They came down to the tavern hall at dawn and hastily ate whatever they could buy with Woody’s last remaining coins. Lainter was nowhere to be seen, random guests were asleep on benches and at tables, and the innkeeper snored somewhere in the back room. To get their meager breakfast, Kairu had to first wake up a servant who had dozed off near the counter with a dust rag in hand. When they stepped out of the tavern onto the road, the sun hadn’t yet risen. It only sent pale rays behind the forest, casting orange highlights on the clouds. The trees loomed over the road like sentinels; their snowy caps didn’t sparkle, but looked more like gray blotches. There was no wind, but the February frost pinched their cheeks as if the winter, now nearing its end, was trying to remind people of its presence before the warm spring arrived.

  In the stable by the tavern, the Hellsteed was nowhere to be seen, though Kairu hadn’t expected to find him there. Something told him that Yuf was now far away and busy with more important things than idle talk about regime changes. Woody didn’t seem surprised either.

  "Was that your friend?" he asked bluntly, stepping closer. "I heard you two yelling downstairs. Probably could be heard all the way in the Enchanted Forest."

  "He was…" Kairu echoed. "I don’t know what happened. Maybe I was unfair to him… Maybe now he’ll realize what each of us has to do. We’re doing it, aren’t we? Damn it, it’s us, and not anyone else, who are saving the thousands still left in Mainor."

  "Well, Aktos will forgive him," Woody waved it off. "Let’s go."

  "No, not ‘let’s go.’ Now—it’s ‘let’s ride.’ Gods, what an idiot I’ve been! Why didn’t I think of this the moment we entered the Enchanted Forest? We could’ve reached Asternia in a week!"

  "What are you talking about?"

  "Woody, I’ve got a horse too!"

  "Yeah, right… back in Mainor," the thief snorted.

  "No, listen. It’s the Hellsteed. He knows where his master is and always follows. He’s somewhere nearby, I’m sure of it!" And sticking two fingers in his mouth, he whistled so sharply that Woody covered his ears. The whistle echoed far and wide, trembling among the trees, and then silence fell.

  After a long pause, Woody said,

  "Now we’ll have to wait a week for that damn horse of yours to show up. Better just walk, it’s more reliable and—" He stopped mid-sentence, because from deep in the forest came a reply: a thunderous neigh and the sound of pounding hooves shaking the ground. Moments later, where the road dipped into the trees, the Hellsteed appeared—Kairu’s snow-white Hellsteed. His voice held wild joy and an urgency to gallop, anywhere, even to the ends of the world. In a few strides he stood before them, hooves throwing up slush as he skidded to a halt. Lowering his head, the horse let Kairu stroke him. Woody stared wide-eyed, muttered a curse, and watched from a distance in awe. The horse didn’t even glance at him.

  "Don’t worry, he won’t bite," said Kairu, repeating bitterly, "Gods, what an idiot I was."

  "It’s not your fault," Woody said, cautiously approaching and tousling the steed’s white mane. "So much happened all at once back then, it’s a miracle we didn’t forget more. Can’t change the past, we’re lucky we escaped the capital at all and made it here. Now we can ride at full speed… if, of course, the horse lets us repeat the feat of Emon’s sons…"

  "Brrr!" Kairu shuddered. "I’ve galloped full speed on the Hellsteed once. All you think about is not falling off, and you cling to that mane tighter than a burr. But let’s try to ride as fast as possible. By evening we’ll complete our diplomatic mission. Climb up behind me. Go!"

  He squeezed the horse’s sides with his knees, helped Woody climb up, and they took off. The Hellsteed, sensing his master’s will, burst into a wild gallop and, neighing with joy, sped down the trail toward the forest’s edge. The scenery blurred with dizzying speed, the tavern vanished in an instant, and moments later they broke free from the trees into the vast snow-covered steppes.

  The plains of the Northern Province spread out before them, blanketed in a carpet so white it made their eyes squint despite the dawn-dimmed light. But the tall winter wheat waved above the snow, its tips shifting in the wind, and the wind was strong enough to nearly throw the riders from the galloping steed. To the left, the forest stretched northward toward the barely visible Olmaer Mountains, their peaks merging with the morning mist. Ahead, the mountains loomed more sharply and darkly, rising like a wall separating Aktida from the unknown eastern lands of the continent, lands untouched by mortals. This was nearly the edge of the world. Asternia appeared at the foot of the mountains as a barely visible dot. The road sloped from the plateau into a valley, across a wide expanse of meadows, steppes, and fields lying between the forest and the city.

  The sun, hidden behind low gray clouds, slowly crept over the peaks. Kairu slowed the horse’s pace; now they rode calmly along a winding road. The wind howled in their ears, and Kairu leaned forward against the Hellsteed’s steaming neck.

  "I wonder what’s in that letter Geonar is sending to Telorand that he couldn’t say in person?" Woody suddenly asked. "Asternia was going to send troops in spring anyway, same as Boreain and Petista. But no, we had to deliver a top-secret message and risk our necks… They must be hiding something from the king, no doubt."

  "We’re not opening it! That’s their business, not ours."

  "Maybe so… Still, something smells fishy."

  Kairu frowned in thought.

  "You’re not saying that…" he began.

  "Yup. Maybe Geonar and Felm are Cassians too."

  The fields fell behind them. They crossed a small river flowing down from the mountains, raced through a gloomy grove of sparse trees, and broke into a line of forested hills. The road rose toward the walls of the city almost rivaling Nalvin in scale, beyond which dozens of towers stretched into the sky. The gray stone walls clung to the mountain slopes, and the suburbs and villages scattered across the hills around it. They rode through these settlements before reaching the moat surrounding the fortress, guarded by a handful of sentries.

  Outside the walls stood a stable and tavern for those who couldn’t afford to stay inside the city, famous for its landmarks and drawing tourists despite its remoteness from the centers of civilization. The guards silently stepped aside, letting everyone through. Kairu had no idea how to navigate Asternia, but the crowd quickly carried him onto a wide stone road lined with wealthy white-stone mansions with tiled roofs. Out of habit, he headed toward the tallest building in the city, assuming that’s where the governor would be. To him, the tallest seemed to be a tower somewhere near the center.

  The city was waking up. They galloped past people coming out of their homes and hurrying somewhere; past gardens dozing under the snow and enormous buildings surrounded by iron fences; one of them had a sign reading: "Fighters' Guild." Kairu rode further along the road that climbed a hill and emerged at the river that ran through the center of the city, clad in granite. On the other side stood a vast castle, whimsically adorned with turrets of every size.

  "That’s not the governor’s castle," Woody said quietly. "I knew people who had been here… They said the Mages' Guild is even richer than the governor’s palace. And that," he added, pointing, "is the world-renowned Asternian Academy of Magic."

  "Whoa!" Kairu whistled. "The place where Petros studied…" He looked around and approached a distinguished professor heading toward the Academy. "Hey, kind sir! Excuse me, how do we get to Governor Telorand?"

  "Ride straight, up the road, past the merchant district, and you’ll run right into it," the old man cheerfully replied. "It’s a small, unassuming house… If you get lost, ask someone else, anyone around here can point the way."

  The "small, unassuming house" turned out to be a rather large castle surrounded by a defensive wall. Dismounting at the gate, Kairu and Woody approached the guards stationed at the doors. The men clearly looked bored and cold, casting glances at the kids yelling and running through the snowy alleys. Kairu stepped up, holding out a rather crumpled letter and grumbled:

  "To see the governor. From Mainor."

  "And what makes you think, kid, that we’re going to let you through?" one of the guards smirked, lazily raising his spear, but the second one stopped him:

  "Hold on… That seal—it's from Mainor, all right. And the mark of the Minister of Defense too! Looks like we’ve got important guests, my friend. We’d better let them through, or we’ll be in trouble when the governor finds out."

  "No kidding? I don’t like ‘em."

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  "Same here," Woody replied. "And you should listen more to your smarter buddy. And maybe take a look at a map of Aktida sometime and count how many miles it is from Mainor to Asternia, and how far we had to ride off-road…"

  "My sympathies," the soldier said, handing back the letter. "What’s the purpose of your visit?"

  The second guard reluctantly let them through the massive gate arch. Kairu had already gone inside and was heading to the castle steps, but Woody lingered to call out:

  "You’ll find out soon enough. This’ll be the talk of the city soon. And you’d better be ready to tighten your favorite footwraps, try on your uniform, and spend the next month bouncing in a saddle…"

  After a short pause, the gate guards broke into a heated argument and even grabbed their knives, but Kairu and Woody, passing the silent sentries at the main steps, didn’t hear any of it. These guards said nothing, but opened the doors, and one of them shouted into the darkness:

  "Augustus! Get over here, you useless slacker! Escort the visitors to Telorand."

  "What visitors?" croaked an ancient majordomo, emerging from a corridor shimmering with dull gold. "At this hour? Is it urgent?"

  "Urgent!" Woody couldn’t hold back. "And don’t look at my cloak like that. Yes, it’s dirty, because I didn’t have anywhere to wash it on the road. I came here all the way from Mainor, and I intend to deliver the message to the governor, eat lunch, and go to bed."

  "Mainor?" the old man’s eyes widened. "News? What’s happening there? The siege still hasn’t happened?"

  "It has, old man," Kairu said quietly. "Mainor is in crisis, and we came to ask for help. Turns out we need it sooner than we thought."

  The massive doors shut behind them, and they found themselves in a hall with a high ceiling, no windows, but dozens of smoking lamps and candles lining the walls. A series of similar halls extended deep into the castle, and at the end of a corridor, they were seated in armchairs and told to wait. Kairu wasn’t in a hurry, he stretched out his legs and enjoyed the thought that they were finally in a city where they could always find food and a proper place to sleep—though it was still all quite distant.

  Telorand arrived soon. They saw a silver-haired man with sideburns and thick mustache, wearing a blue ceremonial robe, stop at the entrance to the hall and say something sharp to two nobles in doublets and cloaks, who bowed and stepped aside. Then he hurried toward the messengers. Woody and Kairu jumped to their feet, though it was difficult. The chairs were soft and warm and seemed to beg them to stay seated and relax.

  "No formalities," Telorand gestured, seeing they were ready to kneel. He dropped heavily into the chair opposite them, and Kairu noticed how worn and tired he looked. Telorand Elrith had been the eldest of the king’s governors across the four provinces, holding his post for nearly forty years, and the politicians of Mainor often invited him to their councils; his opinion on any matter was considered crucial. He had once been not a politician, but a soldier, rising all the way to general, and that was one of the reasons Ringus had sent messengers to Asternia.

  "I’m told you’re messengers from Mainor," he began without preamble.

  "We have a message from Ringus Felm and Geonar," Kairu quickly said, handing him the letter. "Mainor has been under siege since the first of January. They've already used up much of their supplies and ammunition. Ringus urges you not to delay and to march with the army at once… We must defeat Cassander before he can call for reinforcements from Saelin."

  "Why does he think I need to be reminded of my obligations?" Telorand broke the seal, his hands slightly trembling. "I remember the agreement. No later than the first of March. The city is nearly ready, in due time I’ll be able to inspect the gathered forces and march along the old road through the forest to Ilvion."

  "We didn’t read the letter," Woody found his courage, "but most likely, Ringus wants to warn you of something that shouldn’t be discussed in Mainor, not in the presence of the king…"

  Telorand wasn’t listening, he was immersed in the letter, and the further his eyes scanned, the darker his expression grew. Kairu held his breath. The governor’s eyes stopped, and for a moment he seemed to stare into the last lines. Then he jumped up, crushed the letter, walked to the massive fireplace by the wall, and threw the paper into the flames. He turned back, staring grimly at the messengers.

  "These are not good times for Aktida," he said through clenched teeth. "Frankly, my people and I are used to peace and unprepared for war. And I have every right to refuse Mainor, if only because Saelin might shift his forces north, leaving Asternia defenseless. However, Ringus believes this risk—of leaving Asternia without a garrison—is justified and will bear fruit. Geonar agrees with him that Mainor can only be saved through united efforts, and if Mainor holds, so will Aktida. In fact, victory at Mainor would effectively mean victory over Saelin, because our only chance of winning is to crush their army completely. Completely."

  "When will the army march?" Kairu asked.

  "I’ll try to recruit more men, but I won’t delay. We’ll need at least a month to reach Mainor by the thaw, and I’m certain this year the snow will melt by April… You say the city’s under siege? How did you escape and make it here?"

  "Thanks to Lord Geonar, he showed us how to escape the city, though it was deadly dangerous," Woody muttered. Kairu was silent, remembering the alternative they had been offered. "We escaped through the sewers, came out via the drainage pipes into Ilvion, and swam across to the eastern bank."

  "And the Enchanted Forest? The centaurs let you through?"

  "Strangely enough, yes. They even gave us clothes and fed us for free."

  "A miracle, that is! Well, consider yourselves lucky. They might let two people through, but a whole army—never. I’ll have to lead the troops around. The Enchanted Forest… I don’t like that place. Thank you, soldiers. You did well, even if the news is grim, and I’m glad Geonar and Ringus contacted me first. Now go. I’ve learned enough, I need time to think. Augustus!"

  The old majordomo appeared, who had been waiting behind the doors all this time.

  "Take the messengers to the best guest rooms and make sure they get lunch as well. They arrived on horseback, I believe? See that it’s taken to the stables and fed oats. And call the advisors to me… Let no one disturb us for the next three hours."

  ***

  Asternia changed overnight. On the winding streets leaping from hill to hill, peace was gone. Heralds were already blowing horns in the city square, calling for a general assembly. Anxious crowds poured in, while ominous drums summoned people to take up arms again and march away from their native Northern Province toward the unknown.

  Pushing their way through the crowd, Kairu and Woody already heard the call that pierced the soul—oh yes, Asternia’s heralds knew how to blow massive horns and shout lofty slogans about fighting for a just cause. This was their third time preparing to go into battle, to face the grim embodiment of death in the form of faceless, indifferent enemy soldiers, and they were no strangers to the hoarse cries of agitators rallying the people. Still, Kairu couldn’t help but imagine what was happening in the hearts of people used to peace. A person’s life changed against their will at the sound of those trumpets. Right now, men were probably flinching in their homes, children crying uncontrollably, and wives staring in horror at grim-faced defenders putting on fur coats and trudging toward the square where the military assembly was taking place…

  The city gates opened, not yet to release a fully formed army, but to let in small detachments sent by Asternia’s vassals and neighboring counties, manors, and villages. The mobilized allies arrived with shields and family crests on their banners. They were still few in number, and would have looked like a ragged carnival, were it not for the gleaming armor and swords at their belts. Peasants, drafted by universal military service, marched in rough cuirasses of homemade make, armed with hoes, rakes, hammers, and axes.

  "Free citizens of Asternia! Free people of the Northern Province!" the heralds cried out, blowing again and again into enormous horns.

  "Hear the word of Governor Telorand, the sovereign’s viceroy in these lands! The war declared by Saelin has come too close to our homes! The enemy army already stands at the gates of Mainor! Unite to strike the enemy with our combined forces! Join the Liberation Army, do everything in battle to free Aktida from the yoke of invasion!"

  "Had enough of this, damn it…" muttered a man in the crowd near Kairu. "When will it ever end?!"

  "Don't delay!!! Help Aktida!"

  "And how haven’t their lungs burst?" asked a woman rocking a child in her arms, addressing no one in particular. "And why can’t they solve things peacefully? Why should we have to fight over their problems?"

  "Must be God's punishment for our sins. As long as Aktida has existed, it's been at war. Who with and why—doesn’t matter."

  The governor appeared in the square, surrounded by his large entourage, on horseback, clad in shining armor—the very image of inspiration for boosting the troops’ morale. Right there in the square, a military council was convened with seasoned soldiers and officials, deciding with Telorand the army’s route from Asternia to Mainor. A crowd of several thousand surged, buzzed, and loudly discussed the sudden news from every angle. Recruits arriving from nearby villages were sent straight to the Arsenal for weapons and armor issued at state expense. New regiments filled the streets, and soon even the most remote corners of Asternia teemed with life.

  The sun slowly drifted toward evening. The prolonged council ended. Not even a third of the forces Telorand had counted on had arrived yet, but already there was a split, and part of the soldiers peeled off to reinforce the city garrison. The rest looked on in envy as those lucky few headed off, while they returned to their homes or barracks, awaiting the order to march. Kairu and Woody returned to the governor’s chambers but lay awake for hours, listening to the clatter of hooves and voices in the courtyard.

  Morning brought no surprises. The third day in Asternia began exactly like the previous one, though the noise outside hadn’t ceased. It was now joined by the hammering from forges, the neighing of hundreds of horses, and the clanging of weapons. Strangely enough, amid the chaos, the servants hadn’t forgotten to bring breakfast. Kairu and Woody took their time—they ate well and then dropped by the Arsenal, where they were immediately fitted with armor, mail, and cuirasses to replace those left behind in Mainor. The rest of the day passed in tense anticipation, and that evening, Kairu again tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

  Only on the fourth day after the initial call did the horns sound again in the square, announcing a military review and summoning the people. The city was now crammed with soldiers, horses, and piles of manure that filled the streets. No one even tried to clean it, and everyone had long since gotten used to the stench. A real tent camp had grown up on the hills beyond the walls. The troops formed ranks before the governor, who personally conducted the review, counting the detachments, regiments, and banners of his army. Then the human wave, responding to the officers’ commands, stirred and moved out, following Telorand and his generals.

  Kairu, on his Hellsteed, and Woody, on an army horse gifted by Telorand, caught up with the army near the gates, merged into its ranks, and, falling in at the rear of the column, marched out of Asternia.