After Marie-Bell left for the guest room Kendy dug the king’s message out of the waste bin. He was making a formal emergency declaration, placing the Order under the direct command of the eastern army. If King Andrew was going that far he must have been more worried about the situation than Marie-Bell indicated.

She slammed her fist on the table, rattling the inkwell and making papers jump. No king had commanded them to direct service in over a hundred years. The three orders of paladins, while certainly under the king’s authority, the same as any other citizens, were always treated as independent operations free to use their powers as they saw fit, as long as it was done in the best interest of the kingdom.

As the commander of the largest and most organized order, Kendy chafed at the idea of being under anyone’s direct command. She needed to resolve the matter before anyone actually arrived to assume control. If the paladins dealt with the problem in the haunted lands on their own, quietly, they could simply announce their success when it was done.

Kendy closed her eyes and tapped the power resting inside her. Her mental summons went out to her three sub-commanders, nothing urgent, just that they should meet in her office when their current tasks permitted. If they dropped everything and ran to her it would rile everyone up and Marie-Bell would notice. Dealing with that girl would be the trickiest part of the mission. There was no way she’d simply go along with Kendy’s plan. She was too independent to blindly accept orders, curse her.

It took two hours, but finally her lieutenants had assembled, two men and one woman. With four of them present the office felt close and uncomfortable. Kendy stood along with the others so they wouldn’t feel like she was using her position to manipulate them.

“Commander, what’s happening?” Captain Zane asked. He was twenty-five when he was chosen and had not aged a day since. He’d served as Kendy’s second for almost thirty years. Of the three she felt most confident that Zane would agree to anything she suggested.

Captains Samantha and Harry leaned closer, eager to hear her answer. They’d only been with her fifteen and seventeen years respectively, but both were loyal and eager for action. That combination would serve Kendy well.

“There’s trouble in the haunted lands. A warlock has set up shop and is getting on with who knows what. The king is sufficiently concerned that he’s ordered us to join with the eastern army.”

She let them mutter for a few seconds. “I have an alternate proposal. I suggest we gather our forces, march out, and deal with the warlock ourselves. You all know we’re the best suited to this task. The regular army would just get in our way. Once it’s done we can present the villain’s head to King Andrew as a gift.”

“Would it be a proper crusade?” Samantha asked. “There hasn’t been one in seventy years.”

“Indeed,” Harry said. “We’ve been lax in our duties. Cleansing the haunted lands is our reason for existing. I’ve often thought it is a disgrace how defensive we’ve become, no offense, Commander.”

Kendy let her brief annoyance at the critique wash over her. “None taken. I too have wished to be more proactive in our mission, however going out into the haunted lands isn’t something to be done lightly or without a definite purpose. We now have both. I propose we gather our forces and march in two days.”

“Hear, hear.” Zane threw his fist in the air.

The others raised their fists as well. When Kendy joined them that made it unanimous. Kendy smiled. They’d show the capital that the paladins didn’t need regular soldiers to help them complete their mission. She would lead the first crusade in their generation and wipe out the enemies of men plotting out in the wasteland.

“There is one other matter,” Kendy said.

Zane cocked his head. “Commander?”

“Marie-Bell has returned. She brought the king’s message with her. I fear she will not go along with my orders. If she leaves and alerts the capital it would ruin everything. While it pains me I fear we will need to restrain her until we return from our mission.”

Harry glowered at that. “What do you propose? We can’t just clap the girl in irons and we don’t even have a dungeon to throw her in. Not to mention the fact that she hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“Nothing wrong?” Kendy matched her subordinate’s glower with a fierce scowl of her own. “Since when is failing to obey your commander’s orders nothing?”

“She declared herself a freelance and as far as I know hasn’t asked to rejoin the Order. Since she’s just acting as a messenger she isn’t subject to our authority like a member would be.”

“She fled in the night,” Samantha said. “At the very least some punishment is appropriate for that cowardly act. It’ll only be until we return anyway. A few days, maybe a week of solitary meditation will do her good. Certainly it will do her no harm.”

Harry grunted. “Perhaps a few days wouldn’t hurt her. I assume you’re planning to use one of the penance chambers.”

Kendy nodded. “There’s nowhere else we can keep her. I suggest we deal with Marie-Bell tonight so she can’t interfere with our preparations.”

Zane once more raised his fist. “Seconded.”

Samantha raised hers at once and Harry, reluctantly, added the final vote in favor.