The Western Keep
It took two and a half weeks of traveling to get to the western keep. It was not this far but the terrain was absolutely horrible. As she bummed along the road Grace decided that she would need to talk to the engineers about building roads. They needed to stay connected to the night for one thing. Many had expressed intentions to follow her and her children to the west and she did not wish these roads on anyone.
She also wanted good passage through the hills to a small inlet. This would be their port and their point of exchange with their new allies, Golden Sea and a few nations just behind Golden Sea's borders.
Grace, her children and family, and Ashley, and Malcolm, traveled to the west exactly three days after the envoy's arrival. King Samuel wanted to go with them but the grey eyed girl hinted that him leaving with Grace would be dangerous for Grace.
He had looked at her for a long time and finally decided that she was right. He would stay and after they actually left he would follow but by the waters around Lystra. He had spoken to Malcolm and already had information on the inlet and knew, roughly, where it was located.
The grey eyed girl was happy with the outcome. She felt she had more time to seduce the handsome king, maybe become a queen in her own right, and satisfy both of her mistresses.
It was not unheard of for a McAllen girl to find herself as a queen, consort, or some sort of royalty. In every instance the family gained a new powerful ally. She had smiled as she thought of the possibility of reward for her efforts.
Over course she had been mistaken. She did cause Samuel to leave later than he had wished but nothing had gone as she wished. In the end she thought Samuel left for Golden Sea in frustration.
As Samuel was nearing what would be the west's new port Grace and her convoy were entering the hills that surrounded the perimeter of the west. After this they would be at the keep in two days.
But this was probably one of the most dangerous parts of the entire trip. The western keep was actually called the Western Badlands. Many people here were the disenfranchised, criminal, and the angry. There were bandits, people of ethnicities Lystra found undesirable, and those sick with misunderstood or unknown diseases.
There were four main areas in the Western badlands: the hills surrounding the area, mountains to the north, a swampy area to the west and the actual keep in the center at top a cliff looking down on the main waterway into the area.
In the mountains there were both bandits and colonies of sick people. In the hills were another large concentration of bandits and different settlements of various alienated ethnic group, and the swamps were home to large groups of sick people.
The problem with the hills was that it was not clear what areas the bandits lived in and even it that was known many of the bandits were the disenfranchised ethnic groups.
The bandits could Be hiding anywhere in the hills.
Of course Grace tried to smoothing things over for her and her children but she found that she was distrusted in as equal a measure as she was trusted in this area of Lystra.
Her people had already recruited many to help with construction and land development but they were still receiving resistance even as they worked to improve the area.
It seemed like everyone held their breath as the moved through the hills. Grace looked at them nervously and saw so much potential. She saw farmlands, orchards, settlements, and different industry. She shook her head as she thought about how this area was left untouched as if it were not viable.
And them it happened. She felt her guards' tension spike almost instantly. The main group of her guards surrounded the carriage with her and her family then the rest spread out to protect the back of the convoy.
There was a battle cry and then several horses screamed as one. They heard carriages crash, even as theirs rocked precariously to one side. Her children's eyes went wide and they went to the closest "safe" person, wary expressions on their faces.
Her nieces and nephews, even her sisters and mother were a different story. They all screamed and ended up whimpering in different areas of the carriage.
Grace exhaled in frustration and when the carriage stabilized she moved everyone to the more secure center.
Their were death screams all around them outside and she suddenly found herself concerned. She looked to her children, frightened but trying to remain calm for their aunts, grandmother and cousins. Fury rose up within her as she tried to calm herself.
She looked to her head guard and she shook her head every so slightly. Again Grace sighed, this time in resignation.
She would not go out, yet, but she would get some weapons and protect herself and those she loved.
'Gabriel, you utter idiot!'
She would make sure that he heard about the danger he put his children in.
Long ago Grace had seen the writing on the wall. If she could be sent to the north what else could be done to her. So she trained in martial arts unique an indigenous group in the east and she learned how to use as many weapons as she could stand.
She had weapons brought to her. When Malcolm saw this he came to choose a weapon as well. When Ashley chose two sets of throwing knives he raised an eyebrow. Ashley shrugged.
"When Grace began training I did as well. But all I could really master were these and a bit of martial arts." She shrugged again and Malcolm nodded as his eyes fell on a determined Grace.
He now understood why his brother was so enamored with this woman. She was a wonder.
Grace brought her cry forward. He was a large man and he could project his voice great distances, probably further than most criers. She told him want to say and made sure he was in a secure place.
It was not necessary because he projected his voice as if he were outside in the hills, so when his voice was heard many of the bandits looked toward the hills perplexed.
"Her Lady Grace Temperance and her family are within this convoy. She means you no harm, but she will protect herself and her family. She wants to help everyone in the West. She has been exiled here and to the east just like all of you. Fight with her and build a life here or to the east.
"It will not be easy but it will be good."
There was a short lull in the fighting and then another battle cry. Grace sighed and shook her head. She took two arrows from her back and positioned both onto her bow. She took aim and let fly.
The arrows flew together for a little then separated and struck true. Malcolm turned to look at her, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. She had hit two different targets, in non-vital areas, and they were not even close to each other. His mouth went dry as she put two more arrows to her bow and let fly.
This time she actually took down two horses. she sucked her teeth as she watched one of the horses roll over one of the riders. She shook her head and took out three arrows this time.
Her arrows flying had marked her carriage. Of course she knew it would but it caused the bandits to believe that this particular carriage could not be her and her family's carriage and they tried to avoid it as much as possible.
Grace began covering her people when she knew she could not discourage the bandits. Her arrows continued to fly and Ashley and her servants made sure she never ran out of them.
Grace sucked her teeth whenever she saw someone killed or gravely injured, no matter what side they were on. They needed to end this. She looked to her head guard, giving a small signal, she nodded to Grace in understanding and let out a shrill whistle.
Suddenly all hell broke loose.