Theodosius Valkorion's Arc

Chapter 9 of 22

They rode back to the elven capital before word of the fallen keep could outrun them. Theodosius held the burned page inside his glove for two days. Three signatures. One belonged to a dead man. The other two he could not read. Half a seal. A curl of ink. Not enough to name a traitor, and more than enough to hang the wrong one. "Seven lords pledged," Heinrich said in the war room. "Accuse the wrong pair and the other five ride home. You lose the pass before the enemy even reaches it." "Then we test them," Theodosius said. "Not accuse. Test." He sent for Master Inag Divondûn. The head of the Clandestine Guard came in black armor, triangle visor turned to the map. Behind him walked Serett, the operative who had scaled the keep walls and brought back the copied letter that started this. "I need each lord to believe a different lie," Theodosius said. "One lie per man. Seven lies. Only the traitors will pass their lie to the enemy. Whichever lie the enemy acts on names the mouth that spoke it." Inag's visor tilted a fraction. "Bait must be worth carrying." "Then make it worth carrying." "Seven riders, seven roads," Serett said. "Each carries a private order in the king's hand. Different pass. Different date. Different gap in the line." "And a watcher on each lord's courier route," Inag said. "To see which letter leaves the province." "Do it tonight." Serett left within the hour. Inag stayed a moment longer. "If two lords carry the same lie by chance, we learn nothing." "Then write seven that cannot overlap." The visor dipped once. He went. Eight days passed. Theodosius slept in the war room. On the ninth morning Serett came in through the side door, cloak wet, and set three intercepted letters on the table. Two bore the same forged royal seal Theodosius had pressed himself. Two lies, sent onward. Two names on the outer folds. Heinrich read them and looked up. "Both pledged in the hall. Both knelt." "Confirm," Theodosius said. "Enemy scouts moved yesterday toward the southern ford," Serett said. "That was the lie in this letter." He tapped the left fold. "The other lie sent a column toward the dry cut above the mill. Riders seen there at dawn." He stopped. Two lies. Two movements. Two names. Theodosius set the burned page beside the fresh letters. The half-seals matched. He felt the room settle around a single fact he could finally act on. "Summon them to court," he said. "Separately. Full honors. An escort of legionaries to each gate." "And when they arrive?" Heinrich asked. "They won't leave." Inag's visor turned to him. "The other five?" "Will see justice done on evidence," Theodosius said, "and keep their spears in the line." He folded the letters into his glove beside the burned page. Two traitors named. Two thousand spears still in play, and the passes still to hold.