“How many are you looking to hire?” a man in leather armor asked.
“I’ll hire everyone in the camp below who agrees to my terms. Oh…and there’s one more thing. The arcanists responsible for the plot to overthrow the Council…I expect you to hand them over to me, should you decide to accept.”
“You said we’re under a flag of truce!” the man in green robes said, his voice a tad shrill.
Gavin turned to look at the man who’d spoken, and his expression would’ve instantly turned water to ice. “Have I harmed any of you? Have I attacked or threatened you in any way? No. Do not insult or question my honor again, or you will face my challenge.”
“We’d like to return to our troops and discuss the matter,” the woman in half-plate said. “What should we say you’re offering as pay?”
“What are you supposed to be paid now?” Gavin asked.
“The common soldier gets five copper pieces per day, the average officer one silver, and commanders five silver.”
Gavin directed a skeptical expression the woman’s way, saying, “Lillian, do we have any copies on hand of Sivas’s pay records that we took from the Vineyard?”
“I’d have to check-”
“Wait!” the woman said. “The common soldier gets one copper piece a day, the average officer five coppers, and the commanders one silver.”
Gavin nodded. “That sounds much more accurate. Here’s my offer. In my service, a common soldier will receive one silver, an officer five silvers, and any commanders will receive one gold piece…per day.”
“Just how long do you think you can keep up that exorbitant rate of pay?” the red-robed woman asked. “They’re just common thugs.”
“I can keep up that rate of pay for far, far longer than you’ll be alive. Perhaps, they may be common thugs, but by the time I’ve finished with them, I’ll put them up against any army you care to name.”
The mercenary leaders looked to each other again, and each nodded in turn.
“We’d like to take your offer back to the troops to discuss it.”
“Excellent,” Gavin said. “Braden, hand me those linen pouches, please.”
Braden handed Gavin ten linen pouches, each about the size of a child’s hand. In turn, Gavin extended those pouches to the mercenary leaders.
“Take these. Should you wish to accept my offer, throw them in any fire. The fire will release blue smoke to indicate your decision, and you have my word that blue smoke is all these pouches will do. Anyone who leans into the smoke, though, will have blue skin until she or he bathes.”
The woman stepped forward and took the pouches.
“Now, are we agreed that the truce ends when you reach your lines, with the provision that we will not attack you until you’ve informed me of your decision?”
The mercenary leaders looked to each other again, and once all nodded, the woman in half-plate said, “That’s a little worrisome, but yes, we can agree to that.”
“Good,” Gavin said and pointed his thumb at the arcanists. “Now, please take them with you when you leave.”
Gavin waited for the visitors to clear the pavilion and stood. He looked to the officers, saying, “Have the troops set up camp for the night. I think minimal watch will be sufficient, but of course, I’m happy to defer to your judgment on that. I doubt they’ll talk for more than a day before they accept my offer. Oh, speaking of that…I need parchment, ink, a stylus, and sealing wax.”
Provided with those items, Gavin wrote out a quick note and sealed it by dribbling wax on the fold and pressing his medallion into it. Once the wax dried, he handed the note to Declan.
“Would you be so kind as to ensure the woman in half-plate receives that sooner rather than later? Just make sure they’ve reached their lines before you deliver it.”
Declan nodded once, took the letter, and left the pavilion.
“Gavin, what was in that letter?” Lillian asked, though Gavin could see that very question written across every face present.
“I merely communicated to the woman that, on further consideration, I was willing to accept six heads at no discount or penalty, if live prisoners should be problematic.”
Lillian’s eyes went wide, and she opened her mouth as if to speak.
Ovir spoke first, “And by ensuring that missive arrives after they return to their lines, there are absolutely no grounds for claims that you violated the flag of truce. Well played, young man.”
Gavin shrugged. “I can but try.”
It was a little past noon the next day when the large bonfire at the center of the camp started billowing blue smoke. Gavin withdrew the dragon’s tooth from a pocket and fed it a trickle of power, saying, “Nathrac, the mercenary army is no more. You may return the garrison to rest at your leisure.”
The only response was the tooth crumbling away to dust.
“What are you going to do with your new army, Gavin?” Mariana asked as they watched the blue smoke rise into the sky.
“Not a whole lot, right away,” Gavin said. “I’ll work with the commanders to divvy them up between all my various holdings as guards and implement a training regimen. You never know, the day may come when we’re glad I have an army scattered across Tel.”
Chapter 58
Even with the passage of two weeks, Tel Mivar was still in an uproar. Members of the town guard stood on every street corner, while groups of three to five walked the blocks. In the space of less than one hundred yards, Gavin heard claims that the world was ending, Lornithar and his followers were coming back, and the dead were rising from their graves…just to name a few.
For once, no one seemed to recoil from Gavin’s medallion. In fact, many swarmed him, asking what had happened, what those blue ghosts were, or whether he knew if the end-times had come at last. Gavin responded to each person with politeness and honesty, while doing his best to maintain forward momentum.
A short time later, Gavin, Kiri, Declan, Ovir, and his apprentices rode through the College gate. Valera stood at the foot of the stairs leading up to the Tower of the Council, and stable-hands waited with her, who took charge of the horses as everyone dismounted.
“You never do anything half-way, do you?” Valera said as Gavin approached.
Gavin grinned, saying, “Why should I start now?”
“Fair point,” Valera said, following it with a heavy sigh. “The Council is assembled and pretty much demanding your presence, and I have a messenger from the king cooling his heels in Sera’s office. He carries a demand from the king that you present yourself before him forthwith, lest he send the Royal Guard to collect you.”
“Let’s go deal with the Council,” Gavin said. “I’m not that worried about Leuwyn. As I believe my mentor said at one point, ‘he can roast on a fiery spit in Lornithar’s Abyss for all I care.’”
“Yes, well, let’s not tell him that,” Valera said as she turned to ascend the steps.
Gavin took two quick steps to arrive at her side and offered her his arm, saying, “Why not?”
Valera sighed once more and shook her head.
It was the matter of a short walk to arrive at the Chamber of the Council. Valera released Gavin’s arm and entered on her own, with Gavin and the rest following a few steps behind. Declan stretched his shoulders and leaned against the wall beside the door; Kiri moved to stand with him.