“Good morning, gentlemen,” Relam began, looking out over his audience. “Let’s get this council started. Two days ago, we dealt the vertaga a real blow, crushing yet another attack on the West Bank.”
The assembled leaders murmured approval, some smiling grimly as they recalled the final moments of the battle.
“But our tactics must change now,” Relam continued. Instantly, every expression around the room became closed. “We must take the fight to the vertaga rather than waiting here tamely for them.”
“What, march into the Fells?” one of the major lords demanded. He bore the green hawk Khollo had seen in his vision of marching armies.
“Yes, Lord Garenes” Relam said confidently. “We will find their stronghold and destroy it.”
“If we can find it,” one of the soldiers ringing the room muttered.
“The Fells are the vertaga’s home ground,” one of the other major lords warned. “They will be more than able to launch lightning raids and whittle down our forces while we stumble over the mountains looking for this stronghold.”
“You will lead us to our deaths!” a minor lord shouted from where he stood. “Bad enough you tore us from our homes and labors to march south and fight in this pointless war – ”
“If you’ve had a day of labor in your life, I’ll be much surprised,” Relam said coldly. The minor lord flushed and opened his mouth to speak, but Khollo felt it was time for him to intervene.
“King Relam, lords of the realm, if I may interject I would like to point out that we do have a very good idea as to where the fortress of the vertaga is hidden.”
Another round of muttering swept through the room. Khollo let it run its course before continuing.
“In my studies at the library of the Keepers, I found several ancient maps. One detailed the Fells rather carefully, marking a city I had never heard of a little south and east of the main pass that runs north to south. A stronghold called Dun Carryl.”
“What the blazes kind of name is that?” a hook-nosed lord demanded.
“Does it even exist anymore? If it’s an ancient map, I mean,” another said, looking at Khollo.
“We don’t know, but it’s the best lead we have,” Khollo replied. “Of course, it is King Relam’s decision as to where and when we march.”
Relam frowned thoughtfully. “This Dun Carryl you mention, where exactly is it?”
Khollo produced his copy of the map and laid it before the king. “It is here, in the shadow of this larger peak.” An image flashed in Khollo’s head, a memory. “It may be at the end of a long lake,” he added.
“May be?” Garenes snorted derisively. “Your information leaves much to be desired! Are we to march on such feeble evidence?”
Kanin, Khollo said quickly, ignoring the noble, who was now speaking at length about the risks of using unreliable sources. Do you remember the vision that I had before rescuing you?
Which one?
The second one?
Is that a question or an answer? Kanin asked, confusion evident in his voice.
The one where you told me ‘not yet’, Khollo clarified. The one that was for another time in the future.
The one of a fortress and a lake?
And a valley, Khollo agreed, remembering. The water was rather dark and across it was the entrance to a stronghold, I think.
Perhaps.
Do you think it is real?
I think there is a good chance it is. Your visions have been of real things so far, have they not?
Yes, Khollo agreed slowly. They have.
Then I think we know where to find the vertaga stronghold, Kanin said confidently.
“ – is there any more information you can give us?”
Khollo snapped out of his reverie and realized that everyone in the packed council room was looking at him. “I’m sorry, was someone saying something?”
“Were you even listening?” Lord Garenes demanded.
Khollo shrugged. “I was discussing the location of the enemy stronghold with my dragon. It seemed more important than hearing your mindless prattle.”
Janis let loose a short bark of laughter, as did many of the others in the room. The corners of the king’s mouth twitched slightly in an almost smile. The green hawk lord flushed and turned a murderous gaze on Khollo.
“I was asking if there was any more to your feeble information that we might find of use,” he growled finally, trying to regain control of the situation.
Khollo shrugged. “I do not see this information as feeble at all.”
“Is that the best – ?”
“Oh, please,” Khollo interjected. Sermas and Hern flinched in surprise beside him. “Let’s take half a second to think about this: We know that a city or fortress called Dun Carryl existed at some point in this region of the Fells. We know that it was significant enough to be marked on this map. We also know of no human dwellings that have been called by that name. And let us keep in mind that we are talking about thousands of vertaga. Those numbers do not breed instantaneously. That takes time.”
“What do you know about vertaga breeding?” another lord sneered.
“Not much,” Khollo admitted. “But I can think of no creature their size in this world that can reproduce instantaneously so I think it safe to assume the vertaga are no different.
