Joel Shepherd - Haven

“Elisse commits large forces,” Koenyg replied. “Most of your allies have kept many in reserve, yet Elisse owes you everything, and sends everything. Your other feudal allies now hear word of your successes, and are terrified that they are missing out on their share of this great triumph, and thus the spoils to come. I do not know feudal manpower in the Bacosh as you do, yet I should guess at several more tens of thousands there, who could reach across the Enoran border before we cross the Ipshaal River…if indeed the enemy does retreat to Jahnd as we expect.

“And then there are the Kazeri. I have word of a deal between them and the Chansul of Meraine.”

Balthaar looked mildly surprised. “You have sources.”

“My skills are not limited solely to warfare,” said Koenyg. “Should the Kazeri send the numbers being suggested, then we are in the process of building what shall be by far the largest force of men ever assembled in the history of Rhodia. Yet for all your core of strength, your primary weakness remains in cavalry, especially against the talmaad. Northern Lenayin remains with me, and it is almost entirely cavalry, the finest in all lands. We shall be your cavalry core. With Lenay command of cavalry, you cannot lose.”

Balthaar considered for a moment. Then he put a hand to Koenyg's shoulder, and steered him away from the others.

“Brother-in-law,” he said quietly in the hush of the temple's vast space, “I shall tell you of something more. My brother Prince Dafed reports from Rhodaan where we have made some great discoveries. There are workshops in Rhodaan, in towns near Tracato, where artillery is made. Steel artillery.”

Koenyg stared at him in amazement. “They were supposed to destroy it all before it was captured.”

“Yes, well, much to everyone's amazement, it seems that the Steel have many spare. The logistics of operating such things, I suppose, means that there are only so many units of artillery that a certain-sized force can utilise before it becomes unmanageable. These artillery were supposed to be moved by road to join the retreating army, or destroyed, as you say…only some Rhodaani lords hoping to curry favour with my army intervened and have now handed them over to Dafed.”

He stopped, and could not restrain a smile. “We have hellfire,” he added. “They were making it in the same town. We have great stores of hellfire, all captured. And even some men who will instruct us in its use, as the Rhodaani nobles have some friends who know such things.”

“My gods,” Koenyg breathed. “Can it be transported?”

“As soon as possible, though we may have to wait a little for its arrival.”

“We shall have to wait a little for the boats to cross the Ipshaal.”

“Indeed, so no loss.” Balthaar was assembling a large force of boat builders and carpenters, a surprisingly simple task with such a huge force at his disposal. “The enemy's only hope is that the Ilduuri come to their aid in force, and from what I hear, I do not think that at all likely. But I would ask you, brother, do not speculate on these things too often with the other feudal lords. Some things I would rather kept just between us two.”

Koenyg was astonished. He had assumed that his obvious loss of face, with three in four of his men deserting him, would result in a similar loss of influence with Balthaar. Now this. But then, he recalled, he had been hearing other things, about relations between the Regent and his allies of late.

“Your friends squabble over the spoils,” Koenyg said. “Well, be assured of one thing, brother-we Lenays are not concerned with your spoils. I fight for a Verenthane Lenayin, and a strong, Verenthane Bacosh to be our ally, nothing more.”

Balthaar looked relieved. “It is so nice,” he said mildly, “to speak to a man whose word I can trust. Just one.” Things were quite bad then, Koenyg decided. “I have a mind to put such a man in command of our cavalry, as you suggest. I understand all of the nobility of the rest of Lenayin's provinces have remained loyal?”

“Very loyal,” Koenyg agreed. “This war shall reshape Lenayin, brother. The pagans shall be dealt a crushing defeat here that it was not possible to deal them in Lenayin itself. Feudal power shall be expanded upon my return, and Verenthane power too. With the pagans diminished, more warriors of Northern Lenayin shall be freed to assist you, should you need them. The north has only sent a small portion of its forces, as it faces threats from Cherrovan and its Lenay neighbours. Soon that number shall increase. You have seen how we fight, brother. Lenayin remains a friend well worth having.”

The ceremony to replace the Shereldin Star in the High Temple was very grand, for a thing so hastily organised. Koenyg did not understand much of it, for services were in Larosan, yet the certainty of it all impressed him. Choirs sang in heavenly reverence, and priests in robes marched slowly up the aisle. Here was a force that could unite men, and cease their constant bickering. Lenayin needed this more than it needed anything.

Emerging from the temple in the late evening, the Regent's army was still filing past and paying their respects. Such a volume of men surely could not lose. Satisfied, Koenyg stretched stiff shoulders, gathered his lords about him from the crowd emerging from the temple, and walked down the steps toward where their horses were stabled at the neighbouring monastery…when suddenly the street erupted in flame.

Koenyg fell, as men all about fell, hands up to ward off the glare and heat. And then it was fading, Koenyg lifting himself from the steps as huge clouds of smoke boiled upward into the overcast sky. Buildings all up the street were aflame, as were hundreds of men. They ran screaming, falling on the ground, as others leaped forward with coats to smother them. Horses galloped in terror, threw their riders, and a cart team went hurtling through crowds, as more men scattered.

“Hellfire,” Lord Heryd said grimly, regaining his feet.

“Kessligh,” Koenyg muttered. “One might have thought our allies would have enough wits to search the buildings along their route of advance.”

“He fights dishonourably,” another lord observed. “To be expected, from one who fights with the demons.”

“He fights to win,” said Koenyg, watching as flailing, burning men ceased their struggles and fell still. “There is more honour in victory than defeat. He would like me to underestimate him, as some of our allies do. I shall not.”

Sasha wanted to move, but General Rochan had other ideas. In a great intermingling, the Enoran and Lenay armies made a temporary camp across the fields by the road, while commanders from both forces gathered on the grassy ridge beneath a wide oak tree, and debated.

They had barely begun when a new party of cavalry arrived, thirty strong and mixed equally between Nasi-Keth, talmaad , Enoran, and Rhodaani. Most paused on the camp's perimeter, while a few continued through the throng of Lenay and Enoran men who talked, shared food, and laughed. Sasha got up to watch them approach, suspecting, but barely daring to hope.

Leading the horsemen was Kessligh. He dismounted by the oak, strode to her, and embraced her. Strangely, Sasha did not feel any tears. Instead, she felt satisfaction.

“I had a feeling,” Kessligh said warmly. “When I let you go from Tracato. I had a feeling it would lead to this.”

“ I have a feeling the Army of Lenayin would have chosen this path even without me,” said Sasha.

“Perhaps,” said Kessligh. “Or perhaps they would simply have turned and marched home. But they knew you would never do so.”

“They know this is their fight,” Sasha said simply. “This is a fight for Rhodia, and coming here, they realise for the first time that Lenayin is a part of Rhodia. This war determines Lenayin's fate as much as any other. That much of my father's war they agree with. They merely disagree with him on the matter of sides.”