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At one point I passed a large group of men and horses a good way off the road and was surprised to see our banner there, and others that I did not immediately recognize. I glimpsed Tulian, and a couple of other commanders. Then Orthand himself. Interested, I pulled off the road and watched for a bit. I started picking out banners and trying to identify them from memory. I just never put the time into studying them, so if I recognized one it would be luck. Finally I figured it out, more by the intricacy of one of the largest banner than anything else. Here was the King of Wherrel, a client and put on his throne by a patron - but still a king. He was in company of his most notable barons, plus some key local citizens. Come to meet with the army and discus transit, supply and other issues. Doubtless there would also be an agreement of aid, local forces to assist us in the coming conflict, as the north was rising, according to all rumor and intelligence. Satisfied, I turned away and tacked on to the end of my troop, then moved forward to join Rastrian. We seemed to have settled back into a friendly relationship after our clash. My innocence in the death of his man had helped, I think.

“
When do you think they will join us, and how many?”

“
Depends on how serious they take the threat. If the Ensibi fall completely it isn't far through Geduri territory to the north of Wherrel. I guess that we will join them, in fact. Somewhere near the northern border. If it happens.”

“
Then you will fall to squabbling over command.”

I laughed, lightly. “Probably.” It was true. The patrons did a great deal of maneuvering and in-fighting to gain command of any force in the field. Orthand, Tulian, the King of Wherrel's patron, or chosen general should he not take the field himself, all would want Command. Tul didn't control enough men or have enough status to be a contender and had already aligned with Orthand. But the other two would fight tooth and nail for overall command. There had been cases where two and three patrons had split their forces and acted independently rather than share command. Sometimes with disastrous results. A divided army rarely prevails. It had happened that such armies refused to acknowledge each other's existence, messages and intelligence, even stark warnings being ignored through the assumption that they were misinformation. Slaughters had resulted, yet we are still the same. Despite our faults and flaws we are still a dominant power. None greater in all the world. The stones that feed the magic of battle mages and healers have a part in that, agreed. But even without them I believe we would have done well, internal competition and rivalry breeds both results and competitive men. Even I was prone to it; pride and competition, the desire to shine, and I am the least like my fellows of any of us that I know.

“
Maybe the king has already sent an army ahead of us to attack the Alendi? Maybe the war is already over?”

I was looking at him and the shock must have been obvious because he trailed off and fell silent, puzzled. He really didn't understand us at all. The Ensibi were Orthand's problem. Why would anyone put his own power base, money, efforts, forces, anything on the line at all? Least of all first!

Okay, if the Alendi or a general rising in the north looked like it might be a threat to the city, the city would act. Some might be acting now, just in case, making preparations, but little more. Latandin Keshil Herrap was the patron of the client Kingdom of Wherrel, and his concern would be his clients, nothing more. If it looked like the only way to safeguard his own property was to strike north he might consider allowing Orthand to join his army and help. That's the way he would look at it. Orthand would be thinking in terms of not having to share the profit of war if he could help it but if he needed some more troops then allowing Latandin to supply them would not be out of the question. I tried to explain this to Rastrian, a foreign captain of mercenaries, but he just didn't understand it.

“
Even if there were no consideration other than an overwhelming enemy approaching the city there might be arguments about who lead the armies, and there would be armies, dozens if the

city looked like it might be threatened.”

“
No offense but I think you people are crazy.”

I laughed again. “Yet here we are, the greatest nation on earth.”

“
Not the largest.”

I shrugged. “The city is only three miles square.”

Now it was he who looked at me with a profoundly shocked expression on his face.

I chose to ignore it. There was no explaining some things to foreigners.

#

As I predicted, Latandin Keshil Herrap had ordered the King to give no aid apart from purchased material comfort. Not a man, not a bag, not a barrel.

“
If you are overwhelmed and lost we will still be here to protect our own against the enemy, and reap the reward when we have won.” Tul mimicked another man, I assume the King.

We were in the private quarters of his pavilion. For reasons best known to himself he had requested that I join him for a meal, and it turned out he had meant alone. Just the two of us. Cozy. I had become instantly suspicious. Two chairs at an angle, two small tables, a brazier as a focal point.

“
Those were his words?”

“
The King? No no, he made it very clear with great groveling apologies and assurances that if he alone were to choose he would aid us with every man, every ear of corn, every wagon, his loyalty to the city and its assembly of patrons unwavering.”

“
If he alone were to choose?”

Tul snorted in derision. “Like he has a choice. His throne belongs to Latandin and he sits his bum on the throne as long as Latandin says he can and not a second longer.”

“
Assembly of patrons.” I sighed. “At the moment the assembly probably hasn't even discussed the matter except in passing.”

“
They'll never understand us, cousin. No point in trying to teach pigs to sing.”

“
Annoys the pig,” I agreed.

“
Are you in control of things?”

If I hadn't been expecting it I would have spat my wine on the floor. It was well watered and might not have left a stain on his expensive rug. “Yes.”

“
Sheo? A murder in your area of the camp? Another in the baggage train close by to your wagons?”

“
Sheo is on schedule. And grudges get settled in camp sometimes. These aren't the first, are they?”

“
You don't know?”

“
I don't spend time in camp gossip, Tul.”

“
Hmmm.” He frowned into his own goblet of wine, golden goblet no less! “One other killing since we marched.”

“
It happens.” I put some food in my mouth and chewed it. Tul kept a simple table as befit an army on the move. There were commanders who had luxuries sent after them from the city on a daily basis. Extravagant and not good for the morale of the men.

“
Three killings and no idea who killed them is a bit excessive, Sum. I want to know who is responsible, be it one or three men. Find out.”

“
Me? Why me? And how?”

“
Why not you?”

I had no real answer to that and felt a little paranoid, so best not to protest too much. I shrugged and said, “I'll put as much time into it as I can.”

“
Good! That's settled then. How are you finding command.”

I didn't have to think about it. “It is what we are bred and trained for.”

“
True.” He raised his wine in salute and we drank. “But the details, any problems?”

“
Not really. Had to discipline a man the other day and I would rather not command mercenaries; their loyalty and motivation are suspect. Sorry, that could be taken as a criticism.”

He had nodded at what I had been saying. “It could. I decided we needed missile troops and we don't raise them. There are auxiliaries from the client kingdoms but I have no client kingdoms so I had to hire them. You're right. Don't trust them. Use them.”

“
You are not giving me much in direction.” That had been the first piece of advice given unless I misremembered.

He shrugged. “I'm assessing everyone. When we hit the border I will camp for a couple of days while I wait for reports and we will talk strategy and tactics. You are up on battlefield signals? Drums, flags and so forth?”

“
I've studied them, but it's not instinctive.”

“
It's one of the things I'll cover later.”

I nodded, accepting the reassurance. We fell silent and just ate for a few moments, me picking at the new plate a slave had placed on my table. “Is there any news from the Ensibi?”

He frowned, suddenly thoughtful. “Conflicting. We have lost a couple of people we were getting reports from, at least I assume they are lost to us and not just on the run south. But it's pretty clear the Ensibi aren't holding their own.”

“
And the other tribes?” I promoted him when he fell silent.

“
There was a battle in Orduli territory. Border fort commander, lesser noble, took his troops in and lost them. There will be no career advancement for him. Orthand will prosecute.”

“
What about Hadrin Ichal Merindis? The Geduri are his clients, aren't they?”

“
No word. Not expecting anything yet. He'll only get involved if the whole thing blows up, but I guess he's making preparations to protect his own interests.”

“
And the Prashuli?”

He shrugged. “Not sure. It looks like they are raiding but nothing much out of the ordinary. No news that other citizens have been killed but there has been an exodus of the few hundred who were there anyway. Same from Orduli territory. Merchants and their families getting out, trading posts abandoned, that sort of thing.”

I nodded, pretty normal. Peacetime trade with a people outside our control was all very well; private agreements between merchants and local chiefs held up well enough, usually. Maybe a few acres under the plow, a mine rented, a trading post, whatever. When the natives got restless a threat or two from our people on the spot would usually do the trick. It's not the first time we have passed through the north and made a mess before leaving. You'd think they would learn to behave themselves but another generation, another crop of hotheads and idiots.

He was still frowning, thoughtful, and I left him to it. He had something else on his mind and prompting him wouldn't make him share it. “What?” I ran out of patience.

He shook his head. “Nothing.”

Told you so.

#

The next day was much like any other until the letters arrived. Two from the south with the same courier and one from the north. It was going to take me a while before I decided how I felt about the first two, the third sent me into an incandescent rage.