The Eighth Warden Bk. 05 Ch. 25-26

"But why? Why is any of it..." Trentin trailed off.

"Because I know he's a mage? That's our best guess, but it doesn't really matter. He's killed a lot of innocent people to get at me."

Trentin stopped and stared at him. "King Rusol is a mage?" The idea was crazy, but why would Corec make up something like that?

"He is, according to someone I trust. I wouldn't have told anyone, if that's what he's worried about--I'm a mage too--but he's the one that chose this war."

Trentin peered down over the parapet at the village. "What are you going to do, then? You'll have three thousand soldiers here by the end of the summer."

The other two men exchanged glances.

"Three thousand?" Corec asked.

"More than that, I think--every mercenary the king has, plus four hundred knights."

"Where's he pulling four hundred knights from?" Kevik asked.

"Three hundred from Hightower, a hundred more from Northtower."

"That would leave Hightower almost undefended," Kevik said.

"We've still got extra soldiers there who were dealing with the refugees. They never went back to Telfort."

"Most of the mercenaries were up at Northtower, right?" Corec said. "That's why they won't make it here for another two months?"

"Yeah, Barat was grumbling about it. The siege weapons are coming from Hightower, but the supply wagons are coming from up north, and the mercenaries are foot soldiers, not cavalry. It's going to take a while."

Corec nodded. "That's more information than Razai was able to get," he said.

"Razai?" Trentin asked.

"She's a... scout," Corec said. "Leena helped her get to Hightower and back, so we knew Barat was waiting for reinforcements, but we didn't know the full numbers."

"You knew that much? You knew about Barat too? I rode all the way out here and you already knew? I threw away my oaths to warn you!"

Kevik shook his head. "No, you didn't," he told Trentin. "You followed your oaths the only way you could, just like we did with the dragon. Don't worry about what the priests will say."

"It's not the priests I'm worried about, it's my father."

Kevik shrugged. "Maybe it's time to stop worrying about what your father thinks, too."

Trentin leaned back against a merlon and put his head in his hands. "What am I going to do?"

"Trentin, I'm glad you came," Corec said. "You're a good friend and a good knight, and I'll tell you the same thing I told Kevik--you've got a place here if you want it."

"I could use the help," Kevik added.

"I'll think about it," Trentin said. He still had a chance to save his knighthood if he lied about where he'd been and why he'd left without warning, but was it worth it? His career had been in tatters even before he'd disappeared.

They were silent for a moment before Corec spoke again. "Do you suppose Barat's on our side?" he asked. "He did send that note."

"Note?" Trentin said.

"Pigeon message," Kevik replied. "It came in just before I left Hightower. But I wouldn't count on it to mean anything. It was just a warning to an old friend. That doesn't mean he'll disobey the king."

Corec nodded. "Then I'd better go tell everyone what we're facing."

#

Sarette hovered far above the enemy encampment, hidden by the clouds and the darkness. Her attack for the night would be limited in scope, but she'd been planning for this day for over a month.

The mercenary army and accompanying knights had reached the free lands that morning, having taken fifteen days to pass through eastern Larso and hillfolk territory. They'd been slowed down by the siege equipment and supply wagons they hauled with them, a tactic that avoided the risk of vulnerable supply lines being cut off to their rear, but also meant they would have a hard time resupplying if the campaign took longer than expected.

Corec had argued against striking at the enemy soldiers directly, preferring to demoralize them and overextend their resources without hinting that the battle had already begun. His feud was with Rusol. The soldiers themselves were innocent, or as innocent as mercenaries could be. Allowing the army to arrive at the keep was a risk, but if Sir Barat realized he was under magical attack too soon, he could simply turn around and go back, returning with greater numbers.

Plus, of course, Razai might have reached the army by now and Sarette didn't want to hit her by accident. The demonborn woman had her own role to play.

Sarette's role for the night was simply to manipulate the weather. She'd been gathering her storm for hours, ensuring the slow buildup would look natural.

Now, she let loose with a torrential downpour.

The soldiers might welcome the rain at first, after weeks of marching through the late summer heat, but when it continued for days on end, soaking through everything and turning the roads to mud, they'd change their minds.

Corec was betting that Sir Barat wouldn't turn back to Larso if he thought all he was facing was bad weather. He'd push through even if the storms slowed his progress and exhausted his soldiers. By the time they arrived at the keep, they'd be tired and miserable, while Corec's forces would be fresh and alert.

Sarette had suggested one change to the plan. At this time of year, thunderstorms were common, and she could get away with a lightning bolt or two without rousing any suspicion. She dropped out of the clouds to find a target, trusting to the night to keep her hidden from view.

Siege towers had been her first thought, but there were none to be found. Corec had suggested they were too unwieldy to manage over long distances, and would instead be built on site.

Catapults were the next best choice. They were arranged together with the ballistae at the rear of the camp, mounted on carts like the ones Sarette and her friends had used when hunting the dragon.

She found two of the weapons close together and called down a massive lightning strike on their position, strong enough to melt the metal and splinter the wood. The resounding boom of thunder startled the entire camp. A nearby picket line of mules hadn't been secured properly and the animals escaped in a panic, running off in different directions. Grooms and soldiers shouted back and forth to each other, attempting to chase the animals in the dark.

To add to the chaos, Sarette sent heavy winds whipping at the camp. After weeks of good weather, the soldiers had grown lazy with their preparations. Waterproof coverings flew off several of the supply wagons, exposing the contents to the rain, and a dozen empty tents caught enough wind to rip their stakes from the ground and go tumbling away.

For good measure, she laid down a series of three lightning bolts just outside the temporary pens the knights had constructed for their horses. Even a warhorse would be startled with that much noise.

As the first attack of the war, it felt inadequate--there were a dozen more catapults waiting nearby--but it was a start, and it was unlikely to raise any suspicion. It was also a test to see if the commander would wait for replacements or press on.

For now, it was time to return to her own camp and get some sleep so she'd be rested enough to renew the storm once it started to fade. She planned to keep it going at full strength for a day or two, until the road was deep with mud. After that, she and Shavala would trade off--with Leena's help--doing just enough to annoy the soldiers while saving most of their strength for the real battle.

Before Sarette could leave, she felt someone attempting to grasp at the wind and the rain--an elder mage who'd never been trained in how to manipulate weather. The fumbling attempts wouldn't make much of a difference against Sarette's storm, but it seemed the priests weren't the only mages traveling with the army.

#

"All right, let's practice," Corec called out. "First squads, up front!"

Nedley's squad, the First Infantry, was armed with pikes, while the First Defenders, under Aldin's command, had crossbows. Like Nedley, Aldin was too young for the position, but he showed some promise.

The new squads were the result of another reorganization. The groupings Corec and Sarette had intended for patrolling the region wouldn't work for fighting a war.

The two infantry squads were made up of the soldiers Corec thought might be able to face a melee without getting themselves killed. Of the remainder, Ral got half for the siege weapon crews--he commanded both Weapons squads. The rest went into the Defenders, who were focused on guarding the fortress itself and who'd spent most of their time learning to use crossbows. They'd had some training with sidearms and pikes, but not enough to stand up to an enemy charge.

The Second Infantry and Second Defenders didn't have squad leaders yet, and so were reporting to Kevik and Trentin for now.

Rather than having a scout embedded in each squad, Corec had separated them into their own unit of six men. They unofficially reported to Sargo, simply because he was the scout that Corec and Sarette knew best.

Corec turned his attention back to Nedley's and Aldin's squads, who'd lined up waiting for orders.

"Crossbowmen, three to a side!" Corec said.

There were three arrowslit embrasures to either side of the gatehouse tunnel, each alcove giving the defender room to aim while the narrow opening protected them from counterattack. Aldin remained outside as backup. During a real attack, if one of his men fell, he would take their place.

"Infantry!" Corec said. "If the outer gate's still working, you can raise it yourself once you're in position. Let the enemy soldiers fill the tunnel, then drop the gate behind them and trap them there. If we've already lost the outer gate, you can't trap them, but the inner gate will still hold them in the tunnel. If they've got bows, hit them fast, and make sure to keep your face guards down."

Nedley arranged three of his men in front of the gate so they could practice jabbing their pikes through the bars.

While they were doing that, Boktar showed up. "Those riders are almost here," he told Corec.

The riders he was referring to were the reason the two of them had been wearing armor all day. Sarette had seen the group during a scouting flight the day before--over a dozen armed men approaching the keep via the Matagoran branch of the Old Road.

"Let's meet them out front," Corec said. "I don't want a bunch of soldiers in the village unless I've spoken with them first."

Boktar nodded, and they ordered the pikemen to raise the gates.

Kevik joined them just outside the village, and the three of them waited as the riders approached. Like Kevik, Boktar was now clad in silversteel plate. Ellerie had begun work on a suit of armor for him as soon as she'd heard about the approaching army.

A gust of wind announced Sarette's presence above, hidden within the dark clouds. Ariadne would be out of sight nearby, close enough to teleport to Corec's side if the encounter turned into a fight.

The oncoming riders drew close, stopping at a respectful distance. They were carrying a Matagoran standard, which suggested it was an official visit. Either that or Sir Barat was attempting some sort of subterfuge. There were sixteen men in the party. Judging by the uniforms and insignia, they included an officer, an official, and two squads of soldiers. The soldiers were lancers, though--heavy cavalry. Not the sort someone would send if their intentions were peaceful.

The official, a distinguished-looking man in his fifties, nudged his horse forward. "Lord Alastair, Baron of Far View," he announced with the slightest dip of his head.

"Corec Tarwen," Corec replied. "And this is Marshal Boktar and Sir Kevik."

"Mr. Tarwen," Alastair said with a smile, "just the man I'm looking for." He dismounted and strode forward. "His Majesty King Orlin sends his regards, and hopes his letters have found you in good health. He's named me Viceroy of the Matagoran Free Lands Trade Territory. I'm here to supervise the handover of the trade keep and surrounding areas."

###

Chapter Twenty-Six

"You didn't bring Risingwind?" Corec asked while he and Shavala circled the village, examining the work being done.

"He'll stay with Zhailai for now--the last thing I want is for him to see a battle. She's going back to the forest to warn the elders about the army. They're far enough away that it shouldn't be a problem, but we still need to let them know."

"Then you're planning to stick around this time?"

"We've done as much as we can for the farmers, and Sarette told me the mercenaries were only a week away. I'll be here until..." She gestured vaguely to the west.

"It'll be good to have you back."

"I'm sorry I haven't been around much," she said. "Risingwind is doing well enough with people, but he's getting bigger and I don't always know how he'll react to larger groups."

"I know. I've missed you--Katrin has, too--but we understood. The work you've been doing... well, you and Zhailai might be the reason we make it through the winter."

She gave him a small smile, but didn't reply.

They stopped at a group of workers who were digging around the edges of the hill where the earth had settled over time, providing too gentle and welcoming of a slope. So far they'd cleared a fifty-foot length, leaving a three-foot-tall vertical barrier where the new edge of the hill rose over the surrounding area.

"How's it coming along?" Corec asked Enzo, who was overseeing the work crew.

"This won't slow 'em down much," the soldier replied.

"No, but every little bit counts. And they won't be able to get siege weapons up close unless they build ramps."

It wasn't much of a solution--the catapults and ballistae would still have the range to reach the fortress from beyond the hill--but with the distance and the lower elevation, the weapons would be less effective.

"How many entrances should we leave?" Enzo asked.

"Just the main road leading to the bridge. If we're lucky, maybe we can convince the commander to funnel all his siege equipment through that one spot, and then Sarette can take it all out at once."

Shavala, who'd been listening to their conversation, spoke up. "You decided not to build a wooden palisade?"

That was one of the earlier plans they'd discussed.

Corec shook his head. "Surrounding the entire hill would have been too much work for how little benefit it would give us. We don't have enough archers to protect a palisade, and the ones we do have will be way back on the fortress walls, so they won't have a clear shot. The mercenaries could just set the whole thing on fire or pull it down one log at a time."

The logic made sense, but Corec was still debating whether he'd made the right decision. And now there wasn't enough time left to change his mind.

Shavala looked thoughtful for a moment, then dug around in a pouch she wore at her waist until she found a small brown twig. She dropped it at her feet and unstrapped the staff from her back, grasping it in both hands and closing her eyes.

The twig grew tendrils which dug into the ground, and then new shoots of green sprouted from the other side, rapidly expanding into a tall shrub of a sort Corec didn't recognize, with tightly intertwined branches sporting two-inch thorns. Dozens more of the shrubs burst up through the soil, making the work crew jump back with startled oaths.

The plants grew close to each other in a dense thicket, entangling their branches together to form a single hedge ten feet wide and ten feet tall, extending for the full length of the area the workers had cleared.

"That's green enough that it won't burn easily," Shavala said. "Sarette and I can keep it that way with some rain."

Enzo was just staring at it, wide-eyed.

"That..." Corec started, then shook his head. "We talked about blocking the road, but it never even occurred to me you could build a wall that way." It was like a hedgerow for keeping livestock in an enclosed area, but much thicker and more impenetrable--and it hadn't taken years to grow.

"This one's called blackthorn," she said. "You'll have to warn everyone to be careful around it--the thorns can break off into the skin and cause an infection. Will it be useful? Should I keep going?"

"Yes!" Corec said. "If you can do that, it's going to..." He trailed off. "Enzo, keep doing what you're doing, and then Shavala, you can come back after they're done."

The thorn bush would be the more effective of the two efforts, but doing both would be even better, hopefully slowing down the enemy soldiers enough for Corec's small army to mount a defense. Perhaps it would even make sense to move his siege weapons outside the fortress walls now to improve their accuracy, but then that would put them in the enemy's hands once they did breach the hill. No, best to leave the weapons where they were at, even if it meant they were less useful.

Enzo saluted and went to collect his workers while Corec and Shavala headed back to the main road leading into the village--soon to be the only road leading into the village.

"Sarette told me there were Matagorans here," Shavala said. "They want to take the keep?"

"They arrived yesterday with a bunch of documents from King Orlin," Corec said. "I've been putting off speaking to them, but Bobo and I think we've worked out a plan to get rid of them."

#

Bobo was the first to arrive in the meeting chamber. The new walls--still smelling of fresh-cut wood--separated the room from what used to be the great hall. He helped Boktar show Lord Alastair and Captain Elgin to their seats at the center of the table, one on either side.

Then, feeling mischievous, he took a position by the door to announce the others as they arrived.

"Lady Katrin of Tyrsall and Sister Treya of the Three Orders," he started.

Katrin glared at him, though whether for the announcement or the fake title, he couldn't be sure. He just winked at her.

The two women took seats near the head of the table, with Katrin sitting to the right and Treya to the left, facing each other--the traditional spots for a wife and concubine. Their warden binding runes glowed clear and bright, drawing the visitors' attention. The group had spent a good hour discussing whose runes should be visible and whose should remain hidden.

"Stormrunner Sarette, Captain of the Guard." That probably wasn't how Sarette's titles should be worded, but it was hard to combine them in a way that sounded impressive. Her rune was showing.

Alastair seemed uncertain how to react, settling for a brief nod. Had he ever seen a stormborn before?

"Sir Kevik, Knight of the Dragon."

Kevik's eyebrows shot up, but judging by the smile that played at his lips as he came through the door, he approved of the appellation.

"Mage Knight Ariadne of Cordaea."

Ariadne was too touchy for Bobo to risk giving her a fake title, or to mention Tir Yadar. Her rune, too, was glowing, though it wasn't quite the same shade as the others.

"The druid Shavala of Terrillia." Shavala didn't need a fake title, and her rune was hidden from sight.

Alastair's eyes widened and he gave her a half bow from his seated position.

"Her Exalted Highness, the Lady Ellerie di'Valla, Royal Ambassador of Terevas." Ellerie's real titles were more impressive than anything Bobo could come up with, though no one was supposed to mention she was also Corec's chancellor. She was wearing robes of state made from elven silk, and like Shavala, her rune wasn't visible.

The baron's face went pale and he lurched to his feet.

"Exalted," he said with a deep bow. "I didn't realize Terevas had sent a representative."

"It's been a long time, Lord Alastair," Ellerie said, her voice cool.

"Yes, Exalted. Twenty years, I believe, since I served as ambassador to your mother. I was sorry to hear of her passing."