The Grand Crusade (29 page)

Alexia sipped her wine. The red was dry, with just a hint of bitterness. It tasted like the winter, but had enough body to promise a full spring. Preyknosery had predicted the weather would turn quickly enough, meaning the roads would likewise turn to mud and slow everyone down. And as hard as that would be, she still preferred it to having soldiers with frostbite.

She shivered and imagined what it would have been like had Kerrigan not exposed Tatyana. Chytrine herself would have helped shape the south’s strategy. She’d have moved troops into Oriosa prematurely and ambushed Erlestoke’s command. With that wing of her army crushed, Alexia would have been forced to withdraw and wait for Chytrine to press the war into Saporicia. And at that point, had Chytrine offered a political settlement, the crowns would have taken it and the Aurolani problem would have passed to another generation.

She heard the scrape of a boot on stone behind her and smiled, knowing that step anywhere. “I wondered if you’d notice me gone.”

“Instantly, beloved.” Crow leaned on the balustrade beside her. “Rounce asked me to recount the story of his wounding, which, given his embellishments, he remembers a bit differently than I do. He’s made it into a comedy.”

“I noticed you were laughing.”

A smile bared Crow’s teeth. “I was indeed. You know that I’ve not seen him since the first campaign. Resolute always spoke with him. I would have thought him bitter, but he’s not. He dealt with his wounding much as my brother did. Neither let what happened keep him from being a whole person. They scored a victory over their tragedies.”

She turned and lifted a hand to caress his scarred cheek. “Not unlikeyou”

He kissed her fingers, then glanced down at his hands. “I wasn’t whole until I met you. The second time I met you. I had run from being Hawkins. I’d utterly abandoned who I had been and become Kedyn’s Crow. Until I saw you, I never felt I wanted anyone to know that Hawkins had done more than kill himself.”

Alexia smiled. “The night you saw me was in the town ofStellin.You saved my life with a long bowshot.”

“That shot was inspired. I was outraged that a vylaen would think of ambushing you. Then you saved my life at Svoin and again at Tolsin.”

“I, too, was inspired.” Alexia untied a small leather pouch from her gown’s belt and extended it to him. “This is for you, beloved. For the new year.”

Crow set his wine goblet on the balustrade and opened the pouch. He poured the contents into his left palm. “This is your anklet.”

She nodded. Like many noblewomen, she had an elven charm that prevented

her from conceiving while she wore it. “That is how much I want you and our future together, Crow.”

“I have nothing to give you, Alexia.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Given what you have in your hand, how can you say that?”

“Ah, well, yes.” Color flushed his cheeks. “I meant that the gift I have for you is back in our room. I meant to give it to you privately.”

“You realize you’re just digging yourself in deeper here, don’t you?”

Crow laughed. “I guess I am.” He straightened up, turned, and gathered her into his arms. “I will give you all you desire, Alexia. I will give you all that I am, my future—everything. I will love you always and in all ways.”

She leaned forward and kissed him, much preferring the taste of his lips to her wine. “I know, Crow. It is the same for me.”

He hugged her tightly. “Cold, lover? Shall we go back in?”

“On your arm, it would be a pleasure.” She linked her hand through his elbow and let him guide her into the main room. Off to the left were tables laden with food. Kerrigan hovered near them, with Oracle, Rym, and Bok. Nay and his son were speaking with Dranae, Arimtara, and Prince Erlestoke. Rounce and several other Oriosans of his acquaintance were gathered aroundPerrinein the center of the room, while Resolute brooded in a distant corner. A group of four musicians played in the corner opposite the Vorquelf, filling the room with gentle songs and cheer. Qwc darted through the air as if a hummingbird moving between flowers, listening in to each conversation, then moving on before making a diving raid on the food table.

The two of them crossed to where Resolute stood. “The happiest of new years to you, Resolute.”

“And you, Princess.”

The gravity in his voice concerned her. “Are you incapable of enjoying yourself, Resolute, or does some immediate problem keep you from celebrating?”

“Forgive me if my behavior dampens the atmosphere, Highness.”

“That’s not what I meant, Resolute. I do want to know what you are thinking. Of all the undertakings this year, yours is the most arduous.”

The Vorquelf remained silent for a moment, then nodded slowly. “I have many unknowns to deal with, and Oracle’s visions keep changing. Today she informed Banausic that he would be joining me. He’s a logical choice since he has been on Vorquellyn, but he did not want to go. The company I will be leading is blind, sick, weak, reluctant, or made of wood. At least Rymramoch is useful because his limbs can be made into kindling.”

Crow shook his head. “With Kerrigan along, you’ll have no trouble starting fires.”

“I wish that were true, Crow, but it isn’t.” The Vorquelf looked across the room. “He’s very powerful, yes, but he is not a warmage. Princess, you saw him kill Neskartu. He didn’t use a combat spell. The way he did it was quite novel, I

admit, but given what we will be facing, I could use someone who put his sort of power into more offensive spells.“

Resolute shrugged. “Then again, I’m not sure I want to see Kerrigan have to make that change. He’s not a killer. And for him to have to kill might change him, and I don’t know what he would do if he did.”

Crow rested a hand on Resolute’s shoulder. “It’s not that you are anxious about what you have to do, it’s that you’re anxious about having to lead that party. You’d do it by yourself gladly, but having the responsibility for the others

”

“Yes, my friend, that is most of it.” Resolute managed a small smile. “Will gave me the sword that demands I accept such responsibility. On Vorquellyn, I can thank him yet again.”

Alexia smiled, but it quickly faded. “You’ll need to tell him about Sayce and his child.”

“I know.” Resolute’s eyes glittered. “They will be saved, both of them, mother and child. This I vow.”

“Be careful of such vows, Resolute.” Crow laughed lightly. “I vowed to see Vorquellyn free in my lifetime. See where it’s gotten me.”

“I say it with that in mind, my friend.”

Laughter from near the food table brought Alexia around. A blue winterberry skittered across the floor as Qwc, wielding a fork half as tall as he was, repeatedly dove and stabbed at it. The Spritha came up and around in a loop, then twisted around and made a low run at the elusive morsel. The fork scraped the floor, but only batted the berry away. It rolled toward Kerrigan instead.

The mage stopped it with his foot, then plucked another fork from the table. He held it suspended between his fingertips, then magick shimmered around his hands. He drew them apart, and as he did so the metal lengthened and thinned. Almost effortlessly, he transformed the fork and lofted it to the Spritha. “Here, Qwc, catch.”

Qwc dropped his fork with a clatter and plucked the foot-and-a-half-long silver spear from the air. With a high-pitched giggle, the Spritha flew upward, then threw his head back and flipped over, allowing himself to fall into a dive. As he neared his target, his wings flashed out. He leaned left, then right, and stabbed the barbed tip straight through the winterberry with a pop of purple juice.

Qwc laughed triumphantly, then licked at the juice running down the shaft of the spear.

Everyone in the room applauded, though whether for Kerrigan or Qwc, Alexia could not be certain. The mage looked at Rounce. “Please forgive me ruining that fork, Master Playfair.”

Rounce waved the apology away easily. “Do not be worried, Adept Reese. I’ll have the rest melted down and shaped into winterberry skewers. And you, Qwc, will keep that one as my gift to you. May you find it useful in the coming year.”

Qwc nodded emphatically.

Resolute frowned. “If Qwc uses that on aught but winterberries, we’ll be in serious trouble indeed.”

“Leave the voicing of omens to me, Resolute.” As everyone watched Qwc’s antics, Oracle had found her way to his side. “Things are not as dire as you fear.”

“Right now, you mean. You are the one who has told me that the future constantly shifts. Just the creation of that spear could change things.”

“So it could. So it has.” Oracle turned her sightless eyes on Alexia. “Fear not, Princess, I shall make no cryptic remark as concerns your expedition. When it comes to battles, things shift so quickly that there is no predicting outcomes.”

“It’s my task to make sure the possible outcomes are limited.”

“It is a formidable task you set yourself.” Oracle’s lids closed for a moment. “When a life is ended, all its potential is released. All its possibilities are released. That is why war is so chaotic.”

The princess nodded, then realized Oracle couldn’t see her. “I know.”

The Vorquelf’s copper eyes snapped open. “Chytrine revels in chaos. Even in losing she can be victorious.”

Alexia smiled. “I thought you said you weren’t going to be cryptic.”

“I didn’t think I was. Conduct your war carefully, Princess, but do not shy from using the chaos. Chytrine might enjoy it, but she cannot control it. Do what you know best and you will emerge the victor.”

Oracle then turned to Crow and moved close to him, kissing him on his scarred cheek. “And you, brother Crow, you are close to fulfilling your vow. Sleep lightly, ride hard, and trust those who earn it.”

Crow kissed her back. “Be safe on your journey, Oracle. All luck to you in the new year, and peace.”

“If I have the one, I shall have the other.” She turned to Resolute and took his right hand in her left. “And now, cousin, I have a vision of you dancing with me.”

Resolute’s face tightened. “I have not danced since we were children.”

“Unless your eyes have changed, Resolute, we yet are.”

“You know what I mean.”

“And you know my vision is never wrong.” Oracle tugged at his hand. “Come, dance with me. The others will join in. As we all dance together now, we shall dance a year hence.”

Resolute looked at her. “Is that, too, a vision?”

“A hope, Resolute, a hope.” Oracle smiled warmly. “And a hope is best to start the new year.”

The first day of the new year dawned bright and cold, but Resolute had seen enough years to know this was winter’s last gasp. Soon, the sun would blaze high and hot, coaxing the plants to grow. Hard winters always brought flooding, but flooding always brought warm springs and early harvests.

But this year, the first harvest would be of blood—though he had seen plenty of fields flourish when fertilized with blood.Blood, manure, and carrion. The plants would grow, but he wondered if there would be people enough around to benefit.

The line of General Pandiculia’s troops stretched out from the gates of Narriz along the coast road, heading north and eventually west. They would travel on the west side of the Delasena, while Alexia’s troops would use the river road to the east. To avoid confusion, Pandiculia’s troops were sent out first, and those who would travel later cheered them on their way.

Resolute and his companions traveled with them as a convenience. He would have much preferred just to head off on his own at a fast clip, but Bok was not yet suited to it, and he had reservations about Oracle’s ability to deal with a hard ride. Banausic had dutifully assigned himself to her care, and that annoyed Resolute. Still, it gave the raven-haired Vorquelf something to do, which meant he wouldn’t be too much of a nuisance. Rymramoch traveled in a big box strapped to a pack animal, so he was likewise no trouble.

The Vorquelf cast a glance back at Kerrigan and noticed him shifting awkwardly in the saddle after only an hour on the road. Since his bones were no longer thoroughly insulated with fat, the saddle rubbed more roughly. Curiously enough, Kerrigan bore his discomfort silently, nor did he cast a spell to ease his suffering.

Resolute would have expected either complaints or magick. Back when they

first met, the portly mage had made a very bad first impression on Resolute. But now the transformation in Kerrigan had surprised the Vorquelf, surpassing even that of Will Norrington. Will had been a feral thief in Yslin. And while he knew little of the world, he was a born risk-taker who did not shy from adventure. He might have fled from responsibility, but when he eventually grew into it, his penchant for action made accepting responsibility and succeeding possible.

Kerrigan had been very much the opposite. He had been responsible and deliberate to the point of fussiness. He made mistakes that had cost them dearly, and he had succumbed to melancholy on countless occasions. Unlike others, however, he did not let his failures consume him. As Will had grown into accepting responsibility, so Kerrigan had grown in an understanding of his own power and potential. He acknowledged his mistakes so he could avoid repeating them. In one so young, who had been coddled and insulated from reality, that desire was both rare and vital.

Kerrigan looked up and caught Resolute’s eye for a moment. The youth’s face opened questioningly and Resolute frowned by reflex. Kerrigan looked down again immediately and slouched so abruptly that Qwc almost lost his seat on the mage’s shoulder.

Resolute cleared his throat. “Kerrigan, come here.”

The youth’s head came up again, then he urged his horse forward and drew abreast with Resolute. “Yes?”

“Something concerns you.”

“It’s just

I don’t want to bother you with it.”

Resolute controlled his frown. “What have you been thinking about?”

“Well, since no one is going to let me cast any of my searching spells for now, I was trying to think about how we will find Will and get him out of thecorüesci. You have a plan, don’t you?”

“No.”

“No?” Kerrigan’s face knotted. “You have to have a plan.”

“Please, Kerrigan, we seek Will. I don’t need to hear you admonishing me the way he would.”