The Caravan: Day One

Emily stood on top of the first of her fleet of twenty black heavy wagons wearing pants and looking like a dashingly handsome swashbuckler with a sword on her hip. She pointed out each new direction for the driver to move, leading the long caravan through the Kingdom's capital. Each of the wagons was drawn by four heavy horse and accompanied by a four-man team of Red Lion Mercenaries equipped with sword and crossbow. The Red Lion Mercenaries also brought five of their own bright red troop carriers with two dozen archers and supplies in each carrier. The caravan made stops at each of the Companies she had purchased to pick up personnel and equipment. Some of the men had their own private carriages for their families join the caravan, Red Lion Mercenaries on horseback rode just in front and in back of each of these private wagons and carriages. By the time they finally managed to leave the city it was already late in the afternoon.

A rider ran up beside the head wagon and shouted up to Emily, "Your Highness, Captain Alexander recommends we stop just past the creek ahead. There is a large turnout perfect for setting up camp. We will need a couple of hours of daylight to get traps laid out."

Emily gave him a beaming smile and then gave him a thumbs-up as an answer. She kneeled down and said to the driver "You heard that right? Bring the wagons in a circle with the private carriages in the center. She then stood and tapped one of the guards on the shoulder and explained what she wanted. He then sent hand signals back to the other guards on the wagons following behind them.

An advanced scout came rushing back and met up with Captain Alexander who then caught up to Emily, "Your Highness, our advanced scouts have detected brigand activity ahead, I'd like to have the caravan hold up just ahead of rock creek bridge. I am going to take a squad and assess the danger. I'll have the archers dismount and guard the rear."

Emily nodded and then gave the signal for an emergency stop. The Red Lion Mercenaries set up for battle in just a few moments at a speed that even shamed the Royal guard. Captain Alexander and a squad of his men on horseback charged over the bridge. In the distance, Emily could hear the sound of battle. She sat down on the roof of the carriage and pulled a quill and ink with a scroll of paper and started taking notes. After about ten minutes Captain Alexander and his squad returned looking none the worse for wear. Emily took a deep breath in relief, "Captain, are we safe to continue forward?"

"Your Highness, I would like to speak with you in private may we use your private carriage?" The Captain looked extremely concerned.

Emily nodded and then whistled three times causing her private carriage to pull out of the line and come to the front. She climbed down from the massive black wagon and then climbed aboard her own carriage pulling the shades. Captain Alexander dismissed the driver and posted his squad around the carriage in a defensive line keeping even the carriage driver out of earshot.

Inside the carriage, three knocks came from the door the captain then spoke up, "Your Highness, we met what I can only describe as a professional scouting party. Based on their fighting style, I would guess that they were Inquisitors in disguise. It seems that leaving the city early caught them unprepared just as we thought. There are three areas ahead we'll need to be prepared for an ambush, and four others that can be used, but bandits wouldn't have the desire or skill to clear."

Emily frowned and then sighed, "Captain Alexander, I trust in your Red Lion Company, what would you recommend?"

The Captain unrolled a map and then pointed out the potential ambush areas. He said in a very soft voice, "I suspect that this area will be the most likely for an ambush. If we push past our chosen campsite and forgo any trapping for the next two days, I believe we can catch them before the area is cleared. If we had light, I would push us all the way to the second campsite. It's only six hours from here at our best speed, we only have three hours of daylight."

Rubbing her chin for a moment Emily stated, "We have night lights three times as bright as an oil light, each of my wagons is equipped with them, however, anyone watching from the forest will see us from miles away." She thought for a moment, "If your men could take shifts switching places with the drivers on the private carriages to allow the drivers some rest, we can keep the caravan moving as long as it is still safe for the horses."

The Captain nodded and then thought for a moment, "Aside from the private carriages, these horses will need three-hour breaks for every two hours of travel. Let's take a five-hour break at each stop. That will allow us to push the caravan ahead by two days' travel. It'll be harder on my men, and we'll be pushing the big wagons hard, but we are making much better speed than I imagined."

Emily nodded and then thought for a moment, "When you leave my carriage, I want you to say loudly, 'Ok boys, we're getting a bonus if we can cut three days off our travel'. Then you'll act as if you received a down payment on a special bonus."

"A special bonus?" The Captain looked confused.

Emily opened her bag and applied a touch of dark red lipstick to her lips and then she leaned over and gave the Captain a kiss on the cheek and then a second on his forehead. "There, go now."

The Captain walked out from the carriage in a daze looking back at the closed door and then finally remembered to loudly announce, "Ok boys, we're getting a bonus if we can cut three days off our travel! We're pushing through tonight so sergeants and corporals I want you to organize driver shifts for the small carriages."

The men in Red Lion Company looked at their Captain with wide eyes before bright smiles appeared on their faces, the mood of the soldiers instantly improved, a few catcalls were heard and several soldiers made lewd comments to each other before laughing. The Captain shook his head and then tried to look stern will loudly giving the order, "Alright, quiet down you lot, let's get this caravan moving. We have a new home to set up, just waiting for us to get down this road."

One of the Captain's senior sergeants walked up with a barely concealed grin on his face, "And here the boys and me were thinking there was trouble coming. Yet you was just in that lady's carriage dippin' your wick."

The Captain wanted to refute the man but the faces of the soldiers within earshot matched the sergeant so instead, he asked, "I have lipstick on my face, don't I?"

"Just your face?" The man chuckled before heading back to yell at a few soldiers to pick up the pace.

The Captain turned and gave a complicated look at the Princess's carriage. He thought to himself, 'This is someone born to lead. To even think about the morale of my men and deal with it so easily.'

Emily stayed in her carriage and lay down to take a nap. The driver moved the carriage back into place in the caravan as they began to move at a much quicker pace. The Red Lion Company were shocked when the night lights for the wagons were lit up. Even the eyes of animals from the forest could be brightly seen. The caravan had on the first day managed two days' worth of distance.

*****

"You're saying that the girl left with her butler in the morning and then never returned?" Prince Andrew rubbed at his temple, "I was told that a caravan went to half of the invertor's in the city and then headed out of town to the north accompanied by the Red Lion Mercenary Company. The north where Connaissance is located."

"Does your Majesty think that this caravan was hers?" The young butler asked.

"Do I think it was hers... Of course, it was her, she left without my escort because she is planning to catch the inquisition off guard. Since she has hired the Red Lion Company, then I won't bother to try and catch up. Send pigeons to the Embassy in Connaissance, have them prepare to turn over the city to her within the next two weeks." The Prince smiled and shook his head.

"Your Majesty, shouldn't it take a month by wagon caravan?" The butler looked confused.

Prince Andrew chuckled, "If she arrived overnight I wouldn't be surprised, no, I believe she'll arrive in the next two weeks. Have all but one squad withdraw from Connaissance once she arrives."

An old man hunched over a cane walked into the room, he picked up the cane and pointed it at Prince Andrew, "You still want to allow this girl to live?" His dark raspy voice grew louder, "I warned you, kill her now."

Prince Andrew frowned and then looked at the old man, "Father, I am a knight. Once I give my word, it will not be challenged."

"You! You're just like your whore mother. Do you know that she wanted to tell your brother that you weren't his child? That's why I had to dispose of the slut." He raised his cane and shook it at Andrew, "If your brother had not run this Kingdom into the ground against my advice, he would still be the King and I wouldn't need to entrust it to a fool like you!"

Prince Andrew got a dangerous look in his eye, "You disposed of my mother?"

The old man waved his cane at Andrew, "Of course I did, just as I took matters with this girl into my hands. How many times have I told you, my church runs this Kingdom, not this palace! My inquisitors will make short work of that caravan."

Prince Andrew smirked and then said, "It's a shame that my grandfather passed away peacefully here on his visit to my palace."

"Yes, your Majesty." The young butler moved so fast that the old man didn't even have time to make a sound. His body dropped to the ground lifelessly.

Prince Andrew swirled the wine in his glass a few times, as a tear rolled down his cheek, "Mother, your son finally found your murderer. You have been avenged." He dabbed at his cheek with a cloth, "Advise the church that the Cardinal has passed. Also, inform the church that I have dealt with the city of Connaissance and appointed my niece as the new city lord. I have sent a caravan north to establish a permanent presence in the city."

"Your Majesty, as you command." The butler gave a deep bow and then quickly cleaned up the mess.

Prince Andrew looked at the portrait of his mother on the wall, "To think that disgusting man took his own son's wife against her will and had the guts to call her a slut for it. I should have ended him the day he called me his son." He upended his wine glass drinking it all in one long drink.