Crusade - James Lowder [6]
The king looked at the wax. A phoenix clutching a hammer in its claws was imbedded there. That imprint told him that the message was from Torg mac Cei, a dwarven king from the Earthfast Mountains. After closing his eyes and whispering a short prayer to Torm, the God of Duty, Azoun snapped the seal and read the missive.
As his eyes raced down the page, Azoun sighed. A slight smile bloomed on his face, then disappeared. The king handed the parchment to Vangerdahast and headed toward the trapdoor. "Excuse me, my friends, I have some important people to contact right away."
As he started down the stairs, the king turned and added, "We'll talk again soon, Dimswart, Winefiddle." He smiled again briefly and looked at his stunned royal wizard. "We should confer, Vangy. I need your advice on obtaining the use of a large number of ships."
The wizard, sage, and cleric stood dumbfounded as Azoun rushed down the tower stairs. After the footfalls on the stone steps grew distant, Vangerdahast pulled open the letter. "It's from King Torg of Earthfast," he told the others as they moved to his side.
"A message about the crusade, I assume," Dimswart noted. "I can probably guess what it says."
"Well, I can't," Winefiddle said, turning his holy symbol over and over in his hands. "Please read it aloud, Vangerdahast."
"No," the wizard muttered, handing the letter to the priest. "It's short. You might as well read it yourself."
Winefiddle glanced at the dwarven runes at the top of the page, then read over the lengthy listing of Torg's titles and genealogy. Vangerdahast was correct about the body of the missive: it was brief. The text was also written in perfect rows of neat letters.
I have consulted our war council about the barbarian horsewarriors, the letter began. You are absolutely correct in your assessment of the situation.
Therefore, I pledge, as ironlord of Earthfast, to lead two thousand dwarven troops under your banner against the Tuigan. I also have a brilliant human general in my city at this time who will join the conflict. We await your arrival to begin this crusade.
Winefiddle stopped reading, then a shudder wracked his heavy frame as he saw the final lines of the message: My troops and I will gladly lay down our lives to the last warrior to stop the invasion. I know that you and your troops will certainly pledge the same.
The cleric held the parchment out to Dimswart, who had returned to his seat at the chessboard. The sage waved the letter away. "Torg has offered troops to support the crusade. You could see it in Azoun's face as he read the note." Dimswart picked up the white king from the chessboard and looked at it intently. "Those of us who think the crusade is a good idea can only hope now that the other kings and lords will follow Torg's lead."
Vangerdahast sighed. "Azoun is a very, very persuasive man. The leaders of Faerun will do as he suggests."
As one, Dimswart and Winefiddle looked to the royal magician.
Vangerdahast stood at the window Azoun had occupied earlier, looking out over Suzail. "The question is no longer 'will Azoun lead the crusade against the Tuigan?'" The mage turned to face the king's two friends, who both saw the sadness in his eyes.
"Suzail will pay dearly for this. Azoun simply doesn't know what a real war takes out of a people." The mage breathed another ragged sigh and turned back to the window. "And he's underestimating the opposition of the trappers.
"No," he stated after a moment, "the crusade will go on. The question to be asked now is, can Azoun pay the price for fighting this war?"
2
The Council of Suzail Initially at least, King Azoun had far more trouble recruiting support for the crusade than Vangerdahast had predicted in the tower on that day. It wasn't that the monarch's persuasive powers were less than the royal wizard claimed. In fact, Azoun and his wife, Queen Filfaeril, had spent much of the winter speaking to their nobles and their neighbors; most of the rulers considered a preemptive attack on