The Sentinel of Cassendar Book One: The High Captain Read online

  The Sentinel of Cassendar Book One: The High Captain

  C Tarkington

  Copyright © 2020 C Tarkington

  All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Books By This Author

  Prologue

  Prologue

  If the rolling hills of Winsdell could tell stories, they would have plenty to choose from. They could tell you of young lovers who strolled over their grassy knolls. They might choose to mention the many generations of families who built homes and lived in their valleys. Perhaps they would weave tales of brave men of old who fought and died to settle the land for the kingdom. The hills could whisper of the many kings and queens buried deep under their lush green grass.

  They could tell you all these tales and more, but like the folk who lived among the rolling hills of Winsdell, the hills would probably tell the tale of the Sentinel of Cassendar over and over. No one grew tired of talking of the many adventures and triumphs of the Sentinel. The Sentinel of Cassendar was not a large group. They were too elite and selective for too many to be counted in their number. Their group never boasted more than five hundred members, yet it was said they could fight as well as five thousand other talented soldiers.

  There were many tales where the Sentinel was able to overtake vast armies who tried to raid the village of Winsdell and the royal family of the kingdom of Lanoxan, who lived there in its High Palace. According to the tales, the Sentinel of Cassendar was never defeated. It was said when raiding soldiers heard the thundering hooves of the horses of the Sentinel; they quaked in fear. When the Elites of the Sentinel were seen on their black horses, dressed in black and silver uniforms, veteran soldiers would turn tail and run.

  It was easy to see why the folk of Winsdell took such pride in the Sentinel. Winsdell had long been a stronghold of safety and peace. The High Palace had stood at its center for over two thousand years with the royal family of Cassendar within its walls. Turmoil may threaten the rest of the kingdom, but the town of Winsdell never fell. It never suffered raiders or destructions because of the might of the Elites of the Sentinel.

  The favorite tales of the Sentinel were always about the High Captains who served. The brave men who had held the position were legendary. Talented fighters and users of the mysterious and magical power of Mystics, these men were known for their extraordinary deeds. Heroldare was known to have killed over two thousand men by himself before they could breach the palace. Marcus was said to have jumped the great river with his horse to regain a princess from enemy forces. Justice was known for climbing the tallest tower of the palace from the outside to save his king. All the men who held the position of High Captain for the last two thousand years were known to be great.

  Now there was a new tale of the Sentinel. One that made folks raise their eyebrows and start their tongues to wagging. A tale that at first was thought to be some falsehood or mistake. It was laughed off and dismissed until the ceremony took place. High Captain Valian was getting old. He was ready to pass on his leadership. It was time for him to choose the next High Captain.

  Folk in Winsdell spent weeks discussing who he would pick. Some thought it would be Darron, the Lord of Farrell’s son. Darron was a great favorite in Winsdell, with his good looks and easy-going manners. He was known to be a talented fighter and user of Mystics.

  Roderick Ellis was also a good choice. He was a little young, but most new High Captains were. He was not as high born as Darron, but his father had still been a lord. He was known to best Darron in sparring regularly, and almost no one could sit a horse as well as him. The day of the ceremony came, and Valian handed off the Silver Sword of The Sentinel to the next High Captain. The sword went to neither Darron nor Roderick.

  When Valian handed over his silver sword, he handed it to another Elite of the Sentinel. One that some had dismissed as a rumor. No one could say this Elite wasn’t skilled or wise. Young perhaps, but there had been younger High Captains. No one could argue that this Elite wasn’t a great fighter, or user of Mystics, because it wouldn’t be true.

  In fact, it was rumored that there had not been such a great user of Mystics seen in over one thousand years. This Elite was very high born, almost royalty. This Elite’s father was the High Lord of Winsdell. This Elite grew up in the shadow of the palace, spending days learning and playing with a prince and princess. This Elite had every qualification except one. She was not a man.

  When, Valian passed the sword to the only daughter of the High Lord of Winsdell, Dracia Yates, gasps were heard all around. The members of the Sentinel, usually so still and quiet, made disbelieving noises. It took a stern glare from Valian for the Sentinel to bow before their new High Captain.

  With all this, Dracia did not look fearful or unsure. She stared out with her bright brown eyes over the Sentinel. She said her vow with a clear, steady voice. She called for her seconds with no hesitation. She was the epitome of what a High Captain should be, except for her one fault of being a woman.

  The king came with the prince and gave his blessing to the new captain. Dracia kneeled before them and swore her oath. The king showed no signs of displeasure or surprise, but folk thought the usually pleasant prince seemed unhappy as he held out his hand to the new High Captain. There was talk that he even dared to glare at his father.

  Folks may have talked and shaken their heads, but life for the Sentinel went on. The new High Captain proved her worth, and any doubts within the Sentinel seemed to have been put to rest within the year. The High Captain was known to be much loved amongst the men and few women who made up the elite group of fighters. Their devotion to their leader was evident in their manner and speech.

  She chose Darron and Rodrick as her seconds, and they seemed to serve with much pride and pleasure. Life went on in Winsdell as the Sentinel of Cassendar stood as firm as it had for the last two thousand years.

  Chapter 1

  The road seemed deserted, which wasn’t unusual for the time of year. There weren’t many farms or fields in that part of Lanoxan’s southern hills, and the nearest village was a half-day ride. Most of the inhabitants would be busy with the spring planting and not traveling about the kingdom.

  As the early spring wind blew around her, Dracia took o
ne of her hands off the reins and pulled her black and silver cloak a little tighter around her. She took time to adjust her gloves as she looked to both sides to see nothing but thick trees. She was tired of spending every day riding and spending nights on the hard ground. It had been three weeks since she had taken a group of twenty-five Elites with her from the Fortress in Winsdell to search for enemy forces amongst the southern hills.

  So far, they had not come across any soldiers from the hostile kingdom of Gedonia, but they had visited a few villages that had been attacked. It all seemed very unusual to Dracia, which troubled her. Occasionally the forces of Gedonia would come and ransack one of their small southern villages on the edge of the kingdom, but never many at once, and certainly none that were far enough into the kingdom to be in the southern hills.

  Gedonian soldiers usually liked to strike fast and close to their own kingdom. They raided villages to steal supplies and sometimes terrorize the people, but what Dracia saw appeared more like an organized campaign along the border and into the hills. It was as if all the attacks were leading to something else. It unsettled her and made her wonder what was really going on. There was no way the Gedonian forces could be so organized. The forces they sent usually didn’t have enough soldiers to do the damage she saw in the villages.

  “How much longer do you expect us to be out here, Captain?” groused a voice on her left.

  Dracia looked over to see one of her seconds, Darron, looking at her in irritation. She fought the urge to roll her eyes. She did not like the man as he always seemed to be trying to make her feel as though she was inadequate as the High Captain. It never worked as Dracia was very sure of her abilities. She would not have accepted the position if she truly believed she could not do it. Being a woman, she had grown used to being questioned about her position at the Sentinel even before she was made High Captain. Still, it didn’t mean she had ever gotten past being annoyed by the doubts that surrounded her.

  She looked away from Darron and focused on the road in front of them. “We will stay out here until we find the force that is causing such havoc in our kingdom and take it out. I would also like to know more about what is going on. There have been far too many attacks on our villages lately.”

  “It is probably just Gedonian soldiers replenishing their supplies after the long winter,” said Darron. “I am sure they have gone back to their kingdom by now. We should head back to Winsdell. We have spent too much time this far south, leaving Winsdell and the palace unprotected. I know you will want to be preparing for the Disciplines soon.”

  “We will not head back to our home until I am sure our southern border is as secure as it can be. We will not leave our people to suffer at the hands of some savage kingdom.” Dracia looked behind her to see twenty-five fellow Elites of the Sentinel all riding their black horses and keeping watch around them. The sun was very low in the sky. It had almost disappeared amongst the hills. “Darron, ride back and tell the others we will stop and rest as soon as I spot an appropriate place for us to set up camp.”

  “Of course, High Captain. I serve at your pleasure, after all.” He gave her a small mock bow in his saddle and drew up his horse to fall back and ride with the others.

  “Don’t let him annoy you so, Captain,” said Roderick as soon as Darron had left.

  Dracia made a slight noise of exasperation. “He does annoy me, Roderick. He always has. When I made him my second, I knew he would cause some trouble, but I saw no way around it. I had to find a way to placate him a little after his disappointment of not being chosen as High Captain. He has enough friends amongst the Upper Elites to make my life a little too interesting.”

  “You have more support amongst those in the Sentinel than he could ever have.” Roderick paused for a moment. “You also have allies much higher than Darron will ever hope to rise.”

  “I do not like relying on my father’s position to lead the Sentinel.”

  “I wasn’t speaking of your father.” Roderick gave her a meaningful look.

  Dracia sighed. “I’m not sure how many allies I actually have now besides my father, not after ignoring certain people the past few months.”

  Roderick laughed a little. “Has that has ever worked when it comes to it?”

  “I am serious in my attempt this time. I cannot go on as I have. I must face reality at some point.” Roderick shook his head at her as she swallowed hard. She hated how much the subject affected her. She was so sure of herself in all areas of her life, but this one. “I do not wish to speak of it. I want to keep focused on the task at hand.”

  “Very well. Do you have any idea what is going on around here? Why are so many villages being attacked?”

  Dracia looked behind her to see Darron and the other Elites a good ways behind them. She never liked to confess any weakness, and she felt that admitting she had no idea what was going on with Gedonia was a weakness. Only to her trusted second, Roderick, would she admit her failing. She spoke quietly. “I really don’t, Roderick, and it has made me nervous. If this is the work of Gedonian soldiers, they have never acted as such before. We have to find this force and not only end them, but try to get one or two to tell us what is going on.”

  She soon found a spot amongst a dense area of evergreen trees at the edge of a forest. She led her Elites to the middle of the trees and commanded them to find places to rest. After whispering to her horse and dismounting, Dracia grabbed her supplies and sat down on the edge of the space by a large tree. Roderick joined her, carrying over an armful of wood. He placed it in a stack in front of her and raised his hand, taking a moment to spark a fire using his Mystics.

  He moved back to sit next to Dracia as she offered him a container holding some water. He drank from it while she pulled out some dried meat to eat. She did not relish spending another night on the hard ground with the cold early spring wind swirling around them. She would like to be back in her rooms in the Sentinel Fortress, but there was a task to do. She would see the task through and find out all she could to keep her kingdom safe. She was the High Captain of the Sentinel, and she would do her duty to the best of her ability. The Sentinel was only as strong as its High Captain, and she would prove to be stronger than anyone could imagine.

  She knew many still questioned her leadership. A woman as High Captain was unheard of a year ago, but it didn’t matter to her. She believed she deserved her position. She had to believe it because doubt would not do her or her fellow Elites any good. Of course, there was another reason she might have her position, but she did not like to think about it. She avoided the subject so much that she was willing to spend a month out in the south of the kingdom chasing a group of Gedonial soldiers when she could have sent a group lead by an Upper Elite.

  She looked up as Darron walked over to her and sat down next to the fire. “How long will we rest here, Captain?”

  “Until the early morning hours. Everyone should sleep in shifts tonight to make sure all are as rested as they can be.” Dracia took a bite of her dried meat. “I have a feeling we will finally meet our foes by tomorrow.”

  The evening passed quickly as the sun disappeared. All around her, Elites slept, with a few patrolling the area. Darron left to find a place to lie down, and Dracia sat next to Roderick, both bundled up in their cloaks.

  “You should rest for a while, High Captain,” said Roderick.

  “You go first, Roderick. I do not think I could sleep even if I tried. You know how I am the night before a battle.”

  “You really think we will meet with our enemy tomorrow?”

  “I do, though I can’t explain how. I feel as if they are close. I could very well be wrong, but it won’t stop me from being anxious. Now, rest while you can. I’m going to take a short walk,” said Dracia as she stood.

  Roderick gave her a look as if he wanted to say something, but she cocked one eyebrow at him, and he sighed, “Yes, Captain.”

  Dracia walked over to check on her horse, Aarit. He shook his head at her ap
proaching, giving out a short whinny in greeting. She patted his neck and spoke quietly to him.

  “I know you are ready to be home for a few days, my friend. I’m rather anxious for my own bed. It won’t be long, and we will be riding for home.”

  Dracia laid her head against Aarit’s neck and thought of all that awaited her back in Winsdell. She had a daunting task ahead of her seeing over the training of the new novices they would invite to the Fortress. The Disciplines would start the first day of summer, and they needed some new Elites. She hoped they would have at least a handful of new trainees that would prove worthy.

  There was another problem waiting for her back home, but she did not want to think of it at the moment. It was too hard. She almost thought she would rather roam the southern hills for two months than go back and face what she must. She had tried to put him out of her head, and during the day, it was easier. At night, when all was still, and she was alone with her thoughts, she couldn’t help but think of him. She missed him in so many ways, but she knew it was best to leave him in the past.

  She pulled her head away from her horse and looked at him. “I wonder if he thinks of me as much as I do him, Aarit.”

  Aarit shook his head, and Dracia gave a small smile. She patted him one more time as she heard a noise in the woods ahead of her. She wondered if it was one of her Elites, patrolling the area or taking their own walk. Deciding she would give whoever it was a break and secure the area herself, she walked forward towards the dense forest ahead of her.

  She entered the forest, not finding any of her Elites. They must have been on the other side of the group as they slowly circled. She kept going deeper into the trees as something seemed to be drawing her forward. She got a bad feeling as she moved into a small clearing. A coldness went through her body that had nothing to do with the night wind. She might have been imagining it, but the night seemed to grow darker the further she walked. She walked forward a few more steps into a clearing in the middle of the forest, putting her hand on the hilt of the sword at her side. She heard a slight rustle behind her, and she turned quickly.