The Poisoned Quarrel: The Arbalester Trilogy 3 (Complete Edition)

by Duncan Lay

  She looked at him carefully. He appeared to be a slightly younger version of Kemal, except without the beard, unless you looked into his eyes. They had the cold glitter of the crocodile.

  “Lead on,” she said smoothly.

  He bowed a little and the guard formed up around her as she walked down the jetty, head held high. It felt like the bars of a cage.

  CHAPTER 24

  Dina sighed with pleasure at being inside after so many days on the road. True, even the finest home in this dung heap of a village was a dump, but it was shelter from the wind and snow, and the fire burning fiercely in the hearth filled the place with warmth. There was even a bed, even if it was probably full of fleas. They had little food, horsemeat soup was the best the guards and mercenaries could expect, while she and Swane at least had the last of a roasted pig. The horses were in beast sheds, eating the last of the fodder.

  At her suggestion, the officers had been summoned to get their orders for the morning, although she had snapped at a pair of them for not closing the door quickly enough and letting in a cold breeze. Men slowly dripped as snow melted off their clothes and she wished she had thought to hold the meeting elsewhere. The already dirty floor was now covered in mud and muck and the stench of men who had been riding horses for the last half-moon was filling the room, overpowering the fragrance she had sprayed around.

  “Our scouts report Fallon has taken up position here, using the lake to guard his flank,” Captain Kane announced, drawing a rough sketch on the wooden table with water. “We can either go straight at him or try to circle around to strike his flank and rear. But surely he will have dug trenches or similar to defend himself.”

  “How much will the snow slow down your horsemen?” Dina interrupted, before anyone else could.

  “Not much,” the officer said, after a moment’s thought. “It is no more than ankle deep. The horses are tired after such a long journey, but they will be able to muster up one charge.”

  “And that is all we shall need,” Swane said proudly.

  “As long as we know where, sire,” Dina said, before Swane could start trying to inspire them with one of his speeches. Now was not the time. “If we charge in the wrong place, then we might waste our effort. What is the word from Finbar and his wizards? How can they help us tomorrow? Can they discern where to attack?”

  The officers parted to reveal the thin form of the Royal Wizard. Dina was shocked to see how bad Finbar looked. The flesh had melted off his frame and he appeared to have aged twenty summers since they had set off from Meinster.

  “We can do little,” he warned. “Keeping this army alive through this weather has drained us all. Many of my brothers have scarcely got the strength to lift a soup spoon. We shall rest tonight and might be able to help tomorrow, but it would be best if you planned to use other methods.”

  Dina nodded, so it looked as though she had been expecting that answer all along.

  “Perhaps we should not attack at all tomorrow. Fallon has had time to prepare this. We don’t want to fight on ground of his choosing. We could leave the mercenaries behind to slow Fallon down and the rest of us could ride around and go for Berry. It has to be lightly defended if he marched here with all his men. If we take Berry, then we have their families and they will surrender.”

  “We don’t have any food left,” one of the captains warned. Dina recognized him as the former captain of Meinster’s guards, Dearin, a man furious that Kane had been given the command he wanted. “The horses will not make it in this weather. They have traveled all the way from Meinster and over the Spine and done well but they will fall like spring plants in the frost soon. We could find Fallon catching us from behind and we would then have to fight him on foot.”

  Dina smiled stiffly. It was true but she did not want to hear such defeatism. The idea of racing Fallon to Berry was surely better than attacking him on his own ground.

  “Captain Kane, can we make it to Berry ahead of Fallon?” she asked.

  Kane hesitated for a moment. “We could, my lady, but it is a risk. We don’t know how much more the men and horses can take, or if the weather will turn. If it holds, we can make it. But one big storm could end us. And then if they bar the gates to us, we shall have to fight our way into the city with Fallon on our tails.”

  All eyes turned to Swane.

  “I am here to fight, not run,” he declared. “We have Fallon at our mercy and we are still strong. We shall destroy him and then march into Berry triumphant. Here is where we shall fight and win.”

  Dina marked the triumphant sneer on the face of Captain Dearin and resolved to wipe it off.

  “Then the mercenaries have to mark Fallon’s defenses, draw any sting in the tail he has, before we strike,” she said briskly.

  The various officers muttered their approval, although Kane frowned.

  “But, my lady, the mercenaries are hard to control. We planned to just point them at Fallon and let them go,” he said.

  Dina smiled. “Captain, how many horses have we lost so far?”

  “About three score, my lady.”

  “Then we have that many guardsmen who can lead them in, to mark where the defenses are and, while the mercenaries are being slaughtered by Fallon, to come back and report. To make sure all goes well, we shall need a few of our officers to supervise, for the mercenaries need to attack everywhere, to give us a perfect picture of what Fallon plans.”

  She locked eyes with Kane and understanding flashed between them. Those officers would be lucky to return with their lives, knowing Fallon’s skill with a crossbow. It would be best if they were the ones who had shown the most loyalty to Swane. Dearin would be the obvious choice, as well as his cronies.

  “But, my lady, if they are to attack everywhere, the mercenaries will be spread out. Fallon’s men will massacre them,” Dearin said.

  Dina shrugged. “They are only here to open the way for our cavalry. Every one that dies is one less we have to feed and pay.” Just like you, she added silently.

  The officers mumbled approval and she leaned back on the uncomfortable chair, one of only two in the room.

  Swane stood up from the other.

  “You have your orders. We shall destroy Fallon and, once I am returned to Berry, those who have been loyal to me shall enjoy rewards that they only dreamed of! Tell your men that they will feast tomorrow night and then we shall walk into Berry to be showered with gold, land and women!”

  The men erupted into cheers and Dina watched them file out with relief. At least they were taking most of the smell with them. Once they were gone, she planned to let the place warm up and then change. It was time to remind Swane of her powers. She was about to turn a dazzling smile on him and invite him to help her change when someone thumped on the door.

  “What?” She turned with barely disguised anger.

  “My lady, there is a man here to see you. He says his name is Munro. And he brings a prisoner,” Kane announced.

  *

  Fallon looked around at his friends and raised a cup of water.

  “To us! For tomorrow we will have united Gaelland and saved a people!” he told them.

  They raised their cups solemnly and drank.

  “Did you want us to make a note of that, so when it’s time to write the histories, it makes you sound like someone serious, rather than a fool?” Devlin suggested.

  Fallon smiled and sat down, as the others laughed. “Sorry, I forgot I wasn’t trying to inspire a bunch of farm boys,” he said. “Even if Casey still looks like one!”

  There was plenty of laughter at that, with the black-bearded Bran ruffling his younger counterpart’s fair hair.

  “Well, that part is done. They are all talking about how Aroaril is with them. And they particularly like the idea that tomorrow will be easy compared to the battle of Berry,” Gallagher said.

  “Well, I bloody hope so. I don’t want another one of those,” Bran said with feeling. “There were about three times when I thought I w
as going to die.”

  “Only three? You lucky bastard, you had it easy!” Devlin snorted.

  Fallon cleared his throat. “I am afraid of making a mistake and losing it for us tomorrow. I nearly lost Berry and it was only Bridgit that saved us. You will tell me if I am making a mistake, won’t you?”

  “Whist, man!” Brendan exclaimed. “You are the man we all follow. And tomorrow night we shall get drunk and tell each other what heroes we are.”

  “That’s going to be difficult, given there isn’t so much as a drop of beer in the camp,” Padraig observed. “And I should know, because I’ve been looking for the whole afternoon!”

  Fallon laughed along with the others but he could not shake the tension. His stomach was in knots and although he was tired, his mind was jumping from one thought to another. He thought he had planned for everything but what if there was something he had missed?

  “We are with you,” Casey said softly, the first time he had spoken.

  Fallon glanced up at the young recruit, who he had eased through landing at Killarney, and smiled at the serious expression on the young officer’s face.

  “You can all call me an idiot after tomorrow for having foolish fears,” he said.

  “Why wait? Let’s call you an idiot now!” Devlin called.

  Fallon slapped his hand on the table. “I shall give you a serious toast now. That tomorrow is our last battle and we shall go home and hold our wives and children and know the future will be better. Once Swane is destroyed, all we have to do is find Kemal and exchange him for a deal with the Kottermanis.”

  They raised their cups and he drank with them. If Kemal was with Swane, there was no escape for him tomorrow. And no escape for the bastard ever again.

  *

  “How did Prince Kemal come to be here?” Swane demanded.

  Dina would have liked to control this conversation but this was the only question that really mattered.

  Munro bowed his head. “Sire, I am Munro, head of your father’s secret informers. Can I say what a pleasure it is to serve you. Working for your father was more than a duty, it was an honor. When he was killed, I did not know what to do. When the Duchess contacted me and said I would be working to return you to the throne, I jumped at the chance.”

  Dina glanced over to see Swane preening visibly and wondered where Munro was going with this.

  “I broke into your father’s castle to see if I could find out how much food was in the city, so I could stir up Berry against Fallon and his Ruling Council. Before I could discover that, I came across the Prince. He had escaped from his cell but could not get out of the castle. I got him out and brought him here, because I knew you would much rather he was with you, rather than in Fallon’s control.”

  Dina breathed a silent sigh of relief. Munro’s lie meant he was not going to reveal his real mission to retrieve Swane’s package. But had he got it? Or had he found Kemal first?

  Swane gestured and guards escorted the tied and gagged Prince Kemal forwards.

  “You have done well, Munro,” Swane said fervently. “We have the Prince of Kotterman to use as a bargaining tool or, if necessary, a sacrifice to the great God Zorva. Take him away, keep him safe.”

  Behind his gag, Kemal was making noises, but Dina ignored that. She thought Kemal would have more use alive than dead, though that could be discussed later.

  Munro bowed deeply.

  “What of Fallon? Do you not have men in his camp? Do you know what he plans tomorrow?” Dina asked sharply.

  Munro spread his hands. “Alas, my lady, most of the men I had managed to get into Fallon’s army were thrown out. The remaining ones have all been left behind at Berry.”

  She nodded. It was what she had expected but it was still worth the question. She wanted to know Fallon’s plans. She had outsmarted him in Lunster by knowing what he was doing and desperately wanted to do so again.

  “You may return to Berry,” Swane said. “You will be a busy man when I make my triumphant entry, because I will need to know every last person who cheered for Fallon and called for my father’s death in that square. They will all die to avenge my father and for Zorva’s glory.”

  Munro bowed and backed away but Dina hurriedly followed him.

  “Watch the Prince like a hawk. If he escapes from you, then your agony will last for days and you will pray for death,” she told the guards sternly.

  As they saluted and stiffened to attention, she took a step to her left, standing next to Munro.

  “Did you get it?” she murmured.

  “Yes, my lady,” he replied, his lips not even moving.

  She smiled to herself, even as she glowered at the guards who dragged Kemal away. Once they were out, she barred the door and hurried back to Swane.

  “Did you say something more to Munro?” he asked suspiciously.

  “Only to tell him to ensure we were not disturbed. I have been too long without you and cannot wait anymore,” she said, slipping open her fur cloak to show him she was wearing a Kottermani outfit that was so filmy it could not even be described as a dress.

  He made a strangled noise and she ran her fingers through his hair, pressing his face to her breasts. She needed to make him fall asleep, so she could go and see what Munro had brought.

  “What are you thinking?” he asked thickly.

  “That tomorrow you will truly be the King, sire,” she lied, helping him pull off his tunic.

  *

  Kemal cursed at the guards but they ignored his gagged mumblings, instead dragging him into a small shed next to the farmhouse. It truly was as if he was an animal. The two guards started a fire and covered him with an old sack but that barely kept out the wind, which whistled underneath the rotting door. He tried to get warm. It was icy in the shed but that little audience had told him some truly chilling things. He had met Munro going out of the castle, not coming in, which said he had already found whatever it was he was looking for. Far worse was the thought he might end up sacrificed to Zorva. He had escaped from Fallon but had found something even worse. Now he had to try and escape from here. But that was near-impossible, with his hands tied and guards watching his every move. He looked around frantically. There had to be a way out. And he had to find it.

  CHAPTER 25

  Fallon finally gave up trying to sleep and went out to walk among the men as dawn lightened a gray sky. The clouds looked ominous and he shivered. There was a very good reason why people did not fight in a Gaelish winter. Only Swane was mad enough to try it. Caley looked at him reproachfully as she struggled to walk through the snow but he merely ruffled her head. “You were the one who wanted to come along,” he told her.

  He would have liked to see some blue sky but that was wishful thinking on a Gaelish winter’s day. Instead it looked like there would be more snow. He drew his cloak around himself and held back a shiver. The bloody rain had been bad enough in the battle of Berry. Still, at least snow would help to further hide what he had been doing. He crunched through the snow to where Casey and a handful of men were looking towards the village of Dunclady and the smoke that was rising from the village chimneys. Fallon nodded greetings to the men, recognizing one as Brasso, the young guard who had raised the alarm at the harbor.

  “Looks like they aren’t going to let us sleep in,” Casey said, pointing to where a mass of men was slowly forming up outside the village.

  Fallon nodded. Padraig’s birds had seen the two distinct parts of Swane’s army and he wondered, for the fifteenth time, which way they would attack first. If he was in Swane’s shoes he would send the infantry at the front and the cavalry at the side, at the same time, but Ryan had sworn that the mercenaries were there merely to use up his crossbow ammunition. They might well do that but they would not use up the slingstones.

  “Get everyone up. And get some hot food into them. Aroaril knows we are going to need it,” he said.

  *

  Dina had not liked the look of the two objects Munro had found in
Swane’s room. The book had been bad enough, clad in human skin and obviously containing foul rituals of Zorva in some strange tongue, but the box had been worse. She had forced it open to find a shrivelled, blackened heart inside. She did not know whose it was or what it was for and she did not particularly want to know. She liked the idea of power, but Zorva’s Fearpriests were all men and she did not trust them. Killing others was far better than being killed yourself and she would do what she always did—whatever was needed to survive. These objects would be hidden until she decided it was necessary. Or if. If they could take the throne and she could become Queen without resorting to the Dark God, then she would be quite happy. Still, it was nice to have it if they needed it.

  The two objects went deep into her bags, amid the powders, potions and stains that were the tools of her trade. They seemed to fit among there and Swane certainly wouldn’t go looking in there. She had made that clear. There were some things that needed to stay a mystery between a couple and just what she needed to do to look presentable was one of those.

  Not that there was going to be time for any of that today. There was nothing but a thin stew for breakfast for all of them, even Swane, and merely the hope of real food that night, taken from Fallon’s men.

  “Sire, the mercenaries are cold and hungry. It is going to be hard work getting them to attack,” Captain Kane warned.

  “What?” Swane shoved the last of his stew away in disgust. “Take ten and hang them from a tree. That should make the others more eager.”

  Kane nodded but Dina could see the doubt on his face.

  “Sire, how about we offer them double their money,” she suggested.

  “What? Can we afford that?” he grunted.

  “Well, it will make them attack all the harder. And, with any luck, Fallon will kill twice as many.”

  Swane chuckled, then nodded. “Do it, Kane. And get the guards formed up as well. I’m cold and hungry. I want to be eating Fallon’s supplies at luncheon, not for dinner.”