Free Honor Crowned by Michael G. Southwick

chasm—I already know where it is.”
    “So you know a way out of here and you were planning on telling me when?”
    “I’ve never run in my life.  I’m not about to start now!”
    Jorem really wanted to smack her up the side of the head.  It surprised him how limited her vision was.  She saw the battle ahead but not the future beyond.  What was it the philosophers had said so long ago?  “Those who know can’t see and those who see don’t know.”
    “You and I will stay,” Jorem said evenly.  “But it might be a good place to send the littlest of the children and the weakest of the elderly.”
    Neth actually looked as though he’d struck her. 
    “You’re right, I’m sorry,” she said hesitantly.  “I…,” she sighed and shook her head before continuing.  “I’ve never been good at that kind of planning.  That’s why I never advanced in the ranks.  The battle is all I understand.  Everything else is, well, somebody else’s problem.”
    “It’s all right,” Jorem said, accepting her admission.  “We’re all good at some things and not others.  We’ll deal with the passage in the morning.  For now, you’d better check on Cort.  Let me know if he finds anything useful.”
    Neth nodded and headed out of the room.  Jorem watched her as she walked away.  Another old saying came to mind and he had to smile. “You can’t use a sword for knitting.  Just as well to argue with a dragon.” Neth was definitely a sword.  No sense trying to make her knit.
    Jorem was just about to find a corner in which to sleep when he was called to the front gate.  Hector had finally returned from his scouting to the north.  The news he brought was neither good nor hopeful.  There would be no sleep for Jorem this night.  Even had he had the desire for sleep, worries over the days to come would have kept him awake.
    The horde of monsters, over one hundred in all, was coming directly at the Keep.  Hector estimated they’d arrive sometime early on the day after next.  It was the news of the army behind the monsters that caused Jorem such distress.  The monsters were being used as shock troops to take out any resistance before the real army arrived.
    The picture Hector painted was bleak.  Some three hundred armed men were coming at them, well-trained, well-armed, and in no hurry.  If that wasn’t enough, there was a smaller group following the army who, Hector assured him, had the looks of mages.  Not just one mage, but five in all.
    Jorem sent Hector and all of his men not occupied with some task or guard duty to get some sleep.  One thing Jorem had learned about seasoned fighting men.  They could sleep anywhere, through anything.  No matter how the next few days played out, everyone was going to need as much rest as possible.
    Knowledge of the secret passageway down into the chasm gave Jorem an option he hadn’t had before.  If he could get everyone through the passage and then block it, the army coming at them might decide it too much out of their way to follow.  Convincing the people of Cragg Keep to leave might be easier once they learned of the armed force coming behind the monster horde.
    A young boy came into the room, drawing Jorem from his ruminations.  The lad was small, but the look of determination on his face more than made up for his size.  He walked right up to Jorem and held out a small scrap of paper.
    “Gramps said to bring this to you,” the boy stated.  “He said it’s important and you should see it right away.”
    Jorem took the note and scanned it over.  Swallowing hard, he thanked the boy and waited until the lad had gone his way.  Then he slumped into a chair.  “Why is it,” he thought to himself, “that whenever things are looking their worst, more bad news has to follow?”
    The note was of the sort used with messenger birds.  The words printed on it were short and to the point.  Whoever had written the note had likely not known they were signing a