RoadToBekla
Kenjarek has had a lot of time to think, lately. 800 miles is a long way to march, especially when it's to a no-account tributary state for garrison duty - spring was just breaking in the Realm when he left, and now it's already the height of summer, and getting hotter and drier as they move south.
"Bekla is an important empire," his grandmother had told him when informing him of the decision, but it barely qualifies for the inflated title of "empire" at all, being barely 200 miles across at its widest point. Imagining a roughly equilateral triangle with Kirighast and Thorns at two apexes, the city of Bekla lies roughly on the third, just south of the Summer mountains, called the Gelt mountains in the local dialect. Kenjarek has had plenty of time to study the maps during his march. It was at one time the north-easternmost outpost of Harborhead, until some 50 years ago when it seceded after a war over the slave trade, which Bekla has now abolished. The Realm continued its support of the breakaway land, as it is the last Realm tributary state outside of the Scavenger Lands, and the city itself has an important Manse.
"Look at it this way," said his sister Kenlasha a few nights back, as they played a few games of Gateway in his tent after inspecting the troops (she looking well-groomed and smelling faintly of pine needles as if she'd just come from the bath, instead of a 20-mile march). "We're well away from all the politicking and infighting back home, which gives us a chance to build up some influence in peace. People won't care about whether our house is in 'disgrace' or not; all that matters is we do our job, and do it well. We have a lot of time to build." She beat you four games to three; you lost 15 meld.
Kenjarek looks over the gameboard, then, smirking, at Kenlasha. "Well, sister, if nothing else, this assignment should at least give us plenty of time for a rematch. ...and next time I won't go so easy on you."
Kenlasha laughs her deep, honeyed laugh. "If you were going easy on me I'd have beaten you six to one!"
Kenjarek laughs, then thinks about his sister's words, his expression becoming more serious. "Still, you may be right. Though part of me yearns to be back in the Imperial City reminding the other Houses that Tepet is still a name that demands respect, I see that we must bide our time for now. You and I can establish ourselves out here in the Threshold while the other houses squabble amongst themselves back home. <Kenjarek smiles again> At least the weather here is an improvement compared to our last assignment."
"It's plenty hot for me, little brother. Still, it's pleasant enough terrain."
And it is; they entered Bekla's western province of Terekenalt about three days before, a land of rolling hills and small hamlets interspersed with prosperous-looking wheat and olive farms nestled in the foothills of the Gelt mountains. A full dragon of Imperial troops is apparently something not seen here often, especially led by two obvious Dragon-Bloods, and farmers put down their tools in the fields to watch the army march by with carefully blank expressions. Occasionally they acquire a train of curious children, which disperses when the army gets a few miles from their homes.
The plan is to join with the northern army of patrol (relieving two wings of Cathak troops, whose families had the pull to bring them back home) in the city of Dari, capital of the province of Paltesh, about 100 miles directly west of Bekla itself. They will then complete a circuit of the northern borders of the Beklan empire (the second such circuit the army - consisting of a dragon of Imperial troops along with roughly twice the number of local troops - has completed in the year), returning to Bekla, where they will stay for the winter, before the rainy season begins. Next year they will exchange places with the army that is currently in the south and patrol the southern borders of the Empire in a similar fashion and winter in the southern province of Yelda, known even in the Realm for its wines.
The armies of patrol apparently sometimes see action against bandits or raiders - barbarians from the jungles north of the Gelt mountains in the north, and punitive raids from Harborhead in the south - and occasionally make such raids themselves. But primarily they are involved in routine stuff such as training and maneuvers, intelligence work, tax collecting, escorting envoys or Guild caravans, road and bridge mending, and most importantly simply letting themselves be seen by those on the outskirts of the Beklan Empire who fear them only less than they fear invasion and anarchy.
And now Kenjarek has finally arrived in Dari, in early afternoon of what has indeed been a very hot day; the southern weather will take some getting used to, particularly for [Kenjarek's Talonlord from the North] Fendaal, who has been trying gamely to hide his fatigue each evening for the past several days.
<Kenjarek: I expect he'll be fine now that we have a day or two without marching, but I'll keep an eye on him from time to time to make sure he's able to acclimate. He's a good soldier, and I'm not going to coddle him, but I want to be sure no serious problems develop.>
Dari is a small but tidy-looking city on the banks of a narrow river, with houses of stone and wood and cobblestoned streets, surrounded by more dusty-looking farms of olive and wheat. As they approach the outskirts of the city, Kenjarek and his sister are met by a group of people led by a well-dressed woman in her fifties with chocolate skin and long chestnut hair, who greets them in halting Low Realm.
"Greetings, Princes of the Earth. I am Garl Han-Lath, Baroness of Paltesh. I welcome you to our humble city. I understand that Generals Gel-Ethlin and Ranath left Bekla five days ago, so they should reach Dari within a day or two. Please avail yourselves of what little hospitality Dari has to offer while you wait for their arrival." She instructs several of her men to show the Dragon-Bloods where they might make camp, and invites Kenjarek, Kenlasha, and their four captains to dinner at her residence that evening. Kenjarek responds with appropriate polite gestures. "Your hospitality is most welcome, Baroness. It will be a welcome change from eating on the march."
He and Kenlasha exchange looks as they follow their guide to the fallow olive grove a few hundred yards outside of town where they will camp. Not only is Han-Lath being rather more helpful than you might have expected, but the news that V'Neef Ranath will be coming with Sesus Gel-Ethlin, the general of the army of patrol, is surprising. They had heard that Ranath's dragon was one of two permanently stationed in Bekla itself as a garrison force.
<Kenjarek, as an aside to Kenlasha>"I have a bad feeling about this."*
- Gratuitious Star Wars signature line reference.
"We shall see."
Our heroes spend a few hours overseeing the troops' setup of the camp: they seem to be in good spirits generally, now that they've arrived at their destination and have the prospect of a day or two of rest before setting off again. Shimmering Sapphire [Kenjarek's other Talonlord, a patrician from the Realm] and Fendaal both have good reports about general health and discipline; a few men have fallen ill from the march and the heat, but a good deal fewer than might be expected from the length of the march, and like Fendaal they should recover in a few days. "Seems a nice enough place," says Fendaal in his heavily accented Low Realm, "The locals have been real nice so far, and at least we've got some shade in the trees here." Kenjarek: "Yes, well the locals have certainly been hospitable if nothing else. We can only hope our good fortune continues." "Although I doubt we'll see anything like a book in this whole country," sniffs Sapphire - she prefers High Realm, but has the grace to speak Low for the benefit of Fendaal. Kenjarek: "Well, this isn't exactly the center of civilization, but we'll have to make due. I'll keep my eye open for any libraries I happen to come across. <chuckle>" <to both> <slight smile and a hint of pride> "The soldiers seem to have held up well. Not that I expect any less of them, but feel free to grant leave as you see fit. A day or two of rest should do them good. Also, keep your eyes and ears open. Try to get a sense of the locals." They salute respectfully and move to carry out his orders.
Kenlasha has a bit more on her hands, since her wing is, while not green exactly, new to her command, and she has to spend some time remonstrating with her captains over the state of the troops. She arrives at Kenjarek's tent in time to head into town for their dinner with Baroness Han-Lath, however, looking none the worse for wear in her black travelling uniform, sword at her side and a jade choker at her throat. Her hair is as black as Kenjarek's, worn short, and she is quite tan, with piercing green eyes.
Dinner is in the Sindrad, the city's council chambers where the baroness has an official residence. The Sindrad itself is a tidy but unremarkable two-story structure behind a low wall, and the Dragon-Bloods are escorted to the Baron's private chambers for dinner, which is pleasant enough but a bit bland for their tastes. Dinner passes in idle chitchat, meaningless banalities about the state of affairs in Bekla and the Realm, and the areas they passed through in their march.
"Things here in Dari, though," the Baroness says, shaking her head, "have not been good lately, not good at all..."
Kenlasha gives her brother a 'here it comes' look and sets down her knife primly, folding her hands in front of her, a gesture he recognize as one she uses when she wishes to "get down to business."
Kenjarek acknowledges Kenlasha's glance, then turns his attention to the Baroness "Really? <trying his best to sound surprised> Things seemed well enough on the march in. What troubles you, Baroness?"
She also does her best to act surprised at his asking: "Why, my lord, I'm sure it is nothing I would bother you with, but... Recently, a vicious band of slavers has made a raid into Paltesh and is even now escaping to Harborhead with a number of our young men, women, and children. A terrible thing, especially for a struggling province like our own."
"Slavers?" asks Kenlasha in more feigned surprise. "Surely slavery is illegal in Bekla?"
"Yes, my lady, it is, but that does not stop them moving in from Harborhead to make raids, my lady." [Like most places in the Threshold, of course, prisoners of war are valid slaves even in Belka, but any other kind of slavery was outlawed after the recent secession.]
"And your city militia? They could not stop these vicious slave traders?"
"Why, we tried to attack them, my lady, but... These slave traders, my lady, the infamous brothers Lalloc, are not human, you see. They are, they say, of the..." and she lowers her voice to a whisper, as if she thinks they might jump out from behind the furniture, "the Fair Folk." Her voice returns to normal: "We sent a raid after them two days ago, but most of our men fled immediately, smitten by their foul magics, and the rest were cut down with ease. We are quite at a loss, you see." Kenjarek makes no attempt to hide his sneer at the mention of the Fair Folk. He also unconciously shifts to a fighting grip on his dinner knife. "And I suppose Harborhead makes no attempt to stop such raids? How long will it take them to reach the border?"
"Alas, my lord, the powers that be in Kirighast always deny they buy slaves captured in Bekla: slaves are in very high demand in Harborhead, as you know. As for their traveling, it may be some time before they reach Harborhead lands. There is a great deal of wild territory between here and there, and they will be slowed by the woman and children they bring. Also, after their rout of our militia, they no doubt feel they have little to fear. If you can make speed over rough ground, I imagine you could catch them within a day or two."
Kenlasha smiles a tight little smile: the brother and sister never talked about it much, but he knows she had some harsh living after the massacre in the north as well as he did. "We can make speed over rough ground, Baroness." She looks at Kenjarek: "Shall we leave tonight?"
Kenjarek nods and returns the smile, then looks back to the Baroness. "Baroness, these raiders need to learn that a protectorate of the Realm is not to be trifled with. We will give them a harsh lesson."
The Baroness looks relieved. "We can send a unit of militia after you to see the captives back to Dari, my lords, so that you might hurry back here to meet with general Gel-Ethlin. I understand he was planning to stay here a day or two as well, as there is some road repair work to be done in Paltesh, so you should have time to rendezvous with him."
"That would be most appreciated, Baroness. My sister and I will make preparations to move out with all due haste. With the will of the Immaculates, these bandits will be dealt with and your citizens returned to you within a matter of days."
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