L. Modesitt - Mage-Guard of Hamor

Drakeyt eased his mount toward Rahl. "What do you want us to do?"

"When you see the lancers coming, I want you to lead first, second, and third squads off the road in the direction they expect us to go. Fifth squad will remain on that section of road on the other side of that little flat there. You position your squads just beyond them. I'll have fourth squad hidden. I don't want you to lead your squads off until the lancers are close enough that they think they might be able to reach you, and I want you to be able to reverse the withdrawal and attack, once their heavy infantry attacks fourth and fifth squads."

Drakeyt frowned. "We're going to attack three companies with a company at half strength?"

"No. I'm not being clear. If what I'm planning works, the lancers are going to be in trouble, but it will appear that one of my squads will be caught between them and the rebel mounted infantry. The mounted infantry will ride forward and uphill to attack us. You circle downhill some until you're below the lower flat, but still well concealed in the trees. There's an area down there where you can make the road without much of a climb for the mounts. Set up opposite that, and let as many pass you as you can. Then you attack the weakest point to cut through. We'll rejoin you as soon as we can."

"What if they pursue?"

Rahl shrugged. "I'd try to string them out, then deal with them bit by bit. But I'm hoping that they won't feel like pursuing."

"I share your hopes." Drakeyt paused. "You don't think we should follow that flat area through the hills?"

"My guts tell me that your feelings are right and that it would be most unwise."

The captain nodded. "We'd better brief the men."

"If you'd begin… I need to get some things ready."

"I can do that."

Rahl turned his attention to his preparations. First, he extended his order-senses and checked the position of the lancers, but they were still more than half a kay away and taking their time, clearly not wanting to push their mounts. The rebel infantry was taking up a position on a high point on the road, little more than a third of a kay northeast and generally downslope, concealed by a rise in the road.

Then Rahl switched his attention to the flat area. He could see and sense the water beginning to move along the order-voided path he had created. He extended the order-delinking process to the entire oval within the past, then swallowed as he sensed the soil beneath turning into a near-instant ooze.

He turned the gelding back uphill, then reined up beside Drakeyt and in front of the five squad leaders.

The captain inclined his head to Rahl. "Your instructions, Majer?"

"Thank you. Fysett, I'd like you and fifth squad to form up on the rise just beyond the flat spot there. The first three squads will be downhill of you, and they're going to look like they're running out and leaving you. I'm asking you to be the bait for the trap. Move your squad there right now-onto the rise-and do it by not going on the road. When the lancers come down the road, have your men turn and lift their sabres and circle together as if you think that will protect you against the lancers. Don't let any of your troopers go onto the flat area of the road and the shoulder there for any reason whatever. In a little while, it could cost them their mounts and their lives. We'll join you after we've done what damage we can, and we'll follow the other squads around the mess." Rahl didn't want to get too specific because how they extracted themselves would depend on how well his order-chaos manipulations worked.

The squad leader swallowed. "Yes, ser."

"You'd better get moving now. Don't cross the flat or the shoulder beside it."

"Yes, ser."

Rah turned to Fedeor. "Fourth squad will be with me on the left, slightly uphill and off the road and behind where the lancers will pile up. You'll need to tell your men to be quiet."

The fourth squad leader nodded.

"We'll form up the first three squads downhill of fifth squad, then," Drakeyt said, "and once the lancers are in sight and close enough, we'll begin the withdrawal. We'd better get into position." He turned his mount.

Rahl looked to Fedeor. "This way."

By the time Rahl had fourth squad stationed where he wanted the troopers, Drakeyt had the remainder of Third Company set up in good order on the rise above the flat-which still looked dusty and solid.. and was not. Rahl was beginning to worry that he might have overdone his delinking, because the ooze beneath the crusty surface was at least four or five cubits deep and a good fifteen to twenty wide, and still deepening. Rock seemed to stop it, because he could sense rocks sinking through the mess untouched, but that might not be enough.

He shook his head. Now was not the time to worry about that.

Rahl waited, peering through a slit in the bushy lower foliage. While he could sense the approach of the mirror lancers, he could not yet see them. He had decided on using a shield that merely blocked order-or chaos-sensing, something like what the stun-lizards did, because that took less energy, and the trees and underbrush would hide him and fourth squad from sight.

The sound and vibration of hoofs grew ever louder, and finally Rahl could make out the oncoming riders. He had never seen a Hamorian lancer before, but with the shimmering breastplates, helmets, arm gauntlets, and vambraces, they looked imposing, especially when the sunlight glinted on their weapons and armor. Supposedly, they were equipped similarly to the ancient Cyadorans. Was that why some of the histories referred to them as mirror lancers?

Once the rebel lancers caught sight of Third Company on the road, they began to pick up their pace, moving at a solid canter, lances lowered, and five abreast, so that they filled the road from shoulder to shoulder, their boots almost touching as they neared the flat.

As instructed, Fysett had fifth squad turn and contract into a solid wall, sabres ready. Drakeyt had the first three squads moving clear of the road, but Quelsyn was leading them, and Drakeyt remained at the end of third squad.

The last riders of third squad-and the captain-vanished into the brush and trees just as the first rebel lancers pounded down the slight grade and onto the flat area that separated them from fifth squad.

"Charge!"

Rahl thought the command unnecessary, but the lancers put on more speed at the last moment before the leading riders hit the ooze-weakened road. The first two lines of riders were well onto the order- and-chaos-trapped flat, and the forequarters of the mounts of the third line had crossed the unseen edge of the trap when the crust gave way. Almost instantly, the flat became a morass of flailing mounts, men, and lances. The fourth line of lancers tried to pull up, but the churning of those already trapped undercut the edge more, and they went down. The remainder of the entire company was jammed together.

Rahl glanced uphill. There was another lancer company that had reined up, and there was no way that they'd get caught in the trap.

"Fourth Company! With me! Through the lancers and across the road." Rahl urged the gelding forward, aiming toward the rear of the lancer company. The last thing he wanted was to get ensnared by the mess that he had created.

The lancers were so disorganized that for a time, most of them did not even realize that they were under attack. Rahl felt that he broke some bones, and more than a few lancers perished under the sabres of fourth squad before they began to drop their lances and reach for their own shorter blades.

Uphill, the other mirror lancers waited. Why, Rahl didn't know, but he was grateful that they did.

"Fourth squad! To me! Fourth squad!"

Somehow, the troopers-most of them, Rahl felt-fought and rode to him. Truncheon in hand, he pushed on to the edge of the undergrowth, just above the more gradually sloping ground uphill of his small dam, where he reined up, using the truncheon to urge his men toward him. At that moment, Rahl almost gagged, so strong were the feelings of suffocating lancers sinking over their heads into the seemingly bottomless ooze that he had created. But what else could he have done? The rebels hadn't been about to let Third Company retreat.