S. Farrell - A Magic of Twilight

“There’s more news, and worse,” Mahri told them. “It would seem that several of the Archigos’ staff fled just before his death. They are suspected of gross violations of the Divolonte, as well as complicity in the Archigos’ death.”

“That’s not true!” cu’Seranta shouted, and Karl shook his head toward her, a finger near his lips in caution.

“True or not,” Mahri continued, “the Garde Kralji and the Garde Civile have been told to find those teni who were on the former Archigos’ staff and bring them before the Guardians to be judged.”

“I can’t stay here, then,” cu’Seranta said. Weariness and fear whitened her face. “I have to find somewhere else.”

“This is as good a place as any,” Mahri told her. “No one can come here that I don’t allow, and there are things I can teach you.” He included ci’Vliomani in his nod. “That I can teach both of you.”

He saw the disbelief, the uncertainty in both of them. It amused him. He took a long breath, letting his shoulders rise and his chest fill, letting himself settle fully into his familiar body once more. “But that’s for later,” he said to them. “For now, we all need food, and then some rest. The world outside will take care of itself. . ”

Jan ca’Vorl

“The battle was a complete rout.” Starkkapitan ca’Staunton’s nostrils flared, his chest filled, and his chin lifted as he spoke.

A’Offizier cu’Linnett, accompanying his immediate superior, smelled faintly of fire and ash; when Jan glanced at cu’Linnett, the offizier was staring intently toward the rear of the tent, looking not at the starkkapitan but the array of toy soldiers Allesandra had laid out on the rug, in preparation for a session with Georgi ci’Arndt. She’d stopped playing with them to listen to the starkkapitan’s report.

“There were approximately five hundred troops of the Garde Civile holding the border above the Ville Colhem,” ca’Staunton continued,

“and they broke across the River Clario bridge in the first turn of the glass. They saw A’Offizier cu’Linnett’s division and ran like frightened house beetles with their offiziers screaming at them to hold ranks. When the first barrage from the war-teni came, even the offiziers and the few chevarittai with them fled.”

Jan glanced again at the offizier, still staring intently at Allesandra’s soldiers. “I understand that A’Offizier cu’Linnett commanded the engaging troops?”

“He did, my Hirzg.”

Jan nodded. “How many casualties?” he asked the starkkapitan. He was seated behind his field desk, the thin panels of which were adorned with painted images of his great-vatarh and namesake, the Hirzg Jan ca’Silanta, fighting the bamboo-armored hordes of East Magyaria. Jan folded his hands on his lap.

“Of our troops, very few, my Hirzg. A’Offizier cu’Linnett was able to effectively use his war-teni and archers and thus inflicted most of the damage from a distance.”

“How very convenient,” Jan commented drolly. “And for the Nessantico Garde Civile?”

“At least a hundred and fifty dead, perhaps two hundred.”

“So three hundred escaped. Perhaps more. Is that what you’re saying to me, Starkkapitan?”

Jan heard Markell, standing just behind his chair, suck in a breath.

Allesandra snickered. Ca’Staunton seemed to notice the tone of Jan’s voice for the first time. His chest deflated as he exhaled, his chin dropped, and his shoulders drooped. “My Hirzg-” he began, but Jan

cut him off, abruptly.

“I wonder, Starkkapitan. . Did I fail to make myself clear when I gave you my orders? Because I distinctly remember saying to you, after we captured the Kraljiki’s spies, that it was vital- vital -for Nessantico to remain unaware that we have crossed the border. I recall telling you that I wanted Ville Colhelm and any Garde Civile posted there surrounded before we initiated any engagement, so that none could escape to take word back to the Kraljiki in Nessantico. Are you saying, Starkkapitan, that three hundred or more troops are now running toward that city with the news that Firenzcia’s army is on its way-troops that include offiziers and chevarittai; troops we will most assuredly meet again, perhaps before the gates of Nessantico?”

Cu’Linnett stared ever harder at Allesandra’s toy soldiers in their painted silver and black, his hands clasped behind his back. Starkkapitan ca’Staunton visibly paled. “My Hirzg, it was of course my intention to do exactly as you’d ordered. The third division had already been sent to cross the Clario well below Ville Colhelm, but we came upon the Garde Civile troops unexpectedly and A’Offizier cu’Linnett had no choice but to engage immediately. There was no time to coordinate the attack.”

“A’Offizier,” Jan snapped, and cu’Linnett’s head threatened to snap entirely from his neck as he jerked his head around to meet Jan’s gaze.

“You had no vanguard scouting the terrain ahead of your forces? You were surprised by the Garde Civile? They initiated the contact?”

“No, my Hirzg,” the man answered. His voice was firm and solid, and Jan caught the hint of a frown when his eyes flicked over toward ca’Staunton. “The starkkapitan was perhaps somewhat unclear in his assessment of our situation. Our vanguard reported to me that a force of perhaps a half a thousand Garde Civile held the bridge across the Clario at Ville Colhelm, under the command of A’Offizier and Chevaritt Elia ca’Montmorte.”

“I know ca’Montmorte,” Jan said. “One of the few competent chevarittai, in my opinion. What did you do when that report came to you, A’Offizier?”

“I immediately sent runners to the starkkapitan with the news.”

“Ah,” Jan said. “As you should have. And the starkkapitan’s response?”

Allesandra’s toy soldiers clinked dully as her hand swept over them, striking down a battalion. Cu’Linnett stiffened his gaze, keeping his eyes only on Jan. “I was ordered to engage the enemy since we had a far superior force. I obeyed those orders. I sent my war-teni ahead along the path of the Avi, supported by archers and infantry, and had two squadrons of chevarittai flank the Garde Civile east and west along the Clario to attempt to contain the enemy. Unfortunately, the Clario isn’t fordable at that point, so the Garde Civile’s forces were able to retreat across the bridge once their offiziers realized they they were outflanked and badly outnumbered-the starkkapitan had specifically ordered that the bridge was not to be destroyed.”

“And ca’Montmorte?”

“He ordered the retreat, and was among those holding the bridge.

He retreated himself only when it was obvious that he had lost. I pursued Chevaritt ca’Montmorte through Ville Colhelm but felt that to go farther would leave my men too exposed and isolated from our main forces. I called a halt, and remained in Ville Colhelm to hold the bridge and the town. Perhaps I should have questioned the starkkapitan’s orders or asked for clarification on how he wished me to proceed, but I did not. If that was wrong, my Hirzg, any blame is entirely mine and not that of my offiziers or men.”

“So you take the entire responsibility for your tactics, A’Offizier?”

Jan could see the man swallow. “I do, my Hirzg. Given the suddenness of the attack and the lay of the land, I did what I thought best.”

“You performed your duty admirably. An offizier must always obey his superior, and I admire your willingness to accept responsibility for your actions.” Jan nodded to the man, who relaxed visibly. Allesandra began setting up her soldiers again. Jan turned his attention back to ca’Staunton. “A lesson the starkkapitan himself should have learned,” he added.