Riders of Tethra Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Lhanbyrd lay shivering at the base of Northmast range. Composed of rock and wooden structures worn smooth by the storms that frequently hugged the mountains, it was a dark and unforgiving city, the capitol of Lokinar. City wasn't quite the correct description of this god forsaken place which only qualified as a city because of the huge stone fortress built into the mountain that served as the palace of Ebalt the Anointed. The fortress was designed to withstand any and all attempts at invasion although the town surrounding its walls constituted an undefendable maze of homes and shops that formed an alluvial fan of quasi-first protection should an invading force attack. And at this moment in time, with the formation of the Lokinar Alliance, the five fiefdoms or holdings that made up the alliance were too weak individually to mount any kind of revolt.
"I know Torinar and Ildinar have skirmished across Crewth and Theth," Korlin screamed. "What did they get? Housewives and children!" He didn't mention what the two alliances hoped to accomplish with the raids.
Korlin stood out against the short bulky people that inhabited the northern most holdings. He was tall, finely featured with a brilliant smile and a hidden temper. Even without his riding abilities which few knew, his charisma carried him to favor almost universally. In a word he was beautiful, he knew it and he knew how to use it to his benefit. Had he not, he would have been dead when captured during a minor battle with the Torinar Alliance where he ventured too close to the front line in order to make rider contact with the enemy's leadership.
Once captured, he demonstrated his hidden talent in a way that did not allow his captors knowledge of his riding abilities, offering his services when he was presented as a captive to Ebalt. What he demonstrated was his knowledge of Torinar's plans to overpower each alliance through false negotiations, army placement and strategy. Ebalt was unimpressed until after a few months, one hundred percent of Korlin's predictions came true. Ebalt now understood why Korlin was so valuable to Torinar and could almost predict himself, the enemy alliance's obsession with recapturing Korlin.
"The self-impressed dolt," Korlin thought to himself as kneeled in front of Ebalt to be elevated to Prime Advisor to the Anointed. Ebalt would never know about his ability to ride.
Torinar's crowned head, Pagnor, of course, knew of Korlin's abilities and figured correctly that once he had been captured, he would use his gift to save his own skin and try to find a way back to Torinar. An attack on Lokinar would not only be a fruitless waste of resources because Korlin would be executed if he failed to warn Ebalt and, even if successful, Lokinar was the last Alliance he lusted over. They could decompose in their northern most isolation. He wanted Maginar and he wanted it alone. Korlin would know that but would also know that Lokinar would not be attacked. Pagnor needed another rider and his forceful skirmishes from Orm Kirk into Leeside had netted him perhaps fifteen boys from age nine to fifteen along with their screaming sisters, mothers and household pets.
"Why aren't they attacking us?" Ebalt demanded.
"They are trying to form a super alliance with Ildinar," Korlin lied. "Should Pagnor be successful in combining his alliance with Ofrin's, Maginar would easily fall to the double fronted assault from south and north. With Maginar in their possession, we and Peronar are but mere trifles to be quickly overrun."
"Well then Prime Advisor, what do you advise?" Ebalt demanded.
Korlin feigned a worried look. "I will need to give this careful thought but initially, I advise that we move the crown to Kelna."
"Kelna!" Ebalt screamed. "Why in Tethra would we moved to that smudge on the map? We have no protection. There isn't enough structure there to supply itself let alone our basic forces and the crown!"
"You are the crown," Korlin smiled. "Make it so."
"Did you hear me Korlin? My question wasn't about my rank; it was a simple `why?' As of this moment you are becoming virtually useless. What are we supposed to do - sit here and rot until we are overrun by Torinar and Ildinar?"
Korlin smiled slightly. "Does this idiot think I don't know when he is planning to do away with me? I will be gone before he ever begins that action," he thought to himself.
"No, your Highness." Korlin responded with a small bow. "By building a secure enclave on the Ush, you will have quick and easy ability to move your forces along the river at a moment's notice, out into the sea where you may mount a counter-offensive against Pagnor's plan, draw him away from his negotiations, take Orm Kirk, his only sea port and coincidently a stone's throw from Maginar's Leeside. It might even be possible for you to reach a mutual protection treaty with Maginar if you have a firm grip on Orm Kirk."
Ebalt paced up and down his private meeting hall. The walls flickered with shadows cast by the large fire burning in the hearth providing the only warmth and atmosphere to this depressing center of a dreary fortress. At last he stopped pacing and faced Korlin. "You are worthy to be Prime," Ebalt said with a small smile. "If we stay here, we wait on defense. If we move to Kelna, we would have the ability, as you say, to be offensive rather than defensive."
"I would be happy to go to Kelna and supervise the fortifications and infrastructure development your Highness," Korlin bowed more deeply.
"You will stay with me," Ebalt responded instantly. "I will dispatch my engineers and construction forces within the week. In that time, you will design the new Kelna, present it to me and then with my approval instruct its construction. Call a Council of the Lokinar Holdings to meet here for the presentation of Kelna. We cannot abide grumblings of ignorance from the fiefs."
"As you wish," Korlin answered and strode out of the chamber without further conversation.
"He's perhaps not as stupid as I believed," he thought to himself. "He instantly surmised my plan to disappear at once if I'd been given leave to supervise Kelna. Sadly, for him, he has only delayed my departure." The Prime Advisor sat calmly in his quarters looking out his window on the rooftops of Lhanbryde and the desolate plains beyond. "Not only must I plan the townscape of Kolna, I must plan my own escape when the opportunity presents itself in Kolna or wherever."