Haven: A Trial of Blood and Steel Book Four

by Shepherd, Joel

  “This is your city? Do you claim its recent actions as your own?”

  “No,” Arken muttered.

  “Then is it not your city?”

  “Just because the Steel and those minded like us are not in control of the Remischtuul,” Arken retorted, “that does not make what you ask any easier. Andal is the capital city of Ilduur, and…”

  “I'm sorry,” Rhillian interrupted, not looking at all sorry. “We serrin do not truly understand this concept of belonging without responsibility. If something is yours, you are responsible for it. You either accept Andal as yours, and its actions as yours, or you reject them both. Now, is Andal yours, or not?”

  Sasha sensed something unspoken behind Rhillian's words. “How many serrin dead?” she asked quietly.

  “Oh, we don't know yet,” said Rhillian, with the distraction of someone being deliberately vague to avoid confronting too powerful an emotion. “They took a lot of prisoners in that first night. Ordinary folk, many families. When we began to fight back, they needed men for fighting, and could not spare guards for the prisoners. So they herded them into houses in Remischtuul district. When the fighting began to go badly for them, they set some of those houses alight, with the prisoners still inside. We think about a thousand.”

  Her stare might have burned holes in Arken's eyes. He looked away. Then he turned to Sasha. “You have led us this far. What do you suggest?”

  “That you come to realise that you can either be a loyal Ilduuri, or that you can do what is right,” said Sasha. “You cannot have both.”

  More horses were arriving in the courtyard, a Steel cavalry, including one man with an officer's crest onto his helm.

  “A formation captain,” said Arken, as they all stood. “Looks like Idraalgen.”

  He led Sasha and Rhillian over as Idraalgen dismounted. He was a man in his midforties, dusky-featured for an Ilduuri, and lately unshaven. He and his two lieutenants looked about in unease at the serrin that filled his courtyard.

  Arken walked up and saluted, and Sasha recalled that even the lieutenants outranked him. “Lieutenant Arken Haast, sir.”

  “Just the man,” said Idraalgen. “The scout told me you were up to something. The Altene, he said.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Arken. It sounded odd in Saalsi; “rah” was a borrowed Larosan word, as serrin had no concept of “sir,” and were never likely to. “I discovered Meraini emissaries ensconced at the Altene, controlling the Remischtuul with bribes from the Chansul of Meraine. Thousands of Meraini talons.”

  Idraalgen frowned. “And you have proof of this?”

  “Yes, sir. The Meraini emissaries, prisoners from the Altene. One is the son of the Chansul himself. In the company of several Remischtuul chairs, also taken prisoner, with many chests of talons.”

  “And how did you acquire all these from the Altene?” Idraalgen asked with a dry smile. “Walk to its gate and knock, and ask politely?”

  “No, sir. I and twenty-two volunteers stormed the Altene, and took it.”

  Idraalgen just looked at him. “You took the Altene with twenty-three men?”

  “Not me, sir. Her.” Arken pointed to Sasha. “Sashandra Lenayin. Sister of the Lenay king. The finest commander and swordsman I've yet served beneath.”

  Idraalgen and his lieutenants stared.

  “Twenty-six men,” Sasha admitted. “I had two more of my own.”

  “You hold the Altene?” Idraalgen evidently could not believe it. “With all their defences?”

  “No, we gave it back,” Sasha explained. “We only wanted the Meraini and their talons, to show the likes of you what was going on. Three heroes paid with their lives.”

  “You took the Altene with twenty-six, and only lost three men?”

  Captain Idraalgen left them to talk to the Meraini, and the captured Remischtuul, and came away livid. Soon he was roaring orders to Steel soldiers newly arrived, and men on horseback went racing away toward the city outskirts, and in the direction of Steel barracks further up the valley.

  “Yesterday,” he later explained to Sasha as they climbed stairs within a nearby tower, “some Stamentaast came riding up to our barracks gate and demanded we march to Andal at once. Serrin were attacking Andal, they said. We laughed, and went back to our lunch.”

  Sasha decided not to mention what Kiel had nearly gone and led these very same serrin to do.

  “We don't take orders from Stamentaast,” Idraalgen continued, “only the Remischtuul. And the last we'd heard from the Remischtuul, they'd told us to remain in barracks. Talmaad in Andal seemed like justice, from what we'd heard. But now we've heard there are locals organising to attack the talmaad and support the Stamentaast. If your friend Rhillian stays here too long, she'll find local Ilduuri will start to fight her.”

  “That would be courageous of them,” Sasha said drily. “Fancy picking a fight with someone who can actually fight back.”

  They emerged onto the tower's heights and surveyed the southern slope of the valley. There the Remischtuul building sat huge and wide upon the lower slope. Before it were large, grand buildings, similar to what Sasha had seen in Tracato. Between them and the Remischtuul, Heroes' Square. The surrounding neighbourhood, she'd been told, was wealthy, and filled with Remischtuul families, merchants, and various functionaries.

  Rhillian was already atop the tower with Aisha, Arken, and several newly arrived Steel officers. “All the approach roads are barricaded,” Rhillian explained. “We think there's about four thousand by now, half Stamentaast and half militia. But more join them constantly.

  “The slope behind is quite steep, making flanking manoeuvres no more than a nuisance for them. They have almost no cavalry, but they couldn't deploy it even if they did. Most have shields by now, and even the militia seem quite well protected. Spears too, which will make a direct assault down the streets problematic.”

  “Archers?” Sasha asked.

  “Lots,” said Rhillian. “Mostly crossbows. They put them in the buildings and behind the front shield wall.”

  Sasha considered it for a moment. She couldn't see the defences from here, they were down amongst the buildings, out of sight. But she thought she had a reasonable idea. She looked at Idraalgen, questioningly.

  “Far be it from me to make decisions ahead of the conqueror of the Altene,” Idraalgen replied to her unasked question. “The Steel have always promoted on merit, and my experience in battle is not half of yours.”

  Sasha felt uneasy. What Idraalgen said made sense. She knew that she could command respect from fighting men, and Arken's men had certainly given her that. But even so, this was Ilduur, she was a foreigner, and this rapid transference of trust seemed hasty to say the least.

  Still, she had no choice. “How many are your battalion?” Sasha asked Idraalgen.

  “Eight hundred foot,” said the formation captain, “two hundred horse. We've summonsed the other garrisons with word of what has happened, and the closest of those could be here in another day…but that's only another four hundred in total. The big garrisons are on the borders, obviously.”

  “I'm not waiting another day, let alone several,” Sasha muttered. “Half the city could rise up. Why not simply leave? Take the Steel and march to Jahnd?”

  “Without first taking the Remischtuul?” Idraalgen darkened with fury. “Those scum have betrayed Ilduur and they shall pay. Besides which, we cannot leave our families unprotected. The only way to preserve order in Ilduur is to remake the Remischtuul anew, after this lot have been swept out and punished.”

  Sasha looked at Rhillian. Rhillian gazed back. Sasha recalled accusing Rhillian of making a mess of this kind of thing in Petrodor. Rhillian's gaze was unaccusing, yet Sasha sensed a judgement there, wondering how much better her young friend would do in a similar circumstance. Still she felt uneasy. She did not know Ilduur well enough, and surely she was missing things. She wondered exactly what she was walking into.

  Her only goal, she decided, was to march to
Jahnd with as many of the Ilduuri Steel as would follow, as soon as possible. After that, Ilduur could stew. It was out of her hands.

  “Well,” she said, “how are the approaches to these buildings on the east of Heroes' Square?”

  “Closed and protected,” said Rhillian, with the certainty of recent scoutings. “Steel could attack up them.”

  “So we take these buildings, and gain a platform of fire for the talmaad,” said Sasha, pointing. “That allows us to disrupt movement across the entire square, and fire down onto neighbouring barricades.”

  “It will be a slow way to attack,” Idraalgen warned. “Taking those buildings will be time-consuming, and we cannot shock them with our force of arms if we move so slowly.”

  “Hardly matters,” said Sasha. “Force of arms is a Steel strength, but their one chance is to meet us with superior numbers and defender's advantage, and stop us. I'd rather grind them down—inexperienced troops hate it and we have a big advantage in archery with the talmaad. Let them try to redeploy their reserve under talmaad fire, we'll put soldiers in the base of those buildings to keep them safe from counterattack, and let them waste men trying that under fire if they choose.

  “Then we go up the main roads here and here from the lake, force them to engage the barricades there, then a small force to feint from the west, no more than a hundred, I think. That will spread them…no, look at the size of that space they're defending, under fire at the eastern end: that should use up most of them. And this road here…” she pointed along the base of the hills, “…what is this?”

  “That's Meadow Road,” said Arken. “It will be defended.”

  “It is,” Rhillian confirmed.

  “Against cavalry?” Sasha asked. “Two hundred you said, Captain?” Idraalgen nodded.

  “You'd send cavalry onto those cobbles?” Rhillian asked.

  “I would if there's no one left to defend that road,” Sasha explained. “Even if they've double what you say they have, inexperienced armies simply do not redeploy well under pressure and under fire. If we press them like I say, I can't see how they'll keep enough force on Meadow Road to stop two hundred cavalry getting through. And if two hundred cavalry get through there, that's a knife in their heart, they'll have cavalry in their rear…”

  “The killing blow for sure,” Idraalgen agreed. “If it works.”

  “Aye,” said Sasha. “If it works.”

  She held Aisha back as the others descended the stairs, so they could talk on the way down. She could see with one look that Aisha had much to tell her. Aisha knew Ilduur better than any non-Ilduuri here.

  “Talk,” Sasha said simply, in Lenay.

  “Three-fourths of the Steel are eastern,” Aisha replied in kind. “The east of Ilduur is distrusted elsewhere, for close relations with Saalshen. The Remischtuul has kept them from power and tried to recruit other Ilduuris to the Steel, but in this land of isolation, few save the easterners want to be part of an army that is friendly with foreigners.”

  “Do you think Idraalgen and those like him want more power for the east?”

  Aisha nodded. “This is their chance to remake Ilduur. No bad thing, save that if they try for a great reform, there will be resistance, and the Steel will be required to stay and put it down. We need them in Jahnd, not putting down disturbances here.”

  Sasha nodded grimly as they descended the spiral stairs.

  “Another thing,” Aisha said hastily, “they embrace you very quickly for a foreigner…”

  “I was just thinking that.”

  “Good, you noticed. The same thing happened when Saalshen first arrived two hundred years ago. They exalted us as a great wind of change, and there was much worship of the great foreign lords. It puzzled us too, but then when things began to go less well, we realised what it was. Whether you are a great foreign hero, Sasha, or a hated foreign invader, what are you not?”

  “A common Ilduuri,” Sasha realised.

  “Exactly. Outsiders are useful to be hated, useful to be worshipped, and can be discarded either way. Never mistake the worship for acceptance.”

  “If it all goes wrong, they can blame me and cast me off,” Sasha summarised. “But as an outsider, I have freedoms of action Ilduuris do not, making me useful.”

  Aisha nodded. “Just don't believe what they tell you. Now it all gets crazy.”

  It was crazy. As morning moved to midday, Steel infantry arrived in the square. Sasha briefed the assembled officers, who then departed to spread the plans further. There was a lot of yelling and urgent excitement. The talmaad were calmer, stocking arrows and testing bowstrings. They gathered about Rhillian and listened quietly.

  To one side of the courtyard, a small group of Andal locals gathered to yell obscenities at Steel and talmaad alike. A few tried pleading with Steel officers, and were shrugged off. Some others threw cobblestones plucked from the roads. A Steel officer grew tired of it and sent cavalry to ride into the group, scattering them. A horse's bridle was grabbed, and the cavalrymen began striking. People scattered back into the streets and alleys, leaving several dead on the ground.

  Five soldiers came across the courtyard at a run, straight for Sasha. “M'lady,” said their leader, “best that you have a guard. This city is hostile, any watching this action from a window will soon observe you giving orders, and any fool can fire a crossbow.”

  He handed her a shield as well. Another time, Sasha would have refused. But today, she could feel the city simmering. She took the shield and beckoned her personal guard to follow to where the Ilduuri Steel was beginning to assemble, direct from their march from Andal Garrison in gleaming ranks of armour, shields, and helms.

  Sasha wanted to lead the cavalry in, but was advised against it. Steel cavalry had their own commands and signals, and would not understand her. She could not accompany the talmaad as they would be hidden and firing arrows, while she needed to be visible, and was an ordinary shot anyhow. And to accompany the infantry would have been as pointless a waste of her talents as using a svaalverd blade to chop firewood, besides forcing another ten soldiers to divert themselves for her protection.

  She settled uncomfortably for commanding on horseback down a main road just short of Heroes' Square, her five protecting guard mounted about her, in the further midst of a hundred men on foot in reserve. She could hear the yells and clashing steel echoing down the winding roads, yet could see nothing. Periodically a man on horseback would clatter into view to shout some recent progress, which others would relay to her, then clatter off once more. It was disconcerting to command a battle that she could not even see. It was even more disconcerting to ask others to fight whilst sitting in the rear with her sword in its sheath.

  She received word that the eastern buildings overlooking Heroes' Square had been taken, and talmaad were pouring fire into defensive positions. Then came word that the defenders' counterattack had failed. There was no word from the northern feint, but she guessed it should have engaged by now. As for the cavalry thrust along the grassy bank of Meadow Road further up the valley slope, she supposed that they were unwilling to spare a horse to send word of what was happening.

  Noise of the fighting began to fade. Sasha frowned. Why was it fading? There was only one logical reason it might, but it was far too soon for that.

  The thought was interrupted by a horseback messenger appearing up the road, and waving them forward, frantically. Sasha yelled for the reserve to advance, which a commander repeated, and a hundred men in tight formation went jogging up the road, armour rattling and shields overlapping. Sasha held her horse to an impatient trot behind them, as they wound between the buildings. Ahead were the scattered remains of barricades, piles of wood, stone, and even an old wagon, strewn across the road as though struck by a giant wave.

  She saw the bodies: dead Stamentaast, dead men in plain clothes, with brutal, recent wounds. These first barricades had fallen, and the second barricades, higher even than the first, were just as useless. More dead men, ta
ngled in piles, some still moaning, some screaming and crying, and the cobbles all slippery with blood.

  The road opened onto a series of courtyards that ascended the valley slope like a giant's steps, each joined by more human-scaled flights of stairs. Heroes' Square, with statues and monuments in between, flanked by grand buildings that housed the new rulers of Ilduur that Maldereld had helped install. The bodies here were feathered with arrows, and yet more cut down with blades. Steel cavalry circled great clusters of surrendering men, forlorn and frightened with heads down, casting their weapons into growing piles. Far ahead, she saw Steel formations ascending steps to the Remischtuul itself, pressing with ceaseless discipline beneath the grand entrance pillars and archway.

  “Secure the courtyard,” Sasha shouted at the captain in charge of the reserve. “I want these adjoining buildings cleared, I want Remischtuul chairs and their assistants arrested, I want none to escape the square.”

  A cavalry captain clattered toward her as the other man shouted her orders in Ilduuri, and men ran to fulfill them. “M'lady!” he shouted, and saluted with his sword. “My apologies for attacking early, but your plan worked far too well! They were beginning to collapse even without our charge, so I galloped in to finish them!”

  “An excellent decision,” said Sasha, staring upslope to the Remischtuul. “Now use your cavalry to ring the Remischtuul on the open slopes—I don't want important men escaping across the fields.”

  He saluted and galloped to do that. Sasha cantered her horse across the rough pavings, slowing to let the animal find its cautious way up the steps to the next level. Talmaad were treating several wounded Steel, but besides a few fallen men at the barricades behind, she could see no more friendly casualties than that. Surely it had not been so easy?

  The main Remischtuul steps were too steep for horses. She dismounted with her guard, left the horses to soldiers on duty there, and ran up the steps, her guards flanking her with shields ready. The grand hall reminded her of Baen-Tar Palace, where she had spent the first six years of her childhood. A high ceiling and old dark stone…only here there were chandeliers of gold, and crystal decoration, and great paintings in a lowlands style.