by Duncan Lay
‘I had forgotten about that. She will keep the archbishop close by her side,’ Asami mused.
‘Of course. But he can’t help her if her head is lying on the ground.’
‘You know there is little chance of getting that close to her.’
‘That is where you come in. You and the other Magic-weavers.’
Asami rubbed her face. ‘Sendatsu, I am tired and wondering if I can eat this bread. I have no time to keep playing with you. So come out with your grand plan to persuade me to sleep with you. I should give you this one night, because there won’t be any more?’
Sendatsu reached out and took her hand. ‘Not at all. I would not do that to you. I just wanted to say how much I regret the mistakes I made with us. If I had the chance again, I would defy my father and run away with you.’
Asami paused, looking in his eyes. It was hard to see, for the fire cast a fitful light, but his face had always betrayed him before and she scanned that as well. As best she could see, he had no hidden motive. But she was not going to relax that easily.
‘Even if it meant you never had Mai and Cheijun in your life?’
Sendatsu kissed her hand. ‘I do believe they were a gift from Aroaril for me and that we would have had them together.’
‘That wasn’t my question.’
Sendatsu chuckled. ‘You always were too clever for me! No, I could never wish away Mai and Cheijun, say I wanted them out of my life.’
‘So you want me yet would not give up Mai and Cheijun. That is the story of us, in many ways. Caught in the middle and neither one thing or the other.’
‘That was not what I meant. Even after they were born, I missed so many chances to be with you. If I had been stronger, things would be different. I was also selfish, and foolish.’
‘Yes.’
‘My mother only embraced the love of her life for a few turns of the hourglass. Now she cries herself to sleep every night. If we come through this battle, I want you to know I would do anything for you, whatever it takes for us to be together.’
‘But it is not up to you. The decision is mine,’ Asami said tiredly. ‘I remember seeing your mother and Lord Retsu together in the cell we shared in Cridianton and how happy they were. But there were no complications for them.’
Sendatsu lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. ‘That is true. You don’t need my permission but I wanted you to know that should something happen to me, I am so sorry for the mistakes I made, the paths I forced you onto, the corners I pushed you into. I was selfish, trying to force you into my life. Love means sometimes sacrificing your wishes to make the other happy. I was too blind to see it. And yet I was doing it every day, with Mai and Cheijun. It took me far too long but I see what I did wrong. So, again, you don’t need to listen to me but do what you want to be happy. That is all I want for you. And I am sure Gaibun feels the same, no matter what he said tonight. That is all. Now I shall leave you in peace.’
He stood and she looked up at him, surprised that was it. As he turned, she grabbed his hand and used it to help herself up.
‘Walk with me. I predict Gaibun will be back, innocently walking past at any moment and I do not want to see the two of you fighting each other before a battle again. I still remember how I spent the night before Dokuzen.’
‘Where are we going?’
‘Where we can talk without fear of Gaibun disturbing us.’
They walked away from the Velsh campfires, into the darkness, where the light of the Forlish campfires cast shadows towards their feet.
‘Just hold me for a moment,’ she said. ‘Don’t say anything else, just hold me.’
She felt his arms go around her and relaxed, her cheek against his. They said nothing for a long time and she felt her mind clearing. She knew what she had to do, who she had to choose.
She took a deep breath, thinking how she could tell him.
‘Anyone want a baby?’ a strange voice said.
They sprang apart and turned around to see three Forlish soldiers standing there, looking sheepish, one carrying a bundle in his arms.
‘What does that mean?’ Sendatsu demanded, his hand going to his sword.
‘It means we have a baby here and we need some woman to look after it, so we thought we’d ask you Velsh. And you looked like you might be thinking in that direction anyway,’ the one with the bundle said slowly and distinctly, holding out his arms.
‘We’re not Velsh, we’re Elfaran,’ Sendatsu said suspiciously.
‘Really? We can’t see much out here. Would you look after her anyway?’
‘Wait! You’re not going to sacrifice her to gain magical powers, are you?’ the shortest of the three asked anxiously.
‘Is this some sort of jest? Have you been drinking?’ Sendatsu accused, taking a step forwards.
‘Truly, we have a child. We rescued her in the retreat, for the elves would have killed her along with the others. We need a safe place for her tomorrow.’ The man in the centre took a pace forwards and held out his arms, opening the bundle to reveal a sleeping child.
Asami pulled Sendatsu back. ‘Whatever else this is, they do indeed have a child,’ she whispered.
‘This could be some sort of trap,’ he hissed back.
‘With just three of them?’
‘If you don’t want her, can you show us to the Velsh fires? We’ll be noticed soon, and then they’ll probably flog us and put us in the front rank tomorrow,’ the man with the child said urgently.
That was enough for Asami. She strode forwards, eluding Sendatsu’s despairing grab, and reached out for the child.
The man handed her over a little reluctantly.
‘Her name is Hild. I think there is still a little left in her milk bladder,’ he said.
Asami looked into his face, imagining she could see caring eyes in the hard, scarred face. He also stared at her.
‘Do I know you?’ he asked.
‘I don’t think so.’
‘I have the strangest feeling we met somewhere. But I am sure I would remember your voice. Anyway, thank you for looking after Hild.’
‘You did the right thing. We will keep her safe tomorrow,’ she promised.
‘What is your name, so I can find you tomorrow after the battle, to get her back?’
‘Asami.’
‘I am Sergeant Caelin and this is Harald and Ruttyn. If we live, we will come to get her back. If not, then please take her to Dunholm. We said we’d try to meet the girl’s mother there, if she survived.’
Asami ignored Sendatsu, who was hovering behind her, glaring at the Forlish.
‘I will look for you tomorrow, try to keep you safe with my magic,’ she promised.
‘And when you get to Dunholm, if you could perhaps see your way to putting a spell on my wife’s mother —’ one of the soldiers began, before the other jabbed him in the ribs to silence him.
The one called Caelin reached out a thick finger and gently brushed the little girl’s hair. ‘She will be afraid when she wakes. She likes singing,’ he said hoarsely. ‘Take care of her.’
And then the three of them faded back away into the shadows, Caelin moving so fast that, for a moment, Asami wondered if she had imagined it all. But the weight of the child in her arms put paid to that thought.
‘What was that about? And why did you agree to lend your magic to three ordinary soldiers?’ Sendatsu asked. ‘I thought you were going to be lucky to last through the battle as it was?’
Asami looked down at the sleeping girl and smiled. ‘I thought you’d ask why I agreed to take this girl.’
Sendatsu chuckled. ‘That would be foolish. I know what a powerful spell sleeping children can cast on you. Awake, and crying, that is a different matter. But a sleeping little girl — I was ready to take her myself, if you did not. Mai would love a little sister.’
‘But what about the real mother?’
Sendatsu reached over and tucked the rough blanket over the little girl. ‘Do you think
Sumiko would have left any alive behind her? Mercy has not been one of her many qualities.’
‘Then she is all alone in the world, unless I can keep those soldiers alive.’
‘Probably. But how can you keep an eye on three ordinary men, when there will be so much to do, so many to protect?’
‘Because they are not ordinary. They risked everything to save a small child, then to bring her to safety, in the face of death. It gives me hope for the Forlish.’
‘I never doubted them. If they can produce Rhiannon, then they are certainly not all like Ward. Just as we are not all like Sumiko or Jaken.’
Asami hefted Hild in her arms.
‘Time to go back,’ she suggested. ‘I don’t think this night can bring any more surprises.’
Sendatsu laughed. ‘Don’t say things like that! You know something even stranger will happen now!’
30
It is strange, how hard it is to say what you really mean to the one you love. You know what you have to say but then it all gets twisted up. When everything is riding on your next word, it is easy for the tongue to get tied in knots. But don’t let that stop you. Better to say the wrong thing than nothing at all.
Ward woke up early, as he often did. Years of struggling with a bladder that screamed it was full but then refused to be emptied saw to that, even though he had enjoyed a much better time of it since the elves had healed him. He lay there on the camp bed, looking at the roof of the tent, and was reminded of his younger years, when he had forged an empire from nothing. It was easy to imagine this day would be the next step to greatness.
Beside him, Mildrith stirred and mumbled, reaching out for him. He felt her hair brush across his chest and, again, it made him think of the past. They had not shared a bed for years but he had found her waiting in his tent last night, wearing only a light robe. Without speaking she had kissed him. He had thought about sending her away — if he wanted a woman he only had to order a young one sent to his bed. But then he realised he no longer wanted someone in his bed who was motivated only by fear.
Ward had found it incredibly liberating not to be worrying about the way his muscles no longer rippled whenever he moved, about all the grey hairs and the way he could not last long any more. It reminded him that there was more to a bed partner than soft skin and bright eyes. It was almost like the first days, when he had burned for his young queen and never imagined they would grow apart. But while it was pleasant to lie there, he had other things to do that day. He kissed Mildrith’s head, stretched and rose. Before he had a chance to do more than yawn and scratch himself, a pair of servants rushed forwards with a robe, clothes and a plate of food.
‘Food first, then I shall dress. I want my armour, and have my castellan meet me here as soon as I have finished.’
‘Yes, sire.’ They bowed and hurried to obey. He sat down at the table and began to eat: soft, fresh bread, eggs and cheese, all of them brought out from the city before dawn, ready for him.
‘My lord, I am pleased to see you on this day.’ Mildrith rose and pulled her robe around herself.
‘Sit. Eat with me,’ he ordered. ‘Did you sleep well?’
‘Better than I have in years,’ she said with a warm smile, reaching out to hold his hand. ‘I asked Wilfrid to break his fast with us this morning, so we could eat as a family.’
‘A good idea.’ Ward smiled, turning as Wilfrid was led in by a servant. ‘Sit, my boy. Eat. How did you sleep?’
‘I slept very well, Father,’ Wilfrid replied, helping himself to bread and eggs.
‘I could never sleep before a battle. Afterwards I would sleep like the dead themselves. But before — never. I always imagined what could go wrong. In the early days, when I knew most of the men in the army, I even worried about who would make it through alive.’
‘Things are very different now,’ Mildrith said, crumbling a piece of cheese between her fingers.
‘Yes, they are,’ Ward said quietly.
‘We cannot lose, Father. If the Velsh hold off the elven magic, then our soldiers cannot be beaten.’ Wilfrid stuffed a huge chunk of bread and egg into his mouth.
Ward watched the egg yolk dribble down his son’s chin and glanced at Mildrith.
‘He is eager to prove himself to you,’ Mildrith said.
‘Keep your men in hand, follow my orders and fight with your head, not your heart. That is all you need to do.’ Ward took another bite of bread but his appetite was no longer there. ‘I must dress.’
He slipped behind a partition in the tent, where his servants waited with his armour. First came a soft leather jerkin, then the mail vest: hundreds of overlapping iron rings all polished to a silver brightness, backed by a harder leather vest. Over that came the forearm protectors, etched in swirling patterns; the gloves with iron plates sewn onto the back of each finger but made so carefully that he could clench his fist and not have them touch. His tall boots had iron strips in them to protect his feet and ankles and knees. They strapped a steel cup across his groin. ‘Not that I really need that any more,’ he grunted.
The servants worked on in silence, handing him a tall helm with a burnished wolf crest on the top, then buckling on his sword belt and a second belt for a dagger. These weapons were handed to him and he inspected them carefully, testing their razor-sharp edges before allowing the servants to slip them into the scabbards. He rolled his neck to either side, feeling the weight of the helm, much more than the usual crown.
‘I am ready,’ he said.
The servants bowed and he strode out to see Wilfrid finishing the last of the cheese.
‘Are you ready? We go to mark out our positions now,’ he snapped.
Wilfrid jumped up, his mouth still full.
‘I will meet you there in a moment,’ he said as he ran out.
‘He is still young. He lost track of time,’ Mildrith said hastily.
Ward could not look at her. ‘You could have reminded him that there are more important things at stake today than his stomach!’
‘But you always said it is better to fight on a full stomach, that a hungry army is ready for defeat. Please, do not be too harsh on him. He wants so much to impress you.’
Ward sighed. ‘Deeds are far better than words.’
‘And he will show you today.’
Ward forced a smile onto his face. ‘We shall see you afterwards,’ he said.
She rushed over to him, kissed him, pressing herself against his armoured body.
‘Keep him safe, and both of you return to me,’ she begged. ‘Promise me.’
He stroked her hair. ‘I swear it,’ he said lightly, but realised he truly meant it. The thought of not protecting Wilfrid turned his stomach.
She held him for a moment longer, then stepped back, letting him walk out to where the castellan, Edmund, Wulf and his captains waited with a score of marshals, each marshal carrying a small banner of one of his regiments. Servants held horses for them all but Ward had to be the first to mount up. By the time the others had all clambered into the saddle, Wilfrid had come rushing back, his armour thrown hastily on, cramming a helm onto his head, a servant running behind with his sword. Ward pretended not to see him as he led the marshals out to the battlefield.
Around him the camp was coming to life, sergeants waking up the laggards. Men were eating heartily and hurriedly, shovelling down eggs, meat and bread as fast as it could be brought up from the firepits.
‘Make sure we have enough water,’ Ward said. ‘It will be hot work today.’ One of the marshals rode away at that order, handing his staff to another.
The sky was clouded over, although not with the dark grey that hinted at rain. Ward led the way across to the right, trying to judge the space they would need for the infantry, and how much space would suit the cavalry.
‘Captain Wilfrid’s cavalry wing here,’ he ordered, and the marshals for those regiments rode out, marking where all would form up.
He then began riding back, signalling where he wa
nted the infantry regiments, finishing out on the left, with Wulf’s cavalry, leaving the last of the marshals there.
Accompanied only by the captains, the castellan and his last son, he rode back towards the centre.
‘Anyone see anything I missed?’ he inquired.
‘The Velsh Magic-weavers and their guards. Where do you want them, sire?’ Edmund asked.
Ward nodded. ‘Of course. I want them in the centre, where they will be out of danger and where I can get to them if they cause me trouble.’
‘I shall see to it, sire,’ the castellan said.
‘Good. Let the men eat and then move them up. There is no rush. The elves are nowhere in sight.’
‘Make sure our warriors eat well. Double rations for them all,’ Sumiko ordered.
‘But, sensei, we will barely have any food left after that,’ Oroku warned.
‘That does not matter. We shall destroy the Forlish army and then eat their food.’
‘But what if —’
‘They will face us and die. There is no other possibility.’ She wondered if Jaken would do this but shrugged to herself. He was dead and she needed her warriors to be strong for the battle. ‘And make sure all the Magic-weavers eat until they are fit to burst. We shall need them tomorrow. Their first act is to gather in as many birds as they can find and then send them at the humans. We shall see if Asami and Rhiannon are able to stop us then.’ She smiled to herself at the thought. The humans would be full of bravado. Today they would learn who their real master was.
Sendatsu, Gaibun and Asami joined the Velsh in lining up behind the powerful Forlish army. Most of the attention was on the Forlish child that Asami had collected. She was being looked after by the female Magic-weavers, who were taking turns to pass her around. The child wanted the Forlish sergeant back and they had to use a little magic to soothe her.
The Forlish were all sitting or lying down, the cavalry dozing underneath their horses. There were cavalry patrols two miles down the road, as well as flung out far to either flank and they expected that would give them the first warning of the elves.