An Ill Fate Marshalling

23

Year 1016 AFE

Nepanthe looked over her husband's shoulder, into a mirror where ghost-shapes on a southern hill dug ditches and erected earthen barriers. Other men moved into posi­ tions surrounding the hill, creating barriers of their own.

„You are going to help him now, aren't you?" Nepanthe asked.

Her son Ethrian stood behind her, a specter of a youth, his eyes dull. He made a strange whimpering sound whenev­ er his gaze crossed the mirror. The baby fussed whenever she heard that sound. Nepanthe crooned to her.

Varthlokkur did not answer her.

Mist's children trooped into the room, leaned on the back of the wizard's chair. „What's that, Uncle Varth?" one asked.

„A battle. In the south."

„Can we watch?"

„You should be in bed. Besides, nothing will happen till tomorrow."

Ragnarson's men launched nuisance strikes all around their perimeter. Their enemies did nothing but drive them off. Nepanthe observed, „It looks like Hsung doesn't really want to fight."

Varthlokkur replied, „He'll unleash his Tervola in the morning. Why fight when the Power can deliver an inexpen­ sive victory?"

„And you won't be there. Will you? You're going to let those men die just because your pride was hurt. You're a fool. Sometimes you disgust me."

„Put the children to bed."

Nepanthe left in a huff, herding the children before her.

Varthlokkur stared into the mirror for an hour. His face reflected a bitter inner struggle. Finally, he swore, „Damn it!" and rose.

He took a small case off a nearby shelf and sat at a table. Within the case lay a bow eighteen inches long and four black arrows half that length. The arrows had silver heads and beaten gold fletching. Their shafts were inlaid with red and white traceries so fine they were barely discernable. The wizard strung the bow with a string of virgin's hair, stared at it for a long time.

He swore again, took up a pen and thin piece of paper. He scribbled something, sanded the message, wrapped it round the shaft of an arrow, touched it lightly with spittle and said a few words. The paper clung tightly.

He rose, bow and arrow in hand, and descended the long stair spiralling down the inside of the tower atop which his workshop perched. He went outside the castle keep, crossed a courtyard, mounted a wall overlooking a two thousand foot drop. His home, Fangdred, crowned the highest moun­ tain in that savage range called the Dragon's Teeth.

He considered the naked stars. They seemed to mock him. Fool, they called him, just as his woman had done. Stubborn fool.

He stared across the ivory-tipped peaks, spoke a few words in the tongue of his youth. He visualized Mist. In moments her face seemed to be floating before him. He laid arrow across bow, let fly at the snickering stars. The shaft vanished into the night, pursued by a deep-voiced moan.

Radeachar drifted down out of the darkness, hovered above the wizard, sensing his inner conflict, sensing that Varthlokkur needed something, not knowing what to do. The wizard touched the Unborn's protective globe. „My one true, unquestioning friend. Let's go inside. My bones are old. I'll take my death of chill out here."

„P'u Hsiu says they've finished encircling his legion, Mistress," an Aspirator reported.

Mist slid back from the table and map she'd been studying, gestured. The Aspirator placed another map be­ fore her, smoothed it out. He used a marking crayon to draw a kidney-shaped enclosure, then some fragmentary lines indicating the approximate positions of neighboring le­ gions.

Mist nodded. „What do we have in reserve down there?"

„One cohort without Tervola or Aspirators, commanded by Leading Centurion Ki Mo-Jo. They were taken out yesterday for rest. Little more than half normal strength."

„Have Mo-Jo attack to the left and plug that gap."

„The right is a narrower break, Mistress."

„That's where they'll expect the counter. Tell Mo-Jo he can have shaft support if he needs it, but not to waste them. Budget him a dozen."

„As you command, Mistress." The Aspirator removed the map and went about his business.

Mist stared at the smaller scale map revealed once more. It portrayed a sad situation. The counteroffensive had bogged down in the sheer mass of the Matayangan foe. She was consuming her reserves in a struggle to maintain the integrity of her front. Still, fracture lines appeared faster than they could be patched. She leaned back, sighed in exhaustion and disappointment.

Never before had the empire been faced with the possibil­ ity of having to negotiate from a position of weakness. If the Matayangans didn't crack soon, her own armies would. Their resources were almost exhausted. Soon she would have to start stripping Western Army and the training legions.

Something touched her lightly, like a spiderweb encoun­ tered on a lonely woodland path. It enfolded her, seemed to pull at her.

She sat bolt upright. Somewhere some master of the Power was concentrating on her. She'd better ready her defenses.

A window burst inward. A low moan filled the room. There was a whump as something smashed into her table. Maps flew. Dust motes danced in the candlelight. A small arrow stood quivering in the tabletop. A piece of paper encircled its shaft.

She studied the arrow, sensed only the spells that had propelled it. She licked a finger, touched it to the paper. It let go of the arrow. She picked it up gingerly, read it. „Humph! Lord Lun-yu. Do we have a portal connecting us with Commander Western Army?"

„We did this morning, Mistress. I'll check."

She read the note again. So. Varthlokkur knew what was happening in the Throyen theater. Knew more than she, evidently. Lord Shih-ka'i had Bragi surrounded.

What damnfool notion had brought Bragi out of the mountains? Why hadn't he stayed there? The idiot!

Lord Lun-yu reappeared. „We do have an open portal, Mistress."

„Good. You know Lord Shih-ka'i. Go tell him to com­ plete his present operation without resorting to the Power."

„Mistress?"

„He's encircled Ragnarson."

Lord Lun-yu very nearly danced. Mist nodded gently. „Yes. But I've just had a message from Varthlokkur. If Lord Shih-ka'i uses the Power, he'll intercede. With all the might at his beck."

„So?"

„I'm aware of the emotion involved in this, Lord Lun-yu. I'm also aware that it would be easier to take Ragnarson using the Power. But risking the wrath of Varthlokkur and the Unborn is far more dangerous than risking meeting Ragnarson in normal combat. Do you see?"

Reluctantly, Lord Lun-yu admitted, „I did see the Un­ born in action during the wars, Mistress. I suppose we'd better give the wizard his way."

„Tell Lord Shih-ka'i to free up as many men as he can, too. Our reserve situation is desperate."

„Yes, Mistress. Mistress, can we trust the wizard to stay out of it now?"

„I think so. His word is usually good. Get going. The night is nearly gone. Lord Shih-ka'i will need time to adjust his plans."

„As you command, Mistress."

Mist gathered her maps. She began studying one which showed the debacle growing around the Argonese incursion along the Matayangan seacoast. „It was a good idea, Lord Kuo," she whispered to the ghost of her predecessor, „but you grossly overestimated the Argonese army."

„Officers and noncoms will take the last watch," Bragi said. „Let the men rest." He looked down at the encircling enemy camp. It was past midnight. His positions were as strong as they could be made.

Baron Hardle suggested, „You'd better get some sleep yourself. You look a bit hollow-eyed."

„Uhm. Maybe." He rubbed his eyes, knew there would be little sleep for him. He would be wrestling his conscience all night.

It was he the Tervola wanted.

He scanned the enemy again. One legion, he guessed. One legion that had been cut up some already. He had to get them to attack him. His bowmen could carve them up. Then a counterattack down the long flank, there, to open enough room for Gjerdrum to mount a charge. They couldn't keep Gjerdrum from breaking through if he got a run at them. Then the knights could hit them from the rear.

He snorted in self-derision. It sounded good, but it wouldn't work. The Tervola were going to use their power, and there was no way he could stop them. Unless. ... He stared northward, toward the far Dragon's Teeth.

He was worried. Could the wizard really let him go down? „Don't be negative," he told himself. „The situation is never impossible."

„Sire?"

„Nothing." He sketched his thoughts about pulling the enemy under his bows.

„Did Lord Hsung serve in the west during the wars?" Hardle asked.

„I don't think so. Why?"

„Toward the end they pretty well learned how to handle massed arrow fire."

„What do you think of negotiating, then?"

„Sire?"

„Hsung wants me. Suppose we could get him to let the army go if I turned myself over?"

„No," Gjerdrum said.

Hardle shook his head. „Not even in extremity. We rose together, we'll go down together."

„I want to do what's best for Kavelin. What happens if Kavelin loses two thirds of its best soldiers?"

„What happens if Kavelin loses a King who cares?" Sir Gjerdrum demanded. „You know who takes over. The Estates. Inger will be like a peasant girl trying to ride a wild stallion. They suckered her on that succession business."

Bragi smiled a thin, hard smile. „Don't be so sure. The Estates might find they were suckered. That's one tough lady when she makes up her mind. And she has some nasty friends."

„Norath," Gjerdrum said. „I nearly forgot."

„Norath. Among others. I want you to get some rest. Win or lose, it'll be a hard tomorrow."

Ragnarson slept, but just for a few hours. He was up watching the enemy encampment long before the stars began to fade. He wakened the cooks early, had food distributed to the men. He had the company commanders double-check weapons and equipment. He had his forces in position long before the morning breeze brought the sun ballooning up over the eastern horizon.

His enemy was as ready as he. The growing light revealed black armored soldiers drawn up in order of battle, behind a trench which entirely encircled the base of the hill. „So much for sending Gjerdrum in," he growled. „At least till we're able to counter-fill those ditches. Messenger. Tell Sir Gjerdrum I want the animals brought to the top of the hill. Everyone will fight on foot."

He peered down at the tent where the standard of Western Army stood. The standards of two legions flanked it. He scowled. Two legions? There weren't that many men out there... . Maybe it was elements of two legions, survi­ vors of the fighting in the south.

He began pacing round the hilltop, studying the enemy lines. They were extended temptingly thin. A captain less familiar with the legions would not have been able to resist.

He put temptation aside. „They have to come to me. Pray they don't try to do it the easy way by starving us out." Idly, he wondered if there were some way he could get a message to Yasmid asking her to step up her activities. Put Hsung under pressure to finish here, and... . Had Hsung beaten her already? But the way that prisoner had talked, Hsung's people had gotten the worst of it down there.

He shuddered. The legion drums had been pounding constantly since their arrival. The ceaseless rumble was getting on his nerves.

What was going on? Hsung being here had to have some meaning he couldn't fathom. Had to have. Something had happened. He looked north. „How much longer are you going to let me roast, wizard?"

The tenor of the eastern drums changed as the sun's lower limb cleared the horizon. Enemy troops began crossing their ditches and assembling facing the hill.

„Five cohorts," Bragi muttered. „Sending in almost half his men, like the five rays of a star. Just to test our stubbornness." But he wondered. Hsung hadn't even made a pretense of negotiation. That suggested both an intent to destroy Kavelin's army, and a supreme confidence in his ability to do so.

Why? Ragnarson wondered. He doesn't have the man­ power to be that confident... . The sorcery. Of course. They have it and I don't.

Any minute the first smashing blow would fall. The air would scream with the torment of deadly spells.

The beat of the drums changed again. Five cohorts surged forward.

Ragnarson pointed at a trumpeter. The man blew till his eyes bugged, a screaming sound new to Kavelin's signal repertoire.

The army's drums began pounding out a beat which partially drowned that of the eastern drums. Somewhere on the flanks of the hill the attackers would reach a point where they could no longer be sure of their own signals. Hopefully, they would become confused.

The first arrows arced into the sky, rained down on the enemy. A few men went down, but, as Hardle had feared, they had adjusted their shieldwork to cope. „Come on, Talison," Bragi muttered. „Get those arbalasts down low. Let them get their shields up, then cut them off at the knees."

He paced, circled the hill, watched each enemy force for a moment before moving on to watch another. On the lee of the hill he cussed a regimental commander who was a little slow. Almost immediately smoke rose from the dry grass.

Flames leapt to life, began running before the breeze.

„Good. That ought to slow that bunch." He moved on.

The combination of confusing drums, flames, plunging arrow fire, and crossbow fire low had its effect. The attack­ ing forces were growing ragged. But they came on. They approached the first ditch.

The real test would take place there.

Bragi paused to stare at the enemy headquarters. „When are you going to come with the witchery?" he wondered aloud. „You're overdue." Unconsciously, he hunched his shoulders against his neck.

The blow didn't come. Instead, more troops crossed the ditches below, advanced up the aisles unused by forces already climbing the hill.

„So. You're going to go for it all first try."

The first wave reached his first ditch. The clangor drowned the sound of the drums.

After a while, Bragi muttered, „Yes, going for it all first time." Hsung had kept just two cohorts in reserve. Ragnarson guessed that six thousand men were trying to fight their way up the hill. The defenders of the first ditch began to waver. Only on the grassfire side had the assault broken down.

He selected an average-looking section of slope and tried counting bodies. „Not bad," he grumbled. „But it could have been better. A whole hell of a lot better." His bowmen weren't doing nearly well enough. He had no way to estimate his own losses.

The long, bloody day dragged on. Eventually the first ditch had to be abandoned. Casualties nearly filled it. His men had given a good account of themselves. The tentativeness of the advance on the second ditch proved that.

Bragi glanced at the sun. A quarter of the day gone. Already. While time seemed to drag so slowly. He wished he had a taller hill and more trenches. Three had seemed enough when he had thought the bowmen would massacre whole formations.

Where was the sorcery? Why was Hsung wasting all those lives? Did he have something especially nasty waiting for just the right moment?

Noon. The second trench had fallen. The enemy seemed to have left half his number lying on the hillside. But now the arrows and crossbow bolts were spent. Now it would be strictly sword and spear, hammer and dagger and maul. Does it come now? Bragi thought. The great nasty blow?

No. The legionnaires just stood there, this side of the second ditch, resting behind their shields, daring him to mount a counterattack. He did not. He would not. Not till they compressed his forces a good deal more. Not till they had taken more casualties and were even more tired.

The casualty ratio favored Kavelin. The battle was a bloodbath, but Shinsan was doing more of the bleeding.

Sir Gjerdrum took advantage of the lull. „We're doing good over my way," he reported. „Considering who we're up against. I'd swear we're taking three of them down for every one we lose."

„That good? Maybe we'll go your way when we try the breakout."

„Think the third line will hold?"

„Can't say. They'll have to come against mostly fresh men. They'll show just how good they are if they do break it."

„Something stirring down there. I'd better get back."

Hsung's reserves crossed the trenches. A thousand men, Bragi estimated. Would they lead the next assault?

Where was the damned witchery?

Shinsan's drums altered their beat. The battle resumed.

The third line proved less stout than Ragnarson had hoped. Soon he was rushing reserves here and there to shore up weak spots. „Messenger!" he finally howled. „Get me Sir Gjerdrum." He scowled in the direction of the Dragon's Teeth. „Wizard, you'd better hope I don't get out of this. Because if I do, I'll get you." Then he laughed at himself. „Fool. Blaming it on somebody else. All your own fault, you know."

Sir Gjerdrum found him readying himself for battle. His bodyguard had formed the drummers, trumpeters, cooks, and least badly injured into a final reserve pool. „Sire? You wanted me?"

„Damned right. Start extricating your horsemen. It's time to try a breakout."

Gjerdrum scanned the action. „That would weaken the lines too much, wouldn't it?"

„Maybe. I'm taking this crowd down to stiffen them."

„Is that wise? If you're injured the men will lose heart."

„They'd collapse right now if they could. Half of them would run if there was anywhere to go. Gjerdrum, we're going to go down unless we do something. I know there's no room to launch a decent charge, but give it a try."

„What about the ditches?"

„What about them?"

Gjerdrum held his tongue. The ditches would kill men and animals. „Nothing, Sire. I understand." The situation was worse than he had thought. The hour of desperation had come.

„Varthlokkur may still show, Gjerdrum. Hang onto that." Ragnarson glared at the enemy headquarters. A handful of Tervola stood watching the hill. „Why haven't they used the Power?"

„I don't know, Sire. I almost wish they would."

„Do it when you're ready, Gjerdrum. I'll be too busy to give orders."

„As you command, Sire." Gjerdrum strode away.

Bragi ducked into his tent, collected his personal bow and arrows, signalled his bodyguard to follow him. He marched down the hill, selected a good vantage, loosed shafts careful­ ly. Each found a mark. The damage stalled the enemy in that sector. During the disorganization he forced his way into the battle line. A ragged cheer arose. It rolled round the line and came back, and began rolling again. „Remember Baxendala! Remember Palmisano!" The enemy troops wouldn't know what the shout of defiance meant, but the Tervola below would hear it and be piqued.

Shield smashed against shield. Swords clanged. Bragi used every vile trick he knew. He sent an eastern soldier to his knees. Another took his place. The tides pushed them apart. Bragi faced a third opponent. The man on his right fell with a cry. Another bodyguard took his place.

The shout went up again. „Remember Palmisano!"

Bragi hardly noticed. His mind had gone on pure auto­ matic. Stroke. Heave shield. Kick. Parry. Stab. Howl. Curse. Sweat. Especially sweat. Curse again as a vicious blow hit his shield so hard his arm went numb.

He had been here a thousand times. All the battles of his life melded into this one. He no longer knew or cared whom he fought. Time stood still.

But time hadn't stood still for his flesh. He was a man in his forties. He didn't have the stamina of decades past. His legs were pillars of stone, his arms limp bars of lead. Sweat ran into his eyes, stinging. And still! he fought, lost in the dust and stink and bang and clang.

He did not hear the trumpets sound Sir Gjerdrum's charge. He did not witness it, either. Sir Gjerdrum led his charge down the nether face of the hill. He did respond when neighboring companies began backpedaling, drifting toward the opening Gjerdrum rent.

The shouting and cursing redoubled. Horses without riders screamed and reared and tried to flee through the press. Wounded men and animals carpeted the earth.

Bragi's bodyguards shouted at him to back off, to let them surround him. He flung a wild stroke at an enemy soldier, ducked back.

Something like a god's hammer hit his ribs on his left side. The breath exploded out of him. He couldn't groan. He felt his broken ribs grating. His bodyguards seized him, kept him upright. Red swirled around him, became black­ ness.

Gjerdrum was disappointed. Too many of the horsemen had fallen already, and he'd been able to extricate only a portion of the survivors. He guessed he had at most five hundred with which to attempt the breakout. He formed them with knights at the shock point, light horse behind and on the flanks, charged with keeping the aisle open once the knights broke through.

„Ready?" he asked.

„Ready, sir," the officers replied. They were pale, unsure. They too knew the ditches would be bad.

Gjerdrum scanned the fighting. The lines were holding. The ragged Palmisano cheer ran round and round the circle. Maybe it would be better to stand here. He had his orders. „Sound the advance."

Horns blared. Gjerdrum started forward at a walk. The infantry had been warned. He hoped they were paying attention.

They were. They began forming aisles. Gjerdrum spurred his mount.

There wasn't much room, but he did get up a little speed. He drove his lance into the eye of an enemy, yanked it free, struck at another. His mount ploughed into the line. Enemy soldiers flew away. His lance snapped. He drew his sword, flailed about himself. His companions pressed from behind, driving him through. His animal lurched forward, toward the ditch.

He glanced back. A rent a hundred yards wide had been torn through the circle. Already the army was pouring through.

He looked forward again, estimating the ditch, trying to decide where to form up once he reached the plain. He had to hit the enemy headquarters... .

A shadow caught his eye. He glanced up. Already the crows were circling.

The ditch! He reined in frantically. He could negotiate it by walking his mount.

Someone ploughed into him from behind. His mount tripped over a corpse, went down in front. He tumbled forward.

„Oh, damn!" The earth came up to meet him. The wind burst out of him. Feebly, he fought to regain his feet. The weight of his armor was too much for his weakened muscles.

He did make it to his knees.

A knight plowed into him. He went over backward, tumbling into the ditch. His helmet flew off. He lost his sword. He came to rest on his back.

He saw a screaming horse and flailing rider falling side­ ways toward him. A wild, ironshod hoof drove toward his face. He flung up an arm. Too late.

There was but an instant of pain before the Dark Lady gathered him to her bosom.

When consciousness returned Ragnarson found himself at the top of the hill, supported between two bodyguards, in plain view of friend and foe. The battle continued, but the third line had broken. The enemy had forced a melee. He swore. Bloody spittle dribbled into his beard. „Sir Gjerdrum?" he croaked.

„Dead," a bodyguard replied. „Some of them broke out, Sire. Eight hundred or a thousand. Most just ran for it. A few tried to attack Hsung. He drove them off." The man's voice was shaky. His face was pale and sweaty. He was terrified.

Bragi tried to support his own weight. Pain stabbed through his left side. He nearly went down.

„Stand up, Sire. Stand up. You have to stay up. They'll keep fighting as long as you're standing."

„No," he gasped. „Let them stop. Don't let them throw their lives away."

„They're taking no prisoners, Sire. No prisoners. They're killing anybody who tries to surrender."

„That's stupid." Ragnarson tried to curse Varthlokkur, Hsung, Mist and himself. Especially himself. No words would come. Not till, looking one bodyguard in the eye, he managed to gasp, „I'm sorry."

„Stand up, Sire," the man said as he sagged again. „You have to stand up."

A remote spark of will forced stiffness into his legs. He stood, ignoring the pain, closing his eyes to what was happening to the finest army the west had ever produced.

From far, far away he heard the clang of sword upon sword as eastern soldiers reached the ring of men surround­ ing him. He lost consciousness.

A soldier heaved at Baron Hardle's shoulder, trying to obtain his attention. „My Lord. My Lord!"

Hardle whirled, blade slashing. The soldier ducked, hav­ ing anticipated the stroke. Hardle recognized him. „Sorry, man. What is it?"

„We need you up top. The King is down. Sir Gjerdrum is dead."

Hardle eased out of the fighting, looked uphill. The royal guard had formed for a last stand. He saw the King sagging in the arms of his men. „How bad is he?"

„Smashed up, but not mortally. He passed out. Ribs stove in."

Hardle strode uphill. „Get that standard straightened up, soldier," he bellowed. „Let's see some pride." He attained the crown of the hill, surveyed the situation.

It did not look good. Those who had managed to break out were still running, not turning to help their comrades. „A curse on the lot of you," Hardle thundered. „May your cowardice be remembered forever. May they write songs of scorn naming your infamous names. May your children spit upon your graves." He almost enjoyed himself once he got going.

„A pity Prataxis isn't here to record this," he muttered. „The great last words of the rogue Nordmen. Talison! You yellow-livered son of a bitch, get back down there with your men and get a line formed." In a softer voice, „Got to break this melee somehow. You. You. You. Get over there and spook the rest of those horses. Run them down the hill."

„My Lord, if we run them off, how will we... ."

„Don't worry your pretty head about how you're going to get away, darling. You're not going to. Not unless we whip these bastards. If you try, I'll cut you down myself. I make myself clear? Anyone else in the dark?"

In fifteen minutes of frenzied order-giving he almost regained control. Almost. The absence of the men who had run made the difference. Once he was certain it was too late, he looked down on the enemy headquarters and murmured, „You know not what all you kill today, Tervola. Kavelin, we mourn thee before thy passing." He punched the men nearest him, demanding their attention. „You. You. All of you. Start chanting. Baxendala. Palmisano. So they never forget."

The end came slowly but inexorably. The madness of their overlords drove the eastern soldiers to needless death. Those great fools wanted so much more than victory. Nothing could satisfy them.

One by one, Kavelin's best went down.

Hardle was among the last. He died with a curse upon his lips, not for his enemies but for his brethren, those of his own class who would now have a free hand with the kingdom.