Part 15 (2/2)
O s.h.i.+ng ignored Tran again.
The a.s.sault cost so many lives, uselessly, that Chin's standing with the Tervola plummeted. They wouldn't listen to him for years.
Tervola also questioned O s.h.i.+ng's acceeding to Chin's folly when the barbarian, Tran, had foreseen the outcome....
After that secondary defeat O s.h.i.+ng put his trust in Tran again. The hunter guided the survivors across the wilderness, through terrible hards.h.i.+ps. Two thousand men reached s.h.i.+nsan. Of twenty-five thousand.
The western adventure, so optimistically begun, traumatized O s.h.i.+ng. The bitter trek across the steppes renewed his acquaintance with fear. Three times he had endured the fleeing terror: with the Han Chin, ducking Mist, and now escaping the west.
He wanted no more of it.
The terrors would shape all his policies as master of s.h.i.+nsan.
That much he had gained. Mist had been beaten. She resided with the enemy now, lending her knowledge to theirs.
He became a dedicated isolationist. Unfortunately, the Tervola didn't see it his way.
ELEVEN: Marshall and Queen
Ragnarson's party reached Karak Strabger at midnight. Bragi grumbled about the castle's disrepair. It hadn't seen maintenance since the civil war. Something needed doing. Baxendala was crucial to Kavelin's defense.
Fortifications were like women past thirty. They required constant attention or quickly fell apart.
He gave his mount to one of the tiny garrison, glanced at Varthlokkur.
”Not time yet. She's resting. We have a day.”
”I'll go see her. For a minute. Ragnar, stay with Mr. Eldred. The duty corporal will find you someplace to sleep.”
”I need it,” Ragnar replied. A shadow crossed his brow.
”I'll be down in a minute.” He hugged his son. They had lost a lot, and had had too much time to remember while riding.
Ragnarson wasn't a demonstrative man. His hug startled Ragnar, but clearly pleased him. ”Go on. And behave. Everybody in the army has permission to wax your a.s.s if you act up.”
It was a long climb. Gjerdrum and Dr. Wachtel had wanted Fiana inacessible.
She was alone except for a maid asleep in a chair. Only a candle beside her bed illuminated the room.He stood over Fiana awhile, staring at beauty wasted by pain. She slept peacefully now, though. He wouldn't disturb her after what Varthlokkur suggested she had been through.
Gone was the elfin quality that had stunned him when first they met. But she had been barely twenty then, and tormented only by the cares of office.
The maid wakened. ”Oh. Sir!”
”Shh!”
She joined him.
”How is she?”
”Better tonight. Last night. ...We thought.... It's good you're here. It'll help. That you couldn't be.... .That made it hard. Can you stay?”
”Yes. There's no reason not to anymore.”
The maid's blue eyes widened.
”Do I sound bitter?” His attention returned to the pain lines on Fiana's face.
”Poor thing.”
”Wake her. I'll go.”
”I shouldn't. She needs the rest.”
”She needs you more. Goodnight, sir.”
He settled on the edge of the bed, stared, thought. A good man, that innkeeper had said. And he had brought Fiana to this.
He liked to believe he was one of the good guys. Wanted-even needed-to think so.
By the standards of his age, he was. So why was it that every woman who entered his life got nothing but pain for her trouble? How happy had he made Fiana? Or Elana? He never should have married. Pleasure he should have taken in chance encounters and houses of joy. Elana would have been better off with Preshka. The Iwa Skolovdan would have done right by her....
He was holding Fiana's hand. Too tightly. Her eyelids fluttered. He stared into pale blue eyes pleasantly surprised.
”You came,” she murmured.
He thought of Elana. A tear escaped.
”What's wrong?”
”Nothing. Nothing to worry your pretty head about. Go back to sleep.”
”What? Why? Oh! You look terrible.”
”I didn't clean up.”
”I don't care. You're here.”
He smoothed her hair on her cerulean pillow. The blue framed her blondness prettily. The maid had taken good care of her hair. Good girl. She knew how to buoy sinking spirits.
”You're exhausted. What've you been doing?””Not much. Haven't slept for a couple days.”
”Trouble? Is that why you came?”
”No. Don't worry about it. Come on. Go back to sleep. We'll talk in the morning.”
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