‘No, Major. If we die in battle, then that is Lord Karkarn’s will, but one more day may see them to safety,’ the monk said firmly. He hefted his halberd, damascened to echo the tattoos on his face, and pointed northwest. ‘We are too close to Aroth to delay. It is our calling to embrace such risks, to perform the twelve noble actions when such deeds are required. It is how we honour our God.’
Darn had no actual authority over the Dharai, and it was obvious he had no say in the matter now. The Dharach had made his decision, and they were separate from the army structure precisely for such eventualities.
Darn scowled, his lip twitching as he stroked the stitches in his cheek. ‘So be it. Drummer, signal the advance. Dharach, get your men up that hill, double-time.’
‘Oh fuck me,’ moaned the lookout, turning round in search of his officer, ‘Sir, the bastards are sendin’ a company o’men right over us.’
Doranei scrambled after Count Reshar as the burly nobleman went forward to join the lookout. Crawling on his belly, the King’s Man wormed his way through the thick tufts of grass until he had a view of the other side. He winced as the pommel of his new sword caught him on a long cut down the side of his head. The cut had been fire-sealed by Ebarn, the Brotherhood’s female battle-mage - not a fun way of dealing with injuries, but it was the best patch-up she could offer in the circumstances, and it was a fair defence against infection.
‘We’ll have to pull back,’ Count Reshar muttered to Doranei, keeping his eyes on the red-robed figures at the bottom of the hill. ‘Back into the woods, where they can’t see us.’
‘Where you think they’re going next?’ Doranei said firmly. ‘We hold here.’
The count turned as best he could, anger on his face. ‘
Master
Doranei, you are not a man of rank nor a man of title and you are not the one giving the orders here: you will do whatever in the Dark Place I tell you to do!’ he snarled.
Doranei matched the look. Count Reshar was a good soldier, and he was a count, but Doranei was a King’s Man and he knew the full story. ‘Make no mistake, my Lord, my orders come from the king,’ he said softly.’ You agree with me when I tell you what we doing, or I will take command. Do you understand me?’
‘You’ve lost your mind, man,’ the count hissed, his face darkening as he tried to stop himself from bellowing. He was an experienced officer and utterly loyal, and he had raised no objection to the presence of a King’s Man in his regiment, however obviously he disliked it. ‘We’ve a few minutes before they discover us, and after that we’re as good as dead.’
Doranei’s expression was one of a man resigned to his fate. ‘We hold here,’ he said firmly.
‘I will not condemn these men to death!’
‘The decision ain’t yours to make. If you prefer I can kill you now, waste of a good soldier or no.’
Doranei’s tone didn’t leave any room for uncertainty and Count Reshar hesitated. He was dressed like the rest of them, not too proud to wear dull, dirty leathers and mail instead of noble battle-colours. Only the small bronze device on his collar and the quality of his weapons indicated his rank.
‘Why?’ he asked at last.
Doranei scowled. The last thing he wanted to do was admit their fate had been decided days ago. He settled on part of the truth. ‘This legion needs to be held up, and we’re on the best defensive ground.’
‘How long do you think we can hold?’ he asked in disbelief.
‘We hold as long as we can.’
‘Alone?’
Doranei shrugged and looked to the west, towards the village and the remaining garrison regiments. ‘You gave the others their orders; you know how they’ll react.’
‘We’re outnumbered and facing heavy infantry!’
Doranei craned around the count to check on the progress of the men ascending the hill. A band of sunshine drifted over them, sweeping the slope with momentary brightness before moving on towards the hump of road that went around the hill. It wasn’t an easy climb and they were taking their time, picking their way along a winding path to avoid the steepest parts. They were obviously not normal troops: they weren’t in livery but red-robes, longer than anything a soldier would wear.
Great, some sort of élite
, Doranei thought sourly. He looked back at his own men: a score of archers of varying ability, the same again of green recruits, two score regular infantry, Mage Ebarn and Veil of the Brotherhood. There had been one more of the king’s élite agents, but Horle had died in their first raid on Menin lines.
‘Outnumbered on high ground,’ Doranei said at last, ‘it’s as good a place as any to be outnumbered. They’ll think twice about trying to take us, and they can’t leave us here.’
‘They can detach two regiments to guard their backs and still roll right over the garrison troops!’ Count Reshar’s voice was anxious now as he also looked down the slope. ‘Ah damn, we’ll never get out of sight in time now!’
‘Then we fight,’ Doranei said plainly. ‘Get the archers here and start picking off some of those red robes. If the main troop moves past we’ll snipe at their rear, and if they assault the hill we’ll hold our ground.’
‘We don’t stand a chance,’ snapped the count, even as he gestured for the archers to move up.
‘If you can’t take a joke . . .’ Doranei muttered under his breath.
Count Reshar spat on the dusty ground. ‘You’ve killed us all,’ he said, not meeting Doranei’s eyes.
The King’s Man reached out and grabbed him by the throat, and the count gave a croak of shock. Doranei hauled the man bodily towards him, swatting away his hands as he attempted to free himself of Doranei’s grip. ‘Now you listen to me,’ he growled, dragging Count Reshar’s face to within inches of his own, ‘this ain’t some border skirmish! Thousands are dead already, and if we’re to win, it’ll be off the back o’ sacrifice. Get that into your thick skull and deal with it. There’s no room for anything else.’
‘Doranei,’ Veil called from behind him, ‘archers ready.’
The King’s Man released the nobleman and looked back at his friend. Veil matched the look. His blank expression would be enough of a reminder to his Brother to curb his temper.
Veil’s dark hair poked out from under a small helm and spilled onto his curved pauldrons. In fire-blackened greaves and vambraces he was as heavily armoured as Doranei had ever seen him. Veil looked as unperturbed as ever, but Doranei didn’t like it: the slim King’s Man looked out of place on a battlefield, however good a street fighter he was. This was even less Veil’s domain than it was Doranei’s.
‘Archers, aye,’ Doranei said, ducking his head in acknowledgement. ‘Time to make our presence felt.’
At Veil’s order the twenty-odd archers edged over the crest of the hill and took up position. Doranei, crouched just behind them, watched the first of the attackers fall - they were barely forty yards downslope, and sitting targets whether they advanced or retreated. Two men fell in the first volley, and three more as the attackers struggled on up the slope. Doranei guessed they were warrior-monks of Karkarn, in which case it was a safe bet they could put those halberds to good use, but their ascent would be slow.
‘Ebarn,’ Doranei called, beckoning the stocky woman over. ‘Give them something to make the rest of ’em think twice, Veil, signal the troops.’
As Veil went to signal the garrison soldiers Ebarn joined Doranei. She let her dirty green cape fall from her shoulders, revealing a rust-coloured tunic adorned with thin silver chains and crystal shards. As she knelt, trails of light began to drift over her body, slipping from one silver chain to the next, then swirling around the shards. as though driven by a breeze Doranei couldn’t feel.
The dancing strands of light became a flurry, changing from white to yellow and orange and as Ebarn raised her arms as though in supplication, fat coils of flame raced up them. With a shout, she threw her arms forward and twin lances of flame streaked away towards the monks. One was caught full on and consumed, and as he fell back into a comrade, he too was set alight. The other streak of flame hit the ground and a fiery barrier sprang up across the enemy’s path. As the monks stopped for a moment the Narkang archers took advantage, catching one more in the throat.
The monks turned and began to make their way around the flames.
‘First squad to the left flank,’ Count Reshar called in a hoarse voice, ‘second squad up on the peak.’
Doranei looked at the ground where they would meet as Ebarn unleashed more scorching magic to thin the enemy ranks further. The archers were on an outcrop that dipped away steeply in front, but a curved slope arced round that up to their left, the natural path up the slope and the one the monks were making for. They had their heads down and their legs were pumping as they struggled up the hill. It was madness for them to keep coming - but they were doing it all the same.
‘Better you than us,’ he said aloud, ignoring the look he received from Count Reshar as he unshipped the large weapon slung on his back. Aracnan’s sword still felt oversized and awkward in his hands, and its speckled black surface looked unreal in the afternoon sun. Behind the monks the Menin legion had been spurred into activity, breaking into defensive regimental blocks, the first of which had already disappeared out of sight around the hill. The rearmost block dissolved and began to follow the monks, but laden with armour and shields they’d be even slower to get to the battle ground.
‘They’re sending the cavalry around,’ a sergeant called from the right flank.
Doranei looked behind him. There were two score cavalrymen left, and he doubted they’d try and ascend the hill - that would leave them no room to manoeuvre, and even the shallow part of the slope would prove treacherous on horseback.
They’re going to try to slow up the garrison
, he realised.
We’re both trying to make the other side hesitate.
Veil appeared on Doranei’s left, weapon in hand, as the count waved forward the two squads of recruits. They assembled behind the archers, waiting until the monks were no more than ten yards away, then Doranei yelled for them to charge. With spears levelled they ran into the group, screaming wildly, with Doranei at the fore. He smashed aside the halberd of the first monk, cutting through the shaft with blinding speed, but the monk didn’t hesitate, dropping to the ground and hammering the shaft into Doranei’s shin as the King’s Man slashed down at his face. Doranei took the blow on his greave and beheaded the man with his next blow. He almost overbalanced as the magic-imbued sword parted flesh with frightening ease, just avoiding being spitted by one of his own men.
Veil appeared in his lee and deflected a halberd down into the ground with his shield, only to be kicked in the ribs by the Menin monk. He staggered, his full weight keeping the halberd down, while the enemy tugged at it, desperate to free it. Doranei never gave him the chance, and hammered the pommel of his sword into the man’s face. The monk fell without a sound, but Doranei was already throwing himself at the next man.
Yells from either side told him the flanking squads had engaged, but he was too busy with the remaining two monks ahead of him. He dispatched them both with savage ease, looked around and saw one remaining monk behind him, desperately fending off Veil - only to be spitted by a recruit. Half a dozen more were reeling under the assault from the right and as they faltered, the recruits couldn’t resist what looked like an easy target and charged forward wildly.
One monk died in the initial rush, but the others exploited the gap in the line and began to lay about them with their halberds, felling four of the young men in a matter of seconds - but the second squad, finding themselves presented with unarmoured backs, cut the monks down where they stood.
A cheer died in the throat of the nearest man as Doranei turned and glowered at him.
‘That’s as good as it’ll get,’ he bellowed at the youth, ‘so shut up. You only cheer if you last the day.’
The soldier averted his eyes quickly and muttered an apology. Doranei continued to glare until Veil moved between the two, then it was Doranei’s turn to look abashed.
Veil put his hand on Doranei’s shoulder. ‘Peace, my friend,’ he said softly, ‘you’ve enough enemies already down there, too many even for your grief.’
My grief only needs one
, Doranei thought with a heavy heart. ‘Grief is a shadow,’ he said, quoting King Emin’s words whenever one of the Brotherhood was killed.
Veil nodded. ‘And we don’t submit to shadows,’ he said fiercely. ‘We can mourn when the war is won.’ He thumped Doranei on the chest with his fist and turned. ‘Let’s see what they’re up to back here.’
Doranei followed him back to their previous position and the two men looked down at the grassy plain leading to the village. The first of the Menin infantry regiments had rounded the hill: five untidy ranks of twenty. In the distance he could see the garrison troops advancing about half a mile off. Their orders were to approach close enough to threaten, but to retreat when threatened themselves, unless Doranei’s band had attacked. A red flag fluttered nearby, the signal they were in need of support.
‘We’ve made them think at least,’ Ebarn commented, joining the pair, ‘but we haven’t got enough arrows to deal with a full assault.’