The Stone Road Read Free

around.” Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away.
    Haung thrust his bundled sword into the waiting hands of the guards and ran to catch up. Cai didn’t speak to him again on the walk through the castle corridors. Light entered through narrow windows as they passed door after door until they reached the large, iron studded door at the very end. Haung watched as Cai rapped on the door then, without hearing or seeing any response, opened the door wide and gestured that Haung should go first.
    The room beyond was empty save for a desk stacked high with piles of paper, a chair and, behind these, a spiral stair case. Cai gave the muddled desk a disapproving look, “Go up the stairs, to the top. Knock on the door and wait to be invited in. Speak when spoken to, do as asked and answer truthfully.”
    Haung, now on his own, did as asked and began to climb the stairs. There were no exits leading off of the stair case as it spiralled upwards and it took much longer than he had expected to reach the promised door at the top. He knocked twice and, after waiting, was about to knock again when it opened. A short man with thinning hair and wire framed glasses balanced on his small nose beckoned him in. Haung bowed before crossing the threshold into the richly decorated room. The room was circular and there were three other doors leading off from it. In the middle of the room, a square table with seven chairs arranged around it. On the table Haung recognised a map depicting the province of Yaart and the surrounding lands. Just like the tactics classes that all trainee soldiers had to attend, there were, dotted around the map, small groups of figurines, each a different colour to represent the General in charge. There were other figurines, all coloured red, denoting the location of enemy troops and some were augmented with a small label giving further details or indicating which report to reference for information. Partly obscuring the corner of the map was a silver tray on which lay a selection of fruit, a slab of cheese and some small slices of bread.
    “Trainee Haung is here, Commander,” the small man spoke.
    “At last. I am not accustomed to being kept waiting,” the deep voice emanated from the open door to Haung’s left. “Please take the tray but leave the bowl of fruit, Marbu.”
    “Of course, Commander. Will you be needing anything else?”
    “Not until General Huran arrives, Marbu. Until then, we are not to be disturbed.”
    “Of course, Commander.” Marbu bowed, even though Haung could not see the Commander through the open door, and left the room.
    Haung stood to attention, hands clasped behind his back and weight centred above his two sturdy legs. He was silent and still, eyes focused on the wall straight ahead. Though immobile, he strained to pick up any clues of the Commander’s movements. Small sounds, scratches and clinks, came from the direction of the door.
    “Well, Trainee, at least you can stand to attention properly,” the deep voice Haung had begun to associate with the Commander came from directly behind him. He almost jumped out of his skin in shock. “However, your hearing and situational awareness does need some work. I should never have been able to get this close without you knowing. We will have to work on that.”
    “Yes, Sir,” Haung responded.
    “And to put your mind at rest, the noises you hear from the room are wind chimes next to a partially open window and my pet canary in its cage. Simple diversions, I grant, but sometimes the simple ones work best.”
    The Commander walked around to stand in front of Haung, “No sword?”
    “No, Sir. The guards outside wouldn’t let me in with my sword,” Haung said.
    “It is good to see such commendable duty from them. However, didn’t your instructor command you to never be without your sword?”
    Haung risked a glance from the far wall to the Commander. Almost as tall as me and with a stocky build that must once have been