Chapter 12

  - All clear, - Valria reported, returning to her companions in the tall grass. - I sniffed every bush. No sign of a trap. I found evidence of an observation post in that grove to the east, but it had been abandoned three days ago, at least.

  - If there is no trap around the building, it must be inside, - Gotech suggested reasonably. - You could hide a hundred soldiers behind these walls, and no one would see them from outside.

  - What are we going to do? – Master Carlon squirmed. The slight protrusion of his belly above the belt made it uncomfortable for the wizard to lie flat. - Don't look at me, I can't bring the whole house down from a distance. Why don't we land a dragon on their roof?

  - You must keep your plans low, master, - Armando, who had been silent until then, grinned. - The dragon may be useful, but it's no good breaking through the roof. Let's crawl back to the horses and I'll make a suggestion. I have an idea.

  ...The intermediate warehouse where the aliens were storing the weapons sent from the south-west was fortunately not located inside one of the baronial castles. Either the aliens didn't trust their local associates enough, or they thought it dangerous to store so much explosives in an allied fortress. Instead, they rented a merchant's warehouse near the track, a huge log structure with a high roof and a strong fence. It took the combined group two days to reach it. All this time the bailiffs and the Imperials kept away from people, choosing deep forest paths as far as possible, but the restless elfess went into villages a couple of times to ask the locals about the news. It was not so easy - in the face of the impending war, the settlements were mostly deserted, and the old men who remained in them were not eager to communicate with outsiders. But the long-eared girl's incredible charm was able to melt any ice, and she invariably returned with information and even gifts.

  - People whisper that the king's army has moved out of the camp near Daert, - the captain said, chewing on a knife-peeled carrot at a gallop. She had been given half a dozen carrots as a parting gift in the last village she had visited. - Rumours, of course, but very likely true. Octavia herself leads the army, with two marshals out of four. The Duke of Veronne has also imposed himself on the army, supposedly outraged by the behaviour of the barons. He said that although he disputed the crown, he did not approve of armed rebellion and wished to help punish the rebels.

  - Of course, - de Gorazzo put as much venomous scepticism into those words as he could.

  - The royal troops are expected to arrive in a week. There's more news of the rebels. The baron's warriors are massing to meet the royal forces to the east. They say they're going to fight in the valley of the Black Brooks. What is that place?

  - A fairly wide valley stretching from east to west. - Armando rubbed his chin. - The flattest piece of land in the neighbourhood. Not that it's easy to defend...

  - Baron's squads are all mounted, - reminded Gotech. - They still formally exist only to fight against brigands. The barons have no artillery and only peasant militia. And the valley is convenient for cavalry.

  - And to set up a minefield, - Valria nodded. She finished her carrot and started peeling the next one. - Because it's easy to predict how the royal forces will attack. Octavia might pull off some clever evasive manoeuvre, since she's such a talented warrior, but she'll be in the centre of the formation, with the main forces, so the soldiers can see her. Reputation obliges.

  - Without the minefield, the rebels don't stand a chance, - de Gorazzo shook his head in turn. - Even if the Duke is planning to stab them in the back in the middle of a battle, Her Majesty is prepared for that. She told me so herself. We should hurry.

  And they hurried as fast as they could. Donna Minerva, who had not yet left the squadron, watched from the air for clusters of refugees and military detachments, helping her companions to find the shortest possible detour. By the end of the second day, the temporary allies expected to find a fortress full of soldiers and surrounded by traps. What they found was a simple warehouse of goods guarded by a few mercenaries. After watching the changing of the guards from afar, Captain Valria concluded that there were no more than six guards, and that there were probably no outsiders among them. She then went to look for an ambush in the neighbourhood, but there was none.

  - It looks like the usual merchant guards, - Armando said, as the party returned to the horses they had left in the shelter at his request. - And I think we're too late. The warehouse is empty. The outsider guards have gone with the cargo.

  - Even so, we have a duty to check. - Master Carlon habitually scratched his beard. - And interrogate the guards if possible. They might tell us something useful.

  - I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a trap inside the warehouse either, - the captain said, ears perked up with excitement. - The enemy already knows we're around and has a rough idea of who we are and what we're capable of.

  - So I figured out a way to avoid storming the fence without risking the whole squad. - Armando smiled rather smugly, though he didn't feel very confident. - I bet the local mercenaries had not been told who they really worked for. Gotech, have you lost your staff yet?

  - No, - the black-skinned giant grinned.

  - All right. Get it. Donna Minerva, may I have a word? I'm going to need your input as well.

  The preparations did not take long. Soon a rare sight awaited the guards at the merchant's warehouse. Standing on the wooden tower, the mercenaries saw two riders approaching them at a leisurely trot. The riders rode along the road, not lurking at all. And right above their heads, a dragon as black as night was circling in a battle harness. The Charcoal, guided by the skilful hand of its rider, was flying so low that the wind from its wings nearly tore off Armando's hat, and it was hard to breathe. But the effect was great, as the sentries tumbled down the tower, and not more than a minute later a row of iron-helmeted heads rose above the perambulation. The entire garrison of the warehouse gathered to admire the unexpected guests. Don de Gorazzo rode up to the locked gate, holding the rod of the royal bailiff in his high hand. He shouted:

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  - In the name of Her Majesty Queen Octavia! I, the royal bailiff, Don Armando de Gorazzo, demand that the gates be opened and the law assisted!

  - And... w-who are you?! - one of the mercenaries stammered.

  - I've already introduced myself, - the young official said in a disgruntled tone, patting his steel wand on his palm. In the meantime, the Charcoal began circling over the warehouse. Its right wing was now and then dangerously close to the watchtower. - Unlock it! In the name of the law!

  - Ah... why have your nobles arrived? - The guard wouldn't give up. - It's just... we have orders not to let anyone in until special orders... no one at all.

  - And if I decide to go in, are you going to stop me? - Armando looked up at the dragon. In addition, Gotech grinned his best ogre grin. Excited voices came from the side of the fence.

  - Your nobility...

  - A personal order from the queen, soldier, - the bailiff softened his tone a little. - The capital has learnt that your warehouse contains illegal goods related to the rebellion of the traitor barons. We will confiscate it or destroy it.

  - There's nothing here, your nobility, - said the guard, stammering to himself. - What was there was taken away three days ago. But we don't know what was...

  - Open the gate, you bastard! - De Gorazzo suddenly shouted, pointing his rod at the mercenary. He obeyed at last. Heads in helmets disappeared behind the fence, and the bolt rattled. The thick sashes slid open. Armando furtively swallowed as he hung his staff on his belt. The last part of his plan was also the riskiest. Outside, he and Gotech were covered by a nearby mage and an elf with a rifle. Inside the fence, the bailiffs could rely only on themselves and the dragon, who would be of little help if a melee broke out.

  But it was all right. De Gorazzo's suspicions were fully justified, though he was not happy about it. The guards lined up along the fence obediently laid down their weapons and opened the warehouse doors. There was no crowd of heavily armed aliens waiting for the bailiffs inside. In fact, the warehouse was completely empty. After assuring himself that there was no danger, the young official dismissed Charcoal with a sign and set about interrogating the guards. He spent two hours shaking the soul out of the hired soldiers, who were hoarse. It was not the first time that the king's bailiff had interrogated six men in a row. At last, exhausted as much as the guards, the bailiff graciously allowed them to return to duty and left the warehouse through the same gate, accompanied by Gotech. On the way back, the don experienced a terrible itching between his shoulder blades. It seemed to Armando that at any moment a crossbow arrow or a shot from a wall gun - he had seen several of them in the guards' armoury - might fly into his back. Of course, nothing of the sort happened. Perhaps thanks to the black silhouette of the dragon, which had not flown far, and had been looming on the top of one of the hills, spreading its wings wide every now and then.

  - You're lucky, my friend, - said de Gorazzo to his comrade, when the bottom of the hill hid the bailiffs from the eyes of the warehouse guard. - All you do is growl and make faces... My throat is like a sharpening stone.

  - It's a natural talent of mine, - Gotech grinned, handing his friend a flask of water. Armando had emptied his own long ago. - I was born the way the Creator willed...

  The Imperials were waiting for the bailiffs at the agreed place. The elven woman, who was impatient, flicked her ears in a horse-like manner and asked from afar:

  - Well? Well?!

  - Gone, - Armando answered her. When he came closer, he dismounted, walked quickly to the lizard-guarded prisoner, and grasped the stranger by the pecs. He yanked man towards him, trying not to tear the collar of his shirt, which, along with his trousers and boots, had been lent to the alien by master Carlon. He hit Giovanni's forehead on his nose, not hard enough to break it.

  - Ouch! - cried the prisoner.

  - Mines, then, in the warehouse, you say? - hissed the young official, shaking the stranger. - No place chosen? Master, get your hoop over here, quick.

  - What... what do you mean... - the stunned alien muttered.

  - The warehouse was cleared in two moves. - Armando kept hissing in his face. - The first load left five days ago, the second three days ago. And you mean to tell me you didn't know when and where it was going? Master!

  - Already got it. - The imperial mage pulled a familiar silver hoop from his saddlebag.

  - No, wait! - the stranger shrieked. - I was in the castle at the time.....

  - And reported to superiors that everything was ready and the weapons would soon be sent to the battlefield. Right?!

  - It... so... almost... - Messire Giovanni collapsed. He looked away from Armando, but the prisoner's running gaze kept returning to the hoop in the black-bearded magician's hands.

  - Where did the wagons go? Why are there two of them? - continued to press the bailiff.

  - You guessed it... Black Brooks Valley. Two because... it's not just mines. Mines were in the first one, they should have been laid by now. The second one was rockets. Rockets. Simple, almost artisanal, made here from local materials. Only the warhead... the explosives are ours. When the vanguard is blown up by the mines, the rockets will fire on the main body of the royal army. There'll be a fuss so that after the Queen's death, the Duke of Veronne will take charge, rally the soldiers and beat the rebels after all. Some of the missiles will fall on them, too...

  - If you know all this, can you show on a map the valleys where the mines will be laid, where they will be detonated, where the batteries of rockets will be placed? - Master Carlon came up and grasped the prisoner by the shoulder.

  - Roughly... very roughly... I only saw the plans, didn't make them. I'm not a military man.

  - Any way you can, you'll show us. Otherwise, why do we need you? - Armando kicked the prisoner in the stomach, throwing him to the ground.

  - Well, it's time for us to part with Donna Minerva, - the elfess said thoughtfully, rubbing her chin with two fingers. - Let her leave at once to search for the royal army. Octavia must be notified now, it will be too late. We'll send the prisoner with her.

  - No way. - The young official grinned as much as his giant friend, looking down at the stranger crouched in the grass. - I'm afraid Messire Giovanni might have friends at court. But he certainly doesn't have any here. I'm sure Her Majesty will take Minerva at her word now. The sire will come with us. To the rear of the baron's army. And if we suddenly need to clarify anything else, we'll do it right there on the spot. And the sire will wish he'd told us everything beforehand. Messire understands me, I hope?