Mellicante nodded, which gave me the reassurance to continue.
“Kamarri, you remember what we discussed. I want you and the Minstrels to head to those taverns and see if anyone can be persuaded. Bring several other soldiers in case the Whitish soldiers try to cause trouble.”
“What about the other magicians, Your Majesty?”
“The Weaver and the Cloudmage should remain here. Their talents are far too valuable to risk losing. And the Dark Potioneer is too young to fight. But the others can do as they please.”
Kamarri nodded brusquely. I could not tell what she thought of my orders.
“Mellicante, Quendon, take ten fighters and head to the southern end of town, where you can follow a side street to the harbor.” I traced the narrow, curving street on the map as I spoke. “Knock on every safe door you pass and see who will join the fight. Avoid any houses you suspect belong to Whitish soldiers.” I hoped they had memorized the homes of Makhori Lord Gabrin had marked on our map. I could not keep them straight.
Mellicante and Quendon shared a steely look before nodding.
“You should ride a horse to the edge of town,” I told Quendon. “I don’t want to risk your knee giving out during the fight.”
He bowed his head. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
I turned last to Leoth. His eyes were smiling though his mouth was straight; I wondered what he was thinking. It amazed me how quickly he had buried his pain. Then again, he’d had a lifetime of practice.
“Leoth, I want you to lead the bulk of our forces down the main road. Take thirty or forty of our best fighters, and the horses as well—you will be in the most danger. I need you to put up a good fight, to draw the Whitish soldiers toward you. I want the waterfront as undefended as possible.”
“What about you?” Leoth asked.
I glanced at Lord Gabrin. “If you will allow it, I wish to take Calden and your daughter, Nyla, down to the beach to see if we can stop the ship before it docks.”
He pursed his lips for a moment before nodding.
“You can come with me as well,” I told Baridya, “and we can take a few others.”
Mellicante frowned. “How do you intend to reach the shore? As you said, every route into town is likely to be guarded.”
“We will jump from the cliffs south of town with the aid of our flying cloaks,” I said. “I think I saw a beach at the base of the cliffs when we were in town.”
Mellicante nodded slowly, still frowning.
“You will leave yourselves with no escape route,” Leoth said. “If we don’t make it to the waterfront, you will be surrounded.”
I met his dark eyes, drinking in the tenderness in his gaze, afraid this could be the last time. “Then I hope you can make it through.”
My dearest friends stood in silence for a long moment, while around us footsteps thundered on the stairs, punctuated by shouts and clanging swords. My heart swelled with affection for every one of them. Where once I had feared I was incapable of true friendship, now I could not imagine doing without those closest to me. Baridya, beautiful and proud and willing to stand by my side no matter what came; Mellicante, whose brusque demeanor concealed true kindness and bravery; Quendon, whose loyalty to my family had thrust him into danger time and time again; and Leoth, standing firm despite everything he had endured.
“Go on,” I said at last. “You can divide up my troops as you see fit.”
Mellicante, Quendon, Baridya, and Kamarri left at once, and the sounds of frantic preparation doubled in volume as they opened the office door.
“I would like to help as well, if you would allow me,” Lord Gabrin said. “My wife will want to stay at home with the youngest children, but my eldest son and my other twin insist on fighting.”
I let out a quiet breath. I had feared it might come to this. “Lord Gabrin, you are influential in Larkhaven—the information you have shared with us makes that plain. With the governor gone, I hope the people of Larkhaven will look to you for leadership.” I paused. “You may keep watch on the hill just above the city, along with your eldest children, but I ask that you do not join the fight.”
He watched me for a long moment before bowing his head. “As you wish, Your Majesty. If I might make a suggestion—I have a hunting horn that carries well. From the hilltop, I can keep watch over the harbor and sound the horn when the Whitish ship docks.”
“Yes, that would be excellent. Thank you.”
With a shallow bow, Lord Gabrin left; I was suddenly alone with Leoth once again.
“Can I ask something of you?” I said.
Leoth’s eyes flickered to mine, expression guarded.
“If something happens to me, will you continue without me? Will you take the throne and lead the fight against Whitland?”
He shook his head. “The Truthbringers know what I am. If I lead our people, imagine what will happen when the truth comes out. I’ll be a traitor, the greatest hypocrite ever to rule Itrea. They would despise me.”
“I know it will be hard, but I need your word. I can’t head into battle knowing that my death would mean the end of everything I’ve ever worked for.” I grabbed Leoth’s shoulder. “Don’t let Itrea fall. Our people will follow you.”
Leoth’s jaw hardened. “You’re not going to die.”
“Do I have your word?”
He sighed. “I will try. It’s the best I can do.”
I studied Leoth for a long moment. Then I released his shoulder and left the office.
A few stragglers still ran about the manor, but most of my followers had assembled on the grass outside, clustered beside the leaders of each group. Leoth’s sizeable force milled around nervously, though when Leoth followed me outside, they straightened and formed orderly ranks.
“How much time do we have?” Leoth asked.
I glanced at the setting sun, which was still visible over the pine forest. “Larkhaven has been stopping all Whitish ships in recent spans, so my guess is the new arrivals plan to sail in after dark. They might anchor away from shore and take rowboats for the final stretch. If we’re lucky, we have until sundown.”
“Right.”
Striding forward, hands behind his back, Leoth faced his forty troops. “Everyone ready?” he barked. “We’re taking a straight line through the center of Larkhaven. Be prepared for a difficult fight. The palace guards and I will clear the way on horseback, and you will follow close behind. Archers won’t be much use here—everyone needs a sword.”
Two men swapped places, a swordsman replacing an archer, but the others stood tall, awaiting their next command. Despite their homespun clothes and mismatched weapons, these brave Itreans were becoming true soldiers.
“Does everyone know the plan?” I asked Mellicante.
She nodded. “Those are your guards, Your Majesty.” She pointed at five men and women standing with the two Flamespinners. Baridya had lingered at Mellicante’s side, but she moved to join Cal.
“To the road!” I called. I drew my sword and held it high, and my makeshift army let out a cheer.
Leoth swung himself gracefully into the saddle of his black mare. Quendon and the other palace guards followed suit, and together the riders led our forces through the trees.
When we broke from the forest onto the main road, I felt uncomfortably exposed. But the lengthening shadows would work in our favor, and with any luck, the Whitish soldiers in Larkhaven were preparing for the arrival of their countrymen rather than patrolling outside the city.
On the dusty road, we lined up in columns, beginning with Leoth’s. Baridya, Cal, and I fell to the back, while Lord Gabrin and his two children took up the rear. My group of eight included three archers, two swordfighters, and the Flamespinners; our flying cloaks could almost pass for a uniform.
With a shout, Leoth urged his horse into a canter, kicking up a plume of dust as he and the palace guards rode toward Larkhaven. The rest of his contingent broke into a jog, and soon our entire army of sixty was marching swi
ftly down the road. The long days of training had paid off—no one lagged behind, and we made quick progress. Off to our left, a growing cloud of dust billowed over the farmland, buffeted west by the sea breeze.
As we jogged, I talked over our plan with Cal, Nyla, and Baridya. We needed to find the harbormaster, who oversaw the defense of Larkhaven’s coast, and aid him in bringing down the Whitish ship.
“Our job is the most dangerous,” I said, glancing sideways to gauge Cal and Nyla’s reactions. “Leoth will see the most action, but where we are headed, there is no escape. Not until the town is ours.”
Cal wore a bloodthirsty grin, while Nyla’s eyes gleamed in excitement. I hated the fact that I was sending two of our youngest fighters into such a dangerous situation, but I could not save Larkhaven without the help of Flamespinners.
“You can still back out,” I told Nyla, my voice vibrating with my footfalls. “Your father and siblings will have a good view over the fighting from the top of the hill.”
Nyla bared her teeth, her expression uncannily similar to Cal’s. “I want to fight. I’ve been waiting all my life for this.”
I could see there was no point in arguing.
We hastened on in silence. To our right, the sun was sinking fast.
Too fast.
Though we jogged steadily north, the coast was longer than I had realized, and Larkhaven was still out of sight when the blazing sun touched the horizon. Darkness was near, and we did not have lamps or torches to light the way after nightfall.
At last, with the sun halfway beneath the waves, Leoth reined in his horse and turned to address the army.
“Larkhaven sits just below that hill,” he said. Though he did not shout, his voice carried easily. “It is time to split up. My forces will wait here for thirty minutes before we ride into town. Try to reach your entry points before then.” He looked to me and drew his sword in a salute.
“You know what needs to be done,” I said. “You have the strength and the skill for this. Prince Leoth will lead you well. Now draw your swords and help us free Larkhaven before that ship docks.”
With a rasp of steel, my army drew their makeshift weapons and raised them high. I smiled to see the archers holding aloft daggers in place of swords.
“For Queen Kalleah!” Baridya whispered.
“For Itrea,” I amended.
The whisper rippled through the crowd—“For Itrea!”
I met Leoth’s eyes one last time, silently pleading for him to continue the war in my stead if I did not live the night. His mouth tightened, and he touched his fist to his lips before wheeling his horse to face the road ahead.
I beckoned my cohort of eight to follow me off the road. We wove through high grasses and climbed over stone walls as we skirted toward the ocean to approach Larkhaven from the south. I kept my head lowered so the last blaze of sunlight did not blind me.
Soon we reached the crest of a hill, beyond which lay a short descent to the edge of the cliffs. The harbor stretched before us, ringed by cliffs except where the land sloped gently to the Larkhaven port. From this vantage, the city glowed in the setting sun, the white stone houses washed with orange.
“Look,” Baridya said grimly. She pointed out to sea, where a ship with white sails cut a straight path between two islands, leaving a growing triangle of waves in its wake.
It had already entered the harbor.
I turned for one last look at the road. Lord Gabrin stood on the hill with his son and daughter, nothing more than silhouettes in the fading light, while Leoth and his contingent were gone. Even now, they would be charging down the hill into Larkhaven.
“We need to hurry,” I said. “Let’s go.”
I started down the hill toward the cliffs, allowing momentum to propel me ever faster. At last I stopped where the grass ended, gazing out over the waves.
The cliffs were higher here than at Lord Gabrin’s lodge; at the thought of jumping from the top, my stomach swooped. First we had to draw a bit closer to town, though. We ran along the top of the cliffs until the beginnings of the rocky beach appeared below. From up here, it seemed no more than a sliver. I feared my leap might take me too far, and I would land in the waves rather than on land. Though I could swim, the violence of the ocean frightened me.
The light was almost gone now, and the moon had yet to rise. Far below and to our left, the windows of Larkhaven now glowed with light, warm and inviting.
“Is everyone ready?” I asked.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” said my soldiers, their voices jumbled. In the dark, I could not make out their expressions.
“I’ll jump first. Baridya, you can take the rear.”
“Right.”
In some ways, the darkness was helpful. It was hard to see exactly how far below us the bottom of the cliff lay, so I could pretend this would be a drop of just a few paces.
“I hope these cloaks work,” I muttered.
Then, before I could talk myself out of it, I took a running start and flung myself into the void.
For a split second, I dropped like a rock—my stomach flew into my throat, and the air rushed past me.
Then I slowed. Instead of falling, I drifted steadily down, cocooned by the sea breeze. When I finally reached the slick stones below, I landed gently, the cloak settling around me once more. My heart pounded in my ears—even with my feet back on the ground, I felt unsteady.
“Are you safe?” Baridya shouted down, her voice faint and distant.
“Yes,” I called back. “Send the next person down.”
With a wordless yell, Cal launched himself off the cliff. His falling body made a splotch of black against the turquoise sky. He kept yelling until he slowed, held aloft by the cloak; then he shouted, “Bloody Varse! This is amazing!”
Soon we were all at the foot of the cliff, the forms of my warriors swallowed by the deep shadow of the rocks.
“I hope the moon rises soon,” I said. I had a Weaver’s crystal in my pocket, but it would draw attention if I used it.
“I don’t think it will rise at all,” Baridya said softly. “It was just a sliver last night. The Whitish ship must have timed their arrival to coincide with the new moon.”
“Plagues.” We would have to do our best in the dark.
As we crept along the beach, the stones rattled underfoot. Surely every Whitish soldier for leagues around would come running at the sound.
“Where is the harbormaster’s office?” I asked Baridya once we reached the outskirts of town. Several rowboats were overturned on the beach nearby, and a lone sailboat bobbed in the waves. From here, the orange light spilling from windows in town was enough to see by.
“Just there.” She pointed to a wooden building at the end of the main pier. A candle burned in one window.
“Does he usually work this late?”
Baridya grimaced. “I doubt it. Maybe he knows something is wrong.”
My heart raced as we crept closer still. The clack of stones underfoot rang in my ears; the slightest misstep could raise the alarm. On our left, the beach ended in a stone wall that rose directly to the main street. We were so close to the waterfront taverns that I could hear laughter and music drifting from within.
Was Leoth fighting his way down the main street even now? The town was so large I could not tell. Shouts rose from the hills around the harbor from time to time, but they could be nothing more than drunkards.
Now that we were here, my plan seemed flimsy and far too dangerous. We had no way of knowing how the rest of the army fared, no way to escape if Leoth’s forces were overrun.
When I heard a clamor of footsteps on the cobblestones nearby, I tensed. Cal had crept into the lead—I grabbed his sleeve and sank into a crouch so the sea wall would shield us.
A second later, five men barreled down the street and straight for the dock. Though they wore no uniform, I was certain they were Whitish.
At the harbormaster’s office, they pounded on the door. I could not see what tran
spired, but before long two of the Whitish men retreated, leading a third man between them. More candles joined the first in the harbormaster’s office, spilling golden light onto the beach below.
“Do you think we can take them?” I asked Baridya, heart racing.
“As long as it’s just the three men in the office.”
We edged along the sea wall, crouched low so no one on the street would catch a glimpse of us.
When we reached the dock, I paused at the foot of the steps.
Just then, a man’s voice shouted, “There’s trouble up on the main street. Should we send reinforcements?”
“Damn,” Baridya whispered. “They must be patrolling the docks.”
“Summon the reserves,” another voice called out. “We can’t spare anyone from the waterfront.”
“What do you mean by trouble?” a third voice growled. “I thought the town was secure. We’ll be hanged if the ship can’t dock because of your incompetence.”
“There’s fighting,” the first voice shouted back. “Go see for yourself if you’re so bloody curious. I’m just passing on the message, that’s all.”
While the third man shot back an angry retort, I whispered, “This will never work. There are too many of them.”
“And we wouldn’t be able to do much without the harbormaster,” Baridya said, forehead drawn together in worry.
“Let’s get out of here.” I turned and shuffled back the way I had come, nerves racing as I waited for someone to shout that he’d seen an intruder.
“What are we supposed to do now?” Baridya hissed.
“I hoped you might have an idea.”
She was quiet as we crept further from the pier. The rocks underfoot sounded like an avalanche—I could not believe no one had heard us yet.
“There is an island just off shore,” she whispered at last. “On top of the island is a tower with a cannon to shoot at enemy ships. A harbor guardian lives there—I think I can see his light now.” She pointed out to sea, where a single, disembodied lamp hovered well above the water. “I just don’t know how we’re meant to get there without everyone seeing us.”
I glanced at a pair of rowboats lying overturned on the beach. “We’ll have to run for it. With any luck, the Whitish soldiers won’t be able to spare the men to chase after us.”
Renegade Queen : A Court Intrigue Fantasy (The Forbidden Queen Series Book 3) Page 21
