The Empress and the Acolyte

by Jane Fletcher

  “Why, sir? First Ranenok, then Anid, and now you. I’m not that special.”

  “Ranenok thinks you are. And I’ve heard rumours. Last year, one of his garrisons was transferred to my section. The officer spoke very highly of you.”

  Tevi shook her head. “I don’t see it.”

  Yenneg stood up. “Let’s put it to the test. Come with me.”

  He led the way to a room across the hallway where a large table took up three quarters of the floor space. The table was bare. Its top was covered in a metallic material that shimmered in the mage light. Apart from it, the room was empty. Yenneg put his glass down on a windowsill and then waved his hand over the table.

  Immediately, the tabletop turned green. The change was not limited to colour. The surface shifted like grass seen from a distance, rippling in the breeze. Tevi looked closer. It was grass. Then hills bulged up on either side. These in turn sprouted a miniature forest of trees. A tiny silver river flowed down the valley, broadening briefly into a marsh in the upper reaches, with reed beds swaying along the edges.

  Miniature troops appeared on the scene at the bottom of the valley. Cavalry rode on tiny horses and a column of archers and pikemen marched beside the river. Tevi heard a bugle faintly sound the command to stop, and the soldiers formed up in a line with banners waving in the wind.

  New figures then emerged up by the trees, three dozen trolls in battle array, brandishing their weapons. Tevi bent closer to study them. In her duties with Bykoda’s army, she had already encountered the demi-human warriors. Trolls were, on average, slightly taller and a lot heavier than humans. Their mottled grey skin was so tough that many did not bother with any other form of armour. Their movements were slow and lumbering, but their strength more than made up for this in terms of their fighting abilities. Added to which, they had a natural resistance to many forms of human magic.

  Trolls were mainly found in the mountains, where they lived in anarchic cave-dwelling clans. When they came down to the lowlands, it was to loot, kill, and destroy. They took no prisoners. Neither would they surrender, but instead carried on fighting until their last breath. They never rode on horseback, which left them especially vulnerable to cavalry on the plains. But in their home territory, they were masters of ambush. They could wait for hours, motionless, and their skin could subtly shift in tone for camouflage. Doubtless this was what gave rise to the legends that they could turn themselves into stone at will.

  Tevi viewed the animated tabletop uncertainly. After four years with Jemeryl, displays of magic no longer surprised her. However, it was obvious that Yenneg was expecting something from her. She glanced up to see him watching her intently.

  He smiled. “You’re the commander of the human troops. What would you do?”

  Tevi looked back to the table, this time evaluating it as a tactical problem. The humans outnumbered the trolls, three to one. The battle should have been straightforward, but something did not feel right. “Is this based on a real encounter?”

  “Yes. It was a skirmish that took place eight years ago.”

  “If I’d been the officer in charge at the time, what would I have known about the enemy chieftain?”

  “Not much. The trolls had raided the town of Crezata. They were intercepted as they were on the way back to their burrows in the Luzkonin Hills.”

  “That must be at least eighty miles.” Tevi frowned.

  “What are you thinking?” Yenneg asked after nearly a minute of silence.

  “I’m thinking it’s a trap. A war band wouldn’t go that far from their burrow unless they were following a chieftain with a lot of prestige. And you don’t get prestige among the trolls without winning battles. Yet it looks like a beginner’s mistake. They’ve got their line between the trees on one side and the marsh on the other, so they can’t be outflanked by cavalry, except the river looks like it should be easily fordable above and below the marsh. It’s tempting to move my archers forwards with the pikemen to pin the trolls down, while the cavalry go around the marsh on the other side of the river and fall on them from behind.”

  “And where’s the trap?”

  “Crezata isn’t a large town, but there still aren’t enough trolls here to have sacked it.” Tevi pointed to a hillside. “I’d bet that they’ve got more fighters hidden in the trees over there. It’s very narrow between the marsh and the forest on that side of the river. The cavalry could be ambushed as they go past. They’d be trapped between the trees and the bog with no room for manoeuvre. They’d be sitting targets. And once the cavalry was slaughtered, the trolls could come back around and outflank my archers, just like I’d been hoping to do to them.”

  “So, what would you do?”

  “I’d use my pikemen to protect—”

  “No. Don’t tell me. Tell them.” Yenneg smiled as he spoke.

  Tevi hesitated before realising what he meant. She looked down on the table and took a deep breath. “Pikemen, form up in threes on either wing.” The tiny soldiers marched into position.

  The miniature battle swung into action. On her order, Tevi’s cavalry charged and broke the centre of the trolls’ line. The intended ambushers in the woods, seeing their trap foiled, emerged from cover and attempted the outflanking manoeuvre anyway, only to be met by ranks of pikes as they forded the river. Archers peppered the enemy as they tried to regroup. Within twenty minutes the battle was over and Tevi’s troops were victorious.

  Tevi grinned. She did not even need to feel guilty about the casualties.

  “Would you like to see how the battle actually went, eight years back?” Yenneg asked once it was over.

  “Oh, um. Yes.”

  The scene reverted to the original lines, and the battle began again, but this time the cavalry forded the river. The resulting ambush went every bit as badly for the humans as Tevi had expected. At the end, only a handful of troops were left, fleeing the field.

  Yenneg sighed. “And the real horror is that the officer was one of the more gifted witches. She’d have been quite capable of scrying the hillside, but it never occurred to her to look. No doubt this defeat would have made her much more cautious next time, except for her, there never was a next time. She’d been leading the cavalry.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “It was one of the reasons I had Mavek make this table. So that my officers can get some experience without losing their lives. But you don’t need it. You’ve got a good tactical head. You fight with the strength of ten men. You inspire the troops you lead. You’re going back to the Protectorate with Jemeryl.” He met her eyes with an ironic grin. “And you can’t see why all the army commanders would like you to stay?”

  “It’s nothing against life in Tirakhalod.” This was not strictly true, but Tevi was feeling in a tolerant mood after playing on the battle table. Her eyes returned to the tiny celebrating trolls. “And I’m not sure that I’m that good tactically, it was just...” She let the sentence trail away in a modest shrug.

  “Do you want me to prove the point? Look, here’s another skirmish, only this one—” Yenneg also cut off his sentence mid-flow. “But it’s getting late. I won’t be around tomorrow evening, but if you come over, one of my officers will set the table up for you. I’ll leave instructions.”

  “I’m afraid I’m off on patrol for a few days, starting tomorrow.”

  “Then when you come back. I’m going to be staying in Tirakhalod, so my quarters will be staffed. The next council meeting is in twenty day’s time, and I’ve decided against going to my region only to have to turn straight around and come back here again. You’re welcome to come over and use the table whenever you want.”

  “Thank you.” Tevi was delighted with the offer.

  “I have ulterior motives. If you should change your mind about going back to the Protectorate, I’m hoping to be your first choice for commanding officer.” Yenneg’s eyes again met hers in an open, comradely smile.

  *

  Tevi’s bags were pac
ked and she was ready to leave. She sat eating breakfast while Jemeryl kept her company. Klara stood on the edge of the table, scanning the plates in the vain hope of something she might consider edible. Human breakfasts were often a big disappointment for the magpie.

  Jemeryl swallowed the last of a roll and leaned back in her chair. “I’m pleased you had a good time at Yenneg’s.”

  “The battle table was great. Do you think you could make something similar when we’re back in Lyremouth?” Tevi had talked about little else since returning.

  Jemeryl smiled tolerantly. She found the enthusiasm for a war game hard to understand, but was happy to indulge her partner. “Probably. I’ll ask Mavek for details next time I see him.”

  “I’d been worried when I got there. Yenneg has a bit of a reputation. Although not as worrying as Anid.”

  “In what way?” Jemeryl was still angry with Anid and not surprised to learn that she had made a bad name for herself.

  “Stuff you hear on the army grapevine. Mainly about sex. The stories say that Anid has slept with every officer in her command.”

  “Has she?”

  “I doubt that she’s slept with every last one. There have to be some she doesn’t like the look of, but you don’t get that sort of reputation without doing something to set it off. The latest talk is that two of her officers were involved with each other. Anid broke up the relationship by claiming one of them. Then she tired of him and moved on to his ex-partner.”

  “And Yenneg’s the same?”

  “Not quite. He doesn’t touch his officers, which is better for morale. He goes for the ungifted, which is why people are so keen to tell me about it. To let me know I’m not the only one involved with a sorcerer. I’ve heard he’d recently picked up a lad from a village, so he shouldn’t be on the lookout at the moment. But it did leave me worried when I saw the wine and the cosy setting.”

  “He behaved himself?”

  “Perfectly. He wanted me to join his section of the army, but he took it well when I said no. And then we just played on the battle table.”

  Jemeryl was inclined to be more suspicious but did not want to push the issue. “Who else do the soldiers talk about?”

  “All the sorcerers. Ranenok used to have a steady partner, one of his captains, but she was killed four years ago, and he’s not been involved with anyone since. Some people reckon that Kharel and Bykoda have something going on, but since neither has any contact with ordinary soldiers I don’t see how anyone could know. And most soldiers think Bykoda only has sex with thralls. Mind you, some say that about all the sorcerers.”

  “Including Jemeryl?” Klara asked.

  “Possibly. Although no one has dared say it in my hearing. The nastiest rumours are about Dunarth. The soldiers hate her.”

  “How nasty?”

  “It starts with reanimating corpses and goes downhill from there.”

  Jemeryl shook her head. “That wouldn’t work.”

  Tevi laughed. “I didn’t really need your opinion on the magic. I just assumed it was a stupid rumour.”

  “Are there any non-stupid rumours about her?”

  “Some reckon that Mavek and her are lovers. Did you notice that those two were the only couple who didn’t have an argument at the gathering?”

  “I hadn’t kept count. But they have to work together. Bykoda can’t afford to set them at each others’ throats. With the rest, she deliberately stirs things up.”

  “Divide and rule.”

  Jemeryl leant her head to one side. “I wonder...”

  “What?”

  “Mavek and Dunarth. None of the acolytes on their own is strong enough to challenge Bykoda. But if you combine the talents of those two, they’d make one very competent sorcerer.” She thought for a moment. “No. It’s too obvious a threat. I’m sure Bykoda is on the watch for any sign that they are getting on too well together.”

  “You have no idea who the assassin is?”

  “No. And I don’t think we have any way of finding out. We know that we can’t stop it, but it doesn’t really concern us. By the time it happens we’ll be back in Lyremouth. All we can assume is that one of the acolytes must be far more powerful than they seem. It could be any of them.”

  “But they’ve all been here for years. If they are so much stronger than her, why wait until now? Why put up with years of being pushed around by Bykoda?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Klara hopped forwards. “After they’ve done it, you could write a letter to whoever it is and ask.”

  Jemeryl looked at the magpie and sighed. “You know, it’s a sad thing when Klara is the one coming up with the most practical suggestions.”

  *

  Jemeryl spent the day making notes in Bykoda’s library. She returned late in the evening. Why rush back when Tevi was not there? The rooms always seemed so empty without her. The only comfort was that this would be Tevi’s last sortie with the troops. Soon both she and Tevi would be back in the Protectorate. Jemeryl did not know what new post the Coven would assign to her, but she was sure it would be possible to find an associated job for Tevi so that they did not end up spending so many days apart.

  Crumbs from breakfast still littered the table. She looked at Klara who was riding on her shoulder. “If you were a sparrow instead of a magpie, you’d have eaten that, so it wouldn’t need cleaning up.”

  “And if I were a woodpecker, I’d have eaten the table.”

  Jemeryl brushed the magpie off her shoulder and looked around. Assorted small jobs needed doing, but it could all wait until the next day. Now that she was alone in the rooms, she could feel her mood dipping. The first day after Tevi left was always the worst. An early night would be a good idea. She wandered into the bedroom.

  Tevi’s clothes lay where they had been dropped the night before. Seeing them, a wave of affection swept over Jemeryl. She bent to pick up the shirt, intending to give it a hug before putting it away, but then something shiny caught her eye. On the ground a few inches to the side was a jewelled brooch.

  The item was not one that Jemeryl had seen before. Around the outer edge were set diamonds and sapphires. In the centre was a silver griffin on a blue enamel background—Yenneg’s emblem. Jemeryl frowned. Tevi had not mentioned him giving it to her, and surely something so valuable would not have been overlooked. Although on second thought, Tevi had been so excited about the battle table that anything else might have been forgotten.

  Jemeryl put the brooch in a drawer. Tevi would be back in a few days. Questions could wait until then.

  Chapter Four—Links in the Ether

  From the baffled expression on Tevi’s face, Jemeryl could tell, even before she spoke, that she had not seen the brooch before. Tevi studied the griffin design for a few seconds and then flipped it over, as if hoping the reverse side would be more enlightening.

  “No. Yenneg didn’t give it to me. But it has to have come from him. The silver griffin is his emblem.” Tevi handed the brooch back.

  “Then how did it end up on the floor of the bedroom?”

  “Maybe it caught on my clothing while I was playing on the battle table and dropped off when I was getting ready for bed.”

  Jemeryl lay the brooch in the palm of her hand and rocked it back and forth pensively, feeling the weight. Candlelight glinted on the diamonds and rippled over the silver griffin. The same candlelight was reflected in the black glass of the windows. In daytime, these gave views over the inner bailey on one side and the plain below Tirakhalod on the other. Currently, clouds blanketed the stars and moon, and nothing could be seen outside. Most of the room was hidden by shadow.

  The army patrol had arrived back at the castle a few hours earlier, allowing enough time for Tevi to wash, eat, and give an account of her exploits. While they ate and talked, Jemeryl had sat beside Tevi in the warm firelight, feeling snug and relaxed. She was thankful to have Tevi back safe and would have liked to forget about the rest of Tirakhalod for the evening, but the b
rooch raised issues that had to be discussed.

  Jemeryl shifted around so that she was nestled more comfortably against Tevi’s body and held up the brooch. “I don’t think so. There’s nothing that could snag on clothing well enough so that it wouldn’t drop off while you walked around the bailey. The pin is locked in its clasp.”

  “How else could it have got here?”

  Klara gave a derisive squawk. “Are the pair of you having some sort of contest to see who can act the densest? Obviously, Yenneg came snooping around while Jem was busy in Bykoda’s library.”

  Jemeryl frowned at the magpie. It was the simplest option, and one that had already occurred to her in the previous four days while waiting for Tevi’s return, but it was not an answer that she was happy with.

  Tevi spoke first. “It’s a bit much to swallow. Yenneg comes in here for some unknown reason. He’s so careful that he leaves no sign at all that he’s been around except for dropping one highly identifiable item. You’ve got to admit it’s unlikely.”

  “I agree. It’s too blatant a clue. It’s more likely that someone with limited imagination planted it to make us think that Yenneg was snooping.”

  “Why?”

  “Who knows? Maybe Ranenok or Anid did it. They heard that you’d been to see him and wanted to sow some mistrust.”

  “I think it’s too unsubtle even for that.”

  Jemeryl thought for a moment and then sighed. “You’re right. It’s actually a bit insulting if anyone thought we’d be taken in so easily.”

  “Oh well, if we’re talking insults, they’re never in short supply around here.”

  “But neither is plotting and scheming.”

  Tevi grinned. “True.”

  “I just can’t think what sort of plot it might be part of.”

  “Maybe it’s supposed to be a warning.”

  Klara hopped up onto Tevi’s knee. “You mean a bit like slipping a note under the door that says, Don’t trust Yenneg. He’s a conniving bastard.”