Thomas sat alone in the narrow canyon, awaiting the caravan of wagons that carried stone to Green Meadow. Many questions raced through his mind. Have I missed the caravan today? Is Samoth done hauling stone? Does he know I helped that injured man? Is the man going to be all right?
Thomas came back to the present when his horse snorted and stamped the ground. There was a familiar sound of hooves on stone and wheels descending the steep path into the ravine.
Straining to see through the predawn darkness, Thomas watched as one wagon after another passed his position. He should have spotted the man he had assisted by now.
Thomas raised his hand and shouted, “Good morning, friends!”
“It’s a trap!” someone yelled.
Thomas turned toward the voice and heard the angry hiss of a passing arrow.
“Run!” someone yelled.
Thomas obeyed without question. He plunged blindly into the trees and down the ravine. He finally stopped to listen for pursuit and could hear none.
His immediate danger past, Thomas began to think about what had just happened. I’ve met this caravan multiple times, Thomas thought, but the black man I assisted is the only man to ever speak to me in my language. I wonder if he shouted the warning. If he did, he saved my life. If Samoth wanted me dead, what will he do to the man who just saved me?
The more Thomas thought about his close encounter, the more convinced he was that the man who had shouted a warning to him was in terrible danger.
James watched as Thomas ran the men through their drills. He noticed that Thomas walked more slowly and had little enthusiasm for the activities. It seemed he was merely going through the motions. Even though Thomas acted lethargic, the men rallied around him as they practiced mock drills against invisible foes.
James signaled a bugler, whose clarion call brought the drills to a halt. “Take a breather, men,” he called. “I need to speak with your commander.” James beckoned to Thomas.
Thomas joined him, and the two men walked some distance before speaking. James broke the silence. “Thomas, what is bothering you?”
“Why do you ask?” Thomas queried, avoiding James’s eyes.
“I know you too well, little brother. Something is eating you. Your mind is miles away. You might as well tell me what it is and get it out of your system.”
Thomas hung his head. “I’ve disobeyed your orders,” he said meekly.
“What are you talking about?” James demanded.
“I met the caravan again this morning,” Thomas began.
“All right,” James said. “What happened?”
“It was a trap, James. Someone tried to kill me. Someone in that caravan shouted a warning as an arrow shot past my head. I’m not certain, but I think the man who warned me was the same man I helped the other day. I ran away, James. I left that man alone. If he foiled someone’s attempt on my life, what do you think that person will do to him?”
James’s heart was beating fast. He rubbed the back of his neck to relieve the stress he felt. “That was too close, Thomas. Promise me you will never again meet that caravan alone!”
Thomas studied the ground and said meekly, “All right.”
“It appears that this morning I came very close to losing the best commander I have. I cannot afford to lose you!”
Silence ensued, and finally Thomas asked, “Do you think Samoth is behind this?”
James was hurrying from the command center when he saw George Greenwold. “Greenwold!” he called. “Come with me. Our scouts have sighted enemy troops on the Western Slope. I want to check it out for myself.”
Greenwold’s face grew hard, but he said nothing. Both men slid to the bottom of the hill where their horses were tethered. Mounting quickly, they turned and rode west. Crossing a ravine, they climbed to the meadow. Devia’s fortress stood dark and menacing against the horizon.
As they approached the citadel, James asked, “Were you able to find all the women a place to stay?”
“Aye, but that was a morbid task, and I wouldn’t have done it for anyone but you.”
James smiled. “You talk rough, but your heart is as tender as my brother’s.”
Greenwold ignored the comment, choosing rather to study Devia’s fortress. “Devia’s up to no good.”
“Why do you say that, George?”
“This castle, in part. You know he’d like to be rid of your father and be the king of Amity himself.”
“My father is not the king of Amity. He’s more of a guardian than a king.”
“You’re blind, James. The Stafford name holds tremendous sway in Amity. Samoth and Devia both know it and hate you because of it. They’d love to rule Amity and see you hang, if they could.”
“George, you are beginning to sound like my brother.”
They were rounding the corner of Devia’s fortress when they pulled up short. James saw the bodies of two men: naked, bloody, bloated, and hanging by the neck above the northern gates of the fortress. James and George stared in disbelief
“Whew!” whistled Greenwold. “What do you make of that?”
“It might have been disciplinary action,” James said stiffly.
“Discipline?” George said quietly. “Looks more like a public execution to me.”
“Me too,” James said, nodding.
George sensed James’s darkening mood and decided to pry no further. He must know something he wasn’t sharing. Changing the subject, he asked, “How’d you hear about enemy troops over here?”
“I sent a few scouts out to look for Stanley and his neighbors. When they spotted troops, they returned to tell me.”
“When was that?”
“This morning!”
George raised his eyebrows.
James continued, “The scouts didn’t get far before spotting them. To stay out of sight, they circled wide to the south. There were troops everywhere; they estimated about two thousand men.”
Greenwold whistled again. “That’s a lot of men to move overnight!”
“I hope the scouts were guessing high.”
“Were they Jabin’s troops?”
“Our scouts didn’t see the familiar red banners of Jabin’s elite corps, but he has such a coalition that they may be his, even though they don’t look like it.”
Riding easily, they topped a small hill and stopped short. Rows of tents stretched away before them.
“Hiyah!” a voice yelled in the distance. Dark-clad soldiers emerged from their tents and leaped upon waiting mounts. In moments a fair-sized cavalry was racing toward the very hill where James and George sat.
The men turned their horses and fled.
James was near Devia’s fortress before he slowed to look back. There was no visible sign of pursuit. In his mind he could see the foreign soldiers returning to their tents, laughing. His heart pounded, and his face turned red. He wondered if the men in Devia’s fortress had seen their retreat. Were they laughing too?
They circled wide around the fortress walls, avoiding the grisly scene at the gates. Neither man spoke until they reached the command center and went inside.
“George, I need you to go to Stonewall. I’m calling for a council.”
Greenwold said nothing, but his eyebrows arched high on his forehead.
James noticed and growled. “I’ve got to have direction! You are a forceful man, George. Convince every village master to meet at Stonewall as soon as possible.”
“And what shall I tell your father?”
“Tell him everything. Don’t hide anything from him!”
George nodded.
James suddenly grabbed George’s arm. “Wait! Thomas thought something was amiss with that weapons shipment to Gaff, but I didn’t take him seriously. I wish I had!”
“What’s that?” George asked.
“Oh, it’s probably nothing,” James snapped. He grabbed some paper and opened a bottle of ink. Setting quill to paper, he scribbled a few words and handed the paper to Greenwold. “There,” he said, “this is a summons to council. Show that to every village master. If they don’t recognize my signature, they may recognize my horse.”
“You’re going to send me on the black mare of Stafford House?” George asked with incredulity. “None but a Stafford has ever sat astride that horse.”
“Well, you will!” James said, returning Greenwold’s gaze. “You have to convince everyone of our urgent need.”
“Aye.” George turned to leave.
“George,” James called him back. “This could be a matter of life and death.”
George frowned, but he could feel a chill run down his spine as he turned to go.
“Thomas, there are some things I want you to do for me,” James said without looking up from the map stretched out before him.
“Yes, sir.”
“I’ve sent Greenwold to Stonewall. He is instructed to call every village master to council. I hope he will help swing the council in our favor.”
There was a pause, so Thomas asked, “Why are you calling Amity to council, James?”
“Sit down,” James said, motioning. He then told Thomas of his morning’s activities and how the scouts he’d sent to search for Stanley had spotted troops west of Green Meadow. Upon their return, he had taken Greenwold with him to check it out. “George and I were chased by several hundred men, but they stopped chasing us by the time we reached Devia’s fortress. I’ve sent scouts out several times each hour to keep track of their numbers and movement.”
Thomas grew sober. “Where and how many?”
“Come and look at the map,” James suggested. “Each time a set of scouts comes in, they update up me on the enemy’s numbers and position. Each X indicates approximately one hundred men and where they were last seen.”
Already the map had an alarming number of Xs covering the Western Slope. Thomas eyed the map, and then his brother.
“We are closer to Gaff and his men than to Father,” James said quietly. “But unfortunately Jabin’s men are between Gaff and us. Our only hope is that Father will raise an army quickly and come to our rescue!”
The brothers looked at each other, and James said what he knew Thomas must be thinking. “I know! I should have moved sooner. It takes too long to muster an army and move it here from Stonewall. We’ll have to delay everything as long as we can, play for time. Meanwhile, we have a community at risk.”
“What do you want me to do?” Thomas asked.
“The troops must be on full alert tonight. Triple the guards. And there must be no campfires or torches.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Thomas, I want you to explain to the men why we’re increasing security, but keep it low-key. We don’t need a panic.”
“I understand. Is there anything else?”
“I’m issuing an order for the evacuation of all women and children from Green Meadow.”
Thomas’s eyebrows shot up. “Have you spoken to Devia?”
“No! When war is imminent, this is standard procedure. Devia should not have a problem with that.”
“All right, whatever you say.”
James looked at Thomas. “Prep the men, and get the camp in order. Remember—no campfires!”
“Right!”
“When you have the camp settled, go to Green Meadow and urge people to leave. Don’t force them to go, but let them know that evacuation has been ordered.”
“I’ll do my best, sir,” Thomas said and turned to leave.
“And Thomas,” James called.
Thomas turned. “Yes?”
“Stay away from Devia’s fortress.”
“Why?”
“I gave you an order. Do you understand?”
“I understand the order, but I don’t understand why.”
“Maybe I can explain it someday. Maybe by then I’ll understand it myself. Now, go! I want all campfires out before dark.”
Loaded carts jostled over the rutted Greenway by morning’s light. Many families were fleeing. Among them were Irene Stanley and her friends.
From a farmhouse near the road, a man watched the stream of humanity pass by, until he spied a familiar face. “Hey, Sam!” the man called. “What are you doing?”
“Leaving!”
“Why?”
“Commander Stafford ordered an evacuation last night. Jabin has an army camped just west of town.”
“What right has Stafford to order us around? He’s not the master of Green Meadow. He can order his troops around, but not me! Besides, there’s a fortress if war does come.”
“You mean Devia’s dungeon?”
“Why do you call it that?”
“Did you see the men he hanged there yesterday?”
“What about it?”
“I’m thinking they disagreed with Devia on some small matter, so he hanged them. I don’t want to be locked in the same cage with that madman.”
“You don’t say? Well, I reckon they had it coming.”
“Suit yourself. I’m getting my wife and children out! If James thinks there is going to be a war, I don’t want any part of it.”
“There is no protection at Headwater except a flask of beer.”
“I’m going farther. Thomas says there will be help at Zaraphath.”
“Zaraphath! That’s a long way. I’ll take my chances right here with Devia and his fortress. He has the right idea. You know, it’s uncanny, almost like he could see into the future. He started that structure this winter, and it looks like he’s finished just in time.”
“Looks planned to me.”
“You don’t like him, do you?”
“I don’t trust him, and I’m leaving.”
“You just watch! Devia will come out of this one better than anyone else, and I wouldn’t be surprised if those who side with him won’t benefit too.”