‘What, like “fuck”?’
Nyane sighed. ‘You would be doing me a favour if you desisted.’
‘Interesting,’ Ravi said. ‘This is the same herald who has no problem ordering soldiers to kill? The one who sent cavalry in to quell a riot? Blood’s okay, but naughty words are off-limits?’
‘Enough of this nonsense. Let me be clear – when you are on duty, especially if there are others around, I want no profanity to leave your lips. Understood? We are representatives of the empire; delegates sent by Her Majesty.’
‘I’ve heard the Empress swear,’ said Belinda. ‘Several times, in fact.’
‘Her Majesty’s Kellach Brigdomin.’
‘So?’
Nyane glared at her. ‘I’m afraid it’s part of their culture.’
‘It’s part of my culture, too,’ said Ravi. ‘Are you oppressing me?’
The young Holdings mage laughed.
‘You are all under my command,’ said Nyane. ‘If you want to call that oppression, then so be it; I’ll not lose any sleep.’
‘Okay, you win,’ said Ravi. ‘I’ll try.’
Belinda frowned. ‘Did you just wink at me, Ravi?’
‘What? No.. I was, eh, there’s a piece of dirt, yeah. In my eye.’
‘I’m glad you decided to come along, Ravi,’ Nyane said, ‘your mage skills will be most useful in helping with the defences. However, for the life of me I can’t understand why you volunteered. You were living the high life in the palace, and had the run of the university.’
‘Yeah, but I was bored.’
‘You’re a fool,’ said Belinda. ‘I’m only here because I was ordered. I’d much rather be in Plateau City with the Empress. If I had all of my powers, maybe, but then I could end this war in ten days. Three, if I had access to the Quadrant also.’
‘Remember,’ said Nyane, ‘no mention of any of that once we land. You’re my right-hand, Belinda; a captain of the imperial guard. It’ll be hard work.’ She glanced back at Ravi. ‘For all of you.’
‘I can work hard,’ he said, ‘as long as I get time to relax too.’
Nyane shook her head. ‘Bored? And you couldn’t think of anything else?’
‘You know me, I can’t sit still. And after Kerri dumped my ass, eh, I mean broke up with me, I’ve been waiting for something to come along. Maybe the whole Rahain thing changed me. Maybe I need some excitement.’ He gazed around at the rows of seat. ‘Hey, the shaking’s stopped.’
Nyane turned to a window. The dark clouds were now above them, and the sun was beginning to rise across the far reaches of the Inner Sea. They were flying low over the coastline, approaching Rainsby from the west, the ground a blur beneath them.
‘Shan’t be long, ma’am,’ called over one of the pilots.
As she gazed at the view, Nyane stretched out her arms, flexing her fingers, sore after gripping the seat for so long. Behind them were five other carriages, each kept aloft by four winged gaien; and filled with a detachment of marines and a few dozen officials; the new governor’s staff and personal guard. Nyane’s carriage held only four passengers, but the rear was filled with crates of supplies as well as her belongings.
She turned her gaze to the east and picked out the town of Rainsby in the distance, only its massive outer walls and the spindly harbour arms visible in the dawn light.
It started to rain as their carriage neared the town, thick drops bouncing off the curved wooden beams and streaking across the windows. They were lowered into a large empty field within the circuit of outer walls, close to the fortress and army headquarters, which joined the cavalry grounds to the Old Town. Troopers opened the hatches as they hovered a foot from the gravel of the parade ground, and Nyane took a hand as she stepped down, the wind gusting cold rain into her face.
‘Welcome to Rainsby, ma’am,’ cried a cavalry officer over the noise of the wind. ‘Shall we get out of the rain?’
‘Let’s,’ she said, her voice lost to the gale. She turned and gestured to the others to hurry, and followed the officer as he strode away from the carriage. The high stone walls of the fortress loomed ahead, and the officer entered the gatehouse by a large, arched opening. He stood, beckoning, as Nyane and the others hastened over the slick cobbles, the downpour soaking through their clothes. They went into a guard room where a fire was blazing, and the officer closed the door.
‘If you could wait here for a moment, ma’am,’ the officer said. ‘Word has been sent ahead to the garrison commanders and the governor’s office that you’ve arrived, and someone will be here shortly to escort you to your quarters. The other carriages in your formation require my attention as they land, so if you’ll excuse me?’
He bowed and left the room.
Ravi went over to the fire and knelt by it, warming his hands as he shook the rain from his hair. Nyane walked to the narrow window and stared out at the grey skies. Though she was determined not to show it, she was still angry and disappointed about her new assignment. Despite the Empress repeating how Rainsby was the strategic lynchpin that held the defences of the empire together, it felt like a demotion; being cast aside and forgotten, while Calder got on with being the new herald.
Her mood didn’t improve when she considered her companions – Belinda, who would rather be elsewhere; Tabor, who seemed terrified by the whole ordeal; and Ravi, who was doing it because he was bored. On the other carriages were three hundred marines under her direct authority, and a hastily put together assortment of engineers, secretaries and staff officers, none of whom she had worked with before.
She had been reading every report on Rainsby that she could get her hands on, and had memorised the names of the chief commanders of the navy, cavalry, marines and army, as well as the top officials in the governor’s administration. She sighed from the weight of it. Worse than the burden of responsibility was the knowledge that each day spent away from her mother was wasted. They had been parted for so long, and just as they were starting to get to know each other again, she had been ordered to Rainsby.
The door opened behind her.
‘Oh,’ said a voice. ‘Well, this is awkward.’
Nyane turned, to see a Holdings man standing by the entrance, a cloak and hat in his hands.
‘Good morning, Governor,’ she said.
‘Not any more, I think.’
‘The title is a courtesy,’ she said, ‘but you are correct; the transfer of power occurred the moment I stepped foot in Rainsby. Are you leaving?’
‘On the carriage you came in on,’ he said. ‘It’ll be the last opportunity to get out of here before winter, and I’d prefer to not to have to stay under the new regime. Nothing personal, of course; one seldom feels fondness towards one’s replacement. I had a good run of it, seven long years, until that little witch Thorn appeared.’ He shook his head. ‘I know the Empress blames me for the loss of Keir Holdfast and the seven hundred or so cavalry that went with him, but Thorn had the town under a spell.’ He glanced over at Nyane. ‘She still does.’ He bowed. ‘Good luck, Governor.’
‘And to you.’
The man donned his cloak and hat, and strode out into the rain.
A group of officials arrived after ten minutes, and Nyane and the others were escorted through the rear courtyard of the fortress and into the tower keep. The last of the flying carriages had disgorged its cargo, and the marine guard had been assigned a long barracks block close to the centre of the fortress, where the new governor would be able to reach them easily. Ravi and Tabor were assigned to watch over the transfer of their baggage, and Nyane and Belinda were led to a great hall on an upper floor, where at least a score of officers were present.
Nyane scanned them as she entered. The majority were Holdings, though a few Kellach Brigdomin were also there. Once again, she thought, she was the only Rahain in the room.
‘Greetings,’ she said as they bowed before her. ‘I am Nyane, Imperial Herald and the new governor of this town.’ She paused, taking in the mixed expr
essions of the officers. ‘I know that some of you are aggrieved with the dismissal of the previous governor, and are perhaps wondering if your positions could be next. Fear not. Although I have plans to replace much of the civil administration, I intend to leave the military alone for now. I shall be living here, in the garrison headquarters, as the governor’s residence is wholly inappropriate for my purposes.’
She paced back and forth, halting in front of an enormous map of Rainsby and the southern Plateau that was hanging from a wall.
‘Someone tell me,’ she said, ‘where are the Rahain?’
A throat was cleared. ‘We’re not entirely sure, ma’am.’
‘Why not?’
‘Well, I…’
‘We have no vision mage, ma’am,’ said another voice. ‘As I’m sure you’re aware, the Holdfast boy left with Thorn.’
‘And did he take all of the horses?’
A silence followed her question. She turned. ‘I want cavalry patrols out every day, and scouts up on the ridges that border the valley. The Rahain are returning; it is only a matter of when. Until then, we must use every moment to prepare.’
‘Apologies, ma’am,’ said one, ‘but we have been here, living under siege for a year and a half. If a fresh Rahain army approaches before we have been massively reinforced, then we won’t have enough troops to defend the town. It’s a simple fact.’
‘It’s true,’ said another. ‘We have fewer than five hundred marines, including the detachment you brought with you today; and there are only two thousand regular army troopers left to guard the walls.’
‘And cavalry?’ Nyane said.
‘Under twelve hundred, ma’am,’ said a tall, Holdings officer, ‘with mounts for roughly half that figure. Keir Holdfast took the best of what the stables had to offer.’
Nyane frowned. ‘And what are your thoughts on the young runaway mages?’
The officers glanced at each other.
‘They disobeyed orders,’ she went on, ‘and abandoned the town, leaving it practically defenceless.’
‘And yet,’ said the tall cavalry officer, ‘if they return, the common folk and the troopers will cheer their names to the sky. They’ll forgive them for going, as long as they arrive back before any new Rahain army appears.’
‘Do we have any idea of their current whereabouts?’
‘No, ma’am. Their goal is Anamindhari. If they have ridden swiftly, then they should be arriving around now, or in a few days.’
‘Then we shall be without the two young renegades for a third at the very least, possibly two.’
A red-haired Kellach narrowed his eyes. ‘The marines don’t see them as “renegades”, ma’am. I advise you not to call them that.’
‘Your advice is duly noted,’ said Nyane, ‘as is your tone. You may not like me, but you will respect me. I will not hesitate to remove anyone standing here in this room if they fall below the high standards I demand. For too long you have sat idle, waiting passively for the Rahain army to arrive; while hoping that Keir and Thorn will return in time to save you.’ She stared at them, meeting each officer’s eyes in turn. ‘From now on, you will act as though the young mages will never return, and we will ready this town to meet another great assault from our enemy. The defences of Rahain are the mightiest in the world, and for every day that passes we will make them stronger. If anyone feels they are not up to this task, you know where the door is.’ No one moved. ‘Good,’ she went on. ‘Now, if you don’t mind, I’m ready to hear your oaths.’
‘What a mess,’ said Belinda as she gazed down from the tower parapet. ‘Half the town’s been pulverised or burnt.’
‘But not the Old Town,’ said Nyane. ‘The outer suburbs act as a thick buffer. Not one of the Rahain assaults got close to the walls of the Old Town, even though they broke through the great outer circuit several times.’ She buttoned up her coat against the cutting wind. Behind them lay the Old Town and the harbour, while to their right lay the cavalry grounds and a section of Outer Wall that ran down to the shores of the Inner Sea. To their left, Nyane could see Madden’s Tower over the rooftops; a tall, blocky building that guarded the imperial dockyards. Ahead was where the devastation could be found. Street after street lay in ruins; houses scorch-marked and gutted shells, with bricks and stone blocking the roads in heaps.
‘When I was here before,’ Belinda said, ‘I didn’t see any of this. Karalyn sneaked me and Calder out at night, and we walked right through the Rahain encampment, stole a cart, and were a dozen miles down the road before the sun rose.’
‘I lived here once,’ Nyane said, ‘after my father and I had escaped from Rahain through the Great Tunnel. Thousands of us flooded through, before Ghorley’s soldiers occupied the fortresses at either end and blockaded it.’ She pointed to a ruined square with a broken fountain. ‘The area set aside for the exiled Rahain was over there, and we stayed for nearly a year. It was the worst time of my life. We’d lost my mother at the southern entrance to the tunnel, and the poverty and squalor of the camp compounded my misery. When I boarded the boat that took me to Plateau City, I vowed I’d never return.’
‘From a refugee to the governor; not a bad way to return.’
Nyane glanced at her. ‘I’m going to rely on you a lot, Belinda. You heard the officers. You saw their faces. Demoralised, worried, lethargic, even. Half of them looked like they wish they’d gone off with Keir and Thorn.’
‘I shall do as you command, and thanks. It’s nice to be trusted.’
‘You are my adjutant, and together we’ll whip this town into shape. Starting tomorrow, I intend to inspect every inch of Rainsby; every granary, armoury, barracks and wall; and itemise every last scrap of material resources. My plans for the defences will require the mobilisation of every member of the garrison for labouring duty, and for that they’ll need boots, winter coats and shovels. I warn you, Belinda, from tomorrow morning the pace will be unremitting; I intend to do the best job I can in the time I have here. See it as the next step of your career working for the empire. If I can go from refugee to herald and governor; think what you could do.’
Belinda nodded. ‘Even without my powers?’
‘Especially without them. This is your chance to prove yourself; so that no one will ever be able to say you got your position solely by the lucky chance of being a mage. You’ll have earned it.’
‘I understand,’ Belinda said, lowering her face. ‘I know I’m impatient. I think it’s because my sense of time is faulty. My memories only go back a year, and each third of that seems a decade; each season an eternity. In that time I’ve sailed to Rainsby, gone to Rahain and back, and now I’m in Rainsby again. I’m itching to do something, anything; and I know what you’re saying makes sense, but I…’
‘It’s fine,’ said Nyane. ‘I think I understand. Maybe you could lead a few scouting expeditions? Also, I’d like you to learn how to ride a horse while we’re here; it’s one area of your training that I noticed was lacking. Don’t worry, we’ll fill your days.’
‘And what about this afternoon?’
‘I need to write to the Empress,’ Nyane said. ‘The last carriage flying back to Plateau City is leaving at dusk, and in the event that Tabor is unable to contact Stretton Sands, her Majesty should know that we have arrived safely. After that, dinner, I think.’
‘What shall I do?’
‘Go to Madden’s Tower for me, and find the sisters of Keir and Thorn. They both reside there under the protection of the marines left behind when the others departed. Invite the two of them to dinner.’
‘And if they say no?’
Nyane shrugged. ‘Be persuasive.’
‘This is a gloomy old place,’ said Ravi as he sat at the large dining table. ‘The old governor had a lovely big mansion, I heard. Why aren’t we living there?’
‘It’s too far from where I need to be,’ said Nyane, as a waiter poured wine into a glass for her, ‘which is here, where all of the military decisions are being made.�
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Ravi glanced around the table at Nyane, Belinda and Tabor. ‘Is it just the four of us? No offence, but I’ve been looking at the same faces for days; some fresh ones would be nice.’
‘See those two empty spaces?’ said Nyane, pointing down the table. ‘There are some guests who are yet to arrive.’ She turned to Tabor. ‘How have you settled in?’
‘Fine, ma’am,’ he said.
‘You can start practising tomorrow, yes?’
‘I’ve got some keenweed you can have,’ said Ravi. ‘Might help.’
‘You brought keenweed with you?’ said Nyane.
‘Yeah, and other types too. Are you after some?’
‘I’d be up for it,’ said Belinda.
Nyane shook her head. ‘I sometimes feel I am surrounded by children.’
Belinda shot her a look, while Ravi chuckled.
Servers arrived with trays of food, and began to lay down plates and bowls.
‘Shall we start without the others?’ said Belinda.
At that moment the doors opened, and four figures walked into the dining room, guards moving aside to let them pass. One was a teenage Holdings girl, one a young Sanang woman, and the other two were Kellach marines; one a sergeant, judging by the badge sewn onto her sleeve.
‘Just in time,’ said Ravi, standing. ‘Me and Tabor are the only boys here tonight, eh?’ He stuck his hand out. ‘I’m Ravi.’
Nyane got to her feet. ‘Welcome, Kelsey Holdfast and Acorn of Greyfalls Deepen. We can set another two places for your… companions.’
‘This is Demi and Bryda,’ said the Holdings girl, thumbing at the marines. ‘Where we go, they go.’
The sergeant shrugged. ‘Aye.’
Nyane gestured to a group of servers. ‘Please set places at the table for our two other guests.’ She turned back to Kelsey, who was ignoring Ravi’s out-stretched arm. ‘I hope this doesn’t mean that you feel you need protecting from me. I assure you, there is no malice in my intent. Please sit.’
Kelsey walked over to the table as Ravi sat back down.
The Magelands Epic: Soulwitch Rises (Book 7) Page 23