Dishon Chapter 6

IN THE TENTH YEAR OF RECAB, KING OF DISHON
Recab entered the meeting room to see the downcast faces of Tomaz and Dosut. "Well, it looks like were going to fall back on plan B" he said cheerfully.
Dosut looked carefully at Recab, trying to determine the source of his new found cheerfulness. "We don't have a plan B." He spoke cautiously. "Calet was our only hope."
"We do now" Recab opened the room's door to reveal Perez standing there, accompanied by Tish. Perez limped in, as Tish bowed, closed the door, and left. Once in the room, Perez found a chair and collapsed in it, taking all the weight off his cane. He took a minute to regain his breath, then nodded to Dosut and Tomaz.
"What happened to your leg?" asked Tomaz
Not used to Tomaz' straight forward, uneloquent style, Perez was taken back a bit, but quickly recovered to answer. "It was bitten by a crocodile, and then I slammed my knee against a marble floor."
Recab, trying to preserve the formality of the event, put in, "Perez has left Calet to join us. I am confident that with his help, the future looks much brighter."
Tomaz flew onto Perez' shoulder, saying "don't get me wrong, I'm glad that your here, but your decision to move to Dishon isn't exactly what you would call a good career move. Why did you come?"
"In the pursuit of what is noble, and what is just. I wanted to go some place where I wasn't fighting for money or power, but for freedom and life."
Dosut, who had been starring at the ground in thought, looked up. "Even with Perez' genius, I still don't see how we could win this war. The numerical figures are just dizzying."
"I agree" said Perez. "Even Calet didn't have much of a chance against Marram numerically, and Dishon is not even comparable to Calet." Perez paused, and sighed. "Now Calet is doomed. To think that the death of a heir is all it took to send it hurtling into civil war." Perez' face suddenly brightened up. "Does Azom have a heir?"
"I've already thought of that. Although we know little about his command structure, it doesn't matter anyway. Azom stays in the capital city, Marret, heavily guarded." Tomaz walked back and forth on Perez' shoulder as he talked.
"Just how do you plan to win this war?" Dosut asked.
"I don't. I really don't see any way we could win." Perez paused. "Are you sure killing Azom isn't an option."
Tomaz replied jokingly "Not unless he decides to lead his army into battle himself."
"In that case, I don't see any way we can win. However, that isn't going to stop me from trying. The pursuit of what is noble is seldom a profitable journey. The goal here is to stay alive as long as possible, and hope something, some miracle, will force Marram to give up."
"Deka help us." Dosut said, as he slowly sat down into a chair. "We won't last a day."
"I'm hoping, in fact I'm counting on it, that Marram will send a small force against us. Supplies for soldiers cost money, and Marram didn't get to be powerful by wasting money."
Dosut remained uncheered. "Now that your here, you can bet Marram will send their full force against us."
"Marram doesn't know I'm here."
"I wouldn't count on it." Dosut said. "Don't under estimate their spy network. Anybody could be one of their agents."
"I know, I know. I learned the hard way. But fortunately, I have a very powerful friend who was able to completely cover my tracks. Besides my friend, you three and Tish are the only ones who know I'm in Dishon."
"And we'd like to keep it that way" put in Recab. "Perez is to be kept top secret. No one is to find out about him."
"We can tell Ishod can't we?" chirped out Tomaz. "Ishod can be trusted." Ishod, though only an ordinary soldier, had an uncanny connection with these three most power figures in Dishon. He was best friend to Tomaz, and Recab had married his sister, Ishite.
"No one else is to know about this. Not Ishod, not Mazus, not Gotaz, and not Nolli. Not even my own wife is going to know about this," said Recab. Calming down a bit, he added "We'll meet early tomorrow morning to discuss strategy. Until then, you gentlemen are dismissed."
Dosut nodded and walked out the door. Tomaz flew out the window. He headed straight for Jolk's tavern. The ground all around the tavern was covered with mud, do to the rain of spring. Tomaz flew in an open door to see Kitmus cleaning up the mud inside. Tomaz flew passed Kitmus to a table where Ishod was sitting with Mazus, and Nolli.
Tomaz landed on the table and looked around. "Where's Gotaz?" he asked.
"He went to get us another round of drinks" said Nolli.
"So what have you been doing this morning Tomaz?" asked Ishod.
Tomaz smiled, or at least as close to a smile as a Robin can get. "I can't tell you that. It's top secret."
"Ishod's eyebrows went up. "Oh really?"
"It's too bad I can't tell you, because it really is quite fascinating. If you knew, you wouldn't believe it.
"To bad you can't tell me then."
"Do you want to know about it?"
"Not if I'm not supposed to."
"I could tell you if you didn't tell anyone else."
"No, no, I'm a loyal soldier, and if the king doesn't want me to know, I won't find out."
"Are you sure you don't want to know?"
Ishod studied Tomaz' face for quite some time. "It never ceases to amaze me why the king would make you his advisor."
"The king doesn't know me like you do. Listen, if you really want to know, I can tell you. Just keep it a secret."
"I don't want to know" Ishod said strongly.
"I'd like to know" said Mazus.
Gotaz arrived with four drinks, which he distributed to Ishod, Nolli, Mazus, and himself without a word. Then he took his seat at the table.
"Well I can tell you then" said Tomaz, after Gotaz had sat down.
"Not here you don't" said Ishod. "I'm not finding out."
"Well go outside" Tomaz called out as he flew toward the door. Mazus followed him.
Ishod looked at his mug of beer. "I'm sorry Gotaz, but I've had enough."
"I'll finish yours then" said Nolli, who was already done with his drink. "Just pass it down." Ishod slid the drink across the table to Nolli, who grabbed it greedily. Ishod watched as Nolli gulped down the beverage.
Tomaz flew back in the room, with Mazus following behind him. Mazus sat back down at the table. "Boy, is Tomaz right. That really, really was amazing. Are you guys sure you don't want to know?"