Gunta saw the area where the cave was and used a plank to steer the raft closer to shore. As the raft bumped the shoreline, Lord Marak jumped off and grabbed the short rope, holding the raft while the others got off. Gunta helped Halman get Rybak into the cave and Lord Marak shoved the raft back into the river. Gunta emerged from the cave with two horses and handed one to Lord Marak.
“Where will you find a healer?” asked Gunta.
“There is only one place that I can think of,” stated Lord Marak. “There are some Chula near Forest Deep. I will ask them for help.”
“But they are not Kywara,” warned Gunta. “They do not know of Lord Marak of Fardale. They will see you as another flatlander invading their homeland.”
“You may be right, Gunta,” agreed Lord Marak, “but it is the only chance that Rybak has and I owe him whatever help I can find. Do not try to search for me among the Chula. If I do not return, Halman will do what he can for Rybak. You stay with Lord Marshal Yenga. Remember to stay off the normal trail to Fardale. The Situ will be heading that way looking for us.”
Gunta nodded and rode off into the darkness. Lord Marak went into the cave and checked on Rybak before melding into the still night.
* * *
Lord Marshal Grefon felt the lump on his head and cursed. He sat up on the couch and shook his head to clear it. Remembering what had happened, he grabbed the sword he had come into the study to get and ran towards the dungeon stairs. He threw open the door and ran down the stairs and stopped when he saw the carnage which used to be Cortain Koors. He ran back up the stairs shouting so loudly that he was heard outside. One of the soldiers from the patrol met him as he opened the front door of the mansion.
“Rybak has escaped,” he ordered. “Marak is with him. Rouse the troops and get a Corte out on the road to Fardale immediately. I want them both and I want them alive. Marak, at least. I don’t care if Rybak is dead or alive.”
The soldier turned and ran towards the barracks as Lord Ridak appeared at the front door of the mansion. “What is going on?” he demanded. “What was that about Rybak and Marak?”
Lord Marshal Grefon turned and stared at the Lord of the Situ. “Marak came to rescue Rybak,” explained Lord Marshal Grefon. “Let us go into my study and I will explain it to you.”
Lord Ridak followed his Lord Marshal and sat on the couch in Grefon’s study. The Lord Marshal looked at the still burning candle and tried to estimate how much time had expired since he had seen Marak.
“The Seneschal woke me with a report of a shout,” began Lord Marshal Grefon. “I came to my study to get my sword and was surprised by Marak. He must have been hiding in there waiting for me.”
“So, he managed to survive the attack of the Ragatha Clan,” surmised Lord Ridak. “Small matter. He can never get it back again.”
“That is not the picture he paints,” corrected Lord Marshal Grefon. “He told me that Fardale is no longer a Situ estate. He now calls himself Lord Marak of the Torak Clan and is claiming Fardale for himself.”
“Impossible,” cried Lord Ridak. “He is just an impudent fool. There is no way he could hope to hold off the Ragatha Clan. He is probably lucky to have escaped with his life.”
“Perhaps you are right,” mused Lord Marshal Grefon, “but I have never known Marak to lie. There is a chance he managed to talk the Ragatha Clan into not attacking. Maybe he offered them part of Fardale to leave him alone. Maybe he convinced them that they would be better off with him as a neighbor than the Situ Clan.”
“It could be worse than that,” postulated Lord Ridak. “He may have offered to become an estate of the Ragatha in order to remain Lord of Fardale. That is something Lord Sevrin might buy. He gains Fardale without a fight and Marak keeps his position.”
“Possibly,” admitted Lord Marshal Grefon. “He made some comment about you calling on the Lords Council to get Fardale back from him.”
“Perhaps after his dealings with the Sorgans,” Lord Ridak observed, “our Marak thinks the Lords Council is easy to fool. He could not be more mistaken. If he still controls Fardale and has tried to put up a banner other than the Situ banner, he has just offered to give Fardale back to us. It will actually be easier than sending our troops. I want a messenger sent to the capital immediately. We will take Marak’s advice and ask for a mediator from the Lords Council.”
“You should let me send scouts first to make sure that what Marak has said is true,” protested Lord Marshal Grefon.
“Every time I have taken your advice regarding Marak,” sneered Lord Ridak, “things have gotten worse. I sometimes think I would have been better off sending you to Fardale and making Marak my Lord Marshal. Why didn’t you kill him while he was here?”
Lord Marshal Grefon broke eye contact with Lord Ridak and stared at his bookshelf. “He attacked me when I wasn’t looking,” fabricated Lord Marshal Grefon. “I told you I was coming in here to get my sword and he was already here waiting for me. He hit me over the head with something.”
“I see,” ridiculed Lord Ridak. “He surprised you and knocked you out and then he had a talk with you? After your little chat he went downstairs and freed Rybak. How did he manage to get past the jailer?”
Lord Marshal Grefon burned with shame and hatred for Marak. “He killed both the jailer and Koors,” he spat. “Koors was cut in two. I’m not sure how the jailer died, but Marak stripped his uniform off, probably to cover Rybak.”
“Let me see if I have this right,” scowled Lord Ridak. “One lone man waltzes onto my estate and gains entry to the Lord Marshal’s study. He knocks the Lord Marshal unconscious and then goes downstairs and kills two men. He takes a nearly dead captive, dresses him and walks off into the night and we can’t find him. Is that the story I am to believe?”
Lord Marshal Grefon rose and walked to the door. “I will summon a messenger for you, Lord Ridak.”
“Not quite so fast, Lord Marshal,” called Lord Ridak. “I want every man who was on duty last night punished. I will not have an estate that is open for any person off the road to enter whenever he sees fit. The punishment should be harsh. As for yourself, you will no longer issue orders on this estate without my approval. You have bungled our dealings with Marak at every turn. I can not afford any more of your wondrous plans. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, My Lord,” saluted Lord Marshal Grefon. He waited to see if the tirade would continue and when Lord Ridak rose and stormed out, Grefon put his fist through the wall. Oh, how he wished it was Lord Ridak’s suite that Marak had entered. Nothing would give Grefon more pleasure right now than to cut off Marak’s head right after the young Lord got done with humiliating Lord Ridak.
* * *
Cortain Rybak woke up and winced as he tried to move. Halman rushed over and forced the wounded man to lie back down. “Halman?” Rybak wheezed. “Where am I?”
“You are safe, Cortain,” soothed Halman. “You are in a cave north of Lituk Valley. Lord Marak has gone for a healer. You must rest until he returns.”
“Lord Marak was here?” couched Cortain Rybak. “Tell me what happened.”
“If you promise not to try to get up,” admonished Halman. “Lord Marak, Gunta and myself broke into the mansion and pulled you out. There is not much to tell except you will be glad to know that Koors will not bother you ever again. Lord Marak cut him in two. Gunta has gone to stop Lord Marshal Yenga from attacking Lituk Valley. He was going to do so if we did not return by a certain time.”
“Lord Marshal Yenga?” quizzed Cortain Rybak. “What happened with the Ragatha attack?”
It suddenly dawned on Halman that Rybak knew nothing of the events of the last few days. “We defeated the Ragatha Clan,” smiled Halman. “They have sworn allegiance to Lord Marak and given up Woodville. Lord Marak has declared his independence from the Situ Clan. We are now members of the Torak Clan. How do you like our new uniforms? Black and silver.”