DragonCrown Saga - The Grand Crusade Part 45

The problem of Nefrai-kesh's fortress was a new one. A host of factors complicated it, and the dragonels were the most obvious. They allowed him to project ma.s.s death at hundreds of feet. The grapeshot would blow through more than one soldier, scything down whole ranks. They could even splinter mantlets, so her troops could have no protection. About the only thing that could save them would be to move quickly, but in armor that was impossible.

And that's before he usesfiredirt to destroy his dam and let the lake flood back through the riverbed, drowning all those he's not already shot to pieces.

Draconettes then became another factor, for a volley from them would cut down the leading ranks of attackers. Even before her people came into range, she would have lost ten percent of them or more.

After that, the makeup of Nefrai-kesh's troops complicated things. Gibberers and vylaens were one thing, but what if his ranks were stiffened byturekadineandkryalnirilWhat if there were other Aurolani creations that had been saved for this battle? And how many troops did he have in those hills? How deep did the warrens run and where were there other outlets? Though her scouts had found no signs of armies waiting elsewhere in hiding, she could not be certain they didn't exist.

For her to have even a ghost of a chance of winning, she estimated that she needed at least three times the number of troops on the Aurolani side. If Nefrai-kesh produced a dragon... Well, she had Arimtara on her side, but she was mindful of Dranae's death. One dragon might not be enough.

She heard a noise behind her and spun. Maroth stood there in a shadow. Alyx s.h.i.+fted her hand away from her breastbone and began to breathe again. "Yes, Maroth, I am aware you are here, too, and I have no doubt you have talents I would find useful." She resisted the urge to tell him to "go forth and conquer," because she wasn't certain what he would do. Moreover, if the thing in his chestwasthe lost piece of the DragonCrown, sending him against the Aurolani would be handing victory to Chytrine.

But, if there is no other choice... Alyx shook her head. "There is always an- other choice." As she had discussed with her commanders, it could be that they would have to break the army apart, retreat, and force Nefrai-kesh to leave his stronghold. The summer would wear on his troops, and if he were forced into attacking a fortified position, he would be hurt. But it was a weak strategy and she knew it, for without a decisive victory, the war could drag on for years.

Her thoughts turned fleetingly to Resolute, Kerrigan, and the others. The last message she'd had from them told of the fall of Loquellyn and their determination to push on to Vorquellyn. They certainly had to have been through there. And, if they had Will with them, they were pressing north. Her victory or defeat could be rendered moot by the success or failure of their mission. Alexia didn't like the idea of facing Resolute as the new king of thesullanciri, but she would if she had to.

And if Nefrai-kesh wins and they fail, the world we know is gone forever. Taking one last look around, she exited the room and was not surprised to see that Maroth had long since vanished. As she came up the last flight of stairs, she met Crow waiting for her. She gave him a smile, then slipped into his arms and hugged him tightly.

He grunted. "What's that for?"

Alyx smiled and kissed him. "You've never once asked if I think I can do this. You've never once questioned my judgment in how we are approaching this a.s.sault."

Crow pulled his head back. "Why would I?"

She slackened her embrace and stepped back. "Crow, I am very young, especially when my age is measured against those who are under my command. Yes, I was trained to be the best military mind I could, but all the wisdom in the world doesn't mean every puzzle has a solution. At least not an elegant one. And this puzzle appears to be one we will solve with a lot of blood. Is my lack of experience consigning my soldiers to pain and death?"

He frowned. "I think you're forgetting two things. The first is that while you're right not to underestimate Nefrai-kesh, you can't also make him invincible. It's true that he gave away Okrannel but, even so, he made tactical errors. Adrogans has said-and you and I have discussed the fact-that Nefrai-kesh could have inflicted a lot more damage than he did at Svarskya. While he has had no compunction about slaying people like Queen Lanivette, he didn't kill Sayce when he could have."

"What are you saying?"

"I've been thinking about thesullanciri. The original ones were all corrupted individuals who went to Chytrine willingly. This current crop were different. They were dead or dying and certainly desperate.

They may have been unable to resist her-at the time, anyway."

Her violet eyes narrowed. "You think he might truly want to see his mistress defeated?"

"Is there a slave who doesn't hate his master?"

"Your point is well-taken, but I can't act on it."

Crow reached out and caressed her cheek. "I know that. I'm just trying to say that Nefrai-kesh may have his own problems. This style of warfare is as new to him as it is to you, but you've had a chance to study how to fight against it. He's only had to try to make it work better. The closest we've seen to this fight is the battle for Fortress Draconis."

She nodded. "Yes, but Chytrine's forces had dragonels there, and we don't. I see your point, however.

You're telling me he could make mistakes."

"Exactly." He smiled. "The second thing you are forgetting is this: our troops are fighting for their nations, their families, and their future. For them, losing is not an option. They know how far we've pushed the Aurolani. We've pushed them from Saporicia and Muroso. We've pushed them from Bokagul, Sarengul, and Oriosa. We've pushed them from Okrannel. This is one more push-a mighty one, but they will give way. That's the knowledge in the heart of every man and woman out there."

Alexia nodded solemnly, then pulled Crow back into her embrace and kissed him again. Then she broke the kiss and hugged him ferociously. As his arms encircled her and tightened, she whispered in his ear, "I fight for our future, too, Crow. For the peace neither of us has known."

He nodded and kissed her ear. "We both fight for that, beloved. It's one more edge we have over Nefrai-kesh. We have something to fight for, and a future to look forward to. He has nothing. We know whywe continue to fight, but neither he nor his troops have that."

Alexia pulled back and took his hands in hers. "Well, then, Crow, let us ride north, leading the army of the future. Half a week hence, we will face the Aurolani host and drive them back into the frozen wastes where they can languish forever."

Isaura discovered that, for the others, reaching the glacier brought discomfort, but not the same sort of discomfort as it did for her. For them, living on the ice and snow was hard because of the cold. The way the night's winds blew fiercely sapped them of strength. Hlucri built ice shelters as he had on the trip down, but the lack of firewood meant cold camps, which left everyone irritable and cross.

Isaura could further tell Trawyn neither liked nor trusted her. The Loquelf's home had been overrun by her mother's troops, and her resentment at that slopped over onto Isaura. She could not blame the princess, but the fact that Isaura was accompanying them north again to attack her mother provided her no protection from Trawyn's ire. Save for invoking Hlucri's wrath, Isaura thought Trawyn would have been content to leave her behind.

Sayce, who had been her friend, had her own burdens. While she had dealt with Will's transformation well, the bravery with which she had handled his death had eroded. Isaura, though never having known love or lovers, still could imagine how it felt to have Force around as a constant reminder of Will, yet to get no satisfaction or even recognition from him. The image of Will that Sayce carried in her heart had to be slowly merging with Force, forever stealing away her lover.

So while the cold did not bother Isaura, their march north made her feel more and more uneasy. On one level she loved Chytrine. Save for the role she'd been given, there would have been no place for Isaura in Aurolani society. She did not have the avaricious edge of the recruits Neskartu had instructed in his Conservatory. Barring Chytrine's acceptance, she'd likely have been left to die on some hillside or fed to frostclaws.

Were she still a child, that simple grat.i.tude would have been enough to make her revolt against what they were going to do. It would have led to thinking that there was a way to make Chytrine see sense. Just as the Norrington was going to redeem Vorquellyn, so her mother could be redeemed.

But the last chance of that died when Ferxigo had ordered her death. It would have not been difficult for Isaura to believe that order had been given in error, but Hlucri had reacted to the reality of it. He'd immediately slain his fellowsul-lanciri, confirming for Isaura that the order had been genuine. And, as Resolute suggested, that it came from her mother.

It saddened her that Chytrine had been twisted and warped enough by the Oromise to be willing to spurn Isaura's love. Chytrine saw her as nothing but a means to an end. The searching spell she'd been given had not been entrusted to her for any reason other than to search out the Norrington and lead Ferxigo south. Her mother had used her, and once she had accomplished her task was willing to discard her.

Isaura wondered for how long she had known, in her heart of hearts, that her mother saw her as an object. Consciously Isaura had not known it until now, but it now occurred to her that the whims of magick might not have led her to the Norrington in Meredo. Instead, she might have been drawn to him by other forces, which were aided and abetted by what she knew of her mother.Did I find him because I knew that if she were not destroyed, she would kill me?

That question, viewed from a myriad of positions, occupied her mind for much of the journey up the glacier and across it. She replayed every scene of her life, reading new meaning into her interactions with her mother. She caught nuances she'd not seen before, and suddenly realized that not only had her mother seen her as a tool but had shaped her to be one. Isaura was clearly meant to be drawn to the Norrington. It explained the affection shown her by Nefrai-kesh and even the attention of his son.

Her thoughts sank her deeper and deeper into a grim mood that matched those of most of her companions. Only Qwc did not get angry; he just slept a lot on Force's shoulder or nestled against Sayce's bosom. And Force gave no sign of his emotions, just trudging on tirelessly. The rest grumbled, growled, and glared.

The advent of a swirling ice column two days before they reached the capital valley broke her mood.

She smiled as the ice cone collapsed, then re-formed itself as Drolda. "Yes, I am happy to see you, too."

Hlucri showed no alarm at Drolda's appearance, but Resolute drew his sword and approached. "What is this?"

Drolda turned to Resolute and bowed, s.h.i.+fting his shape a bit. As Isaura said, "This is my friend, Drolda," recognition blossomed on the Vorquelf's face.

"Drolda, of course." Resolute's silver eyes became crescent slits. "Drugi Oldach. He was the one member of Lord Norrington's expedition who went missing. He was never found, never made into a sullanciri, but what is he now?"

Drolda immediately signed to Isaura and she translated, rather amazed at what he was saying. "Drolda says you are right, that Drolda was all I could understand of his name when I was a child. He did wander off and escaped thegri-chothkachasing him. He died in the snow and left his body behind, taking his form and substance from the ice and snow. In the early days he'd been unable to take this shape, but he still helped. He created the storm that hid Hawkins from pursuit and guided the fevered young man to the place where you found him." Resolute slowly nodded. "Then you remained in Aurolan, because you still had a duty to your comrade, Hawkins." Drolda nodded solemnly.

Isaura looked at the Vorquelf. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you know who your parents were?"

She shook. "No. My mother said I was a foundling. She said there was no knowledge of my father."

"And you have no guess at the ident.i.ty of she who gave you birth?" Resolute's voice became tight. "You know she gave birth on Vorquellyn. That is the only way you could have been bound to the island."

"I guess I knew that, yes. But as for my mother's ident.i.ty..." Isaura stopped, raising a hand to her mouth. "The one who wanted nothing to do with me. Myrall'mara."

"She was probably afraid that since Chytrine had claimed you, you would be destroyed were she to befriend you." Resolute looked at Drolda. "You weren't on Vorquellyn, but you must have seen Seethe with child." Again the ice creature nodded.

"And you befriended me because my father had been your friend?" Linking his thumbs, Drolda shaped his hands into a bird and flapped fingers as wings. His face melted into an expression of extreme sympathy.

Isaura looked down and suddenly found herself sitting hard in the snow. "I am the daughter of Tarrant Hawkins?"

Resolute squatted next to her. "You find that more distasteful than to be sprung from the loins of a sullancirp."

"You don't understand. My mother would speak of Hawkins only in horrible terms. He would be the one to come steal me away if I were to disobey. He was the slaughterer of innocents. He had betrayed all of thesullanciri. He had been a coward and he had been rude enough to refuse my mother's offer to set him above even Nefrai-kesh. She offered him the chance to become her consort and he spurned her.

Why? Because he was so arrogant and evil that he went south to collect an army to take from her what she had willingly offered him in the name of peace between their realms."

She glanced at Drolda. "Now I know why you don't like my mother." The ice man nodded.

The Vorquelf rested his arms across his knees. "If you have any question whether or not your mother's stories are lies, just think how a friend of his clung to existence here, as a creature of wind, snow, and ice, to protect you, his daughter.

Drugi Oldach did not know Hawkins that long, but he came to know him well enough to accept and acquit that duty to him."

Isaura slowly nodded. "So she knew that I would join with the Norrington. She just had to watch me to see if it were true. She sent me to Meredo to prove it to herself. Once she knew that, she knew she would be warned when he approached and-if she was speaking truly about the nature of potential, and the power being gathered as the prophecy neared a point of fulfillment-then she wanted me close to make sure that would happen."

Sayce knelt by her right side and hugged her. "That's a lot to learn about how your family saw you. Are you okay?"

Isaura swallowed hard against the lump rising in her throat. "Yes, thank you. I think I will be fine." She glanced at Resolute. "After all, I've known all along I was not Chytrine's daughter. Now I see I was her tool, but I've also discovered something more. I am a Hawkins. A Hawkins wouldn't let this stop her, would she?"

Resolute actually smiled, then stood and helped her to her feet. "No Hawkins I know."

"Good, then I won't break the pattern." She pulled her cloak more tightly around her and started to march north. Drolda sped ahead of them, returning to warn them of dangers and to find good places to rest. Once they pa.s.sed a perfect place for an ambush, but the dozen gibberers who had been waiting were frozen solid.

Finally, at dawn-at the end of the first week of the month of Green-they crested the mountains surrounding the capital valley. There, still sheathed in shadow, lay the black eminence of her mother's fortress. Everyone paused in the rocks of the pa.s.s, staring at the journey's end.

Isaura remembered the last time she'd looked upon that black castle. She'd been riding Procimre, returning from the siege of Nawal.I'd been very happy tobe home.

She thought for a moment and realized she was happy once more, but it was a different kind of happiness. Gone was the childlike delight at returning to a sanctuary. This was a happiness drawn from the knowledge that great things were about to happen, that evil would be stopped, and that the poison her mother bled into the world would cease.

"We're here. This was once my home; now it is the lair of my enemy." Isaura rose from a crouch and looked at Force. "I do believe, Force Norrington, that you and I have a prophecy to fulfill."

Erlestoke's day began well before dawn as he reviewed the latest information and orders being sent by Alexia, then relayed the same to his commanders. His troops had been given the honor of holding the right wing of the army. Alexia's force held the center and left, with Pandiculia's army acting as a reserve force that still watched for intervention from the rear. Seventeen thousand troops spread out over the hills facing the Aurolani position, ready to cross through the riverbed and march up the hills into dragonel and draconette shots, Aurolani magick, and, finally, into combat with the enemy.

The army set up camp a half mile from the Aurolani fortress, with forward positions overlooking the valley to give warning of any sudden attacks. The Army of the South occupied the whole of a valley, with his people taking the easternmost reaches. That meant they got the freshest water from the stream running through the valley. His men also liked the willingness of the urZrethi to dig trenching, and happily traded food for the digging. Under normal circ.u.mstances Erlestoke would have forbidden that sort of laziness, but the experience allowed the two groups to bond, and his own men did not complain when he had them take guard watches while the urZrethi slept.

Erlestoke reorganized his staff, making Colonels Sallitt Hawkins and his wife, Jancis, his direct subcommanders. Jullagh-tse Seegg, an urZrethi who had been with Erlestoke at Fortress Draconis, had survived both the escape run from the Fortress and the battling in Sarengul. She became his liaison with the urZrethi forces in his command. Counts Storton and Wightman, as well as Baron Malviston, commanded their own troops, while Wheatly, the leader of the Oriosan Freemen, took charge of the irregulars. No one expected much out of them; but Wheatly seemed able to inspire them to work hard, so much of the support work that needed doing fell to them.

Linchmere had abandoned his ident.i.ty as Lindenmere, but still spent most of his time with the Freemen working on getting the irregulars to function. Erlestoke had learned that his brother had been a good organizer within the Freemen, and his skill supplemented Wheatly's leaders.h.i.+p to get supplies delivered and things prepared for the final a.s.sault. Kenleigh Norrington, Will's half brother, remained anonymous, but his natural abilities had the name North on everyone's lips. Linchmere had confided Kenleigh's ident.i.ty to his brother, but Erlestoke had agreed not to call any attention to him.

With his staff gathered in a large tent, Erlestoke went over the map. "Our responsibility is the eastern end of the battlefield. We have this odd jog of the trenching. It leaves about a hundred-yard gap between it and the dam that's holding that lake. The top of the dam does not have enough s.p.a.ce for dragonels, but putting a battalion of draconetteers up there would hurt anyone moving between the dam and the trench.

Taking the dam won't help, since we a.s.sume they have tunnels that will let them explode the dam, much as we were able to explode the exterior batteries at Fortress Draconis."

Jullagh-tse tapped the map right at the point he was talking about. "I have a.s.sembled a legion of fast diggers. If we can get close, we can get down there and perhaps cut those tunnels."

"Noted. Thank you."

Sambell Malviston crossed his arms over his skinny chest. "Clearly you are aware of this, but I must make certain. If we enter that dry riverbed, they can open the dam at any time and just sweep us all out to sea."

The prince nodded. "Very true. Alexia a.s.sumes that would be a tactic of last resort since the waters would run fast and high enough to flood the trenches. If Nefrai-kesh has very few people and we press hard, that's when we can expect to get wet. If the battle is even, there is no reason for him to flood the place."

Sallitt Hawkins traced a metal finger along the northern bank of the river. "The bank rises about five feet here. We will have trouble scrambling over it."

Linchmere smiled. "I have three hundred ramps to put in place, and Jullagh-tse has two other legions of diggers who will collapse the bank. Even cavalry should be able to make that ride."

Themeckanshuofficer looked at the urZrethi. "Do you have people prepared to tunnel into the hills through the bank?"

"I do, and will a.s.sign teams to do that, but asking them to go at least a hundred yards, perhaps more, before they might reach the warrens on the other side is tough. The tunnels would not be big enough to allow a lot of troops to head in fast. I would expect, if we were successful, Nefrai-kesh would just destroy the dam and flood everything."

Sallitt nodded, then looked at the other commanders. "You're going to have to make sure your officers do not let their men huddle beneath the bank here. If they do, they leave the men behind them exposed to the dragonels. The only way we succeed is to move fast and move up."

Count Storton, who was by far the shortest of the warriors, wore only leather armor. "I agree. I have two battalions of my infantry stripped down to leather armor, spears, and longknives. I expect us to move fast and hit the junction between the east hill and the trenching. If we can get into their trench, I think we can get into the warrens."

"You've told me your plan, my lord, and I have relayed it to Princess Alexia." Erlestoke sighed. "I've given it my highest recommendation and I believe she will approve it. When the timing is right, I want you to go in behind a screening force and see if you can succeed."

"We shall, my prince. We shall."

Erlestoke raised a hand to his mask and settled it. "I know-and Princess Alexia knows-that we are facing a fierce enemy and we are at a disadvantage. We are going to ask you and your people for everything you have, and even that might not be enough. We just have to keep going until we win the day.

"Now, get to your people and let them know that by the time the sun sets, we will know victory, and their days of fear will be at an end."

He shook hands with each of his commanders, then embraced Jullagh-tse and his brother. "I will see you after the battle and we will rejoice."

"As always, Prince Erlestoke." The urZrethi bowed, then slipped from the tent.

Linchmere beamed. "Wearegoing to win, you know. You wait and see."

"I know." He gave his brother a light cuff, then followed him from the tent. Erlestoke accepted his quadnel, a pouch of shot, and a horn of firedirt from ameckanshuand nodded a salute. "Thank you, Verum."

"A pleasure to serve you again, sir. Took the liberty of giving my old quad to that Gyrkyme who liked yours so much."

"Good thinking." Shouldering the draconette, he walked to his horse, then slid the weapon in the saddle scabbard. He mounted up, then nudged his horse into a canter up the far side of the valley. Trailing discreetly came his bodyguard. Borell Carver rode with them, smiling broadly, and weathering the jests of the other soldiers.

Erlestoke dismounted at the crest of the hill and again studied Nefrai-kesh's fortress. As much as the models and maps had prepared him, the sight of it curdled his stomach. The mounds of earth marking the trenches had been fixed with wooden spikes, providing one more obstacle for Storton's sprinters.

Activity was apparent in the dragonel batteries, and he estimated as many as fifteen per station. That put ninety of the weapons facing the line, with a half-dozen more from each trench cap.

The forest west of the fortress had surrendered a hundred yards of trees for its building, but looked dark and brooding beyond. That hundred yards appeared to be a tempting gap, but s.h.i.+fting out past the trench and back in would give the other side plenty of time to move the dragonels around Moreover, any army driven into the woods would simply disintegrate, as the trees and land forced them to separate.And the G.o.ds alone know what he has hidden in there.

A s.h.i.+ver ran through Erlestoke. If Nefrai-kesh had hidden more dragonels in there, any force making that loop would be blown to pieces. The woods would make a counterattack all but impossible. Every one of the tree stumps would have a dead or dying man huddled behind it.

Behind him the army came up. From his position high on the hill he had the chance to thrill at their advance. Cavalrymen in s.h.i.+ning silver armor rode forth, carrying lances with bright pennants. Warriors marched in orderly ranks, with drums beating out cadence and trumpets blaring orders and unit identifiers. Small knots of war-mages strode forward, staves in hand, and his own Bloodadders rode up with enthusiasm.

At the head of the Army of the South came Princess Alexia. The dawning sun made her golden mail gleam. She rode without a helmet, so her long braid was easy to see. Tall in the saddle, with her shoulders squarely set, there was no questioning that she was about grim business.

And every one of us will follow her into the fire and flood to come.

As the army crested the hill and flowed halfway down, activity began to the north. Drums boomed, and on the southern hill three figures appeared. One was obviously Nefrai-kesh. The other two were female, one crouching catlike for a moment before bounding off to the west hill. The other made her way to the east hill in a slow gait, then pa.s.sed over the edge, descending behind the line of the trench. Troops filed from within the hills to fill the trenches on both sides, and some sprinted to the top of the dam. All of them looked to be draconetteers and spearmen, so taking the trenches would be very costly.