Arms-Commander

by L. E. Modesitt Jr.

  “Do you want us up front, ser?”

  “I think not. Let the Lornians take the first charge if there is one. You should be prepared to pull off the lane. The ground to the left is more solid, and there’s more room to maneuver.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind, ser.” Hryessa paused. “You don’t want to take another squad?”

  “No. I’m going to try not to engage them. Just inflict casualties.”

  Hryessa raised her eyebrows.

  Saryn laughed. “I’ll only engage them if it looks like we won’t suffer too badly.”

  The captain nodded, then turned in the saddle. “First and fourth squads! With the commander. The rest of you, close up!”

  Saryn led the two squads away from the lane and the main force, then up the northern edge of the southerly end of the rise, angling their way through the browning knee-high grass and bushes so that they wouldn’t come into view of the other company until they were almost on level ground.

  As she had suspected, those waiting were clad in red and gold, and the Suthyans did not move as Saryn’s squads drew nearer. When she judged that her force was slightly over two hundred yards out, she ordered, “Squads, halt!”

  She still could see no movement from the Suthyan armsmen.

  “Ready bows!”

  “Bows ready.”

  “Stand by to fire. Target fire!” ordered Saryn.

  “Target fire!” repeated Shalya and Klarisa.

  The first shafts arched toward the Suthyan company, which still remained in formation. Then the iron-tipped arrows fell, and armsmen began clutching themselves or slumping in their saddles, even as the Westwind archers loosed a second and a third volley.

  Four quick fire-bolts flared up, and a good half of the remaining shafts burst into flame, with the arrowheads dropping short of the Suthyans, falling like iron hailstones on the lane and the ground to the south of it.

  The entire Suthyan company charged.

  “One more shaft! Bows away.”

  Two more fire-bolts flared, clearing away some, but not all, of the arrows. Saryn sensed that the last chaos-bolts were not so strong as those before.

  Do you charge them…or withdraw?

  Somewhere between a quarter and a third of the Suthyan company had fallen or turned from the charge, wounded, and that left the Westwind force outnumbered, but not by much. But the Suthyans had a white wizard.

  “Forward! On me!” Saryn drew a blade from the right knee sheath and urged the gelding forward.

  As she rode toward the oncoming Suthyans, gathering and weaving order and chaos together, Saryn realized that she was flanked closely by two guards, so close that they were riding almost stirrup to stirrup with her.

  When less than a hundred yards separated the two forces, a fire-bolt arched directly toward Saryn. She used the smallest possible moving order-chaos-shield to angle the fire-bolt into the ground, then raised and hurled the short sword at the center of the oncoming Suthyans.

  The blade and the order-chaos-knife linked to it cut through three ranks of the red-clad armsmen before striking the shields of the white wizard. The impact created a sideways flare of destruction that turned even more Suthyans into instant torches, and the hapless armsmen flamed into ashes almost before they could scream.

  Saryn drew a second blade and released it, aimed directly at the indistinct shape of the wizard—the only remaining mounted figure in the middle of the Suthyan force.

  A smaller chaos-reaction blast followed, and the red-coated Suthyan white wizard appeared amid the shower of flame radiating from him. Saryn drew and cast a third blade, smoothing its way with darkness.

  The white mage flung up an attempt at a shield, but the black blade sliced through it and buried itself in his chest. A small flare of reddish white instantly consumed the mage and his mount.

  “Do you need another blade, Commander?” called the guard to Saryn’s left. “Not yet.” Saryn glanced around, but there were no Suthyans close by, and the two groups of surviving red-coats split by Saryn and the Westwind charge had made no attempt at reforming and were riding toward the gates of the hold.

  As the last handful of Suthyans hurried within the western gates, and the gates closed behind them, the first squads of the northern lord-holders appeared, blades out and ready.

  Saryn smiled as she saw that Hryessa had moved the Westwind guards up and to the north of the main body, giving Hryessa more freedom to move, and, incidentally, creating the impression of a far larger force. Then she glanced back at the keep. The white-granite walls looked all too imposing for a force that had no siege equipment and couldn’t afford to squander its armsmen and guards. She hoped that Maeldyn and Spalkyn were correct about Henstrenn’s not being able to hunker down behind the walls and wait.

  Swinging the gelding back westward, she rode slowly toward the combined forces, letting the two squads close on her. From what she could see and sense, she hadn’t lost any guards—this time. Saryn couldn’t have said why she’d ordered the charge, but she was just happy that it had worked out…and that there was one less white wizard to worry about. She also couldn’t help wondering how many remained…and how powerful they were.

  Then she looked back at the keep and the solid granite walls. No matter what the other two lord-holders said, she didn’t see Henstrenn and the Suthyans venturing forth anytime soon.

  LXXXVIII

  For nearly a glass, the joint force remained ready for an attack, before withdrawing to a position almost half a kay back from the gates. During the apparent calm, Hryessa dispatched half a squad to recover what they could from the fallen Suthyans, especially good arrow shafts; but as a result of the efforts of the white wizard, the guards returned with only thirty shafts, along with fifteen usable blades and some coins.

  Shortly after the scavengers rejoined the Westwind forces, Maeldyn, Spalkyn, Zeldyan, and Saryn rode some fifty yards north of the main body, where Maeldyn reined up just far enough away from the armsmen that the four could discuss matters without being overheard while still keeping an eye on the gates to the holding.

  Although the day was warm, a slightly cooler breeze out of the east kept Saryn from drowning in her own perspiration as she waited for one of the others to speak. Her head ached slightly, and every so often a small lightknife—more like a needle—jabbed at her eyes, but compared to how she had felt after earlier fights, what she was experiencing was relatively mild.

  “It doesn’t look like they’re raging to attack us.” Spalkyn’s voice was ironic.

  “Of course not,” said Zeldyan. “He’s outnumbered, and he’s lost two white wizards. He’ll stay behind stone until something makes him come out.”

  “Or until he can persuade the Suthyans to attack, or he gets reinforcements from somewhere,” added Maeldyn. “That won’t happen for a while. He hasn’t tried to sneak out a messenger yet.”

  “He will. He’ll offer what ever it takes to get someone else to attack us.” Zeldyan’s words were icy-bitter.

  “Even if he does get word out, he won’t get any help that soon.” Spalkyn laughed harshly. “Maybe not at all.”

  “That means he’ll try to wait us out…or until he sees an opportunity,” Saryn finally said. “We need to decide what to do about quarters, food, that sort of thing, while we see what he’ll do.”

  “A little less than two kays to the northeast, there are some barns and a dwelling. That’s close enough to the walls, but not too close…” offered Spalkyn. “If we quartered in the town, it’d be the demons’ own time getting out quickly; we’d get caught in the streets.”

  “Even at two kays, we’ll need a company ready at any time,” pointed out Maeldyn. “Scouts, too.”

  “Any farther, and we’ll tire out men and mounts getting back in position.”

  “Henstrenn isn’t going to attack unless he can do it without losses or unless all our forces are where he thinks he can defeat us,” interjected Zeldyan.

  “We need to put some of the
armsmen on stand-down now,” suggested Saryn. “Leave one company on ready for a glass or so, then have another stand ready.”

  “The commander’s forces have already fought twice today,” Maeldyn said, almost blandly.

  “Mine can take the first glass.” Zeldyan glanced back toward the main body.

  “And ours will take the duty after that.” Spalkyn then added, “If Henstrenn doesn’t attack by a half glass before sunset, I’d suggest we remove to the barns and post scouts to watch the gates and walls.”

  “And tomorrow?” asked Zeldyan.

  “Just have one company at the ready at the barns, and the others there as well. That way, we’re all in one place. The rest should be prepared to saddle up quickly, but there’s no point in tiring them out and waiting.” Maeldyn smiled sadly. “We just need to be far enough away and prepared enough that he can’t surprise us, and rested enough that we can attack him if we get the chance.”

  Saryn nodded. They weren’t trying a siege, but a loose holding action until they could come to grips with Henstrenn and the Suthyans. As Zeldyan rode toward the Lornians, Saryn let the chestnut walk toward Hryessa, where she reined up.

  “Ser?”

  “Have them all back off and stand down. We’re going to wait a bit longer to see what happens.”

  “They’ve been beaten twice today. Do you think they’ll try again?”

  “We don’t know how many Suthyans and wizards are behind that wall,” replied Saryn. “In his position, I wouldn’t, but most of the lord-holders here do things I wouldn’t think wise.” She shrugged. Inside, she had a feeling that Henstrenn wasn’t finished for the day, but since she couldn’t explain why, she only said, “Just make sure that they’re not too far from their horses or their weapons.”

  Hryessa nodded, then turned her mount. “Squad leaders, forward!”

  Saryn rode back to join Zeldyan and Undercaptain Maerkyn, reining up next to the lady-holder, and asking, “What do you feel that Henstrenn will do next?”

  “What ever he thinks will catch us off guard and cost him little. I can’t help but notice one thing. He hasn’t yet used any of his own armsmen against us, especially against you, Commander.”

  “Just like he took the east road and sent Kelthyn down the river road.”

  “Oh, I am most certain that he pointed out to Lord Kelthyn that the river road was the shorter distance to Veryna…”

  Using the truth…like Ryba. Except that Ryba wasn’t quite so vicious and self-centered…was she?

  “…and he doubtless had some other reason to send Jaffrayt with Kelthyn.” Zeldyan’s quiet voice was cutting.

  After a time, Saryn rode back to rejoin Hryessa and keep watch on the gates to the holding keep with both eyes and senses.

  Another glass passed…uneventfully.

  As the lower edge of the sun touched the rolling hills to the west of the river, Zeldyan ordered her company to withdraw to the barns, and Saryn gave the order to Hryessa for the Westwind forces to follow but to keep their arms at the ready. The Lornians were almost a kay to the northeast of the walls and halfway to the quartering area, with the Westwind contingent some three hundred yards away from the forces of the northern lord-holders, when Saryn heard a trumpet call.

  She could sense activity within the gates and immediately ordered, “Westwind! To the rear, ride!” Then she urged the gelding out to the side and galloped up to the new front of the Westwind force. While she would have preferred not to lead with sixth squad, there was no help for it on such short notice. “Forward!”

  She and the guards had covered about a hundred yards when the holding gates swung open, and riders in brown and yellow boiled out, heading for the company and a half of the northern lord-holders.

  “Ready bows!”

  “Ready bows!” echoed Hryessa and the two squad leaders.

  “Fire!” snapped Saryn, knowing that any amount of delay would help.

  Shafts began to rake the Henstrenn’s advancing armsmen, and a number fell, but Saryn could see that, before that long, trying to target the attackers would result in shafts striking Maeldyn’s and Spalkyn’s forces.

  “Cease fire! Bows away. Charge!”

  The attackers had barely slammed into the front ranks of the northern forces when a series of trumpet calls echoed from the holding keep, and Henstrenn’s armsmen broke off the attack and galloped back to the holding before Saryn and the Westwind guards could reach them. The gates closed behind them, and Saryn slowed her guards for the last yards before she halted a few yards short of Maeldyn.

  “Do you always look for a fight, Commander?” asked Spalkyn, grinning broadly as he joined the two.

  “I was just going to make sure that they couldn’t get away so that you could fight them,” Saryn countered with a smile. Her eyes scanned the front lines of the armsmen, and came up with several empty saddles, but there were also a good fifteen or so Duevekan armsmen down and unmoving, although the northern armsmen had gathered up the surviving horses.

  “Lord Henstrenn seems reluctant to fight Westwind.” Maeldyn’s words were sardonic.

  “I’d hoped to trap them between us,” Saryn said.

  “He saw that. Much as I hate to admit it, his hasty retreat was the wisest course for him.”

  “He’s a slimy, slippery sort,” added Spalkyn.

  That’s something we all knew.

  “We might as well all head for the barns,” Maeldyn said.

  Saryn agreed with that, but she turned to Hryessa, who had joined her. “Send a half squad to see how many shafts they can recover. If the gates open, they’re to drop everything and ride to join us.”

  Hryessa nodded and eased her mount away.

  “Your archers took down a few of those brown-coats,” Maeldyn noted. “That’s something I don’t think Henstrenn had expected.”

  “I’m very glad he didn’t.” Saryn concealed a frown. Maeldyn’s observation raised a question for her. Why hadn’t there been a white wizard with the attackers? Was that because they didn’t have too many left? Or because they would only work with Suthyan forces? Or for some other reason?

  “He’s slippery enough to come up with something else,” Spalkyn said.

  “We need to clear the area,” Maeldyn said. “Everyone’s tired.”

  “Westwind! To the rear, ride!” Saryn ordered, watching as her force again reversed the order of riding and as ten guards moved out toward where the brief skirmish had taken place. She nodded to the two lords. “If you will excuse me…”

  As she eased the gelding out to the side of sixth squad and started forward, she thought she heard a few words between Maeldyn and Spalkyn and tried to use the order-chaos flows to catch them.

  “…demon-glad she’s on our side…” said Spalkyn.

  “…she’s not…she’s against lord-holders like Henstrenn…”

  Whose “side” are you on? Theirs, Ryba’s, your own? Again, she had no solid answer, only the wish that she could find a course that made sense for everyone.

  The Westwind force was almost to the first of the large barns when Hryessa slipped her horse into position beside Saryn. “The northerners got the coins and the mounts. They didn’t bother with the arrows. Even with the shafts we just recovered, we have less than fivescore remaining for all of the archers.”

  Saryn nodded. “I knew we were running short, but…” What else could she have done? It was best to use a weapon when it was most effective. “Which squad has the better archers, first or fourth?”

  “First squad, I would judge, ser.”

  “Then give all the shafts to the ten best archers in first squad. That will have to do.”

  “Yes, ser.”

  “That was your idea, wasn’t it? Or do you have a better one?”

  Hryessa offered an off-center smile and a shrug. “I had thought about it, but you’re the commander.”

  Saryn could sense that Hryessa agreed with the decision. “You’re the captain, and sometimes I don’t se
e everything.” She paused. “We need to get to quarters, such as they are. Both the guards and the horses need a rest.”

  And so do I.

  LXXXIX

  Eightday dawned gray, with thick low clouds and a brisk wind out of the northeast that Saryn felt was refreshing, especially after sharing with Zeldyan a tiny room in the small house between the barns and eating hard biscuits and harder cheese for breakfast. While Saryn’s tunic was warm enough for her, most of the Lornians shivered and fastened up riding jackets.

  Although the scouts watching Henstrenn’s keep reported no one leaving and no sign of armsmen forming up inside the walls, Saryn wanted to know more. Since she couldn’t sense what was happening behind the walls from where the guards and the others were quartered, she decided to saddle the gelding and check for herself.

  When she reached the end of the stable, she found that Dealdron had just finished saddling the chestnut. For a moment, she looked at him without speaking.

  “I thought you would be riding out,” he explained. “I put the extra blades in the knee sheaths, and there are biscuits in the saddlebags. Your water bottle is clean and filled.”

  “You didn’t have to…” Saryn broke off the words. Behind his pleasant smile was a deep concern for her…and admiration…if not more…somewhat veiled behind swirling thoughts and feelings. She managed to smile back professionally.

  “I did,” he replied. “So much rests on you.”

  “Thank you.” She took the reins from him and walked the gelding out of the barn.

  Although she had said nothing to Hryessa, when Saryn mounted up outside, a half squad of guards from fifth squad rode to join her. The lead guard inclined her head. “The captain said we were to accompany you, ser.”

  “Thank you. We’ll be riding to check the keep walls.” Saryn urged the gelding forward, thinking as she did, First Dealdron…and now this…

  Yet she had to admit to herself that going to check on the walls unescorted would have been dangerous and foolish. As for Dealdron, it was clear that he’d put her on a pedestal and would have liked to have done far more. Yet he had never made even the slightest of improper gestures or comments. Ostler or not, he is kind and intelligent.