Conflict and Courage by Candy Rae

Author:Candy Rae [Rae, Candy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: dragons, telepathic, mindbond, wolverine, wolf, lifebond, telepathy, wolves
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

* * * * *

Dr Arthur Kurtheim made his careful way down the paved road that marked the route to the Sailors’ Arms, a seedy dive of a tavern that catered to the needs of the men who ran the trade-barges up and down the river. He noted again how quiet both Fort and the encampment were with the regiments on manoeuvres in Brentwood.

The gate guards were young, little more than boys, part of the first crop of lads taken from their mothers when Fort was first overrun by Murdoch’s convicts nine years before and trained and indoctrinated in Cocteau’s infamous ‘boys’ battalions’.

They nodded to the old man as he passed. Arthur was surprised and realised that one of the regulars must have told them of his visits to the encampment to help the unfortunate ex-convicts who inhabited the hovels and shacks near the river.

Doctor Arthur had instigated his philanthropic mission four years before as a cover to hide the real reason he went down the hill, not that he was not needed, the population was aging and, as the years passed, more and more men were finding it difficult to feed and clothe themselves.

After Lord Regent Sam Baker had watched his medical ministrations for a number of months for signs of an ulterior motive and found none, he had shrugged his shoulders and told his men to leave Doctor Arthur alone. If he wanted to waste his time looking after the elderly and expendable that was his concern, as long as it did not interfere with his duties at Fort. Arthur took pains to make sure it never did.

Arthur Kurtheim was a member of a select group of men committed to the overthrow of the present government and the establishment, in its place, of a free and more gentle society where slavery was no more and women were respected.

They understood that, with things as they were, there was a limit to what they could do. They were few in number and secrecy was of the essence. This afternoon Arthur made his way as usual to the tavern. It was owned by an individual called Tom, a taciturn ex-con and founder of their resistance group.

Tom was an ex-soldier from Pierre Duchesne’s regiment and had been one of the guards detailed to escort the women captured during the Battle of the Alliance to the beachhead. Tom had taken a fancy to one of the stolen women, a pretty little thing with sun-gold hair who, unlike most of the others who had cried as they were shoved aboard the boat, had marched proudly up the gangplank, head erect, refusing to be cowed.

Tom had wanted to help her but, as a lowly private, such a female was way beyond his means. So it had proved. The woman had been claimed by one of the most cruel and sadistic officers of the regiment. Back in his newfound Lordship, Pierre Duchesne had ‘encouraged’ this officer to leave his employ and a disconsolate Tom could only watch as she went with him.

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