by Chris Bunch
The fliers found their own club/mess, one of the village's three taverns, and more top class relics were manufactured to fill the tavern's shelves as they should be. Hal found one of the replacements had worked in a tavern, and put him in charge of liquid victualing, under Te.
Te had the idea of bringing in whores from Paestum, which Hal quickly rejected. Dragon fliers already had a reputation for rowdiness, and having prostitutes in their quarters might be quite enough for him to be relieved. Hal couldn't quite understand the army's thinking on this, other than people talk to people in bed, and the powers were afraid of spies. But it was a commandment, and so he honored it. Soldiers with exceptionally strong lusts could get permission to visit Paestum and its authorized brothels.
Farren Mariah tried to cast a spell of invisibility around the base, failed completely, muttered about how he should have paid more attention to his grandfather.
Now, all he needed was better weather, and the promised addition of fliers, and he was ready to go after Yasin and his black dragons.
He spent hours in Paestum, at the First Army's intelligence bureau, but nothing came from the spies who crossed the lines as to Yasin's location.
But he knew spring would bring the black dragons out of their dens.
"We have problems, sir," Serjeant Te announced.
"What now?" Hal asked.
"Lord Cantabri's come a-calling."
"Oh shit."
"You can't see the blood on his hands," Te announced. "But you know he's got to have some scheme afoot that'll be killing us."
Hal laughed, asked Te to escort him in, and bring some mulled wine. He didn't need to add that Te should have an ear at the confessional cell.
Hal trusted Te and knew that, if Cantabri's visit had nothing to do with the war or the flight, he'd go on about his business.
"Quite a little establishment you've worked here, Lord Hal," Cantabri said. He looked far better than when Hal had seen him last, ready for the campaign trail.
"So far our friends across the lines haven't spotted it… And when the fighting starts, we'll be a bit closer to the action."
"Ah. I thought you might have spied out our intent for the spring."
Hal tried to look sagacious and knowing, failed.
"Oh. You haven't spied out the land," Cantabri said, his yellowish eyes gleaming.
"No, sir."
"I think," Cantabri said, "after all this time and bloodshed, we can dispense with the sirs and lords unless we're in formal company."
"Yes, mil… I mean, Bab."
"I have two matters of personal business for you. Here's one," and he reached into his belt pouch, took out an elaborately sealed roll of parchment, gave it to Hal.
Hal saw the red seal, knew it was from King Asir. He broke the seal, read, whistled.
"I just happen to have a bit of a guess as to what it is," Cantabri said. "I, in fact, made a request of His Highness, when I heard you were to be lifted further into the nobility, and you'd be granted certain privileges, that if one of them included estates, you be given lands near the ones granted me.
"I do like to have neighbors I can turn my back on. So you're now the proud owner of some dairy land, quite a sufficient acreage, plus some villages, and I suspect fishing rights, along the east coast."
"You called it," Hal said. "Plus some islands off the coast, a rather embarrassing pension and a manor house in Rozen."
He lowered the parchment.
"A question just occurred to me. Where do these lands the king gives out come from? Didn't they have owners?"
"Certainly," Cantabri said. "But the owners perhaps aren't supporters of the king, or the war, or died without heirs."
"A hell of a system," Hal said. "And this business of owning villages. I suppose that means I could evict the villagers if I didn't like the color of their hair or such?"
"You could," Cantabri agreed. "And it is a hell of a system.
But if the king heard of your tyranny, there just could be lands awaiting a grant to a newer hero.
"The whole matter comes to whether or not you happen to trust the king. I do."
"As do I," Hal said, glad he was telling the truth, and remembering Te's ear at the mousehole.
"I can add," Cantabri said, "that the king told me privately he was most sorry for not taking care of this matter at your audience.
"But you, and I am quoting directly, 'shook the shit right out of him.'"
Such language, given Te's near idolatry of King Asir, must've set the serjeant back slightly.
"The second bit of business from His Majesty is that he's most apologetic that your plans for the squadron haven't been implemented as yet, but that hopefully success in the spring and summer will make matters easier.
"He didn't explain, nor did I inquire."
Hal sipped at his mulled wine.
"Now," he said. "Might I inquire as to your business, Bab?"
"Why," Cantabri said, "if you've no better way to spend your afternoon, perhaps you might take me flying."
"Just to get a breath of nice, fresh air?" Hal asked skeptically.
"No more."
"There's enough fresh air about today to freeze your frigging nose right off," Hal said. "And, not meaning to call a greater lord than myself a liar, but you might wish to give me some hints as to which direction the best fresh air might come from."
"Oh, the hells with it," Cantabri said. "I told them you wouldn't be any help unless you knew what we would be going up after. North-east by east." He saw a map on the wall, went to it, and tapped. "Here."
Hal went to the map, studied it.
"I think," he said, now not so sure his clever-clever stationing of Te was that good an idea, "we'd best go on outside, see to the saddling of our mount."
They went out, putting on heavy coats, gloves, against the swirling winds. At least it wasn't snowing, Hal thought.
Cantabri grinned at him.
"You know, back when I commanded my first cavalry troop, I thought I was most clever, and had my most trusted senior warrant with his ear to the back of my tent when I met with superiors, so that if anything of interest to my command was heard, he could be dealing with the matter immediately.
"I won't bother you with details as to how I was caught in my own trap… But I was."
Hal didn't think he was capable of flushing any more, but he was, and Cantabri roared laughter.
"Now," he said, after he'd recovered, "let me give you the details of what's planned.
"I'll add that this plan comes directly from the king, after he had some most meaningful dreams his astrologer said must have been sent by the gods. The king, evidently, has felt his fate connected with a great river since a witch told him that, back when he was a boy."
"Oh dear," Hal said in a small voice.
"Perhaps so," Cantabri agreed. "First, you must remember His Majesty is not a man of war, and despises this horror Queen Norcia and, frankly, the prewar weakness of Sagene, forced him into.
"However, he feels he must rise to the occasion."
Cantabri and Hal looked at each other, and their faces were perfectly blank.
"He always felt that the invasion of Kalabas was an inspired idea, together with his plan to invade Roche up the Ichili River.
"It is a pity, in his view, that certain events, and possibly the hand of the gods—King Asir believes very firmly in the gods—intervened.
"Or perhaps he chose the wrong place."
"I see," Hal said, remembering the map. Cantabri had pointed to the fortified city of Aude, on the broad River Comtal. It was about fifty or more miles from the vaguely defined desolation of the lines, and some ten miles from Roche's northern coast. "Just like the last time?"
"Sort of," Cantabri said. "Except that, being closer to Deraine, our supply lines won't be as long.
"We've even now begun building craft for the invasion, but they'll be different, not a mish-mosh of cargo ships and such, but smaller, flat-bottomed river craft,
able to cross the Chicor Straits in good weather."
"And of course, there are no Roche spies in Deraine reporting this construction and drawing the obvious conclusions," Hal said.
"The king's aware that there are," Cantabri said, a bit of frost in his voice. Hal reminded himself that Lord Cantabri wasn't near the cynic Kailas thought himself to be.
"Go ahead," Hal prodded.
"There'll be spells of confusion cast along the northern front," Cantabri went on. "Together with other spells I can't talk about right now.
"On a more physical level, we'll interdict all mail leaving Deraine for any foreign shore for the week before the attack."
"None of which will be noticed by Roche magicians or agents," Hal said cynically. "And no one will look to their defenses, remembering that good King Asir has a fondness for rivers."
"This time, there'll be a bit more subtlety," Cantabri said. "I hope. The First and Second Armies will mount an attack on Aude. All plans will suggest that is our only goal, that once we break through the lines, we'll regroup, and then move south and east on Carcaor.
"Instead, holding Aude, we'll have control of the upper hundred or more miles of the River Comtal. The invasion barges will carry the troops upriver, toward Carcaor.
"At the very least, holding Aude, we'll force the Roche lines back on themselves, and break this stalemate."
"If we take Aude," Hal said, but quietly, under his breath.
Hal told Sir Loren and Rai Garadice, his best pilots, although, if Sir Nanpean was telling the truth about his victories, he might well be a better choice.
But Kailas, having the safety of the man he considered Deraine's most important soldier uppermost, wished to take no chances with the unknown.
Storm, recovered from the long flight and his injuries, was sleek, and roared pleasure at the thought of flying.
Hal and his two handlers got Storm ready to fly, with a double saddle. His new crossbow, and five ten-bolt magazines, a trumpet and glass finished Hal's equipage.
The other two fliers were outfitted similarly.
"All right," Hal said. "Now, if you'll just clamber up—"
He looked closely at Lord Cantabri, saw he was as pale as he'd been in the hospital, wondered if the man was concealing wounds worse than anyone knew.
Then he got it.
"Uh, Bab, meaning no offense, how many times have you flown before today?"
Bab said, in a curiously muffled voice, "This will be the first."
"Would you rather wait here? My fliers can scout the area around Aude without being caught."
"No," Cantabri said, iron in his voice. "I must see what we'll be facing."
"Very well, then. Let me give you a hand up."
Hal didn't think it would be wise to add the caution he normally gave first-time fliers, that if they got sick on him, there'd be several hells to pay.
He mounted up, made sure Lord Cantabri had a firm hold, and slapped Storm's neck with the reins.
The dragon plodded out of the huge barn, squishing through the winter muck, faster, wings swirling up, then thrashing hard down, and Storm was in the air.
Behind him, Sir Loren and Garadice's monsters lifted clear.
Hal glanced over his shoulder, saw Cantabri's eyes were tightly shut, but his hold on the dragon's scales could have bent them.
As briefed, they flew high across the front, keeping a sharp eye out for Roche patrols, then dove down, beyond the archers and crossbowmen.
They flew due east, until the land below was empty of soldiery, turned northerly toward Aude.
Hal flew behind the knoll, then darted up, and landed on the clear crest. Garadice and Sir Loren flew in circles, hidden by the knoll, watching for any Roche dragons.
Beyond, across the Comtal River Valley, lay Aude.
"And here we are," he said, sliding out of his saddle.
Sir Cantabri took his hand, staggered, then went to a patch of brush and threw up in a dignified way.
When he'd finished, Hal handed him his canteen.
"No," Cantabri said. "Get mine. It's got brandy in it."
Hal obeyed. Cantabri rinsed his mouth, then swallowed, sighed.
"I'd be most beholden, Lord Kailas," he said, curiously formal, "if you could find your way not to discuss my body's weaknesses unless you must.
"But I shall admit to you I have a desperate fear of heights."
Hal was surprised, not only that Cantabri was afraid of anything, but that he had the courage to admit to it.
He thought he still had a great deal to learn about bravery, took out his glass, and studied Aude. Cantabri did the same.
It was even worse than the map had suggested. The Comtal, deep, wide, unfordable, protected three sides of the city. And it was a city, almost as large as Paestum.
But where Paestum had grown beyond its walls, Aude still hid behind them. The city had been built on a high bluff. There were double turreted walls, machicolated and strongly held.
Inside the second of these ran the town, zigging, narrow alleys Hal knew would be deadly to fight through, easy to defend, to a final stronghold, with its own walls and round keep.
There was a broad ramp on the third side, but this was well protected with pairs of interlocking gatehouses.
Assaulting this castle would be an utter nightmare. Hal didn't think it could be taken by any human forces, not unless there were enough soldiers willing to have their bodies stacked to the tops of the walls for others to climb on, and then die, in their turn, within the city.
Hal remembered Serjeant Te's words, almost looked at Cantabri's hands, to see if there might really be blood dripping from them.
Chapter Thirty-Three
It was a brisk late spring morning when, to the roll of drums and the thunder of horses' hooves, the First and Second Armies went on the attack.
Hal and his flight were reconning for the First Army, and, from high above, it looked splendid—the Roche lines being broken by the heavy cavalry, light cavalry pouring through the gaps, and a steady stream of infantry securing the positions, then moving on.
This, Hal was glad to see, wasn't like the abortive invasion of Kalabas—Lord Egibi had given his commanders explicit instructions that they were to exploit any opportunity offered.
Hal saw two dragons, neither black, and he and his flight attacked, drove them down into the bloody hands of the soldiery below.
Kailas chanced flying south for almost an hour, and found the lead elements of the Second Army, half Deraine, half Sagene.
They, too, had been successful in the breakthrough, and were marching steadily north-north-east, toward Aude and the River Comtal.
They saw three dragons, killed two, and the third fled.
At base that night, most of the fliers were bubbling, sure an attack that began this successfully couldn't fail.
Hal tried to hold back their enthusiasm, but felt a warmth of hope in spite of himself.
The next few days they drove the Roche back again, and now, when Hal swooped low over the soldiers, he could hear singing, and see they were laden with loot the Roche had previously seized from the poor, vanished peasants of the area.
Hal took Garadice and Gart, flew over the Roche lines, such as they were, and on, deeper into the rear. Then an idea struck, and he blew his trumpet, waved for a course change, to east-south-east.
What he saw, or rather what he didn't see, sent him back at top speed, his bewildered wingmates trailing, until he spotted the pennons of the Armies' Combined Command.
He landed, told Garadice to watch Storm, and went looking for Cantabri.
"You're sure?" Lord Bab said.
"I'm positive," Hal said.
"Twice lucky," Cantabri said. "I remember what you didn't see on the day we invaded Kalabas."
"I hope the result is different," Hal said.
"It will if I have anything to do with it. Now for Lords Egibi and Desmoceras."
Bab's eyes were a-gleam.
"This, Hal,
could win the war for us, in a week, or at most a month. Come on, man!"
"There appeared to be no Roche formations to the south?" Egibi said, trying to hold back incredulity.
"None, sir," Hal said. "I saw scattered light cavalry, and they were in full flight."
"This is somewhat astonishing," Lord Desmoceras, the Sagene commander of the Second Army said. He was a thin man, a bit shorter than average, but his face and body were seamed with the scars that proved him a fighting man to contend with.
"I have full confidence in Lord Kailas," Egibi said, but there was a slight question in his voice.
"As do I," Cantabri said, without ever a question mark.
"Thank you, sirs," Hal said. "Lord Desmoceras, I'm an experienced flier. I flew very carefully, saw no camouflaged camps or formations.
"The Roche have, from all I could see, been split in half. I'd guess some are fleeing toward Aude, the rest possibly to join up with other elements to our south.
"I'm ready to take out flights to find out just where they are."
Egibi nodded, didn't respond to Hal's volunteering.
"What do you think?" he asked Desmoceras.
The Sagene pulled at his nose.
"I think my Council of Barons would have my head for disobeying their orders, and turning away from Aude. Not to mention we have no spells ready, and it would take at least two days to change the army's orders."
Lord Egibi made a wry face.
"And here we've told our officers to take the initiative, not to be afraid to take chances.
"I myself wonder what King Asir would think if I changed the attack. First, we'll have a supply problem, turning away from the River Comtal, and—"