L. Modesitt - Mage-Guard of Hamor

As he listened Rahl was conscious that Taryl was projecting an order-feeling-not a compulsion or anything requiring obedience, but more a feeling of openness, of suggesting receptiveness to what he said.

"… each company will be receiving orders later today. Most of you will have today and tomorrow to rest and ready your mounts and men for the advance on Nubyat… Majers and captains are dismissed to your companies and commands. I'd like all the commanders and senior officers to join me in the conference room." Taryl stepped back.

"Nothing indecisive about him," murmured Drakeyt.

"No," replied Rahl.

"Well… we'd better head back to the company," suggested Drakeyt. "It might be easier to walk this way." He gestured to his left.

Rahl had his doubts, but smiled absently and joined Drakeyt.

As they neared the west end of the temporary tie-line for officers' mounts, Rahl realized that one of the older mage-guards was looking at him-or more precisely at his new insignia. The other mage-guard was not a senior mage-guard, not from his insignia, and Rahl could sense anger and resentment behind the man's shields. He almost frowned. Since when had he been able to do that? Or was it just that the other mage-guard's shields were not that good? He tried to strengthen his shields so that they were as impermeable as possible while projecting friendliness and walking toward the other mage-guard.

"I noticed you looking over here. Is there something I can help you with?" Rahl kept his voice pleasant.

The other mage-guard's face remained neutral. "Ah, no, ser." Behind the words was apprehension, if not mild fear.

Rahl could sense a probe at his shields, and he deflected it, then added just a slight order-push, slipping his probe through the other's shields and pressing ever so slightly on the other mage-guard's shoulder.

"Ah, Drakeyt." A majer turned and addressed the captain, who had stopped beside Rahl. The majer's eyes avoided Rahl entirely.

Rahl could sense caution, but not fear, as well as purpose, behind the majer's salutation, and he just waited and continued smiling.

"Yes, ser?" replied Drakeyt.

"Is it true that a senior mage-guard executed a corrupt town administrator with a truncheon, and that he took only one blow to kill him?"

"Yes, ser. He's also saved the company several times, as well as managing to kill more rebels than anyone else."

"Tough, is he?"

Drakeyt shrugged, almost in an exaggerated fashion. "Tough as anyone who survived being a loader in Luba could be, ser. Doesn't much go for jealousy and arrogance. Completely loyal to the Emperor and the overcommander, I mean, the acting marshal. He was the one who killed that mage-guard traitor, and two others, and the mage-guard was a chaos type."

The majer nodded. "Don't think I'd want to get in his way. Good thing he's assigned to the recon force."

"Yes, ser."

Rahl managed to keep from smiling, but he did nod to the other mage-guard. "If you need any help I can provide, please let me know."

"Yes, ser." The fear behind the other's shields was far stronger and had largely replaced the resentment.

Rahl turned to Drakeyt. "We'd probably better get back to the company."

Once Rahl and Drakeyt had mounted and were riding back eastward toward the inn, well away from the other officers, Rahl looked to the captain. "The majer was having trouble with his mage-guard, and you two set that up, I take it?"

"Yes, ser." Drakeyt grinned. "Stanyl's not the brightest mage-guard, but he'll know it was a setup and a warning. The majer overheard him talking to one of the other mage-guards, complaining about how you were too young to be a senior mage-guard and how you couldn't possibly stand up to someone like him or his friend. The majer was afraid he'd do something stupid, and then the battalion would be without a mage-guard. Stupid as Stanyl is, he can still throw a good firebolt or two." Drakeyt frowned. "What did you do to him? When he left, he looked like he'd been whipped."

"Just shielded everything from his being able to sense it. Oh… and I gave him the slightest push, right through his shields."

Drakeyt nodded.

Rahl could sense that the captain didn't fully understand, but there wasn't any point in explaining. He'd just sound like he was boasting. He just hoped that Stanyl conveyed what had happened to his friend. Rahl didn't need to defend himself against another jealous mage-guard, and Taryl certainly didn't need to lose any more mage-guards.

After several moments, Drakeyt cleared his throat and turned in the saddle toward Rahl. "The overcommander knew Dettyr would be relieved, didn't he? That's what he was hinting at in the dispatch he sent you."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he had been sent to make certain that the marshal and submarshal followed the Emperor's orders," Rahl replied.

"The Emperor must trust him, then."

"I don't know anyone more trustworthy." Even if I don't know exactly what he's doing, or why. Rahl did know that Taryl was doing what he thought was best for the Emperor and Hamor, but he had not yet been able to figure out even what Taryl's overall strategy might be.

From Taryl's briefing on fiveday, Rahl also had the feeling that he was supposed to be doing everything he had done before, as well as succeed where he had failed, then use his knowledge of trade and commerce and his order-skills to deduce some aspects of the rebel strategy from the isolated bits of information that he discovered in the course of more reconnaissance in force with Third Company.

The overcommander didn't expect much at all from him, did he?

Sevenday dawned bright and clear, and a warmer wind blew out of the southeast. Not until well past noon did Rahl see clouds, but they were not approaching quickly, not from what he could tell. Once more, he was riding forward of the main body of Third Company with the outriders, this time with Shanyr. All day long he had not seen or sensed anything suggestive of rebel forces. The lands bordering the main road had become more rugged, and the vegetation more varied, in places sparse, and elsewhere lush and almost impenetrable.

Obviously, this part of Hamor was close enough to the coast that it never felt winter, because there were no winter gray leaves, and almost no firs or evergreens. The air felt moist, and there were more small lakes and marshes and the steads and dwellings were more widely separated and set in small hamlets at irregular intervals, with almost no dwellings standing alone. Although he sensed nothing out of the ordinary and did not lose any of his order-sensing strength and range, Rahl could only surmise that there were giant cats or stun-lizards or some other predators lurking in the areas of denser vegetation.

Along the left side of the road, although several cubits below the level of the roadbed, ran a small creek, not much more than a cubit wide. In places, it had washed away the rock riprap that had been laid down to protect the roadbed, but Rahl did not sense that the lack of protection had weakened the actual road, although that well might happen before long if the rocks were not replaced.

There were no tracks in the road, and none of the holders near the road had seen any riders outside of a few wagons and guards in days. Not being able to find any trace of rebels and no sign of any order or chaos being used bothered Rahl more than a little, leaving him feeling as though he were sailing-or riding-into the proverbial calm before the storm.

"Ser… feels like there ought to be more signs of the rebels," Shanyr finally said.

"There should be," Rahl admitted, "but that might be the best indicator that we're getting closer to them."

"Might be, ser." Shanyr's voice conveyed doubt.

Ahead on the right, just off the shoulder of the road, Rahl could see the top of a kaystone rising out of a mossy hillock. As he rode nearer, he could make out the letters and numbers, if barely- Lahenta — 10 k. Beyond the marker, the road curved gradually to the left, angling southward toward a gap in the rocky ridgeline perhaps three kays away.