Singer's Reward

by Hausladen, Blake;

  “Then it is agreed?” I asked. “We take this to Evand?”

  “No, boys,” Dia said. “He is our king and Geart might have only the one bird aloft right now, but he knows exactly where you and the children are. You are staying right here. Evand can come to us.”

  Messengers moved back and forth across the city once again. The assembly hall beneath the gatehouse parapet was not the best space for the meeting, a bit cramped and drafty from the murder holes that looked down onto the road below, but I was the only one idle long enough to notice these details.

  The table filled with maps and the room filled with kings, queens, and generals. A crackle somewhere close was followed by the removal of the darkness I’d not noticed creaking upon me.

  Somewhere outside, a Chaukai lay dead at Soma’s feet, and the necessity of it stole my good spirits. Dia took my arm as the room began to fill. Her mood was as plain as my own. Soma arrived with Fana and Evela, and Leger did not like their easy expressions any more than we did.

  Yarik was the last to arrive, after riding in from the fields west of the city. The yellow cloak and etched armor of the Hurdu made him look like a pompous tit, but I managed to embrace him despite their being witnesses to it. Rahan and Evand did the same without looking uncomfortable, so maybe it was just me that time.

  “Is Emi joining us?” Rahan asked Evand.

  “She stayed at the clock tower, for the same reason that Barok did not come to me.”

  “Geart knows where Emilia is as well?”

  “We cannot assume that he does not,” Evand said, and laid a fresh map on top of mine. It was another of Emi’s engraving, with numbers scribbled next to all the formations of men and beast inside the city and out. I’d seen the positions from the battlement, so only the numbers were of important to me.

  * * *

  Beasts or thralls (growing):2,120,000

  Armies of the Kaaryon: 1,041,067

  Blue, green, yellow: 192,127

  Regulars/provincials: 343,701

  militia/freeman: 505,207

  Soul-irons: 32

  * * *

  “Is that all he has?” I asked.

  “Yes. Sikhek may have done more damage to Geart than we had though. Emilia can see beyond Alsonbrey and Alsonelm now, and that is the number from this morning. The thralls he has in line are few in number now—only a few thousand.”

  “What does growing mean?” Yarik asked.

  Evand replied, “His beasts are carrying people to him from places beyond Emi’s sight. It is only a trickle of hundreds, though. He is losing beasts to the river faster than he is replacing them,” Evand said. “His advantage is not great, considering how flimsy some of his beasts are.”

  “Flimsy?” Rahan asked.

  “These are not the Hessier we grew up dreading. Their bodies fail if damaged enough to overcome the magic holding them together, and the touch of fear each inflicts is small. We have numerous corroborating reports now, both from action near the spillway and Dagoda. ”

  “Are they in the rivers or beneath the lake?” Leger asked.

  “A few, but so far they seem to be ones that have gotten stuck on something as the river sweep them along the bottom. They fall in, tumble for a bit, and then stop moving. There are a couple spots that catch them. They don’t make it long before the river pulls them apart.”

  “Emilia can see all of this?” I asked, still unsure how such a power could exist.

  The room nodded at me.

  “You have heard Leger’s assessment of our position?” I asked Evand.

  “Yes, I have. Tell me in your own word. Why has Geart not attacked since Soma’s mission escaped him at Dagoda?”

  “He knows enough about us to believe we do not have enough singers or Vesteal blood to perform the song. He moved fast against Sikhek, and again against our action in Dagoda. He has since backed off and we believe he will move carefully until we give him reason to rush. He was a Hemari most of his life, and everything thing we know of his actions since he jumped overboard reflect the military man underneath. He will encircle and strangle us unless we convince him to attack.”

  Rahan asked, “And we are certain Emilia cannot power this song the way she does others?”

  Soma stepped forward, and the room gave the battered admiral a moment. She said, “Emilia can get no nearer to the druids or Leger, than she can to me. She is a loadstone for magic, but quite the opposite when near those touched by the Spirit of the Earth. She would cancel the song, not make it stronger. Dagoda proved it.”

  “And if we were to get her near Geart, do we think she would do the same to him?” Rahan asked.

  “If you could overcome two million other obstacles, yes. I believe she would have the same effect on Geart as she does on me. When the time comes, though, when his Hessier are dead, I will remove the Shadow from him. Do not leave it to the girl. I have lived a long life. Hers is just starting.”

  Evand thanked her and the room echoed his sentiment. He turned to Evela. “Have the druids stirred? Could they sing, even if it was a ruse?”

  Evela and Fana both shook their heads and Evand turned to me.

  “How can we proceed if we cannot even fake the song?”

  “I can sing it,” Dia said.

  The room did not know how to react. Evela and Fana looked cross. Evand did not trust it. “You learned the song?”

  “I did and I can sing it. Geart will know my voice, and he will throw everything he has it us the way he did at Dagoda. If the army can fight him, I can make him attack.”

  Evand looked to Soma, who nodded her agreement. Yarik and I did the same.

  Rahan was smiling when he said, “There will never be more engineers in this city than there are today.”

  “Call them,” Evand said, “and roll up your sleeve.”

  It was the dream of every Hemari general, and the room became a cauldron of activity as Evand and Rahan set the entire officer corps to the task of preparing our defenses for a charge of the Hessier. Drawing after drawing of trench lines, pickets, and streets painted with tar and pitch were made. Escape routes for the forward companies were planned, and a company of cartographers was assembled to get copies of street maps make for the captain who would need them. The ready fire ships were repositioned to the east side of Deyalu Island in hopes of slamming all six into the first bridge formed by dead Hessier. A score more were being prepared to follow on, and Rahan’s engineers reconfirmed their readiness to cut the spillway and invite the river to wash along the east wall.

  “Not enough,” I said while men and orders moved around us like clicking gears.

  “Brother, this is your plan,” Evand said as the room continued to move. “Do you see a flaw?”

  “No,” I said, but the feeling did not go away. I studied their maps and listened while they discussed where to position our priests and how to get them out of harms way as they abandoned the Copper Quarter. The entire district would burn when the time came, and every man with a bow would be in range of the Tin Bridge when battle arrived there.

  Soma and Mercanfur moved tall ships down river while the Hemari got to work, and the archer aboard those ships killed thousands along the banks before Geart could withdrew them. Sewin was more daring still, sending galleys gliding along the shore of the lake to fire ballistas deep into the black ranks. His response time did not improve as they found beast again and again that have moved into range, until he moved the entire mass back from the river.

  Evand similarly moved all of our force great in number but weak in strength deep into the Warren, to deny Geart the opportunity to stealing away a mass of men to turn into Hessier.

  All of it was done well. Bessradi was ready, and our defenses were getting stronger every moment.

  “Barok, what is wrong?” Dia asked.

  “You know me. The better things are going, the worse I feel about myself and my plans.”

  “Better than the reverse. Come, the day is all but over. Tonight might be the
last good sleep we get.”

  When I laid my head down, I was convinced I would spend a restless night trying to figure out why Geart was allowing us to gather such advantage. The last thing I remember is Dia tucking Cavim into my arms.

  84

  Queen Dia Vesteal

  Fana Sedauer

  The morning came with unwelcome details. The assembly hall was noisy before the dawn and the gatehouse began to sway. We got ourselves together, and went out to find Leger getting ready to knock on our door. Food was handed to us, while the busy officers continued their work. Leger pointed through one of the murder holes at the masses of men moving back into the Warrens.

  “Evand had every man in the Warrens at it all night,” Leger said. “He thinks we should do it before midday.”

  “Already?” Barok asked and we were forced to gobble down what we could before Leger led us up. Evand was there alone. We joined him as the last of the Warren’s people were crossing the bridge. He pointed us north toward the top of Lake Rahan and back south toward Dagoda. Black smudges blotted both landscapes.

  “How many?” I asked.

  “A hundred thousand in each group give or take. They started moving after sundown. Most of the beasts have proved to be poor swimmers but many could make it across and get behind us. The group to the south has already started into the water. Geart is doing as you predicted.”

  “He could get around us and go after the refugees on the tithe roads,” I said.

  Evand nodded. “I could call every ship and send a division of Hurdu in each direction to counter them, but once they engage, this could get out of control. I was hoping that—”

  “We must sing at once,” I said before he wasted any more time trying to convince me. “I heard Leger say midday, but we cannot wait until those groups have crossed the river and can let them loose. We need his focus divided. I should start singing as soon as you are ready.”

  “Where will you do it?”

  “Barok, we discussed all of this yesterday. You are here. I will sing from a small park inside the third row of tower homes. Everyone say their farewell quickly so I can get moving.”

  Evand looked at Leger as though they’d talked through how that conversation was supposed to have gone, but he was quick to move passed their miscalculations. Evand kissed my cheek, saluted Leger, and wrapped Barok in a hug. “Until we meet again.”

  Barok was not nearly as equipped for the sudden goodbye as pennants went up and the noise of soldiers rose. He kissed me but it did not help his mood. He was as frantic as the day we tried to steal an apple harvest.

  “Barok, look at me,” I said while he cast around as if he was missing something. “Hey. I am right here. Barok. Stop. What is wrong? We discussed all of this.”

  “I don’t ... I don’t remember all of the planning. I feel like I am missing something.”

  Evand reached the street below and his horses were fast and loud upon the road. I said to Barok, “Yours is the easy part today. Blathebed and the Sermod are carrying the weight. All you need to do is signal back to me when Geart has committed to an attack. I’ll stop singing and return to you here.”

  “Right. Yes. Go. I am fine. Woke up too fast.”

  Leger called Barok over to the battlement. “He’ll be fine. Just needs to get his blood moving.”

  “See that he does,” I said hurried down.

  Gern was there and we moved across the road and through the forest of white towers to the small park we’d selected. The place let half made, its trees fresh-planted. Soul-irons stood guard all around it.

  “Call if you need me,” Gern said and withdrew back toward the gatehouse.

  A chair was waiting for me in the center of the park, and I sat down and admired the stonework of the path for a moment.

  I uncrossed my legs and got ready to sing as though it was as simple a task as the hurried breakfast or the opening of a door. I’d said I could do it, and as I tried to think how that could be true, I began to worry.

  Was I missing something, too? The sleep had been so wonderful, and the time with Barok more than I dreamed to expect. But that last day—it had gone so fast.

  I had no idea at all how to sing the song. When had I gotten the idea that I could?

  I started to stand up, but fell back into the chair. I was a bit dizzy and rubbed by eyes. When I looked up Fana and Lilly stood upon the stone path, and the soul-irons had gathered close. My hands and feet had been tied. Evela stood at my shoulder, with a dagger in hand. Fana held two bundles. They didn’t make sense to me, but it seemed I should know what was in them.

  “Are you ready, Dia?” she asked and guided Lilly toward me.

  “Ready for what?” I asked and looked around, certain I had dropped something. My head throbbed with pain and the dizziness got worse.

  The bundles. She had Cavim and Clea. They had not been there when Barok and I woke up. A magic had used to make us forget them.

  Forgotten.

  The word bashed around violently inside my head. So many things had been forgotten. Old things. I laughed out loud as I recognized who my enemy was.

  Fana cocked her head at me at she sat Lilly down in front of my chair.

  “When did you possess my friend?” I asked the ghost of the druid behind Fana’s eyes.

  She frowned at me and laid my son and daughter on the bare stone.

  “You started taking her the moment Barok arrived in Enhedu, didn’t you?”

  Her head came up. “How is it you’ve see me?”

  “The magic that made me forget my children. No one else has been affected by such a magic—except of course all those that get near the Mother Yew. Sikhek forgot about you. Kyoden’s memory was for shit. And then there is Zoviya itself that somehow forget entirely that Edonia ever existed. That one I have to thank you for, but the rest, I don’t know. You and I need to talk, I think.”

  Fana folded her arms and glared at me. Evela put the knife to my throat and checked the ropes she’d bound me with.

  She was moving from body to body. She had possessed all three of them.

  Hold on, girls. This bitch has seen her last sunrise.

  “You were one of Kyoden’s druids, right?” I asked Fana. “But why were you the only druid that died in the yew forest? Kyoden said they had died much earlier to ambushes and murder. You sold Kyoden to Sikhek, didn’t you, for a few words and some mercury? Bet it was a real shock when Sikhek killed you. How did he do it?”

  Evela stumbled and Fana said, “All this talking with change nothing. And don’t bother screaming or carrying on. My soul-irons will kill any who come to save you.”

  I laugh as I understood more of this wretched old ghost that had plagued us. “You picked the wrong one, didn’t you? Barok came to Enhedu and you woke, just another ghost in the yew. You got busy trying to get hold of Fana, thinking Barok would love her. You would be the mother of Vesteal and Barok would have a harem of doe-eyes Enhedu girls making enough children for you to do whatever magic you wanted. Then I showed up, and took him away from you. Oh, you hate me. Bet you tried to get me a couple times, too, didn’t you? Why did you fail, I wonder?”

  “Shut up, Dia,” Fana said. “This world is mine now and you will be the one who unlocks the heavens for me.”

  I laughed so loud then that she switched back to Evela and cut my face.

  “Careful, you need me to perform. I couldn’t help but laugh though. You didn’t try to get me because I’d been poisoned by the priest’s medicine. Who else did you try and fail to get? The Dame kicked you ass a dozen times, I bet.”

  I thought through all of my dead friends she might have corrupted and tortured, and remembered the night when Pemini fell to the floor of the kitchen and cried. She and Fana had been fighting. There was only one reason that fit, and I let the thought go. Barok would not have known.

  Fana handed Lilly a dagger and the ghosts switched into the girl. I was about to lose my chance.

  “Where is your child, Fana?”
I asked. “Come on, don’t you want to gloat, even a little?”

  Lilly struggled for a moment with the knife, and I looked at the rest of those with her. Only soul-irons. No Sermod.

  “You’ll not get hold of Gern or Leger,” I said.

  “I will soon enough, Dia,” Lilly said, before realizing she’d given away the only thing that mattered.

  “Gern,” I screamed with all that was in me as Lilly began to sing. I tried to scream his name again, but the words moved through me as the song filled my ears.

  Blue light exploded from me.

  85

  King Barok Vesteal

  The Battle for Bessradi, Day Three

  When the blue light blasted up from the park, I felt better, if a bit blinded.

  “That’s brighter that I was expecting,” Leger said.

  I was rubbing my eyes and nodding my head when he grabbed my arm. “Here they come.”

  I blinked and hurried across the battlement and one signal flag after another along the entire Copper Quarter went down. The Hessier were attacking the entire wall.

  The moment shook me awake and I wanted more than anything to grab up my children and vanish with them to Enhedu. It turned instead to watch the slaughter we’d engineered, and not one of those following moment surprised me.

  Arrows ranged over the walls from the top of the Copper Quarter, thirty-seven thousand at a time, while an entire section of wall fell outward with an earth-shaking boom. Black form appeared above the wreckage and the fire from the top of the hill slammed at the swirling dust as the colonels there called every Chaukai longbow in Bessradi to fire at will.

  The flag atop Rahan’s tower came down then, and I shrugged as a small froth of white water appeared at the mouth of the Moat River.

  “Look there,” Leger said and hit me on the arm.

  “First of all, that hurts. Second, I am look—”

  The monstrous tower above the river was moving. It separated from the wall, slid toward the river, and with a slap of breaking stone it fell into the Bessradi. Water blasted down through the deep wound left by the tower’s absence, and white froth the size of Tin Bridge sent bounders and black forms tumbling into the soup of broken stone.