Talaos hoped Adriko had decided it was a long enough hunt, because now the enemy seemed aware they had a substantial problem on their hands. The entire remaining west wing of the enemy's irregulars and cavalry began to form up in a long, ragged, sweeping line. Meanwhile, the rest of the vanguard wheeled inland from the road and rejoined the detachment he'd thought of as the gout of fire.
"Just like Adriko to taunt enough to make a dragon lose its head," growled Kyrax.
With a start, Talaos realized Kyrax had made another joke, but he wasn't inclined to laugh. The lives of five hundred men would depend on the decisions Adriko made next.
There was some sort of disruption, fighting, at the head of the vanguard. Then the vanguard as a whole began to speed up. Talaos knew that, as was normal in Hunyos, they would be all cavalry. The torches of the vanguard began to flicker and sputter as the horses and riders carrying them sped up to full gallop. Talaos wished Adriko good speed and good luck.
Time passed, and the enemy vanguard sped far ahead of the main army. As the fastest horses and riders outpaced the slowest, the vanguard stretched out, looking like a much larger gout of flame aimed their way. As they came closer, Talaos guessed there were close to two thousand horsemen. Even now, arrows and javelins would be flying Adriko's way.
If the enemy came close enough, thought Talaos, the least he could do was return the favor. He turned to a pair of his messengers, "Instruct all ballista and catapult crews to ready to fire. They are then to await further instructions."
They saluted and moved swiftly to pass the word, starting with the crews on the keep towers.
After a little while longer, Talaos heard another familiar voice behind him.
"Hoi, Talaos!" said Kurvan's friendly growl, "There are some new stories racing around the city! Also, I've got someone who wanted to see you."
Talaos turned around to look, and there was Kurvan, with Liriel. She wore her red dress and an intense expression. Still, she smiled, and to the grins of the watching Madmen, drew close to his side. For his part, Kurvan settled in among the Madmen and traded news of the battle.
However, Talaos turned his attention to the chase on the plains; the visible enemy chasing his unseen ally and friend. Liriel’s expression darkened once more. She wrapped her hands around his arm, held tight to him, and spoke.
"Talaos, spirits have been turning up all night. Some are returning from wherever they hid, now that the Prophet's people are largely gone, but others are fleeing here from the plains."
"Fleeing?" asked Talaos, now curious, though he still watched the pursuit on the plain.
"Two of them told me there is someone, or something, in that army that they fear."
"Fear it like they fear me?"
"No, you frighten them simply because of your power, and I think because they are unsure if you are a man or a spirit," she replied. "This they fear as a fatal enemy, as they fear the power of the Prophet. They are fleeing, of all places, to your protection."
Talaos considered the immense implications of that, and again became aware of the acute attention being paid around him to what was said. Regardless of what rumors came of them, Liriel's words rang very true. The Prophet's books were very clear in considering spirits as blasphemies to be destroyed. If there were spirits who were aware of that, or at least felt it, and sought protection from destruction, then they too were his own, allies and friends.
"I will grant it, such as I can," Talaos said to Liriel, "but perhaps you can find a way for them to make themselves useful."
She looked at him wide-eyed, then lowered her gaze as she held his hand and arm. At last she answered, "Like you, spirits are not amenable to orders or instructions, but I will try, everything I can."
More time passed as the enemy vanguard raced their way.
Then, at last, he could see the dim, shadowed shapes of his own fleeing forces. There were the horsemen, and there, at the very back, was Adriko. Firio's small shape could be seen, standing and facing backwards.
Liriel, followed Talaos's gaze, startled at the sight. "Is he throwing daggers?"
"We are called the Madmen, after all," replied Talaos.
Talaos began to worry nonetheless. Adriko, Imvan, and a few others were acting as a rearguard, and while the rest of the force was almost clear now, that rearguard was soon to be surrounded by the pursuing enemy.
The main army, the great dragon of torch fire, was still a long way off. Its last elements wouldn't arrive for hours, but the lead elements of the vanguard, in pursuit of Adriko, were almost to the outer defenses. Almost in range of the longest range siege engines.
Now was the time, thought Talaos. He turned to his messengers, "Send the order to the heavy catapults. They are to fire on my command, just beyond the leading edge of the enemy. Send word to the gatekeepers to open as soon as catapult stones have struck."
The messengers sped to the two catapults on the keep, and the others on Theron's platforms. The enemy was almost upon Adriko.
He thought the time was right. He put his will and intent into what he did next.
Talaos shouted in a mighty echoing voice, carrying to all the heavy catapults, halfway across the city, and out to the troops below. "Catapults, fire!"
Fourteen colossal stones soared out into the blackness. Some stones landed uselessly in the darkened plains, but more than half of them landed with crashing ruin among the pursuing torches. The pursuers reacted quickly. Officers shouted for them to withdraw out of range, and the torches wheeled and turned, galloping away.
Adriko's force raced through the open gates. Casualties looked to have been surprisingly light. Adriko himself was last of all, waving casually up to Talaos as he rode. Firio balanced on the saddlebags behind, spinning a dagger in his hand.
The enemy vanguard reformed, well out of catapult range, then spread out in a wide cordon to begin the encirclement of the city. Behind them, the main force swept slowly forward, its burning wings spreading wider.
While they waited for Adriko and his report of his mission, Talaos began to consider what sort of being, besides him, could inspire fear in the spirits.
~
In the first gray light of dawn, Talaos surveyed the enemy army from atop the keep. They were fanning out, with ordered companies forming as if for battle, far outside the outermost band of defenses. Irregulars moved closer to survey the ground on which they would no doubt set up trenches of their own. Roaming troops of light cavalry patrolled the plains beyond the army.
Regardless of the damage they'd done the night before, the enemy still had at least thirty thousand men, if not more, in the field before them.
Thus far, the enemy had not intentionally attempted coming within artillery range, either to test distance or to investigate the guarded camp at the south end of the city. Talaos was sure they must be curious as to what it was.
The eastern sky was clear and blue with a bright morning sun, but overhead were clouds.
The Madmen arrived. They had slept for a while on the floor below. Talaos had not slept at all. The five warriors seemed eager to do something. Imvan looked weary, and had a few new scars, but he was ready with the others. Firio fidgeted and bounced, with a broad grin, as if he'd had a carefree adventure the night before.
Talaos turned to address them. "All right men, we'll be joining up with Aro as representative of the allied army, Megaras representing the Avrosan army, and Akaros for the Council of Avrosa. We'll have ten messengers with us and an honor guard of a company of cavalry comprised of detachments from all the main factions.
"We'll be riding under the token of truce. If they show any signs of other ideas, we'll return to the city before they can act on them. Understood?"
"Oh, everything except what you actually plan to say to them," said Larogwan.
Talaos merely smiled in reply.
Together they descended to the plaza behind the keep, joined the others Talaos had mentioned, and mounted up. Talaos still had the black horse taken from Ak
allas the Leopard. He hadn't named it, because he still hoped to find out its actual name. Larogwan again rode with Firio at his back. The Avrosans had found a massive draft horse for Vulkas to ride, but he still looked less than comfortable. Talaos noticed that old Akaros looked, if anything, more hale and comfortable in the saddle than he did on foot.
Talaos formed up at the front with his mace bearers behind. Between them was a herald of Avrosa bearing a tall standard, but instead of a flag hanging from the crossbar, it held a sheathed and peace-knotted sword. It was a centuries-old token of truce in Hunyos, however unusual Talaos thought it. The Madmen flanked Talaos and the bearers, three horses on each side. Behind them rode the other leaders, the messengers, and the honor guard. The honor guard bore standards of all the main cities and towns in the allied army, with Avrosa front and center.
He raised his right hand, and the gate opened. He motioned forward, and the delegation rode through the gates. Ahead of them, an army of thirty thousand waited. They rode slowly, careful both to allow the others side time to react, and to allow themselves time to retreat at any sign of treachery.
Far ahead, Talaos could see a great deal of activity. As he was passing the innermost of the old trenches, he could see a delegation forming up on the others side. There were banners and standards, officers in gilt armor and crested helms, and a cloud of messengers. The other delegation raised a tall standard of their own, and on it was a sheathed sword.
Talaos continued on, and the other delegation rode out from their own army. When Talaos's group reached the second trench, and the limits of the reach of their longest-ranged catapults, he raised his right hand in signal to stop. The other delegation stopped as well, between their inner trench and the outermost of the old trenches.
From the enemy delegation, the herald rode forward with his standard of truce. The Avrosan herald did so as well, but then Talaos spoke.
"Herald, ride with me, though you are not to speak or act unless I order you. The rest stay here. I'm riding forward to speak to them myself."
The Madmen grinned, but most of the others looked startled.
"Talaos," said Aro, "truces are usually honored here, but nothing is guaranteed."
"I will take that chance," replied Talaos.
With that, he rode forward, with only the unarmed herald for company.
The enemy herald looked surprised for a moment, then mastered himself. He reined his horse and greeted them, "Hail! On behalf of my city of Kyras, and all its allies, greetings."
"Greetings. I wish to speak with your commanders personally."
"Ah... yes of course. Who shall I tell them is coming?"
"I will introduce myself," replied Talaos.
The surprised look returned to the herald's face, but without further word, he wheeled his horse and rode with them.
Ahead of Talaos was a delegation with some figures he recognized by description, and others he could only guess at. Based on appearance, and position in the group, he guessed eleven of them were members of the enemy command group. One of them he recognized by sight; a rough-looking gray-haired man of older middle years in richly decorated armor and a green cloak. It was the surviving commander of the enemy advance force at the battle of the pass.
Also with them was a man in simple robes of tan and white, wearing a white cap. He had a long beard and a peaceful expression, and had dismounted his horse to stand barefoot on the grass. That the enemy leadership would have a representative of the Prophet among them told Talaos part of what he needed to know.
The commanders looked at him curiously, and spoke quietly among themselves as he approached. At last, as the enemy herald returned to his place in the other delegation, one of the commanders rode forward.
He was of older years and medium height, wore a gold-gilt breastplate over a white and black tunic, and on his back was a cloak of white, black, and gold. Talaos recognized him from descriptions given by both Aro and Kurvan. The man raised his hand in greeting, then spoke in a rich, commanding voice, "I am General Maxano, of Kyras, and the senior commander of our allied army. I see that you represent Avrosa, but I do not know you."
"I am Warlord Talaos, Dictator of Avrosa, and senior commander of our allied army."
There were startled, even disbelieving looks among the enemy commanders.
Maxano however, remained measured and controlled. "I have not heard of you, Warlord. I judge by circumstances that what you say must be true, though I do not understand how. By your accent I would guess you are not from Hunyos, but from the eastern regions of the Republic. What has happened to General Sanctari? And what of Patrician Olvas, or General Petani?"
"General Sanctari was assassinated by agents of the Living Prophet, Patrician Olvas was killed on my orders during the taking of Avrosa, and General Petani waits in exile in the camp you see outside the southern walls of the city."
The enemy commanders, and then the lesser officers around them, broke out in confused conversation and varying statements of outrage or disbelief. Talaos heard at least three men say something about blasphemy, and made note of who they were. However the Prophet's actual representative merely stood by impassively with his hands folded in front of him.
After a moment, Maxano raised his right hand, and the others quieted.
Maxano spoke, "There is a thread running through what you have just said, and I will return to it. But first I will say that I am sorry to hear of Sanctari's death. Over many years, he and I served with each other on two campaigns, and against each other on three. He was always an officer of skill and honor."
After speaking, Maxano seemed to be gauging him, and waiting for a reply. The other officers behind and around their senior commander continued to look as if they had unexpectedly entered a new and alien world. Talaos noted the commander in the green cloak did not seem to recognize him. Understandable since he, Talaos, had been covered from head to foot in blood and black rags when they'd last met.
Talaos replied to Maxano, "He was my patron and mentor, and I mourn his death. General, you are from Kyras. I presume then you knew Aradion, the magus, and Akallas, champion of your city?"
Here and there, hints of other thoughts crept onto the faces of some of the commanders. Wonder in some, suspicion in others.
Maxano gave Talaos an appraising look, then replied, "Yes. Aradion was my friend, and Akallas his son. As you assuredly know, a warrior from among your forces killed them during the battle with our expeditionary force at the pass."
Talaos reached back into his saddlebag, and a long bundle he'd tied where a spear or javelin might normally be. He produced the sword of Akallas, and the magi crown and scepter of Aradion. For a moment, surprise overcame Maxano's cool demeanor. Talaos spoke again.
"I did know. I was there, and won these as personal spoils under the old laws."
The commander in the green cloak reacted as if slapped awake.
"If you will accept them," said Talaos, "I wish to return them to Aradion's family."
Maxano visibly repressed his emotions, and replied, "I... thank you, Warlord. Aradion's wife and other children still live. I am certain they would be happy to receive these. But, why do you return them?"
"They are personal things, bound to their creator, and were never truly mine. Since I know returning such things is not the normal way, I have at least kept this unnamed horse."
A faint, pained smile crossed the general's face. He gave Talaos a grim nod as an aide rode up and accepted the items. "That horse is named 'Honor'," Maxano said.
The commander in the green cloak rode up, and spoke to Maxano, "This is the man! General, this is the warrior at the pass!"
"Then the warrior on the plain is the same as the warrior at the pass," replied Maxano, who then returned to Talaos, "General Gavro here has reported on your deeds at the pass, though the description he gave of you sounded very different. If I may ask, how are you still alive?"
"Everyone asks me that," replied Talaos. "It seems I am difficult to k
ill."
Gavro interjected, speaking to Talaos. "That's not the half of it, you bastard! You've got magic. You did things the heroes of old would've approved… Any chance you'd switch sides?"
Talaos grinned wolfishly.
Some of the enemy commanders looked even less pleased at that. One whispered to another, and Talaos thought he overhead something about sin and curses upon the soul.
Maxano, however, seemed to return his mind to business. "I can make some guesses, Warlord, at the path that led you to power. The common thread I mentioned earlier now becomes relevant, as I presume you came here with more serious business in mind.
"You mentioned Sanctari being assassinated by agents of the Living Prophet. He was known to be skeptical of dealing with the Prophet. I think you well knew the faith followed by Olvas and Petani, and I can guess at what the people in that camp might have in common."
Talaos replied, "Followers of the Prophet violated the laws of Avrosa and Hunyos in service to a foreign power. Their faith is now banned in Avrosa, and in our army. Those refugees are all the followers of the Prophet who willingly left when given the chance. Since I can see that your army is on good terms with the believers of that faith, I offer up the refugees to your kindness."
"I must object!" interrupted a sturdy older man in silvered segmented armor, and a uniform that was mostly in a dark purple-red color, like wine. By description, Talaos thought he might be General Ilirios of the city of Mileno.
"We don't have supplies to take on... what, three thousand civilians," added Gavro.
With equal vehemence, several other commanders began arguing in favor of admitting the refugees. Then, a few others joined the group of those objecting. Talaos watched them, and made note of who argued which side, and why.
Maxano surveyed the arguing commanders, and Talaos thought he was about to raise his hand for silence, much as Sanctari would have done, when the representative of the Prophet spoke. His voice was quiet, calm, and seemed to have some power within it that calmed the others, though it only repelled Talaos.
The Storm's Own Son (Book 2) Page 17
