by D A Godwin
On top of it all, her sleep had been troubled, and though she was physically better thanks to the efforts of her Sisters, she couldn’t rid herself of the dull ache that had lodged stubbornly in her head.
The fields where they had fought were torn and muddy, their crops flattened by countless feet. Weapons and men were scattered like pebbles tossed on the ground. Teams of workers toiled to collect the dead, though they gave the demons’ corpses a wide berth. There were more bodies than she had expected.
She could see little activity in the Ceringion camp, however.
Not as eager without their demons, are they?
I would question any who were eager for such contests.
Footsteps caused them to turn, and they saw Lord Birion striding towards them.
“Good morning, Your Highness,” he said as he joined them. “I’m surprised to find you here, though I admire your dedication. Are you well?”
Tormjere seemed amused by the question.
Shall I tell him it’s less dedication than stubbornness? You should have stayed in bed.
As I told Enna, I will be fine.
“As well as any of us can be, thank you,” she replied. “I apologize for striking you.”
“You are not the first woman with cause to do so, though I confess that the others were much less forceful.”
She almost blushed. “How many men did we lose?”
Birion looked surprised at the directness of the question. “Three hundred foot and an equal number of our horse, my lady. Sir Deurmark arrived late due to his unfamiliarity with the swampy conditions near the wall, and his losses were minimal.”
“I was told that Lord Poloni was unhappy with our course of action.” Thankfully the baron had avoided them entirely after the confrontation at the gate, but she suspected that there would be further repercussions.
“Lord Poloni prefers knowing the plan in advance,” Birion replied tactfully. “It was a risk to sally forth as we did, and we paid a price for it. I’ve suggested to him that we move the ballistae from the keep to the walls. We have only three, but each will reinforce a gate. Though sturdy, our defenses would not have withstood the assault as you did.”
Shalindra began walking slowly along the wall to mask how uncomfortable it felt to stand still on the stone right now. Both men fell into step beside her.
“Should we have waited and fought from the walls?” she asked. It was worrisome that a wrong decision—her wrong decision—could have cost so many lives.
Birion did not hesitate with his answer. “No, my lady. Other than yourselves, our only effective weapons proved to be lances, and then only at a full charge. Neither the gates nor our men would have held against those creatures.”
“I think you underestimate the strength of your men,” Shalindra replied, turning back to the gatehouse. Walking hurt as much as standing.
“I feel it more accurate to admit that I’ve underestimated yours. I make no idle boast when I say that I have slain many a beast—goblins, trolls, even one of those fiends that lurk in the Wiermist—but I could not have bested that creature as you did. Truly, you are blessed by your goddess.”
Shalindra did blush this time. “And how did our enemy fare?”
“We estimate that they lost six to eight hundred, mostly foot, plus the two demons.”
As they neared the gatehouse again, they saw Edward and three men waiting for them.
Birion made the introductions. “Your Highness, you remember Lord Fidelis of Viaden and Lord Kall of Arborridge. And I believe you’ve met Sir Pemberfeld, currently in command of the gatehouse and this section of the wall.”
Fidelis had scraggly hair as dark as his black and green tabard and bowed respectfully as he was named. Kall was the oldest man there, and the one who had given an unkind appraisal of Edward’s men. His bow was as brief as formality required.
Birion called their attention. “I’ve asked you all here so we may gain a clearer understanding of our enemy and to present a more cohesive response. I will relay any decisions or questions to Lord Poloni.”
Nicely done, though I fear for our safety without his lordship’s firm hand.
Shalindra gave him an accusatory frown but voiced no objections.
“Let us begin, then,” Birion said. “Sir Pemberfeld?”
“After their failure to breach the wall yesterday, it seems they intend to put us under siege,” Pemberfeld reported. He turned and pointed to the Ceringions across the field. “We’ve seen little activity east across the river, but they’ve distributed their forces more evenly. They will likely attempt an encirclement or possibly test our forces north of the city.”
“There is nothing we can do to the east of the river but protect the crossings,” Kall said. “They’ll not be able to encircle us completely unless they bring more men.”
“That seems unlikely, at least in the short term,” Birion agreed. “I am aware of no new forces arriving since early yesterday.”
Edward spoke up. “We maintain control to the north of the city, and though I dislike being the only ones outside the wall, I also doubt they’ve enough to dislodge us and affect a full siege.”
“It is good we can continue to eat,” Kall said, “but there’s little to the north. Should we gain reinforcements, they would have to come from one of the other directions, all of which they control.”
“He’s right,” Fidelis said, “but any attack would likely come from the south again where the bulk of their forces camp.”
Pemberfeld slapped the wall confidently. “I think it likely we can hold them here, at least until they produce siege weapons.”
“Or demons,” Fidelis said. “What will we do should they send more demons? We all saw what happened yesterday. My lady and her companion…”
Shalindra stifled a laugh.
“… are only two people. They cannot defend the whole city.”
“He makes a valid point,” Birion said. “As we have discussed, our defenses against such creatures are limited. I have asked Lord Poloni to move the ballistae from the keep to the gates.”
Kall squinted at him. “How long will that take?”
“We’ve only one crew that can properly do it,” Birion answered. “They’ll have them broken down and repositioned by this time tomorrow, and each should be functional by tomorrow evening.”
“What of the creatures?” Fidelis asked.
“Their corpses can rot there,” Birion stated. “It’s a reminder to them of what happened.”
“But is it normal to see them in pairs?” Fidelis pressed. “What if four or five should come at once?”
“We’ve only seen one at a time up until yesterday,” Edward said. “Perhaps they are limited in their numbers, or they may not all be here. There has been a gap of some days between each attack”
“We need a wizard,” Tormjere said.
They all turned. Kall looked incensed at the interruption and fixed him with an unpleasant glare.
“Why?” Birion asked, effectively bringing Tormjere into the conversation.
“The Imaretii seem to keep their demons on a short leash,” Tormjere said. “There must be limits to their control, but we know nothing of how many of them there are, or how quickly they can be brought to bear. It’s the only way to answer these questions. The next time a demon appears, we should try to snatch its master.”
“Finding one man in the midst of a battle is no easy task,” Kall said dismissively, “and anyone who tried will likely be killed before they get there, even if they did.”
“A raid then,” Tormjere said. “To draw them out.”
Do we need to fight them again?
They’ll only continue sending them, and eventually they’ll wear us down enough to win.
Edward rubbed his chin. “I see where you’re going with this. Up to now, we’ve always reacted to their attacks. Were we to force their hand…”
Birion shook his head. “That’s a tall order. While I have fewer doubts of your
abilities, I consider it unlikely that they would reveal themselves to us.”
“What of the canal?” Fidelis asked. “It’s dangerous, but a small group might be able to float past their lines to Marbridge.”
“What’s to say this wizard is even there?” Kall snapped. “And how would you hope to fight your way out?”
“We have to do something eventually,” Tormjere replied, letting his annoyance show.
Kall crossed his arms. “Better to wait for another demon to show itself if you’ve a mind for such foolishness.”
Birion considered. “That seems an equal risk. If they commit only the few they did yesterday, it would be simple to get around them. Were they to bring a more reasonable complement, it would be almost impossible. You say you’ve seen these wizards. What did they look like?”
“There are two, neither dressed in robes as you might expect. They’ve always been behind the main force and usually on horseback. It’s just a matter of getting close enough.”
“It would help if we knew where or when they would employ such creatures.”
I think we already do. They aren’t being used to win the war, or it would already be over.
I have not wished to dwell on the possibility, but…
You’ve not had a nightmare since they appeared, have you?
No.
They’ve always attacked…
“…where I am.”
“What was that, my lady?” Birion asked.
Shalindra swallowed. “What if the demons were not sent for my uncle and his commanders or to breach the wall. What if they were being sent for me?”
Edward shook his head. “We saw the first before you arrived. Our uncle…”
“Trilaria was on the hill with him,” Tormjere said, remembering Enna’s recounting of the attack.
“Who?” Edward asked.
“The elves: two Sisters of Eluria and three Woodswardens.”
Enna was supposed to be with them.
My love to Eluria that she was not.
“Why would they send demons to kill clerics?” Birion asked. “Present company excluded, it would not be hard to strike at them.”
“And besides,” Edward said, “two days later it came for me.”
“I was standing beside you when it appeared,” Shalindra corrected. “It fits the pattern. Were I to ride out…”
“No!” Edward said, his face pale. “We cannot use you as bait.”
She placed a hand on his arm. “It might force these wizards to reveal themselves. No war is without risk.”
“You have risked enough already.”
“If I am wrong, I risk nothing different than before. If I am correct, and we do not try, we risk never knowing.”
“We could mitigate such risk,” Birion interjected. “Were we to leave through the western gate and attack between the main host to our south and the smaller group blocking the road to Kirchmont, we would have a clear avenue to withdraw, at least briefly.”
Fidelis nodded. “And there would be ample reinforcements already outside the wall.”
“What if you ride out there and nothing comes for you but thousands of Ceringions?” Kall asked. “How many will we lose on nothing more than a guess?”
“No more than if we wait and a demon makes it through the wall.”
Edward looked even more unhappy than Lord Kall. “I cannot command you against this, cousin. But I do not like it.”
“And Lord Poloni?” Fidelis asked.
Birion nodded. “I will see to his approval. We will make the attempt two days hence, at dawn’s light.”
* * *
Enna stepped from the temple into the cool night air. It wasn’t quiet, of course. Even now, in the small hours of the morning, the sounds of the city were as inescapable as the smells. The recent fighting had brought more casualties into their care than they had seen since beginning the march towards the city.
She needed to get away from the death and misery, even if only for a short time, so she could seek guidance from her Mistress in solitude. How humans could pray to Elurithlia inside a building she would never understand. At least there were gardens, though nothing grew more than waist-high except near the edges. The reflecting pool was both appropriate and pleasing, except for the straight edges that failed to properly measure the moon’s passage across the heavens. The entire complex was surrounded by a wall that fought to keep the ugly lines of the city at bay. Humans loved their walls as much as their straight lines.
She descended the steps and followed one of the gravel paths which cut through the garden at annoyingly sharp angles. There was a secluded place that she had discovered several nights ago, with a statue depicting Elurithlia holding up the moon while maidens poured water from urns into a small pool at her feet. The statue was as silly as the straight paths. Elurithlia did not hold the moon, She was the moon. And She had little to do with running water no matter how pleasant a sound. Still, the tall bushes obscured the neighboring rooftops and the melody of the water masked the harsh noises of the city.
She came silently around a hard corner, eager for even a moment’s peace.
Except tonight the nook wasn’t empty.
Tormjere stood with his back to her, staring at the bubbling water. She hesitated, then began retreat.
“You aren’t interrupting anything,” he said without turning.
“I did not wish to disturb your thoughts.”
“They weren’t that interesting.”
There was a nuance to his voice that implied the exact opposite. She stepped into the nook. “I doubt that.”
“I was almost done here, and you probably need the solitude more than I.”
“Peacefulness is achieved in many ways but not always through solitude.”
He didn’t respond, but, thankfully, he didn’t leave either.
“I’m pleased that Shalindra has been able to remain here these past few days,” she said.
“We’ve seen no demons since the last two were killed.”
Again, an undertone, this time of dissatisfaction. With himself? “That’s good, isn’t it?”
“By most measures.”
So that was it. Something about the demons was troubling him. “You take something from these demons after you kill them, do you not?”
“Yes.”
The directness of his answer surprised her, almost as much as the directness of her own question. “What is it like?”
For a long moment, Tormjere didn’t respond, and she was afraid that she had pushed too far.
“It’s like standing above a fire and swallowing the embers that drift up.”
“It is painful?” Enna asked with surprise.
“In truth, it tastes terrible.”
“And you do this to gain strength, yes? There are legends of elves who have attempted such, and the consequences that befall them are never pleasant. Are you so desperate for glory?”
“Not really.”
“But you’re becoming better at it, aren’t you? The changes are apparent to anyone who looks.”
He gave her a penetrating stare that seemed to reach inside her. “Being good at something doesn’t mean you enjoy it.”
“Then why do it in the first place?”
“I don’t see anyone else stepping forward.”
“You say that as if it is necessary. Consuming another being is unnatural. Are you not concerned with the damage it may cause?”
“No victory is without cost.”
She made a sweeping gesture that encompassed the entire city. “Do you call this victory? Are you winning?”
He looked amused by the question. “Did you miss the demons, and magicians, and armies, and everything else frolicking in the fields about us?”
“No, but…” Enna paused, certain there was a deeper reason. “Why are you here?”
The corner of his mouth curled into a knowing grin. “The same reason you are.”
She felt a brief stab of fear before he continu
ed.
“This is the only place you can stand and not see the buildings that surround us. I hope that, once you’ve spoken with Her, you’ll leave with what you came to find.”
With that he stepped from the nook and left her to her thoughts.
She stood there for a moment, wondering what he had sought from this place. Curious, she moved to where he had been standing when she arrived and looked down at the water. The random reflections of the crescent moon in the clear water were pleasing but unremarkable. But he had been staring at something. She stood on her tiptoes to mimic his height and looked again.
Three streams of water poured down into the small pool, in perfectly-spaced lines that seemed to intersect at a single point. The moon’s light reflected evenly in the left and right streams, each poised slightly above the reflection in the center.
She wondered what insight he had gained from it.
* * *
When the morning of the raid arrived, Shalindra and Tormjere assembled with Birion and the rest of the force inside the western gate. Edward’s entire complement of infantry had already moved around the end of the city during the night, taking up positions along the road and guarding the route they would use to retreat.
The west gate opened, and hundreds of men marched out. Birion’s knights followed, then split evenly to guard the infantry’s flanks. The entire movement had been carefully timed to ensure that the Ceringions saw them coming, but did not have abundant time to prepare.
Just behind the infantry, where they were certain to be seen, Shalindra and Tormjere rode with Birion and a hand-picked group of knights. If a wizard was spotted, they would break off from the battle and attempt to subdue him. Should a demon be summoned, Shalindra and the rest of the horsemen would occupy it while Tormjere raced for the wizard.
It seemed as if they had considered the possibilities, but everything depended on one of the Imaretii showing themselves.
Their attack began as planned, catching the Ceringions off guard. At first, they faced only the smaller elements near the west road, but it wasn’t long before troops began moving up from the south.
Shalindra sat her saddle nervously as the battle unfolded. The Ceringions fell back in the middle as their end held firm. They aborted the maneuver as the Kingdom forces failed to be drawn into the pincer. The fight ebbed and flowed, with Kingdom forces maintaining the advantage. But there was no wizard.