Chapter 2
From Toreas
A loud slap echoed through the large hall. The barons meaty hand was resting on the spacious table in front of him, a few scrolls and maps had scattered.
"They can't refuse! Take more soldiers and tell them I send her if they don't comply."
One stubbly finger pointed at a heavily armored and female figure standing in front and to the side of his chair.
"Yes sir, I will leave at once."
The soldier saluted and the baron dismissed him.
Baron Jeremias Moran was extremely displeased. His forays in the region to gain control over more towns were slow at best. He had started it two years ago but he was still a good distance away from the mines with his influence.
Mostly he gotten it by bribes but more often recently using force. It was cheaper and allowed him to be quicker about it all. Jeremias was an impatient man. He was also fat and had a temper.
Slowly the barons general approached. He was a seasoned man, seen many battles and was an excellent strategist. The general had suggested using force and the baron had embraced the idea as if it was his own. Now general Richard Olstead was in control of over two thousand men and his forces were growing.
"Ah Richard, good to see you. Those imbeciles to the north are resisting again."
The general nodded.
"So I have heard my lord. They will break though with a show of strength as you have ordered."
Happy about the generals praise Jeremias sat back in his chair, getting into a more relaxed position.
"I want those mines, general. Bring me those mines."
"I will as soon as possible, my lord. Our positions are strong and the plain is all yours now. The deeper we go into the mountains, the more dangerous and difficult it get's though. Both with the terrain and the people. They are a stubborn folk up there."
"Can you get to the mines before winter?"
"Sorry my lord. I think next summer will be possible to achieve though."
Jeremias was angry, he wanted those mines in this year not next year. The general could see the thoughts playing on his fat employer.
"Lord, we have not enough supplies to go into a prolonged campaign into the mountains. The growth of the city has stretched our reserves thin as it is. Hungry and cold soldiers will not fight very well against warm and fed people who also know the area better."
"Very well then general", the baron conceded, "You have orders to prepare so you can make it to the mines by next summer."
"Excellent plan, my lord."
The general made a small bow. It paid off to let the baron think it was his idea and be humble towards him, it kept him calmer and made it easier to get what the general needed.
"Is there anything else general?"
"There is indeed sir. We have to build fortifications along the major roads, staff them with more soldiers and also start building some walls and keeps at crucial way points."
The baron nodded. More soldiers, was good. Fortifications would demonstrate his power as well.
"Very well, talk to the treasurer and see that it get's done", he said and dismissed the general with an offhanded gesture.
The general bowed and left the room quickly.
It wasn't hard to convince the baron to spend more on his army. Every speck of land he controlled brought him more money. More soldiers meant more land he could rule over. The general left with a satisfied look on his face.
Jeremias was not a king, only a baron, but the wealthiest in the area. He was toying with the idea of calling himself king of his own kingdom, but then he would have opposition from Lionor directly. Until he had fortified his position he would do no such thing.
The location of Northwood, the city he called his own, made it a crucial point through which all the ore shipments of the area and the supplies to those mines had to travel. Most of the ore for the great plains was passing through Northwood. There were only two more places supplying ore in large quantities, both far away for most of the great plains.
Only a small stream ran down from the mountains and cut through parts of the city. It would grow to a sizable body of water further down the valley, but that did not make the city any more important. It was rather the small plain in which many valleys ended, which in turn lead to all the mines in the mountains further north, that gave Northwood it's importance and wealth.
The small woods that stood in it's place before and from which it had gotten it's name, were long gone. It's raw materials had been used up quickly to create the city. With it's rapid growth, more wood had to be brought in from further up the mountains even. The plains delivered some food from farming, but if the city kept growing as it did, that would not be enough in a few years.
Jeremias had become the ruler of Northwood through the death of his older brother Theodore some time ago. There were some rumors about him having a hand in his brothers demise. But those were suppressed with a brutality that made nobody want to repeat them.
Taxes and levies went up, but it was not significant enough change for the citizens to be revolting. It gotten a bit harder. But then they also heard about the fights all around them and made them glad it wasn't worse. By using town criers, Jeremias even gained in popularity over his brother. He appealed to the people through making his expansions known and giving them pride in being part of a powerful city.
The baron was contemplating to expand even further and also taking the mines to the north, but he still needed more support and secure his grip on the land. With the mines under his control he might become in a very short time the most powerful ruler in all the known lands. The current ruler, king Thomas of Lionor, didn't control the mines but left them to their own devices and owners. A big mistake, as Jeremias saw it and a fortunate one for him.
A few more officials arrived and had to bring their mostly boring business to the baron. He was not very happy about these things. It was tedious listening to their winning and moaning. But he liked to show who was in charge. He especially enjoyed them looking fearfully at the woman standing close to him.
With the last of the audiences over, Jeremias no longer had any need for her presence.
He looked at the armored woman standing still as a statue in the place she positioned herself when he had called for her. She was standing relaxed as far as he could tell and although he could sometimes catch a glimpse at the tiniest movements if he stared long enough, there was never anything pointing out that she was trying to do something else than she was commanded.
Her entire purpose was to instill fear in his visitors. In that she excelled. The woman even put fear in himself, but he had learned to just ignore her and discovered that it was less obvious if he managed to do that. He regarded her now only as if he would look at a chair or a table. She was furniture or maybe a tool. But if she was a tool, then a very dangerous one. At least, he thought, her armor isn't as threatening if you only see the back of it.
"Taji'ra, I have no further use of you today. Submit to the chains."
Slowly she turned around and lowered her head. The helmet looked as fierce as it always did. He hated when she did that.
"Yes, master."
The baron followed with his eyes as she turned a moment later and walked slowly across the hall, leaving the room. The way she moved reminded him of predators. She had a flowing grace in using her muscles that made you look at her when she moved. She also had this trick of being overlooked by standing completely still and being unobtrusive, if she did not wear her armor.
His brother had used her like a body guard, but also like a common whore. He himself had tried it both ways. As body guard she was just making him more nervous than she should be calming him.
For the other way, he just could not see the attraction. Her skin was soft, but underneath that was nothing soft, just hard muscles. Taji'ra was not built bulky, which might have attracted the baron a bit again, but to him she looked almost like a boy with breasts. Although her face was very beautiful the rest did just repulse him. Also the fact that she could kill him with her bare hands did nothing to stimulate him.
No, she was a tool for scaring people and killing those he couldn't scare. She wasn't something for his bed chamber or his personal guard.
At night, he kept her chained up in the depths of the dungeons. For some reason he did not trust her, even though he had no real reason to the feel that way. There just was this feeling of her being a dangerous beast that just waited for the moment to pounce on him and kill him. He had seen her countless times around his brother and since he inherited her, she always was perfectly obedient. But having her in a dark dungeon, in chains, behind three sets of heavy doors made him sleep slightly easier.
It was, he mused, like having a pet dragon. Powerful yet it could kill you at any moment. He wondered if anyone ever had such a crazy notion as to keep a pet dragon. She sure lived up to the expectations of a dangerous animal on one end. His mistrust in her just waited for the other side to rear it's ugly head.
The threat of using her had brought him already considerable influence. When she had been ordered to fight she was swift and merciless. The stories about the two villages she extinguished, alone, are still told today and further the barons plans excellently.
His pathetic brother had ruled over a small city. Jeremias had turned it into a big one and was now reaching for the mines. His ambitions even went down the valley, towards the great plains.
It brought a smile to his face, thinking about the things he accomplished and still was to accomplish. He restrained himself and looked at the map again that showed the expansion of his properties, pushing everything else away to the back of his mind. No he was not afraid of her, no he was not.
