighed. He was probably right. History and culture made sense to me. I loved studying people of other lands and how they lived. It is why I hated the king. Rather than learn from others, he wanted to destroy what they had built. I had studied the Hitub culture and history, and now it was being destroyed.

It would not be so painful if I was like my father or brother…No, actually, I really wanted to be like Count Bicman. He was more concerned with enhancing the world around him. He truly understood culture and the tapestry that all lives woven together created. Also, not only did people listen to him, but they also liked him. He didn't even have to yell at them.

I chuckled. Well, except that time he wrote the letter to my father.

Not only was he a good leader, but he was also a genius. He invented all those things and just gave them away. Then, his talent for art. I had spent time studying art before we came out here. Sculptures from as far south as the Fendic Empire. It was my favorite thing to do. I loved the art of a people. It truly told a story. Valance, Tunsen, and Evlon had been my favorites. I had thought they were the pinnacle of achievement. But then I saw the artistry of Count Bicman. He knew how to make art come alive. It hurt when he rejected me as a student. Maybe if I told him what my Father was up to, he would take me on? Could I betray my family to accomplish my dream?

We were interrupted by a knock at the door. Father looked annoyed by this. The servants knew not to interrupt mealtime unless it was urgent. Would this result in another servant being beaten?

"Come in," Father said in a tone that made it clear this better be important.

A servant opened the door and stepped inside. A guard followed behind him. "My lord, forgive my interruption, but this is guardsman Yael of Oceanside with urgent news."

This caused my father's eyebrows to rise. "You may leave us, Jeffry."

The servant quickly left, shutting the door behind him. "Report, Yael."

"My lord, three of the Rabiss ships have arrived in Oceanside. We assisted them in rounding up the people, and very few managed to escape. I left immediately while the rest were hunting down whoever was left. I passed a few people on the road who were fleeing here and killed them."

"Why are they here so soon? They were not supposed to be here for another month? Did they not get the letter in time to let them know Plimgus was now swarming with the new army?"

"I did not get the full report. The captain told me to leave and inform you."

"Fine, Rufus, gather some men, and we are riding to Oceanside to meet with these Rabiss. We need to get them to leave with what plunder they got, or the army will get news and attack. Kevin, you are coming as well."

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. Oceanside was our most prosperous town. Why would Father be willing to sacrifice all those people? Could they not have used the beaches closer to the Nore, where the chalk merchants picked up their chalk? Also, the salt merchant lived in Oceanside. This was a waste of human resources. Was it part of the payment for the Rabiss raiders? An easy grab of people. It made me mad.

*********

We arrived at the outskirts of Oceanside the next day. The Rabiss were waiting there to greet us. My father, brother, and I got off our horses and waited for our five guards to get in position around us. As I scanned the surroundings, I noticed that none of the oceanside guards were there. We should have brought more men.

One man stepped forward and bowed. "I am Maltoni, chief of the Paki clan raiders."

I gave a full bow while my father and brother gave only a slight nod. I grimaced. Of course my brother and father would have no idea they were being given face. The man had declared himself a chief, for a baron not to bow would be considered a great insult. It made me want to step away from my father. Then he asked the question that was on the tip of my tongue.

"Where are my guardsmen?"

"We tied them up to make this look more like it should. We heard you had an army north of here, and if they sent spies, it would look odd if your men were wandering around."

"You need to leave now."

We have more room on our ships. We were promised more people."

"I sent a letter that you apparently did not get, requesting that you skip Oceanside. The Count has already chastised me once for not protecting my people. You need to kill the guards so that it looks like there was a fight. Then you must leave. If I gave you any more people, it would look suspicious."

The Chief glared at my father, and I really wanted to do the same. Kill our guards? This was ridiculous. Even if it would be easy to hire more, this was just wrong. Not only that, but he was losing face with the Chief. I wanted to voice my opinion, but I knew I would just be ignored.

"There is one other way to make this more realistic," Rufus said with a malicious grin. "Let them take Kevin. Then, we request help from the count to help pay the ransom. We will promise to pay him back, but we put it off until the council disposed of him."

My face immediately paled. I knew Rufus didn't care for me, but he was trying to sell me into slavery! There is no way the count would help pay for my release.

My father was silent for a moment. Was he actually considering it? I let out a sigh of relief when he shook his head. "No, your brother may be a fool, but we don't turn our backs on family."

Hopefully, my father's statement would appease the Chief. We had already made several mistakes. Should I try to smooth things over?

My brother looked frustrated, but then quickly masked his emotions. "Fine, there is another option," he said, stepping closer to my father. "Yarbeth has let mother and I know he is disappointed with your performance so far, Father. I believe it is time for you to step down." His long knife was off his hip in a moment and plunged up and under my father's armpit. My father's face drained of color, and he collapsed forward.

I stared at my father's body for a moment, my mind not able to process what had just happened. I heard whispers among the Rabiss. "Kinslayer." Some of them even spat on the ground. This brought me out of my stupor, and in a furious rage, I didn't think I could muster, I lunged at my brother. "You fool, you have doomed us all."

He backhanded me across the face, and I was knocked to the ground. Tears welled up in my eyes as I pleaded for understanding. "Why?"

He sneered at me. "Our father died in a desperate fight with his twenty guards, trying to save our people. At the same time, my cowardly brother fell on his knees in fear and was taken captive. If only my guards and I had gotten there in time, I am sure I could have saved them."

I looked at the guards my brother had chosen, and they all had a similar look to my brother. Something suddenly hit me. I looked at the Rabiss with fear in my eyes. "I swear I didn't know, please I-"

"That much is obvious, boy," the captain said. Looking at me with an emotionless face.

"What are you babbling about, you moron. A coward to the bitter end," my brother spat.

"Your brother is not such a fool as you think. You have transgressed one of the highest laws of the Rabiss. Blood, above all. Any man who would kill his kin is not worthy of life, especially someone who would kill their own father."

"Well, I am not Rabiss, and we are not on your land. As compensation for what you perceive as an insult, you may have my brother and continue to raid the surrounding villages."

The Chief looked around at his men and gave a slight nod. Immediately, bows were drawn, and the Rabiss fired on my brother and his guards. My brother was dead before he hit the ground, and the guards who were still alive were cut down before they could even get their spears in position.

The chief spoke to the corpse of my brother as if he were lecturing an unruly child. "Foolish boy, your blood is the only thing that can wash away the blood of your father." Then he turned to me. "By the right of conquest, you are now the property of the Paki Raiders."

He looked around at his men and sighed. "Unfortunately, I think the baron was right. We need to leave and return home. I am sure that those twenty strong guards will be worth something, and we might as well try to ransom this boy. This haul was bountiful due to the baron doing most of the work for us."

I didn't say it out loud, but I knew I would end up a slave for the rest of my life. Who would pay for the release of a worthless person like me?

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