She sets the goblet on the table and moves around it toward him.
He sets down his goblet. As their arms go around each other, Lorn wonders at the sense of vulnerability he senses beneath her competent exterior… What is he missing?
But that wonder lasts but for a moment as their lips meet, and another type of marvel replaces the wonder.
Part II
Lorn alt, Biehl
XII
As Lorn walks northward from the square in Biehl where the firewagon stops, within two blocks, he reaches the harbor area. To his right are the piers, and to his left-westward-is a short row of structures-their lower levels plastered and whitewashed. Both plaster and whitewash are worn away in places, exposing the old yellow brick beneath. The second stories of those buildings that have upper levels are of weathered planks, whose whitewash has mostly flaked away.
His eyes flick from the faded sign bearing the crossed candles of a chandlery, to a cooper’s shop, and then to another building with no sign. Turning, his gear in hand, Lorn studies the three harbor piers-crude timber structures, weathered and splintered in places, not at all like the white stone piers of Cyad, Fyrad, or Summerdock. The piers jut out into the river that begins somewhere in the western reaches of the Hills of Endless Grass. Two schooners are tied at the middle pier, and an oceangoing brig at the outer one. The innermost, although empty, is more for smaller craft, Lorn suspects, and perhaps for fishing vessels unloading.
Both piers and the small city of Biehl lie on the western side of the River Behla. On the eastern side, there is a smaller town, and but what appears to be a dilapidated single pier, part of its shoreward side rising out of a mud-bank or sandbar. From what the firewagon drivers had told him, the Mirror Lancer compound lies north of the piers and farther west on a low bluff overlooking the Northern Ocean, or that stretch of water where the Northern and Great Western Oceans meet.
The odors of dead fish, mud, and salt water mix in the cool breeze blowing off the blue-black water north beyond the harbor. Streaks of white top the short and choppy waves in the harbor.
Since Biehl has no carriage for hire, not that the firewagon drivers knew, Lorn resumes walking, past the outermost pier, and the brig that bears a dark blue ensign-that of Spidlar, he thinks. Ahead the ground rises, and the uneven cobblestones of the road give way to granite paving stones, cracked and no longer set evenly but still more level than the stones of the road that flanks the harbor. The handful of trees yet bear winter-gray leaves, showing that spring comes later in Biehl.
The bluff is little more than a hill less than twenty cubits higher than the water of the harbor, and the Mirror Lancer port compound is small. That Lorn can tell even as he walks toward the gates. The yellow brick walls stand little more than five cubits, and extend less than a eighty cubits on a side away from the gates-oiled golden oak, and open.
A single guard looks warily at the approaching Mirror Lancer officer.
Finally, the stripling speaks. “Ser?” His voice squeaks.
“I’m Overcaptain Lorn.” He shows the lancer the seal ring. “I couldn’t find a carriage; so I walked.”
“Ah… ser… there be none for hire here.”
“I suspected such. Which is the headquarters building?”
“On the left, ser, but there be no one there but Squad Leader Helkyt, ser.”
“That’s fine.” As he steps through the gates, Lorn realizes that the young guard doesn’t equate him with an incoming detachment commander.
He studies the two weathered yellow-brick buildings in the middle of the compound, each long and narrow, and what appears to be a stable set against the rear wall. The roofs of all the structures are of a split gray slate, and there are patches of moss growing from between splits in the slate. Some moss also grows in the cracks between the ancient granite paving stones of the courtyard.
An open door beckons from the headquarters building to Lorn’s left, and he walks toward it. There, he steps into the foyer and sets down his gear, then moves through the archway into a corridor. On the right-hand side of the corridor is another door, ajar, and Lorn peers in. The gloomy room is shallow and broad with a dais on which is a table desk with two chairs behind it. The space before the dais is vacant, and the stone tiles of the floor are dusty. Faint cobwebs adorn the closed window shutters. : The overcaptain turns to the door on the other side of the corridor, also ajar. He looks through the span-wide opening. Inside what appears to be a study, a senior squad leader leans back in the weathered oak chair, his boots propped on a footchest of the type that contains Mirror Lancer records. His eyes are closed, and he snores, intermittently. To his right is a closed door, presumably to the commander’s inner study.
Lorn backs away from the doorway, wondering what else he may find. He leaves his gear in the foyer and walks slowly along the side of the building. Leaves have drifted into the corners between the courtyard paving stones and the bricks of the walls, scattered over dirt packed against the cracked and faded yellow bricks.
From the building across from the one containing the port-detachment studies, three lancers emerge. They stop and look at each other. Lorn can hear the murmurs.
“…young officer…”
“…overcaptain’s bars…”
“…some senior commander’s son… think it’s the new commander?”
“…nah… too young… only send old dungblowers here.”
As Lorn turns toward the three, the murmurs die away, and they walk briskly toward the guard at the compound gate. Lorn turns back toward the door leading into the headquarters, but before he goes more than a halfscore of steps, the squad leader who had been snoring scurries from the building toward Lorn, fumbling a soiled green garrison cap into place over thinning gray hair.
“Ser?” The heavyset senior squad leader stops, then bows. “I’m Overcaptain Lorn. I’m here to take over command of the port detachment. Is there a commanding officer here, or did he leave before I reported?”
“Ah, ser… Overcaptain Madlyr, he died of a flux… almost half a season ago. We’d been wondering when someone would come.”
“I’m here.” Lorn pulls forth the order scroll. “I didn’t get your name, Squad Leader.”
“Helkyt, ser. Helkyt.” He takes the scroll. Lorn shows the seal ring.
“Ah, yes, ser.” Helkyt pauses. “That your gear in the headquarters foyer, ser?”
“It is. I thought I’d take a look around… while you were resting.” Helkyt flushes, but continues. “If you’d like, we can go to your quarters, and you can drop your gear there first.”
“That would be fine.”
Lorn steps past the squad leader with the thinning blond hair and the overround, jowled face, and walks into the headquarters foyer, where he reclaims his bags. He nods to Helkyt, who turns and walks northward along the side of the building.
The commander’s quarters are on the second level of the headquarters building at the end away from the entrance Lorn had found first. There is a staircase directly up from the foyer, and the hollowed sunstone steps are dusty. The six-paneled door is of golden oak, and there are separations in the wood around the panels.
With the bronze key Helkyt has produced, Lorn unlocks and opens the door and steps into a small square foyer. The floor is of alternating green and cream diamond-shaped ceramic tiles. Lorn looks to the right. Through the archway is a small room, a study with a built-in bookcase, and a narrow desk. Before the desk is a straight-backed oak chair with a scrolled back- an ancient chair, or an old chair with an ancient design.
On the left is an open door that shows a small bedchamber with a narrow single bed.
Lorn steps ahead into the large main room, which contains two settees, upholstered in a green velvet, two armchairs and a low table, and several armless chairs set against the walks. Two of the chairs flank a sideboard. On the left outer wall are four narrow windows. On the right inner wall is a set of open double doors that show a larger bedchamber. Lorn steps through
the doors and sets the bags on the green-tiled floor. A modest double-sized bed without posts and with a low headboard is flanked by two tables with tarnished bronze lamps set on each. A faded green shimmercloth spread covers the bed. On one side of the small door that leads to a bathing chamber is a dressing table. On the other are two oversized armoires, set side by side. The bedchamber also has four narrow windows that match those in the main room.
“Ser… Some commanders, years back, ser, they brought their consorts.”
“Mine might visit,” Lorn says, “but she won’t stay long.”
“Ser?”
“She’s the head of a trading house.”
“Yes, ser.”
Lorn turns and leaves the bedchamber.
“Ser… ah… I’ll tell Daelya that you’ll be needing the quarters cleaned.”
Lorn nods. “If she could do that this afternoon while you and I talk over the situation here…”
“Yes, ser. She is your cook, also, ser.”
The remaining rooms of the quarters consist of a dining room with a table large enough to seat a dozen, a kitchen with a huge ceramic stove that must be generations old, a breakfast room, and a back pantry, off which are service side stairs down to the courtyard.
Lorn nods to himself as he completes the quick tour and studies Helkyt. “I’d like to look at the barracks, and the stables, and everything else.”
“Now… ser?”
“Now.” Lorn smiles. “How will I know what you are talking about unless I see it?”
“Yes, ser.” Helkyt’s professional tone does not quite cover the dismay and resignation in his voice, but he turns and leads Lorn back down the steps. They cross the dusty paved courtyard to the other long building, entering through the double doors in the middle.
The odors of age, urine, and spoiled food assault Lorn before he has taken his second step into the barracks building. He glances around. The plan is similar to that of the barracks at Isahl, with two barracks areas flanking an open center mustering area.
Lorn turns left.
“Ah, ser… The north end has been closed for some time.”
Lorn nods and keeps walking past the columns. While the bunk frames remain, it is almost impossible to discern them for the discarded materials scattered over and around them. Lorn can make out rotted timbers, empty and broken barrels, a twisted firelance shaft, several sets of shutters, and splotches of liquids on the tiles.
He turns and walks back through the mustering area, heading toward the area in use.
“Officer in the barracks!” Helkyt announces.
The first two bunks are unoccupied, bare horsehair mattresses sitting in frames, without even footchests at their base.
Two lancers stand before footchests at the next set of bunks. Both are young, certainly younger than Lorn had been when he began lancer training. They wear but smallclothes. Lorn raises his eyebrows.
“They had guard duty at the gates last night, ser.”
Lorn nods. “You can get some rest for now.”
“Yes, ser,” the two reply in near unison.
The remainder of the bunks are empty, but blankets lie strewn carelessly over mattresses, and dust has gathered in corners. Three of the footchests are open, and one lacks hinges and a lid.
Lorn’s boots find sticky patches on the tiles as he walks along the barracks bay. He turns and walks back past the reclining lancers and out through the mustering area. Finally, he stands in the clean air outside the barracks.
He looks at Helkyt. “Let’s see the rest.”
“Yes, ser.”
As he follows the rotund squad leader, Lorn only hopes that the stables, the armory, the storerooms, and other sections of the compound will prove less in need of cleaning and repair.
XIII
On the first morning after his arrival in Biehl, Lorn sets the list he has written up on the wide desk in the administrative headquarters. Then he surveys the room more carefully than he had the day before. Like everything else in the Mirror Lancer compound at Biehl, the study Lorn has as a compound commander is larger than those he has seen elsewhere-and far older. None of the five manuals in the built-in oak bookcase has been opened in years, if not generations, as Lorn discovers when lifting one and discovering that a thin strip of leather from the binding remains stuck to the wood of the shelves.
Fine cracks adorn the antique golden oak table desk, and he has never seen the like of either the ornate swirled bronze lamps or the wall sconces in which they rest. The chair behind the desk is large-and heavy. Dust puffs from the wide green cushion that covers the seat when Lorn plumps it. He rubs his nose, managing not to sneeze.
The window is stiff, but he eases it open enough to let in some of the moister and cleaner outside air. Then he reseats himself behind the desk, glancing toward the two chests filled with less than perfectly kept records, the study of which had occupied much of the previous evening.
After a deep breath, he clears his throat and calls, “Helkyt!”
The door opens, and the squad leader appears. “Yes, ser?”
Lorn motions for Helkyt to take one of the chairs on the other side of the table desk. He waits for the man to seat himself, and for a bit longer, before he begins. “We have more than a few matters to take care of around here, Helkyt,” Lorn says with a cheer he scarcely feels.
“Yes, ser.” Helkyt’s voice is even, wary.
“First, best you know why I was sent here.”
“That had puzzled me, ser, I must admit.”
“You may have heard that the barbarians have been increasing their attacks to the east and the south of here. Isahl, Inividra, Assyadt-they’ve all had more and more attacks by larger and larger groups.”
“I hadn’t heard that, ser, but there’s much we don’t hear in Biehl.”
“The Majer-Commander needs more trained lancers.” Lorn waits.
“Ah… so…”
Lorn nods. “You understand that with the barbarians becoming more active… well… the Emperor does need more lancers in Assyadt… and we can either train them or find ourselves being transferred. All of us.”
Helkyt tries to avoid swallowing.
“We both would rather recruit and train more lancers. That means we’ll have to clean up the north wing of the barracks, and start acquiring more mounts, and sabres. We can only do a little of the firelance training here, because those lances are needed elsewhere, but I’ll be seeing if we can be sent a few more, just in case the barbarians decide to come westward from Jera. It also means that we’ll have to be ready to begin training no later than the turn of summer.”
“The turn of summer, ser?”
The overcaptain gives the senior squad leader another smile. “I’m certain you can help me work this out, Helkyt. I’d much rather rely on someone of your experience in Biehl than to break in someone new.”
“I am sure we can meet the Majer-Commander’s requirements, ser. Ah… will there be other officers… company captains?”
“I was led to believe that I have the first opportunity here, Helkyt. I’d like to be able to work it out between us. If it proves to take too long, though, there could be several officers arriving, and the Majer-Commander would just bring in an entire new cadre.”
“I am most sure we can work out matters, ser. Most sure.”
Lorn leans back in his chair, but only slightly. “I am most pleased that you feel that way. Both the Majer-Commander and His Mightiness are known to reward success as surely as they punish failure. We would both prefer the rewards, I believe.”
“Yes, ser. Yes, ser.” Helkyt nods his head twice, quickly.
“Now… let’s talk about what we can do immediately. The payroll first, because it affects how many new lancers we can train. I’ve been looking at those records.”
Helkyt remains impassive in his chair, but his eyes flicker.
“The numbers don’t add up.” The overcaptain shrugs. “We cannot change the past, and I won’t pass judgment on
what has happened.” He pauses. “But it won’t keep happening. We have a payroll enough for two companies of lancers. We have less than one company. We aren’t recruiting that many young lancers, and I would guess many of their skills are suspect. So… we’ll have to make sure the lancers who aren’t so good get retrained, as well. I’d like you to begin organizing the training program-both for recruits and for those who need more training. Pick the two best riding lancers for mount and formation training and the two best for sabres. They can be the same men, or they can be different. I may help out, as I can.” Lorn frowns. “At first, with the sabre training, we’d best pad the blades to begin with, at least until the younger ones know which side has an edge and which does not.”
Helkyt nods his head up and down slowly, then takes out a piece of squarish cloth and blots his forehead.
Lorn ignores the gesture and continues. “I’ll meet with you and with the men you’ve chosen first thing tomorrow.” He looks at the next item on his handwritten list. “The pay chest is the next thing. There’s much of that payroll that seems to have disappeared. I’m sure that if you looked, you could find some of it. We’re going to need it.” Lorn smiles at Helkyt. “I’m also sure that if a good portion of the missing silvers and golds turn up and we accomplish what the Majer-Commander has in mind, he wouldn’t want to bother himself with sending more officers here.”
Helkyt nods slowly. “There are perhaps somewhat less than a hundred golds in the chest in the strong room, and some two hundred silvers. I might be able to find some others, placed elsewhere for safekeeping, now that we know what the Majer-Commander has in mind.”
“I’m certain you will do your best.” Lorn smiles briefly. “Now, how does our payroll get here?”
“We get a chest every other eightday,” replies the senior squad leader. “I take the travel chest to the Emperor’s Enumerators, and they fill it, and the guards and I bring it here and put it in the strongroom until we pay the men on sevenday.”
Scion of Cyador Page 5