Part 9 (1/2)

”You what?” Tarwach stood. ”You left one of my soldiers in Gryylthan territory without aid or succor? What is the meaning of this, Calrach?” The captain clenched his jaw. His shame was etched deeply in his face. ”I will have an answer, sir.”

”My king,” said Tireas, ”I must myself take full personal responsibility for the decision. Calrach acted on my orders. Much as it grieved us to leave Flebas, alas, we had little choice. We were deep in Gryylthan lands, and Vorya and his men knew of our presence. The Dragon, Silbakor, was also near.”

”What of Dythragor?”

”Nay, he was not present. But given our situation, I decided that haste was of the utmost importance. Taking Flebas with us would have caused the loss of more men, perhaps the whole phalanx.” There might have been tears in his eyes.

Tarwach did not speak for sonie time. The light from the setting sun turned his hair into a golden halo, but it did not warm his eyes at all. ”I, too, am grieved,” he said at last. ”Manda?”

A young woman in battle leathers stepped out of the shadows. ”My king?”

”See to it that Flebas's family is provided for. Bring them to me this evening. I will speak with them.”

Manda bowed to him, turned to go.

”And please bring us some wine, Manda,” Darham added. ”I fear the news will grow grimmer as the tale unfolds.”

”Immediately, lord,” she said, and she was gone, her .

85.blond braid bouncing over her shoulder as she hurried off.

”Continue, Calrach,” said the king. His voice was flat, toneless.

”Flebas was a man of the Third Phalanx,” said Calrach softly. His mouth was set in the manner of a captain who has known defeat. ”Maybe he was not the best, but he was by no means the worst. He was loyal, and his comrades trusted him.”

”He will have suitable honors, captain. Whoever the G.o.ds are, they will hear his name this night. Pray, continue.”

Calrach went on with his report. The phalanx had headed south, swinging wide toward the mountains in an effort to evade Gryylthan patrols. A slightly better plan, Darham considered, would have been to turn east, but then he remembered that the Gryylthan towns of Dear-bought and Pounce lay in that direction, and the men there had been hardened by years of skirmishes. Calrach had made the right choice.

Even more right than was first apparent, it seemed, for Calrach began to describe another encounter, one that made Tarwach lift his head. Darham found himself dragged out of his thoughts.

”The other rider seemed to be Mernyl, the Gryylthan sorcerer,” Calrach was saying. ”Santhe was escorting him southward, and I judged they were making for Kingsbury.”

”It seemed fitting that we attack, and I gave such orders,” said Tireas. ”If we could capture Mernyl, I reasoned, we would have less trouble with Gryylthan magic.”

”We have very little trouble as it is,” said Darham. ”Mernyl is not held in great esteem by Vorya ... or rather by Dythragor, if I understand aright.”

The captain went on. ' 'We were almost successful, but the men were worn, and Dythragor Dragonmaster appeared and drove us off. He is ... skilled with a sword.”

Tarwach examined him coolly. Then: ' 'How many did you lose, captain?”

86.”Two at that encounter. I made the mistake of following the Dragonmaster when he left-on foot-and we closed in for another try. But we lost three then, and not just to Dythragor.”

”To whom, then? Is the Dragon fighting now?”

”No, my king. There was a woman with him when we found him in the foothills. She wore armor like his, and she also carried a Dragonsword. She slew Lyron, the new man of the phalanx.”

The news was growing grimmer indeed. Tarwach pa.s.sed a hand across his face. ”Two Dragonmasters? What an evil fortune!”

”And Santhe continued south with Mernyl,” added Tireas.

Darham shook his head. ”Doubtless, Vorya sent for Mernyl after our attack on the Dike. Dythragor will have him sent home again. But two Dragonmasters might bring us as much sorrow as one Dragonmaster and one sorcerer.”

Tireas actually smiled. ”A little less, I would hope, my lord.”

Tarwach shrugged. ”So you lost Santhe and Mernyl, and the Dragonmasters drove you off.”

”Yes, my king. The woman fights like Dythragor.”

”Were I a woman,” said Tarwach, ”I would be reluctant to strike a blow for Gryylth.'' Manda had returned with wine, and he took his cup from her. ”Did you hear, Manda?” he said. ”There appears to be a female Dragonmaster in Gryylth now.”

Her bright eyes flickered. ”I would she come to Corrin. She might find out which side she was on.”

”Could a woman accomplish much in Gryylth,” Darham asked, ”Dragonmaster or no?”

”Perhaps we are not so badly off, then,” said Tarwach. ”But to a.s.sume a respite would be foolish. The second Dragonmaster might be bringing confusion of her own to Gryylth, or maybe not. Either way, I believe we should move quickly.'' He considered, swirling his wine in its golden cup, looking out across the broad valley where the Long River pursued its leisurely course to the Eastern Sea. ”The Tree .

87.we have, the Circle is Gryylth's, but with Tree and Circle both . . .” He eyed Tireas, who bowed. ”Might we be able to neutralize the Dragonmasters, sorcerer?”

”It is quite possible, my king.” Tireas's attention was suddenly focused on the question, as though he were studying a complicated spell. ”It would certainly give us a total control of the magic of the land. And in spite of the Dragonswords, Dragonmasters are but human.”

”And,” put in Darham, ”such a clear advantage might allow us to forgo the use of the Tree. That would be a great good.”

Calrach s.h.i.+fted his weight from one foot to the other. ”I would like that, my lord. I have seen what the Tree can do.”

”Please,” said Tireas. ”Do not a.s.sume that the Tree can only destroy. The Tree is change. All change. We must all admit that there is good change as well as bad. Flebas took the full force of the Tree into his body, un-filtered, uncontrolled. But with care, the Tree can do much for Corrin.”

”I hope you are right, Tireas,” said the king, ”for with the presence of another Dragonmaster, I intend to hasten our move on the Circle.”

”More battle, lord?” said Tireas. He shook his head, looked at the ground.

”We will strike tomorrow morning, all together,” said Tarwach. ”We will take the Circle, and then we will offer terms for peace. Our terms. But until we are in a position of strength, we will not settle.” He nodded to those present. ”Darham, Manda, give the necessary orders.”

Darham nodded, and Manda bowed deeply. But the girl watched her king depart with a crooked mouth. ”And will I be able to fight for my land with the King's Guard?”

”It would not be wise, Manda,” Darham said gently. ”Other women have fought for us, and the Gryylthan men have singled them out for particular ferocity, disregarding wisdom and even their own safety. It would be a useless sacrifice.”

”Then I am no better off than a Gryylthan woman,”

88.she cried. ”I might as well be tending the cooking fires for all the battle I've seen since I donned my armor.”

Tireas was pale, his eyes downcast. ' 'I would find some other way than by battle.”

Manda's fists were clenched. ”I would settle for battle and be glad. Gryylth owes me a debt.”

”Must it be paid in blood, child?” said Tireas gently.

She whirled on him. ”Aye, master sorcerer. My blood flowed for three days when Dythragor and his friend were done, and Kasi bled for four. She found refuge in home and family. I found none save in arms. I will not forget.”