Cyador’s Heirs
Page 62
LXXXV
Two eightdays later, well past fourth glass in the afternoon, Lerial returns from Lancer headquarters, where he has been assisting Captain Chaen in training new Mirror Lancer recruits, to find himself summoned to his father’s study. He suspects he knows why, given that the courtyard is filled with both Mirror Lancers and a squad of armsmen in golden brown uniforms
He steps into the study and inclines his head. “Ser, you requested my presence?”
“I did. Duke Casseon sent an envoy. I’ve just finished meeting with him. I thought you should know.” Kiedron picks up several sheets of heavy parchment and extends them to his son. “I’d like you to read his proposed agreement and tell me what you think.” A hint of a smile lingers at the corners of his lips.
Lerial begins to read, skimming the honorifics and niceties and concentrating on the significant sections.
… clear and obvious that the inhabitants of the Verd, the people of the area that calls itself Verdheln, have chosen to be ruled by you … have made that choice with life and blood, as well as with order and chaos … as Duke of Merowey, I have striven to keep chaos from my people, another reason for my acquiescence in their choice … as an honorable ruler of Merowey I will respect that choice …
In return, I would trust that you, as Duke of Cigoerne, will ensure that the people of the Verd refrain from any raids or warlike acts against the peoples south of the Verd … that you will also take all steps to keep raiders from Afrit or elsewhere from using or crossing those lands to trouble my people … I would also trust that the boundaries between our lands follow those suggested on the attached map, although we should agree that, if it is in our joint interests, small modifications to those boundaries may be possible …
There is a great deal more, but those are the parts that are most important.
Lerial looks up and lowers the papers. “It’s a great victory. Cigoerne is now almost as large as Afrit.”
“Not really. Afrit is a third again our size, with far more people.”
“For now,” Lerial points out.
“For now,” Kiedron agrees. “I shouldn’t question this too closely, I suspect, but even after reading the majer’s report, I can’t see exactly how he managed this.”
Lerial smiles politely. “We didn’t, not alone. The Verdyn did, with blood and ashes. The last two battles delivered the final message. Duke Casseon sent something like six chaos mages along with forty-five companies…” Lerial suspects there may have been more, but he remains uncertain whether, in some cases, his order-controlled and redirected chaos killed or merely stunned a chaos mage. “… in the end a few survivors, if that, straggled back to Yakaat. Casseon knows we had only six companies.”
Kiedron laughs, but the sound is tinged with rue and puzzlement. He looks to Lerial. “You had more to do with this than you’re saying, didn’t you? More than I even suspected.”
“I was able to redirect some chaos bolts, ser.” That is all Lerial wishes to admit.
“Saltaryn has said you had limited abilities to gather order or chaos.”
“Apparently, ser, I have fewer difficulties in turning that which others have gathered against them.”
“Apparently.”
Lerial steps forward and lays the sheets on the desk. “You’ll still have to negotiate a few things.”
“Of course.” Kiedron smiles. “And you can take my place in periodically riding patrols along the Afritan borders.”
“I’d be honored, ser.”
“No … I’m the one to be honored … and relieved.”
Lerial returns his father’s smile.
Everything will continue as it had before Duke Casseon’s ill-considered attack on Verdheld, or perhaps with even fewer border skirmishes and raids … at least for a while … and that is all anyone can expect.
“Let’s go tell your mother and aunt. They’ll be pleased.”
The two walk from the study toward the sun-drenched courtyard.
TOR BOOKS BY L. E. MODESITT, JR.
THE SAGA OF RECLUCE
The Magic of Recluce
The Towers of the Sunset
The Magic Engineer
The Order War
The Death of Chaos
Fall of Angels
The Chaos Balance
The White Order
Colors of Chaos
Magi’i of Cyador
Scion of Cyador
Wellspring of Chaos
Ordermaster
Natural Ordermage
Mage-Guard of Hamor
Arms-Commander
Cyador’s Heirs
Heritage of Cyador (forthcoming)
THE COREAN CHRONICLES
Legacies
Darknesses
Scepters
Alector’s Choice
Cadmian’s Choice
Soarer’s Choice
The Lord-Protector’s Daughter
Lady-Protector
THE IMAGER PORTFOLIO
Imager
Imager’s Challenge
Imager’s Intrigue
Scholar
Princeps
Imager’s Battalion
Antiagon Fire
Rex Regis
THE SPELLSONG CYCLE
The Soprano Sorceress
The Spellsong War
Darksong Rising
The Shadow Sorceress
Shadowsinger
THE ECOLITAN MATTER
Empire & Ecolitan (comprising The Ecolitan Operation and The Ecologic Secession)
Ecolitan Prime (comprising The Ecologic Envoy and The Ecolitan Enigma)
The Forever Hero (comprising Dawn for a Distant Earth, The Silent Warrior, and In Endless Twilight)
Timegod’s World (comprising Timediver’s Dawn and The Timegod)
THE GHOST BOOKS
Of Tangible Ghosts
The Ghost of the Revelator
Ghost of the White Nights
Ghost of Columbia (comprising Of Tangible Ghosts and The Ghost of the Revelator)
The Hammer of Darkness
The Green Progression
The Parafaith War
Adiamante
Gravity Dreams
The Octagonal Raven
Archform: Beauty
The Ethos Effect
Flash
The Eternity Artifact
The Elysium Commission
Viewpoints Critical
Haze
Empress of Eternity
The One-Eyed Man
About the Author
L. E. Modesitt, Jr., is the New York Times bestselling author of the Imager Portfolio and the Saga of Recluce. He lives in Cedar City, Utah.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
CYADOR’S HEIRS
Copyright © 2014 by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
All rights reserved.
Cover art by Matt Stawicki
Cover design by Carol Russo
Maps by Ellisa Mitchell
A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
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Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Modesitt, L. E., Jr., 1943–
Cyador’s heirs / L.E. Modesitt. — First edition.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-7653-7477-6 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-4310-3 (e-book)
I. Title.
PS3563.O264C93 2014
813'.54—dc23
2013029671
e-ISBN 9781466843103
First Edition: May 2014