The Shattered Path

Chapter 19 - The Confrontation

The following days passed slowly for Aerham and the army traveled into western Minogradia. Uth Garenthil rushed the army between towns, but was always slow to leave the taverns or inns the following day after throwing lavish parties and festivals at each stop. The man never gave instructions that didn't relate to his parties or arriving at the next town in a timely manner. He hated to arrive after dark and not be seen. He made no attempt to recruit for the Brotherhood, aside from favorably influencing every drunkard in the kingdom. The training mission was an excuse for him to try every bed and bottle of wine in the country and nothing more.

Aerham didn't blame Minogradia and Saroken for not wanting to supply troops for the fortress, and as the rumors said, for not wanting to pay their tithes. He didn't want to be associated with this activity either. He made the best of it and trained as he had planned. One day, while Uth Garenthil and the other Initiates rode to town, he took nearly all of the men and assaulted a barn as if it were a castle. The only casualty had been a chicken. He had been surprised at how eager the soldiers had been. Battle had brought out the best in them, even if it had been against an invisible enemy and a poor chicken.

The weather was warm and only rained occasionally. Aerham could see a rising level of respect in the soldiers, as Captain Meagus had said. They hid their liquor at night when he passed, no longer offering him a drink as some once had. That was an improvement. He didn't have to wake each soldier individually anymore. He did allow the small groups to have their campfires each night, but made certain the men understood that the enemy could count those, or use their light to count tents, and estimate their numbers. At times he felt like he alone was in charge of the one-hundred fifty men, and the other three Initiates were happy to let him take charge at night as they followed the Brother to town.

On the morning of the eleventh day, they were near the western coastline, and within two days of marching from the port city of Ornek, a major trading center between Minogradia and the island kingdom of Daiserenia. Aerham recognized the area, since his father's estate wasn't far to the south, between their army and Ornek. He hoped to visit his father and his beloved Deivean. The image of her wearing that white gown haunted his dreams. He had made certain to save one of his white tunics with the sun emblem, so he would have a fresh uniform when he saw Deivean and his father. They would be hardly surprised, but definitely pleased to learn he had already been raised to Initiate.

The morning sun glared from beyond the horizon when Aerham was summoned by a bannerman and he left the soldiers to packing the camp without his supervision. He mounted his horse and rode to meet with the Brother. He was surprised that Uth Garenthil had awakened so early. He debated the possibility that the Brother and Initiates had not been to bed yet and were going to instruct him to leave the camp in place for another day.

Uth Garenthil sat upon his horse with a fresh, yellow banner draped over it. He wore his full plate armor, which had been buffed to a perfect shine. Aerham knew many soldiers lost sleep to make certain the Brother looked his best; the armor reflected every glimmer of the orange horizon. The Brother held his helm under his arm as he stifled a yawn with his other hand. His mustaches were oiled and neatly-trimmed, as always, and his hair was likewise oiled and pulled back.

The four bannermen sat on their horses, holding the limp lion banners high. Not far away the other three Initiates, wearing their chain mail hauberks and white tunics, sat upon their horses talking quietly among themselves. A laugh burst from their group every few moments.

"Ah, glad you could finally make it," Uth Garenthil said. His sarcasm irritated Aerham. They both knew who had always been the late arrival. Well, if one were to view the matter as if parties were the important thing, then Aerham would have been habitually late.