Temple Commander

3. Lidenbach-1

Charlaine stepped onto the wooden dock, noting how it groaned beneath her weight. The other two followed, freeing up the ship’s boat to return to the Valiant.

ValiantMarlena wrinkled her nose, drawing her cloak tighter against the chilly morning air. "Something stinks."

"Rotting fish," said Danica. "Someone"s abandoned their catch."

"Why would they do that?"

"Perhaps they fell ill? In any case, we should get going to the commandery."

"Any idea where that is, precisely?"

"There"s an easy way to find out," said Charlaine, moving farther up the dock to where an old woman sat, fixing a net. "Excuse me. Could you tell us where we could find the Saint Agnes commandery?"

The woman looked up at them, spat on the ground, and then resumed her work. Charlaine wondered at the scornful reaction but felt it best to seek out her fellow sisters for answers.

"Not the response I"m used to," she said as she stepped onto the cobblestone streets of Lidenbach.

"This is most unusual," said Danica. "Do you suppose someone is trying to discredit our name?"

"You mean like the Halvarians? I suppose it"s possible."

"If you"ll pardon my saying so," offered Marlena, “it"s far more likely this is a result of the Cunars leaving. These people likely feel abandoned by the Church."

"If that"s the case, then we’ll have a difficult time trying to put their minds at ease."

"How are we going to find the commandery?" asked Marlena.

"We"ll start by climbing that hill. It should give us a good view of the city, and as we know, a commandery has a rather distinct appearance."

They made their way through the streets of Lidenbach, garnering much attention from those they passed.

"Odd," said Marlena. "These buildings are quite run down."

"A sign of hardship," said Charlaine. "I"m guessing the city has seen better days."

"Because of the condition of these houses?"

"Not only that. If you recall, that couple on the Cygnet said there was little profit to be made here. That seems to indicate a general lack of coins hereabouts."

Cygnet"Yet there are businesses here," offered Danica.

"True," replied Charlaine, "but none appear busy."

"How long do you think this has been going on?"

"Quite some time, I imagine. At least long enough for people like the Ripleys to hear of it."

"The harbour has seen better days if that dock is any indication."

"You noticed it too?" said Charlaine.

"I could hardly miss it. I thought my boot would go right through the planks."

"Yet the harbour here is large. It should, by all rights, be packed with ships. You"re the expert in such things—any ideas?"

"Nothing solid," replied Danica, "although it wouldn"t surprise me to learn the Halvarians are somehow involved."

"Come now," said Marlena. "I realize the empire is our enemy, but you can"t blame them for everything."

"What else could cause this?"

"The king might’ve taxed his subjects into poverty, or maybe there"s a preponderance of storms off the coast, scaring away merchants?"

"She makes a good point," said Charlaine. "It might be best not to dwell on the subject until after we"ve gathered some details. In any case, we still must find the commandery so I can—" A woman shouting at something up the street interrupted her thoughts. Following the voice, she noticed a small crowd gathered, but their presence blocked her view of the affair.

"Something"s happening," she said. "We"d best go and take a look."

As they advanced up the street, an angry man"s voice echoed off the buildings.

"What"s going on here?" shouted Charlaine. She pushed through the crowd to where a woman stood, her back to a storefront, facing off against three men holding cudgels. At the sight of the new arrivals, they all turned.

"Who are you?" one of the men demanded.

Charlaine was surprised that he’d failed to recognize the trio as Temple Knights but then remembered their cloaks concealed their scarlet cassocks.

"I am Sister Charlaine deShandria, Temple Commander of the Order of Saint Agnes. What is your business here?"

"Not that it"s any concern of yours," replied the taller of the three, "but this woman failed to live up to her part of our business arrangement."

"And what arrangement might that be?"

"This man," the woman insisted, "demands I pay him, else he"ll damage my property."

Charlaine moved in, placing herself between the storekeeper and the trio of thugs. "Is this true?"

The tall one smiled, his grin revealing a mouthful of broken teeth. "It"s common for merchants to contribute towards the community fund. Now, stand aside and allow us to conduct our business. This is none of your concern."

"You there!" came a woman"s voice. "Stand down." Six Temple Knights of Saint Agnes rode through the crowd, pushing the onlookers to either side.

The one leading the patrol flipped up her visor, revealing an aged face that bespoke of years of experience. Her eyes locked with those of Charlaine. "New recruits are to report to the commandery, not throw their weight around on the streets of Lidenbach."

"This woman is in trouble," replied Charlaine.

"Her distress is none of your concern. Stand aside, Sister, or I shall be forced to discipline you."

Danica snickered. "She thinks we"re recruits. I don"t know whether to be flattered or insulted."

"I am Temple Commander Charlaine deShandria, the new head of this region. Your name?"

"Sister Johanna. Sorry, Commander. We received no news of your appointment."

"Is it not the sworn duty of our order to protect women?"

"It is."

"Then why would you not seek to intervene in this matter?"

"Our commander has issued orders to the contrary."

"And your commander is?"

"Temple Commander Nina."

Charlaine stared back in astonishment. "Did you say, Nina?"

"I did, Commander."

"By any chance, did she serve in Ilea?"

"She did, as commander of a detachment," replied the knight.

"Am I missing something?" asked Marlena.

"She was the captain of our first posting," replied Danica. "That doesn"t bode well for what we"re likely to find at the commandery."

"Do not speak ill of your superiors," warned Sister Johanna.

"This," said Charlaine, "is Admiral Danica Meer. You"d do well to remember that."

Sister Johanna tried to hide her embarrassment at her mistake by snapping at those in her command to remain quiet. A moment later, she cleared her throat, turning back to her new superior. "What would you like us to do, Commander?"

"I want two knights stationed here to see to the well-being of this establishment. These men are to be arrested and turned over to the authorities."

"Begging your pardon, Commander, but the king"s men won"t take them."

"Pardon me?" replied Charlaine.

"The king’s soldiers will not take them into custody."

"Why not? Are they not sworn to uphold his laws?"

"I am not an expert in such things, Commander. You’ll need to ask Commander Nina."

"Then send two sisters to see them off with a stern warning to never again threaten this business, or any other, for that matter."

"And the rest of us?"

"You will escort us to the commandery."

"Very well." Johanna issued orders to the other Temple Knights.

"This is proving to be very interesting," said Danica. "Perhaps I"ll keep the Valiant close at hand for the foreseeable future."

Valiant"And by ‘interesting’, you mean?" asked Marlena.

"She means," said Charlaine, "that our job here likely became a lot more complicated."

"Captain Nina might have changed," offered Danica. "Anything"s possible."

Sister Johanna led them through the streets of Lidenbach, passing by the Royal Castle before turning left to skirt the edge of the great hill upon which it sat. Once they reached its northern extremity, and turned east, the commandery came into view.

In design, it was nearly identical to that of Korvoran, save for a slightly different pattern to its doors. Traditionally, the captain"s office would face westward, though the regional commander"s room would take precedence in this case.

They arrived to find no guards posted, necessitating one of Johanna"s knights to dismount and open the door to the centre courtyard. Charlaine left their escort, entering the building from the alleyway that granted access to the horses. Danica and Marlena followed, struggling to keep pace with their commander.

Their brief trip through the commandery raised the eyebrows of those stationed there, but none saw fit to challenge the individuals marching past as if they owned the place. They only stopped when they stood before the commander’s door.

"Where"s the guard?" asked Marlena.

"Good question," replied Danica as she knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" came a familiar voice.

"The new regional commander," replied Charlaine.

"What nonsense is this?" Someone pushed a chair back, scraping the floor, and then footsteps approached. The door opened, revealing Temple Commander Nina. Grey now tinged her brown hair, while dark shadows lay beneath her eyes and lines etched her face, but there was no mistaking her stern countenance. She stood there, mouth agape.

"Commander Nina," said Charlaine. "I"m here under orders from the grand mistress. I’m to assume command of the region."

"I’ve received no such commands.”

Charlaine turned to Marlena, who’d already dug through her satchel to find the necessary documentation. She took the scroll, offering it to Nina. "These are your orders, Commander."

A look of resignation flooded Nina"s face. "You"d better come in while I read this over." She sat behind her desk.

Charlaine entered the room, noting its fine furnishings and elegantly laced curtains. A commander, or captain, for that matter, can decorate how they wish, but it was unusual to see such an overt display of wealth. It begged the question of where the funds came from to pay for such extravagant tastes, but she kept such thoughts to herself.

"This says I am to report to the Antonine,” said Nina.

"That is correct."

Nina raised an eyebrow. "I was unaware my next assignment was any of your business?"

"The grand mistress herself informed me of it, Commander."

"Oh? Privy to the order’s internal workings now, are we?"

Charlaine remained silent.

"Well, it appears my days in this rat-infested city are at an end. For once, the future looks bright." Nina’s forced smile did nothing to hide her anger. "I assume you"ll want to address the sisters?"

"There’s no hurry if you want to say your farewells?"

"That’s unnecessary. However, I have several administrative details to see to before I relinquish command of this region."

"I understand completely."

"Tell me, will you replace my captains?"

"I don"t know," said Charlaine. "That largely depends on what I find here. However, the order will be increasing its presence in Arnsfeld."

"I take it you have armour and horses?"

"Our armour is aboard the Valiant, and our destriers will be here in a week or so."

Valiant"It is a poor knight who doesn"t travel with their mounts."

"My orders stressed that I should assume command as soon as feasible. I thought it best to favour a quick arrival over making an impression."

"Shall I assign someone to give you a tour of the commandery?"

"I doubt that will prove necessary," said Charlaine. "Unless the layout of this place differs from others somehow?"

"Not at all. Tell me; is there anything else you would like to know while I"m still here to answer your questions?"

"What of the other orders?"

"The Cunars, as you are no doubt aware, abandoned their commanderies."

"And the Mathewites?"

"There are lay brothers within Lidenbach, but very few Temple Knights to my knowledge."

"To your knowledge? Are you suggesting you didn"t bother to enquire?"

"Why would I? Their order’s activities are of no interest to us."

"They are our allies," said Charlaine. "They, like us, help to protect women."

"In times of war, yes, but we don’t possess the numbers needed to patrol the streets properly."

"So what do you do?"

"Our very presence oft times acts as a deterrent to would-be criminals. Thus, we send out daily patrols to make our presence known."