The Troll's Trove Ch. 59-60

Chapter 59 - Plans Awry

Magnar glowered into space. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

Endris marched. They received his messengers. The ambassadors returned empty handed. He'd flogged the last one personally.

Magnar glared at his map. Trygg's heavy horse raced towards Meadows. He had no support. No archers. No footmen. No food.

Captain Norgar had three times the men, pikes, crossbows, horse and time to maneuver. Still, all indications were that Trygg meant to engage.

"Ansel!" he bellowed. Heartbeats passed. Damn, I sent him with Eero!

"Page!"

The boy scrambled from his corner.

"Get me Yngve."

The boy turned to go.

"And send a missive to Captain Norgar. He is to engage Trygg with his back to the lake. He is to finish Trygg and retreat. He must quit the field before Endris engages."

Chapter 60 - Sacrifice

Ada woke. She didn't know why. The room was as black as the back of her eyelids.

The drip-drip-plink of water off the ranch-house roof reached her ears. The late night complaint of a cow sounded. She heard the jingle of a harness. Many harnesses.

Ada slipped from bed. Her shin hit Leif's chair. Ow.

She pushed the offending furniture aside and felt her way forward. She found the window and pulled the shades aside. A long line of fire wove its way out of the hills towards the ranch. It took a heartbeat for the dancing flames to resolve themselves into torches; torches held high by many scores of men upon horseback.

Ada poked her head out of the bedroom. All was dark. All was silent.

"Leif," she said. She waited several heartbeats. "Leif!"

No response.

She stepped out in only her shift. Her eyes strained to pierce to gloom.

"Leif!" she said louder. What was the name of the woman? She pressed her eyes shut. A heartbeat passed. Memory flooded back. "Stina, Hans!" There was a loud grumble above her.

A loft.

"Leif! Hans! Stina!"

"Good gods girl, what is it," an unfamiliar voice groused. "We give you our room, we give you our bed, the least you could do is have the decency to sleep."

"Soldiers outside. Lots of soldiers."

A bang sounded above her. She felt dust sift down from somewhere overhead.

"What?"

"Soldiers. Outside."

"Troll turds, damn!"

A lantern flared. An older gentleman, presumably Hans, dropped from the loft. He grunted as he landed upon the earth-packed floor. He was no more dressed than she. He hustled to a window.

"Damn, damn and double damn!" he said. He let the curtain fall. "Up, everybody up! Clothes on. Grab a pitchfork, hatchet, something!"

Ada dodged back into her room. Many frantic heartbeats later Leif joined her.

"Where's my purse?" Ada rifled through the pile of her freshly washed and mended clothes.

"What? Your purse? Ada, you're not even dressed yet."

"It has my ring in it."

"Your ring? What ring?"

"My signet ring."

"Forget the ring, Ada. Get dressed."

Ada paused her frantic search and shot Leif a look.

"My ring proves who I am."

"So?"

"Leif, they'll kill Stina, Hans and us. Or maybe they'll just burn the place to the ground."

"With us in it if you don't hurry up and get dressed!"

Leif shoved Ada's dress into her arms. Ada glared at him. "I can stop them!"

"How?"

"I'm the Princess!"

"What if it's Blackrock?"

"I'll tell them that I can stop this war, that I can spare their lives."

"Their lives? It's our lives in danger!"

"And they ride to war! How many will survive?"

A heartbeat passed as Leif grappled with the new thought. "And just how are you going to do that, Ada?"

"If they're Whitewall, I'll command them."

"And if they're not?"

Ada looked away. She rapidly blinked the water from her eyes.

"I'll tell them-I'll tell them to take me to, King Magnar. I'll tell them that I'm ready to marry Prince Eluf."

"What! Ada!"

Ada dodged Leif's questing gaze. She trembled. "Leif, I have to. It's my duty. Trygg was right. My brother was right."

"No! We were to be married. The soldiers haven't surrounded the house. We can still get away."

"I can't. Hans won't. They'll-and Stina. Leif, I can't!"

Leif stepped back. His features turned as stony as a cliff-face. When he spoke his voice was dead as a draug. "What would you have me do?"

"Leif." She reached for him. He stepped back another pace. Her hand fell to her side. Her eyes dropped. When they rose again they no longer stung. She turned her back and held out her dress.

"Dress me."

"That is the job for a maid."

"I have no maid. You are my only servant. You had seven sisters. You've seen me. There is no shame. Dress me."

He yanked her clothes from her hand. "Fine!" He was not gentle. He laced her bodice far too tight. She nodded her gratitude anyway.

"Comb my hair." Ada winced as Leif set the comb to her snarled tangles. Despite the rage that lit his eyes, he did not rip her hair. She squeezed back her tears as the teeth ran smoothly over her scalp.

Leif braided her hair without being asked. Ada gave herself over to the familiar tug and pull. A sad smile pulled her lips. She almost changed her mind.

"Here's your purse your highness. You want me to bestow your ring? Shall I kiss it?"

His words were as a shower of razor-sharp ice. She stiffened.

She forced her muscles to relax. Ada schooled her voice. "If you would." She held out her hand. Leif scowled, dug through her purse and held up a ring. "This one."

"Yes."

He knelt. He captured her wrist. He twisted the ring on her finger. He bowed over it and kissed it. "Fits you. Golden. Gaudy. Rich girl."

Ada yanked her hand back. It burnt as though shoved in a blacksmith's forge fire. She turned away hastily and swept out the door.

As soon as she was clear of the room Ada scrubbed her eyes with the back of her sleeve. She glanced over her shoulder to ensure Leif hadn't seen. When it was clear he wasn't going to follow her, she made her way outside.

Ada stepped over the ranch-house threshold into a nightmare. Men and horses jostled for room in the small yard. Several men restrained Hans. Hans bellowed at the commander. The commander yelled orders at his men. Livestock were slaughtered. The yard turned rust-red muddy.

Stina attacked one of the men that pinned Hans. The man laughed and backhanded her. Another soldier pinned her. His hands wandered. Her bodice was torn for the other men to see. Hans began to kick and scream.

"Stop!" Ada yelled. "I Adalayd Volker, Princess of Whitewall, command you stop!"

Several soldiers turned on her. The commander stepped closer.

"I'm Lord Eero, Knight of Blackrock. We don't answer to Whitewall. We are at war. The rules of war apply."

Several soldiers snickered. Lord Eero made a sharp cut with his hand. The laughter died.

"Then know thee that I'm Prince Eluf's fiancée."

"That, Princess, if that is really who you are, is not what we were told. It was reported that you ran away."

"Then, good Knight, your information is in error."

"Why, m'Lady, why was this not settled in Whitewall."

Ada felt heat on her cheeks despite the chill. "I am a maiden. I was afraid."

"And you aren't now?"

Ada shifted her weight to her trailing foot. She resisted the urge to tap the other. "I'm still a maiden."

"How came you to be here, on a peasant's ranch?"

"Hans and Stina, loyal subjects that they are, took me in when my entourage was attacked by-by rebels as I was on my way to my Prince at Overlook."

"Rebels? Rebelling why?"

"There are some in Meadows who do not approve of my union with Blackrock."

Eero scratched his chin. He nodded. He seemed to decide something. "How do we know you are who you claim?"

Ada stepped off the porch. She held out her hand. Eero studied the ring then knelt and kissed the signet. As he did so she saw a shadow move away from the house. Her window had been about there.

Leif. An empty ache opened in her breast.

"Release the man and his woman. Squire Bandon, take charge of the men." Eero pointed to the east. "Sir Ansel and I will meet you at Swiftwater Ford. Do not engage the enemy without word from myself or the King. Do you understand me?"

A middle aged man in a fine coat stepped forward. "Yes, my Lord."

"Ansel, pick twenty-five of your best to escort the Princess to her fiancée's Father. The rest of you make camp in the eastern pasture. Leave the rest of the good-man's ranch intact. However, keep an eye on them. They are not to leave."