Fortress Draconis (16 page)

Will struck a guard with the longknife, hoping Crow would kill the gibberkin, but another arrow passed ineffectually high over the gibberer’s crouch.Come on, Crow!

The captive surged to his feet. For a half second Will thought the hirsute man would rush the gibberer, but he hesitated. From ground level the man appeared to be huge, with enough muscles to make even the most brawny blacksmith envious. Those muscles bunched, and the stout pole to which his wrists had been tied snapped cleanly across his back. The thundercrack caused the gibberer to turn toward him and lunge.

The man caught its spear behind the head and yanked. The gibberer spilled forward, letting go of the spear at the last second. It sailed from the creature’s paws as the man lunged forward and smashed his forehead down on the beast’s snout. The gibberer’s cry of surprise died as the man’s left hand grabbed its throat and hoisted it off the ground. The gibberer clawed at the man’s wrist once, then Will heard a wet crack and the beast’s body shook.

The man tossed the gibberer’s body casually aside. He turned toward Will and snarled. He started forward, his hands clawing their way down into fists.

Will stepped back, raising his hands. “Wait, I helped free you. I wasn’t going to steal anything from your house here, honest.”

The man paid his words no heed. A step further and he dropped to his knees. Tearing at the rope encircling his throat, the man flopped to the ground. Will heard a strangled sigh, then the man lay very still.

Alyx stood alone at the forest edge, looking down to where the plains spread out to the east. She hugged her right arm around her chest, held her chin between thumb and forefinger of her left hand. A breeze coming up from the plains teased her white-gold hair, but even the tendrils of it lashing her face did not break her concentration.

Sitting astride the Salersena River—which once, long ago, had marked the Alcidese border with Oriosa—the town of Porasena had surrounded itself with stone walls. Towers warded the gates where the river ran through the town, with chains stretched across it to prevent boats moving along. Washing fluttered from lines strung between buildings, and merchants still filled the central square with their gaily colored pavilions—though crowds were not thronging there this morning.

Green fields, clearly cultivated, surrounded the city. Along with foodstuffs moving up or down the river, these fields would have provided the necessities of life for the five thousand inhabitants. The new crop in those fields, however, a host of Aurolani troops, did not promise life at all. Their dark tendrils spread through the fields like fungus, and gangly, insectoid siege machines rose amid their camps.

Fingering her lower lip, Alyx studied the arrangement of troops over the terrain. Across the river, several miles off, started the foothills that marked the far side of the valley and the current border with Oriosa. Alyx knew the raiders had come from Oriosa. Scouts and survivors of the raids on the border fortresses had made that quite evident despite the Oriosan ambassador’s denials. Once she attacked, the raiders would withdraw into Oriosa, and she could not pursue them—her guise as a bandit chieftain would be stripped away because part of her attacking force would consist of the Alcidese King’s Horse Guards.

Replies to reports of the success at Stellin had contained information about the force laying siege to Porasena. Raiding bands of Aurolani gibberers and vylaens had given way to a larger, more organized force. While usingarcanslata to keep abreast of the situation and requesting the personnel and materiel needed to counter the threat, Alyx had force-marched her core unit across the nation, skirting Yslin. She had sent a small contingent off to the capital and had them take Sephi with them. The rest had come immediately to the forested hills above the plains of Sena.

She heard Peri land nearby, but did not turn to look at her.

“I never thought I would see you petulant, my sister.”

“Is that what they think, Peri?”

“They are getting to that point.” The Gyrkyme rested a hand on her left shoulder. “They are restless. General Caro is fair to bursting with ideas of what his heavy cavalry will do down on those plains.”

“And the others?”

“Caro has quite a personality, Alyx. He served with the king in Okrannel. His fame is not undeserved. He trained many of them, or has known of them for years. The longer you delay, the easier it is for him to win them over.”

“If I have to fight hard to win them back, it’s better that than forcing them to fight hard tomorrow and die down there.” Alyx pointed down at the Aurolani lines. “They’ve arrayed themselves in a crescent on the downriver half of the plains. The river splits their lines. The troops to the west here are dead since the nearest ford is seven miles downriver—they can’t be reinforced or escape. The one they used to get here is ten miles up, through rough terrain. They have no escape route. They’ll be slaughtered.”

Peri blinked big amber eyes. “I have scouted all over and I have seen no reinforcements lurking anywhere. It makes no sense. Must be the Aurolani commander is stupid.”

“Could be, my sister, could be, but I cannot count on that. I have to wonder why he would sacrifice half his force. He had to know troops would come here to answer the invasion. The town has water, it has food enough to last for at least a month, and we can bring in supplies through the unprotected half of the city. We can just float them down the river.”

“What about the river’sweirunV

“The river spirit, at last report, favored Porasena. It’s always been very quiet and proud of the prosperity trading brings the town. This is not to say Chytrine could not have turned it, but were that to happen, I would expect to see the river level falling, causing water problems for the town.”

“You think this tidbit of army is here as bait?”

“Yes, but for what?” Alyx tucked hair behind her right ear. “General Caro? That makes no sense. Breaking a premier unit of the Alcidese cavalry will really gain Chytrine little. She would do better to lay siege to Fortress Draconis, with her troops here preventing us from sending reinforcements north. No, something is going on here and I don’t like that I cannot puzzle it out.”

“Now,that is my sister.”

Alyx smiled. “This leaves me only one choice, of course.”

“Yes?”

“They offer us half a force as bait. I say we double their cost.” She turned from the plains and started marching toward her army’s encampment. “Chytrine wants us here for a reason, and we’ll give her a chance to think on why that wasn’t a good idea.”

She walked alone into the woods, for Peri took to the air again, flying high above the brambles and little branches that tugged at Alex’s tunic and trousers. Two sentries moved to intercept her, then recognition flashed on both of their faces. The man, from one of the light foot companies, smiled and saluted. The other, a woman from the Red Caps, immediately challenged her.

Alyx offered the proper countersign, then pointed at the infantryman. “At the end of your watch, report yourself for dereliction of duty to your commanding officer. I will be checking.”

The man started to stammer a comment, but his companion smacked him in the chest with an open hand, then saluted sharply. The infantryman aped the salute and Alyx returned it. She kept on going, allowing the growled conversation by those in her wake to go unnoticed.

Weary soldiers dragged themselves to their feet as she passed. Those who stood proudest were her own Wolves. The others paid her the respect due to her rank, but she could read a distrust in their eyes. The other generals in the Alcidese army were well known and had a history in which one could take confidence. She was unknown, and as dangerous to the soldiers as a lordling with a gold-bought commission and a love of parading.

She walked through the wooded campsite, threading a phalanx of trees and soldiers, heading for the pavilion that had been erected in a sandy depression at the hilltop. She kept her head high, her strides long. She did not acknowledge waves or nods, but kept on going, sparing not even an encouraging glance for warriors who had bled for her in the past and would likely do so again in the future.

Two soldiers pulled aside the flaps to the pavilion. She entered and paused in the opening, allowing the flaps to close behind her. It took her eyes a heartbeat or two to adjust to the darkness. As things came into view she catalogued each emerging impression. She analyzed everything as if the meeting itself were a campaign, and she knew winning it would go a long way to winning against the forces on the plains.

A long, narrow table ran down the pavilion’s center. Maps had been laid out on it—one of the valley and one of the city. Wooden blocks painted in various colors had been placed on the maps to show the location of troops, and her quick scan of their placement told her someone had been projecting movements for the next day.

Off to the left stood General Caro, with a gold goblet of wine in hand. A beefy man with white hair and dark eyes, he was as handsome as she had been told. Having been raised amid the Gyrkyme, her sense of human beauty often did not coincide with that of most others, but he was not displeasing to her eyes. He clearly had once been lean, though pendulous jowls now marred the line of his jaw, and his belly protruded too much over his belt.

Other officers, mostly younger, surrounded him. Their mild laughter tailed off as they realized she had entered the tent. They glanced silently at Caro, then her, and waited for something to happen.

Opposite that knot of people stood her supporters. Ebrius, out of his armor and looking uncomfortable for it, watched Caro and his people with the eyes of a forest bandit spying rich merchants coming down the road. Captain Agitare, wearing his company’s red cap tipped back a bit on his head, had a timorous smile twisting the corners of his thin-lipped mouth. He’d been ordered to attend the meeting, but he did not know why, and clearly feared she would dress him down in front of the others for Stellin.

Lastly, Peri stood back, blinking lazily, and studying her talons when any of Caro’s men allowed stares to linger too long on her lithe beauty. That was a game Alyx had watched her sister play many times, with men and Gyrkyme alike. She knew both parties enjoyed it, but found it to be pure frippery. That this flirtation seemed to sharpen the senses and bleed off anxiety was the only purpose she could see to it.

Caro set his cup of wine on the table and bowed his head to her. “Princess Alexia of Okrannel, a pleasure to see you again. Did you see anything out there this morning that will change our course of battle tomorrow?”

Alyx didn’t answer, but instead crossed to the far side of the table and studied the positions. Caro had the light foot infantry coming down the slopes toward the plains, with the heavy infantry upstream. His heavy cavalry came down from the north, along the river, to crush the Aurolani forces arrayed on the west side of the river.

“A fascinating plan, General.” She reached out and nudged the line of heavy infantry forward fifty meters. “The seasonal tributary forms a ditch right here. It will be an easier line to hold.”

“That’s true, it would.” Caro smiled and retrieved his cup of wine. “However, tomorrow, I have no intention of letting the northern horde reach that line. We’ll have them ridden down long before then.”

Alyx’s violet gaze flickered up as Caro’s confederates laughed and clinked goblets together. “You aren’t using the light horse battalion we have at the northern ford.”

“I am, to hold that ford.”

“And my Wolves.”

“You are my reserve.”

She chewed on her lower lip for a moment, then straightened up and folded her arms over her chest. “It is an interesting plan, General, but severely flawed. We won’t be executing it tomorrow.”

The man started as if she’d slapped him. “Princess, I know you have had some modest success….”

Her eyes hardened. “First, General, you will address me as General. Mytitle I have by dint of birth—an office in name only, since my nation has not truly existed for a generation. Myrank I have earned.”

“Earned in small-unit tactics,General”

“Earned within the life span of most of the soldiers I command, General, not in the days before they were born.” Alyx kept her voice low, but filled it with steel. “You and your people are here because Irequested your presence, not because I need your guidance. I welcome your insight, but this expedition is under my command. I will make the final decisions.”

“Ah, I see how it is.” Caro slightly inclined his head in her direction. “You said my plan was flawed….”

Captain Agitare cleared his throat. “Begging the general’s pardon.”

Both Alyx and Caro said, “Yes?”

“General Caro, I have served with you and with General Alexia. Just listen to her plan.”

The older man smiled indulgently. “I remember you, Agitare. I once thought you had promise.” He looked at Alyx. “The flaws.”

“They are simple as well as glaring.” She pointed to the half of the Aurolani force on the east side of the river. “These troops present a danger to your troops. We see no evidence of a dragonel in their camp, but it is possible they are hidden in their pavilions. If your King’s Horse charges, they retreat, stretching your line out, and these troops across the river shoot.”

The mere mention of a dragonel made some of the officers backing Caro blanch. A generation previous, at the siege of Fortress Draconis, the Aurolani horde had revealed a weapon of terrible power. Consisting of a stout metal tube, it was filled with an explosive powder that when ignited propelled stone balls over long distances with enough power to crush a city wall. Experiments with the one captured at Fortress Draconis also suggested that if loaded with smaller shot, a single blast would devastate a mass of foot soldiers or cavalry.

Alyx continued. “And we do not know if the Aurolani host might not be equipped with draconettes, either.”

Caro waved that suggestion away. “There is no proof such things exist. They are tales made to earn the teller a drink. Who can believe men who say they have been to Aurolan and seen Chytrine training her troops?”