“Stand at ease, sergeant.” Valam looked to the burning city, then to Captain Adylton. “What of the other Imtal commanders?”
“Captain Ghenson’s position was overrun. He was dragged from his mount, I believe he is dead.”
Valam turned to the sergeant. “What news from the left flank?”
“Your Highness—”
“Save the pleasantries for another place and time. Be frank and quick.”
“The line holds, the men are tired, hungry and thirsty. The wounded and the dying lie about the field. Their sappers are digging another trench line, and Captain Berre fears it is a sign they await reinforcements.”Valam gripped the sergeant’s shoulder, then turned to Father Jacob. “Father Jacob?” he said.
Father Jacob stood a little taller and nodded.
“At last, we have a stable position. Care of the wounded is in your hands. I want all wounded who can still walk, but cannot wield a sword, on relief brigade. Without food and water, soldiers cannot fight.”
The soot-faced sergeant’s downtrodden expression brightened.
Xith stepped forward. “May I speak?”
“Speak freely.”
“Light skirmishes and raids will continue through the night, the enemy hopes to keep us expecting an attack that will not come and to wear us out. An all out attack will not come until just before dawn, but if we switch to a defensive and do not continue to press the attack, all will surely be lost come morning.”
Valam was puzzled. “How can you possibly know this?”
Father Jacob said, “There are those who have divine gifts of sight, and Master Xith is one of them. You trusted him before, you must trust him again. Without him Quashan’ would have already fallen, and none of us would be standing here now.”
Valam extended his hand to Xith’s shoulder. “I am sorry, it has been a trying day. You must know that you have my eternal gratitude and when this is all over, one way or another, I will repay you.”
“If you want to repay me, do what I say.” Xith paused, and for a moment, it seemed as if he heard something far off. Valam heard it too, perhaps it was the call of an eagle from high overhead, but he couldn’t be sure. “Before moonrise, every available man must be mustered and assembled for an all out assault against Sever’s army. At precisely moonrise, the attack must begin.”
“We cannot desert the left flank,” interrupted the sergeant. “There are two enemy armies—”
Valam raised a silencing hand and Xith continued. “Yes, it is very important that the enemy not know we have stripped our left flank. Moonrise is not for some hours and the night sky looks to be dark and clouded. We can use this to our advantage…”
Vilmos unfurled Sever’s banner. Adrina tried to imagine that she heard it flapping in the wind instead of pitiful moans and screams of agony. She forced herself to maintain a steady pace. Her heart pounded in her ears and she bit her cheek to remind herself to stay calm. Frantic thoughts flashed through her mind and more than once she almost cried out at the ghastly sight of the dead and the dying that littered William’s camp from end to end.
For a moment, Adrina thought of Emel and wondered where he was amidst the fighting, then the thought was gone. Ahead lay a tent with many guards posted around it. Adrina was sure it was William’s. Expectantly, she inhaled a breath and held it, but when Galan continued past the tent without even turning an eye toward it, Adrina let the breath slip out.
“You passed his tent, is something wrong?” Adrina whispered.
There is nothing wrong, said Galan, carefully directing the thoughts.
After passing the last tent on the end, Galan paused. This is William’s tent. The other was meant to catch the eye of anyone bold enough to sneak into the camp.
Galan did not hesitate long, instead she continued until she found a place with few campfires and no torches. There were two guards just inside the entrance, but cleanly out of view. William sits at a table with his back to the guards. There was another in the tent, but he was preparing to leave.
Vilmos tossed aside the banner. “You read their thoughts?”
In a way, yes.
Adrina asked, “Is there a chance we can replace the guards with our own?”
One of the guardsmen stepped forward. “We will try. They are surely hungry or tired, or both. I can tell you there have been many times I wished for relief and would never have questioned it if it came.”
Galan smiled, seemingly approving the show of bravery. She closed her eyes for a moment. They are both hungry and tired. You are quite wise.
“I am but a simple soldier who knows what it is to stand watch.” The soldier broke off, his face showing concern.
“Go quickly,” Adrina said, “may Great-Father watch over you.”
Two soldiers slipped away.
While they waited, Adrina took in the activity around them. Everywhere soldiers hurried about the camp, singly, in pairs, and in large groups. The camp was in a state of confused frenzy, but this was changing, order was being restored from chaos. The sound of the battle was fading. More and more fires were raised both along the camp’s perimeter and its interior, and lines of torches were being put in place to mark hastily cleared paths.
Princess Adrina?
“What is it, Galan?” Adrina whispered.
They are inside.
Adrina saw two figures leave the tent. “Is it safe to proceed?”
Galan said, It would seem so.
Quietly, the small group moved toward the tent.
“What would you have us do, Your Highness?” asked one of the three remaining guardsmen.
“When we reach the tent, we will go in, you three will continue past. Do not stray far though, we may have need of your sword arms. Keep a close eye on the tent, and do not start a fight unless it is absolutely necessary. If an alarm is sounded, we will surely never leave this camp.”
At the front of the tent, they stopped. Adrina signaled to the guardsmen to continue on their way. They did so reluctantly.
Adrina started toward the tent’s entrance. Suddenly, everything Keeper Martin had told Adrina flooded through her mind. She knew that in order to convince William of the truth, she must first find confidence in herself. Still, she didn’t see how her resemblance to Queen Elthia would help anything. Or why it was important that Vilmos was a native Severian. Nor did she really understand how Galan was supposed to project Keeper Martin’s memories of Gregortonn into William’s mind when Keeper Martin wasn’t even with them.
Galan grabbed Adrina’s arm and pulled her back. Wait, there is something wrong. I am not sure—No, I am sure. Erravane.
“The Wolmerrelle,” Vilmos said. He gasped. “We must act now or all this will be for nothing.”
Galan stopped Vilmos from hastily running into the tent and indicated that they should move back in the direction they had just come from. As unlikely as it seems Erravane’s presence may actually help us. We should wait to see what occurs.
“I agree,” Adrina said, “we should—” From far off the sound of angry voices exploded into the air, followed by panic-filled screams. More shouting followed. Soon an alarm was sweeping through the camp.
Frenzy followed. The camp was in an uproar. Men were running about the camp screaming, “To battle! To battle! The enemy comes!” Then, Adrina heard shouting and screams from William’s tent. She turned bewildered eyes to Vilmos and Galan. Together they rushed into William’s tent.
The two guards lay face down in the dirt. Adrina did not doubt that they were dead. Apparently, Erravane had cut her way in through the back of the tent and aimed to go out the same way. In a half-human half-animal state, Erravane was dragging William out of the tent.
Abruptly Erravane changed directions and pushed her way back into the tent. Behind her came the three Kingdom guardsmen, their swords drawn.
Erravane spun around. Her eyes were wild. “Princess Adrina, you of all people should not stand in my way. William’s disappearance will most certainly s
erve you.”
William shouted, “She aims to kill me.”
“Hush, or I’ll rip out your tongue. I will only kill you at the end and though you deserve much anguish for abandoning me, I will do it swiftly.”
“Even William doesn’t deserve to die,” Adrina said, her voice strong and with no hint of the alarm that raged through her mind. “Release him, or you will never escape from this camp.”
“If I do not escape, neither will you.”
Vilmos pushed past Adrina. Blue-white fire danced around his hands. “Xith warned you not to meddle in affairs that do not concern you.”
“It is you, the boy who killed—” Erravane was shocked. “No, it cannot be. You and the Watcher should be—”
“Not in the Vangar, we are here—” As Vilmos spoke, he walked slowly toward Erravane, his hands poised menacingly. “—And, should he find you, he will most assuredly keep his promise.”
Erravane howled and with inhuman strength hurled William at Vilmos. She turned to make an escape; the guards barred her way. Adrina knew for certain they’d be killed if they tried to stop her.
“No!” Adrina screamed. “Let her pass.”
The guards stepped aside and Erravane fled into the night.
Vilmos and William were in a jumble on the ground. Galan and Adrina helped them to their feet. William’s eyes were agape and shock was evident on his face. He started to say something, but before he could say anything, a soldier rushed into tent. Adrina turned about. The Kingdom guardsmen began shouting and rushed forward to intercept the soldier who had drawn his sword and also had begun shouting.
The Kingdom guardsmen engaged the lone soldier of Sever. Adrina began shouting, “No, no, stop,” but the combatants didn’t.
The soldier lay dead on the dirt floor before other soldiers answering his call rushed into the tent. Soon the three Kingdom guardsmen were being pushed back by the sheer number of newcomers arrived to save their king.
Adrina turned to William. “Do something, make them stop!”William seemed disoriented.
“Do something,” Adrina repeated. She grabbed William about the shoulders and shook him.
“I am in no danger, I think, I mean—I need to sort this out.” William paused, flustered. “Sergeant, soldiers, I order you to halt!”
The soldiers grudgingly broke off the attack. William pointed to two of them. “Find Commander Stenocco, tell him to come at once. Five more stand guard, the rest of you outside.”
The soldiers didn’t move.
“Throw down your weapons,” Adrina told the Kingdom guardsmen. They hesitated. “Do it!”
Their swords clanked as they hit the ground.
A puzzled frown returned to William’s face as he turned to Adrina. “Why did you save me? I mean, Erravane was right, you should have rejoiced. Why are you in my camp in the first place, if it is not to kill me?”
“We came to talk.” Adrina wanted to say more but she was trembling and there were tears in her eyes. Suddenly, it seemed lead weights were around her shoulders and her legs wanted to collapse under the weight. “May I sit?”
“A chair,” William said.
A soldier quickly brought a chair.
Adrina cleared her throat, then looked to Vilmos and Galan in turn. She started speaking, determined to convince William using Keeper Martin’s plan. Yet somehow, things didn’t come out the way she planned, and instead she told him everything the plan entailed. She explained how they had come to the camp and sneaked through it intent on finding him, how they had planned to trick him and finally how they had planned to convince him of the truth. During the telling Sever’s commander hurried into the tent but William ordered silence.
Adrina concluded by saying, “I tell you the truth when I say I harbor no hate in my heart for all you have done. I know what it is to grieve for one so dear it seems they are all you had in the world. I know what it is like to feel you are all alone. I know how such loss can cloud your mind and make you want to lash out at all the world, but if you loved your father, and I know you truly did, you will listen to reason. Great Kingdom had no part in your father’s death. This you must believe.”
Indignation crossed William’s face. “How can you possibly know what I feel? How can you possibly know what it is like to lose a mother, father, and brother all in the space of a few years?” William’s eyes turn wild. His tone became icy cold. “Kill them, kill them all!”
The Kingdom guardsmen raced for their swords. Adrina leapt from her chair and started screaming at William. Galan grabbed Adrina and pushed her back. Vilmos stepped in front of them both.
There was joy in Commander Stenocco’s eyes as he withdrew his great sword from its sheath. He ordered his men to stand at ease. “Leave them to me,” he said arrogantly, “I want them all.”
The Kingdom guardsmen held their ground as the enemy commander advanced on them. When he was within striking distance, Commander Stenocco stopped and laughed, mocking the tension on the guardsmen’s faces. He spat, then with surprising speed, heaved his massive blade toward them. Adrina squeezed her eyes together and winced in anticipation of the sound of clashing blades. When she heard a dull thud instead, she opened her eyes, expecting the worst. The worst hadn’t happened, however. Nothing had happened.
Commander Stenocco’s eyes were wide and filled with rage. He lashed out with his sword. Yet the sword couldn’t reach its mark. Again and again Adrina heard a dull thud. For a moment, the commander stood unmoving, a muscle in his cheek twitched nervously, then he cast aside his sword and began ramming the unseen barrier.
Adrina was as confused as the enemy commander was, she turned to Galan. Galan pointed to Vilmos.
“Princess,” Vilmos said, “I cannot hold him back long. Do what you must!”
Adrina’s thoughts spun inward. She turned back to William and felt suddenly sick to her stomach. She knew what she had to do—something she wished someone had done to her long ago. She struck William across the face with the back of her hand. “How dare you speak to me like that!” she screamed at him, then with her eyes she backed him into his chair.
“King Charles is gone, your self-pity will not bring him back! Great Kingdom and Sever have always been the strongest of allies. My father, King Andrew, has no desire to sit upon Sever’s throne. That seat belongs to the line of Charles, to you… Think. Who stands to gain the most from such treachery? Think, and no longer let blind rage control your actions.”
For a long time, William said nothing, then he turned to the soldiers inside the tent and dismissed them all save for his commander. “It is no easy thing to stop what has already begun,” William finally told Adrina, “I know you are sincere and though I want to believe you, I cannot. You spoke of proof. If you have proof that King Jarom was behind the poisoning of my father, I would hear it.”
Commander Stenocco screamed, “This is a trick, their forces attack as we speak!”
William raised his hand, commanding silence. “You spoke of proof, I would hear it,” he repeated.
Adrina turned to Galan. “Are you ready?”
False dawn was on the horizon and still the battle raged. Seth looked down from atop the wall to the fields south of the city. The Kingdom forces were falling back to re-form for another charge, to the west Sever’s army was also regrouping and to the east King Jarom’s army was mustering for their first attack of the new day. Vostok’s soldiers were fresh, few soldiers stood between them and the middle of Prince Valam’s camp as the bulk of the Kingdom army was engaged in the fighting to the west. Seth knew that once the attack came the camp would be overrun.
Seth watched the men upon the walls prepare for the attack. Bowmen notched arrows. Soldiers loaded catapults. Others hunkered down behind the battlements and waited to counter the press of enemy siege ladders.
Trumpets chanted to the east. Vostok’s army began to form in long lines. Shield bearers at the fore followed by pikemen, swordsmen and lastly archers. Horse soldiers in column formation w
aited with swords raised high.
The trumpets sounded again. Thousands of foot soldiers screamed and charged. Seth turned his eyes westward, expecting Sever’s army to begin their charge. They had re-formed, but held their ground. Poised to strike to the west, the Kingdom army also waited. Their rear ranks began to turn about and prepare a defensive, but did not move fearing a deception.
Perplexed, Seth watched the two unmoving armies. He wavered his gaze, trying to see why neither attacked. Was there something on the field between them?
Galan? Seth called out.
Seth, came Galan’s voice into his mind.
Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches: Omnibus Page 36
