Sauragia

Chapter 25

King Edward sighed. He did not like the prospect of scolding one of his top chieftains, but it had to be done. There were no exceptions. He spoke at first with his back turned:

“So, your little plan to infiltrate Saurahall has failed.” He said this with deceptive calmness, then turned around. “What have you got to say for yourself?”

Carl averted his gaze from his king’s. He couldn’t look Edward in the eye when he had failed. No one could. He replied simply, “Unfortunate circumstances, my lord.”

“Unfortunate circumstances?” repeated Edward as an invitation to continue.

Carl nodded. “Aye, sire. I’m sure it could have worked. It was a good plan.”

“Do explain, Carl.”

“Well sire, everything went according to plan at first. I had everything figured out exactly, but then these two guards, officers I think, came along the wall from the other direction. They don’t normally, sire, but they did last night, and they raised the alarm before we could stop them.”

“Hmm.” Edward nodded. “But you did manage to get the gates open.”

Carl nodded.

“And you did not think to pull out the moment things started to go wrong?”

“I thought things could be straightened out quicker, lord.”

“Of course, you managed to kill these two officers before you retreated?” pressed Edward, giving Carl every last chance to prove he had not totally failed.

“They were too skilled,” said Carl, swallowing hard. “One in particular managed to hold the gate until other soldiers arrived.”

Again Edward sighed and turned his back on the Saltrak chieftain, then began anew:

“I am very forgiving, Carl. You know this. I have forgiven your mistakes before, few though they are. But I loaned you my very best and strongest dinosaurs for this little jaunt, and in the course of a few minutes you managed to lose them all, or just about.” He paused. “You ask a lot of your lord to forgive this one so easily.”

“The rest are merely captured,” consoled Carl desperately. “Those Saurahallers would not kill them…”

“Dead or captured, both are the same to me!” spoke Edward with rising vehemence, rounding on his subordinate. “Either way, they are of no use now, and any attempts to rescue them would only result in further losses. And I have you to thank for it, Carl!” He paused as Carl again swallowed and looked down without saying anything. He then stepped forward and spoke in a somewhat softer tone.

“You have been an effective commander in the past, Carl, and with relatively few errors to your name. However, you know as well as I that this is our greatest test yet, and there is no room for even the slightest of errors when dealing with these Saurahallers. They are very clever, and we must be cleverer. I will forgive you for this unfortunate lapse in judgment, but consider your favours spent. You may go now. But watch yourself in the future. Your command is on the line.”

It was all Carl could do to bow and make his way out, trembling with relief as he was that he had gotten off with nothing more than a tongue lashing. When he was gone, Edward shook his head. That had not been too bad, though it gave one pause for thought. He poured himself a cup of wine and sat down in his chair. Sipping quietly, he considered what he would do about that Carl.

The Alvarosaurus had been a valuable asset since his earliest days of conquesting, despite his sometimes outspoken nature and wild ideas. He typically did as he was ordered, but often the methods he used were his own, and on occasion failed. Yet, something about him, especially lately, unnerved Edward. Ever since he had come to Cardolin, he had inexplicably lost some of his confidence, and had come to Edward several times with ideas of how to enter Saurahall without too many lives being lost. Secretly the Saltrak King began to wonder if perhaps Carl had suddenly gone soft. Carl had usually been indifferent with regard to lives like any good Saltrak in the past, but now he was forced to fight his own kind, perhaps his bloodlust had subsided. It was possible Carl did not even realize this.

But King Edward could not be sure of this—of anything, for that matter. He had to watch that Alvarosaurus closely. Maybe when all this was over, he would have to have him eliminated. But he would decide that when the time came. For now he had to concentrate his efforts on conquering Saurahall, and he would need all his best commanders to do it.