a river. They couldn’t track me.
“Now they’ll come here. Now they’ll come after me. But I’m safe now, aren’t I? Aren’t I? Aren’t I!” and his voice rose to a scream. Two men held him, and a third forced a potion through his clenched lips. Again he quieted.
“That’s to make me sleep, isn’t it? That’s all right. I can sleep. They’ll not find me, when I’m asleep. Or if they do, I won’t care. No. I won’t care. I won’t …” He collapsed, as much fainting as from the draft.
I ran out of the infirmary, shouting for the alert troop, for Domina Bikaner to attend me in the Lancers’ ready room, and for a runner to summon Kutulu and Seer Sinait and tell them to make ready to travel. Sorcery would be needed if there was anything to Gabran’s tale, and I planned to move fast, far faster than the Kallians believed possible.
Bikaner came at a run, buckling on his saber. His adjutant, Captain Restenneth, had told him about Gabran, and he’d served long enough with me to be able to tell what I planned.
“Legate Ili and his column went out at dawn with orders to hold court here,” he said, tapping a spot on the ready room map. The village was called Nevern, and it sat in the foothills two hours ride from Polycittara.
“Very well,” I said. “I’ll have the ready troop …”
“Tiger, sir.”
“Tiger Troop, and turn out my Red Lancers. I’ll also have one company of the Hussars ready to ride in ten, no fifteen minutes.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll take personal command — ”
“No,” I said flatly. “This one’s mine. But you can ride along if you wish.”
“Yessir. Thank you, sir.”
Kutulu hurried into the room as Bikaner ran out. I briefly explained what I thought had happened. “We lack information,” he said.
“We do,” I agreed. “And if we wait for details there’ll be nobody left to deal with. Are you riding with me or no?”
“I’ll come.”
“Good. I’ll get you a mount.” Karjan was waiting. My combat harness was beside him, and he wore helmet, breastplate, and greaves.
“Lucan’s bein’ saddled, sir.”
“Very well. Take this man to the stables and get him mounted on a fast, dependable horse. Have another horse saddled for Seer Sinait. Go!”
Karjan ran out, followed by the warden. Captain Lasta clattered in, buckling on his gear. I gave him instructions as I fastened on my own weaponry.
“Sir? One question?”
“Go ahead, Captain.”
“Supposing it’s a trap? Supposing they’ve laid an ambush?”
I considered. No. They wouldn’t be expecting a response this quickly. They’d think we’d wait until the morrow, when we’d have a full day, for no one chanced traveling the roads of Kallio near dark.
“Isa have mercy on them if they do. For we won’t.”
• • •
Seer Sinait was waiting in the courtyard, her robes rucked up so she could mount, holding a canvas roll with her magical implements. The troops formed up as I outlined what little I knew, their warrants shouting orders and instructions.
“Possibly,” she said calmly, “possibly, Tribune, we should have found the time to discover further details, but I see you are intent on trapping whoever — or whatever — attacked your men.”
“I am.” Her words caught me, made me think.
Whatever
?
“Suppose it
is
a demon?” I said.
She shrugged. “I’ve never confronted one fresh from a kill. If so, it should make an interesting conflict.”
I grinned tightly. One reason I’d chosen the Seer was her complete lack of fear. She was as much a warrior as any of us.
“Sir!” It was Bikaner. “Troops mounted and ready.”
Karjan trotted up, leading Lucan. Beside him was Kutulu, astride a bay I knew to be a racer, but a horse I’d trust a babe on. I swung into the saddle.
“Lancers!” I shouted. “Ride out!”
The gates of the courtyard swung wide, and we trotted out, into the castle’s main yard. The gates stood open, and the lamps of Polycittara were already glowing in
“Now they’ll come here. Now they’ll come after me. But I’m safe now, aren’t I? Aren’t I? Aren’t I!” and his voice rose to a scream. Two men held him, and a third forced a potion through his clenched lips. Again he quieted.
“That’s to make me sleep, isn’t it? That’s all right. I can sleep. They’ll not find me, when I’m asleep. Or if they do, I won’t care. No. I won’t care. I won’t …” He collapsed, as much fainting as from the draft.
I ran out of the infirmary, shouting for the alert troop, for Domina Bikaner to attend me in the Lancers’ ready room, and for a runner to summon Kutulu and Seer Sinait and tell them to make ready to travel. Sorcery would be needed if there was anything to Gabran’s tale, and I planned to move fast, far faster than the Kallians believed possible.
Bikaner came at a run, buckling on his saber. His adjutant, Captain Restenneth, had told him about Gabran, and he’d served long enough with me to be able to tell what I planned.
“Legate Ili and his column went out at dawn with orders to hold court here,” he said, tapping a spot on the ready room map. The village was called Nevern, and it sat in the foothills two hours ride from Polycittara.
“Very well,” I said. “I’ll have the ready troop …”
“Tiger, sir.”
“Tiger Troop, and turn out my Red Lancers. I’ll also have one company of the Hussars ready to ride in ten, no fifteen minutes.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll take personal command — ”
“No,” I said flatly. “This one’s mine. But you can ride along if you wish.”
“Yessir. Thank you, sir.”
Kutulu hurried into the room as Bikaner ran out. I briefly explained what I thought had happened. “We lack information,” he said.
“We do,” I agreed. “And if we wait for details there’ll be nobody left to deal with. Are you riding with me or no?”
“I’ll come.”
“Good. I’ll get you a mount.” Karjan was waiting. My combat harness was beside him, and he wore helmet, breastplate, and greaves.
“Lucan’s bein’ saddled, sir.”
“Very well. Take this man to the stables and get him mounted on a fast, dependable horse. Have another horse saddled for Seer Sinait. Go!”
Karjan ran out, followed by the warden. Captain Lasta clattered in, buckling on his gear. I gave him instructions as I fastened on my own weaponry.
“Sir? One question?”
“Go ahead, Captain.”
“Supposing it’s a trap? Supposing they’ve laid an ambush?”
I considered. No. They wouldn’t be expecting a response this quickly. They’d think we’d wait until the morrow, when we’d have a full day, for no one chanced traveling the roads of Kallio near dark.
“Isa have mercy on them if they do. For we won’t.”
• • •
Seer Sinait was waiting in the courtyard, her robes rucked up so she could mount, holding a canvas roll with her magical implements. The troops formed up as I outlined what little I knew, their warrants shouting orders and instructions.
“Possibly,” she said calmly, “possibly, Tribune, we should have found the time to discover further details, but I see you are intent on trapping whoever — or whatever — attacked your men.”
“I am.” Her words caught me, made me think.
Whatever
?
“Suppose it
is
a demon?” I said.
She shrugged. “I’ve never confronted one fresh from a kill. If so, it should make an interesting conflict.”
I grinned tightly. One reason I’d chosen the Seer was her complete lack of fear. She was as much a warrior as any of us.
“Sir!” It was Bikaner. “Troops mounted and ready.”
Karjan trotted up, leading Lucan. Beside him was Kutulu, astride a bay I knew to be a racer, but a horse I’d trust a babe on. I swung into the saddle.
“Lancers!” I shouted. “Ride out!”
The gates of the courtyard swung wide, and we trotted out, into the castle’s main yard. The gates stood open, and the lamps of Polycittara were already glowing in
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