“Yes…” Gwaynn began but was interrupted as Emm rushed up to them, the expression on her face made it plain that she’d already heard the bad news. Gwaynn groaned, inwardly berating himself for not going to the girl first.
“Gwaynn where’s Krys?”
Gwaynn hesitated and Emm face went from panic to anguish in an instant. She cried out and staggered slightly, then she crumpled and would have fallen but Gwaynn moved forward, caught her and lifted her into his arms. He carried her easily, surprised by just how physically insubstantial she was. He held her close and whispered words that would not, could not help. But it mattered little, she was unconscious but even so her dark brows were furrowed in pain.
“Krys was killed this morning in the fighting on the Plateau,” Gwaynn explained. Vio gasped in disbelief and Tam actually cried out in shock, and Gwaynn saw his own sadness mirrored in the expressions of every Tar from Noble Island.
IX
‘She saw me! She knows or will remember soon enough’ Tarina Cyn de Baard thought as she hastily shoved her belongings into several bags. She had to leave…leave now before the girl placed her, and she eventually would, undoubtedly when her facial bandages finally came off. de Baard’s heart only began to slow when all her belongings were packed away and waiting on the bed.
‘I’ll have to be careful with the horse or it will cause suspicion.’ She moved to the door of her room and was almost off to garner a mount when she suddenly stopped, her hand resting lightly on the latch. She flopped down on the bed, trying to think, trying to be calm.
‘But she didn’t recognize me…and like a young fool you ran away…I should have stayed. But there were Tars…two Tars.’
de Baard, though she was confident of her skills, had no illusions about what would have happened to her if she went up against two Tars from Noble. She would die…and quickly, and that was not even taking Gwaynn into account. He was so skilled, so fast, so deadly, he had to be fighting on Tar level…if he was not, then the fate of Sinis was assured.
‘But she did not recognize me,’ de Baard reminded herself.
Her heartbeat slowed even more and she finally got control of her emotions. Even if the girl didn’t recognize her, the presence of Tars now hampered her plans all the more.
‘I could add the Noble girl to the list of those who will die,’ she considered with as smile, but it soon fell into a frown. The list of people she planned to kill but had not, was growing very long.
In the end, de Baard only had two real options; she could run, or she could kill Vio along with the bitch…and possibly Gwaynn. Of course if the opportunity presented itself she could just kill Gwaynn and his whore and then flee, but perhaps…yes perhaps poison should be brought to bear.
‘With poison I could kill them all…all the Tars and all the students.’
de Baard quickly sat up and considered the idea a moment longer and then she smiled her sweet, warm smile.
‘To kill Tars would go a long way with Sinis…I would be welcomed back and then I could deal with Nacht.’
de Baard stood and began to unpack once more. If she was to succeed she must be calm; she must not lose her head. She pulled her two needle knives from the pack and attached them carefully back to the underside of her bed, making sure that they were out of sight and then she pulled a small bottle of scented oil from her pack. On impulse she pulled the stopper and placed her left index finger over the opening then tipped the bottle once, then twice and touched the oil to the base of her neck. The scent of cherry blossoms suddenly filled the small room and instantly de Baard felt at ease and in control once more.
‘I’ll kill the bitch first. If I fail with the others so be it, but Samantha must die.’
de Baard frowned again and tried to exercise her shoulder. Pain shot through it, but she ignored it and continued to rotate it, gradually loosening the muscles and improving her range of motion.
‘I’m healing…but I must act soon. When Gwaynn leaves to fight the Palmerrio…he’ll take the Tars and then she’ll die. It will be very easy to kill a one armed whore.’
Again de Baard smiled. ‘Perhaps Gwaynn will even be relieved to be rid of the cripple.’
The thought came unbidden, and de Baard mentally brushed it aside then continued to unpack the rest of her things.
ǂ
“No Gwaynn…I’m going with you,” Vio insisted, determination etched on her face.
“As will we,” added William, holding tightly to Tam’s hand.
“There’s not a question of any of us staying behind,” Saran said and the rest of the students nodded.
Gwaynn stared at them all in exasperation. He knew they had skill, and he knew they would be a tremendous help against the Palmerrio, but they were young and untried. He doubted any of them had ever killed another human being. War was not like sparring. They were not truly aware of the danger they would be in, he was utterly sure of that.
“Krys died!” He finally said, using his last argument. He hoped that Kostek and the other Tars would rally to his side, but to his surprise they supported the students’ view.
“They’ve come to fight,” Kostek said, “and I have no power over them any longer. We’ve all left Noble behind.”
“I’ll stay in Manse,” Tar Grace finally spoke up, knowing that as the eldest she would be hard pressed to survive an extended campaign, “and see to the defenses here. Take the rest, you will need them. From what you’ve told us, the Palmerrio must be defeated quickly if we are to trap the Knights on the plains. They,” she added with a sweeping gesture which included all the students, “can help you. They’ve been well trained.”
“Very well,” Gwaynn finally agreed and shook his head when Vio’s face erupted into a smile. A quick look around showed that her expression was shared by all of the students except Saran, who looked thoughtful. ‘They will soon learn what it is to kill a man,’ Gwaynn thought but said nothing more on the subject.
“Monde tells me that the Palmerrio cavalry have been hitting the edges of the army all afternoon, trying to drive them back toward the Scar. I’ve called on my own cavalry to move up from Lynndon and join with Bock…we’ll have need of them,” Gwaynn explained.
“You expect the Palmerrio to attack soon?” Tar Myson asked.
Gwaynn nodded. “Tomorrow morning…or the day after. We should leave this evening while it is still light, I just have a few details to go over while I’m here,” he explained with a nod toward Tar Grace. “There’ll be a lot of hard riding ahead of us.”
“What of the Travelers?” Tar Halstad asked, who was by far the thickest Tar Gwaynn had ever come across. Most of those from Noble were lean and wiry from the constant running and exercise.
Gwaynn shook his head. “I’ll need them rested for the upcoming battle…the ability to move troops about during the fighting is a great asset.”
Tar Halstad nodded, liking the young prince’s manner and instincts.
“We could…” Tar Kostek began but Tarina re N’dori interrupted.
“I can take us to the Massi army,” she stated simply and though the group had just come from Noble via Tar Nev, N’dori’s revelation still shocked the other Tars. “It is not nearly so far as Noble…I believe I can manage the task.”
“We should leave immediately,” Jinja spoke up, eager to get into the fight. Fighting was his life and he did not relish missing even a moment of the battle to come.
Gwaynn frowned. “No, Zebo is keeping in contact with Monde; as long as the Palmerrio behave we’ll go in the morning…if we are to Travel.”
N’dori nodded.
The Tars took the news stoically, but each and every student wore a look of disappointment.
“Tarina Grace, if you’ll come with me I’d like to introduce you to my Captain,” Gwaynn said. “She’s quite a fighter herself…very talented. She killed an Executioner on her own several weeks back and is still recovering from her injuries…she’s a great loss to me. Master Kostek, would you join us
as well?”
“Of course,” Kostek said eyeing Gwaynn with wonder and amusement. The boy had always been calm and mature for his age, but now…now he was a man, a very confident man.
“I’d like to come,” Vio chimed in, eyes only for Gwaynn. She hoped she might be over him emotionally, but seeing him again…seeing the way he was, brought every past thought and feeling home to her so strongly that at times she felt she couldn’t breathe. Everything about him was attractive to her and though she realized she could not have him in any permanent way, she was still determined to spend as much time with him as possible.
It took almost a quarter of an hour to track down Captain Huntley but in the end Gwaynn found her out near the entrance to the oxbow, manning the walls of the levee and looking out over the plains in the direction of the Temple Knights. The Knights were currently in the process of building several large siege weapons in the distance. From what they could tell the weapons were mostly towers, though what good they would do with the ditch and then the steep levee in the way, Gwaynn did not know.
“They’re not towers, they’re causeways tipped on end,” Kostek explained. “Once they reach the ditch down in front, the enemy will simply tip them over for an easier approached to the walls. Who planned your defenses?”
“My General…Lonogan Bock,” Gwaynn said and was surprised that he felt pride in the older man, now his man, though he’d fought for his father and for his old friend and Weapons Master Afton Sath.
“Impressive,” Tarina Grace said as they moved down the wall toward where Captain Huntley was deep in discussion with several older men. She stood up, very straight when she spotted them coming and waited impassively.
“Captain Huntley,” Gwaynn began, “you disappeared before I could make proper introductions earlier.”
“My bandages needed changing,” Cyndar lied and her eyes involuntarily darted toward Vio. She took deep calming breath and had to use a good deal of will power to keep her right hand from moving to the hilt of her kali.
“Yes,” Gwaynn commented then turned and introduced Grace and Kostek first.
“Gwaynn tells us that you defeated an Executioner on your own,” Tarina Grace said with a slight bow.
Cyndar only nodded. ‘Tarina Bitch!’ She thought.
“Where were you trained? It is not easy to kill an Executioner,” Kostek interjected.
Cyndar flashed a look at the man and was again thankful for her bandages. She did not like all this talk of Executioners in front of the young woman…it might help to jog her memory. “My father taught me…he was a soldier,” she explained, though it sounded weak to her. “He always said I would grow to be better with the kali than he was.”
“And this is Vio Valencia…Van’s cousin,” Gwaynn added.
“Van!” Vio said. “I’d forgotten. Is he here?”
Cyndar breathed a sigh of relief at the distraction.
“No…he’s with the army…he helps with the wounded,” Gwaynn explained.
“I must continue to prepare,” Cyndar added with just a hint of a bow.
“Please allow Tarina Grace to accompany you,” Gwaynn said. “She’ll be assisting in the defense.”
Cyndar’s eyes went cold and they reminded Gwaynn of the night he rejected her, but she said nothing and just nodded her head, then the two turned and began walking away along the ramparts.
“You all should get something to eat,” Gwaynn told his companions from Noble. “I’ll have someone show you to your quarters.” He was anxious to get back to Samantha. They had little time left together until he would be off once more to join the army. The thought of leaving her sent a pang of guilt through his chest.
Kostek nodded, but Vio appeared not to be listening. She stood watching as the Tarina Grace and Captain Huntley walked away along the defensive walls. The elder of the two walked with a slight hitch over the rough causeway, but the younger, taller woman moved with an easy grace. Vio continued to study Huntley as she sauntered into the sunset…her movements seemed familiar, but after a long moment Vio shook her head and turned to Gwaynn.
“Yes, I’m hungry,” she said with a smile and Gwaynn was struck once again by her strange, elfin beauty.
“It’s good to have you here,” he blurted impulsively, though he meant it. For the first time since the fall of Solarii he felt good about the possibility of victory.
Vio reached out her hand and touched his, but quickly pulled it back away, thinking of the girl who would one day be his queen. “It’s good to see you too,” she said softly and they looked at each other until Kostek coughed and then without embarrassment they all made their way toward the stairs which led down into the growing town.
ǂ
Captain Hothgaard watched pensively as the work crews assembled the last of the giant wooden causeways that would help breech the walls of Manse. The final causeway was very thick and sturdy. It would be lowered over the protective ditch directly before the main gates that led through the enemy levee.
Hothgaard was growing nervous, expecting the Massi cavalry to attack at any moment. The siege weapons would be the prime targets, and the enemy would undoubtedly attempt to destroy them before they could be put to use. Patrols were out constantly but they all continued to come back with reports of ‘all clear.’ It was nerve-wracking knowing the enemy was out there; knowing the enemy would attack, but unable to detect any sign of them. The Massi would be fools to meekly hide behind their walls like rabbits in a shallow hole, and from what Hothgaard had garnered thus far, the Massi were no fools. Walls never kept any army out for very long. Fortifications were made to fall, made to crumble, made to be taken and that was why the Temple Knights were such a powerful force in the lands of the Inland Sea; it was the ability to be mobile, to move anywhere on the battlefield that determined victory. It was for this very reason that Hothgaard was nervous. He needed Manse to fall and fall quickly before Prince Gwaynn could bring his army to reinforce the city and bring the talents of the Travelers to bear on the battlefield. It was very unwise of the High King to attack the Isle of Light, and more foolish still for not having a realistic plan to finish the job. Travelers were the ultimate wild card in battle; enemy troops could appear and disappear at will. It was an opposing commander’s nightmare and it was a nightmare he would soon face if he could not quickly and decisively crush the Massi people.
‘We should move off and out of this place,’ Hothgaard thought again, his every instinct screaming at him to withdraw, but he knew that was now impossible.
Sergeant Lewis rode up and interrupted the Captain’s thoughts.
“The afternoon patrols are in…no sign of the Massi cavalry,” the Sergeant stated, and he too was growing nervous by the enemy’s sudden disappearance. Of course, he was of the mind that the Massi had lost heart after the last engagement. The Temple Knights were accustomed to their enemies retreating before them, and though the Massi fought well, they were not the equal of the Knights and they must know it…everyone knew it.
Hothgaard did not answer.
Sergeant Lewis cleared his throat, but still his commander did not respond. During the last week something was eating at the Captain’s confidence, making him cautious and jumpy, at first it unnerved the Sergeant, but now it simply annoyed him. And again he wondered if he should send a report to the High King. Nothing was worse than a commander who’d lost his nerve.
“We should attack this evening, as soon as the causeways are complete. Weldon reports that the Massi army is far to the east and if they attempt to disengage and move to reinforce they will leave their flanks exposed.”
At first Sergeant Lewis thought that the Captain still would not respond, but then he turned from his study of the enemy’s defenses and gazed at Lewis for a long uncomfortable moment.
“No.” Was all he said and then turned back to gaze at the levee protecting the city of Manse.
“The Massi cavalry should hit us tonight…and we should be prepared,” Hothgaard added. “They a
re out there…waiting…unless…” the thought came to him in a flash. ‘Travelers! The cavalry will use Travelers to move to our rear!’ Yes…it’s what he would do if he had the option; if he was in their position.
“The High King will not like the delay,” the Sergeant commented and Hothgaard spun, his right hand going to the hilt of his kali. Sergeant Lewis took a quick step back, eyes wide.
“The High King is not here,” Hothgaard spat and took a menacing step forward, the knuckles white on the grip of his weapon.
“Your pardon,” Sergeant Lewis said, frightened but satisfied that he had finally succeeded in getting a reaction from his superior. Lewis had traveled up the ranks with Captain Low Hothgaard and knew him to be a decisive and bold leader of men. Somewhere along the way he’d lost his passion for fighting and it was time he reclaimed it.
“The Massi will use Travelers…tonight to attain surprise and attempt to destroy the causeways…we will be ready,” Hothgaard explained, his anger quickly subsiding. Sergeant Lewis was a good man, an excellent fighter and a competent leader of men, but he lacked imagination…attack, attack, always attack. Of course such a strategy normally worked for the Knights so one could hardly blame him.
“Travelers!” Lewis repeated, the idea strange in his mind, but of course it was a possibility. Monde and na Gall were known to be with the Massi.
“The High King should have killed them all,” Lewis said absently.
“No,” Hothgaard replied harshly some of his anger returning…thoughts of the High King seemed to do that these days. “He should have bloody well left them be…I’m amazed he hasn’t made the Tars of Noble our enemies as well.”
Lewis said nothing, too stunned by the idea of fighting the legendary swordsman of Noble to speak.
“Should we send out more patrols?” The sergeant asked.
“What for? They’ll not find anything,” Hothgaard snapped. “Pull everyone in close and I want triple the guards tonight. If the Massi are foolish enough to delay their attack we will strike Manse come first light. When we move, we’ll need to move quickly and batter down the gates so our horses can join in the fight…speed and strength as always, wins the day.”
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