Chapter 125 Easy Choices
The Ridges.
Fernando watched the columns of soldiers. He knew they were still sick and weak. Several more had died. But Aurelio was a stern man who kept his promises. Amidst shouts and warnings of punishment from the sergeants and captains, nearly two thousand soldiers began marching along the royal road to the southwest.
The snow was not very deep, but that, combined with the cold, drained their energy. There were far more soldiers than captains and sergeants, but they obeyed orders because their minds had been trained to do so without question. Their desire to survive was stronger than their desire to decide their own actions. They marched all day until they were ordered to stop and set up camp. When they were ordered to walk, they walked; when they were ordered to rest, they rested; and when they were ordered to kill, they killed.
Isla Fortaleza, the royal prison of Costa Lunas.
The six royal warships floated in the distance, within range of their ballistae. The castle on the island was small, and its walls were not sturdy. The roofs were made of old, dilapidated wood. The armor and weapons were old, and their captains were there because they enjoyed the suffering of others.
The ship arrived at the beach with Severo and his personal knights on board. They left the ship carrying a flag of peace and approached the six men under an old, faded red flag.
Severo: Sergeant, where is your captain?
Sergeant: The captains were talking about loyalty to the king and how we can withstand a few ships and wait for Aurelio to arrive in the city because he is the kind of king we need. The captains did not wake up this morning.
Severo: Fine. I have a list of nobles who are in prison and whom the queen wants brought to the mainland. Fifty guards can stay behind with the available food and drink. I do not know when a ship with more supplies will arrive. The rest must board the ship and fight for Lady Marisela.
Sergeant: Give us an hour to decide who stays and to find the nobles.
Severo: Of course.
Severo reflected on the orders written on the parchment from his lady: Kill all the captains and any sergeant who does not obey you. If they fight, kill them all.
The castle of Colinas Gemilas.
Patricia: My lady, Felipe has told me that they are attacking both ports and the castle. He believes we will not be able to defend all three through the day. If we abandon one of the ports, perhaps we can defend the castle better.
Marisela: I understand. If we leave the eastern port and Heinrich arrives on that side of the peninsula, they would not be able to disembark. If we do the opposite, there is the same possibility of error.
Patricia: My lady, do you prefer a pretty girl like yourself or a strong boy like your beloved?
Marisela smiled: It is a strange time to ask me that. But I do not care. It is our baby, that is all that matters to me.
Patricia: Most decisions are like that. One option is just as good as the other. Your baby will be perfect to you, regardless of how the goddess decides to make him or her.
Marisela: Of course. Do you have a coin?
She took out a silver coin and offered it to her. The lady took it and tossed it into the air.
Marisela spoke quickly: Ships equals east port.
When the coin struck the ground, the bell in the western tower rang rapidly. The women turned to the left and heard shouts from many men. The word was lost amidst all the noise, but more and more voices were shouting it.
The voices: Ships! Ships! Ships!
The west port of Costa Lunas.
The Shark Fin was sailing with all sails unfurled and four long ropes tied to different parts of the large ship. Behind them, four boats tied to the ropes trailed at a good speed, towed by the large vessel. The boats were full of archers wearing light leather armor and carrying large oars, ready to increase speed at the precise moment.
Sigard watched the beach, the speed of his ship, and the sails with the gaze of a man who had spent twenty years at sea.
The captain decided the time had come: Flags, flags!
The men at the stern of the ship quickly waved their flags. On the smaller boats, the men quickly severed the rope and waved a flag in response. They began using the oars to propel the boats more quickly, taking advantage of the momentum they had accumulated. On the warship, the men cut the ropes after seeing the signals.
Sigard: To starboard! Turn sharply! Lower the sails and then drop anchor!
The ship turned to the right and the smaller boats continued straight ahead towards a beach of rocks and sand. Further to the west, the other four warships carried out a similar action with two boats each. Twelve boats approached the beach with a total of one hundred and eighty archers on board. They reached the shore before the soldiers attacking the port realized what had happened. The five warships positioned themselves to attack the forces of Valero.
The royal castle.
Octavio wrote slowly and he liked to read aloud. The new page stood beside him to see the words he was reading and writing.
The old man: Elicio, fifteen years old. A candidate to become a Pegasus rider. He attacked the soldiers of the king. He refused to renounce the worship of the Pegasi.
The page showed the Count the same name that appeared on his parchment. He drew a line under the name when the man nodded.
Octavio: The punishment is hanging until death. He will remain hanging from the rope for three days as a warning to others.
He signed the parchment, rolled it up, and sealed it with his wax seal to close it. The page took the parchment from his frail hand and placed it in a leather bag for transport. There were already ten parchments in the bag.
Octavio: Gilberto, fifty-two years old. Father of a Pegasus rider. He fought against the royal soldiers in a militia of the army of the bastard. The punishment is decapitation with an axe. The head will be placed on a stake in front of the quarters of the servants.
After six more scrolls, the old man was satisfied, and his hands were tired. The page left with the bag to deliver it to a royal guard in the building behind the castle. He arrived half an hour later with the scrolls.
Dante: Boy, give them to me. Tomorrow you can use another bag, and you can exchange it for this empty bag.
The page: Yes, sir.
Dante: Look at my banner, you little ass. Captain.
The page: I am sorry, Captain.
The page went to his room and lit a small fire in the fireplace. He took out two scrolls that he had hidden in his vest and burned them until they were destroyed.