Mickey Reichert - Flight of the Renshai

The guard who met them scarcely glanced in their direction. "Which unit are you with?"

Saviar turned to Subikahn, certain his quick-witted brother already had an answer. But Subikahn said nothing, only stared in fascination at the granite city beyond the guards.

"Uh…" Saviar started stupidly, not expecting the onus to fall on him. His mind started racing. He could hardly ask for the Renshai, and no Northern tribe would accept them. "Uh, how about…" Erythane's infantry? He stopped himself from speaking the words aloud. They were exiled from Erythane, from all of the West, actually. "How about… the Eastern one?"

Finally Subikahn's attention snapped back to Saviar, and the look he turned his brother virtually defined murder. The guard studied him quizzically. "You don't look Eastern." His gaze flicked to Subikahn. "Now, your friend there-"

"Brother," Saviar interrupted. "He's my brother. My twin brother."

The guard looked between them dubiously. Another voice punctuated the silence, the nearest guardsman chiming in. "Ruther, don't you recognize them? That's Knight-Captain Kedrin's grandson, there." He inclined his head toward Saviar. "And the brother, that's Prince Subikahn Taesson."

Chymmerlee stiffened against Saviar.

The first guard's jaw sagged. "It is?" He continued to study the trio in front of him. "They are?" He next turned his full attention upon his companion, as if worried to be made to look a fool.

The second guard beat him to it, bowing and gesturing. "Thank you for coming,Your Majesty. We're honored by your presence."

"Stop it, please." Subikahn's tone held a combination of graciousness and impatience. "I don't want anyone to know I'm here unless I tell them, all right?"

Seeing his friend making gestures of respect, the first guard joined him. "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you, Prince Subikahn."

Subikahn ignored him, directly addressing the guard who had recognized him. "Where's the Eastern army?"

"Last I heard, Sire, they were guarding the shores of the Western Plains."

"The Western Plains." Subikahn relaxed visibly. "So they're not here."

"No, Sire. Though it's rumored they're on their way."

"King Tae was here," the first guard piped in. "He arrived quite a while ago. I'm not sure if he's still here. There are rumors-"

"Ruther," the second guard said sharply. "We don't need to be bothering the prince with rumors."

"But-"

The look the second guard gave his companion was nearly as sharp as the one Subikahn had given Saviar when he had suggested joining the Eastern forces. Then, he looked directly at Saviar. "You're Sir Ra-khir's son, right?"

"Yes."

"Brave man, your father."

Saviar did not know what to say. "Th-thank you."

"He's commanding one of the smaller units, a band of outcasts he brought back from the East."

Saviar did not know which question to ask first. He had not known his father had traveled to the East, would not have believed Ra-khir capable of it given his own last encounter with the knight, overwhelmed by grief. Only an odd set of circumstances would put Ra-khir in charge of a unit, rather than guiding Erythane's cavalry, with the rest of the knights.

Subikahn broke in, unconcerned with his brother's considerations. "We'd like to join that unit, the one commanded by Sir Ra-khir." He did not wait for confirmation. "Where is it?"

"Front line, beach. Central east quadrant."The first guard seemed more at ease in his element, directing stragglers to their units. "East of the Santagithans and the Northern contingent from Erd. West of the Pudarians."

"Thank you." Subikahn dipped his head, which sent both guards scurrying into bows. The trio headed into Bearn, with more questions raised than answered.

Valr Magnus rode through the massed archers on the ridge, pleased to see them attentive and ready. Each had several arrows with rag-wrapped tips, saturated with oil.The nearby fire pots burned steadily through the twilight, like round and regular campfires. When the command came, they would follow orders, as always, with the fine precision Captain Sivaird had trained into them.

The captain walked over to greet his general, laying a hand on the saddle's pommel. "They're all ready, sir. One command."

"Yes." Magnus never doubted the efficiency of his captain, or his troops. "I know.You always do the finest work, Captain. It's not your men I'm worried about." He looked over the massed armies that spread across Bearn's beaches. Viewed from a distance, they seemed such a mismatched, ragtag lot, dragged together only by a common enemy. His men knew war. His captains were tough and experienced. Most of the Northern armies skirmished enough between themselves to remain in fighting condition, but the West had seen too much peacetime. They had grown dangerously soft. So many of their men came fresh from farms, shops, and apprenticeships. They were uncertain and, worse, unpredictable.

Apparently misunderstanding Magnus' concern, Captain Sivaird nodded. "There's a unit led by one of the Knights of Erythane, sir."

"Yes." Magnus knew what his captain wanted to say. "Commanded by Sir Ra-khir, who, I understand, once had the audacity to declare war on the entire kingdom of Pudar. Single-handed." He grinned at the thought, the savage courage it must have taken, and could not help feeling impressed.

"Our scouts say his band of outcasts includes a fair number of blonds who aren't Northmen, and as many women as men."

Magnus glared at his captain. "So, we're using scouts now to spy on our own army?"

Sivaird could not have looked more shocked if Magnus had asked him to transform into a kitten."Well, sir… I…" He flushed."There isn't much else for them to do, sir. And they're not exactly our 'own army,' sir. They're-"

"Renshai," Magnus finished. "Yes. All the generals already knew it."

The surprise remained indelibly etched on the captain's face. "But, sir. Don't the generals… I mean, shouldn't we…"

"Shouldn't we what, Captain? Fight amongst ourselves before we take on the enemy?"

"No, sir. But-"

"Ban some of the most competent swordsmen?" Magnus remained relentless. "Perhaps, if we do it right, we can drive them to the bosom of our enemy so we will have to fight pirates and Renshai simultaneously."

The captain seemed about to let the matter drop. Then, suddenly, he flexed his fingers and stiffened his jaw in clear resolve. "Sir, respectfully, should we allow demons to battle among us? Animals, perhaps? Bogeymen?"

General Magnus smiled. "If they're fighting on our side against a common enemy, why not? Perhaps bogeymen have necessary skills we don't possess. As to animals, even our own army has cavalry. We can always battle the demons after the war is over."

"Weakened and bloody."

Magnus made a throwaway gesture. "If necessary, yes. And remember, they're getting weakened and bloody alongside us. Better to fight a strong enemy together and a weak one afterward than to fight both at once at the top of their strength."

Captain Sivaird nodded. "I suppose you're right, sir, as always. But it feels so wrong to throw our lot in with…" He practically spat as he spoke the next word, "… Renshai, even temporarily."

"War can make for strange allies."

"Strange allies," Sivaird repeated, most thoughtfully. "General, sir. That reminds me of another concern."

Magnus gave his captain his full attention, though he knew what had to come next.

"Captain Alsmir is having trouble with those two younglings you picked up in the bar in Aerin."

Having heard exactly what he expected, Valr Magnus nodded.

"The younger one's clearly never been trained. We had to give him a weapon, then we took it back. He's more dangerous with it to himself, and to us, than to the enemy. Sir, to be utterly frank, he has the courage of a lion and the fighting ability of a turtle."