Cal01 - Touch of Grey

Calvera glared at the message on the silver tray beside his breakfast. The seal was broken which meant his seneschal had already read it and thought it was important enough to deliver to him first thing in the morning. He was planning on going back to bed and enjoying the newest addition to his harem, again. Perhaps he still could. The first few lines dashed that hope. The invaders from the north again. Another town raised, cattle butchered, crops trampled. They were bringing a different kind of war to this middle kingdom. And they were coming his way without question.

“Girl, get out, send Captain Kail to my sand table.” She scurried away in a manor he found quite pleasing yesterday but now was completely ignored. Preparations would have to be made, time tables accelerated. He wrapped a short silk robe around his nakedness, tucked his glove into the belt and strapped the knife to his calf, already the habits of campaign had taken hold. He grabbed  a try of pastries and a cup of coffee and walked into the war room. It was a long narrow room dominated by a table holding a model of the valley showing planned improvements to the roads and canals, as well as towers and forts that kept getting turned into hunting chalet’s when they were finally built. There was a fire place at one end, windows on a long side and books, scrolls, and maps on the other. The rafters were hung with war trophies and banners.

He was munching on a pastry staring at a smaller map showing the Kingdoms to the north of his pass when Kail arrived. A grizzled old warrior already dressed for war, black armor, serrated sword at his hip, he had left the skull helm behind though.

“Captain I intend to ride out and meet the invaders. The pass is safe from invasion from any conventional force, I have no fear for my Duchy, but if the Middle kingdoms burn there will be no one to hire us next year. I will take a small force and ride north to assay the invaders with my own eyes, you will follow with the main force within the week. I will also call the other Captains to my banner. Here read this aloud.” He said handing Kail a scroll.

Comrade, we will have to put our war on hold for this year. It has become plain the invaders from the North are more than a petty seasonal raid. No paid sieges or easy pickings this year. I have ridden north to see the force for myself. My general Kail will follow commanding the bulk of my forces. I have written you in my own hand to ask you to join a coalition to defeat the invaders and scatter the tribes. The roads are still soft but they have already surprised us with their speed so early in the year. Make haste. Kail will pick a meeting place and assign troop movements. I will not commit them to paper. This messenger has read this missive you may discuss plans with him. When next you see me I will have counted the enemy and taken his measure. Make haste.

“Thoughts Captain?”
“It’s clear enough but short on detail. Some of the captains will answer your call. Many will wait to see what happens." He paused.  "It will be nice to be a hero for a change. They throw parades for hero’s you know.”

Calvera looked up at his Captain when he mentioned wanting to be a hero again. “Very good, add the part about being a hero, you can leave out the parade.” He smirked. “Have a dozen couriers copy this letter and ride to the other captains. I will take 50 light Cav, I expect to meet the enemy here. On the banks of Zheng He, the Marquess en Rouge has a keep there and she owes me a favor for not razing her city. I expect you and the other captains will meet about here near Saim Hi and advance as you see fit. Try to get Belamier elected Marshal of the combined force, he hates me, but he won’t get his force slaughtered nor abandon and ally.”

“Will we fortify the valley Khan?”
“Yes, I suppose it’s time. Summon the architect and tell him he may conscript a small work crew, add palisades and towers to my hunting cabins, fill the reservoirs, and start ferrying stone to the northern pass. He may build to his heart’s content until I return. We have discussed fortifying this valley often enough.”

“Your seneschal will not be happy lord.”

“My seneschal has the heart of a miser which is why he holds the purse strings.”

“Heavy support? Cannon, Sorcerers? Demons?”

“I leave that to you Captain. No demons, I prefer cannon to sorcerers.”

“You could write to the Priest King of Lamada to the south and ask for elephants. Nothing abjures, demons and sorcery like a Saffron Paladin riding a living totem to his God.”

“Ha! Now who is upsetting, my seneschal? Do it. Pay in jade silk and jewels, we will need the gold and silver to pay the men.
You take care of the rest of the preparations. I will travel to the high vale and consult Sifu Lei. Something about these invaders unsettles me, I do not expect a normal campaign.
I will return late tomorrow night, have my force ready to ride at first light the following morning”

It was a long day’s journey from the valley to the high vale. If you could make it at all. The people there grew strange in their isolation. The stars were brighter and told their tales more clearly to those that lived so close to them. Calvera set out late morning. He rode to the base of the trail but it was too steep for horses, so he climbed alone and on foot, he traveled light, bed roll, change of clothes, jerky biscuits and tea. It was too late for him to reach the vale today but he traveled quickly and managed to reach a small shrine by a blasted pine tree before it was full dark. Tomorrow he would reach Sifu Lei before breakfast.

The people of the vale hide from Calvera and his entourage as they pass. Maybe they have heard tales of the invading army and have no wish to detain their protector or they fear the wrath of a Prince of Amber on the warpath; either way he finds no impediment to his reaching the shrine.

Once there he finds that he is not alone. A heavily robed and cowled figure sits beside a small fire. Beside him lays a backpack and walking stick. The smell of fresh brewed coffee comes from a pot and two corned beef and cheese sandwiches toast above the flames.

"It seems as if I am not the only one who has need of this view tonight," the man says in greeting.

"I find that the cool air at this high altitude combined with my sickly pallor after a long day hiking through the peaks has made my visage unfit for the eye of a Prince of Amber. Allow me this small affectation as I imagine that you also suffer from the day's exertions."

He takes the sandwiches off the roasting stick and offers one to Calvera. He then pulls out to earthenware mugs from his robes.

"Care for some coffee?"

"The enlightened ones teach one to abide, do they not?"

The man pulls a scrap of newspaper from somewhere in his robe and places across the fire and rests the sandwich on it. A cup of coffee gets placed beside it.

"Sit. Take your rest while you can - the wars will come soon and it may be generations before you can once again spend the winter lounging about your castle.

Worry not about your wood for in the morning I will replace all that burns this night. The enlightened ones also speak of duty and responsibility."

The man lifts the lower part of his cowl to take a bite of his sandwich and chase it with a sip of the coffee. Calvera can see the man's reddish moustache.

The man loses his gentle calm way of speaking at the names Calvera says.

"Random? Caine? I spit on those fools! Bleys, however, is a different man entirely and must be treated with more respect before he is crushed.

"No, I do not bring war but only herald it. I ask you Prince Calvera, son of Eric, or should I say Crown Prince Calvera? There are those who would say that the throne is yours by birthright and they would support your claim. The wars are coming - the wars are already here! Where will you be sitting when all is won?"

The man waves his hand and an illusion appears in the air, an image of the throne in Castle Amber, the crown, sceptre, and Jewel of Judgement placed upon the empty seat.

The man is sharp enough to dodge the thrown lantern but the knife hits him in the side. He swears at that but is still agile enough in the darkness to partially avoid Calvera's lunge. As light returns to the mountain top, Calvera's right hand has a hold of the man's robe while the man has both hands on Calvera's right wrist, twisting and pulling it. Calvera feels a sharp pain run up his arm and his grip weakens. Luckily his left arm is free.

"Damn you!" the man swears and with a final twist removes Calvera's hand from his clothes. He staggers back and to the side keeping the campfire between him and Calvera while placing one hand on the wound trying to hold back the blood, and the other reaching under the robes to draw a short blade. The air around him begins to shimmer with silver-orange ghostlight.

Calvera has one arm injured and probably useless for the rest of the fight and a knife in his other hand.