Page 60 of Valdemar

Restil caught his father and mother just before the King laid a hand on the latch to the Council Chamber. “Did Ardatha tell you what Beltran, Delia and I thought of last night?”

Isla nodded. Kordas smiled. “Indeed he did. I have to say that even if they did nothing else, having the Companions able to Mindspeak with us is immensely useful. Menalus is discussing the idea with Celamir now, but I already know the answer is going to be ‘yes.’ They’re just figuring out the best way to implement the idea. I’m going to bring it up with the Council immediately, but everything is in place but the details.”

“And did he tell you what Hakkon and I decided?” Restil persisted.

“Oh, is that why Hakkon was up so early?” Kordas chuckled, and Isla made a face that said Well, I never thought I’d see Hakkon up by dawn. “I thought perhaps the Hawkbrothers had come in the night and left a changeling in Hakkon’s place. He and the Lord Martial were gone from the Great Hall by the time Isla and I went down. Jon was still sleeping; I arranged for breakfast to be brought up and left on the table for him. Last night was . . .” Kordas shook his head. “Painful for all of us, on many levels.”

“At least he managed to get some sleep,” Restil sighed. “I guess we all feel guilty. Hakkon wanted to punch heads. I explained why that would have been a bad idea.”

“Hakkon is as transparent as Jon is opaque.” Kordas shook his head. “How I managed to end up with three so very different children is a mystery to me.”

“It was a collaborative effort,” Isla chided. “I was there.”

He opened the door to the Council Chamber and waved Isla in first; Restil followed him inside.

As expected, the Lord Martial was already there. What was not expected was that young Hakkon was with him. Kordas raised an eyebrow. “Pinching my second son, my lord?” he asked archly as he and Isla took their chairs.

“Just borrowing him.” The Lord Martial cracked what passed for a smile for him; it looked genuine enough. “Thank you for the loan, Majesty. I’ve actually been in need of an aide-de-camp I know I can trust not to run about spilling secrets. Your son will do perfectly.”

Hakkon blushed a little, but looked pleased.

“I am delighted to hear it. And equally delighted that he showed initiative in coming to you and offering.” Kordas nodded at his second son. Hakkon blushed even deeper, and straightened up. Huh. He already looks more grown-up.

By now the rest of the Councilors were filing in. When they were all in their places, with Hakkon sitting behind the Lord Martial with a bit of plank and some palimpsest to make notes on, the Lord Martial stood up and cleared his throat. “Before we begin, I’d like to introduce you to this young man as my new aide-de-camp. I’m sure all of you know Prince Hakkon, by name if nothing else. If you need me and can’t find me, find him. He’ll know where I am, if I can be disturbed, and as I am sure you already know, he can be entrusted with secrets.”

He sat back down again, as the other Councilors acknowledged Hakkon’s presence with brief nods. They looked like they approved of the selection, which cheered Restil, since this had been his idea.

“An official reminder, one and all: We will only discuss generalities here. No operational details that would be of use by saboteurs or spies. However good we fancy ourselves, there is always someone out there better. So keep secrets secret. First order of business: at Restil’s suggestion, I am moving Herald Menalus to the northern border. As you know, Menalus was a member of the Guard here in the Palace until he was Chosen. He is skilled with several weapons, and is used to leading small groups of inexperienced fighters. And the main point—with him there, thanks to the Mindspeech that all Companions share, we will have instant reports from the border.”

Well, that certainly made everyone sit up and take notice!Restil thought with satisfaction.

“In addition to that, I am informed that he has the Gift of Farsight. So while things are quiet, he’s going to take a day or two and scout a bit beyond the border so he is familiar with the territory.” Kordas smiled at the Councilors’ murmurs and nods. “That should enable him to give us a day or two of warning if a hostile force approaches.”

“Doesn’t it take time to learn how to use such Gifts?” asked the Seneschal, cautiously.

“It does. But his Companion will be helping him. And we won’t be relying on it; as we discussed, there will be other measures in place. Now, I hope that some of you have other measures to suggest to me.” Kordas leaned back in his chair and waited for some answers.

“Why don’t we also send my cousin Hakkon along with Ivar the explorer, and Sergeant Briada Fairweather and her brothers Bret and Bart Fairweather?” Restil asked. All eyes turned to him, since he very rarely spoke up in the meetings. “They are all experienced explorers, good mappers, and very stealthy. They can probably get quite near the Adept’s city, and will be able to determine the most likely route that any attacking force will take to reach us. That way we’ll know where to best concentrate our attention and our defensive measures, and Herald Menalus won’t spend time riding up and down the border for—well, who knows how long?”

“Dressed in white on a white horse doesn’t seem optimal for sneaking around,” Ponu commented, “so having others do the stealth work seems wise.”

Heads nodded all around the table; Restil was pleased that they approved of his suggestion.

“Lord Martial?” Kordas asked. “The Fairweathers are under your command.”

“Approved,” the Lord Martial said. “I assume that you can talk Ivar and Hakkon the Elder into this, Majesty?”

His father laughed, and listened to Ardatha for a moment. “Ivar has been begging me for ‘something to do’ for some time now. It might take some persuasion for Hakkon to tear himself away from Jonaton, but I think we can manage it.”

:Hakkon has been very attentive to Jonaton because of Sydney, but asked Kordas last evening for something that would get him some time away from Jonaton. He loves him, but I understand he can be intense,:Darshay said to Restil. :Sending a Seneschal to scout danger is normally an indescribably stupid move—and technically, this still is—but it is also emotionally politic. Plus, he is well-skilled for the task.:

:I see the logic hidden in it. It’s clever. Hakkon will get time away, but Jonaton will undoubtedly spy on the group’s safety, so we will have warning if something befalls them. And it will refocus Jonaton, which I think will outweigh the risk,: Restil replied.

“Pebble is very near there,” said Isla, thoughtfully. “Could he, do you think, be persuaded to do some . . . landscaping?”

“Are you suggesting that Pebble create some of those traps we talked about?” Kordas asked, clearly already liking the idea.

:I like the idea too,:said Darshay. :Pebble will work without bringing harm to anything. Granted, this deep into summer it is unlikely that there are any animals with young that can’t be moved, but if there are, he’ll work around them. You humans can’t do that very well.: