by Tom Lloyd
‘My Lord?’
General Lahk’s voice jolted Isak from his doze. His eyes shot open in alarm, as vestiges of his dream made him forget momentarily where he was.
‘You were sleeping in the saddle again, my Lord.’ Though the words contained a reproach, the tone was bereft of emotion.
‘Well? What of it?’
‘Well, falling from your horse would hardly be a glorious death for me to report to Lord Bahl. If it started suddenly—’
‘It won’t start suddenly.’ Isak reached out and patted the neck of the huge horse underneath him. ‘I know perfectly well that this is the best charger in the heartland, and I’m not going to fall.’
He rubbed his eyes, trying to keep himself awake. They had been riding for several hours that morning, but still he couldn’t shake off sleep’s embrace. With his blue silk mask on and his fur hood pulled up, Isak had made himself a small pocket of warmth, even while the temperature dropped further every day. The nights on the road were far from peaceful, for the bright warmth of magic of the gifts that Isak kept in reach at all times attracted lonely voices in the night. For the time being, reviving deep sleep eluded him.
He pulled his hood off to let the breeze wake him up a bit. He was always more irritable when he was sleepy, and the general’s monotone brought out the worst in him. Scratching at the stubble on his head, Isak sighed and at last turned to look at the man, who sat high and proud in the saddle, his face as blank as ever. Isak had never yet seen him show emotion of any kind - what he would be like in battle was anyone’s guess. It was unusual for a white-eye to go through life like that; it was inconceivable that he would be the same on the battlefield.
‘So, did you wake me for a reason, or just concern for my health?’ he asked, grumpily.
‘I thought you would prefer to be awake as we enter the next town. It’s not seemly for the Krann to be asleep when his subjects come out to cheer him. I also have word from your knights from Anvee.’
‘What about them? Have I offended them by not sending them orders to accompany me?’ In his other life he’d found people took offence at most things, but a court rank had apparently enlarged the range of possibilities, and the things he didn’t do were causing him almost as many problems as the things he did.
‘They are your subjects. You may offend if it so pleases you.’
‘Enough scolding, General, I’m too tired.’
‘I lack the rank to scold you ...’
‘Just shut up and tell me what they said.’
‘They were enquiring as to whether they could present themselves to you.’
Isak turned in his saddle, shifting Eolis on his back to sit more comfortably as he waited for further explanation.
‘They number five hundred - an impressive number for Anvee, which of course is the intention. They are most anxious to please their new liege. The problem is that a number of the knights and most of the cavalrymen are your bondsmen.’ He waited for a response, but got none.
Isak sat with a blank expression. As a wagon-brat he’d never had any reason to learn the laws of land-locked men. His father had called it a collar that choked honest men into slaves. Carel had laughed at that and not bothered to argue, his chuckles indicating that Horman’s opinion was so foolish it didn’t even merit a response.
The general persisted. ‘Lord Isak, Anvee has been without a suzerain for many years. It has therefore been of advantage to pledge a bond of service to the title of Suzerain Anvee itself, since the benefits of that bond come with few of the requirements one normally expects. They are therefore now a little unsettled that a suzerain has been appointed - they now have responsibilities to you, and they are trying to keep to the letter of the law until they can judge your disposition.’
‘And?’
He sighed. Isak thought it was in irritation for a moment, but the reply was as bland and patient as before. ‘And the law states that a bondsman must secure his liege lord’s permission before he can leave the shire. Technically, this constitutes desertion. They could be hung.’
Isak’s face turned from confused to incredulous.
‘And they are actually worried I might do that? Execute my own soldiers? Before a battle, no less?’
‘They thought it prudent for me to speak to you first. You are a white-eye.’
Isak felt the general’s words sink like a stone in his stomach. It didn’t matter that such a decision would be lunacy: they feared the monster inside him. Even General Lahk had not disputed the possibility that Isak might respond that way - it was as if Atro were still alive and every evil rumour about him had been true.
Isak felt too sickened to reply. He waved his hand in the direction of the general, telling him to get on with it, then nudged his horse away, unable to bear company. General Lahk spurred his own horse into a trot and disappeared behind the banners of Suzerain Tebran’s hurscals.
How does he live like that? They must think the same about him, worse perhaps. Is there nothing he cares about? Would he disobey any order from Bahl, no matter how obscene? Would he even notice? Maybe what they say is true; maybe Nartis did burn out his soul.
The Chief Steward had told Isak the strange circumstances of the general’s birth, and how Bahl had taken him to be tested in the Temple of Nartis. Lahk was far stronger than any other white-eye, but Nartis had rejected him, scarring his body with lightning instead of raising him to the ranks of the Chosen. He was left with two choices: reject Nartis and leave, or become a perfect servant of the God. He had taken the harder path, discarding those parts of his soul that would nurture the pain of his rejection. Isak almost admired him for that, however much the thought horrified him.
A few flakes of snow swirled around Isak as he stared through the banners to see where the general was going, but his idle gaze was soon lost in the flags and colours themselves. The livery of the Palace Guard was a dour black and white - no doubt it reflected Bahl’s uncompromising mind, but it seemed to suit Lahk more, especially after a few weeks of wear and dirt had dulled everything. Slowly, as they had marched through the shires collecting troops, passing through Tebran to Nelbove and Danva, then following the border of Amah and Vere, flashes of colour had begun to appear in the ranks. The Chetse called the Farlan cavalry ‘steel peacocks’ - gaudy and arrogant, but fearsome, however much silk and lace they wore.
With the army now marched a total of eight suzerains, including the Krann himself, and eleven counts, some fifty marshals and six hundred-odd knights. The hundreds of banners and badges, pennants and tunics, clashed in a mêlée of colour across the dull canvas of a wintry forest. Every single noble had presented himself to the Krann and had his title announced, but it was only the suzerains that Isak had remembered. The rest had been just a blur of pomp and ceremony.
That old rogue Fordan had the honour of the vanguard, ahead of higher-ranking suzerains - a decision of Isak’s that had made Sir Cerse, Colonel of the Palace Guard, wince. But Fordan had proved to be both good company and a sensible advisor. Isak was less sure about Sir Cerse, the young ambitious knight from Torl who had surprised most by earning a Swordmaster’s Eagle-blade shortly after he joined the Ghosts. Fordan’s Red Keep banner was too far ahead to be seen, as were the Gold and Green Hounds of rich Suzerain Nelbove and the Green Griffin of the odious Suzerain Selsetin. There was something about that man that set Isak’s teeth on edge, even before Fordan had muttered something about both Nelbove and Selsetin being implicated in the Malich scandal. Without knowing quite what that meant, Isak did realise it made them far from friendly to his cause. The other nobles had nodded sagely at Fordan’s words; whatever it was, the scandal was obviously common knowledge.
The swooping Golden Falcon of the newly raised Suzerain Danva fluttered just ahead. His brother was dead only two weeks and a book was already running on the life expectancy of his infant nephew, who would take the title if he reached adulthood. The suzerain’s superb voice carried well over the breeze, and Isak could also hear an insis
tent debate between Suzerains Amah and Ked. The White Hart of Amah seemed to be faring well against the Yellow Lion, despite having to concede nearly twenty summers to his peer.
The last suzerain present was foremost in rank, being from the oldest family and one of the richest provinces, but to Isak’s surprise, the dour, excessively devout Suzerain Torl had presented himself only briefly before setting off to ride with the ranging scouts. His Ice Cobra emblem was as uncommon as the strange and secretive suzerain himself. Just as rare was his decision to wear simple leathers, with the badge of his family sewn to his breast as a sworn soldier would, instead of the grand armour a knight was expected to be seen in. His plate was carefully packed away, as was that of his hurscals, the unit of knights that acted as his bodyguard.
At first, Isak thought the man was a coward, dressing as a simple cavalryman to avoid making a target of himself like his fellow noblemen, but as he found out more about the man, he was deeply relieved that for once he’d not let his tongue run away with him. General Lahk, not one to overly praise anyone, told Isak that when it came to battle, Suzerain Torl was always to be found fighting side-by-side with the white-eyes of the Guard.
A heavy covering of cloud kept Tsatach’s eye well hidden, and a dry wind whistled past the armoured knights and the leather-clad troops to the pack animals trailing behind them. A vanguard flurry of snowflakes held a promise of far worse to come: when the ice on the road became too dangerous for horsemen, the beasts of burden would have to walk the path first, enduring the worst of the slick ground.
Isak’s sharp eyes picked out red-furred squirrels watching the army from a safe distance, their thick rusty coats quivering as they tapped at the oak bark in search of insects hidden underneath. It was comforting that some life continued around them, uninterested and unaffected by the army marching east. The people of the towns they had passed through had been nervous and scared, only hesitantly cheering the soldiers. The fear of the elves had a strong grip; they had seen real anxiety even before they left Danva’s borders. Seeing Isak astride his huge white charger, silent apart from the faint jangling of the harness and the chimes of the silver chains, rings and bells that adorned the creature, seemed to inspire confidence - perhaps that was enough; their belief in him was more important that his own. If his soldiers had heart enough, his own fears would go unnoticed.
It didn’t take General Lahk long to return. Trotting beside him was a black-garbed knight, his breastplate worn over his formal silks as was traditional. He was clearly wealthy: a gold damascene pattern overlaid the deep black of his armour, curling around the edge of the lion’s head that sat large and proud in the centre of the breastplate. Even in his sleepy state, Isak felt a flicker of recognition. He blinked the blur from his eyes and looked again, this time realising who the man was: the Roaring Lion crest and extravagant black armour were a rare combination, and Isak knew there would be a golden helm shaped like a lion’s head hanging from the man’s saddle.
As the horsemen came nearer, Isak could make out the two gold earrings: the mark of a count. If his skin didn’t heal too fast to make it practical, Isak would have had a similar piercing to hold the three rings of a suzerain. This was not some anonymous noble, but the renowned Count Vesna.
Vesna’s reputation preceded him: every child, noble-born or wagon-brat, had grown up hearing stories of his romantic exploits: the cuckolding of an army of noblemen, the duels and rooftop pursuits ... Carel always said Vesna was one of the tribe’s finest soldiers, but necessity had required it. It was rumoured that Vesna had provided more than a few heirs to noble estates, children accepted because most feared to challenge one of the Land’s most accomplished duellists: Vesna had fought twenty-four duels, and won them all. Some - a few - had tried to kill him surreptitiously, or have him assassinated, but Vesna had inherited a minor elven blade, and had mortgaged his entire estate to buy that suit of armour from the College of Magic.
A single ruby glinted in the eye of the Roaring Lion, catching what little light the day had to offer. His black hair was pulled back from his face and tied back, showing off the handsome features that had brought both pleasure and trouble. Though undeniably good-looking, with laughter-lines fanning out from his eyes, there was a hard set to his jaw, and a strength in his knowing face.
‘Count Vesna,’ called Isak as the men dismounted and approached. The herald who shadowed Isak’s every movement opened his mouth, then closed it again with a hurt expression.
‘Lord Isak.’ Vesna’s voice was like his face: a soldier’s potency coupled with a rich humour. As he knelt at Isak’s feet and bowed, Isak could see blue tattoos running down the side of his neck, the stained skin of a man who’d been knighted on the field for bravery in battle. The title he’d inherited; this, Vesna had earned himself.
‘I was told Anvee grew cabbages and goats, not heroes.’ A squad of Ghosts fell in behind Isak’s stationary horse. As the rest of the army filed past, every head craned to watch the two men. Isak heard sergeants curse their men as the disciplined columns buckled and flexed.
‘You honour me, my Lord.’ Isak almost laughed at Count Vesna’s careful tone of voice. How often did you have your childhood hero kneeling at your feet? ‘I can only hope that I show myself worthy of that by fighting at your side.’
‘Enough. The first thing you can tell my bondsmen is the only men I want at my feet are the ones I’ve put there. And I thank you for the respect you’ve offered. I’m sure the men from Anvee will distinguish themselves on the field.’
The count rose with a relieved look, the sparkle of a smile in his eyes. Isak saw that and felt almost foolishly pleased that the man seemed to be so easy with him. He pointed to the count’s horse.
‘Come on, we’re slowing the army down. We can talk in the saddle.’
Vesna gave a short bow, immediately all confidence now Isak’s disposition was known, then gripped the horn of his saddle and pulled himself up with a practised grace. A quick touch of his heel guided the horse around and set it on its way.
‘May I ask what my Lord has heard of the enemy?’
Isak nodded to the general as he drew his massive charger up alongside the count’s black-draped hunter. The horse had a placid and calm air to it, not quite what Isak had expected a famed impetuous rogue to be riding. He decided it was a good sign; that underneath the stories and the image was a calculating intelligence. A fiery stallion pounding at the earth might be more impressive, but this calm mare would be easier to trust in the chaos of battle.
He turned his attention away from the horse, back to the rider. ‘We’re too far away for the mages to scry, but we know enough.’ He gestured at the general, who was happy to fill Count Vesna in on what they knew. Isak sat aloof and let the words wash over him. General Lahk would be the one to decide strategy when the time came, and Bahl and Lesarl had agreed that Isak should appear detached, rather than try to field questions, as he would be forced to defer to Lahk anyway.
‘The enemy has split into three parts, all north of Lomin,’ the general said. ‘One is at the gates of the city, laying siege, another is further west and the last sits halfway between Peak’s Gate and Lomin. Vitil and Kohm have been burned to the ground.’
Now it was always the enemy when the soldiers spoke, not the elves: the enemy was a faceless creature, one to destroy. It needed no name.
‘And the people there?’
‘Three hundred infantry lost at Vitil, but their deaths bought time for the rest to escape. The cavalry at Lomin we believe destroyed ...’
‘What? All?’ Vesna’s cool was supplanted by anger and disbelief.
‘We think so. The standing guard of three thousand marched out, their annual full deployment. They did not return.’
‘I thought that was to be stopped?’
‘It was, but since it coincided with the last day of the hunt season, Scion Lomin decided that the last year should be a special one.’
‘Fate is not without a sense of humour.’
Vesna spoke in a weary monotone that made him sound suddenly like the general: the voice of an old soldier who’d seen it all before.
They rode on in a bitter silence for another mile. Isak kept himself very still, like a child trying not to be seen. The count stared off into the distance, his lips moving almost imperceptibly. Isak could just make out the movement in the corner of his eye, but what it meant was another matter entirely. Was his new bondsman some sort of religious fanatic? Was there more than met the eye - and if so, could he ever trust any man these days? As he thought that, Isak chided himself, as he knew Carel would have.
Gods, Lesarl’s infected you with his paranoia. Vesna’s just praying. The man’s a soldier, mourning deaths that could easily have been his own.
‘I heard mention of trolls; is it true?’ Isak flinched when Vesna spoke again. Perhaps it was just the loss of so many men, but the count sounded apprehensive - perhaps he had fought trolls before.
‘It’s true,’ confirmed General Lahk. ‘We should find out how many once we’re able to scry the ground, but we must err on the pessimistic side and expect a hundred or so.’
‘And our heavy cavalry?’
The reputation of trolls was so fearsome that only heavy cavalry could engage the monsters head-on. That was the price of knighthood or nobility: in times like this, they took on the worst of the Farlan’s enemies. It was said trolls felt no pain, even from a mortal wound. The most effective way to fight them was with long lances from horseback. Foot soldiers would struggle to reach the head, let alone hit with enough force to do any real damage: smashing the skull was the best way to kill a troll; anything less left the attacker horribly vulnerable.
‘Eight hundred Ghosts, and another seven hundred nobles and hurscals. That’s all the hunters we can put on the field. The infantry legion of the Ghosts can support them, but their losses will be heavy.’