Markan Empire

  "We should crush them, Majesty," urged Janost. "Now, while Kelanus is obviously out of range. Move quickly, sort this lot out, then fall on Marka."

  Hingast glanced at Dervra, who nodded. The man who called himself Hingast suspected he was a pawn in a much larger plot under Dervra's control. He turned back to his commanders.

  "Very well; rest the men tonight and prepare for battle. But hold some men back – Kelanus is out there. Someplace."

  Both men bowed before leaving.

  "You are the only one convinced that Kelanus is anywhere but Trenvera," said Dervra.

  "If you helped in the search, we would know for sure," snapped Hingast. "We're forever jumping around, but you won't help us look."

  "Because there's nothing to find," lied Dervra. He changed the subject. "They suspect you are not the real Hingast."

  The man who called himself Hingast shrugged. "So long as they keep silent. I'm more interested to learn your plans. You could easily find Kelanus for me, yet you refuse. Why?"

  "Perhaps because I cannot." Dervra smiled over his untruth. "My skills lie in different areas. You ought to know that much by now."

  The man who called himself Hingast relented. However implausible, it was possibly the truth.

  "Besides, if Kelanus is here, he'll be moving fast, often and erratically. Even if I had the skill, I might never find him." Another lie, but a more believable one.

  "Very well. It is time for us to go prod Nijen da Re Taura into action."

  Dervra smiled. "Nearly," he replied.

  ***

  Commandant Treylfor listened to the rain spattering on the ground. A steady drip splashed from a tree onto his tent. He blanked most of the sounds out.

  "We'd better be doing the right thing," he said.

  Captain Indelgar sipped his alovak and leaned back in his chair. "We are," he replied.

  "Easy for you," retorted Treylfor. "You can just claim you were following orders."

  "As can you." Indelgar's green eyes glittered with amusement. "The sylphs follow Kelanus's orders and we go where they point."

  Treylfor shook his head. "A risk to ignore the Marshal's orders."

  "A bigger risk to leave the March entirely unprotected," replied Indelgar. "Dekran's men have shadowed that army for months and until now it stayed outside the sylphs' patrol areas. They move east for a reason."

  "And if the Re Taurans attack from the south?"

  Indelgar shrugged. "We'll hear of landings in the east first." His eyes cut towards Ean-y-Felis, the scout ready to serve alovak. "The sylphs will tell us."

  "What if they never intend landing in the east, but the south?" Treylfor's eyes glittered: the Trading Council's lands were home.

  "Why would they land there? Re Taura wants greater influence over trade in the Bay of Plenty and Cadister is well away from that. Besides, the Trading Council has another army for defense."

  Treylfor nodded. He knew that.

  "Any invasion from the south will take weeks to reach Marka. Don't forget the sylphs."

  Treylfor shook his head. "Sylph scouts. Lucky they have proved themselves, else I would never trust their reports. Sylphs!"

  Ean gave Treylfor a cool look and a slow blink.

  Indelgar nodded. "They've not let us down yet. We can trust them."

  Treylfor grunted. "Well, it looks like we won't meet Mirrin today. This rain's set in."

  "A day's rest will do no harm," agreed Indelgar. "So long as there aren't too many of them."

  "What about these Shadow Riders? Can we trust them?"

  Indelgar pursed his lips and shook his head from side to side. "We have no idea how well they can fight, only what the sylphs have told us."

  "The report from Belaika seemed very complete. He is impressed by their cavalry skills."

  "We have no idea what they look like," countered Indelgar. "I hope the sylphs keep us apart, in case we end up fighting them as well as Mirrin. Even if there aren't very many."

  "And the Eldovans have got no idea we are here." Treylfor grinned. "Despite outnumbering us, we'll have surprise on our side."

  Indelgar raised an eyebrow. "Ten thousand men against eight thousand. With surprise, the odds are more or less even."

  Treylfor laughed. "You and Kestan certainly gained invaluable experience against the Eldovans last year. Using your unorthodox tactics, we can gain an advantage. Trouble is, Belaika claims that Mirrin has studied you."

  "Perhaps Sandev can help since she is with Mirrin." Indelgar shrugged. "And not on his side, according to Belaika."

  Treylfor shook his head. "Grayar moved us to Marka, but he refused to use his Gift to help in any fighting. What makes you think Sandev is different?"

  "There are lots of ways to help, short of fighting," smiled Indelgar. "And Sandev is not Grayar."

  "She is one of the Ten," countered Treylfor. "They must follow the same rules."

  "I'm not convinced there are any rules. Dervra and Nicolfer are also of the Ten and they follow a very different path."

  Treylfor returned his attention to the pattering rain. "Tomorrow, and our speculation will be over."

  Indelgar grinned. He already looked forward to it.

  ***

  "Bloody rain."

  Fared glanced up at the dark clouds and blinked raindrops out of his eyes. He had hoped for a break in the weather, but if anything, the clouds were thickening. His gaze softened as he watched Nynra inspect Belaika's bruises. The scout was speaking and gesturing with his hands and she shook her head in reply. No doubt begging to be allowed to run with the scouts.

  Belaika must be the most reluctant bannerman Fared had ever met.

  "Any sign Mirrin knows we're here?" asked Fared.

  "Nothing," replied Deren. "But they know the sylphs are back in contact."

  "Have they guessed about, ah, Treylfor?"

  "The sylphs say not. Fhionnen says Treylfor has kept his own sylphs well out of hearing range, except for the one already in touch. Ah, Jeldren. And he's only in hearing range of us."

  "The Eldovans must have their own scouts out."

  Deren nodded. "We kill those we find. With any luck, Mirrin still believes only a hundred – or less – men are behind him. An army of thousands would ignore a mere hundred."

  "Only if they were commanded by an idiot," retorted Fared. "Especially if they'd just lost five hundred men against that 'mere hundred'."

  Deren shrugged.

  "The man ahead of us is no idiot." Fared glanced behind again. "Belaika knows him best."

  "We've got everything Belaika knows about Mirrin," said Deren. "Even sylph scouts have limits."

  Fared laughed. "I'm beginning to doubt that," he replied. "Scouts, nurses, spies, messengers... They're good at whatever they turn their hand to."

  Deren grunted, unwilling to verbally contradict his commander.

  Nynra finished with Belaika, and Fared watched the sylph cross his legs. He strongly suspected the scout was sulking again. His eyes narrowed as Samrita replaced Nynra.

  "Our gwerin spends a lot of time with the sylph bannerman," he said.

  Deren laughed. "He's got a gwerin daughter. She wants to teach her."

  "Samrita acts like she's the daughter." Fared shook his head. "Incredible. She must be thirty times his age. More."

  After speaking with Belaika, Samrita joined Fared and Deren.

  "Belaika says the rain will ease overnight," announced the gwerin. She glanced at the thickening clouds. "How he knows that..." she shrugged.

  Fared and Deren exchanged a look.

  "Sylphs have their ways," said Deren, with a smile.

  "We'll camp here," said Fared. "Get something hot into the men before tomorrow. Nobody wants to die with an empty stomach."

  "Nobody wants to die at all." Samrita nodded. "I'll ask Samel to whistle the message to the other scouts. Else, they'll keep on."

  The scouts would know immediately when the Shadow Riders stopped, but Fared held his peace. "Ask Samel to s
ee if Mirrin keeps moving when we stop," he said. "We don't want to lose him."

  Samrita smiled. "You don't want to lose him," she corrected. "I'll ask him to pass it on."

  "And ask him for instructions from this Commandant Treylfor. We want no fatal mistakes about who's fighting on what side."

  Samrita nodded again.

  "I will be a dutiful messenger," the gwerin said. "I suppose everybody else has stopped too."

  Fared laughed. "According to the sylphs, yes."

  "Then it is pleasing to hear I am not the only one with a brain," retorted Samrita.

  Fared and Deren laughed.

  ***

  Sandev smiled to herself. Plans sometimes turned out better than expected.

  The rain helped.

  Mirrin called a halt early because of it and before his army churned the mud road into an impassable morass. Men readied tents and sylphs dashed everywhere on errands. Every single one looked at Sandev as she passed.

  What she had told General Mirrin – in front of Shashi – about the man who called himself Hingast had spread through the army. Shashi had told every other sylph in the camp.

  Now they knew what caused their unease but the knowledge made the sylphs even less comfortable.

  A steady stream of officers asked Sandev to confirm her words, as if their own sylph's word could not be trusted. She happily complied and every officer left wearing a thoughtful expression.

  Thanks to the sylphs – perhaps saying thanks to the power of the sylphs was stretching it some – Sandev had begun to wrest control of Mirrin's army from Dervra and Nicolfer.

  Eldova, though not quite as bad as the Imperial Republic, had always treated their sylphs strictly. So when one articulated her fears and all the others said the same things...

  Her smile widened. If the officers believed their sylphs – and hence Sandev – that belief would communicate itself to their men. Nobody liked to be tricked. They might even have believed in Hingast, or at least be prepared to follow their own land's ruler, but they were less likely to follow an imposter.

  Or the people who set up that imposter.

  She almost laughed aloud. Who wanted the Gift? She only needed an understanding of human nature, willing sylph ears and a way of making herself useful. Experience helped, too.

  Aware of another presence, she turned.

  Gajaran shifted on her heels and her earpoints flickered uncertainly.

  "No chores?" Sandev smiled to take any unintended sting from her words.

  "They can wait." The sylph's earpoints slanted forward in a show of determination that quickly faded.

  "You should know by now that you can speak freely to me," said Sandev.

  "Depends what I want to say."

  Sandev arched an eyebrow. "Well, in your own time, Gajaran. You must feel ready to speak, or you wouldn't have followed me across the camp."

  "You will leave soon."

  Gajaran knew. How she'd learned Sandev's intentions was one of those sylph mysteries; Sandev had certainly not taken anyone into her confidence. In the light of Belaika's escape, perhaps her intentions were now clear.

  "Yes. I have work to do and my own sylphs will be missing me."

  Gajaran cocked her head to one side. "How many do you have?"

  "Two."

  Again, the infertile struggled with what she wanted to say.

  "Caya works in my villa," continued Sandev. "She's been with me sixteen years."

  "A long time. And the other?"

  It was Sandev's turn to be cautious. Her admission might drive Gajaran away and, given what she had already worked out of Sandev's plans, perhaps dangerously so.

  "His name is Janin."

  Gajaran waited patiently.

  Sandev took a breath. "He used to be a beggar, but now he's learning to be a scout."

  Gajaran's eyes glittered and her earpoints wilted before recovering almost immediately. "Thought he might be."

  Sandev blinked. Equanimity was not quite the expected reaction. "Oh?" she managed.

  The sylph almost smiled. "You always defended the devils," she replied. She shrugged. "I guessed."

  "Does that make me a devil too?"

  Gajaran looked quickly away and back again.

  Not decided yet, reflected Sandev.

  "I am still young and do not want to be alone," said the sylph. "Enya has no family and my litter was divided years ago. I trust you, Sandev-ya."

  Sandev dropped onto her heels and put a hand on the infertile's arm.

  Gajaran blinked. "When you go, take me with you?" She bowed her head almost to the ground. "Please?"

  "Sit up, Gajaran, there is no need for this."

  The sylph obeyed instantly.

  Sandev rubbed her hand along the sylph's arm and leaned forward. "Of course I'll take you," she whispered.

  ***

  Thanks to the scouts, good intelligence reached Commandant Treylfor. He knew the size and composition of the Eldovan army ahead, how many sylphs were in contact, everything about Mirrin's countermeasures against the sylphs' whistles, and how many of these mysterious Shadow Riders were available.

  Even better, the Riders were happy to be used as light cavalry against the enemy; their commander made suggestions and Treylfor had decided the unknown warriors were worth using.

  The exchange of information, even as they closed on Mirrin and his Eldovans, was constant.

  According to the scouts, Mirrin still had no idea of Treylfor's proximity. His own sylphs had not made contact, so their whistles were never overheard.

  The Shadow Riders had killed or captured all the Eldovan scouts they could find and, as far as the sylphs shadowing Mirrin's army could tell, the man still believed Treylfor to be several days away.

  He was in for a shock.

  Captain Indelgar should be in position to Mirrin's east, and Treylfor waited for the Eldovans to meet him in the west. Mirrin should send flanking attacks north and south, and assume that Treylfor intended to fight a defensive battle. After all, Mirrin had the advantage of numbers, so it made sense for his enemy to be defensive.

  Once Indelgar and Fared had fallen on and destroyed the flanking attacks, all three forces would then merge and attack Mirrin's main army. The numbers should then be more equal.

  But, like all battles, the plan involved an element of gambling. It relied on surprise, and on Mirrin's scouts failing to forward all the information they collected.

  Even if Treylfor did not succeed, the Eldovans would still suffer losses, and that might make a difference when the final battle for Marka began.

  He prayed for luck and fortune to smile upon Kelanus and Kestan, far to the north.

  His servant poked his head around the corner. "Sir?"

  Treylfor nodded. "Coming now." Time to armor up. Time to fight. Time to die, but hopefully live.

  He wished he had appropriated some of those rockets, but it was too late for regrets now.

  The plan was good. It must be.

  ***

  Kelanus watched the battle unfold below. Kestan had committed his men to a three-pronged attack. However, Hingast – or rather the man who claimed to be Hingast – held a substantial number in reserve. Whoever or whatever Hingast really was, he remained suspicious. The man's counterflanking attacks were further away than necessary.

  With admirable caution, Hingast suspected there were more enemy soldiers ready to fall on and trap him. This Hingast was a far more dangerous opponent than Kelanus had expected.

  Hanmer stood beside him.

  "Seems to be going well, sir," he said.

  Kelanus grunted. "Well enough," he replied. "What about those rockets?"

  "Just about got 'em within range of the frontline sir, but not close enough to get the commanders."

  "Pity." Kelanus sniffed. "With any luck, the Eldovans will advance a bit." He turned to the sylph. "Any more news from the other lot?"

  "Nothing, donenya." Bascon looked disgruntled for some reason. "They are far fr
om us for now."

  Kelanus returned his attention to the battle.

  "Orders, sir?" asked Hanmer.

  "We wait," replied Kelanus. "And watch."

  ***

  Lance General Kestan knew he no longer controlled the battle. Now, each commander must do his bit. The moment they made contact, events would have to run their course.

  He turned to Tilipha.

  "You all right?" he asked. As the only sylph anywhere near the battle, Kestan knew he must keep a close eye on Tilipha. The wild sylph might be unable to cope with repeated battle stress, a common problem when the pacific creatures were forced to sit through the middle of one. The other scouts were further afield and would send a runner if anything happened Kestan needed to know about. Tilipha would hear no whistles now.

  The sylph nodded, though his earpoints gave lie to the answer.

  Kestan decided to say no more on the matter. Sylphs were touchy enough at the best of times and, in some ways, wild sylphs were even touchier. "Prepare yourself; we'll be using rockets soon."

  Tilipha nodded again. He remembered the rockets from last year and glanced back to where the rocketeers readied the weapons.

  The scout moved forward with Kestan as the general snapped orders to one of the junior commanders, committing more cavalry to one flank.

  A human messenger hurried forward. "Sir, rockets are ready to launch!"

  Kestan nodded and turned to Gensan. "Encourage a retreat," he said. "Just far enough to lure them forward."

  The yeoman nodded.

  "Ensure they make it look natural."

  Gensan nodded again.

  Kestan turned back to the messenger. "Wait for the range to close, then fire when ready," he commanded.

  ***

  The man who called himself Hingast turned to Marshal Janost.

  "Kelanus is out there somewhere, I know it."

  "The scouts report nothing out of the ordinary," replied the Marshal. "Except one small patrol, who turned and ran when we sent men after them."

  "They did not chase?"

  "No sir." Janost made it sound like of course they didn't. "We learned that particular lesson last year. But I do not see how you can be so certain Kelanus is here, or has another army to magick out of his pocket."

  "He's here. I know how his mind works."

  How? wondered Janost. Only I have fought him and then only briefly. When we were already broken. "I recommend we concentrate on what is in front of us," he said aloud. "If you would permit me to push the reserve forward we can mop these up now."

  "You can advance, Marshal Janost. But advance with caution; more of the enemy are here."

  Janost gave his monarch a neutral look before calling for the yeoman, who arrived rather more quickly than expected.