Captains Fury, Page 8

Chapter 13~14

  Chapter 13

  "Are you quite sure they must come off?" asked the First Lord. "It really seems that it would be more comfortable to leave them on. "

  They had stopped beside an old and seldom-used trail to take a drink from a convenient spring-and Amara had noted that Gaius had been concealing a limp while the small party's steps had quickened over the last few yards. Now, the First Lord sat on a camp stool Bernard had assembled, and the big woodsman knelt before the most powerful man in Alera, unlacing the man's boots.

  "I'm certain, sire," Bernard rumbled. "Sore feet are nothing to take lightly- especially not with so much ground still to cover. "

  "This is somewhat embarrassing, I confess," Gaius said. "I have even increased the amount of walking I have done over the past several months, to prepare for this. "

  "Walking up stairs and over paving stones is a far cry from a cross-country march, sire," Bernard rumbled. His nostrils flared, and he shook his head. "I'm going to slide the boot off now. I can smell some blood, so the stocking might stick. Point your toe, sire, and I'll have it off as quick as I can. "

  The First Lord grimaced and nodded. "Aye, let's have it done. "

  Without being asked, Amara moved to stand behind Gaius and brace her hands on his shoulders, steadying him. It was a somewhat startling feeling. Though the First Lord was as hale a man for his years as could be found in Alera, and though he looked like a man in his forties gone to early silver, the flesh of his shoulders felt thin and somehow frail. Amara felt her touch grow cautious. The last thing the Realm needed was for her to accidentally dislocate Gaius's shoulders while Bernard attempted to put his feet right.

  The boot stuck, and it was only after a few moments of effort, some careful twisting, and a hiss of pain from Gaius that Bernard was able to get the boot off his foot. As he had predicted, the pale stocking beneath was dark with blood.

  Bernard took a deep breath and frowned thoughtfully. Then he looked up at Amara, and said, "Get the cooking pot and fill it with water, if you would, Countess. "

  There was something tense about the way he held his head, Amara could tell. She paused for a moment and frowned at him, her own expression questioning.

  "The water, Countess," Bernard repeated, his voice steady. "I'll need to wet the stockings before I can take them off and see how bad it is. "

  She gave him a frown, but fetched the pot and headed for the stream as he had bid her. It took him another quarter of an hour to have both of Gaius's feet bare and wiped clean with a cloth, and to inspect the damage. He sat back a moment later, frowning.

  "How bad?" Gaius asked.

  Bernard looked steadily at him for a moment, before he said, "I've seen worse. But they're blistered badly. How long have they been paining you, sire?"

  "At my age, you hardly notice one pain amidst all the rest," Gaius replied. "The first day wasn't too bad. They weren't comfortable last night, but they didn't get bad until this morning. "

  Bernard nodded. "The real concern is infection. If we're early enough to stop that, we should be able to handle the rest easily enough. "

  "Quite embarrassing," Gaius muttered, staring down at his swollen ankles. "Sore feet. This is hardly dignified. "

  "Travel sores are no respecters of persons, sire," Bernard said. "First thing, let's get you on the ground with your feet up. It will help reduce the swelling and some of the discomfort. "

  "That would be most appreciated, Count Bernard. " Gaius sighed. With the woodsman's help, the First Lord settled himself on the ground, his feet propped up on the stool, where he frowned at them in disapproval while gnawing an apple.

  Bernard dumped out the water and went to the spring to refill it, and Amara went with him.

  "How bad?" she asked quietly.

  He shook his head. "I've seen worse-once. On a Legion runner who had enough metalcrafting to ignore the pain and not enough sense to know he shouldn't. He took infection so badly even my sister couldn't help him. He lost the foot, and the fever burned out most of his wits. "

  Amara bit her lip and brushed her hair back from her forehead. "That bad?"

  Bernard grimaced. "We got to the First Lord more quickly-though great furies know what might have happened if you hadn't spotted him limping. "

  "Quickly enough?"

  "Amara. . . " He sighed. "I don't know. "

  Amara took a deep breath and nodded. "What can we do?"

  "We can have him craft the wounds closed," Bernard said.

  Amara shook her head. "No. He can't. Any of his crafting at all will give our position away and make the mission a failure. "

  Bernard gave her a direct look. "So will his maiming or death, love. "

  Amara glared at him for a moment, but looked away and shook her head. "Is he in any immediate danger?"

  Bernard stood up with the pot full. "He's not going to pitch over dead any moment now, no. If he does take fever, it will take some time to kill him. Days, probably, maybe longer. "

  "Then we have some time," Amara said.

  "We might," Bernard said, "but then again, we might not. An infection could be taking hold while we stand here talking. " Bernard folded his arms. "This is a humble little wound. But it doesn't care who he is. It's capable of killing him if he doesn't receive proper medical attention. "

  Amara folded her arms close to her belly and frowned down at the stream.

  "Let me put it this way," Bernard said slowly. He turned to face Amara full on, planting his feet at shoulder's width. "It is beyond foolishness to risk the First Lord's life on something this trivial. I won't allow it. "

  Amara stared at her husband's face for a moment. "Excuse me?"

  "I won't allow it," he repeated, his tone gentle and immovable. "I'll give away our presence myself if I must. "

  Amara forced herself to keep a hot answer from flying from her lips. "Bernard," she said quietly, "that's treason. "

  "Not the way I see it," he said. "I'm sworn to protect the Crown. The oath never said anything about protecting the Crown from anyone except himself. You swore a similar oath, I believe. "

  "You can't make a decision like this," Amara sputtered.

  "I already have," he replied. "It's been a long time since Gaius was on campaign, and you've never been on one. You've never seen men die of infection. " He looked down and away. "It robs them of everything, Amara. All dignity. All strength. They waste away, so fast you can almost see it happening. " He shuddered. "The Realm is barely holding together as it is. Should anything happen to Gaius, should he die like that. . . "

  She bit her lip and touched his shoulder. "He knows that there are risks, love. He has chosen to face them. "

  "He is responsible for more lives than his own," Bernard responded. "What is so important that it warrants risking his life?"

  "I don't know," Amara replied quietly. "He didn't tell me. "

  Bernard shot her an incredulous look. "You don't even know why we're doing this?"

  She shook her head.

  "Then bloody crows, Amara, why are you opposing me?"

  "Because I trust his judgment," Amara said quietly. "Because I swore an oath. " She paused briefly, and added, "Just as you did. "

  Bernard grunted, as if to acknowledge the touch.

  Amara leaned in close against him, and he slid an arm quietly around her. She laid her cheek against his chest. "If he didn't tell you, either, why are you here?"

  Bernard's voice rumbled in his chest, a pleasant buzzing sensation in her ear. "He said he needed a skilled woodsman and scout, someone he could trust. " He breathed out a little through his nose, a wisp of a laugh. "And he said you'd be there. I suppose he knew it would be reason enough for me. "

  Amara lifted her head suddenly to stare intently into her husband's face. "Just as he knew that once we were back together, I would be too distracted by you to ask too many questions. " She felt a wry smile twist her mouth. "Until it was t
oo late to change our minds, I suppose. "

  Bernard frowned, and squinted back toward where Gaius sat, and said, "We're not going a step farther until I know exactly what we're walking into. "

  Amara frowned in thought for a moment, and spoke slowly. "I suppose my duty would be to oppose you putting an end to this mission. Strictly speaking. "

  "You did that once before," Bernard replied, his eyes brightening with brief amusement. "You'll recall how it worked out. " His expression grew more serious. "You couldn't stop me from compromising us, Amara. And without using furycraft, I doubt he could do it, either. Even if he could walk right now. "

  Amara nodded slowly, "Just as well, perhaps. "

  "Oh?"

  "It gives us a lever to use on him. " She glanced back at the First Lord. "He keeps secrets purely as a reflex action, these days. I can't serve or protect him if I'm kept blind and wandering in the dark. But. . . "

  Bernard found her hand with his, and squeezed gently. "But what?"

  She felt her lips tighten. "It just doesn't feel right. So many have turned against him. Fidelias. . . "

  Tears filled her eyes in approximate tempo with a surge of heated anger, as she thought of her treacherous mentor, and it became impossible to speak.

  "It isn't the same, love," he told her quietly. "You're trying to protect him and using your best judgment. It isn't the same thing at all. "

  "I hope you're right," she said quietly. She shook her head, blinking the tears away before they could fall. Then she nodded once, composed herself, and strode back over to Gaius, Bernard in step beside her.

  The First Lord looked back and forth between their expressions, then said, "Ah. "

  Amara came to a stop before him, and knelt down to put her eyes more or less on level with his own. "Sire, Count Calderon. . . "

  He lifted a hand with a little, impatient wave, and glanced at Bernard. "We're not walking another mile until you know what we're getting into? Something like that?"

  Bernard snorted through his nose. "Not another step, actually, sire. "

  Gaius winced, shifting one of his legs. "Is it that bad?"

  Bernard approached as well, kneeling down and brushing away a layer of forest detritus with one hand, revealing a number of small white-and-pink crystals. He dropped them into the pan and began swirling the water as he spoke. "Without proper watercrafting? It has the potential to be very bad, sire, yes. "

  Gaius made a disgusted noise. "I suppose I'd be a fool to bring along an expert woodsman only to ignore his advice. "

  Bernard's mouth quirked up at one corner. "I'd never say that, sire. "

  Gaius's teeth flashed white for a moment. "Not in so many words, anyway, eh?" He studied his own raw and bloodied feet. "Your recommendation involves my crafting the injuries away, I take it. "

  "Or flying to someone who can," Bernard said.

  "What are my chances if I don't?"

  "If we're in time to prevent any infection, I can probably take care of it on my own. If we're too late. . . " He shrugged. "You'll sicken, take a fever, and eventually die. Our best hope is that you will retain the ability to rectify the problem on your own before the fever takes you too far to sustain such a crafting. "

  "Which would compromise our mission," Gaius said quietly. "Rendering it an unacceptable option. "

  "Sire," Amara said. "Your untimely death would be no more acceptable. "

  The First Lord glanced at her. "Untimely? Yes. But that seems rather unavoidable at this point. " He wiggled the toes of one foot and winced. "No infection has set in as yet. I believe our best option is to maintain a positive frame of mind and proceed. "

  "It's a very real risk, sire," Bernard said, and there was nothing subservient in his voice. "What could possibly be so important that it warrants such a risk to yourself and to the Realm?"

  Gaius frowned at Bernard. Then he tilted his head, brow furrowed. "Well, this is an interesting iteration of the ludus board. A Steadholder with more power than a paired Cursor and First Lord. I can't stop you from acting without revealing myself, and I am not at all certain that Amara could do it, either. "

  Bernard nodded. "I've got you by the balls, sire. "

  Gaius, now leaning up on his elbows, let his head fall back with a brief, tense laugh. "So it would seem. Very well. We will speak of my purpose-after which, we will proceed at our best pace. "

  Bernard frowned. "I can't promise that. "

  "We will," Gaius said, and there was a cold flicker at the back of his eyes. "This is necessary, Count. It will be done. " His voice went quiet. "And as formidable as you are in your current position-yet do I advise you not to test me. "

  Bernard's hands froze for a moment, as he crumbled some kind of herb into the salted water in the pot. It was the only sign of his discomfort. "I can only promise that I will act on my conscience. "

  "Well enough," Gaius replied. With Bernard's help, he returned to his seat upon the camp stool and slipped his battered feet into the pot. He let out a hiss of pain and shuddered a few times, but then his breathing steadied. A moment later, he opened his eyes, and Amara pressed a cup of bitter willow tea into his hands. He nodded his thanks to her. "This touches upon your last visit to Kalare, actually. "

  Amara lifted an eyebrow. "In what way? Not for familiarity, I am sure. We only covered the last few miles on the ground. "

  "Similar motivation," the First Lord said. "You remember the necessity for bringing Lady Placida back whole and unharmed?"

  Amara nodded. "There are several dangerous furies back in her lands that are held in check by her will. Had she died, they would have been loosed on her people. "

  "Precisely," Gaius said. "And Kalarus, whom I will never fault for lack of ambition, has done something almost as brilliant as it is insane-he's intentionally stirred up furies of terrible power of his own and bound them to his will in the same way. "

  Amara took in a deep breath. "He hopes to preserve his life?"

  "Not at all," Gaius said in a sober tone. "He's too proud to suffer through imprisonment, and he knows that we could assume control of those furies once he was taken away and we had time to work. His goal is much simpler, Countess. He hopes to drag as many lives as possible into the underworld with him- preferably including my own. "

  Bernard scratched at his beard, frowning. "Sire. . . what kind of furies are you talking about here?"

  Gaius took a slow breath, and said, "One of the Great Furies, Count. "

  Amara frowned. "Great furies. . . what. . . I mean, there are actually. . . ?"

  Gaius's mouth gained an edge of grim amusement. "You think we swear by them simply for show? No. They exist, the Great Furies. A dozen or so that I'm aware of. Creatures so old and vast that our entire existence upon this world, a thousand years of growth and strife, is less than the span of an eyeblink to them. "

  Bernard's frown deepened as he took a clean cloth and began washing the First Lord's feet as gently as he could. "And Kalarus can control this thing?"

  "Not even remotely," Gaius said. "But he can annoy it, arousing its wrath- and he can delay its response for a time. When he ceases to do so, Kalus will spend his wrath upon anyone it meets. "

  "Kalus?" Amara asked. "Like Mount Kalus?"

  "For which Kalare itself is named," Gaius said, nodding. "Though it is not only a mountain, but an ancient fire-mountain. It has not spoken in Aleran memory, but Kalarus has stirred it up. When he dies, Kalus will burst free of the mountain and bathe the land in fire. " He leaned forward, meeting Bernard's eyes, then Amara's, in turn. "If I let the Legions besiege Kalare, it will mean more deaths fighting on the approach. It will mean that all of Kalarus's forces will have fallen back to the city. It means that an entire campaign's worth of refugees will have fallen back with them. "

  "Bloody crows," Bernard breathed. "He means to make a bier of allies, enemies, and subjects alike. Of the city itself. "

  "I can intercede," Gaius
said, "but only if I can physically approach to within a few miles and clear sight of Mount Kalus. " He took a deep breath. "If I don't intervene, it will mean more lives senselessly lost to Kalarus's spite. " His eyes glittered, cold and hard. "I won't have it. Not in my Realm. "

  "So," Amara said quietly. "The plan is to get you in close enough to deprive Kalarus of his funeral pyre?"

  The First Lord nodded. "I never truly understood how horrible life was in Kalare, how he had transformed his lands into a nightmare of slaves and fear. I failed his people. Now he threatens to burn them all alive. I will not allow them to die at the will of that madman. "

  Bernard looked up at the First Lord, his eyes steady.

  "Count Calderon," Gaius said calmly. "Please believe me when I say that I will proceed. Either with you-or through you. "

  Bernard regarded him without blinking. Then he said, "Your feet are swollen, and those boots aren't going to fit. We'll need to let you rest for a day or so, and I'll try to make your footwear a little more comfortable before we move again. " He turned to Amara. "Can you find us a spot to camp, out of sight of the trail? There's no sense loitering here until someone stumbles into us. "

  Amara rose and went to Bernard's side. She touched his shoulder briefly, and said, "Thank you. "

  Gaius exhaled slowly, and bowed his head gently to the Count of Calderon. "Aye, Bernard. Thank you. "

  Bernard glanced from Gaius to Amara, frowning. But he said nothing.

  Chapter 14

  "This is outrageous!" Maximus sputtered, his words oddly flat-sounding within the windcrafting that kept their conversation private. His horse danced nervously at the fury in his voice. "We should hand the son of a bitch his head for suggesting such a thing!"

  "Unfortunately it isn't a suggestion," Crassus murmured. Max's slender brother rode on Tavi's other side and was a good deal less ruffled. "It's an order. "

  Max's hand flew to the hilt of his sword. "I've got the proper response to that order, right here. "

  Crassus cast his brother a resigned look, and said, "You aren't helping. "

  "Crassus is right, Max," Tavi said quietly. "This isn't a problem we can hack to pieces. "

  "Just you watch me," Max growled. His horse half reared in response, one hoof striking out as if to crush some unseen foe. Acteon snorted at these antics, but his pace never wavered, and Tavi was grateful that his mount did not seem inclined to the same spontaneous displays of physical prowess of most war-horses. Max calmed his horse with an expert's casual skill, and said, "I'm not letting anyone kill those townies. "

  Tavi glanced over his shoulder, where the prisoners were being walked out of Othos as ordered, surrounded by Valiar Marcus's Prime Cohort. Tavi had deliberately ordered a slow pace, but some of the elderly among the prisoners were having trouble even so. He caught Marcus's eye and flicked a signal at the First Spear. Marcus slowed the pace even more.

  Just as well, Tavi thought. It would give him a little more time to figure a way out of this mess.

  "We aren't going through with it," Max growled. "Right?"

  Tavi shook his head slowly, more a gesture of irritation than anything else. "The children are clear, at least. "

  Crassus frowned in thought, then glanced at Tavi. "Age of accountability?"

  "Exactly," Tavi said.

  Hoofbeats approached. Araris came trotting down the line of horses and offered a thick book to Tavi.

  "What's that?" Max asked.

  Tavi held up the book, titled, simply, Military Law. Then he flipped it open and started searching for the proper reference.

  Crassus smiled. "You came prepared, eh?"

  "Gift from Cyril," Tavi replied.

  "Age of what?" Max said.

  "Accountability, you illiterate thug," Crassus said. He flashed a small smile at Max. "Legally speaking, a child under the age of twelve dwelling in an adult's household cannot be held accountable for most crimes. Their parent or guardian is responsible for their behavior. "

  "So that gets the kids out of trouble," Max said.

  "It isn't enough," Tavi said. "It just means we'd have to execute their parents twice. " He held up the book. "Arnos has to adhere to the letter of the law. As a Legion commander in a war zone, he's got full authority to pass summary judgment on enemy troops and support personnel. "

  "With no trial?" Max asked.

  "Not if they aren't Citizens," Tavi said. "And Arnos is interpreting the definition of support personnel to include any Aleran who has cooperated with the Canim in any fashion. He says the fact that they let those Canim into their town makes them traitors. "

  "Against Nasaug's army? They had no choice," Max spat. "Look at them. "

  Crassus shook his head. "Legally speaking, they had a choice. They could have fought the Canim and died. "

  "That's suicide. "

  "But legal. " Crassus frowned at Tavi. "Captain, do you think the Senator's sentence will stand up before a tribunal of review?"

  "He isn't ordering the execution of any Citizens," Tavi said, scanning pages in the book. He found the proper section and it confirmed his fears. "Crows. Technically, he's acting within the bounds of the law. So it will come down to politics. "

  Max growled. "If he's successful against the Canim, his judgment will probably be supported. "

  "And if the campaign goes badly," Crassus said, "his enemies will use it to eviscerate his career. "

  Tavi ground his teeth. "Not that it will matter to the people of Othos by then. "

  "There's got to be something we can do, Captain," Max protested.

  Tavi grimaced. "If Arnos had put half as much planning into the assault on Othos as he had into this, he'd have taken the town without a man lost. " He snapped the book shut rather harder than was necessary and looked at Max. "Legally speaking, my only options are to carry out the order or resign. "

  "Which is what Arnos wants," Crassus said quietly.

  Tavi glanced aside at Crassus, surprised that he would bring up the point. The young Knight Commander had rather pointedly remained entirely silent during any conversation touching upon politics more than indirectly. It was hardly surprising, considering that Crassus's mother had betrayed them all at the Elinarch and his uncle was leading a rebellion that had ground on for most of two years. His father, High Lord Antillus, commanded fully half the forces of the Shieldwall, the vast edifice that walled away the threat of the Icemen in the savage north, and was one of the most respected men in Alera.

  All in all, that made Antillus Crassus into a potential wildfire, politically speaking. Tavi had sent the First Lord strongly favorable reports regarding the young lord's skill, capability, and loyalty. If he hadn't, Gaius might well have made sure that a young man with such volatile potential was transferred to a less inflammable post.

  All of that meant that Crassus had tactfully remained aloof from the intrigue that touched upon the First Aleran, except where it directly affected his ability to perform his duties. It had not meant, however, that he had closed his eyes to what was happening, and Tavi's respect for Max's younger half brother went up another notch.

  "Which is probably what he wants," Tavi agreed quietly. "Either way, he's arguably within his rights, and I've got no legal recourse to refuse the order. "

  Max let out a chuckle with a hard edge on it. "Like you've ever let little things like laws get in the way. "

  Tavi frowned. It was true enough, he supposed, but that was before he'd been made aware of the fact that he might be the one expected to uphold and defend those laws one day. Law was what separated civilization from barbarism. Law was what enabled a society to protect the weak from the strong who would abuse or destroy them.

  He looked over his shoulder at the poor people of Othos.

  The law had been made to defend them. Not to murder them.

  "We might have to get creative," he said quietly. He squinted up at the sky. "What I wouldn't give for a
storm right now. "

  Max gave Crassus a speculative look, but the young lord shook his head. "Amos lost some of his Knights Aeris, but the rest of them would sense it if we tampered with the weather. "

  Tavi nodded. "We need to stretch this out until dark. "

  Max grunted. "Why?"

  "The Canim like to operate at night. Once night has fallen, who knows? We might be attacked by a force of raiders, and in the confusion the prisoners might escape. "

  Max pursed his lips, then broke into a smile. "Those crowbegotten Canim ruin everything, Captain. "

  Crassus frowned. "We'll be ordered to pursue them. There's no way that group could escape any competent pursuit. "

  "I know," Tavi replied. "We do it anyway. "

  Crassus rode in silence for a few pensive seconds. "I'm with you, sir. But all you'll do is delay things by a day or so. At most. Then you'll be right back where you are now. "

  "A lot can change in a day or so," Tavi said, quietly. "Either of you have a better idea?"

  Neither spoke, and Tavi closed his eyes for a moment, ordering his thoughts. "The first thing we need is time. We're going to double-check all of the prisoners' identities. "

  "Sir?" Crassus said.

  "Amos can't possibly fault me being careful to make sure we aren't subjecting a Citizen to an injustice. "

  Crassus narrowed his eyes and began nodding. "And he'll figure you're doing it to protect yourself from legal consequences. Because that's why he'd do it. "

  Tavi nodded. "Crassus, confirm their identities and be thorough. Make it take until sundown. Go. "

  "Yes, sir," Crassus said. The young commander banged a fist to his chest and turned his horse, nudging it into a rather listless trot toward the prisoners.

  "Max," Tavi said. "Get Schultz, and tell him to pick two spears of men who can keep their mouths shut. You'll take them and stage a raid tonight, once it's full dark. Something noisy but not too spectacular, and leave a couple of the Canim weapons we've recovered lying around. Amos will have sent some men to keep an eye on things by then. Handle them, but don't kill anyone if you can possibly avoid it. "

  "Understood," Max said. He lowered his voice, and said, "Crassus is right, you know. The Senator will only send you after them and relieve you for incompetence when you don't bring them back and carry out the order. "

  "Let me worry about that, Max. Get moving. I'm going to send word to Cyril to find out if-"

  "Captain," Araris interrupted.

  Tavi glanced back at the singulare, who nodded down the line. Tavi turned to see Kitai thundering up the column toward him, with Enna and a dozen Marat trailing her. As they slowed, Max released the windcrafting that surrounded them, saluted Tavi, and turned his horse to head back down the column.

  The Marat came to a halt in a blowing, disorderly clump all around them as Kitai drew her horse up beside Tavi's, her lovely face expressionless. The Marat called to one another, trading what were apparently gibes and boasts in their own tongue. Several of the younger riders, as restless and energetic as their mounts, continued dancing in circles around the larger group, their horses shaking their heads and rearing from time to time.

  Tavi turned intent eyes to Kitai right away. It might have looked sloppy and exuberant, but the Marat had long since worked out their own method to veil conversations from any windcrafters who might be attempting to listen from afar.

  Kitai's leg bumped against Tavi's as their horses walked, and he could sense the tension in her. They stretched out their hands to one another at the same time and briefly entwined their fingers. "Chala," Kitai said. "I worried for you during the battle. "

  "You worried for meT Tavi asked. He couldn't help but smile a little. "You were the one leading an attack on an enemy position. "

  Kitai sniffed. "That was nothing. I didn't get close enough to lift a blade. " She cast a general glower around them at the Marat of the Horse Clan. "They got there first. "

  "Still. It was well-done. "

  She arched a pale eyebrow at him. "Yes. Of course it was. " Her haughty expression faltered, though, and she glanced around them, making sure that no one was close enough to overhear them through the cacophony of the Horse Clan. "There is something you must see. "

  Tavi nodded at once, flashed a hand signal to the First Spear, and turned his horse out of the slow column of marching men. Kitai's horse wheeled perfectly in time with his, and he supposed that an outsider looking on would have thought that he was leading her and not the other way around. The Marat escort joined them as they cantered to the east and away from the column.

  They rode for most of two miles, by Tavi's estimate, the sharp rise of the bluff on their right, until they reached a small copse that had grown up where a burbling spring spilled water down from the higher ground. Two Marat horses were grazing on fresh spring grass outside the trees.

  The little company rode up to the copse and dismounted. Tavi passed Acteon's reins over to Enna, and followed Kitai into the trees.

  "We took a prisoner, chala" she said without preamble, her pace never slowing. "An Aleran. A messenger. "

  Tavi hissed in sudden excitement. "Yes? What did he say?"

  "That he would speak only to you. "

  They brushed through a few yards of undersized evergreens that hid whatever was beyond them from view. When they emerged, Tavi found himself in a small clearing, where a pair of Marat warriors stood with bows in hand and arrows on strings, calmly regarding a man seated on the ground between them.

  Tavi blinked and lifted his eyebrows, recognizing the man-the rebel scout he'd subdued back at his aborted ambush of the Canim column. The man was wearing the same clothes, minus all his gear, which had been placed in a neat pile several feet away from him.

  The scout glanced up at him and blinked twice before his own eyes widened in recognition. "You," he said. "Bloody crows. "

  Tavi felt one corner of his mouth lift in a smile. "Good afternoon," he said. "We've got to stop meeting like this. "

  The scout looked uncertain for a moment, then barked out a short laugh. "Aye, m'lord. "

  "I'm no lord," Tavi replied. "Rufus Scipio, Captain of the First Aleran. "

  The man bowed his head slightly. "Captain. My name is Durias. I'm a centurion of the First Freehold Legion auxiliaries. "

  "Freehold, centurion?" Tavi asked.

  "The capital city of Free Alera, Captain. " He lifted his chin with a slight but undeniable glitter of defiance in his eyes. "Our capital. The freemen's capital. "

  Tavi nodded. "I see. I'm told you bear a message. "

  The man nodded and slipped a hand inside his tunic.

  Both Marat drew their bows, and the deadly steel tips gleamed as they oriented on Durias. In the same instant, Kitai's sword hissed from its sheath.

  Durias froze, his eyes very wide. He licked his lips, glancing back and forth between the weapons and Tavi.

  "Slowly, centurion," Tavi said, keeping his voice calm. "You'll have to excuse my friends. We've had problems with more than one assassin, and they tend to err on the side of caution. "

  Durias swallowed and-very slowly-withdrew a small bundle of cloth from beneath his tunic. He bowed his head and offered it out to Tavi on both of his upturned palms. "Nasaug bade me give you this," he said quietly.

  Kitai stalked forward and took the cloth, then returned with it to Tavi's side. Tavi frowned down at the cloth. It looked vaguely familiar. Then he realized what he was holding. A plain, worn tunic-specifically, Ehren's tunic, the one he'd been wearing when Tavi had last seen him.

  Tavi's fingers trembled a little in their hurry to unfold the cloth, revealing the tunic's contents. Two ludus pieces resided within. One was a white le-gionare, the missing piece from his own set. The second was a Knight of black stone, from a much larger, less finely carved set.

  Tavi chewed on his lower lip and nodded absently to the Marat guards. They eased back on their bowstring
s, relaxing once more, their expressions never changing.

  "I recognize it," Tavi said quietly. "Did he send anything else with you?"

  Durias nodded. "Nasaug said to tell you that in most games, this would be a poor trade, but that it is one he is willing to offer, provided you-and only you-come to speak to him. "

  Tavi frowned at the messenger. "Where? When?"

  "Immediately, Captain," Durias said. "He is nearby. I am to lead you to him. "

  "And if I refuse?"

  Durias smiled a little and spread his hands. "Then Nasaug will have exchanged a legionareiox a Knight, and profited thereby. "

  Tavi considered the pieces on Ehren's tunic for a moment. "Nasaug plays ludus well," he said. "Surely he would think me a fool to sacrifice a First Lord for the sake of a Knight. "

  "He offers you safe conduct, Captain. "

  Tavi folded the tunic back over the pieces. "And what does he offer as a guarantee?"

  Durias regarded Tavi steadily. "His word. "

  Tavi drew in a deep breath. This could very well be a trap. The Canim were cunning and ruthless when it came to warfare. It was, in fact, a point of pride to them. In war, there was no such thing as cheating, no rules, no mercy. Tavi had no doubt that Nasaug would not hesitate to deny his enemy a valuable resource like Ehren-unless there was a greater gain to be had in keeping him alive.

  Simultaneously, though, the Canim of the warrior caste seemed to adhere to a rigid standard of honor. They respected strength, courage, and skill, and Tavi had somehow managed to demonstrate all three during the first desperate days of battle at the Elinarch.

  Tavi clenched a fist in frustration. This wasn't merely an offer to parley. It was a test of his commitment to the concept. Nasaug would not make a second offer. To say nothing of the fact that Ehren's life hung in the balance.

  Tavi could not afford to let this opportunity pass by, and Nasaug knew it.

  Which made it a perfect trap.

  Which, in turn, made it a perfect test.

  Which made it an opportunity he could not afford to. . .

  Tavi shook his head before the circular logic made him dizzy.

  He had to try.

  "Chala," Kitai whispered, brushing her fingers against his arm. "Are you sure?"

  He turned to look her in the eye. "No. "

  "But you'll go anyway. "

  "They have Ehren," he said.

  She scowled at him, clearly unhappy with his response. "This is foolish. "

  "Maybe," he agreed.

  "Stubborn. Proud. Stupid. " She sighed and leaned forward to kiss him lightly on the mouth, her lips warm and sweet. She settled back again, and said, "I would hit you on the head with a rock and drag you away from this. But it would only shatter the rock. "

  Tavi gave her a quick, warm smile, and turned to the captive scout. "Very well, centurion, get your gear. Whatever happens, this ought to be an interesting conversation. "