Shadow of a Dark Queen

by Raymond E. Feist

  De Loungville laughed. “Looks like the best places are taken.”

  “Only if you like the taste of another man’s piss in your water,” said Praji. “This is just the start. The word’s been about for five years now. There’s a big war to end all wars coming, and any man with a sword who doesn’t get in now will be out of the looting.” He shook his head. “Doesn’t make much sense, does it? You’d think any man with eyes in his head could see—”

  Calis cut him off with an upraised hand. “Not here. Too many ears.”

  Praji nodded. “Look for a red eagle banner, twin to your own. That’ll be Vaja if he’s found his way here.”

  Calis nodded.

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  They rode into the camp area, and Erik felt his pulse race. Never had so many pairs of eyes regarded him with suspicion. The rendezvous was neutral ground, where both sides in the coming conflict could recruit mercenary companies to their cause, openly bidding against one another, and tradition bound every man who entered sight of the tent to keep his sword sheathed. But tradition and enforce-able law were two different things, and more than once a battle had erupted at such a meeting. Men in this camp knew only that those in their own company were allies. Anyone else might be someone they would see across the field of battle mere days or weeks after leaving the rendezvous.

  They passed by the large yellowish tent, though on the other side of the water, as they picked their way upriver, and away from the main body of men camping. Calis found a small rise with a flat top that gave a commanding view of the valley below and motioned to de Loungville that they would camp there. “No fortifications; it’s against the compact, but I want double guard. When the whores come by, let the men indulge, but no strong drink and no drugs—chase the peddlers away. I’ll not have some fool start a war because he sees the ghost of some enemy in the smoke and pulls his sword.”

  De Loungville nodded and gave the order.

  Without the need to dig a trench and rampart, making camp took little time. When Erik’s squad had finished erecting their tent, Foster came by and gave the rotation for guard duty. Erik groaned when he was told the second watch, which was from midnight to two hours before dawn. Sleep interrupted was as good as not sleeping from his point of view.

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  Still, after three days in the saddle, a little time to lie around would be welcome. And if he had the midnight watch tonight, that meant the dawn watch tomorrow, and the day after, no watch at all. He found that a little gratifying, and was glad to have found any reason to feel good whatsoever.

  Trumpets blew and Erik came awake with a start.

  They had been in camp for five days now and he was back to a split night of guard duty. He rolled out of his tent and saw that everyone was looking down into the valley below.

  Roo came to his side and laughed. “Looks like an anthill with a stick in it.”

  Erik laughed, for Roo was right. There was motion everywhere. Then Foster was hurrying through camp shouting, “Every man to horse! We muster for inspection!”

  Erik and Roo turned and went back into their low tent, grabbing their swords and shields. They hurried to where other men were already saddling their horses and got theirs ready. When the order to fall in came, they swung up into saddle and moved the horses to their position in the column. Foster rode by and said, “Rest awhile, lads. The shopping is beginning and you’ll be doing little for a day. When the brokers come by, do your best to look fierce.”

  This got a laugh, and Jadow Shati’s bass voice carried from somewhere back in line. “Just put Jerome in front, man. That will scare them, don’t you know!”

  This brought another laugh, and then de Loungville’s voice cut through the air. “Next man who says anything better make me laugh, or he’ll 52887_Shadow of a Dark.qxd 9/3/02 3:50 PM Page 419

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  wish his mother had taken holy vows of celibacy before he was born!”

  The company fell silent.

  A hour later the sound of riders came from up the valley and Erik turned to see a small company of a dozen men heading their way. At their head was a large man, grey of hair, but otherwise young-looking. He wore foppish regalia, and obviously had put much thought into his appearance, despite being covered with road dust. At his side rode another carrying a crimson eagle banner.

  “Vaja!” cried Praji as they pulled up. “You sorry old peacock! I thought someone had killed you out of mercy. What took you so long?”

  The other man, handsome despite his years, laughed, and said, “You found them. If I hadn’t heard of the rendezvous I would still be on my way down to the City of the Serpent River looking for our good Captain and this company of sorry fools.”

  Calis came riding over as Vaja and his men dismounted. “You’ve come just in time. The muster begins today.”

  Vaja looked around. “There’s plenty of time yet.

  We’ll have three or four days of this at least. Are both sides here?”

  “No word of the Emerald Queen’s agents. Just the Priest-King,” answered Calis.

  Vaja said, “Good. That gives me ample time to bathe and eat. You won’t be taking any offer for days.”

  Calis said, “You know that and I know that, but if we’re to be convincing, they”—he hiked his thumb over his shoulder in the general direction of the brokers’ tent—“can’t know that. We have to look as if we’re weighing all offers equally.”

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  “Understood,” said Vaja. “But I still have time for a bath. I’ll be back in an hour.” He turned and led his companions away.

  Praji said, “Twenty-nine years I’ve fought at his side, and I swear to this day no man more vain exists on this world. He’d primp for his own execution.”

  Calis smiled, and Erik realized it was one of the few times he had ever seen the Captain smile.

  For days they would muster on command, and brokers would come by to look over the company. With Vaja’s men and the men under Hatonis, they numbered better than one hundred swords: a significant enough troop to be taken seriously, but not so large as to bear special scrutiny.

  After the third such day, offers began to come in and Calis listened to them politely. He remained noncommittal.

  A week after the mustering had started, Erik noticed a few companies departing. He asked Praji about this over supper, and the old mercenary said,

  “They’ve signed on with the Priest-King. Probably poor captains running low on gold to pay their men. They have to find employment quickly or lose their fighters to richer companies. Most are waiting around to hear what the other side has to offer.”

  Still more days passed and the other side didn’t appear.

  * * *

  Two weeks after arriving, Erik had requested permission to move the horses upriver, as they had grazed the area clean, and the hay and grain brokers were charging outrageous prices. Calis gave permis-

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  sion, but instructed Erik to make sure a full guard company surrounded the animals at all times.

  Another week went by.

  Almost a month after arriving, Erik was walking back from having checked the horses, a three-times-daily ritual now, to hear a series of loud trumpet calls from the heart of the camp. The weather was hot, the hottest part of the summer, he had been told by one of the clansmen, and soon summer would be waning. It felt odd to lose a winter, to leave in fall and return to spring. Erik was sure Nakor could explain this backwards season to him, but he wasn’t sure he was up for hearing the little man’s explanation.

  Trumpets continued, insiste
nt, and Erik started to hurry to see what the matter was. As he neared his own tent area, Foster came running toward him and shouted, “Get those horses down here! That’s a call to quarter! We’re being put on notice a fight’s going to break out!”

  Erik dashed back up the hill and down into the next small valley, and waved his hand as he shouted to the men standing guard. “Bring as many as you can lead!” He hurried past to the most distant picket line, and managed to lead four horses away. Others came hurrying past, and before he had reached the main camp, every horse was being led after him.

  The men broke camp faster than Erik had ever seen. Calis gave orders for a defensive perimeter to be established, and a company began digging a breastwork. Archers scanned the hill below for signs of anyone heading their way.

  Despite the sound to quarter, no sounds of battle erupted from below. Instead, a strange buzzing sound carried up 52887_Shadow of a Dark.qxd 9/3/02 3:50 PM Page 422

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  the hill, and it took Erik a long minute to realize he was listening to men’s voices. Arguments and curses carried up the hillside, and the sound carried a frantic quality, but there were still no sounds of fighting.

  At last Calis said, “Bobby, take some men down there and find out what’s going on.”

  De Loungville said, “Biggo, von Darkmoor, Jadow, and Jerome, with me.”

  Roo laughed. “He’s got the four biggest men in the company to hide behind.”

  De Loungville turned in a single motion, looked at Roo, and said, “And you, my little man.” With evil delight in his eyes, he grinned as he said, “You can stand on my shield side. If trouble erupts, I’m going to pick you up and throw you at the first man heading my way!”

  Roo rolled his eyes heavenward and fell in beside Erik. “That will teach me to keep my mouth shut.”

  Erik said, “I doubt it.”

  They made their way down into the camp below on foot, trying not to call attention to themselves as they approached another campsite. Men were arguing with one another as they came within earshot.

  “I don’t care, it’s an insult. I say let’s ride south and take whatever the Priest-King offers.”

  Another voice said, “You want to fight your way out, so you can turn around and fight again?”

  Erik tried to make sense of the remarks, but de Loungville said, “Follow me.”

  He made his way through several such camps, more than one marked by a busy attempt to get ready to ride. One man said, “If you break to the east, up this river, then cut through the hills to the south, you will probably get free.”

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  The man next to him answered, “What? You’re an oracle now?”

  De Loungville led them to the area surrounding the brokers’ tent, where he found a knot of terrified brokers standing outside their own tent. He pushed past and entered.

  A low wooden desk was used by the brokers, and behind it sat a large man in fine armor, well cared for but obviously used often. His feet rested on the polished wood, mud scattering all over the documents still upon them. He looked little different from the other soldiers in camp except that he was older, perhaps older than Praji and Vaja, the oldest men in Calis’s company. But rather than of age, his aura was that of a man of profound experience. He calmly looked at de Loungville and his companions as they entered, and nodded to another soldier who stood behind him. Both wore an emerald green armband on their left arm, but otherwise they wore no distinctive markings or uniform.

  De Loungville stopped and said, “Well then, what fool blows a call to quarters?”

  “I have no idea,” said the old soldier. “I certainly didn’t want to cause this much commotion.”

  “Are you the Emerald Queen’s agent?”

  The man said, “I am General Gapi. I’m no one’s

  ‘agent.’ I’m here to inform you of your choices.”

  Erik sensed something in this man he had seen in a few others—the Prince of Krondor, Duke James, and Calis upon occasion. It was a sureness of command, an expectation that orders would be followed without debate, and Erik decided that this man’s title was no mercenary vanity. This man commanded an army.

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  De Loungville put his hands on his hips and said,

  “Oh, and what choices are those?”

  “You can serve the Emerald Queen or you can die.”

  With a slight gesture of his head, de Loungville instructed the men around him to spread out. Erik stepped to his right, until he stood opposite the single soldier in the tent behind Gapi. De Loungville said, “Usually I get paid to fight. But your tone makes me think I might be willing to forgo payment this one time.”

  Gapi sighed. “Break the peace of the camp at risk, Captain.”

  “I’m no Captain,” said de Loungville. “I am a sergeant. My Captain sent me down to see what the fuss was.”

  “The fuss, as you call it,” answered Gapi, “is the consternation of men too stupid to realize they have no choice. So you don’t hear a garbled version of what was said here an hour ago, I’ll repeat this so you can tell your Captain.

  “All companies of mercenaries mustering in this valley must swear fealty to the Emerald Queen. We begin our campaign downriver against Lanada in a month’s time.

  “If you attempt to leave to take service with Our Lady’s enemies, you will be hunted down and killed.”

  “And who’s doing this hunting and killing?”

  asked de Loungville.

  With an easy smile, Gapi said, “The thirty thousand soldiers who are now surrounding this pleasant little valley.”

  De Loungville turned and glanced outside the tent. He searched the ridges above the valley and saw 52887_Shadow of a Dark.qxd 9/3/02 3:50 PM Page 425

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  movement, a glint of light upon metal or a flicker of shadow, but enough to tell him that a sizable force was ringing the valley. Letting out an exasperated sound, he said, “We wondered what was taking you so long to reach here. We didn’t think you’d be coming in force.”

  “Carry word to your Captain. You have no choice.”

  Looking at the General, de Loungville seemed about to say something. Then he just nodded and motioned for the others to follow him.

  They were silent until they were away from the main camp, when Erik said, “You look bothered, Sergeant. I thought the purpose was to join this army.”

  “I don’t like it when the other side changes the rules,” said de Loungville. “Around here you pay a man to fight. I think we may be getting sucked deeper into the sand than we thought.

  “Besides,” he added, “when I’m going to get buggered, I like to be asked nicely first. It annoys me when I’m not.”

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  Discovery

  Roo ppointed.

  In the distance, fire marked a skirmish. True to his word, General Gapi attacked any band seeking to leave to the south. A few captains were stiff-backed enough to try to smash their way through the encir-cling army, and they were met with the full weight of those soldiers already in better positions and dug in.

  The valley might have made a pleasant enough place for the rendezvous, but as a place from which to launch an attack it had little to recommend it.

  Since it was narrow and steep to the north and south, the only possible means of escape was through the eastern end, the way Vaja and his companions had come, which he reported as being treacherous hills with unforgiving trails for those taking a wrong turn.

  Still, some smaller bands attempted to leave this way.

  Others moved out as did Calis’s Crimson Eagles, either to serve and take whatever recompense might be forthcoming through looting or other
rewards, or to steal away at some future opportunity. Everywhere Erik looked he saw unhappy men. De Loungville wasn’t the only one feeling buggered without leave.

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  Those who obeyed General Gapi’s orders mustered in columns at the lowest end of the river, just before it joined with the larger Vedra. A bridge, long burned out in some forgotten war, marked the place, and a series of ferries had been established to provide transport from north to south on the east side of the Vedra or from east to west below the nameless tributary.

  Calis’s company was among the last to reach the ferry, having quartered higher up in the valley than most, and as a result they were afforded a longer opportunity to sit and watch than those who came before. Men, and a few women, from every corner of Novindus were moving across the river, crossing to join those, like Calis’s, already on the south bank.

  A man wearing a green armband rode up and said, “What company?”

  De Loungville pointed at Calis, who sat next to him on the left, and said, “Calis’s Crimson Eagles, from the City of the Serpent River.”

  The man frowned, looking at Calis. “From the siege at Hamsa?”

  Calis nodded.

  The man grinned and there was nothing friendly in the expression. “I almost had you, you slippery bastard. But you went east to the Jeshandi, and by the time my company doubled back, you were into the steppes.” He looked hard at Calis. “Had I known you were of the long-lived I would have headed east straight away. A lot of your kind with the Jeshandi.”

  He took out a parchment and a charcoal stick, made some marks, and said, “But Our Lady accepts all who come to her, so we’re on the same side now.”

  He waved toward the south. “Make your way down-

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  river about a mile. Find the Master of the Camp there and report in. In a few days you’ll get orders. Until then the rules of the camp arc simple: any fighting, and you’re killed. We’re all brothers now, under the banner of the Emerald Queen, so any man who starts trouble goes to the stake. I don’t recommend it; I’ve seen some men twitch for an hour or longer.”