“Eight.”
“Gods.” She couldn’t believe Mattila had walked off with all those armaments just so she could lose them here. The idea of Arryk Roussay now in possession of all those guns made her feel sick.
She wanted to blast away at the earthworks at once, but both Ensden and Barela counseled patience. “Let them wait. They will expect an attack soon and will be alert. Once time has passed and nothing happens, they will relax. That’s when we strike,” Ensden said.
“Let the engineers do their work,” Barela added. “Then we launch a coordinated attack. With so many troops quartered several leagues away, Karsten will think our force is much smaller than it is. We’ll position our mortars and what larger guns we have. We’ll build entrenchments so we can get foot soldiers closer and build ladders so we can scale the walls when we reach them. When all of that is ready, we’ll soften them up with the guns, then follow with a frontal assault.”
Ensden nodded in agreement, so Teodora tried to curb her impatience. “How long?”
Barela and Ensden looked at each other. “Three or four weeks?” Ensden finally said.
“I suppose I can wait that long.” She forced herself to sound reasonable, even though she wanted to shout and hit something. She didn’t want Demario to see her like that.
It wasn’t quite that simple. Karsten’s earthworks were much wider than expected. “It will take much longer to get in deep enough to mine them.” The engineering colonel was not nearly as apologetic as he should have been, though Teodora supposed it wasn’t his fault Larisa Karsten had been unexpectedly diligent. “How can you do it faster?”
He shrugged. “Only so many people can work on this at once. It’s the nature of a siege. Karsten must have studied with Hohenwart. Her fortifications are textbook. They can still be overcome, it will simply take longer.”
The delay was maddening, but Teodora didn’t mind every additional night she got with Demario, although the camp was unpleasant and became more so with every passing day. The weather warmed and the stench rose. Teodora had sweet-smelling herbs burned in her tent around the clock, but it was barely enough.
“Is it always like this?” she asked Demario, her nose wrinkling as they walked between the tents. The days alternated rain and sunshine, so steam rose from the mud, left after every blade of grass for leagues around had been eaten. With so many feet trampling it, it seemed unlikely that anything new would grow there.
“It’s often worse.” He grinned at her. “This is a rather small camp and therefore not as awful. We certainly don’t want to bring the rest in until we’re ready.”
“I imagine that will be unbearable.”
“You can get used to anything.”
“I can’t. I won’t.”
Janna
“Madame?” Holgar Ellert knocked on the parlor’s open door.
“What is it?” Janna asked. The Norovaeans seldom bothered her, but she worried he might have bad news.
“I’m afraid the city is besieged,” Ellert said, sitting down across from her.
Janna made a small noise of consternation. “Mattila?”
“No, Empress Teodora is leading this army herself. Our sources tell us that Count Ensden and General Barela are with her.”
“What about the Sanova Hussars?” Janna thought she might be sick.
“Oh dear,” Ellert said, with a sympathetic look. “Your husband?”
“Yes,” Janna said, heedless of the tears that leaked from her eyes. She’d already been crying so much. She still had nearly two months before the baby was due and her emotions were out of control as it was. “Yes, he might be out there with that army.”
“We have heard nothing of the hussars, but that he’s on the other side is very bad luck. You have my sympathies.”
Janna was unsure of what to say to that.
“In any event, I wished to tell you what is happening. The city will not fall. Duchess Karsten has fortified it well and there are no weak spots. With the provisions in the city, we can hold out for months. Still, it would be wise to stock up if you can. Food is still likely to become expensive and the army will receive priority rations.”
“I see,” Janna said, though she really didn’t. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do now.
Doctor Marsel came to visit the following afternoon with more specific advice. “You must get as much money as you can,” he said, taking Janna up on her offer of tea. “Buy as much food as you can; things like flour and dried or cured meat that will keep for a while. Fill your cellar and put that fearsome footman back at your door. He hasn’t been there lately.”
“I don’t know what’s become of him. He was sent to work on the fortifications and never returned.”
“Ran off, most likely. They worked a few poor souls to death, but that fellow looked like a sturdier sort. I’m sure he’s all right,” he added, seeing Janna was about to cry. “Keep the door locked in any case. How do you get on with the quartered troops? Those at my house are civil enough.”
“They’re fine,” Janna said. “I don’t see them much.”
“You might ask them to keep an eye on the house. I know this is a difficult situation, but you must try to relax and rest. From what I can tell, the baby is doing well, but it’s very large and you’ll have a difficult delivery. The stronger and healthier you are when the time comes, the better.”
Janna told him about Braeden possibly being among the besiegers.
Dr. Marsel looked grim. “I realize it must be upsetting for you, but try not to worry. There is simply nothing that can be done. It seems unlikely that the city will fall soon, and in most cases, the besiegers are drawn away when they run out of food. There’s also a possibility if it goes on a long time, that some agreement will be reached and your husband will enter the city peacefully.”
“That would be best.”
“Yes it would, and it’s a real possibility. Please, try not to worry.”
She would try.
The next morning, Janna made a supreme effort and struggled into her best dress that still fit.
“Oh ma’am, you shouldn’t go out on your own,” Birgid said, alarmed, as Janna put on her hat.
“I must go while I still can,” Janna said, tying on her cloak. Spring had come, but a cold wind still blew around the house corners. “I needn’t go far, just down the street to the factor’s.”
Birgid looked as dubious as Janna felt, but she knew she had to go.
The factor was very busy, the front room of his house crowded with merchants and other well-dressed folk. No one spoke, but anxiety pervaded the room. When Janna finally got in to see him, the factor looked sad and exhausted. “I can give you two thousand, and no more.” He slid a stack of coins across the shiny wood of his desk.
“I think that will be enough.” It was an enormous amount of money for food, though far from the whole amount Braeden had put on deposit.
“The problem is that food prices have already tripled. If you can, do your shopping today before things get scarcer. If you need more, come back next week. I’m trying to get everyone what they want, but they all want it now. The other factors are as pressed for coin as I am, but I’ll do my best.”
“Thank you.” Janna took the purse. She’d never had so much money in her life.
When she got back to the house, she went straight to the kitchen. “We must go to market now,” she told Hilda, her cook.
“Shall we take the cart?” Hilda reached for her shawl.
“Yes. Is there much room in the cellar?”
“Quite a bit. We should stock up if we can. I survived a short siege when I was a girl and whatever amount of food you have, it won’t be enough. If it looks like it’s too much, get more.”
“I hope we can.”
They wasted no time getting to the market, but Janna was appalled to find nearly all of the stalls picked clean and it wasn’t yet noon. She bought everything she could, except for fresh vegetables, but a few hams, a wheel of
cheese and two sacks of flour hardly took up any space in the cart.
“We need to find more,” Hilda said.
“How?”
“Leave it to me. With your permission, I’ll go out this afternoon and talk to some people. Be ready to go see them anytime.”
Arryk
“But she can’t!” Arryk realized he was spluttering but couldn’t quite stop himself. “Where did she get the troops?”
“It’s unclear, but it doesn’t matter,” Magnus said. “Teodora besieges Kersenstadt with at least ten thousand on top of what Barela can bring. At least they won’t be reinforcing Mattila right now.”
“How can we be sure of that? The hussars could be anywhere, so we need to go now.” Arryk stood. He was certain Larisa would never surrender, but worry clawed at his insides.
His officers looked at each other uncertainly but no one said anything.
“What?” Arryk asked. “What is it?”
“We can’t just go marching off to Kersenstadt, Your Highness,” Magnus said. He seemed to be the only one unafraid to speak his mind.
“Why not? If we go now we can get there before Teodora can make much progress.”
“Have you considered it might be a trap? You leave Fromenberg with Mattila sitting to your north, between you and Hohenwart. While you attack Teodora, Mattila attacks you. You’d be caught between two armies of some size.”
Arryk slumped back into his chair. “You’re right. But we can’t just let her get away with it.”
“She won’t get in,” an engineering officer said confidently. “The duchess showed me her plans for fortifications and she had time to put them in place. Teodora has little artillery. I doubt any attempts to storm the walls will succeed. In fact, I’d be surprised if Barela and Ensden even so much as try.”
“I hope you’re right.” Arryk tried to calm himself. “But we can’t take too long. What if they run out of food?”
“They won’t,” said the quartermaster. “The place was stuffed with supplies.”
“But there must be at least twenty thousand souls inside. How long could any supplies last?”
“Long. If the administrators understand what they’re doing, and what I’ve gathered from these Kronlanders is that they’re good at organizing that sort of thing.”
“Your Highness,” said a colonel. “I realize this is very alarming. But it mustn’t distract us from our real mission, which is to defeat Brynhild Mattila as soon as possible. As soon as she is dispatched, we can turn our attention to Teodora.”
“I can’t beat Mattila without allies.”
“Call in Arian Orland. With any luck he can reach you before the Sanova Hussars join Mattila and you’ll have a chance with him.”
“We’ll still be outnumbered.”
“A bit. Let’s give Hohenwart another week to get here. Send messengers telling her to hurry. In the meantime, let’s plan the artillery dispositions. We have all of those lovely guns Mattila left in Kersenstadt. Let’s use them.”
Arryk stood up again, feeling heavy. Still, he saw sense in what the colonel said. “Let’s do that. The sooner the better.” He still didn’t see how he was supposed to win. “Have we heard from Ruso Faris?” he asked. His artillery expertise would be welcome.
“We only know our messenger reached Birkenfels. He’s not back yet.”
Arryk didn’t understand what reason Faris had for delay, but it seemed he had one. It didn’t matter. He would have to do with what he had.
Janna
Hilda was as good as her word. She returned before supper and came straight to Janna. “I hope you don’t mind eating cold tonight. We must hurry out again later.”
“I don’t mind. What have you found?”
“I know your landlady’s cook. Her brother works at a warehouse down by the river. The merchant who owns it is trying to hold back the food and wait for prices to rise.”
“That’s horrid. How can he take advantage of people like that?”
Hilda shrugged. “It’s just business. But we’re in luck. He’ll let a few acquaintances—those with good coin at least—buy as much as they can. We want to do it after dark, and we’ll need an armed escort.”
“Goodness, why?”
“Folks are already panicking and if they see a cart they think might be filled with food, there’s no telling what they’ll do.”
“How in the world am I supposed to find an armed escort?”
“Ask our Norovaeans. They can help, or find someone who can.”
“I can’t see Major Ellert approving of something like this.”
“In this situation, what’s yours is theirs, so they have an interest in having the house well-stocked, don’t you think?”
“I suppose.” Janna was afraid to ask Ellert, or anyone else. She would have to do it anyway. She asked the maid to send the captain to her when he returned from whatever it was he did all day.
Ellert appeared in her parlor, courteous as always. He listened to Janna’s idea, then said, “Why don’t we all go? I imagine four of us will be enough, well-armed.”
“There’s one more thing. I know about this because someone is doing me a personal favor and I don’t wish them betrayed to the authorities because of me.”
“So the operation isn’t legal?” Ellert looked amused.
“I doubt it.”
He shrugged. “I don’t mind if people in the city are making the best of the situation. Perhaps we can make it work to our advantage.”
“I don’t see how.”
“Leave it to me. When do we go?”
Everyone met in the kitchen after supper. Hilda raised her eyebrows at the sight of four Norovaean officers, all laden with swords and pistols, then said, “I was thinking more like a few fellows with clubs, but this ought to be better.”
“I should hope so,” Ellert said.
Janna wished she didn’t have to go, but she didn’t trust anyone else with her money.
It was not quite dark when they left the house, but the streets were quiet. Now they were besieged, folk kept to themselves, venturing out only to market or attend the temples, which according to Birgid, were packed every day.
Hilda led the donkey hitched to the little cart, and Janna remembered how she had left Kaleva. She would have given all of her coin and then some to leave now. She knew she would be able to find Braeden if only she could get outside the city.
They trooped down to the river, lined with docks and warehouses. It was quiet here, though most of the warehouses had guards posted, private employees of the merchants who owned them. They looked none too pleased to see the Norovaeans, but no one bothered them.
Hilda finally stopped in front of a nondescript building. Janna didn’t know how she could tell it apart from the rest. She knocked and a small window opened. She turned to Janna. “They say just the two of us can come in. The armed escort has to stay outside.”
“Unacceptable,” Ellert said. “It is impossible that Madame enter this place unattended.”
Janna felt he was right, since she had no idea what awaited her inside. Anyone engaged in illegal activities might be desperate.
Hilda shook her head. “No one armed may enter, they said.”
“I’ll leave my weapons here with the other three. Is that acceptable?” Ellert handed his pistols to the woman, then removed at least four blades from his person and gave them to the others.
The door opened.
The warehouse was a hive of activity. A red-faced, sweating clerk sat at a table near the front, collecting coin and handing scraps of paper out in return. There was a short line, so Janna and her companions waited.
When they reached the clerk, he asked “How much?”
Janna must have looked as confused as she felt. “How much what?”
“How much money have you got? You tell me, and then I tell you what you can get for it.”
That seemed like a strange way of doing things. “Oh, er, I have five hundred.” There was no way
Janna wanted anyone to know how much she had.
The clerk ran a dirty finger down a list on the table. “That’ll get you four hams, ten wheels of cheese, and six sacks of flour.”
That would scarcely fill a corner of the cellar. “What about a thousand?”
Before the clerk could speak again, Ellert said, “My good man, remember it’s in your best interest to keep this operation from the attention of the authorities. Surely our discretion is worth some consideration?”
The clerk looked Ellert up and down. “If you don’t mind my saying so, you’re not in a good position to make demands.”
“Oh, but I am,” Ellert said cheerfully, his good nature unflagging. “If you can’t see your way to giving Madame here a substantial discount, Duchess Karsten’s troops will be all over this operation before morning.”
“And if someone in here cuts your throat, how is Duchess Karsten supposed to find out you were here?”
Ellert laughed. “My comrades are just outside, and they’re armed to the teeth. If I, and these ladies don’t appear within the hour, they will go straight to the duchess.”
The clerk narrowed his eyes and Ellert stared back, frank, pleasant, blue-eyed. The clerk finally said. “All right. But you ain’t coming back. Now, you said you had a thousand? I reckon we can load you up well enough for that amount. Have your cart brought to that side door.”
Hilda ducked out to get the cart and Janna said, “Thank you sir. Though that seemed rather risky.”
“Not very. My officers out there would have gone for help if we hadn’t come out soon.”
Janna was relieved they had come, and even more so when they accompanied her cart, piled high with food, through Kersenstadt’s dark streets.
Back at the house, Hilda and the other three officers put everything in the cellar while Janna went upstairs, pulling off her cloak as she went. She paused in the parlor to hang it up, since she no longer had her own room and there wasn’t space in the nursery for her things. Ellert was on her heels and followed her into the room, closing the door behind him.
The Desolate Empire Series: Books 1-3 Page 81