David Weber - War Maid's choice

“Milord, if you’re right-and I’m afraid you are,” Stoneblade said, “we must send a courier ahead immediately! And another to Sothofalas and”-the senior captain braced himself visibly-“to Hill Guard.”

“Do you know the shortest route to Chergor from here?” Cassan challenged. “I don’t, and I’ve been there before!” He shook his head. “No, you’re right about sending a messenger to the capital, but even if our horses were fresh enough to send a courier around them, I couldn’t give him the directions he’d need to even find the lodge, far less beat them to it. Our only real hope is to push the pace as hard as we can, make up as much distance as possible. We may be able to catch them short of Chergor, and if we can’t, they’ll be our surest guide to it. Even if we don’t catch them before they reach it, we can hope to arrive close on their heels.”

Stoneblade’s expression was as unhappy as it was worried, but there was no disputing Cassan’s logic. Not about Chergor, at any rate. The older armsman opened his mouth, but before he could find the proper way to frame the suggestion, Cassan cut him off, harshly.

“As for sending word to Hill Guard, it couldn’t possibly get there in time to do any good. We’re far closer to Chergor than Balthar. Besides,” his voice turned even harsher, “I have an ugly suspicion about just how the King comes to be spending his vacation in such a conveniently isolated spot-in the West Riding — when a band of assassins ‘just happens’ to have set out to attack him.”

Both captains’ eyes widened. It was clear both of them thought their baron’s bitter enmity toward Baron Tellian was behind his suspicions, but neither was prepared to argue the point. Especially since it would take at least three times as long for any courier just to reach Balthar-or Sothofalas, for that matter-as it would take them to reach Chergor.

“Of course, Milord,” Stoneblade said after a moment.

“I know the horses all need this rest,” Cassan continued, “but we’re going to have to push on harder as soon as it’s over. I think it would be wise for you to go have a word with all of our troop leaders, Garman. Tell them what I think is happening here so they understand how vital it is that we move as quickly as possible from here on out.”

“Of course, Milord!”

Stoneblade slapped his breastplate in salute and headed off purposefully, his expression grim. Horsemaster started to follow him, but Cassan gripped the younger armsman’s elbow before he could.

“Milord?”

“A word more, Kalanndros,” the baron said quietly. The captain cocked his head slightly, eyebrows rising, and Cassan smiled grimly. “There’s another reason I didn’t want to send a courier to Balthar,” he said in that same quiet tone. “My agents in Nachfalas actually gave me a little more information than I was willing to share with you and Garman…until I realized where they’re headed, at least. Now I think you need to know it.”

He paused, waiting.

“What sort of…information, Milord?” Horsemaster asked finally.

“Information suggesting these people were met by one of Baron Tellian’s spies,” Cassan said flatly. “To be honest, that’s the reason I pulled this many men together before I went looking for them in the first place. I was afraid they were up to some mischief in the South Riding, something Tellian could deny responsibility for because the men who carried it out it had obviously come from out-kingdom. But now that I’ve realized where they’re really headed, I have to wonder if there wasn’t a much darker reason than I’d suspected for why they met with one of his agents before setting out.”

Horsemaster’s expression was suddenly intensely wary, and Cassan smiled without a trace of humor.

“If this is an assassination attempt and Tellian’s behind it, there’s only one reason he would have recruited them from outside the Kingdom and had them enter the Wind Plain at Nachfalas and come at Chergor across my lands. He’s not just setting up a way to hide his hand-he’s obviously hoping to saddle me with responsibility for whatever they’re about to do. And if he’s been as clever about it as he usually is, they probably truly believe I’m the one who hired them!”

Horsemaster nodded slowly, his eyes narrow, and Cassan shrugged.

“Obviously, I don’t have any sort of proof he’s the one who set this all up. For that matter, I might even be wrong to think he is.” The concession was perfunctory at best, Horsemaster noted. “The gods know this canal business offers enough of a threat to the interests of the Spearmen and the Purple Lords for them to want to wreck it even more badly than I do! But the point is that if it is Tellian, and if whoever he used as his agent hired them in my name, the consequences could be…serious.”

Horsemaster’s nod was far more emphatic this time.

“So I think it would be best, when we overtake them, that there be no survivors,” Cassan said flatly, and gave another shrug. “Men who hire their swords for assassinations are scum, anyway. If we’re fortunate, we’ll catch them short of Chergor and finish the business then.”

“And if we don’t, Milord?” Horsemaster asked softly.

“Well, that will depend on whether or not they’ve had any opportunity to talk to anyone on the other side, won’t it? Someone who might actually believe their lies and think I’m the one who hired them.”

Cassan’s tone was completely neutral, but understanding flickered in Horsemaster’s blue eyes. Understanding of what his baron had just said and perhaps- perhaps — just a trace of what he hadn’t said.

“That would be…unfortunate, Milord,” he said.

“Yes, it would, wouldn’t it?” Cassan replied.

“I’ll see to it, Milord,” Horsemaster said, and if he was unhappy about the possibilities, there was no sign of it in his level gaze.

“Good.”

Cassan released the other man’s elbow and watched him walk across to his own company. Someone’s armor and weapons harness creaked behind him, and he looked over his shoulder.

“All well, Milord?” Dirkson asked softly, and the baron nodded.

Dirkson was younger than Darnas Warshoe, but they were very much cut from the same cloth, and the armsman nodded back to his patron. Then he glanced over his shoulder at the six handpicked armsmen of his personal squad. Aside from Cassan and Dirkson himself, they were the only ones who knew the baron’s full plan, and if the thought of regicide bothered any of them, there was no sign of it.

“Won’t hurt a thing for Sir Kalanndros’ lads to be busy cutting inconvenient throats, Milord,” Dirkson said, touching the hilt of his own saber, and his eyes were cold. “Lots of confusion and people running and shouting.”

“Best of all if we get there just too late,” Cassan told him in an even softer tone. “But if we don’t, remember to make sure the dagger’s in Tellian’s hand. Or the hand of one of his allies, at least.”

“Oh, aye, I’ll do that little thing, Milord,” Dirkson promised with an icy smile. “A cold, dead hand…and I’ll make sure it’s dead myself.”

Erkan Traram drank deeply from his canteen, then looked around the small circle of intent faces gathered about him.

“All right, lads,” he said. “It’s time we were about it.”

That circle of faces tightened, but no one argued. It was far too late for second thoughts, even if they’d been inclined to entertain them, and they weren’t. All of them recognized the risk inherent in their task, especially if anyone escaped to set wind riders on their trail. Their horses were good, even by Sothoii standards, but no one’s horses were that good. Still, if things went according to plan, there’d be no survivors to escape, which ought to give them at least several hours-possibly even a day or two-of head start on any pursuit. Besides, they weren’t going to escape overland; river barges were waiting just below the point at which the Ice Sisters’ outflow reached the Spear to bear them back to Nachfalas more swiftly than even a wind rider could cover the distance. If they reached the barges, the only real concern would be one of those blasted magi who could throw their thoughts over vast distances, or one of the “wind-walkers.” Nothing else would be able to get word to Nachfalas in time to prevent them from escaping back down the escarpment and disappearing into the Kingdom of the River Brigands and the Empire of the Spear once more.