Мэри Кирчофф - The Black Wing

Riding closely on his left flank was the black-masked Salah Khan, newly promoted to dragon highmaster and second-in-command to Maldeev himself. He had been Wakar's adjutant, having risen to his post after the former second-in-command's death. A coldly efficient tactician, Khan was notorious for a temper easily ignited by underlings. Most everyone was already intimidated by Khan's ever-present black head wrapping; it was rumored that the cloth covered a featureless face, destroyed long ago in a duel with a wizard. Salah Khan was an introspective human whose long, pensive silences frequently appeared to unnerve even Dragon Highlord Maldeev.

Behind the leaders, the black dragon could see the small number of horse-mounted calvary, to be used in the event of a rout. Maldeev had made it clear he would take no prisoners. Behind them strode the remainder of the human mercenaries, archers, and swordsmen. Next in line, Volg prodded his ogre troops from behind, Lhode coaxing them along by air. Bringing up the rear were Horak's charges. He led his draconian troops by horseback, using the Black Wing banner Maldeev had given him as a focusing point for the dull-witted creatures, with Shadow hovering overhead.

The exact date for the attack had been set after the arrival of the draconian forces. The monstrous reinforcements had visibly boosted the morale of the wing, at least those who were not asked to live with the abominations.

While they were an annoyance and an insult to the dragons, it was the ogre troops who suffered the most from the nearly mindless draconian killing machines. Certainly, no one had any love or sympathy for the brutish ogres. Ironically, the draconians had replaced ogres as the most distasteful forms of life in the army of the Dark Queen. Volg, the ogre's field commander, complained frequently in his halting ogre accent, to Horak, the draconian field commander, but Horak seemed to encourage competition between the units; neither did Volg receive help from their immediate superior, army commander Salah Khan.

Drills for the entire army had become more frequent, specific, and intense. Humans, ogres, and draconians all scaled ladders in preparation for a siege; arrows were made, and weapons polished. The ogres protested loudly on the latter score, seeing no value in expending energy on something that didn't make them fight any better.

Waiting now for the front rank of officers to close the gap, Khisanth nibbled a blade of grass, much greener here than the drought-parched region around Lamesh. Angry-looking, black-limned clouds were beginning to form in the western sky, suggesting rain. The hot afternoon had already turned muggy.

Out of the corner of her eye, Khisanth saw Jahet flying toward her. Pulling back her wings, the highlord's dragon dropped gracefully to her hind feet with nary a hop.

“Maldeev is considering launching an immediate attack.”

Khisanth looked to the darkening sky and arched a brow. “Is that wise?”

“Salah Khan and Volg are trying to talk him out of it.” With a sigh, Jahet settled herself into the shade next to Khisanth. “It's quite comfortable here. While Lhode and Shadow and I have been securing Shalimsha with just a handful of useless soldiers, you've had it pretty easy these past days,” she said with mock jealousy.

“Easy? You mean boring,” growled Khisanth, struggling to her feet. “Let's go.”

Standing almost reluctantly, Jahet took wing mere heartbeats after Khisanth. The two of them made an impressive sight, gliding effortlessly, enormous shadows skimming the land beneath. The highlord had stopped the procession in a small gully on the spine of a neighboring bluff. They dropped within a length of Maldeev. “We attack immediately, while there's still a chance for surprise,” the dragon highlord was saying.

“There is that school of thought, Highlord,” Salah Khan said diplomatically. His voice was muffled by the black wrapping around his head. “There are also those who believe that surprising the enemy at any cost is unwise, particularly in a battle of this size, when we so outnumber the enemy. If this were a small ambush, then, perhaps …”

“Ogres bushed,” Volg cut in rudely. He'd stomped his way to the front ranks after the procession halted.

Horak, too, had ridden up from his position back with the draconians. Beads of sweat glistened on the brow of the newest of Maldeev's officers, curling his copper hair into tight ringlets. He'd heard Volg's comment and was twisting his red mustache confidently when he said, “My draconians are ready to follow you instantly, Highlord. Unlike the other, uh, soldiers,” he stumbled with a pointed look at Volg, “they need little sleep or food.”

Volg scowled. “Darkness come!” He pointed a warty finger to the east before adding slyly, “Ogres see fine, but humans not.”

“There's another very real problem, Sir,” interrupted Khan, getting his first good look down the slope toward the citadel known as Lamesh. “No one mentioned a moat.” His eyes, the only things visible in his face wrap, suddenly narrowed with surprise and concern. “It would appear that the moat feeds a waterfall over a cliff, as well. It'll be much more difficult to breach than our plans have allowed.”

Maldeev looked with irritation at his number two dragon, the only one among them to have seen Lamesh. “Well, Khisanth? Didn't you notice these things?”

“Yes,” she said without guilt. “I reported that they were digging a trench at least two fortnights ago. In itself a trench would not change the method of attack. However, the water is a new development.” She gave Maldeev a wry look. “Perhaps they've been expecting us.”

“We'll wait until morning!” snapped the dragon highlord. Spurring his horse, Maldeev cantered off and stopped a short distance away to gather his thoughts alone.

Maldeev's advisors would all have been surprised to learn that their highlord had actually made the decision to delay the attack after Horak's pandering. Not that the highlord was immune to bootlicking. Actually, it was one of his favorite benefits of rank.

The problem was Horak. The very capable human commander didn't know he was the least trusted of Maldeev's officers, even placing behind the vulgar ogre, Volg, solely because he'd been under Ariakas's command.

Nourished by Horak himself on his first day at Lamesh, Maldeev's hatred of the Red Wing commander had swelled, running so deep and silent, like the roots of a fast-growing willow, that even Jahet could not guess its full measure. Maldeev would take Ariakas's leavings and turn them to gold for the greater glory of himself.

He was Takhisis's chosen.

Maldeev would seize every opportunity, take any chance, to align himself more closely with the Queen of Darkness.

“Orders, Highlord?” Khan cut into his thoughts.

Maldeev shook away his preoccupation and whistled for Jahet. “Tell your dragons to refrain from flying and move on foot into the forest to the west. The rest of the wing will follow.” Jahet nodded and backed away to do her highlord's bidding, pulling Khisanth along with a glance toward Lhode and Shadow at the back of the ranks.

Turning to the other commanders, Maldeev continued. “In this battle, my greatest concern is to prevent any of the knights, their men, or their people from escaping. We will certainly have lost all chance for surprise by tomorrow morning. To stop escapes tonight, I want detachments to set up overlooking the fortress and the town. Humans will watch while it's light, to be replaced by ogres and draconians during darkness.”

That settled, Maldeev lifted his pike and directed his horse to pick its way down the bluff to the west, following after the dragons.

Tate lowered the spyglass from his eye. He knew the Black Wing would come to Lamesh Castle. The knight hadn't been surprised by the news from the sentry. He'd just hoped it wouldn't be so soon. It was too soon…The reinforcements Tate was expecting from Solamnia hadn't arrived yet. Soon they might not need to, Tate thought grimly, feeling an unusual defeatism. The rain wouldn't help matters, either.