The Dragons of Argonath (32 page)

"Alas, child, he has been chosen for some great purpose. Again and again he has been thrown into the crucible. An unusual man has been forged within that dragonboy's hide."

"He has gone to war," said Eilsa, a little blankly.

"I regret it."

Eilsa heard the pain in Lessis's voice. The Lady had seen too much bloodshed, too much slaughter. Indeed she had retired as a consequence of the horror she'd lived through in Eigo, but still the struggle remained. Their enemy still held the field, and they must fight or accept the rule of the nightmare tyranny of Padmasa.

"This war is the work of the Aubinan Grain magnates, Lady," Lagdalen said.

"Yes, of course. Though I think there are powers beyond the Aubinans that are at work here. It is as I told you before. Padmasa has allied itself with a foe of dreadful proportions. Those fools in Padmasa do not understand their peril. Heruta would never have allowed this infiltration by the Dominator. He would have understood the truth. But Heruta is no more, and now the Dominator is here, at work behind the Aubinans, somehow."

"But the Aubinans, Lady, they are marching to the coast even as we speak."

"Yes, dear Lagdalen. I know. He attempts another swift, knockout blow. We understand such strategy."

Lagdalen nodded. This was exactly what the witches had done to Heruta Skash Gzug in Eigo.

"A new enemy?" said Eilsa, unsure in the presence of such talk. She had no experience of the Office of Unusual Insight and its ways except what Relkin had told her.

"Yes, my dear. Our enemies in Padmasa have formed an alliance with a power for great evil. Although he came from our world in the beginning, he has been in exile for many aeons. In that time he has become very powerful. He bends the very fabric of the Sphereboard of Destiny."

"What is this enemy?"

"I believe you have a strong heart and a sound mind, Eilsa of Wattel. So I think I can tell you and not fear that it will drive you mad with fear."

Eilsa tightened her jaw, looked as if she were measuring Lessis for a sword stroke. They were fierce, those people of the fells of Wattel.

"This enemy is a relic from the dawn of the world. A fell and evil spirit, one of a class of great beings that were designed to serve in the creation, of the world. They were meant to have short lives, and in their passing they were to give the land and the seas their strength to make the world ready for ourselves. They were seven in number. Six long ago surrendered their lives. This one did not. He rebelled and took the path of long life and endless cruel oppression. He pursues boundless power and has erected empire upon empire. Billions of lives has he crushed in his pursuit of these ends. He will take our entire world if we do not stop him right here in the Argonath."

"What is he called?"

"His name we do not use. Some say that his strength grows with every repetition of his name."

"In that case, tell me not, and I shall never speak it willingly."

Fire returned to Eilsa Ranardaughter's eyes.

"This rebellion in Aubinas is just the opening move," said Lessis.

"Then, before it is over, I deem we shall all have our chance to smite this foe."

Lessis was impressed. She hoped such courage would last through the coming time of darkness. Lessis knew that they would be sorely tested.

"I am afraid that you will be proved correct on that point, child."

Lessis squeezed their hands.

"Now, I have to speak alone with Lagdalen. It is an urgent matter, but it will not take long to complete our business. I would very much like to talk further with you, Eilsa of Wattel."

"Then, I will happily wait here. My chaperon is downstairs."

"Good."

Lessis and Lagdalen withdrew to a smaller room, where Lagdalen occasionally took naps, or where Laminna would sleep in her cradle.

Lagdalen was dreading what the Lady would say.

"My dear, I hate to have to ask this of you. I have only just returned from Andiquant. The empire faces a grave crisis. Lagdalen, dear, I need your help. I am alone, with no trained assistant. You are all I have."

Lagdalen heard the words with her heart thudding in her chest. They had promised to leave her alone. She had given them the best years of her life. It was supposed to be over. And now they came after her again. You could never be free of them.

"I know what you are thinking, dear. And let me say that I think you're right. It is outrageous to ask this of you, but we must. We have nobody else, and the rebellion must be defeated."

Lagdalen slumped into a chair with a heavy sigh. There was no way out.

"Yes, Lady, of course I will serve."

The 109th Marneri Dragons marched through pouring rain up the great Wheat Road into Lucuta Behind them, a full day's march, lay the small city of Sesquila, a place where panic reigned. Ahead of them, somewhere between their present position and Posila, fifty miles away, was the Aubinan army, estimated at five thousand men.

Accompanying the 109th were two companies from the Marneri Fourth Regiment, First Legion, known as the "Four-Ones," and two companies from the Bea Fifth Regiment. In addition, there was a mixed company scraped together of men from Pennar and Vusk. Altogether this gave a force of just under a thousand foot soldiers.

Spread out in the wet fields and woods ahead was a force of seventy volunteer horsemen from Marneri, joined at the last moment by two hundred troopers from Talion, who had ridden down the moment they'd had word of the disaster. The Marneri riders were mostly the younger sons of some of the best families in the city, young men who owned their own horses and could afford to outfit themselves for a campaign in the field. The Talion men were a detachment under the command of Subadar Calex. Fortunately Calex was good at small-troop tactics. His small cavalry force was engaged in a complex game of wits with a much larger force of Aubinan cavalry, and had so far stymied the enemy.

For their part the Aubinans had already proved themselves quite capable. They had obviously trained for the day. Allied to their natural skill in the saddle and their intimate knowledge of the ground, this gave them an advantage.

The Aubinans' greatest problem was the split in their own ranks between the riders from the up-country counties of Aubinas such as Auxey, Muissy, and Biscuit-Barley, and the riders from the down-country counties of Belland and Nellin. The Nellin men were the most eager to attack Marneri itself. The up-country men were concerned only in stopping an invasion of Aubinas. This split greatly diluted the effectiveness of the rebel force, which had been the decisive element in the defeat of the Marneri Fifth Regiment at Redhill.

Some of these things were known and understood by Commander Urmin, who was the commanding officer of the legion force.

The Wheat Road ran virtually straight across the flat plain of Lucule, whose fields of grain stretched to the horizon, broken here and there by dark patches of forest. The road was made of brown bricks and was well sited and drained. Indeed, it was built to Imperial specifications, twenty feet wide with drains every twenty yards. Along the road were villages set every few miles. As they marched, they heard temple bells ringing through the rain, calling the faithful to prayer even with an invasion on their doorstep. Perhaps even more remarkable than the attachment to normal routine was the fact that the country folk responded to the summons and went to worship. They felt quite secure within the blanket of the power of the empire and more particularly of the power of the city of Marneri. Fortunately they had no idea that the small force marching down the pike was all the empire had on hand to cope with the oncoming invasion from Aubinas. If they had, then perhaps they might have panicked like the folk of Sesquila.

Commander Urmin felt the weight of his responsibility. He was a veteran officer who had served in the Teetol campaigns, but he had been deskbound for a decade now. When General Kesepton had asked him if he was sure he could handle this command, Urmin had almost said no. Quite often he wished he had. The Aubinan forces were several times larger than his own. They'd broken General Cerius and had taken him captive. A greater humiliation did not exist. Commander Urmin prayed he didn't end his career in such a sad manner.

He looked back down the line of the marching column, the men huddled against the rain, the horses slick and wet, and down there the moving masses of the great dragons. He prayed to the Goddess that he would find the strength to keep his force intact and protect the white city.

The dragons covered the ground easily enough. Down in Blue Stone they'd taken a lot of route marches. Cuzo had been determined not to let the unit get soft under his command, so everyone was kept at a peak of fitness. Now this was paying off. Even those that had been wounded at Quosh were almost completely recovered. Dragon metabolism was fast-healing, especially when diet was at optimum, and even Bazil was back to full condition. They marched on, content enough, but looking forward to dinner. The rain was monotonous, but it was cooling on big dragon hides. Wyverns liked to get wet, after all. Even the Purple Green had yet to complain: They swung along the road with their shields and swords over their shoulders, great metal hilts and bosses glinting amid the downpour. Far less sanguine, the dragonboys marched alongside, under their own packs, with freecoats and rain hats keeping off the worst.

They stopped in the village of Treeves for a quick boil and a round of stirabout for the dragons. The villagers were happy to contribute cheese, akh, and fresh onions by the hundredweight. A little ale was served up too, and then the legionaries got to their feet, the cornets shrieked, and they marched out of the village. Soon afterward they entered a wooded stretch. Here was a section several miles long and three wide that was covered in woodlots, since the soils were not suited to grain. On the maps it was called "Treeves Wood."

Commander Urmin was nervous about entering this wooded country, so perfectly suited for ambushes. He wished the Marneri horsemen would understand that their role was to keep him informed, not to play games in the woods with the Aubinan riders. Despite his lectures on this point, the young bucks from Marneri hadn't done a good job of feeding him information. As for Subadar Calex, Urmin hadn't seen him all day. The Mother alone knew where the Talion riders were.

After careful perusal of the situation and some scouting of the immediate way ahead, Urmin ordered an advance, and they took up the march once more. They had gone perhaps a mile when a group of Marneri men came galloping down the Wheat Road flat out. They thundered up to Urmin, and after hurried salutes, announced that the Aubinan army was approaching at a fast walk and was only a mile or two down the road.

In an icy tone Urmin inquired as to why he was getting this information only now, when the enemy was two miles away. The Marneri scouts could give no answer. It had been their orders, they said. Urmin looked to the heavens and dismissed them for the moment.

At once the commands went out and the column halted.

The 109th fell out and the dragons took a rest, hauling up under the eaves of some old oak trees along the roadside. Dragonboys went over their charges with careful eyes, applying blister sherbet where necessary, and checking bandages and overall condition.

At the head of the line, the Marneri men abruptly turned and galloped off into the woods, while the officers rode down the line and grouped with the company captains and Dragon Leader Cuzo.

Watching this little grouping, the dragonboys gathered together, lips pursed carefully as they stared through the rain at the cluster of officers.

"Wish it would stop raining," said Howt.

"Wishing won't make it happen," grumbled big Swane.

"What d'ya think all that's about," Rakama asked, nodding in the direction of the officers.

"How should I know, you big ape!"

"Who's an ape? You're an ape!" Rakama shoved Swane good-naturedly. They laughed together, caught up in an ongoing joke. Cuzo had been unwise to call them a "pair of apes" after they'd both failed a snap inspection. They'd been joking about it ever since.

"Aubinans are out there, I'll bet," said Curf.

"Well, we know that," said Swane.

"Question is what are we going to do about it?" said Manuel.

"Yeah," Relkin agreed. "That's the real question."

The terrain around them was flat, but covered in wood-lots, areas of one to five acres covered in trees at various stages of growth. It was good country for ambushes, which the Aubinans had shown themselves to be good at.

But dragons could be deployed effectively in ambush settings too. The veterans in the unit had set quite a few in their time, particularly in the long fight up the Bur River back in the invasion year.

Suddenly the conference among the officers broke up. Hooves clattered on the road as lieutenants rode past at a gallop to their units. Behind them at a more leisurely pace came the captains and Cuzo.

The 109th were ordered to take up hiding, positions among a screen of mature oaks set back about fifty paces from the road. A low stone wall marked off these mature trees from a field of stumps with saplings growing among them. The dragons were told to hide themselves, which they promptly proceeded to do. They were exceedingly good at this, and even the Purple Green managed to make himself virtually invisible among the tree roots and blueberry bushes.

They waited. Soon there came a thunder of hooves, and another group of Marneri riders came galloping up, whipping on tired mounts. They gathered around Commander Urmin. More orders were sent along the line of hidden men in the woodlots. Meanwhile the Marneri riders rode into the rear to rest and water their horses.

More messengers rode through the woods, pausing to talk briefly with the officers. Cuzo called the dragonboys together and passed on the news.

The Aubinan army was coming straight down the pike, along the Wheat Road to Sesquila, and it was coming blind. The Marneri men were convinced that the Aubinan cavalry had been lured away by the Talion troopers and was temporarily out of range. The Aubinans were coming on without caution. Clearly they didn't know that a second small Marneri army had been put together to oppose them.