44 Talmot

The General stood in front of Agremonth Castle waiting patiently as Lorna stared into the distance, ambivalent as ever. Since arriving from the remote beach the older woman had sent him to, Talmot had been careful to keep his interactions with the witch at a minimum. Even if her contract forbid her outright hurting him in any way, the General was sure some form of subversion was afoot.

He knocked on the massive wooden doors for a third time, positive that Astrophel was ignoring his arrival. Unfortunately, having no reinforcements to accompany him, it seemed the vampire did not feel inclined to respond and there was absolutely nothing Talmot could do about it.

The general understood his presence was no threat to the vampire Lord and that seemed to be the only language these creatures understood. Talmot was a proud man who served with honor, a trait sorely lacking in the aristocracy of Ibudal, he noticed on more than one occasion.

The rain picked up steadily as the pair retreated from the keep and back to their horses in defeat. Talmot supposed he could have had Lorna blow in the doors magically and storm the place, but the risk of instant retaliation made him hesitate. It would be far easier to gather some men from Fort Balvier nearby. Scrounging up a warrant for the arrest of Cora and the former lieutenant would be reasonably straightforward as well. Talmot applauded himself silently for making the logical decision.

As they rode silently through the forest leading away from Agremonth, Talmot struggled with confiding in Lorna what the older woman on the beach had said to him. Surely if the words were meaningless, then there would be no harm in asking the witch. Still, if the prophecy was just the jabbering of a mad crone, then why did it bother him so much? The general thought to himself as the fresh spring rain fell.

The evening was fading into night as they arrived at the fort. The downpour from earlier had transitioned to only a hazy drizzle, but both the general and witch here soaked to the bone, shivering as the temperature began to drop. Talmot would be grateful for a warm bed tonight.

Two witches stood guard at the top of the fort's wall guarding each side of the gate, their neck markings visible even in the fading light. Black swirls crept along their necks, disappearing into the standard black robes of Ibudali battle witches. Each one held the same vacant stare he had seen so often on the heart-shaped face of Lorna.

The red-haired witch wasted no time in departing to the quarters explicitly reserved for her kind, without so much as uttering a word to Talmot. He didn't mind. Once he met with the Commander, it would be a simple matter in petitioning to have the woman's contract amended. Secrecy would be difficult for her moving forward if his request was approved, and from what he remembered the Commander was a genial man.

It wasn't long before he found himself out of the muddied practice yard and sitting in front of a warm fire in Commander Jeanu's office. The accommodations at the fort were modest, having only been erected in the last 50 years due to increased violence stemming from Astrophel's residence nearby.

Wood posts made up the perimeter of the area and barracks, as well as office space for the Commander. The rooms were sparsely furnished and the lighting minimal. Still, the rooms were clean and dry, and that was much more than the General could say for himself when he arrived.

Commander Jeanu, an older burly human with a bald head and thick grey mustache, greeted him with the standard forearm clasp and proclamation "May the King reign." He motioned for Talmot to sit after observing the proper formalities, how round face breaking into a wide smile.

The Commander opened a box of cigars and offered one to Talmot, who accepted gratefully. "Just received these off a shipment from Mera. That's where you're from, isn't it General?"

Talmot nodded, "Yes, Commander. A fair sight during these dark times." The corners of his mouth twitched under the days old growth of beard lining of a strong jaw. Talmot could appreciate a good smoke almost as much as he enjoyed a good woman. Almost.

"Tell me, what brings you to my Fort, Talmot? Last I heard by falcon was that you were sailing a procession of soldiers across the Sea of Bones. That journey alone should have taken weeks." the Commander said, his bushy mustache bounding with each word. Jeanu had a habit of sounding like his mouth was full marbles while speaking.

While the man did outrank him, Talmot could see that Commander Jeanu had let himself go in recent years. His stomach was bulging over the ornate gold buckle that barely held his Ibudali uniform in place. Jeanu's days of leading in men into battle had long since passed, leaving him to his position here at Balvier and more than enough comforts to provide him with the round figure sitting in front of Talmot now.

Talmot began to explain an abridged story of his journey, detailing the many magical stitches in space he had passed through to arrive back home but leaving out some of the finer details that included being outwitted by the old woman several times. Jeanu leaned back in his chair, taking in the tale while puffing on the cigar, nodding from time to time. The small room quickly filled with acrid smoke that reminded Talmot so much of his old home.

"So ultimately, I need access to Agremonth so Cora and Gareth can be detained. I believe the old woman is the key to retrieving Caroline Delvine as detailed in the King's orders. Can you have the scribes issue a formal warrant for her arrest?" Talmot finished somewhat lamely.

The Commander rubbed at the corners of his mustache, thoughtfully mulling over the General's words, "I can and will, but your efforts may be wasted at Agremonth. Astrophel is very, and I mean very, old. Makes me look like a babe in the cradle. He only starts border wars when bored and has little mind for the concerns of humans. Short of breaking down his door,-"

"I had thought of that-" Talmot injected.

"There's not much to be done. The old woman will eventually leave, Talmot. She cannot seek refuge there for long if her granddaughter is in jeopardy. Nor can the deserter. They will be dealt with, but how soon I cannot say," the Commander finished. The man might have let his body go but Talmot could tell his mind was as sharp as ever.

"Then I am at an impasse. The girl could be anywhere in Ibudal." Talmot said dejectedly while running his hand through his grey flecked hair.

"I am not so sure about that, General. Word has come by flacon this morning of a witch recently signed to the Monts further south. It seems she matches your description. Coupled with the fact that the Mont's have always had a very vocal history of refusal to sign a contract with her kind, it seems you may have a lead." Jeanu said with a grin. It was evident Jeanu relished in divulging the gossip.

"It seems Captain Greir has managed to detain the younger Mont vampire, Ender his name is," the Commander continued, "the girl was apparently en route to Ravin-Sha with him and the older Mont heir. Greir will not be able to hold him for long without serious blowback from the aristocracy, but the Captain has never been one to play by the rules, has he?" Jeanu finished with a hearty chuckle, his large potbelly rolling, threatening to tip the man out of his chair.

Talmot let out a forced laugh. He did not care for the weasel-like vampire but found himself relieved at the turn in events "No, Greir does not. Send word I'll be on my way to meet him and question the vampire."

Talmot thanked Commander Jeanu for his time and left the smoke-filled office in considerably higher spirits.

The General could feel his hope begin to rise again. The news from Commander Jeanu was just the break he needed to get the mission back on track, and the sooner he recovered the girl and delivered her to the King, the sooner

He could retire to a quiet life of debauchery and booze in the Capital. Talmot wondered though, as he ambled through the now empty practice yard still wet and muddy from the rain earlier if turning south was the right decision. After chasing Cora to such great lengths, it felt almost foolish to let her hide with Agremonth's walls. He took some solace in knowing that soldiers from the fort would be waiting for her and the disgraced Lieutenant Gareth to depart.

Still, a craggy voice from back at the unknown beach nagged at him. 'A choice must be made, or all innocence shall perish' the fortuneteller had told him. Was this the choice? He thought. Capture Cora Delvine or pursue Ender Mont?

The General shook his head, waving the thought away as his long legs closed the distance between the empty practice yard and the soldier's barracks. Ravings of an elderly woman could not be the determining factor in his strategy. Letting out a deep breath into the tempered night air the General decided in the morning he and Lorna would set out on the south road hoping that Lord Mont would be in a condition to speak when he arrived,

Grier was a cruel vampire, and Talmot imagined he had once been an evil human before that, but the vampire's methods were effective. Talmot felt a new resolve build within him and knew he would sleep soundly that night for the time in many weeks.