Chapter 36
All except for two hundred men and women of his army were going to stay behind in Rivers Crossing. Alice and Albert had come up with a plan that would put everyone else to work clearing the land where the outer walls of the city would stand. The removed trees would be turned into lumber for use in constructing the castle. The cleared land would have all of the stumps removed and a deep trench dug so that the walls could be buried six feet to prevent tunneling under them during a siege.
Sid was pleased with their solution. It would put a lot of people to work immediately and meant that he could travel with a much lighter guard. Riding with two hundred men and women would allow them to travel faster. The sooner he reached the Jones Citadel, the sooner he could leave for Crossroads. Looking over at Laura, Mary, Mandy, and Alice, he knew he had four very pleasant reasons to reach Crossroads.
Although Gregor had intended to stay only a single day, he had ended up staying three days at the camp. It had taken him that long to acquire sufficient supplies so that his men could ride at a fast pace to their homes. He was a little irritated at Derek for spending most of that time fishing, but understood his desire to rest and relax.
Sid looked up at Gregor and said, "It has been a long and hard journey, but the company has made it a lot more pleasant."
"That it has," Gregor said nodding his head. He looked down at Sid from atop his horse and added, "If you have need of me, you know where to find me."
"And should you have need of me, you know where to find me," Sid said. He gestured to the area around him and said, "Send a man here and I will come."
"That is good to know, King Sid," Gregor said. He was finding it a lot harder to say goodbye than he had thought it would be. The time spent together had only reinforced the respect that he held for Sid. It was rare to find a man who actually listened to advice and incorporated it into his plans.
"Drop the king stuff. Our friendship is too strong to allow a little thing like a title stand between us. Besides, one of these days you're going to become the head horseman of the clan. I'd hate to have to call you Horsy Gregor," Sid said with a smile.
Gregor burst out laughing and said, "It is a deal. Take care of your backside. You are surrounded by too many men who know very little about honor."
"Take care of yourself, my friend. Even when surrounded by honorable men, there is always one snake in the grass waiting to strike," Sid said.
"True," Gregor replied. He turned to the mounted men and women behind him. He shouted, "Move out!"
"Take care," Sid said.
"I shall," Gregor said before turning his horse around and riding off to join his troops.
In a soft voice, Sid said, "I shall miss you my friend."
Derek looked over at Sid and said, "He shall miss you too."
"Take care of him," Sid said.
"Take care of yourself," Fred said with a smile. Over time, he and Derek had grown close. The two men shared a similar lifestyle in serving men who were on the verge of being very powerful.
"I shall. Take care of yourself. Many will want to use you to get at him," Derek said.
"I know. The same goes for you," Fred said.
Derek turned his horse and rode off to catch up with Gregor. He shouted, "It is good to be heading home!"
From behind Sid, four women said, "Yes, it is."
Sid cringed at the thought of being in bed with all four of them. He wondered if he would survive the experience. Turning to face them, he said, "We'll leave for the Jones Citadel tomorrow."
"Four weeks on the road," Laura said with a groan.
"Then a week at the Citadel," Mandy said repeating the next phase of the journey home.
"Then four days to the city where we'll leave," Alice said.
"That's almost six weeks," Mary said.
"I'll die of desire by then," Laura said. She had been waiting the longest to give Sid his reward for rescuing her and the wait had been wearing on her.
Sid shook his head and said, "I'm a dead man."
Three weeks into the ride back to the Jones Citadel, Sid was ready to tear out his hair in frustration. The four women were competing for his attention and it was driving him crazy. Everything they did was a subtle reminder that they expected him to make grand glorious love to them at the journey's end. He was touched, teased, and watched almost constantly.
Needing a break, Sid rode to the back of the column of men. Fred rode with him. Once they were back there, Fred said, "I have no idea how you are managing to resist them."
"It is not easy," Sid said.
Smiling happily, Fred said, "I'm glad that I don't have that problem."
"You have a different problem," Sid replied with a grin. Fred had been a very happy man since the four ladies had arranged for Milly and Fred to spend an entire day in their cabin. The two had emerged much happier and relaxed.
Looking at Sid with a startled expression at hearing that he had a problem, Fred asked, "What problem?"
"Milly wants to get married," Sid said.
"And in what way is that a problem?" Fred asked with a smile. He had long before admitted that he wanted the same thing.
Sid laughed and shook his head. He asked, "So you'll be returning to Rivers Crossing with her when I leave to take the Damsels back home?"
"I was planning on coming with you," Fred said.
"That's not possible," Sid replied with a shake of his head.
"I'm your sworn man and that requires that I stay by your side," Fred said looking at Sid. He was visibly upset at the news that Sid was going to leave him behind.
"I would take you if I could, but it is impossible," Sid said trying to calm Fred down. He sighed and said, "I need you to take care of my business here while I'm gone."
"Why do you say it is impossible?"
"Their home is on the other side of a magic gate," Sid answered. He felt that Fred needed to know enough not to feel like he was being abandoned. He said, "Only a person with the right blood can move through it."
"A magic gate?" Fred asked looking at Sid incredulously.
"You can come with us to the gate, but you can't go any further," Sid said.
Fred rode beside Sid wondering if he was being told a story. He'd never heard of magic gates. Sandra Lawyer had not mentioned the existence of a magic gate to him. There was one way to confirm the story. He kicked his horse and rode up to the head of the column where the four Damsels were riding. Sid watched him go.
Fred waited until he was riding beside Laura to say, "Sid told me that I couldn't travel with you to Cassandra."
"That's right," Laura said.
"Why not?" Fred asked.
Laura looked around for a moment while considering how to answer. She decided that Fred already knew enough about them that he needed to know more. She said, "I need you to swear that you'll never tell anyone what I'm about to tell you."
"I swear," Fred said without a moment of hesitation.
"There are four worlds: Chaos, Crossroads, Cassandra, and Earth."
Eyebrows raised, Fred asked, "Worlds?"
"Yes, worlds. You are from Chaos and know this world well. I, Mary, Mandy, and Alice are from Cassandra. Sid is from Earth. We travel between worlds using a portal."
"Is a portal a kind of magic gate?" Fred asked.
"Yes," Alice answered deciding that was just as accurate of a description as any. She said, "There are limits to our ability to use the portals. Damsels can not travel to Earth and Heroes can not travel to Cassandra. We can only meet here. Damsels can only return to Crossroads if they travel there with a Hero. From Crossroads, we can return to Cassandra."
Anticipating Fred's next question, Mandy said, "Damsels and Heroes can only be with each other on Crossroads."
"Be with each other? You are with each other now," Fred said.
Laura laughed and said, "She meant we can only make love to each other on Crossroads. That's why you are traveling with five very frustrated people."
"Oh, that explains a lot," Fred said blushing at the subject matter.
"Yes," Mandy said, "It explains a lot. I've been waiting for this my whole life."
"We all have," Laura said with a sigh.
"Look at this dress. It's so dirty," Laura said. She brushed the front of her dress to remove an imaginary piece of dirt. It happened that the offending piece of dirt was on her breast and her attempt to remove it caused her nipple to swell and harden.
Sid groaned and leaned forward in his saddle in the slim hope of relieving some of the pressure created by his swelling cock. His hands shook as he held the reigns. He said, "Enough. I can't take it any more."
Mandy batted her eyes at him and, while running a hand over her chest, asked, "What ever do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean," Sid answered in pure anguish.
"There's a bank over there," Alice said pointing out the building. All they had to do was go inside and they would be in Crossroads within minutes.
Mary stuck a fingertip in her mouth and sucked on it suggestively for a second before removing it. In a little girl voice, she said, "So there is. That is a bank."
"You know that I have to finish my business here," Sid said with a groan. They were riding through one of the towns that had been ravaged by the slavers. It had been a little place before, but had now grown in size to where it actually supported a bank. The presence of the bank had taken Sid by surprise.
Alice leaned over and took Sid's hand. Taking one of his fingers, she slipped her mouth over it sending waves of desire through Sid. When he moaned, she eased off the finger and asked, "Do you really have to take care of all that nasty business now?"
Smiling, Laura asked, "There is some other nasty business you could be taking care of."
Sid groaned and pulled his hand away from Alice. He kicked his horse and took off down the road at a full gallop leaving four disappointed women behind. Frustrated, Mary screamed and said, "I can't wait another day!"
Alice fell forward on her saddle and whimpered in frustration. With tears coming to her eyes, she said, "I can't take it any more."
Never had Sid ever been so happy in his life to see a city. From atop the hill he looked at the Jones Citadel that graced a nearby hill. He pointed to it and said, "There is the Jones Citadel."
"Finally," Alice said. She watched Sid ride to the back of the column.
A young couple rode up to the head of the column to look at the citadel. The young woman looked at the young man and said, "It will be good to see Mom and Dad again."
Laura turned to the young couple trying to remember their name. It took her a moment to recall that the young man was named Jacobson and that the young woman was named Fredricksdotter. She asked, "You are from here?"
"Yes. That is my home over there by the river," Jacobson answered pointing to a river off in the distance. His hand reached down to the coin purse at his side. He had enough money in it to set up a huge estate next to his father's place. He planned to retire and raise cattle on his own place.
"My father runs a shop inside the citadel," answered Fredricksdotter.
"So you were part of the original group that left from Jones Citadel with Sid?" Alice asked.
"Yes. The two of us are the only ones returning," Jacobson answered. He reached out and took Fredricksdotter by the hand.
"Why didn't you take a holding?" Mandy asked.
Fredricksdotter answered, "We aren't interested in being a Lord and a Lady."
"We've seen first hand the kind of treachery that exists in that area. I don't want to live the rest of my life looking over my shoulder while waiting for someone to stick a knife in my back," Jacobson said.
Fredricksdotter nodded her head in agreement. She wondered if the people who accepted Holdings from Sid had really known what they were getting. With a shiver, she said, "There are too many evil people left in Sid's kingdom."
"I hadn't thought about it like that," Alice said. She had watched Sid hand out Holdings to the men who had left the Jones Citadel with him without thinking about the fact that he was putting them into danger.
"King Sid has tried to make it safe for the others, but I don't know if it is safe enough," Jacobson said. He squeezed Fredricksdotter's hand and added, "We just want to settle down and raise a family."
"That's so sweet," Mandy said.
Jacobson and Fredricksdotter rode at the head of the procession to the Citadel. The young couple was proud of their honored role. Sid followed behind them with Fred to his side. The four Damsels rode behind them and they were followed by the fifty soldiers remaining of Sid's army.
The people of the citadel came out to greet the returning party. They lined the road to watch their sons and daughters returning from war. A few of those present knew that they had lost a child in the war. They had come out to talk to the friends of their children to learn more about their deaths even though Sid had sent letters back to the Citadel describing the circumstances of their deaths. Many of the families stared at the procession shocked to discover that their son or daughter wasn't there. The fifty soldiers were strangers and they hadn't expected that.
The procession came to a halt at the gates of the Citadel. One of the men who had watched the approaching troop stepped forward. With a look of anguish on his face, he asked, "Where is my son?"
Sid looked at the man and said, "Lord Dankins is watching over his holding eight weeks ride from here."
"My son has a Holding?" the man asked looking at Sid. He stood up straighter. The idea that his son had become a Lord filled him with pride.
Nodding his head, Sid said, "All of those who left here with me were offered Holdings."
Another man stepped forward and asked, "Do you mean that my sons are both Lords?"
"Yes," Sid answered with a smile.
A huge cheer broke out among the men and women gathered. The sense of unease at discovering their child missing from the procession turned into a shared happiness. Men and women turned to each other and boasted of how their child had become a Lord or Lady.
Sid watched the sudden change in attitude with happiness. Turning to Fred, he said, "I wouldn't have missed this for the world."
Fred was silent. It warmed his heart to see the families rejoicing at the good fortune of their children. He turned and looked at Milly. For a moment, he wondered what would be the fate of their children. A quick glance at Sid reassured him. With Sid in his life, the chances were great that his children would have a good future.
The Damsels watched the crowd celebrating the good news. They could understand why Sid wanted to come here to let the people know about their sons and daughters, but that did little to ease their desire to return to Crossroads. Alice said, "Only a week and a half."
"Ten days."
"Eleven."
"Damn."
Sid walked into the town council building looking worried. Although he hadn't noticed it originally, Bixby had been missing from the crowd that had greeted him on his return. Inside the town council building, Sid went to Bixby's residence and knocked on the door. Sorensdaughter, the old woman he had left to take care of his house in the citadel, answered the door. Seeing Sid, she frowned and said, "Come in. He's waiting for you."
"What's the matter? Why wasn't he at the gate?" Sid asked.
"Bixby has been ill for a year, but his time has just about come. He's dying," she answered.
"No one told me," Sid said feeling guilty at the time spent at the gate celebrating with the families of the men and women who had left with him. He'd have rushed to return if he had known that.
"He didn't want to disturb your campaign." Sorensdaughter said. She gestured for him to follow her to Bixby's room.
"Where are his children?" Sid asked following behind her.
"He doesn't have any. The Citadel has been his wife and his love," she answered. She paused and said, "It was a good thing you did when you left him in charge of the Citadel. He would have died a long time ago without it."
"I don't know what to say," Sid said.
Sorensdaughter smiled and put a hand on his arm. She said, "There is nothing that you have to say to me. I know that you care. Just talk to him and let him know that he served the Jones family well."
"That is easy enough to do," Sid said.
Bixby was a shadow of the man he had been. He had lost weight and lay in bed barely moving. His eyes tracked Sid when the young man entered the room, but it was too much work to move his head. In a weak voice, he said, "So you return a King."
"Yes, I return a King," Sid answered.
"I'm happy to hear that," Bixby said.
"It wouldn't have been possible without your help," Sid said. It was the truth. Bixby had helped him select the men and women who had followed him out of the Citadel and into war.
"It was the least that I could do," Bixby answered. He sighed and asked, "How many of them survived?"
"We lost forty in battle. You know about them. The rest are alive and well," Sid answered moving across the room. He took a seat beside the bed and said, "Those who lived have been given Holdings."
"That is good," Bixby said. He coughed. It was a weak cough and wouldn't serve to clear his lungs. It was enough to send waves of pain through his body. He sighed and said, "My time has come. Tell me what you plan for the Citadel."
"I plan on naming you Lord of the Jones Citadel," Sid answered.
"That is an honor that will last a day at the most. I'm going to die without an heir. Someone will have to watch over it after I'm gone," Bixby said.
"Then I shall find an honorable man to take care of the Citadel. He'll have to compete with a legend. You have done a great job. My uncle would be proud of you," Sid said.
"That is good. I will talk to that honorable young man and tell him what he needs to know," Bixby said.
Nodding his head, Sid asked, "Do you swear to serve as Lord to your King?"
"I so swear," Bixby answered. He had tried to raise his hand, but the strength wasn't there.
"Jacobson rode with me from this Citadel and served honorably in my forces. He is a good man without personal ambition and will watch over the Citadel with the kind of attention that you have given it over the years. Will you accept him as your heir?"
Bixby smiled at the description of Jacobson. He knew the young man having watched him grow up on Jacob's place by the river. He would have preferred an older man, but war had a tendency to age one beyond their years. All in all, he felt that Jacobson was a good choice. Giving the barest nod, he said, "Yes, I will."
"I shall send for him," Sid said.