Scepters

by L. E. Modesitt Jr.

  At that instant, Alucius left the rifle and scuttled over the edge of the drop-off, scrambling down the sandy and rocky slope, then ran toward the wall of spiky thorn.

  Striker in hand, he lit the fuse of the first burn bag and hurled it to the south. The second went straight in front of him, to the southwest, and the third flew to the west-southwest. He paused for a moment, using his Talent, but he could feel that all three bags were burning fiercely. He also sensed no one nearby.

  He ran back toward the bluff, scrabbling up the slope, grabbed his rifle, then hurried across the near flat until he reached his mount. A quick glance to the west showed that more fires were appearing around the rebel camp. From the south, Alucius could hear a bell clanging as he untied the gray and mounted.

  He rode back westward at a quick walk. There was a wind, light and out of the southeast. Alucius wasn’t sure what, if any, effect the wind would have, but he could see the smoke welling up from the south in more and more places, and the air around him began to smell smoky as well.

  As he neared the rendezvous point, Alucius began to sense other men coming from the south. They had to have been climbing straight up from the camp below, but near the rendezvous point, that climb was close to a hundred yards of near-vertical face.

  “Zerdial! Is everyone here?”

  “Yes, sir!”

  Alucius almost ordered them to depart. Instead, realizing that a half squad or so of rebels had reached the top of the bluff and that those rebels were almost at the ridgeline, he snapped. “Oblique firing line to the south! Now!”

  Despite the irregular command, fifth squad formed up.

  “Rifles ready!”

  Alucius watched the ridgetop until, within moments, nine men in maroon charged over the top on foot and down toward fifth squad, raising their rifles as they ran.

  “Fire at will!”

  Twenty rifles fired almost as one. Four men dropped where they stood. Two others, blood streaming across faces and tunics, staggered forward. Three others sprinted toward the lancers as if nothing could touch them, shooting wildly. Fifth squad continued to fire.

  Alucius held his own fire, looking to the ridgeline. Two more armsmen in maroon appeared, and they too hurried downslope, both of them headed directly toward Alucius.

  Alucius lifted his own rifle, aimed, and fired. The bullet struck the first of the remaining two armsmen in the forehead, and he pitched forward onto the trail. Alucius hit the second man in the shoulder, but the rebel still tried to aim his weapon at Alucius until Alucius’s third shot silenced him.

  Alucius had thought about taking captives or prisoners, but the way the rebels fought so far, trying that would have been near-suicidal for any lancer who tried. He turned the gray toward fifth squad. One lancer was on the ground.

  Zerdial shook his head.

  “Get him over his mount,” Alucius ordered. “We need to get out of here before any more of them show up.” He could sense others climbing the escarpment behind the rebel camp, but they would not reach the top for another quarter glass, he judged. Already, the sky was filling with the hazy smoke from the fires below, and he could smell the burning thorn plants.

  In moments, the dead lancer—Hylik—was fastened over his saddle, and fifth squad was on the trail back to meet up with the other companies.

  As they rode westward along the trail, Alucius frowned, thinking. What was going on in Hyalt? It was one thing for a single armsman to try an ambush or to fight back when cornered, but to try a suicidal charge against mounted lancers on an open trail? To climb a hundred yards up an escarpment and attack a larger force without even trying to use cover?

  Behind him, the fires continued to burn, sending smoke higher and higher, and from what he could see looking backward, it appeared as though some of the fires had spread from the spiky thorn patches into the cedar and juniper groves as well.

  Midafternoon came and went before Alucius and fifth squad rode across the last few hundred yards to the road, passing Waris, standing scout on the trail.

  “Anyone come this way?” asked Alucius.

  “No, sir. No one on the trail but you, and no one at all on the road. Spooky, if you ask me.”

  The more Alucius saw of Hyalt, the spookier it was.

  As Alucius rode up, Feran gestured toward the east. “You were successful, I see.”

  “We got the fires set. We didn’t stay to see if they burned the way we planned. We took out close to a squad of defenders. They attacked exactly the same way—just a blind rush at us, firing their rifles. We lost Hylik. An unfortunate and lucky shot. The rebel was running full speed downhill.”

  “They weren’t good shots?”

  “Except that one shot…no.”

  Alucius looked back to the east, where the hilltops were a mass of fire. Gray and black smoke rose into the hazy sky. With the harvest dryness of the spiky thornbushes, when the fires burned out, the thorn cover that had protected the approaches from the west and northeast would be gone. So might some of the log walls and palisades, although Alucius doubted that the heat would be intense enough for long enough to fire heavy logs.

  54

  On Septi night, the three companies had made camp some five vingts directly southwest of the rebel encampment, but a distance closer to fifteen by the roads, if the maps were accurate. Even so, there had been a glow in the sky for a time after sunset.

  Octdi morning dawned hazy, and the scent of smoke remained in the air, carried by a gentle breeze out of the north. Shortly after dawn, the lancers were back on the road that had turned southeast and would eventually circle Hyalt to the south, then to the east—that was, if the maps were correct. So far they had been, and the reports from the lancers scouting the road ahead had confirmed that for the next few vingts, at least, the road and the map agreed.

  The road dust and dirt showed signs of patrols, but only by a few riders and not by squads or larger groups. As he rode at the head of the column beside Captain Jultyr, Alucius wondered how soon it would be before that changed.

  “You think the rebels will come after us?” asked Jultyr almost idly, as if to open conversation.

  “After what you’ve seen so far…what do you think?” countered Alucius gently.

  “They seem like hornets. You know what I mean. You hit the nest, and they all take off, all at once. Never seen an outfit charge like that squad the other day. Not even the Matrites. Have you, sir?”

  “No.” Alucius shook his head. “Even the grassland nomads didn’t do that, not where every man charged superior weapons and positions without taking some evasive action or using cover.”

  “Word is that there’s Talent here.”

  “There is. I’m a herder, and I think any herder would feel what I’ve felt. Nothing like it anywhere I’ve been.” Alucius offered a laugh, partly forced. “It hasn’t stopped them from getting killed.” He would have said more, except he could see a lancer scout riding toward them, almost at a gallop.

  Alucius kept riding, waiting until the scout—Hikal, used only for road scouting—pulled in and swung his mount into a walk beside Alucius.

  “Sir…”

  “Lancers headed our way?” asked Alucius.

  “Yes, sir. Looks to be a full company ahead—same maroon uniforms—and they’re riding hard this way.”

  “How hard?”

  The youngish Hikal flushed. “Quick trot, but they’ve got their rifles at the ready.”

  “How far are they?”

  “Two vingts, sir. No more than three.”

  “What else?”

  “They’re quiet, sir. Real quiet. No talking. No singing. They’re just riding. Seems strange.”

  “They see you?”

  “Don’t think so, but I moved back quick.”

  “Any wagons or any foot with them?”

  “No, sir. Just looked to be a company of horse. That’s all.”

  Silently, for a moment, Alucius studied the terrain. To the left of the road were lowlands, g
round that would have been marshland with more rain and perhaps once had been. To the right were the same rolling hills, with only a gentle slope and the heavier grass that seemed to grow closer to Hyalt. A line of thorn olives that might once have been a windbreak blocked a clear view of the road to the south, but there was no sign of the stead that might have planted the windbreak.

  Alucius turned to Roncar, one of his messengers, riding just behind Jultyr and him.

  “Call the other officers forward.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  While he waited for Roncar to get word to Feran and Deotyr, Alucius went over the lay of the land again, matching what he saw against what he had in mind.

  Once Feran and Deotyr had ridden up, Alucius ordered the column to halt.

  Then, facing the other three officers, he began to explain. “We’ve got a rebel company headed toward us. They’re in battle dress and looking for a fight, according to the scouts. We’ll give them one.” Alucius paused, letting the words sink in before continuing.

  “We’ll form an arc. Fifth Company will take the forward part—right behind the trees over to the right. Then Thirty-fifth Company, running from the flank of Fifth to within twenty yards of the road. Twenty-eighth will cover a span of about fifty yards, centered on the road. Staggered formations so that every lancer can fire. And targeted shooting—each man in each company aiming at his counterpart. I don’t want a hundred rifles aimed on the first rank. When the rebels come around the curve, all companies will open fire at my command. We’ll take down as many of their men as we can until they get abreast of the trees. I’ll order ‘Cease, fire,’ and Fifth Company will charge through. If a second charge is necessary, I’ll call on Thirty-fifth Company. Twenty-eighth Company is to hold the road and allow none of the enemy through. I’ll be with Fifth Company.” Alucius looked from Feran to Jultyr, then to Deotyr. “Is that clear?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Form up as directed.”

  Alucius and Fifth Company continued on the road for another hundred yards before swinging southward over the rough land that had once been pasture, but now looked merely neglected.

  “Column halt! Left oblique! Stagger spacing!” Feran called out. “Ready rifles!”

  Fifth Company re-formed swiftly into a staggered double file firing line by companies. Alucius looked back to see that the other two companies were also formed up as he had ordered. Then he looked to the southeast to the point where the road curved more to the east, just past the windbreak of thorn olives. There was no visual sign of the rebels, although he could sense riders farther away through his Talent.

  A quarter glass passed. The feeling of the oncoming riders was stronger, and that feeling held the vague purple overtones detected by his Talent, but the riders had not yet appeared on the small section of road visible from where Alucius waited on the gray gelding.

  Abruptly a pair of riders appeared at the end of the curved section of the road, riding westward. Within moments, the forward part of a column of maroon-uniformed lancers also came into view. Neither of the outriders looked to the side as they rode forward.

  Then, one of the riders stopped just short of the windbreak, and the other turned and rode back toward the column.

  “You think we’ll need to charge them?” asked Feran, his voice low.

  “They’ll regroup and charge us,” Alucius predicted.

  Yet, for almost a tenth of a glass, nothing happened. The single out-rider remained in the middle of the road, looking straight in the direction of Twenty-eighth Company, seemingly ignoring Fifth Company and Thirty-fifth Company, and the column of rebel lancers continued to ride closer, but neither faster nor more slowly, until they were within yards of the eastern end of the thorn olive windbreak.

  Then there was a single barked command that Alucius could not make out, and the entire column, still in two files, began to gallop pell-mell down the road toward Twenty-eighth Company, totally ignoring Fifth Company and Thirty-fifth Company.

  “Prepare to fire!” Alucius judged the distance, waiting.

  The rebels were within fifty yards of the nearest lancers in Fifth Company when Alucius ordered, “Fire at will!”

  “Fire at will!”

  The command echoed down the ranks of the companies, followed immediately by the sounds of rifles, first the heavier weapons of Fifth Company, then the sharper sounds of the Lanachronan rifles.

  At the first volley, close to twenty rebels sagged in their saddles or toppled onto the dusty road, but the rebel column charged past Fifth Company.

  Alucius almost wanted to call off the attack as the veterans of Fifth Company picked off rebel lancer after rebel lancer. The shots from the Thirty-fifth and Twenty-eighth Companies rained more destruction on those remaining.

  The remaining rebels, less than a squad’s worth, now unsheathing blades, were less than a hundred yards from Twenty-eighth Company.

  “Cease fire! Cease fire! Fifth Company, charge!” Alucius slipped his rifle into its case and drew his sabre.

  The sound of rifles died away, to be replaced with the drumming thunder of hoofs on the weary pastureland and road as Alucius led the charge toward the depleted rebels.

  He would have expected the rebel lancers in the rear ranks to have turned as he and the lancers from Fifth Company bore down on them from behind. Not a one did.

  Alucius cut down two men from behind, his guts churning as he did.

  Within moments, not a single rebel remained mounted. One rebel, his arm mangled, struggled to his feet and raised a blade, staggering toward a Guard lancer looking the other way.

  Crack! A single rifle shot brought the rebel down.

  Alucius glanced to see Egyl holding his rifle.

  Several more shots rang out, cutting down rebels who tried to bring blades or rifles from standing or sitting positions on the road. Then there were no more shots.

  “Fifth Company! Re-form on me!” ordered Feran.

  A good thirty rebel mounts milled among bodies and the Fifth Company lancers as they moved to the southwest side of the road.

  “Captain Jultyr! Set a detail to capture the rebel mounts!” Alucius called out.

  “Yes, sir. Third squad! Get those mounts and form them up behind fifth squad.”

  Feran eased up beside Alucius. “One man got a shallow slash. No other casualties.”

  “No casualties in Thirty-fifth Company,” reported Jultyr, riding by and supervising his third squad.

  “Thank you.” Alucius paused for a moment. “Well done.”

  As the chaos began to sort itself out, Alucius glanced from the fallen rebels, bodies strewn everywhere, and the riderless mounts to Captain Deotyr, who rode toward him.

  “Two men killed, sir, three wounded. No captives.”

  “Thank you, Captain. You did well to hold there.”

  Neither Thirty-fifth Company nor Fifth Company had suffered any casualties. None at all. Twenty-eighth had lost two more lancers, and three others had taken wounds from which they should recover. Alucius’s force had been through three skirmishes, or perhaps a small battle and two skirmishes, and he’d lost something like ten men, with slightly more than that wounded, and they had killed close to two hundred rebels. So why was he so worried?

  Because, once again, the rebels had fought to the death? In the heat of battle, Alucius hadn’t wanted to order a capture, not when it would have risked his own men in such an effort to capture a fanatic.

  Deotyr remained motionless, looking at Alucius.

  “You’re wondering why I set the companies as I did?” Alucius asked.

  “No, sir…well…” Deotyr didn’t quite meet Alucius’s eyes.

  “There were several reasons. First, Twenty-eighth Company had taken the most casualties before today.” Alucius offered a bitter laugh. “I put your company farther away than Thirty-fifth, with the hope that you wouldn’t suffer as many casualties. I was wrong. The rebels seem to attack directly along the road.”

  “I don’
t think any of us would have seen that, sir.”

  Alucius should have, but he let that pass. “Second, Fifth Company is more experienced, and third, your rifles have more range.”

  “More range?”

  Alucius repressed a sigh. “Captain, your rifles are smaller bore. They’re more accurate over a longer range, and your magazines carry twice as many cartridges. Because your men aren’t as experienced, putting them where I did equalized the rates of fire.”

  Deotyr nodded, and Alucius could see the understanding. The captain turned his mount back toward Twenty-eighth Company.

  Alucius surveyed the bodies on the road again. They’d need to search them, at least quickly, and salvage ammunition and supplies—and see if there were any written orders.

  He had ridden to Hyalt thinking that he would not enter the area and immediately start killing people. He snorted softly to himself. He hadn’t. He’d gotten near Hyalt, and the rebels or invaders or whatever they were had started attacking his forces, leaving him no choice but slaughter.

  But why?

  He had no idea, and he certainly didn’t like being put in positions where he had no choice but slaughter. Before they entered another skirmish he needed a captive—if he could get one, somehow. He had no doubts that there would be another skirmish or another fight.

  He looked back at the bodies once more.

  55

  Octdi morning dawned with clouds and a light drizzle, barely enough to wet the dust on the road, but enough to make the southern late-harvest warmth feel uncomfortably muggy, at least to Alucius, especially as he was wearing his nightsilk undergarments as well as the nightsilk herder’s vest under his tunic. Despite the moisture, the air still held the odor of wood and thornbush smoke, acrid and penetrating.

  The sentries had seen no one on the road through the night or in the morning, but Alucius was concerned enough that he had the companies on the road within a glass past dawn on the gray morning. According to the maps, the road they traveled would join another road in four to five vingts, and from Alucius’s observations and calculations, that road was probably the one that led to the rebel camp they had surrounded with fire. The merged road turned northeast toward Hyalt. For the first several vingts, they had seen nothing, and the handful of steads they passed were empty. They showed signs of having been deserted, not in the past few days, but several weeks earlier.