Mage-Guard of Hamor (39 page)

Before morning muster on sixday, Rahl and Drakeyt stood among a group of close to a hundred officers, all gathered around the south porch at the temporary headquarters provided by Esryk's mansion for a meeting of all officers. Most of the officers standing waiting were captains, and almost all of the remainder were majers.

“Do you know what this is all about?” Drakeyt asked Rahl in a low voice. “You met with him yesterday.”

“All he talked about was what he wanted from me and from Third Company. I told you all that last night. He avoided saying anything about the submarshal except that Dettyr was not here and that the overcommander found himself in command.”

“Found himself in command? Strange way of putting it.”

How else could Taryl have put it, Rahl wondered.

A lanky commander stepped forward. His voice boomed out into the gray morning. “I'm Commander Muyr, acting chief of staff for Second Army. As some of you know, when Submarshal Dettyr was relieved of command, he killed Overcommander Haskyl and attempted to attack the Mage-Guard Overcommander. As a result, he is…no longer with us, and by a conditional order signed and sealed by the Emperor, Mage-Guard Overcommander Taryl is now in command of Second Army until relieved by the Emperor.” He turned.

Taryl stepped forward.

“Some of you may be wondering what a conditional order signed by the Emperor is. Before we left Cigoerne, the Emperor signed an order modifying the normal chain of command. This order placed me as fourth in command, behind the submarshal and the overcommander. I do regret the unfortunate circumstances that have led to this situation, but Marshal Byrna, of course, remains in overall command, and I am only in command of Second Army until relieved by the Emperor. All other procedures remain in effect.” Taryl cleared his throat before continuing. “Our task is to take Nubyat, if possible, and, if not, to make it possible for both First and Second Army to do so once Marshal Byrna arrives. I will, of course, be relying heavily on you and upon Commander Muyr…”

As he listened Rahl was conscious that Taryl was projecting an order-feeling—not a compulsion or anything requiring obedience, but more a feeling of openness, of suggesting receptiveness to what he said.

“…each company will be receiving orders later today. Most of you will have today and tomorrow to rest and ready your mounts and men for the advance on Nubyat…Majers and captains are dismissed to your companies and commands. I'd like all the commanders and senior officers to join me in the conference room.” Taryl stepped back.

“Nothing indecisive about him,” murmured Drakeyt.

“No,” replied Rahl.

“Well…we'd better head back to the company,” suggested Drakeyt. “It might be easier to walk this way.” He gestured to his left.

Rahl had his doubts, but smiled absently and joined Drakeyt.

As they neared the west end of the temporary tie-line for officers' mounts, Rahl realized that one of the older mage-guards was looking at him—or more precisely at his new insignia. The other mage-guard was not a senior mage-guard, not from his insignia, and Rahl could sense anger and resentment behind the man's shields. He almost frowned. Since when had he been able to do that? Or was it just that the other mage-guard's shields were not that good? He tried to strengthen his shields so that they were as impermeable as possible while projecting friendliness and walking toward the other mage-guard.

“I noticed you looking over here. Is there something I can help you with?” Rahl kept his voice pleasant.

The other mage-guard's face remained neutral. “Ah, no, ser.” Behind the words was apprehension, if not mild fear.

Rahl could sense a probe at his shields, and he deflected it, then added just a slight order-push, slipping his probe through the other's shields and pressing ever so slightly on the other mage-guard's shoulder.

“Ah, Drakeyt.” A majer turned and addressed the captain, who had stopped beside Rahl. The majer's eyes avoided Rahl entirely.

Rahl could sense caution, but not fear, as well as purpose, behind the majer's salutation, and he just waited and continued smiling.

“Yes, ser?” replied Drakeyt.

“Is it true that a senior mage-guard executed a corrupt town administrator with a truncheon, and that he took only one blow to kill him?”

“Yes, ser. He's also saved the company several times, as well as managing to kill more rebels than anyone else.”

“Tough, is he?”

Drakeyt shrugged, almost in an exaggerated fashion. “Tough as anyone who survived being a loader in Luba could be, ser. Doesn't much go for jealousy and arrogance. Completely loyal to the Emperor and the overcommander, I mean, the acting marshal. He was the one who killed that mage-guard traitor, and two others, and the mage-guard was a chaos type.”

The majer nodded. “Don't think I'd want to get in his way. Good thing he's assigned to the recon force.”

“Yes, ser.”

Rahl managed to keep from smiling, but he did nod to the other mage-guard. “If you need any help I can provide, please let me know.”

“Yes, ser.” The fear behind the other's shields was far stronger and had largely replaced the resentment.

Rahl turned to Drakeyt. “We'd probably better get back to the company.”

Once Rahl and Drakeyt had mounted and were riding back eastward toward the inn, well away from the other officers, Rahl looked to the captain. “The majer was having trouble with his mage-guard, and you two set that up, I take it?”

“Yes, ser.” Drakeyt grinned. “Stanyl's not the brightest mage-guard, but he'll know it was a setup and a warning. The majer overheard him talking to one of the other mage-guards, complaining about how you were too young to be a senior mage-guard and how you couldn't possibly stand up to someone like him or his friend. The majer was afraid he'd do something stupid, and then the battalion would be without a mage-guard. Stupid as Stanyl is, he can still throw a good firebolt or two.” Drakeyt frowned. “What did you do to him? When he left, he looked like he'd been whipped.”

“Just shielded everything from his being able to sense it. Oh…and I gave him the slightest push, right through his shields.”

Drakeyt nodded.

Rahl could sense that the captain didn't fully understand, but there wasn't any point in explaining. He'd just sound like he was boasting. He just hoped that Stanyl conveyed what had happened to his friend. Rahl didn't need to defend himself against another jealous mage-guard, and Taryl certainly didn't need to lose any more mage-guards.

After several moments, Drakeyt cleared his throat and turned in the saddle toward Rahl. “The overcommander knew Dettyr would be relieved, didn't he? That's what he was hinting at in the dispatch he sent you.”

“I wouldn't be surprised if he had been sent to make certain that the marshal and submarshal followed the Emperor's orders,” Rahl replied.

“The Emperor must trust him, then.”

“I don't know anyone more trustworthy.”
Even if I don't know exactly what he's doing, or why.
Rahl did know that Taryl was doing what he thought was best for the Emperor and Hamor, but he had not yet been able to figure out even what Taryl's overall strategy might be.

From Taryl's briefing on fiveday, Rahl also had the feeling that he was supposed to be doing everything he had done before, as well as succeed where he had failed, then use his knowledge of trade and commerce and his order-skills to deduce some aspects of the rebel strategy from the isolated bits of information that he discovered in the course of more reconnaissance in force with Third Company.

The overcommander didn't expect much at all from him, did he?

Sevenday dawned bright and clear, and a warmer wind blew out of the southeast. Not until well past noon did Rahl see clouds, but they were not approaching quickly, not from what he could tell. Once more, he was riding forward of the main body of Third Company with the outriders, this time with Shanyr. All day long he had not seen or sensed anything suggestive of rebel forces. The lands bordering the main road had become more rugged, and the vegetation more varied, in places sparse, and elsewhere lush and almost impenetrable.

Obviously, this part of Hamor was close enough to the coast that it never felt winter, because there were no winter gray leaves, and almost no firs or evergreens. The air felt moist, and there were more small lakes and marshes and the steads and dwellings were more widely separated and set in small hamlets at irregular intervals, with almost no dwellings standing alone. Although he sensed nothing out of the ordinary and did not lose any of his order-sensing strength and range, Rahl could only surmise that there were giant cats or stun-lizards or some other predators lurking in the areas of denser vegetation.

Along the left side of the road, although several cubits below the level of the roadbed, ran a small creek, not much more than a cubit wide. In places, it had washed away the rock riprap that had been laid down to protect the roadbed, but Rahl did not sense that the lack of protection had weakened the actual road, although that well might happen before long if the rocks were not replaced.

There were no tracks in the road, and none of the holders near the road had seen any riders outside of a few wagons and guards in days. Not being able to find any trace of rebels and no sign of any order or chaos being used bothered Rahl more than a little, leaving him feeling as though he were sailing—or riding—into the proverbial calm before the storm.

“Ser…feels like there ought to be more signs of the rebels,” Shanyr finally said.

“There should be,” Rahl admitted, “but that might be the best indicator that we're getting closer to them.”

“Might be, ser.” Shanyr's voice conveyed doubt.

Ahead on the right, just off the shoulder of the road, Rahl could see the top of a kaystone rising out of a mossy hillock. As he rode nearer, he could make out the letters and numbers, if barely—
Lahenta—10 k.
Beyond the marker, the road curved gradually to the left, angling southward toward a gap in the rocky ridgeline perhaps three kays away.

“Never heard of it,” murmured Shanyr.

Since Rahl had never heard of most of the hamlets and towns, he said nothing, just nodded and studied the road before them. There was…something…ahead. After another kay, it was clear to Rahl that the road was rising to a pass in the rocky hills and that some sort of force was stationed there, although he could not sense what it was or exactly how many troopers there were. He also didn't like the vine-encrusted gullies and gulches that flanked the road ahead, even if he didn't sense any forces there.

“Shanyr, hold up here. I'm going back to talk to the captain.”

“Yes, ser.”

Rahl turned the gelding back along the road.

“You have that look, Majer,” observed Drakeyt, as Rahl turned his mount in and rode up beside the captain.

Rahl made a mental note to practice cultivating a pleasant smile under all circumstances. “There's a force ahead. I can't tell how many yet, but they hold that pass in the hills there.” He nodded toward the southwest.

“Do you think it could be more than we want to handle?”

“We probably need to find that out,” Rahl said, “but I don't like the terrain ahead. Both sides of the road are filled with gullies and ravines. You can't see it from here, because of the trees and the vines and undergrowth.”

“What do you suggest?”

“I'd halt the company here for a rest break and let me and the scouts and outriders go a bit farther up the road and see what I can find.”

Drakeyt glanced to the side of the road. “It's pretty rugged here, too.”

“Not nearly so rough as up there.”

“You think we should move back down while you're checking them out?”

Rahl considered. “It might not be a bad idea.”

Drakeyt nodded. “We'll take a quick break, then ride back at a leisurely pace until we've got some maneuvering room.”

As he rode back to rejoin Shanyr, Rahl used his order-senses to study the terrain on both sides of the road more carefully. He had the vague feeling that there were areas just beyond the range of his ability that were similar to the marsh that held the stun-lizards. Were there more of them in the small pools and marshes bordering the road? Did they avoid the spots near the road, or had the road been built to avoid them? He almost shook his head. He didn't
know
that; he just had a feeling. Not for the first time, he wished that such feelings were more specific.

Shanyr was waiting, looking intently at Rahl as he neared the outrider. “What now, ser?”

“There's probably a rebel force up there near that gap in the hills. We're going to try to get close enough so that I can tell what we're facing. We'll try to signal the scouts to hold up for us.”

“They're supposed to check back now and then.” Again, Shanyr's tone expressed a certain doubt.

“Then they will,” Rahl replied cheerfully.

Even so, Rahl and the outrider had ridden almost a third of a kay before they reached a straight enough stretch of the road for them to see the scouts. Then, Rahl had to wait until the scouts could see him and were actually looking back before he signaled for them to halt. They reined up, waiting for Rahl and Shanyr to cover the distance between them.

“Ser?” asked the older, as Rahl and Shanyr rode up.

“We've got a rebel force ahead. We'll ride a bit closer.”

“Yes, ser.”

Rahl didn't have to ride nearly so far as he thought he might. They had only covered about a kay when he began to sense the rebel force clearly. He reined up and signaled for the others to do so as well. Then he concentrated intently.

The rebels were riding downhill steadily and might already have been almost a kay north of the summit of the low gap in the hills and that much closer to Rahl. Third Company was facing more than a company of lancers, perhaps two companies. The feeling of their lances was especially vivid, but the lances did not seem at all enhanced by order or chaos. He still did not sense anyone on either side of the road, but his scanning of the terrain confirmed his earlier suspicions. They'd lose all too many men and mounts trying to evade that way.

“They've got two companies of lancers heading down toward us. It's time to head back.” Rahl urged the gelding forward, then turned back downhill.

When the four riders finally neared the main body of Third Company, Drakeyt halted the company and rode back upslope to meet Rahl. The two officers eased their mounts away from the others.

“What did you find?” asked Drakeyt.

“Two companies of lancers moving down from the pass toward us.”

“Two, and just lancers? Usually, they've got some mounted infantry as support.”

“That's all so far.” Rahl didn't care for what Drakeyt had said. “I think I need to head out back the way we came. If you're right, the sooner I find out, the better.” He urged his mount along the right shoulder of the road, his boots brushing the tall undergrowth that had extended into the shoulder in some places.

Rahl had barely reached the end of fifth squad, which had been leading the withdrawal, when he began to sense more troopers ahead. He kept riding until he was clear of the column, then reined up. How had the rebels managed that, when he'd never sensed any of them, except the lancers? He shook his head.

“What is it?” asked Drakeyt, reining up beside Rahl.

“We've got riders moving up toward us.”

“Frigging trap.”

“It's worse than that,” Rahl admitted. “They know you've got a mage-guard—or they've planned this assuming that you do.”

“How can you tell that?”

“They stayed farther away than I can sense—except for the lancers up ahead. Now, they're moving in on all sides.”

“How many?”

“I'd guess three companies…could be four. The lancers look to be two full companies.”

“They're planning to charge us and throw us back onto their heavy infantry.”

Rahl kept trying to sense the terrain before he finally replied. “We're still not clear of all of these gullies and gulches, but there's one flat area through the trees, just ahead to the right…just about a quarter kay ahead, and after about another quarter kay the land leads more to the east.”

“Then, that's where they want us to go,” said Drakeyt. “They know we wouldn't be foolish enough to ride up the road against two companies of lancers or get trapped between the two forces. There's probably a trap there or archers or something worse.”

Rahl couldn't sense far enough to determine what lay farther along that supposed route of escape, but he didn't doubt what Drakeyt said. That also suggested that there was a mage-guard somewhere with the rebel forces. “The lancers aren't nearly so effective if they can't charge, are they?”

“No. That's why they need heavy infantry or archers or other support. They carry shortswords as well, though.”

Rahl began to study the road itself. His eyes fell on the stream. Then he concentrated, trying to see if he could change the order-chaos composition of things just slightly. Abruptly, he nodded. It might work…if he could find the right place…and if he had enough strength and time.

“What do you suggest, Majer?”

“I'd like to try something,” Rahl said. “Just a moment, if you would.”

He rode farther north until he found a spot where the road dipped into a flat area, and where the undergrowth near the road was thick and the trees were close, but wide enough for mounts. Then he rode closer to the stream, checking until he found what he was looking for, just above the flat area.

After dismounting and tying the gelding to a bush, he eased down off the side of the road and began tossing stones from the riprap across the small stream until he had a crude dam. Much of the water still flowed through the stones, but he kept adding to the dam. Next he began to concentrate on a thin line that he visualized from the exposed side of the road under it, and then around, letting the line form a large oval. Absently, he rubbed his forehead, then scrambled back onto the road and remounted.

Drakeyt eased his mount toward Rahl. “What do you want us to do?”

“When you see the lancers coming, I want you to lead first, second, and third squads off the road in the direction they expect us to go. Fifth squad will remain on that section of road on the other side of that little flat there. You position your squads just beyond them. I'll have fourth squad hidden. I don't want you to lead your squads off until the lancers are close enough that they think they might be able to reach you, and I want you to be able to reverse the withdrawal and attack, once their heavy infantry attacks fourth and fifth squads.”

Drakeyt frowned. “We're going to attack three companies with a company at half strength?”

“No. I'm not being clear. If what I'm planning works, the lancers are going to be in trouble, but it will appear that one of my squads will be caught between them and the rebel mounted infantry. The mounted infantry will ride forward and uphill to attack us. You circle downhill some until you're below the lower flat, but still well concealed in the trees. There's an area down there where you can make the road without much of a climb for the mounts. Set up opposite that, and let as many pass you as you can. Then you attack the weakest point to cut through. We'll rejoin you as soon as we can.”

“What if they pursue?”

Rahl shrugged. “I'd try to string them out, then deal with them bit by bit. But I'm hoping that they won't feel like pursuing.”

“I share your hopes.” Drakeyt paused. “You don't think we should follow that flat area through the hills?”

“My guts tell me that your feelings are right and that it would be most unwise.”

The captain nodded. “We'd better brief the men.”

“If you'd begin…I need to get some things ready.”

“I can do that.”

Rahl turned his attention to his preparations. First, he extended his order-senses and checked the position of the lancers, but they were still more than half a kay away and taking their time, clearly not wanting to push their mounts. The rebel infantry was taking up a position on a high point on the road, little more than a third of a kay northeast and generally downslope, concealed by a rise in the road.

Then Rahl switched his attention to the flat area. He could see and sense the water beginning to move along the order-voided path he had created. He extended the order-delinking process to the entire oval within the past, then swallowed as he sensed the soil beneath turning into a near-instant ooze.

He turned the gelding back uphill, then reined up beside Drakeyt and in front of the five squad leaders.

The captain inclined his head to Rahl. “Your instructions, Majer?”

“Thank you. Fysett, I'd like you and fifth squad to form up on the rise just beyond the flat spot there. The first three squads will be downhill of you, and they're going to look like they're running out and leaving you. I'm asking you to be the bait for the trap. Move your squad there right now—onto the rise—and do it by not going on the road. When the lancers come down the road, have your men turn and lift their sabres and circle together as if you think that will protect you against the lancers. Don't let any of your troopers go onto the flat area of the road and the shoulder there for any reason whatever. In a little while, it could cost them their mounts and their lives. We'll join you after we've done what damage we can, and we'll follow the other squads around the mess.” Rahl didn't want to get too specific because how they extracted themselves would depend on how well his order-chaos manipulations worked.