Understanding his sister’s frustration, Thomas was quick to help her. He ignored the murmurs and pointing from other townspeople returning home and together he and Kirsten pulled the banner down, tossing it into the water defiantly.
“How could our own people do something like this?” Kirsten asked angrily while motioning to the sinking cloth.
“It could be as Max said. Maybe they were tricked into thinking he would provide some form of protection?” Britt suggested as she joined them.
Kirsten groaned with frustration but held back the choice words she wanted to shout, realizing Britt wasn’t the source of her anger.
Townspeople also returning to Grandwood for the first time since their capture at the games began gathering on the docks. They kept their voices low as they pointed first to the banners, then to Kirsten and Thomas. Kirsten could tell this was not the homecoming they’d expected either. Their journey had been a trying time, and not all who’d been taken from Grandwood had returned. All who’d survived the months of captivity were allowed passage home on board the Rolloan ships. Red hadn’t been pleased about transporting extra people who weren’t skilled sailors in the first place. He protested the suggestion, saying there would be too many extra mouths to feed, but when he heard the other leaders supporting the notion, he quickly changed his mind. No doubt, his revised response served as a political ploy to make himself look better. At that time, he’d still been vying for the position as chief. To Britt and the others’ disgust, his dubious change of heart had worked.
“I don’t like this,” Britt said uneasily as more skiffs unloaded returnees. Britt had been the only captain to see her passengers safely home. She made more of an effort to befriend those on her ship than the other Rollo Island captains. She felt obligated to at least see her friends safely to shore. Noting the confused faces of those returning, however, left her eager to escape the situation and return to her ship.
Grandwood returnees waved and called to several of the townsfolk who passed hurriedly by the docks. The passersby hardly batted an eye as they continued with their heads down, carrying on as if nothing could distract them from where they were heading. Kirsten frowned, watching more of her fellow former prisoners pointing to the banners, then shaking their heads in confusion.
Most hadn’t actually seen their captor up close. The night they’d first landed at the fortress was the only time Merglan showed himself to the entire group of prisoners. Even then, most couldn’t get a clear view, as they weren’t able to move a muscle on their own. Maija and Kirsten were chambermaids working on the same floor as Merglan’s rooms, so they saw him often, but the only time Thomas and Bo would have seen him was the night of their arrival. Kirsten remembered when Merglan had stopped next to her to take a closer look at Thomas when Thargon had pointed him out. Thomas would have seen Merglan up close, but she wasn’t sure how Bo knew who he was.
“We need to leave,” Britt said, panic in her voice. “It’s no longer safe here.” Bo and Max followed her, stepping toward the boat.
Kirsten made to follow but stopped. “No. We can’t abandon these people. Not after what we’ve been through.”
The others hesitated, seeing the pain in Kirsten’s eyes.
“Go if you must, but I won’t abandon my fellow townspeople at the sight of a depiction of Merglan’s face. For all we know he’s not even here.”
As she finished speaking, Kirsten heard the steady thud of marching. She turned to see that the Grandwood watchmen had arrived. They marched toward the docks in lined formation. Spreading apart once they’d closed in on the harbor area, the armor-plated watchmen took positions, standing at the end of each wooden platform in pairs.
“What’s this? Are they blocking us from entering?” Thomas asked angrily. “The watchmen are supposed to protect the citizens, not bar them from returning home.”
Max, Bo, and Britt placed their hands on their weapons, anticipating the possibility of a fight. Kirsten bent her knees into an athletic position, ready to pounce at the armored men, even though she was unarmed. Thomas balled his fists, holding them up defensively and keeping a close eye on the watchmen’s movements. Other people who were anticipating a warm homecoming huddled together taking similar defensive stances as the watchmen planted their speared staffs blocking access to the street off the docks.
“Are they going to try to arrest us?” Kirsten asked glancing to Thomas.
“Let them try,” Britt said fiercely, drawing her sword and flexing her hand around its hilt.
The armored men remained motionless, locked in place at the end of the docks. It was as if they were ordered to prohibit anyone from entering the town. A group of men walked down the main street toward the piers. The seven all wore gold-trimmed, black, thickly-padded leather, with long black capes clasped at the throat with golden buckles. The leather was the same kind the elves and the Rollo Island warriors wore to battle. Each one of these men had a sword hanging from his hip. They held their heads high and puffed out their chests with pride. They walked in a militarized fashion, in unison and in formation. In the middle of this organized military group walked a tall gentleman with striking features. Kirsten thought she recognized six of them as Grandwood business owners, but she’d never seen the seventh before.
“Who the heck is that?” Thomas asked, both intrigued and irritated.
“I recognize the others around him, but not the one in the middle,” Kirsten said still huddled close to the others.
The group of Grandwood men spread out in a line to either side of the man in the middle, facing those attempting to gain entry to their hometown. They halted and faced the docks, puffing out their chests and standing tall.
“Quite the display,” Max said mockingly.
Bo laughed, “You always have to break the tension, don’t you brother.”
“I couldn’t help myself,” Max said. “I mean, come on, it was too easy.” He chuckled at his own joke, then returned to his combat-ready position.
The man who seemed to oversee the cocky group put both hands out, spreading them wide to each side almost as though he was going to try to hug some invisible person in front of him. Kirsten and the others could see him much more clearly now that he was standing at the end of the dock. His long black cloak was embroidered with gold trim along its edges. He didn’t carry any visible weapons, but the group on the dock couldn’t see whether anything was concealed under the cloak. The man had ashen skin and a slender frame. His jet-black hair matched his attire. He also sported a hint of facial hair. He stood nearly half a foot taller than the rest of the men around him. His voice sounded attractive in tone when he spoke. It almost soothed them, nearly convincing them to relax to the point of dropping their weapons entirely.
“Welcome home, lost citizens of Mergwood,” he said loud enough so that all of them could hear clearly.
Upon hearing the new name he’d given the town, Thomas shook himself from the seeming spell, “What did he just say? Mergwood?”
“I thought it was Grandwood?” Britt asked.
“It is,” Thomas replied. “This idiot has gone and changed the name of our town.” He gestured toward the tall man.
“I am your new governor and warden of Westland. You may call me Governor Rankstine,” the man said, addressing them with his arms still outstretched.
The people of Grandwood murmured to each other. Kirsten could see that the others were also skeptical of him, not trusting what he had to say.
“You may be wondering why I’m here. After your city was attacked, the new emperor and ruler of Kartania sent me here to protect his lands from all future attacks. I have been directed to ensure the safety of Mergwood, to whatever end. In that prospect, you’ll be allowed entry to this lovely city after a brief inspection. Once cleared, you may be reunited with your loved ones who’ve missed you so dearly,” Rankstine said with a smile while motioning toward the few townspeople passing by who oddly continued about their daily business as if nothing special was happening. “If you would be so kind as to form a line, my men will ensure that there are no threats to Mergwood’s safety.”
“Threats?” Kirsten nearly shouted. “Who the heck does this guy think he is? This is Grandwood, our home. Not some Merglan-infested place called Mergwood. This can’t happen,” she said trembling with anger and, striding boldly toward shore.
As she drew near, the watchmen standing sentinel at the end of the dock crossed their spears, blocking her path. She halted, looking irritated. She didn’t recognize them as anyone she knew. They must’ve been assigned to “protect” the town, along with Rankstine.
“Let me through,” Kirsten said firmly. The watchmen didn’t move an inch, holding their spear-like axes in place.
Kirsten clenched her fists and said more emphatically, “Let me through, now.”
Thomas and the others had closed the gap and were now standing right behind Kirsten. Britt still had her sword drawn.
Governor Rankstine saw what was happening and, before they could cause more of a commotion, he quickly strode the short distance to the end of the dock.
“What seems to be the problem, my dear?” Rankstine asked in his calm, soothing voice.
Kirsten scowled at the man from behind the crossed spear shafts. She clenched her jaw at Rankstine’s remark, losing her temper, “I was forcibly removed from my hometown, taken as a prisoner, put through hell for weeks on end. Now I come home to this, and you ask me what my problem is?” her voice rising to nearly shouting. As tensions on the dock rose, she somehow managed to rein in her emotions and lower her voice before she lost her temper completely.
“By the way, it’s pronounced Grandwood, not Mergwood,” Thomas added stepping alongside his sister.
Glancing at her brother, Kirsten smirked, feeling the urge to berate the man more due to Thomas’ sudden outburst of enthusiasm, “And I’ll tell you something else…” But before she could utter another word, Rankstine flicked his wrist and Kirsten’s mouth snapped shut. She tried to open it to continue to berate him, but couldn’t.
Rankstine held his hand near shoulder height, with his index finger pressed firmly against his thumb as though he was pinching something. The current position of his arm naturally spread the front of his cloak slightly. Kirsten noticed something glowing faintly blue, something secured around his neck. Her eyes widened when she realized what it was and she scowled.
“You will cooperate with my laws, or be banished,” he said in a calm tone. “I have already informed the people of Mergwood that Merglan is the true sovereign and savior of our lands. They believe it to be true with all their hearts; I made sure of that,” he said as for the first time his voice took on a maniacal tone. “You can try to warn them of whatever it is that you believe will help you, but their loyalty now lies with the emperor of Kartania.” Rankstine unclasped his fingers and let his hand drop to his side. Kirsten felt her voice come back suddenly.
“You won’t get away with this,” she growled.
“I already have,” Rankstine said, turning to walk away. He paused for a moment and spoke over his shoulder to them, “Oh, and don’t bother trying to leave. I have orders to make sure you become settled in your home.” He laughed to himself as he walked away.
The last of the Rollo Islanders’ shuttlecrafts returned to their ships. Kirsten watched as the ships that had brought them home readied to depart. Britt’s ship was the only one among the fleet that remained. Her crew wouldn’t leave their captain behind, not even if ordered by their new chief.
One of the men dressed in black and gold warriors’ leather approached the end of the dock. “Step forward one at a time and spread your arms and legs. If you have any weapons on your person, place them in the hands of the watchmen. We’ll pat you down to make sure you aren’t hiding anything. Once you’ve been cleared, you may enter Mergwood and return to your families.
“My family is dead,” Kirsten said to the man with a stark expression. “Killed on orders by your new leader.”
“That kind of talk will not be tolerated,” the man said through clenched teeth. “Consider yourself warned, and the next time you speak such blasphemy, you’ll hang for it.”
