Silver Dragon (25 page)

"Open the gates!" Sir Amos cried out. "We've come to offer Saint
Leander's blessings and support. We are the Knights of Leander."

The gates were quiet for a long moment, causing Aleena and Durak to look at each other in concern. Were they too late? Had Highpeak fallen again? "How many are you, Knights of Leander?"

"I have near fifty men with me, twenty-two of those knights, twelve squires, four priests, and the rest are devout followers here to support the will of Saint Leander," Sir Amos responded.

"You've arrived at a good time," the man at the gate said as the portcullis began to rise. "The
baron's palace is under attack! Treachery from within, I'm told. They've ordered the gates closed but your men could help."

"Leander be praised that we made it in time!" Sir Amos said. The portcullis came to a stop and was locked in place, allowing Sir Amos to spur his horse throu
gh the gate and lead the rest of the faithful behind him. The gate captain called out directions to Sir Amos as the knight rode past.

Aleena let her trained horse follow the others through the gate and into the city. She'd learned the basics of riding in her time with the host of Leander but the thought of trying to fight from the back of a horse was daunting. Her horse knew enough to stay with the others, taking her through the streets of the city until she glimpsed a small army of men gathered in the road in front of a massive wood and stone building.

They were milling about, from what she could tell, but none of it made any sense. Then she saw a man leap up onto a wagon in the middle of the gathered soldiers. He leapt back and forth, kicking the soldiers away and slashing with his sword or even using his shield to knock his foes away. When next she saw him, she saw the enemy warrior had captured a man and held a sword to his neck.

The horn sounded again, announcing the arrival of the knights. They rode in, anxious to push their way through the crowd and offer what help they could. Aleena strained to see around the others but Celos and Sir Amos had both been explicit in their instructions. They were to stay out of any fighting but be ready to offer aid to any knight
who was in trouble.

Aleena's eyes swept over the chaos, trying to find a way to be helpful. She looked up and saw the
attacker on the wagon struggling with the man he'd taken hostage. He used his shield as a weapon, slamming him and knocking him back. Aleena stiffened, recognizing the move. She rose up in her saddle for a better view and then gasped.

"Alto!" Aleena cried out.

"What's that?" Durak said, turning to look at her. He followed her gaze and frowned. "Your Alto? Is he the man getting his face smashed in?"

"No," Aleena said. She spurred her horse forward and pushed through the knights and defenders of Highpeak. "Stop!"
she shouted while waving a hand in the air. "Stop! There's a mistake!"

"Back to your place!" Celos roared at her. He brandished his sword and pushed his horse in front of
hers. "You forget yourself."

"No
." Aleena shook her head and pushed her horse into his. "That's Alto! The hero of Highpeak! The man who stopped the monsters in the mountains. The man who rescued a family in Portland from a burning building. He's not a traitor, I know it!"

"Recruit, return to your post! Do it now and if you're lucky
, you'll only be dismissed," Celos spat at her.

"What's this?" Sir Amos said from where he sat astride his horse nearby.

"Nothing, Sir Amos, this recruit forgot her place. Caught up in the excitement, no doubt."

A roar from the battle distracted them for a minute. A soldier rose up above the others, thrown by something that knocked him back into the others. The opening created allowed Aleena to see a massive man clad in animal hides and wielding a massive sword. Was he one of the enemy? He looked to be one of the wild and savage northlanders she'd heard stories about.

"Not that," Sir Amos said. "I heard her say something about that friend of hers."

"That's him on the wagon," Aleena said. She rose up in her stirrups and cupped her hands to her mouth
. "Alto!"

Her cry was lost in the din of battle
. The ferocious warrior kicked aside a soldier who tried to climb onto the wagon and then turned and grabbed his stunned captive and picked him up. He pushed the man against the railing of the wagon and let him teeter there while he brandished his sword in preparation to deliver a killing blow.

Sir Amos raised his sword into the air and called out to Leander. A moment later
, the sun broke through the clouds overhead and shone down on Sir Amos. It gathered in his blade and then he pointed it at the man on the wagon. A burst of golden light streaked above the heads of the battlefield and struck the man in the back, staggering him. The warrior turned and fell to his knees, and then raised his shield and sword up in front of him to block the blinding light.

Sir Amos pushed his horse ahead, knocking soldiers away so he could push closer to the wagon. His stallion reared up, nearly
unseating him. When it dropped down, the source of the horse's surprise was apparent. A short man in gleaming plate stood holding a hammer.

"In the name of Saint Leander, stop this at once!" Sir Amos cried out loud enough to be heard over the fighting.

"Hold!" an answering cry came from the middle of the battle.

The battle slowed until a man cried out for the soldiers to attack. Some hesitated, confused, while a few closer to the man
who encouraged the conflict took up the fight again. They were stricken back by a blast of ice and wind that seemed to come from nowhere.

"The man said stop!" a man wearing no armor shouted at the stunned and frozen soldiers from Highpeak.

"Kar!" Aleena hissed. She knew the wizard from the times he'd teased Alto and her at the Blades’ house in Portland.

With the wizard's display
, the soldiers of Highpeak fell back. Alto stood up on shaky feet, still blinking rapidly to clear his eyes. He turned back but the man he'd captured had slipped over the edge of the wagon and disappeared. He howled in rage and cast about, staring into the crowd through squinted eyes.

"Alto, stop!"
one of the men cried out.

"Mackay's escaped!" Alto growled.

"We'll find him. Tristam's hurt!"

Alto turned back to the end of the wagon and stared down. He started to climb down when Sir Amos called out to him. "Alto? The same Alto
who helped reclaim Highpeak and the same one who reports say destroyed an entire camp of enemy soldiers in the mountains?"

Alto turned to stare at him. He blinked a few
times and then nodded. "I am. Who're you?"

"Sir Amos, Knight of Leander," Sir Amos said.

Aleena thrust herself up in her saddle, trying to see Alto and gain his attention. Now that she was closer and he wasn't fighting, she got a better look at him. It was enough to make her gasp. He looked horrible! He had blood on his face and in the wild beard he wore. She could see the bruises and cuts on his face to explain why. The fur cloak he wore was torn and matted with filth. Worse than that was how thin his face looked, even though he seemed as broad of shoulder as ever. Only his shining mail beneath his cloak looked presentable.

Alto showed no sign of seeing or recognizing her.

"Sir Amos!" a man said, raising his hand to draw attention. Aleena tore her eyes away from Alto to the speaker and recognized Karthor. She felt a flicker of a smile cross her face as she saw him. He'd always treated her with nothing but kindness, even tolerating her many questions about their adventures and the church of Saint Leander.

"Karthor!" Sir Amos said. He hesitated and turned to look for Father Lex. Not seeing him
, he frowned and turned back. "This is a most peculiar situation."

"Nothing peculiar about it," the wizard said. "The
baron and his lackey are traitorous bastards trying to bring about a war between nations."

"That's a bold claim," Sir Amos said. "Who might you be?"

"Kar Tryterius," Kar said.

Sir Amos tilted his head slightly. "I've heard that name before."

"I get around."

"An uprising in the southeast?"

Kar nodded. "My wilder days, I admit," the wizard said. "We can talk about it at length if you'd like, but later would be better."

Sir Amos nodded. "I'd like that, I think. Now about your claims for the baron, where is he
—in the palace?"

"He was
here on the wagon until you stopped me," Alto said. "He'll pay with his life for what he did."

"No matter what your status or justification
, that judgment is not yours to make."

Alto stared at the knight, his sword trembling in his hand. Aleena wanted to look away. She couldn't believe what she saw. This wasn't the Alto she knew
; he was barely restraining himself! He sheathed his sword and let it go, and then shook his head and flexed his fingers a few times. Alto nodded before saying, "I won't promise anything. I will find him."

"My good man, you and your friends have done great harm to the sanctioned soldiers of Highpeak. That is a serious offense. We will find Baron Mackay and see to it that these claims are dealt with."

Alto shook his head and looked down at his feet. He looked up at the knight and shook his head. "No. I will not be delayed. Greater things are at stake! Come closer if you'd know the truth!"

"Are you threatening me?"

Alto scowled. "No! I'm tired of wasting time." Alto crouched down and picked up something. When he stood again, he cradled the limp body of an armored woman in his arms. "This is what the baron did. This is why he must die!"

Aleena gasped. Her hand flew to her mouth but it was too late
; she'd drawn the attention of those around her. "Lady Patrina!"

Alto turned and saw Aleena. His eyes narrowed in recognition
. He opened and closed his mouth before turning his attention back to Sir Amos. "Yes, this is Lady Patrina, daughter of the Jarl of Holgasford. She brought these men to find me and help. She disappeared and now we know why. The baron showed us her body and tried to claim that one of my friends did this to her."

Sir Amos pushed his way forward and loo
ked at the woman in Alto's arms. He frowned. "Strangled," he said. "I've some experience with women driven to take up the sword. It would take a very powerful man to do this."

"Alto, Tristam is bleeding bad." Aleena recognized Alto's voice
but she couldn't see him through the crowd.

"Sir Amos," Karthor interrupted the knight. "
I must tend to my friend."

"Please," Sir Amos said. "Let's spill no more blood today."

Alto snorted but the elder knight ignored him. He squatted down and put Lady Patrina's body on the wagon and then hopped off it and went with Karthor. Aleena ached to rush forward but she forced herself to wait. She'd done enough by stopping the battle before they'd been overwhelmed.

A few moments later
, Karthor rose. "I think he'll live," the priest said. "My thanks, Sir Amos, for your understanding and mercy."

Sir Amos nodded. "Come, let us disburse. The people of Highpeak do not deserve this stress. We can continue our talks in private."

Alto seethed in rage at the delay. He gave a clipped nod and turned back to pick up Patrina. Sir Amos turned to Celos and then looked at Aleena. "Join us," he said and then dismounted his horse and started towards the palace doors.

Aleena stared
after the knight in shock and then jerked when she realized she was still on her horse. She climbed down, catching her foot in the stirrup and stumbling into Celos's horse before she used him to gain her balance. She ignored the glare he sent her way and hurried after Sir Amos while Celos dismounted and followed behind her.

* * * *

"Why isn’t Tristam here?" Kar asked when they’d reassembled in a room with a table large enough for them all to sit around.

"
He’s sleeping," Karthor said. "His wound was grievous."

Kar grunted and turned back to the others. He stared a
t each of them before offering Sir Amos a smile and saying, "So what brings you to Highpeak? Can’t be the weather, this time of year."

"
We should wait until the baron is found to hold this discussion," Sir Amos said. "It wouldn’t be just to not have his say in things, especially since he stands accused."

"
Accused? Threatened is more like it," Alto growled. He rose up from his chair. "You wait here, I’ll find him."

"
Sit down!" Kar snapped at him. "And take that damn sword off, while you’re at it."

To sit comfortably
, the others had removed their heavy armor and weapons. Alto refrained, preferring to keep both his chain and sword on. The young warrior sat but ignored the rest of the wizard’s request.

"
Is there a problem?" Sir Amos asked, glancing from Alto to Kar.