The Long War 01 - The Black Guard by A.J. Smith

Author:A.J. Smith [Smith, A.J.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

MAGNUS FORKBEARD RAGNARSSON IN THE CITY OF RO CANARN

Magnus looked up through the feeding trough and saw the back of the guard silhouetted against the moon. Sir Nathan had insisted that a bound man be stationed there at all times, following Al-Hasim’s appearance, and for almost a month he had been the only regular figure, aside from Castus, in Magnus’s life.

If escape or rescue were still a possibility, the Ranen priest had largely stopped thinking about it. Instead, his head had been filled with concern for the fate of his people since he had seen the king’s army ride north into the Grass Sea. Captain Horrock was an excellent commander, but he was still a common man leading other common men. If the Fjorlanders were unable to help, as the witch insisted, Magnus knew that Wraith Company would either be wiped out or driven north into the mountains. Added to this was his concern for the fate of Al-Hasim and Bronwyn. He had heard nothing of them since Verellian left almost a month ago, and their fate would now be tied to that of Horrock and the men of Wraith.

The world was changing and he hated it that he was stuck in a cell while wheels turned and games were played. He wanted to feel the sun on his face and Skeld in his hand. There was much combat and glory to be had and the Order of the Hammer were not animals to be ignored, but rather men to be on the front line, displaying the might of Rowanoco to the enemies of the Ranen people.

He could see the dark sky of Canarn over the shoulder of his guard and the smell of salt water had returned after weeks of nothing but the scent of death. Things in the town were moderately stable with Pevain and his bastards based in the old lord marshal’s office on the waterfront and the knights largely confined to the inner keep and the great hall. The people of Canarn who remained free were locked in the daily ritual of queuing for the meagre food and water that Pevain allowed them, and almost half the population were either corralled like cattle and starving to death – or already dead, their ashes adorning the town square.

Rillion and Nathan cared nothing for the common folk of Canarn. Magnus had not seen or heard anything from the senior knights for nearly two weeks. He guessed that Rillion was still annoyed at being confined to the city while the king and Cardinal Mobius marched north. The knight commander had been left with just a skeleton garrison and the actual work was being left to the mercenaries, while the knights sat around and lamented their miserable assignment.

The enchantress was still here and her assurance that no battle fleet of Fjorlanders was likely to show up any time soon had allowed the knights to relax. The plain truth, as Magnus saw it, was that no one would be coming to his aid or that of Canarn.

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