Chapter 2

Kyrshom was unique. A natural fortress. It was surrounded by a hill on each side. The hills each had natural cliffs on both sides. The cliffs acted as walls on the East and West sides. The hills had been tunneled through to create one gate on the East and West sides which were the only entrances to the city aside from the sea.

The hills butted onto a mountain in the South which was three times higher than the hills.

The mountain was an extinct volcano from which the hills and cliffs had been formed when lava had previously flowed down toward the ocean.

Lookouts and defense positions had been established on the hills and were manned primarily by archers. Catapults had also been installed and could be rotated to fire in any direction.

The city, hills, and volcano sat atop a sheer cliff that towered above the beach and ocean. A ramp had been built from the beach to the city level to accommodate the demands of merchants and traders from all over the known world. The ramp had taken years to build but had proven to be well worth it as the accidents resulting in loss of supplies hoisted up and down the cliff were reduced to zero. Trade had expanded once the ramp had been completed. The old lift and pulley system remained in place as a contingency.

The wagon reached the East gate an hour before sunset. The guards were surprisingly vigilant considering the start of the festivities for the festival of Kelaspin were only hours away. They called for pitchforks and stabbed the hay numerous times. When they found nothing, a guard climbed on the wagon and tossed the hay more intently. The driver trembled. It was as if the guards had been informed about the wagon’s secret cargo.

Then, finally, the guards were done.

“Who is this hay for?” a guard asked the wagon driver.

“It’s a gift from my master to the Order of Keln as a token of gratitude for the knowledge they had shared with him to improve his harvest.”

Satisfied with the answer the guard waved the driver through. They gave the riders who had queued behind the wagon scant attention before waving them through and clearing the queue that had formed.

The wagon creaked through the streets as fast as the driver dared push the horses to get to the Order of Keln. The wagon was followed discreetly by a few separate riders. One rider spurred his horse faster when they drew near the Order of Keln. The rider arrived at the Order of Keln before the wagon and dismounted. He knocked on the door.

The place that the Order of Keln called its place of worship, looked like little more than a house. It had a thatched roof which was well kept and the building itself was made from stone. Windows that looked out onto the street from either side of the door were shuttered suggesting that the place was closed for the day. Many places had closed early in preparation for the festival.

The door was opened by a man in his fifties. His hair was silver around his ears and the back of his head. The top of his head was bald. His movement suggested that despite his years, he was still fit and strong.

“I seek the Master,” said the rider.

“Please come in.” The man opened the door wider and beckoned the rider inside. The rider entered and turned as the man closed the door.

“I seek the Master,” the rider repeated again.

“For what matter do you seek the Master?” asked the man once the door was safely closed.

“I have come to feed the horses.”

“We have no horses, only mules.”

“But they will still eat the golden hay my Lord sends?”

“Indeed they will,” replied the master his eyes flashing with greed.

Having completed the secret conversation intended to provide safety and confirm identities, the rider and Master both relaxed.

“The wagon will be here soon. Best open the gates to let it in. We cannot unload it in the street,” the rider stated bluntly.

“Sure,” the Master rubbed his hands gleefully. The rider thought he looked a bit like a troll.

“My Lord demands to know that you will now honour your promise with no further impediment to his plan.”

“I assure you there will be no impediment,” said the Master eager to get his hands on the gold.

The rider followed the Master out of the house via a side door. The Master lifted a bolt for the gate from the inside and swung the gate open as the wagon pulled up outside.

Once the gate was open the wagon was maneuvered into the narrow opening. The rider with the Master watched as the second rider passed by on his horse. He signaled the rider that all was fine and then closed the gate.

He showed the Master where the gold had been hidden on the wagon and then helped him unload it. By the time they were finished unloading the wagon nightfall had arrived and the noise of the city was increasing as people prepared for the start of the festival of Kelaspin.

When the second rider received the signal that all was fine, he kicked his horse to a trot and wove through the streets until he arrived at an eatery. He ordered something light to eat and a drink. He ate slowly watching the people as they hurried past on their way to complete final tasks before the festival.

One of the people that passed by was a rider sent into the city posing as a trader. He was waiting with a group of men that had been sent with the wagon. He saw the rider at the eatery signal that all was in order and returned to the group to advise them accordingly. They would wait near the gate until the time came to open the gate themselves if the Master of the order of Keln betrayed them.

The rider at the eatery waited until the sky was almost dark. Then he paid for his meal and mounted his horse. He headed for the wall and followed the path next to it until he found a spot next to the wall where there was no traffic. He dismounted and took his bow in hand. He looked around carefully before nocking an arrow and letting fly.

The arrow hissed away into the night sky. It cleared the wall, reached the top of its arc, and returned to earth where it clattered on the stones beyond the wall. Its noise was not loud enough to be heard by guards on the wall but it was loud enough to be heard by the runner stationed at the appointed location to watch for the arrow which would signal all was arranged.

The man heard the arrow clatter on the stones when it landed. He picked up the arrow and took off as fast as he could on foot to speed the message to Benedict. He could not use a horse for it would surely be heard as it ran away from the wall in the dark. A lone horse running at full speed would raise questions and perhaps an alarm.

The message arrived shortly after moonrise. Benedict deliberated briefly with Raeme and Tordor.

“Do we trust the word or not? We have no way of knowing if our men and the wagon were captured inside.”

“I think we should trust it,” Raeme replied. “We have no way of knowing if our men are safe or if the wagon arrived safely, but I think we have to trust the signal. If our men were caught I doubt they would have told anyone what the signal was. I am sure our man sent the arrow over the wall without being coerced to do so.”

Tordor nodded. “I agree with Raeme. We are committing few men to enter the city. They will be sufficient to capture the key defensive positions and open the gates for the army. If those men are captured we lose little but will surely be alerted by their capture so as to avoid further loss.”

Benedict thought for a moment then nodded. “Very well. Give the order. We proceed.”

While they all had reservations they knew they had little choice but to trust the word they had received. It was now or never. They had done all they could to ensure their plan would work.

Benedict promised himself he would deal with the Master of the Order of Keln personally when this was over provided they lived to see the other side of the night. The army mobilized and proceeded to move downhill. They remained far enough away from the East wall so as not to be heard or seen by the sentries. The army was well in place before the appointed time would arrive when they could enter unhindered as arranged by members of the Order of Keln. The rider who had delivered the golds to the Master remained behind to ensure that the Master complied with his duties as originally planned.