Michael Stackpole - Of Limited Loyalty

“Vladimir, you are going to fight a foe that would kill your family. If you were abandoning us, you would be sailing to Launston to petition your aunt for troops. I understand the difference and respect it. This does not mean there will not be nights when I cry myself to sleep, or that I do not mumble those angry phrases I don’t want our children to learn. I understand, and just because I may not always like it, it does not mean I will think ill of you for the decision you’ve made.”

“I am going to miss you terribly. Every moment.”

She slipped her arms around his waist. “I still have the lock of hair you gave me when you went to Anvil Lake. I shall wear it every day you are gone. And I shall have for you a locket with a snip from your son, your daughter, and your loving wife, such that you can never forget us.”

He kissed her, fully yet gently, holding her close, memorizing how she felt in his arms. “I could never forget you, Gisella, nor my family. I will love you for eternity and will never let you come to harm.”

5 May 1768 Prince Haven Temperance Bay, Mystria

Having entrusted his pack and gear to Caleb Frost for safe keeping, Nathaniel jogged down the drive from the Bounty Trail. He found the Prince taking his leave of his family, Mugwump saddled, and two wagons containing the Prince’s headquarters company materiel ready to go. Nathaniel’s heart ached to breaking as Prince Richard clung to his father’s leg while the Prince hugged and kissed his wife and daughter.

Prince Vlad released his wife, letting a hand trail down her arm to give her hand a squeeze, then squatted to look his son in the eye. “You have to be the man of the house, Richard. It’s very important. You’re almost four years old. Your mother is going to need you. So is your sister. I need you to be a good little soldier.”

The little boy studied his father’s face for a moment, then pulled himself together and saluted. Prince Vlad returned the salute, then hugged his son tightly and gave him a kiss. “I love you, and I’ll be home before your birthday.”

The boy mumbled his reply against his father’s neck, so Nathaniel could not hear. It didn’t stop him from smiling. He envied the Prince. Nathaniel had taken his own leave from Rachel Ward, but it was different from leaving a child. He’d never met his son by her, Humble. He’d seen him from afar and had watched him playing with other children. The boy seemed a bit on the delicate side to Nathaniel-bookish like Caleb which, Nathaniel reminded himself, showed the boy could have potential in a fight. Still, if Humble didn’t need to be shot at, that would be fine, too.

And taking leave of a Mystrian family and a Shedashee family wasn’t the same. Nathaniel loved his Altashee children, but the tradition in which they’d been raised placed less emphasis on who their parents were than their place in society. When he left the Altashee, he was missed, but his children would sing songs of his adventures whether he was dead or alive. The entire tribe was their family, which might decrease the role of a single parent, but meant that if that parent died, the children wouldn’t be left destitute or forgotten.

Prince Vlad stood and blushed slightly. “I thought you were going to wait on the road.”

“Well, that was the plan. Got the foresters out here last night and they done set up camp. Northern Rangers is with them. But come morning, we got us a problem.”

The Prince arched an eyebrow. “Yes, Mr. Woods?”

Nathaniel smiled. “I reckon you might want to come see is all, Highness. Ain’t nothing I can handle. Caleb, he’s getting some information for you.”

“I would take this to be dire news, but your attitude suggests otherwise.” The Prince sighed. “I just hope this entire expedition is not full of the unexpected.”

“I kin understand your thoughts there, Highness, but I reckon you know it will be, ’specially when we meet the enemy.”

The two men trudged along to the Bounty Trail, with Vlad picking up the pace and cutting across the fields to where Caleb Frost stood with a tall, slender man. “You’re right, Nathaniel, there’s definitely something wrong here.”

Nathaniel nodded. He’d camped back a bit from the road, over on the north side opposite Prince Haven. Caleb and his Bookworms had joined him without asking his leave, but he wasn’t about to tell them no. Four years ago all seven had been at Temperance College and full of book learning. They’d pushed themselves hard, each and everyone, and most had made it all the way to Fort Cuivre and on down to Anvil Lake. Since then they’d returned to college or moved on, each one taking up a profession at which, to the best of Nathaniel’s knowledge, they were doing quite well. The fact that most of them were carrying rifled hunting muskets and were wearing fine gear testified to their success.

He’d sat back and listened to them discussing the issues of the day, like the Shipping and Commerce Act. Though he didn’t always understand every word they were using, their passion impressed him. Their reasoning did, too, including their thoughts about both when the Crown would pass more acts, and what those acts would do to relations with the Colonies. By the nature of their discussions, and the fact that they were willing to answer the call to go to war, these men stood out as the future of Mystria.

They asked him his opinion of the Shipping and Commerce Act, and remained silent as he expressed himself. “Well, I ain’t sure the Queen’s got call to expect us to abide by them rules, since didn’t nobody ask us, and I ain’t sure any of them over there exactly understand Mystria. I reckon they think beaver pelts grow on bushes and we’s just out here plucking them on account of we is too bored at chasing after butterflies and drinking whiskey. And I reckon this here Act is her marking her territory, same as a wolf or a jeopard. Just because one of them beasts ain’t gnawed on me yet, I ain’t going to think they ain’t never going to gnaw.”

Caleb had looked at him across the little campfire. “Does this mean you won’t register?”

Nathaniel had shrugged. “Ain’t given it too much mind. I reckon there will be someone, somewhere, what will register a dead man or something, and that dead man will be the producingest man in Mystria. Might be I’d work for him. I don’t rightly know if I want to break the law regularly, but I am not of a mind to be abiding it yet.”

That comment had been enough to spur another round of conversation. Nathaniel took his leave from it and found it surprisingly easy to fall asleep as they discussed.

Upon waking the next morning he discovered the problem to which he alerted the Prince. A small tent city had sprung up during the night. Men-ranging from boys with their fathers to old men-had joined up. They’d come from near and far, and some had clearly been traveling for days. A few men had come with their wives-the foresters had done that, too-and a few led oxen pulling carts.

Prince Vlad grabbed Nathaniel’s arm. “Where did they come from?”

“Everywhere. Heard you was going, wanted to join in.”

“But how?” The Prince’s eyes tightened. “I asked everyone to keep things secret.”

“Well, I reckon that went by the by when all of the Fifth Northland got called back to Temperance. Plus, ain’t everyone going to keep their mouths shut. And there’s some out there what was with you at Anvil Lake and figure there ain’t no way you can go fighting no one without them, asked for or not.”

“I should have anticipated this situation.” The Prince nodded as he reached Caleb and the tall man. “Yes, Caleb?”

Caleb led a tall man toward them. “This is Horace Longwalk. He’s from Jewel, about fourteen miles up on the Bay Thumb. He came with his brother, a son, and his sister-in-law.”