Markan Sword

  Kelanus wanted the groups to travel far enough apart to give the appearance of not being in direct contact with each other, but a sylph would travel with each detachment. Well, at least nearby.

  Shyamon would remain with Kelanus, while Belaika would march with Mirrin.

  "Like old times," Mirrin said to Belaika, smiling.

  The sylph grunted.

  "Try not to overlap each other," Kelanus told the sylphs. "There are only five of you and you must remain especially vigilant, and not just for enemy soldiers."

  "Their sylphs have not developed whistles to communicate," said Belaika, speaking to remind himself as well as his companions, "so we will not hear them, though they can hear us. But they work in pairs, one as scout and the other as messenger. Watch for unusual movement."

  The other sylph scouts nodded agreement.

  Captain Jediyah commanded one of the leading groups, with Marshal Janost in charge of the other. Lieutenant Kadyah led the final rear detachment.

  "Remember," cautioned Kelanus, "the Eldovans will assume the central group is the important one and will hopefully attack that one first."

  Belaika nodded, hoping to be well apart from Mirrin's group if any such attack came.

  The sylphs and commanders left together, taking their respective groups with them.

  Janost and Jediyah left first with their men, taking Fhionnen and Samel to begin their duties.

  Belaika followed them to the edge of the forest and waited for Mirrin and his four hundred to follow. Shashi came forward with him.

  "You are not needed here," said Belaika.

  Shashi said nothing, but neither did she make any move to stay back.

  Belaika tried to ignore the infertile's presence, but she crouched beside him.

  "You saved my owner's life," she said, eventually.

  Belaika made an offhand gesture, as if that action had little importance or merit.

  "It will be dangerous out there," continued the infertile.

  "It is always dangerous out there," replied Belaika. "You must stay with your owner."

  Shashi smiled. "I intend to do just that."

  Belaika glanced behind. "Here they come," he said, tensing and ready to move. He gave Shashi a rather more compassionate glance then before. "Thank you for the choca last year."

  Shashi grinned and her earpoints jerked upright. "Thank you for saving enya," she replied. "He will not let you down."

  Belaika nodded. "Keep your ears open," he said, before springing away and soon merging with the undergrowth.

  He waited until the lead soldiers from his group left the forest, before he continued on, listening for pingers from the other scouts, and keeping his eyes open for anything out of place that might be an enemy sylph scout.

  He had no intention of being caught out again.

  ***

  Lowst had all his scouts out – human and sylph. Lieutenants reported that all the men had converged on the forest that morning and the General's spirits dropped, fearing that the army would coalesce into one large group again.

  It did not, two groups leaving the forest and heading off almost in opposite directions. Followed by a single group and, eventually, two more groups.

  "The command will be in the central group," Lowst remarked to his yeoman. "Let's see how far apart these men travel."

  It quickly became obvious that the different groups would travel quite some distance apart. Lowst watched and planned.

  No sign of those damned sylphs, he realized. Lowst hoped to lay an ambush, but with five sylph scouts out there, he knew they would see him long before he could engage. He expected the five groups would merge into one army – larger than his own – if he chased after that central group. Those sylph scouts would be in contact with each other.

  He had showed his hand. The men marching under Markan leadership – could Mirrin really be a traitor? – would expect any attack to come between them and Eldova. As if the attackers had happened across them while traveling from Eldova. They might even use reverse planning and expect an attack from the opposite flank.

  Lowst knew Mirrin would never divide his force, so that suggested that General Kelanus kept a tight hold on the reins of command. Lowst had never fought Kelanus and never read anything of his battles.

  So what was the man's plan here?

  For one thing, that central group struck him as a decoy. No matter how tempting a target, if Lowst committed to that, the other four groups would fall on him from every side the moment he joined battle.

  No, the real command must be in one of the other groups. Perhaps his opposite number played a double bluff.

  But the guessing game had always been half the fun of warfare.

  He watched the last two groups leave the forest and also move almost in opposite directions. The enemy expected to meet him somewhere ahead. Or perhaps a flanking attack on the central group. His enemy expected that.

  So, he would attack from behind.

  Now he'd reached a decision, Lowst began to give his orders and arrange his men as needed.

  ***

  Something felt wrong. Again.

  Belaika did not know quite what and he remembered an old Sergeant, one of the first he had met as a younger sylph, laying a gnarled finger against his nose, ancient faded blue eyes disappearing under wrinkles as he smiled.

  "Get enough experience and you can feel when it's wrong," he had said, voice little more than a whisper after fifty years of inhaling pipesmoke. "Gives you a proper shiver it does, you feel it in your chest, and stroking your skin."

  Belaika felt that proper shiver right now.

  He had answered each of the pingers in turn. Fhionnen and Samel ranged a little ahead of their groups, out to either side. They had – so far – seen nothing. Shyamon and Ean brought up the rear, also out to either side. Every sylph in place and doing exactly as commanded.

  Belaika knew they could use at least another five sylphs, but human scouts filled the gaps along their flanks, ahead and behind. He did not fully trust the human scouts, as all were Eldovans. Who could trust these men?

  Mirrin's group remained just in sight and the scout stared at it for a few moments. Somewhere in there rode Sergeant Somersen, again armed with sword and lance. The sylph shivered, unafraid to admit his fear of that man. Somersen had not been pleasant to Belaika when the sylph had been a prisoner.

  Belaika sent a fresh pinger to Shyamon and Ean. He felt that if the enemy intended to attack from front or flank, it would have happened by now. The Eldovans must be waiting somewhere, or else had lost contact. Or...

  Both those sylphs remained in position. Belaika warned them to be extra vigilant, that an attack might come from behind. Shyamon replied enthusiastically enough, but Ean maintained a dignified silence. Probably felt Belaika had just tried to teach him how to squat.

  Belaika looked around everywhere, but saw nothing out of place. Exactly the same as before.

  But something felt wrong.

  ***

  "Sylphs have reported, Sir."

  Sergeant Utlen thumped fist to chest in salute, which General Lowst acknowledged.

  "Anything exciting?"

  "Seems like all the groups passed without spotting us, Sir." Utlen shrugged. "Or them."

  "And the enemy sylphs?"

  "Each group has got one. The front two are out to either side and the rear two are basically the afterguard." Utlen cleared his throat. "The one in the middle seems to be the senior one, though. Or the best trained."

  Lowst gave Utlen a considering look. "Did the sylphs get close enough to see?"

  Utlen shook his head. "Got more sense, I expect."

  "How do they know where the other sylphs are?"

  "From the whistles, Sir. They hear the whistles, gives their position away. They move after whistling of course, but they stay more or less ahead or behind, and out to the side."

  Lowst nodded. "With large gaps between."

  "Yes Sir." Utlen smiled again. "But human
scouts fill those gaps, unless this Kelanus is a complete bloody idiot. Are we going for them now?"

  "We are. Rear left hand group, flash attack with cavalry, then break engagement and see what happens."

  Utlen's smile widened. "Very good, Sir; I'll tell the yeoman to prepare the men."

  "You do that, Sergeant." Lowst watched the man leave.

  He took a deep breath and caressed his swordhilt. Time to make his move.

  ***

  Ean-y-Felis planned as he moved through the undergrowth, keeping station with Lieutenant Kadyah's detachment. His owner traveled with Kelanus's group though; Ean practiced separation, for when he stood before the Senate.

  Even as he planned, Ean kept ears and eyes open for anything out of place. They had expected an ambush, but none had come. They had expected hit and run raids, but so far they marched unmolested.

  That nothing had yet happened, suggested that something would, and the more time that passed, the likelihood of an attack increased. So, as the day lengthened, Ean paid more and more attention to his surroundings.

  As far as they knew, Ean's group passed nearest the enemy, which meant he was likely to be the first scout to make contact. A range of low hills seemed a likely spot to hide an army of a thousand men.

  Tempting to take a look, but there weren't enough sylph scouts for that. Instead, he looked long and hard at the hills for anything out of place. A flash of light reflected from a weapon or armor; dark splodges to hint at the presence of man or horse; well trodden ground where there ought to be pristine hillside.

  Nothing.

  He also wanted to send another pinger, but an inner sense warned this might be foolish. Like Belaika, he had no idea what felt wrong, only that something felt very out of place.

  He looked over his shoulder, but the lay of the land hid everything at any distance. Glancing aside, he spotted a low rise and made for it. Ean had no idea how much use the human scouts would be, and he deeply wished for more scouts further behind to whistle a warning, but he must make the best of bad human planning.

  Ean scrambled up the rise on the side that would keep him out of view, and wriggled across the top to the further edge. He looked in all directions, but saw nothing out of place.

  He scrambled down again, quickly regaining his station.

  Ean planned, looking forward to the day he stood before the Senate in his own right, to demand his freedom.

  ***

  "Thank you."

  Kelanus leaned down from his saddle and accepted the waterskin from Tula. The infertile smiled shyly, which he supposed was an improvement over her cautious behavior so far. He swallowed and returned the skin.

  "Take it to Tahena," he commanded, "and don't forget to drink something yourself."

  "Se bata."

  Hanmer gave the sylph an expressionless look. "That one's yours if you want her," he remarked. "It's not supposed to happen, but I think she's eager to bond."

  Kelanus sniffed. "If Eldovans looked after their sylphs better, she would have no need."

  "Surprised you've not got a sylph already, Sir," continued Hanmer.

  Kelanus twisted around in his saddle to look towards Tahena, at the reins of the food cart rumbling in the middle of the small column. "According to you, it looks like I have," he replied.

  His yeoman maneuvered his horse closer. "Can we trust these people, Sir? Will they break when other Eldovans attack?"

  Kelanus fixed his yeoman with a steely gaze. "I suspect we will learn the answer to your question in the next day or so."

  "You think they will attack, Sir? We outnumber them two to one."

  "Ask Marshal Janost what he thinks about being outnumbered." Kelanus smiled. "It hasn't helped in the past. And we want this new General to think he can pick us off group by group."

  "He might not take the bait," pointed out Hanmer.

  "Yes he will." Kelanus nodded. "He can't afford to have us all turn up on Eldova's doorstep. He'll fight us here, today. And if not today, then tomorrow."

  "Why did you spread the sylphs out between the groups, Sir? If the attack comes against us, we need them all right here."

  "I expect the commander of every group feels the same," retorted Kelanus. "The only advantage I've given Eldova is the element of surprise; as I already know he intends to attack, that advantage is reduced, significantly."

  "Agreed," said Hanmer, "so long as we know where that attack will come. As we do not..." He shrugged.

  Kelanus leaned across to his yeoman and lowered his voice. "There are five groups here," he said. "All us Markans are here, in this group. That's a four in five chance that an Eldovan group is the one to get attacked." His voice dropped to a whisper. "We can afford to lose a few hundred Eldovans, don't you think?"

  Abruptly, Kelanus straightened again.

  Hanmer stared at his commander, mouth open.

  "Besides," continued Kelanus, "I have a contingency plan."

  Hanmer shook his head. "Glad to hear it, Sir. Got a feeling you're going to need it."

  Kelanus wondered if Hanmer would still be so glad if he knew what that contingency plan entailed.

  ***

  Lowst crossed the enemy's rear with his small army, at a safe distance to avoid detection, just in case any scouts lingered far behind. Now his intended target stood between him and the road, he pushed hard to catch up.

  He hoped luck had helped; every battle commander needed a certain amount of luck, though that was usually tempered with some bad. Lowst had always believed that there must be a balance. But so long as he remained undetected, he would attack the enemy from an unexpected direction.

  The advantage of surprise counted for far more than numbers.

  Despite the push to catch up, Lowst took great care not to exert his men and horses, alternating between running and marching. Only the ten sylphs had to push hard, and they would not be expected to take part in any fighting.

  Aiten dropped back every now and then, sweating and panting, reporting every enemy change of position. The five groups continued towards Eldova, staying in the same positions relative to each other.

  "Their rearguard?" asked Lowst.

  "Two sylph and two human scouts," replied Aiten. "No change."

  "You are sure we have not been seen?"

  "Convinced," replied the sylph.

  Lowst raised his voice. "Yeoman Breyd! Pass on orders. Form line of battle, prepare to engage enemy."

  "Very good, Sir!"

  Aiten looked at his commander with wide eyes.

  "You," said Lowst, "will lead us to the left hand of the rear groups. We will come between the two groups before turning on that one."

  The sylph inclined his head.

  Lowst began to work himself up for the fight ahead.

  ***

  Sergeant Nalred considered the rearguard scout the most important position. No attack had come yet, which meant it must come from behind. Nobody could move an armed group that size any quicker than Kelanus already managed.

  Unlike Ean, Nalred's thoughts concentrated purely on the task at hand. He prayed for the Father to look after his wife, three daughters and son every night and morning, but to think of them now would be nothing but a distraction.

  He looked carefully behind – almost all his attention concentrated behind – but he saw nothing out of place. He wondered where the sylph scouts were right now and hoped all were as good as Belaika. And even Belaika had been captured last year. He worried that there might still be some weakness in using sylphs as scouts. And Belaika happened to be the best available.

  Ean had told Nalred that Belaika had been unlucky, Nalred had retorted that scouts made their own luck. Scouts that didn't even take part in battles should never be captured. He glanced across and hoped young Ean would be just fine, that he would be safe from any danger.

  Humans were supposed to face these dangers, not sylphs.

  Movement in the grass caught his attention. Someone or something headed directly for him a
nd he sat still, silently drawing his short sword.

  Almost immediately, the sylph appeared out from the grass and Nalred almost ran the creature through.

  "What are you playing at, Shyamon?" he demanded. "Why aren't you on the outer flank?"

  The painted sylph stared at him, eyes wide and earpoints bolt upright, before wilting away.

  "Well?" demanded Nalred. "Tongue fallen out?"

  Strong hands seized him from behind and the short sword fell from a suddenly nerveless hand.

  The sylph scout looked on, horrified, and Nalred wondered why he could see red blood spraying, before realizing he stared at his life blood.

  "He's not one of your scouts, fool," growled Nalred's killer. "But one of ours."

  From behind, Lowst's leading cavalry thundered past, ignoring the scouts and the dead man. A horn sounded, and they turned together, riding hard to fall on Kelanus's small group.

  Battle was joined.

  ***

  Chapter 13

  Pride And Desire

  Nazvasta's carriage moved quickly through the city streets. It looked no different from the multitude of other carriages, painted black and unadorned, its driver dressed like all other drivers, drawn by a single bay horse, just like the thousands of bay horses in Sandester.

  Nazvasta had always preferred anonymity, rather than the pomp of an official escort, or a brightly painted and lacquered carriage. He wanted nobody to realize he had passed through, never mind remember. He kept his curtains drawn, as an additional precaution against recognition.

  Beggars called for alms – perhaps they even begged from him, though they could not see each other – plaintive voices lingering long after the carriage had moved on.

  As a ruler – and he hoped a benign one – people begging on the streets of Sandester pained him.

  He had done what he could about the beggars. He had expanded his army, which then called for a larger number of camp followers: laundresses, workmen, armorers, physicians, nurses... They in turn created fresh vacancies elsewhere, but no matter how many people he managed to move into work, the number of beggars never seemed to diminish.

  He did not understand. Farmers and landowners wanted more hands and were certainly not throwing people off the land. Work in the city had never been more plentiful, with some guildspeople complaining that they needed more people to work for them. And yet, the city sometimes seemed full of beggars. Nazvasta could only conclude that some people liked living that way.