"FREE-28" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jerome Bigge - Warlady 9 - The Freedom Fighters Of Trelandar)Freedom Fighters of Trelandar A Tale of Adventure in the Second Dark Age Book Nine of the Warlady Series By Jerome B. Bigge Chapter Twenty Eight It was cold and rainy, the sort of "weather" that one might expect in the middle of winter here so far south, but I supposed in a way befitting considering everything that had happened here. Under a flag of truce Darlanis had come with her retinue, the Em- press having worn a heavy cloak over her brief golden mesh... I stood beside my sister in her golden armor, Paula in her own way just as "impressive" I thought as was her golden haired nemesis. In a couple more weeks it would be Christmas here, a holiday that dates so far back that its origins are now quite lost in legend.* * Lorraine states in her diaries that the Priestesses of Lys are "responsible" for destroying the knowledge of the origins of this holiday, which she states served to celebrate the birthday of a religious leader born some twenty seven centuries ago. (Sanda) Despite a good night's rest I was exhausted emotionally from all I'd been through these last few weeks. This almost constant fighting that had perhaps in its way forced Darlanis to come now. Carl with Jerry there among those behind us as we stood waiting. "She's got Tara with her," Paula "breathed" in a whisper. "Figures..." I breathed back, feeling the "chill" through my uniform, the chain mail heavy on my body. My own crested helmet marking me as being the Warlady of Trelandar. As Paula was with- out "issue", there was no proper heir to the throne, a point that had been raised by a number of people, although I supposed it was of little importance as the military would be the ones to decide who would be King or Queen should my sister ever fall in battle.* * Darlanis' killing of my sister in a duel and her offer to the black castes of Trelandar of total and complete amnesty tended to destroy any hopes of effective resistance against Imperial rule. While some people did see me as being my sister's "heir" in a way due to my position as "Warlady" at the conclusion of the war, it should be noted as I was not actually a Warrioress it would have been impossible for me to have ever legally become the "Queen" of Trelandar even if Darlanis had permitted such to happen. On the other hand with Lorraine here it was a matter of finding someone who "inspired" the people, who had the "reputation" as Lorraine did, and who if it became necessary, could even fight Darlanis in a face to face duel to the death with good hopes of winning such. While I had no doubts about Lorraine's "sympathies" after having talked to her, I did feel that it would be reckless on my part to "involve" her in things until I'd gotten everything ready. And while I will admit that her emotional reaction to all this threw me for a "loop" as it did everyone else, I still felt she was the right woman for the job, as certainly no one else could have done it. She was a woman with a great deal of "depth" to her, and what you saw on the surface did not necessarily reflect her true feelings... In my conversations with her Lorraine expressed the opinion that Darlanis was a "user", that she'd exploited Sharon's feelings so that she might win Sharon over. Lorraine even saying to me after the affair with the crossbowman that she wondered if Darlanis had been "responsible", which made more "sense" at first than the idea that Princess Tara was responsible, as she turned out to be here. I doubtlessly read "more" into Lorraine's "con- versations" with me than what Lorraine herself "intended", but one must remember here that Lorraine did have "feelings" for Dar- lanis, even if there was a time too that she didn't like Darlanis very much. And Darlanis in turn had "feelings" for Lorraine, as has been brought out here in Lorraine's first two books, which were based upon her own diaries, but also written somewhat later on when the relationship between these two women was quite dif- ferent from what it had been earlier on here. It might be noted here too that for a long time Darlanis hated me, as is quite ob- vious when you consider some of her own acts and comments... Due to our relative positions she had to be "polite" to me, but she made no "bones" about the fact that I was not someone she liked. I also have no doubts here that had Tara's agent succeeded in his attempt to poison Lorraine, that Darlanis would have amassed the evidence to convict me of regicide, as is shown in Lorraine's own diaries and book, where it did appear too that I was responsible. I was under a lot of stress (being pregnant and just widowed) at the time, and having Lorraine seem to turn on me too was the last straw, breaking me down emotionally as has been related. (Sanda) "I give you greetings, Queen of Trelandar," Darlanis spoke, the Empress' hair wet, hanging, giving her a bedraggled look now. She was obviously wet, uncomfortable, "chilled", and I could see her "shiver" as she stood there with Tara just behind her. I re- flected to myself too now that she didn't look so "imperial"... That she looked far more like any woman does who is cold and wet. She looked "tired", as if she'd had but little sleep lately here. "And I so give you greeting, Queen of Sarn," Paula retorted, we of Trelandar having never recognized Darlanis' "empire" here. To us she was the Queen of Sarn, and in our eyes she still was... If she wanted to call herself the "high mucky muck" that was "up" to her, but to the government of Trelandar she was Sarn's Queen. "I'd `swear' this is Dularn, not Trelandar," Darlanis spoke, holding her cloak about herself, obviously wet and chilled here. The steady drizzle wetting me, cold as it soaked through my own clothing, making me realize too how Darlanis must be suffering. The temperature was probably in the fifties, and with this rain I had no doubts that it felt even colder, the wind being from the east, which is always a "cold" wind in the winter, I might note. "It is usually `warmer' here," Paula answered in level tones as I stood beside her, Princess Tara's dark eyes missing little. The very "look" of the woman making me shudder at what I knew of her. Tara having gathered for herself a "reputation" for vicious cruelty that had not been rivaled since the time of the Nazis... As Darlanis' Warlady she was my counterpart, and the two of us in a way had been "rivals", although Tara had not proved to be quite as "capable" as a Warlady as Darlanis had doubtlessly hoped here. She tended to make more "enemies" for the Empire than "friends", and driving people from their homes, taking their daughters as slave girls, and burning Peasants' fields didn't make most people see Darlanis as being anything more than another Attila the Hun! As a matter of fact, I suspected that part of the "success" I had in recruiting people to fight against the Empire was due to Tara! "Somewhere out of this rain," Darlanis spoke, Paula nodding, turning, then leading the way to the tent set up there behind us. "I am winning this war, despite your violations of the caste codes and the rules of warfare," Darlanis said as she faced Paula there inside the tent we'd had set up... A slave girl, clad in a heavy woolen tunic, being of service as so needed. Princess Tara standing there behind Darlanis staring at me, perhaps recalling that she'd once had me in her own hands, and hadn't known it too! "We have not violated the codes or the laws of war," Paula spoke in icy level tones, well aware of the Imperial propaganda. My actions in carrying war "behind" the enemy lines having been a matter upon which Darlanis' people had seized as proof of things. Stating that none of my "terrorists" wore uniforms, that they in fact were not a part of the Trelandarian military, but in fact in truth were "recruited" from the "criminal elements" of Trelandar here! It having been a part of my assaults a couple times to ac- tually disguise my forces at times as Imperial troopers, so that we might better fool the enemy here. While such methods were "technically" I supposed a "violation" of the rules of warfare as they presently existed, they were often "used" in the past, espe- cially in the time of Janet Rogers who Darlanis so "admired". In any case I felt that we were morally justified in doing so if you stop and consider some of the things that Princess Tara did here. "Killing `non combatants', burning villages, all are `viola- tions' of the caste codes, the rules of warfare," I pointed out. "And we have hundreds of eye witnesses to such `acts'," I added. "You launched a war of aggression against us," I continued. "In any court of law I believe an impartial jury would find `you' far more `guilty' of such matters than us," I said, Darlanis grinning at me, while Princess Tara on the other stood there frowning now. I didn't really believe that Darlanis was the "guilty" party, but as commander in chief she was the one legally responsible here... "You are responsible for her acts as commander in chief," I heard Darlanis say to Paula, who nodded, well aware of the laws. "As she `is' for the actions that Tara has done," I quickly pointed out to my sister, feeling that if Darlanis wanted to play "lawyer" here against me she was quite welcome to try doing so! I had no doubt that if it came down to it that Darlanis had been guilty of allowing Tara to do a number of things that were in vi- olation of "both" the caste codes and the rules of warfare, espe- cially as I had ample "eye witnesses" to what Tara had done here. "One" being my own former mother in law, whose own daughter had been taken by invading Imperial troopers as a sexual plaything... "It is `unfortunate' that she is not a Warrioress," Darlanis answered, her eyes like glittering cold jewels burning into mine. "Then this matter could be resolved by cold steel as it should so be," Darlanis continued on, her voice emotionless, utterly level. There being no doubts as to the implications of things here too!! Freedom Fighters of Trelandar A Tale of Adventure in the Second Dark Age Book Nine of the Warlady Series By Jerome B. Bigge Chapter Twenty Eight It was cold and rainy, the sort of "weather" that one might expect in the middle of winter here so far south, but I supposed in a way befitting considering everything that had happened here. Under a flag of truce Darlanis had come with her retinue, the Em- press having worn a heavy cloak over her brief golden mesh... I stood beside my sister in her golden armor, Paula in her own way just as "impressive" I thought as was her golden haired nemesis. In a couple more weeks it would be Christmas here, a holiday that dates so far back that its origins are now quite lost in legend.* * Lorraine states in her diaries that the Priestesses of Lys are "responsible" for destroying the knowledge of the origins of this holiday, which she states served to celebrate the birthday of a religious leader born some twenty seven centuries ago. (Sanda) Despite a good night's rest I was exhausted emotionally from all I'd been through these last few weeks. This almost constant fighting that had perhaps in its way forced Darlanis to come now. Carl with Jerry there among those behind us as we stood waiting. "She's got Tara with her," Paula "breathed" in a whisper. "Figures..." I breathed back, feeling the "chill" through my uniform, the chain mail heavy on my body. My own crested helmet marking me as being the Warlady of Trelandar. As Paula was with- out "issue", there was no proper heir to the throne, a point that had been raised by a number of people, although I supposed it was of little importance as the military would be the ones to decide who would be King or Queen should my sister ever fall in battle.* * Darlanis' killing of my sister in a duel and her offer to the black castes of Trelandar of total and complete amnesty tended to destroy any hopes of effective resistance against Imperial rule. While some people did see me as being my sister's "heir" in a way due to my position as "Warlady" at the conclusion of the war, it should be noted as I was not actually a Warrioress it would have been impossible for me to have ever legally become the "Queen" of Trelandar even if Darlanis had permitted such to happen. On the other hand with Lorraine here it was a matter of finding someone who "inspired" the people, who had the "reputation" as Lorraine did, and who if it became necessary, could even fight Darlanis in a face to face duel to the death with good hopes of winning such. While I had no doubts about Lorraine's "sympathies" after having talked to her, I did feel that it would be reckless on my part to "involve" her in things until I'd gotten everything ready. And while I will admit that her emotional reaction to all this threw me for a "loop" as it did everyone else, I still felt she was the right woman for the job, as certainly no one else could have done it. She was a woman with a great deal of "depth" to her, and what you saw on the surface did not necessarily reflect her true feelings... In my conversations with her Lorraine expressed the opinion that Darlanis was a "user", that she'd exploited Sharon's feelings so that she might win Sharon over. Lorraine even saying to me after the affair with the crossbowman that she wondered if Darlanis had been "responsible", which made more "sense" at first than the idea that Princess Tara was responsible, as she turned out to be here. I doubtlessly read "more" into Lorraine's "con- versations" with me than what Lorraine herself "intended", but one must remember here that Lorraine did have "feelings" for Dar- lanis, even if there was a time too that she didn't like Darlanis very much. And Darlanis in turn had "feelings" for Lorraine, as has been brought out here in Lorraine's first two books, which were based upon her own diaries, but also written somewhat later on when the relationship between these two women was quite dif- ferent from what it had been earlier on here. It might be noted here too that for a long time Darlanis hated me, as is quite ob- vious when you consider some of her own acts and comments... Due to our relative positions she had to be "polite" to me, but she made no "bones" about the fact that I was not someone she liked. I also have no doubts here that had Tara's agent succeeded in his attempt to poison Lorraine, that Darlanis would have amassed the evidence to convict me of regicide, as is shown in Lorraine's own diaries and book, where it did appear too that I was responsible. I was under a lot of stress (being pregnant and just widowed) at the time, and having Lorraine seem to turn on me too was the last straw, breaking me down emotionally as has been related. (Sanda) "I give you greetings, Queen of Trelandar," Darlanis spoke, the Empress' hair wet, hanging, giving her a bedraggled look now. She was obviously wet, uncomfortable, "chilled", and I could see her "shiver" as she stood there with Tara just behind her. I re- flected to myself too now that she didn't look so "imperial"... That she looked far more like any woman does who is cold and wet. She looked "tired", as if she'd had but little sleep lately here. "And I so give you greeting, Queen of Sarn," Paula retorted, we of Trelandar having never recognized Darlanis' "empire" here. To us she was the Queen of Sarn, and in our eyes she still was... If she wanted to call herself the "high mucky muck" that was "up" to her, but to the government of Trelandar she was Sarn's Queen. "I'd `swear' this is Dularn, not Trelandar," Darlanis spoke, holding her cloak about herself, obviously wet and chilled here. The steady drizzle wetting me, cold as it soaked through my own clothing, making me realize too how Darlanis must be suffering. The temperature was probably in the fifties, and with this rain I had no doubts that it felt even colder, the wind being from the east, which is always a "cold" wind in the winter, I might note. "It is usually `warmer' here," Paula answered in level tones as I stood beside her, Princess Tara's dark eyes missing little. The very "look" of the woman making me shudder at what I knew of her. Tara having gathered for herself a "reputation" for vicious cruelty that had not been rivaled since the time of the Nazis... As Darlanis' Warlady she was my counterpart, and the two of us in a way had been "rivals", although Tara had not proved to be quite as "capable" as a Warlady as Darlanis had doubtlessly hoped here. She tended to make more "enemies" for the Empire than "friends", and driving people from their homes, taking their daughters as slave girls, and burning Peasants' fields didn't make most people see Darlanis as being anything more than another Attila the Hun! As a matter of fact, I suspected that part of the "success" I had in recruiting people to fight against the Empire was due to Tara! "Somewhere out of this rain," Darlanis spoke, Paula nodding, turning, then leading the way to the tent set up there behind us. "I am winning this war, despite your violations of the caste codes and the rules of warfare," Darlanis said as she faced Paula there inside the tent we'd had set up... A slave girl, clad in a heavy woolen tunic, being of service as so needed. Princess Tara standing there behind Darlanis staring at me, perhaps recalling that she'd once had me in her own hands, and hadn't known it too! "We have not violated the codes or the laws of war," Paula spoke in icy level tones, well aware of the Imperial propaganda. My actions in carrying war "behind" the enemy lines having been a matter upon which Darlanis' people had seized as proof of things. Stating that none of my "terrorists" wore uniforms, that they in fact were not a part of the Trelandarian military, but in fact in truth were "recruited" from the "criminal elements" of Trelandar here! It having been a part of my assaults a couple times to ac- tually disguise my forces at times as Imperial troopers, so that we might better fool the enemy here. While such methods were "technically" I supposed a "violation" of the rules of warfare as they presently existed, they were often "used" in the past, espe- cially in the time of Janet Rogers who Darlanis so "admired". In any case I felt that we were morally justified in doing so if you stop and consider some of the things that Princess Tara did here. "Killing `non combatants', burning villages, all are `viola- tions' of the caste codes, the rules of warfare," I pointed out. "And we have hundreds of eye witnesses to such `acts'," I added. "You launched a war of aggression against us," I continued. "In any court of law I believe an impartial jury would find `you' far more `guilty' of such matters than us," I said, Darlanis grinning at me, while Princess Tara on the other stood there frowning now. I didn't really believe that Darlanis was the "guilty" party, but as commander in chief she was the one legally responsible here... "You are responsible for her acts as commander in chief," I heard Darlanis say to Paula, who nodded, well aware of the laws. "As she `is' for the actions that Tara has done," I quickly pointed out to my sister, feeling that if Darlanis wanted to play "lawyer" here against me she was quite welcome to try doing so! I had no doubt that if it came down to it that Darlanis had been guilty of allowing Tara to do a number of things that were in vi- olation of "both" the caste codes and the rules of warfare, espe- cially as I had ample "eye witnesses" to what Tara had done here. "One" being my own former mother in law, whose own daughter had been taken by invading Imperial troopers as a sexual plaything... "It is `unfortunate' that she is not a Warrioress," Darlanis answered, her eyes like glittering cold jewels burning into mine. "Then this matter could be resolved by cold steel as it should so be," Darlanis continued on, her voice emotionless, utterly level. There being no doubts as to the implications of things here too!! |
|
|