DragonCrown Saga - The Grand Crusade Part 17

Crow smiled up at her. "Darling, if it disturbs your sleep, you already believe it. Tell me."

She drew in a deep breath, held it, then exhaled quickly. "I was seventeen at the time, so there was much of it I didn't understand. It was confusing, just like a dream is supposed to be. I was lying on my back, in bed, with my lover sleeping beside me. We held hands."

She smiled at him, then caressed his cheek. "I didn't know who it was then, and never thought about who until the last couple of nights. He had white hair and a beard, just like you. He was you;isyou. I was happy. Then there appeared a figure and I was paralyzed. I could do nothing. She took the pillow from be- neath your head and placed it over your face. You could do nothing either, you did not struggle. She was smothering you."

Crow's eyes widened. "Okay, now there's two of us hoping your dream doesn ot come true."

"But it doesn't end there." Alyx swallowed hard again. "Like I said, it was a dream. My father appeared and he destroyed the person smothering you. That's impossible, I know that, but that is what I dreamed."

"Anything after that? Did we survive?"

She shook her head. "No, nothing after that. Other events intervened and I never had another chance to sleep that night. When Mischa told me his dream, I couldn't tell him mine. I didn't lie when I said I made my dream up. I did."

Crow rubbed a hand over his jaw and tugged on his beard. "I don't like the dream but, as with the Norrington Prophecy, things have to be right for that stuff to come true. Perhaps we take steps to make sure the circ.u.mstances are not right."

"So youaresleeping elsewhere tonight?"

"Let's not be insane, shall we?" He slipped his fingers into her hair and drew her down into a kiss. Their lips met, parted. He licked softly, she reciprocated and gave in fully to the kiss. When finally they broke it, they both smiled.

"Oh, Crow, I much prefer this feeling to one of dread."

"I quite agree." He stood and pulled her up into his arms. He hugged her around the small of her back, bringing their hips and bellies together tightly. "Do you recall, in that dream, feeling as if you had made love before you fell asleep?"

"At the time, Crow, I had no idea what that felt like, so, no."

"Good, so having that feeling is not part of the dream." He kissed her throat and murmured against it.

"Which means..."

"... that instead of sleeping apart, we have to sleep very much together?"

"My thinking exactly."

Alexia smiled. "I can see now how you've survived a quarter century of war with Chytrine."

"Animal cunning, really." He glanced toward their bed. "Well, my dear, shall we be on the safe side?"

"As everyone is counting on me to save the world, prudence would be best." She smiled and kissed him on the ear. "Thank you, lover, I shall sleep very well in your arms."

Kerrigan listened to the instructions Princess Alexia gave the gathered soldiery, but with only half an ear.

Though seven days had pa.s.sed since his victory over Chytrine's spell, he still did not feel comfortable in his skin. Seeing his toes was still a novelty, and there was a lot more loose skin than he could have imagined. He just sagged everywhere and that took a lot of getting used to.

There was also a lot more muscle to him than he would have thought- though, in an odd way, it made perfect sense. He'd built up a lot of muscle just hauling his own bulk around. He no longer ma.s.sed as much as Dranae, and his ordeal had just drained him of fat and hadn't given him anything to replace it. It was true that he felt better and could move more quickly, but he found that distracting at a time when distracted was the last thing he needed to be.

The undertaking Princess Alexia described was fascinating, but he'd heard the briefing before, and had even helped her work out the numbers. Under her command she would have thirteen thousand troops.

Three thousand would go with Erlestoke on his mission, though she did not mention what his command would be doing to the a.s.sembled officers. A second subcommand under the Salnian General Pandiculia would draw off three thousand troops as well and move considerably west to theVarasena Riverand head north along it. Crow's two battalions would operate in the hills and had been supplemented by a legion of Vilwanese warmages, making them more effective than just elite cavalry alone.

The bulk of the force, under Alexia's direct command, would head up theDelasena Rivervalley. There they would wait for Pandiculia's force to sweep east, then they would push toward Fronosa. If everything went perfectly, Alexia's force would reach Bacirro five days after leaving Narriz, and fourteen days later pandiculia's troops would arrive after their long trek. Another five days' march would bring them to Fronosa, approximately a month after quitting Narriz.

The problem was that there were all manner of things that could go wrong. Leaving Narriz, the army would consist of roughly three thousand cavalry, including replacement mounts and supply wagons. The cavalry column would stretch for twelve miles, so the last unit in line would move out four hours after the first had started on the road. Moving at that pace the cavalry would far outstrip its supply wagons, but arrangements had been made to s.h.i.+p fodder up along the river and cache it.

The infantry would not race away from its supply wagons, since they would move at the same pace; but while the cavalry would reach Bacirro in two days, the infantry would take five. The infantry column would stretch for two miles and have the joy of marching along a road churned to mud by thousands of horses.

Getting the people a.s.sembled and moving was a t.i.tanic task, and keeping them supplied made that seem insignificant. A cavalry regiment required nearly eighteen tons of fodder for all its horses per day. While the snow would be retreating, the plains would offer little in the way of good fodder this early in the season so all of it would have to be s.h.i.+pped upriver. The army would consume five tons of food in a single day and keeping them supplied would require constant traffic between a key city like Bacirro and wherever the troops were. Just as Resolute and Crow had done in Muroso, cutting supply lines would slow the army and leave it weakened.

In her briefing Alexia left the impression that Resolute would be working with Crow in the hills, but Kerrigan knew that wasn't true. Resolute was bound for Vorquellyn with Oracle, and would travel with Pandiculia's troops as far as Sanurval. When she turned east, he'd push on north into Loquellyn. From there he'd get a s.h.i.+p and go to Vorquellyn and find Will.

The news that Will was waiting in Vorquellyn had shaken Kerrigan. He'd seen Will die at Vael and keenly felt that death. Not only had he failed to prevent it by his inaction, but Will had become a friend. It wasn't until Will's death that Kerrigan figured out he'd been his first friend-or first human friend, since Lombo had been a friend, too. Alexia and Crow and the others had become friends, but it was not the same bond he shared with Will.

When they find him, I wonder if he'll be mad at me? The question seemed a bit absurd, since Will would have been through death, so little things like being angry at a friend might well seem trivial. By the same token, Kerrigan's failure to prevent that death gnawed at him.

Right there, in the room where Alexia briefed her troops, Kerrigan had confronted Chytrine. He'd known, despite her denials, that Tatyana was the Nor'witch. He should have hauled off and blasted her with the nastiest spell he could imagine. That would have rid the world of her menace once and for all.

Maybe. He'd not blasted her for two good reasons, and one pretty bad one. The overarching reason he'd not hit her with some terrible spell was that he didn't have one he was comfortable using under stress. His tutors had taught him some basic combat magicks, but they'd never really encouraged him to practice. Given the power levels at which he operated, an accident could seriously hurt someone, so their caution was probably wise.

Second, he'd had an odd feeling about Chytrine. It took him a while to pie it together, but given her dragon nature, he concluded that her Truestone ha been left elsewhere, probably back in Aurolan. Its lack meant that she'd survive. no matter what he did to her physical sh.e.l.l. It would have been a disaster everyone believed he'd killed her, only to have her rise up again a month, year o: decade later after her body reconst.i.tuted itself.

The last reason, the bad one, was that he'd felt the need to expose her as truly being Chytrine to those who thought she was just another sour old witch. Moreover, using the spell that she batted aside so easily seemed clever. He wanted to ambush her to show how smart he was. It worked, but she struck back and struck back hard.

Up in the front of the room, Alexia clapped her hands together. "That's it. Those are your a.s.signments. I know you will want to communicate what you've been told to your superiors, but I ask you to refrain.

Tomorrow I am presenting our full plan to the Council. I know there will be objections, but I would prefer it if they were spontaneous instead of studied. This plan has been created by all of us. We know it will work, and we know it has to work. Political considerations are going to have to be secondary to our needs if we are to defeat the Nor'witch.'

Captain Venes gave her a nod. "Given as how the crowns harbored Chytrin among them, revealing too much is likely to make my life shorter. I'm sayin nothing."

"Good, thank you." She smiled. "In two days we have the New Year celebration. We will move out after that. Tell your people they'll be here to celebrate, then they'll get the chance to make the new year one of true joy. You're dismissed. Enjoy yourselves, as it will be a long slog before we do that again."

Applause rose from within the military folk and Kerrigan joined in. Alexia blushed, then laughed as Qwc fluttered in tight circles around her, clapping all four of his hands. Various and sundry leaders filed past her, shaking her hand, tossing her a salute, or nodding respectfully. She returned their gestures, calling to them all by name, wis.h.i.+ng them luck and telling them she looked forward to their service.

Soon enough the room emptied save for the princess' longtime companions and a couple of new ones.

Resolute closed the door behind the last of the soldiers as the rest of them gathered around the table upon which a large map had been laid. When Resolute joined them, she began speaking in muted tones.

"This is the most difficult part of the whole operation. We have four different missions, and we cannot all be together-as much as that would be my prefer- ence. Some of you I know well, some not nearly so well, but I value you all for your courage and intelligence. Unfortunately, we must split this august company so we can best accomplish our goals."

Resolute reached out and tapped Vorquellyn's image. "I'll take Oracle with jne. We'll travel fast, get in, get Will, then go north to Aurolan. We'll kill Chytrine and rescue Sayce."

Alexia's head came up. "You're not going alone."

"I said I'm taking Oracle. We'll get Will."

"Don't misunderstand me on purpose, Resolute. I know you want to travel fast, but you'll be going with a blind woman and riding into the most dangerous territory possible. I don't doubt your abilities, but I'm also going to be realistic here. I want Bok, Rym, and Kerrigan to go with you."

The Vorquelf folded his arms over his chest. "An urZrethi, a puppet, and Kerrigan? Why not just hitch me to a plow and have me carve you a furrow all the way there? Bok is not here because he's still recovering from injuries. Rym, with all due respect, is a doll. Kerrigan is likewise not healthy."

Alexia looked at Kerrigan. "You have anything to say?"

Kerrigan frowned, then swallowed hard against the lump choking him. "Yeah." The word came out hoa.r.s.ely, so he swallowed again, biting back tears, then looked up at Resolute. "You're going to go get Will. I need to be there. I need to see he's okay. And... and you can't tell me that what I can do won't help. Maybe my being born on Vorquellyn is important to all of this."

Resolute's face closed so tightly it all but clicked shut. He turned his head flu-idly toward Alexia. "I do not like it."

"But you will acquiesce?"

"Only because I must."

Crow smiled at his friend. "Oracle told you that you would have help, didn't she?"

The Vorquelf's nostril's flared." 'Help' is a term open to interpretation."

"Accept the help, Resolute." Alexia sighed, then looked at Erlestoke. "Yours is the most delicate mission. I would like Nay and Borell to join you. You'll also have Preyknosery and a wing of Gyrkyme scouts."

The prince nodded. "That will work well. If you expect me to hook up with Bokas, having the Gyrkyme there will help enormously."

Dranae, who was standing next to Arimtara, extended a hand. "Highness, I was wondering if I, too, could be attached to the Oriosan mission. We have been supposing that when Chytrine learns of it, she will attack. Her most efficient strike will be to send a dragon to immolate the prince's troops. I believe I can provide a bit of a surprise for her pet."

Erlestoke smiled. "That's fine with me. I like how you handle a draconette as well, so I would be happy to have you with me."

Nay and his son, who stood between Resolute and Dranae, both nodded. "Was planning to go home anyway. Be thankful for the escort."

Alexia smiled. "You'll be more than a traveler, Nay. Borell has killed asullan-ciri. He's a hero and someone to make Oriosa yet more proud."

Borell just blushed and said nothing.

The prince nodded at him. "I'm happy you're coming along."

Crow hooked his thumbs behind his belt buckle. "Perrinewill go with you, Alexia. You should also keep Arimtara with you, if she wishes to join the fight. You know you will face dragons, so having one on your side will be very useful."

"But that leaves no one to accompany you."

"There's always Qwc."

The Spritha swooped low, then landed on Crow's right shoulder and hugged his head. "Thank you, but no. Qwc cannot." Alexia frowned. "What do you mean?"

Qwc hopped off Crow's shoulder, then walked across the map to Resolute. "Help. Qwc helps Resolute."

The grave tone of the Spritha's voice surprised Kerrigan, for usually Qwc's voice was light and full of fun. The Spritha were known to have the odd ability to know when and where they were required to be at times of importance. If Spritha precognition was the reason Qwc had to be with Resolute, there would be no dissuading him, so no one tried.

Crow shrugged. "I have the Vilwanese to join me. I met Adept Jarmy on Vilwan, and he was at Svoin.

For the Vilwanese to have recalled him from Svarskya and put him in charge of this company of war-mages is a great honor. I'll be fine, though I will miss you all."

Peri smiled. "You'll see us at Fronosa in no time."

"I will indeed."

Alexia looked at the female dragon. "Arimtara, will you join us?" The dragon glanced at Peri, then Alexia, and nodded. "The three of us, sisters of havoc. This pleases me."

Kerrigan s.h.i.+vered as cold cut at his spine. He looked around the table and knew he'd not see some of them again. He didn't fear for his own survival-and that did not come out of any overconfidence on his part. He a.s.sumed no matter what happened, Resolute would survive it all and would drag him clear of disaster. Crow, Alexia, Peri, Erlestoke; as much as he wanted to believe they would all emerge from the war alive, he could not shake the feeling that they would not.Will, Orla, and Lombo have died. They were as special as any of us.

He almost laughed as it hit him. Vilwan had created him as a weapon. They'd bred him. They'd taken care with the incidence of his birth. They had trained him, never imagining that he would be more than that weapon. He'd had no friends, no connections with the world, and they thought that would make him just that much easier to control.

What they had not counted upon was that hewasmore than a weapon. What they wanted from him was to selflessly devote himself to Chytrine's destruction.

He never would have, or, rather, he never would have succeeded, for he had no stake in her defeat.

Now, however, the deaths of one or more of his friends could be prevented by his actions. The deaths of thousands could be prevented. Out of Vilwan's control he had become bound to the world. Orla had been right: he needed to stayaw ay from Vilwan. He needed to remain with people who liked and respected him for who he was. It was because of them and his connection to them that he would fight harder.

He would stop Chytrine not because those who created him demanded it, but because those people he loved needed him to stop her.

Alexia pressed her palms to the map and looked around at them all. "Tomorrow the crowns will object to this plan. We will hold firm, then we will go out and preserve their realms for them. I fully expect, if we succeed, that politics will undo the best of what we have done. That won't matter, however. We will have ended Chytrine's campaign to rule the world. May the G.o.ds bless us one and all. Or, barring that, take no notice of us and just let us do what we must."

foreign unit will enter Oriosa. The troops we are sending in will be under your A table had been added to the central circle of tables in the Council for the ex- tl peditionary force. Erlestoke sat there, with an empty chair to his left.

I 1 Beyond it, at the third place, sat General Pandiculia, looking very military in the uniform of the Salnian Heavy Horse Guards. The crimson surcoat added a bit of color to her tanned face and contrasted well with the black of her hair.

The empty seat had been Alexia's place, but she was on her feet in the middle of the room, a large map tacked to a display board. She carefully explained the composition of her forces, reciting in exact detail the names and histories of officers, as well as the number and nature of the personnel in each unit. She then undertook to discuss all the aspects of the supply needs for the army. An hour into her recital, she had already caused a number of ministers to fall asleep, and not a few of the crowns dipped as their wearers began to slip away.

Her s.h.i.+ft to a description of the campaign itself did little to rouse them, for she omitted any hyperbolic or stirring descriptions of what she expected to happen. Even though the crowns had been lulled and even stupefied by her presentation so far, as she closed on his role in the adventure, Erlestoke braced for reactions.

"It is, of course, vital for us to secure our eastern flank. If we cannot do that we stand to lose Narriz and sever our line of supply. If that happens, our force will wither and die." Alexia pointed to the Oriosan border with her right hand. "Under the leaders.h.i.+p of Prince Erlestoke, a modest force will enter Oriosa and move northward."

"What?" King Scrainwood leaned forward at his table, squinting at the map. "Troops will enter my nation? Impossible. We all agreed that there would be no troops moving into Oriosa."

Alexia straightened up. "Highness, a reading of that resolution indicates no son's command. Everyone here knows he has no desire to depose you, merely to render his service to the world at large."

Scrainwood shot Erlestoke a venomous glance. "Everyone here knows he has repudiated Oriosa. Heis foreign."

Augustus raised an eyebrow. "But you had him at your side in our previous discussions, Scrainwood."

"Did you put him up to this, false friend?" Scrainwood shot to his feet. "This is exactly what we feared.

The frostclaw's muzzle is in the tent, and the rest will be there soon enough. The resolution we pa.s.sed was to guarantee the sovereignty of the weaker nations, and already they have found a way to undo it.

That cannot be tolerated!"

Erlestoke rose calmly. "Father, this is not what you think."

"No? Did I hear incorrectly? Is my son going to lead an army of foreign troops onto my soil? Are you going to march them through Oriosa and engage Aurolani troops? Those troops will only come in to oppose you when they fear your flanking maneuver. The idea that you are to prevent the same by Chytrine is a blind."

"You may have the utmost confidence that she will not invade Oriosa, Father, but as the princess has pointed out, we cannot operate under that supposition. If I do not march through my home, we will be inviting Chytrine to do it, to strike here at Narriz. And, lest you forget, Meredo is on the road they will travel to get here."

"Yourhome?" Scrainwood pounded a fist against the table. "You've not been there in five years, and have barely spent half your life there. You do not know the people, the proud people, who have no desire to be invaded. I will not let this happen.Wewill not let this happen. It has already been decided."

The leaders of smaller nations nodded and their newly roused ministers aped the head-bobbing and took on grave expressions. Their fears were obvious, for if a nation's borders were not to be respected, the prelude to the building of empires was sounding. They had to wonder if Alexia could be as greedy as Adrogans. They wondered if their nation would be the place where the burgeoning empires would collide.

Princess Alexia moved to the center of the tables and stared intently at his father. "Highness, with all due respect..."