“I hear there are only the Temple Knights left,” the older man said, standing at the side of Gaston’s horse. The morning was cold, though the sky was clearing quickly which brought the promise of sunshine and a bit more warmth.
“Yes,” Gaston said absently to the sergeant in charge of the defenses. “Have you caught sight of any scouts or movement on the plains below?”
The man shook his head, and then moved his eyes back and forth between na Gall and the young Speaker Sarbeth. He unconsciously licked his lips as he studied the women, but when he smiled Jess could tell he meant no real harm.
‘Just an old lecher no doubt,’ na Gall thought as his eyes shifted back to Sarbeth, but then Jess closed her eyes and began weaving her arms about in front of her. Despite her deep concentration she could still feel the old man’s eyes on her. For a moment she wished Lonogan was here to chase him away, but then she projected and was standing alongside her horse. She glanced at the Sergeant who was now looking at her with a mixture of lust and awe. Purposefully she glided through him, knowing this would cause him to feel a bit queasy and slightly chilled then she was through him and out over the Scar and thought of him no more. She moved out…straight to the north, looking for scouts or any signs of danger. Finding none, she turned and headed back to the west, all the while searching for any enemy who might be watching and report their position.
It didn’t take long; the first scouts she came across were nearly fifteen miles west and riding along the Scar River. There were only three. She noted their position and speed and then moved quickly on. She came across another pair farther to the north, again about twenty miles out from Manse. When she was satisfied she turned and moved farther to the west to check on the main force of the Knights. But as she flew through the air she missed not just one, but two additional groups of scouts, the closest only two miles to the north of the pass. She missed nearest group because at the moment it was idle, concealed atop a forested ridge gazing out over the Scar River valley and watching the Massi cavalry gather on the Plateau above.
‘They’re breaking camp,’ na Gall thought as she reached the large body of Temple Knights still milling outside the city of Manse, but the camp was nearly all packed up. na Gall guessed that the Knights would be leaving their location within the hour, but where would they go? She thought about moving farther to the west in an effort to locate scouts in that direction but in the end decided it would consume too much energy. She also resisted the urge to enter Manse and sneak a peek at Lonogan, though she did hover overhead a moment. Finally, with a projected sigh, she returned to her body, once again missing the stationary scouts on the ridge observing the mass of Massi cavalry. They watched intently, waiting for the Massi to make the move down onto the plains. It was not truly na Gall’s fault, not even a Traveler could see everything when projected and the world was a very, very large place.
As Jess returned, hunger hit her body almost immediately, but it was not bad…projecting used far less energy than actually Traveling. She opened her eyes, reached into the saddle bag and pulled out a big bag of dried apples.
“They’re breaking camp,” she told Gaston whose eyes widened slightly. “I spotted a small group of scouts headed this way along the Scar…about fifteen miles east and another pair farther to the north. If the first group continues on their course they will definitely spot our point of crossing.”
Gaston smiled. “If they live,” he added and signaled his men to begin the crossing. Scouts went across first and spread out in three directions, the Captain taking nothing on chance. The crossing took well over an hour, forty-five hundred horses all lined up single file stretched for miles; even riding three abreast it was an impressive concentration of men and horses. The trail to the plains below allowed for no more than three horses side by side, and in places it narrowed to one before coming to the lone gate where the path opened up down closer to the river. The river itself was low and only perhaps four feet deep in the center channel and posed no real obstacle. However, the banks on the far side would show clear evidence of their passing. But that was to be expected, it was nearly impossible to hide the tracks of so many horses and men.
“Will you be strong enough to search again in an hour?” Gaston asked and na Gall nodded.
They waited on top of the Scar for a time, and then headed down, merging into the line almost directly in the center of the long formation. As they splashed out into the water, Sarbeth laughed and looked to Captain Gaston, who at the moment was too preoccupied to grace her with his attention. na Gall caught the young woman’s frown and smiled.
‘There must be some aphrodisiac in war,’ she thought pulling her legs up behind her and leaning over the large roan’s neck. Happily, she made it all the way across without getting too wet. An hour later the entire force was across and Gaston ordered them immediately to the north. When they topped a small hill he pulled na Gall aside and she searched once more for the Temple Knights. Again she spotted the scouts moving along the Scar, this time only about eight miles to the west. It took a bit longer to locate the scouts to the north, but she finally did so. They were moving away from them now, in a more northeasterly direction, toward the base of the finger. The main body of the Temple Knights broke camp and were moving slowly to the east, perhaps two miles north of the Scar River, still well over thirty miles away.
When she returned she found both Gaston and Sarbeth looking at her expectantly. “They’ve broken camp and are slowly moving east along the Scar.”
Gaston remained thoughtful for a moment and then turned to Sarbeth. “Contact Zebo and let General Bock know that we’ve moved down onto the plains and will be moving to the northwest.”
“Northwest?” na Gall asked, concerned about the scouts and the possibility that the Knights would push past them toward Lynndon. “What if the Knights move on Lynndon?”
Gaston shrugged. “Let them. They’ll lose a good deal of men trying to gain the Plateau. They can’t fight on horseback up that trail, and even if they succeed in reaching the Plateau they’d find themselves in no better position. No, they’re baiting King Gwaynn to take action…as Gwaynn will bait them. We need to be in a position where we can react to the coming conflict,” he explained then moved off to confer with Captain Kerr. Moments later, two groups of thirty men rode off hunting enemy scouts, one group headed west directly along the Scar and the other rode to the north.
ǂ
“Did you see them?” Bock asked as the High Zarina Monde opened her eyes. She looked at him in exasperation as if he were a small child who’d asked her if she could walk.
“Of course I saw them,” she snapped. “They’re a bloody ten thousand man army…not an easy thing to hide from a Traveler.”
Gwaynn smiled but did not laugh; he could still understand the mystery of the Travelers and remembered his own awe as he watched his first citizen of Light in action. He thought about that day…the day Gwynn and his mother died. Why did Navarra kill them first? Was it the fact that they were women? He didn’t know, but from what Samantha told him, the Executioner intentionally saved her for last…saved her for the rape. Why then had Navarra not killed him first or at least right after his mother and saved Gwynn for the having? After all, his sister was beautiful. Maybe it was because she’d already been raped multiple times throughout that day. Perhaps Navarra believed her to be tainted…a common man’s trophy. Gwaynn scowled, realizing there was no way to know the thoughts of providence.
“What’s wrong?” Samantha asked him but he only shook his head and gave her a half smile.
“Where are they? Did you see anyone left behind…anyone at all?” Bock asked, pestering the Traveler for information. The day was cold and growing colder and Gwaynn could almost see his General’s impatience in each visible puff of breath.
N’dori laughed as Tar Kostek put a calming hand on the General’s shoulder. But Monde ignored them all and turned to Gwaynn. He would always be the one she would report to, always be her King, even
when they reoccupied Light…and now the High Zarina was actually beginning to believe that they would someday.
“The Knights have split into three large groups…all moving east or northeast. They’re all about five miles away right now,” she said.
Gwaynn nodded and turned a wry smile on Lonogan. “Let’s be patient. If we’re to reach the hilly region west of Claymont, I’d like the Knights a bit farther on,” Gwaynn said then turned to Monde.
“Any visible scouts?”
Monde shook her head. “Not that I was aware of, but you can bet they’re out there.” She turned to Laynee who stood beside Daniel, the young man who practiced with Gwaynn under na Gall nearly a year prior.
“Daniel can project now,” Laynee piped up in her singsong voice. “He’ll be a Traveler soon…he’s going to search with me,” she informed Gwaynn happily and together they moved slowly through the twenty-nine steps.
Gwaynn looked out across the deserted field that had so recently been the Knight’s camp while the others in the group watched the two young people with interest.
‘Perhaps I should project with them just to be sure,’ he thought but changed his mind. He would need all his strength for the coming battle. The Temple Knights had not been defeated for nearly a thousand years. Gwaynn was far from deluded and realized that the coming conflict would not be easy and not without cost whatever the outcome. Lives would be lost, maybe his, maybe Lonogan’s or Vio’s, people were going to die in this battle, many people. But Gwaynn also understood that the Massi did not actually have to defeat the Knights completely. Without a way to reinforce, the more the Knights were weakened the more tenuous their hold on the plains would become. As he fretted, Samantha walked over close and slipped her hand in his, pulling him out of his thoughts.
“Daniel showed them to me,” Laynee was saying before Gwaynn even realized they were back.
“Where?”
“Not far…maybe two miles to the east hiding in a thicket on top of a long hill,” she answered.
“How many?” Bock asked.
“Six,” Laynee said. “I think five soldiers and a Speaker,” she added with a look at Monde.
“He can’t be trusted,” Gwaynn blurted quickly, catching the look on her face.
“Nadler…” Monde said. “Capture him and he could be used to feed false information to the Knights. His ultimate loyalty should still be to Light.”
Gwaynn considered this a moment. “Very well,” he finally agreed. They only had to keep the Speaker quiet for a couple of hours before their army would be in position to meet the Knights on their own terms.
“Can you take me?” Monde asked Laynee, who nodded as she shoved a handful of sugar cubes into her mouth.
Gwaynn looked from N’dori to Kostek, both appeared ready then he turned and signaled Tar Endid who was standing on the ground below talking with Tarina Grace, Vio, William, Tam and Bethany. They all climbed to the ramparts quickly.
“We’ll handle the scouts,” Gwaynn told Lonogan. “Assemble the army…we’ll be marching out of Manse before noon,” he added and felt Samantha squeeze his hand.
“I’ll be careful,” he said and was grateful that she did not insist on going. She stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek. His skin was cold and fresh. Gwaynn was very aware of Vio watching everything very closely with her large, dark eyes. But she was smiling, and it was a true smile, which was unexpected.
“I know you will,” Samantha whispered and stepped back next to Daniel who was carefully watching Monde as she moved through the final steps. The group was ready, four Tars and as many students, plus Gwaynn. Vio was bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet as if anxious to get back into the action. She didn’t have long to wait, Monde opened the bridge rapidly.
“Travel!” She shouted once the connection was complete and the group from Noble rushed through. Samantha actually felt a twinge of sympathy for the poor Knights on the far side, having to face such a formidable group.
ǂ
“Sunk!” Audra Mastoc, Queen of the Inland Sea said incredulously, utterly horrified. “Dead?”
King Donnis Rhondono kept his head down as he kneeled before the young, beautiful queen. She was heavy with the King’s second child by her and he did not want to be the bearer of bad tidings, but he could see no way around it.
“It is not certain my Queen,” he answered solemnly. “It’s possible, though not likely that he was picked up by a passing Toranado ship…or maybe one from the treacherous Cassinni.”
“Caiman…” she said softly and was surprised by the wave of sadness that rushed over her. In the beginning, during her first months of marriage, the High King had been only an old, slightly disgusting man to her. He was someone she could never, ever love, but after Aiden was born, and she came to understand that the King shared her unconditional love for the baby boy, her feelings for him began to change. Of course love never entered her mind, for how could she possibly love someone over twice her own age, but now she had to admit that a fair amount of affection seeped into her heart for the man. And now he was dead!
Suddenly the enormity of the news washed over her.
‘I’m the Queen...the ruler of the Inland Sea,’ she thought and it terrified her, but then she considered Aiden and her unborn child and her fear grew even deeper. Caiman…the fool had left her in the middle of the largest war in a thousand years and then her thoughts shifted to Prince Nigel and his sister Anya, Caiman’s children by his first marriage. Nigel was a definite threat. He would have to be dealt with soon if Aiden was to have a clear path to the throne, but then her thoughts turned back to the war.
“Your…your fleet?” She asked tentatively, realizing she would now be making every important decision. She shivered visibly but King Donnis, who had his head down, did not see.
“Five ships escaped with the Hermes,” Donnis said overcome with sadness.
‘Such a waste of Rhondonian lives,’ he thought and experienced a flash of anger at the High King…‘perhaps the late High King…justice is patient and ever vigilant.’
“Of the others I do not know,” he continued. “But there were many Cassinni warships in the area and the Toranado are ruthless. I fear my ships are lost.”
Audra looked down at the King of Rhondono who had bowed his head once more.
“You will need to raise a new army,” she commanded, suddenly energized. The Kingdom had to be protected if Aiden was to survive. She felt her own flash of anger at the High King… ‘Caiman…you fool. You never should have left King’s Island!’ Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes and she rang the bell calling for her servants. She needed to get word to her brother in Massi, convince him to move his army back to Deutzani. Conquering Massi was now secondary. She needed to consolidate her power over the entirety of the Inland Sea. She needed help. She needed to contact Captain Hothgaard…find out where his loyalties lie; find out if he could escape and return to the King’s Island. And she would need to deal with Nigel and Anya quickly before they got word of their father’s death.
“An army?” Donnis repeated surprised. “My army is at the bottom of the sea, or dead in Massi.”
Audra frowned. “Then conscript another!” She yelled.
“But who will train them?” Donnis asked and suddenly realized that his country was weak and very vulnerable. They were beaten, and it would take time to regain even a small part of their former strength. Oddly, he worried not at all about the Toranado or the Massi. His concern largely involved the Palmerrio. ‘Would Weldon attempt the final conquest of Rhondono now that we are so weak?’ It was a real possibility and the implications terrified him. He needed to return to his homeland…he needed to plan.
“….train them. I don’t care who trains them!” The High Queen shouted but Donnis caught very little of what she said.
“Of course,” he answered automatically and stood, just as a pair of servants appeared. He bowed then came to his full height. “I will take my leave and begin immediately,�
� he added but left having no intention of raising an army to aid the High Queen; he had his own worries now.
“Send for Captain Benton,” Audra shouted as the Rhondono King hurried from the room. Audra was worried. There was no telling where the loyalties of the Temple Knights would now lie. It could be with her or it could be with Prince Nigel. She could not trust any of them until she was sure they would back her and her son Aiden. Captain Benton though was different. Captain Benton was Deutzani and very loyal. She knew she could trust him and not because he’d been the Captain of her personal guard for five years now. No, she knew she could trust him because he loved her…deeply. Yes, Captain Benton would know what to do.
ǂ
Gwaynn stepped through the bridge, his kali already drawn, but he never had time to use them. Four of the five Knights left behind to spy on the Massi died without ever pulling their weapons from their scabbards, the fifth actually managed to block the first of Endid’s blows before the Tar managed to send a kali up through the man’s abdomen, behind the rib cage and into his heart.
Tarina re N’dori stood above the Knight’s Speaker who was sitting with his back against a tree, cowering before her.
“Speaker Nadler,” N’dori said with a smile, “you will come with us. If you attempt to contact the Temple Knights you’ll lose your hands first, and then your head. Do not test me on this.”
Elsewhere ti-3 Page 32
