Dragon Dawn

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Dragon Dawn Page 25

by Mark E. Cooper


  Everyone laughed at that.

  “We should make the watch a permanent thing from now on, Kerrion,” Lucius said, releasing his link to his magic and flicking a piece of mud off his robe. “This kind of attack will become the norm in short order.”

  Kerrion nodded.

  “You think so?” Mathius asked. “It wasn’t very effective.”

  “You don’t think so? Look around, everyone is awake and ready for an attack. What would happen if they bombarded us like this everyday? Or worse, every night?”

  Julia nodded, noting squads of men in the armour of Deva’s First Legion running to man their posts. Malcor guardsmen seemed calmer, but they too were readying themselves to fight by donning their armour and checking their weapons. Marcus’ men looked on, completely unconcerned. They had seen worse than this being veterans of the siege of Athione, and were already in position as they had night watch.

  All over camp, officers were shouting orders to prepare to receive a charge, which was stupid. Jihan had positioned his trenches to break a charge, and it was too dark anyway. Lastly, Navarien wouldn’t be fool enough to charge head on against prepared positions like this. Jihan said so.

  “We would do the same to them,” Mathius said.

  Lucius nodded. “Maybe so, but the point is our men won’t get any rest. A few nights of no sleep, and Navarien could walk his men in here unchallenged.”

  Julia snorted. That was something of an exaggeration, but they all got the point. The problem was, it was too good an idea for Navarien not think of it and at least try to make it work. Tonight’s retaliation was the first indication that the raids were starting to sting. Julia was sure an attack would come tomorrow, especially now they had destroyed Navarien’s gambit with the rafts. So far, Navarien hadn’t tried a head on assault against Wardenvale’s defences. Instead, he had dug in while sending men around Jihan’s lines, probing for a weakness and hoping to flank. Jihan had been spot on so far in predicting Navarien’s moves. Julia hoped his luck held for a little longer.

  “Jihan is probably out here somewhere, aiming to get his men back in their bedrolls. Let’s go in before he finds us.”

  Shelim grinned. “He’ll find out eventually.”

  “Later suits me better,” Julia said firmly, leading the way across the drawbridge and into the castle.

  Knowing she had missed dinner again, and having no appetite anyway, Julia led her friends to the sitting room Ahnao liked so much. It was a shame the raid had taken so long, she had hoped to spend some time with Ahnao and Connor. Connor would be asleep in his crib by now. She smiled, remembering the first time she had seen him. Ahnao had been sitting in her room holding her baby, while Ellyn cooed and made silly faces at him. Julia and Ellyn had been friends, dating back to her stay at Malcor a few years ago. Of all Ahnao’s friends living in Malcor’s women’s quarter, only Ellyn had opted to risk herself by staying with Ahnao after the evacuation of the fortress. The others had scattered back to their family’s castles and mansions.

  Julia entered the room to find Ahnao sitting beside Lady Direlle doing their needlework and chatting happily. Julia shuddered internally. How they could enjoy embroidery was beyond her, but they did. Jessica had despaired of ever fostering an interest for it in her, but Ahnao had not yet bowed to the inevitable. She often tried to show her how to make the intricate patterns that she so admired in Jessica’s work. Ahnao was no slouch, but even she admitted that Jessica was in a class of her own.

  In more ways than one.

  Julia had poured a glass of wine for herself and her friends before she realised the woman standing by the window wasn’t Ellyn. She handed Marcus his wine, and one each to Lucius and Mathius. Lynd and the other clansmen would not drink wine, mostly because they preferred their own much stronger spirits. Lynd and Serin were doubly adverse. Like her Athione guardsmen, they took their job as her bodyguards too seriously to risk anything that might slow their reactions. Julia shook her head gently. Her magic was far quicker than they could ever hope to be, but they held fast to the fiction that let the remnants of Dragon Clan stay to fight the man who had destroyed their families. Navarien.

  Julia quenched her thirst then turned to her friend. “I’m sorry, Ahnao. I meant to come for dinner, I really did, but something came up.”

  Ahnao nodded. “Something always does.”

  “Sorry,” Julia said, studying her boots. She hated it when Ahnao looked at her like that. “Sorry.”

  “You’re forgiven… again.”

  Julia winced.

  * * *

  Analise stared at Julia in fascination. She didn’t know what she had expected of someone with such a towering reputation, but surely this child-sized woman in men’s clothes, was not it. Julia was gaunt featured, and her eyes burned from dark caves as if she hadn’t slept for days. Colourful beads decorated her clothes and rattled as she moved. The swirling pattern on her back and the flames running up both arms matched the pattern two of the clansmen wore. Little plaits in Julia’s hair hung at her temples, with a feather and more beads woven in among them. The silver streak in her otherwise black hair seemed to glow in the soft light of the lamps.

  Julia’s companions were almost as fascinating in their own way. The clansmen were something new in Analise’s experience, as were the mages in their colourful robes, but at least she could guess who the mages were. The one in red had to be the Hasian ex-sorcerer, Lucius. Tales of him and his defection from the Protectorate were well known. In his way, he was as famous as Julia herself, or perhaps that should be infamous. The one wearing the blue robe of a master mage would be Mathius. He had destroyed a suit of rooms in the palace at Devarr to kill the sorcerers responsible for Julia’s abduction. The stories about him weren’t as outlandish as those told about Julia, but his name was still well known.

  Like Julia, all the clansmen had plaits in their hair with a feather woven in, but only two had the noisy beads on their clothes and in their hair. The other two clansmen wore sword belts and sheathed swords on their hips, and their clothes were plainer. The beads were absent, but one of the men wore a heavy looking golden torque around his throat. Analise knew what it meant. He was a chief, something like a lord of the Camorin people. She wondered if Wardenvale had ever hosted so much power in one room before. She doubted it.

  Ahnao rose and introduced everyone.

  Analise felt very strange when Julia hugged her. Julia was very wiry and muscular, and her clothes emphasised her gauntness. It felt like a man hugging her. Captain Marcus bowed to her, and then poured himself a second glass of wine. Analise bobbed a small curtsy to the mages, and they bowed in return murmuring a few welcoming words. The clansman merely smiled and nodded to her.

  “I’m sorry I missed your arrival,” Julia said.

  Analise nodded. “I was a little disappointed by your absence. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

  “Oh?” Julia waved a hand, indicating they should all sit.

  Analise and the others seated themselves, but Lynd and Serin declined. They chose to position themselves near the door and window. Perhaps they thought a rampaging sorcerer would burst in through the door or fly through the window to kill them all.

  “I wanted to ask for your help.”

  Julia sighed tiredly. “I get that a lot.” Mathius glared at Analise, but Julia raised a hand to stop him from saying anything. “What do you want me to do for you?”

  “My father was killed recently by bandits. They wanted to steal his horse,” she said bitterly. “He was Lord of Chaidren Ridge, and I have no brothers.”

  “I’m very sorry for your loss,” Julia murmured.

  “You are the King’s ward then?” Mathius asked.

  Analise nodded.

  Julia frowned. “Wait, what has Gylaren got to do with this?”

  Mathius leaned forward, elbows on knees. “Chaidren Ridge must pass through the male line, Julia. Analise is her father’s sole heir, and she is unmarried, which means the King s
tands as her father and protector until she is wed.”

  “And if I don’t want to marry, the King will throw me and my mother out of our home and give it to another lord to hold.”

  “What?!” Julia gasped. “That’s outrageous!”

  Analise was grimly pleased Julia thought so, but Mathius was already undermining the effect of her words.

  “…not as bad as it sounds, Julia,” Mathius said. “The King becomes responsible for his ward and her family almost like they were part of his family. He must provide for Analise just as her father would have.”

  Julia nodded. “Oh, I see—”

  “No, you don’t see at all,” Analise interrupted, glaring at Mathius. “He will choose who I am to marry. Probably an old friend of his, or someone he owes a debt to.”

  “That’s… that’s slavery!” Julia erupted to her feet and stalked across the room to stare out the window. Almost immediately, she swung around and glared at Mathius. “Everyone talks about honour here. Honour this and dishonour that. Don’t do this don’t do that, and all because of honour. Where is the honour in forcing a woman to marry someone she doesn’t even know, eh? Tell me that!”

  Mathius swallowed, and glanced at Lucius worriedly. “Calm down, Julia. You’re among friends here. Why don’t you release your link to the magic? You must be tired.”

  “Tired? My magic?” Julia said, frowning uncertainly. “What has my magic got to do with it? We were talking about Gylaren forcing Analise to marry some old guy in his dotage!”

  Analise stared. Mathius sounded frightened of Julia. She shook off the thought and concentrated on persuading Julia to help. With the sorceress on her side, the King would have to listen and give Chaidren Ridge to her. She wouldn’t have to marry Llewyd. She could marry anyone she chose!

  “You know Gylaren better than that, Julia. He would no more force Analise to marry than he would try to force you.”

  Julia cocked her head as if listening to a voice that only she could hear. She nodded and frowned in thought.

  Analise cursed under her breath. “I met with the King in Devarr before coming here. He told me himself that he would find me a husband to hold Chaidren.”

  “Or?” Mathius pressed.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Oh come, you understand me, my lady. What else did the King say? Did he not offer to let you live with him. I wager he did, or something of that kind.”

  Analise nodded reluctantly. “He said the crown had holdings he had never visited. He said my mother and I could live in one of them.”

  “There, you see?” Lucius said to Julia. “It’s not as bad as you thought.”

  “But don’t you see? Chaidren Ridge has been in my family since the founding. He will force us out. It’s not fair!”

  “It’s the way things are,” Mathius said. “Inheritance flows through the male line. It’s always been that way.”

  “That’s not a good argument for justifying anything, Mathius,” Julia said. She turned to Analise. “What exactly do you want me to do about this?”

  “Talk to the King. Make him give me Chaidren Ridge to hold. My family has ever been loyal to the crown. That won’t change just because my father’s daughter rules after him and not his son. I will marry in my own time, and bear sons to follow after me. What harm is there in it?”

  Mathius shook his head. “Tradition—”

  Julia snorted. “You know what I think about some of your traditions, Mathius.”

  “Yes, and you know Gylaren was one of the most traditional lords in the Kingdom. That’s why most of the others voted for him. You were the one that advised him to use his traditional views to win the throne!”

  Julia frowned. “So I did, so I did…”

  “Have you thought of your own situation, Julia?” Analise said, desperate to keep things progressing her way. “With Keverin dead and childless—”

  Julia flinched.

  “—will likely force Lady Jessica out of Athione too.”

  “He wouldn’t dare!” Julia barked in sudden rage, and Analise flinched at the look in her eyes. There was pain and rage, but worse was the lost look of a woman on the edge of madness. “Jessica belongs to Athione and it to her. I would see him dead before the order finished passing his lips!”

  Lady Direlle gasped.

  “She doesn’t mean that,” Mathius said quickly. “She’s just upset.”

  “Don’t tell her that!” Julia said, her eyes flashing dangerously. “Gylaren is going to throw Jessica out of Athione!”

  “No he isn’t, calm down. He never said that, Analise is only guessing.”

  Analise swallowed and bulled a head. “Who will hold Athione then? Like me, Keverin had no brothers or children.”

  “I don’t know, but it doesn’t mean Jessica will have to leave. The next lord will probably let her stay.”

  Analise snorted derisively. “How nice. If the next lord takes pity on her, if the next lord condescends to let Jessica stay in the only home she has known for nearly fifty years. Is that justice?”

  “Shut up!” Mathius said desperately. “Julia, don’t listen—”

  “How dare you!” Analise hissed. “You know I’m right. Jessica is in the same position as I am, except not even Gylaren would try to marry Jessica off to anyone at her age.”

  “I’ll talk to Gy,” Julia said, her eyes narrowed as Analise’s words shot home.

  “Julia—” Mathias began.

  “No. I’ll talk to him. I need to know what will happen to Athione now that Kev… now that he’s dead. Maybe I can make him give it to me, or maybe Blaise. Kev would have liked that, don’t you think?”

  Mathius glanced at Lucius and nodded slowly.

  “When I see him, I’ll ask him to give Chaidren to you, Analise.”

  “Thank you, Julia. You don’t know what this means to my mother and me.”

  “Oh, I think I can imagine,” Julia whispered and poured herself another glass of wine.

  * * *

  19 ~ Old Mill

  Julia watched the attack proceed with arms folded and toe tapping in impatience. She hadn’t realised how slow infantry battles could be. In her experience, battles were fast and chaotic things, but she had never witnessed one quite like this before.

  Kerrion and Shelim stood nearby whispering together and using their mirrors. While Jihan stood with his Captain Echion, discussing something about pulling the archers further back. Marcus had left to oversee his men, and Julia couldn’t help worrying about them. She couldn’t be with them. She had to rely upon the various shamen assigned to protect them, so that she could link with Mathius and the others for the attack on the castle they assumed was coming.

  “The waiting gets to you after a bit, doesn’t it?” Purcell said tightly. “I never liked waiting. Too much time to think about what can go wrong.”

  “Hmmm,” Mathius agreed with a nod. “Jihan’s trenches certainly did the trick.”

  Julia nodded firmly. The earlier half-hearted attack by Hasian cavalry had been turned back almost too easily. The gaps left between the trenches were narrow so that cavalry horses would have to slow and bunch up. Perfect targets for archers; a massacre waiting to happen if the shamen got into it, but Jihan preferred to conserve them for defence.

  “The King will be here tomorrow?” Julia asked again, turning to watch Jihan frowning at the enemy. “He was sure about the day?”

  “He seemed to be,” Jihan said, not taking his eyes off the Hasian preparations. “Considering the size of his force, and the state of the roads, I think he will be with us around midday.”

  “Is that why Navarien decided to attack us now?”

  “Probably…” Jihan shrugged.

  “What?” Julia said, feeling uneasy with Jihan’s jitters. It was not like him. “What’s the matter, Jihan? Tell me.”

  “Nothing I can put my finger on, but this attack feels wrong.”

  “You said that about the first attack too.”

 
; Jihan nodded. “Head on like this seems… I don’t know, but it’s disappointing somehow. Navarien is a good soldier and a great general. He’s better than this. Why is he coming straight on?”

  “Because he’s in a hurry. He must know the King is on the way. When his army gets here, we’ll have enough men to finish him.”

  “We’ll have parity, no more than that.”

  “It will be enough.”

  Jihan nodded.

  The breeze had picked up late in the night and began drying the land. It had eased since then, but its work was done. The heavy cloud cover of previous days had moved on allowing the sun to finish what the winds had started. Already the water-filled wheel ruts and hoof prints were dry. It would take a day or two for the ground to firm up properly, but the process was well started.

  Jihan had asked Kerrion to let the weather return to nature’s hands last night. The rain had done its job of ruining the ground for cavalry, but if Jihan had allowed it to continue, it would have undone the work his men had done digging the trenches. It was a fine line he walked between keeping things bearable for his men, and at the same time making an attack difficult for the Hasians to complete successfully.

  “Will the drying let them use their cavalry again?”

  Jihan nodded. “Eventually, but the trenches will still be there. I think they learned their lesson from the first attempt.”

  Julia nodded, remembering. The enemy’s horses wouldn’t jump the trenches, not when the other side had an earthen wall studded with sharp stakes pointed at them. Jihan’s men all knew how to use a longbow, some better than others. His Malcor guardsmen and Marcus’ men from Athione were very good with the weapon. The First Legion men in their squeaky new uniforms and armour were amateurs in comparison, especially those recruited from towns and cities. Still, Jihan had done his best to teach them how to shoot, and there were a lot of them. Something on the order of ten thousand shafts were loosed into the air to fall amid the chaos of terrified horses and men; then again and again. Many of the arrows fell harmlessly to the ground and were trampled under iron-shod hooves, most even, but many more followed. The sheer number began to tell.

 

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