Kingdom's Fall

Chapter 16, Part 2

It took longer than Gray expected for the Carelians to come. By the time they arrived he and Cuan had already eaten, some better clothes had been found for Cuan, and Gray had been starting to wonder if they would actually ever turn up. It was conceivable that the arrival of the garrison's previous leader would barely be worth the effort reacting to, although it hurt his pride to consider it. Once the boy they'd set as lookout arrived, full of breathless terror at the sight of riders on the road, there was no time for introspection. He sent his lookout back out to spread the word and as the minutes ran by the Willow slowly filled with worried-looking townsfolk. The last to arrive - by Gray's design - was Cooper.

"What's everyone doing here?" Cooper asked, taking in the sight of the assembled group. When his eyes fell on Gray, his manner changed so sharply that it was obvious to all his question needed no answer. He made to turn and run but Cuan had slipped in behind him and made the door fast. He slumped in resignation and turned back to face Gray.

"How did you know it was me?"

"Educated guess," Gray said. "Long years of experience. Everyone in town knows they are being played false, even if they're too scared to admit it. And yet, you didn't seem the slightest bit worried about the Carelians, or even that our own troops were squeezing you for money. I might have believed you if you'd shown some kind of fear. This whole thing stinks, and you didn't seem to be smelling it. That made me think there was something wrong with you."

"I didn't have any choice! They would have killed us."

"Maybe. But they wouldn't have killed all of you, and they wouldn't have had almost a month's worth of our own supplies to march north with. They'll be halfway to the capital before they slow down. Your cowardice has killed every man, woman, and child they'll meet on the way."

One of the townsfolk piped up before Cooper could speak again. "What should we do?"

Gray lifted his voice. "What you should have done when you heard they crossed the border. Grab what you can carry, and run north. Anything you need to leave behind, burn. Poison every well, break every barrel, lame every horse you can't ride out of here. You cannot fight them. With the Pinch gone, our only hope is to starve them. String them out along the road north, and our army will cut them to pieces." Gray's heart twisted as he said it. If the Carelians gave chase, most of them would die on the road north long before anyone could muster to protect them.

"But we've lived here our whole lives!" Another voice, from somewhere in the middle of the pack. A murmur of agreement, of dissent.

"Hopefully that's not the case," Gray said. Silence fell as the crowd took his meaning. "When it's over, you can come back and settle again. It'll be a hard time, but at least you'll be alive."

"Will you lead us?" The same voice, quieter now.

"No. The boy and I will go south, into Carelia." Gray paced in a slow circle, one hand on his sword belt, standing tall with every step. By his reckoning, less than half of the people in the room would survive the week. The Carelians were too close to run from. The only thing he could give the town was the heart to at least try. They would die, but they would die hard for it. "The marshes dried out for a reason, and I mean to find out what that reason is."

"What about Cooper?" One of the men, a big sandy-haired lad burdened with too much muscle and a beetroot complexion, had come forward and was holding Cooper by the arm, one giant hand closed firm about his bicep. Gray drew his sword and lunged, driving the blade forward in one swift, savage motion that put it clean through Cooper's throat. The man holding Cooper stood in mute surprise as blood bubbled up, frothing out of the wound. He released his grip and let the body crumple to the floor.