Part 14 (2/2)

”You really think they might try to break out?” Oto- rin asked, feeling slightly put out that Darius hadn't discussed the matter with him beforehand.

”Problem is, I don't know young Barthold, but it's what I'd do. That Hallmoot was a gauntlet thrown down. He must know that he'll get no help from that quarter. Combine that with the firing of his fodder sup- plies and there's not much choice. He may have supplies in the manor's undercroft, but most of the food for the horses would have been in the outbuildings. Without healthy horses he has no hope of fighting clear and get- ting away.”

”Weren't you taking a bit of a risk holding the court within sight of the walls? Billeted troops are seldom popular, and if there had been a ruckus, it would have given considerable heart to our opponents.”

”It was a small risk,” Darius said complacently, ac- 77.

cepting a gla.s.s of sack. ”Our men have acted honorably and there is a general craving for order and tradition in the countryside. Mind you, 1 don't think the Semicount will be all that happy with some of the results.”

”I don't see why not,” Otorin demurred. ”You up- held his suzerainty and preserved at least a portion of his revenues.”

”That's as may be. He'll be irked that I let his rights of pasturage and penning lapse. I doubt he'll be able to get them back now that precedent has been broken. An- other thing: I don't know if you were there when har- vest duties were discussed, but there was no mention of the lord's boonwork.”

”If he's halfway intelligent,” Otorin remarked, ”he'll commute it for money. There are no Farod levies to contend with so there's more than enough labor avail- able.”

”It's the principle of the thing,” Darius growled.

Otorin smiled.

”Don't you mock me, young man,” Darius said.

”Wait till you're older and have become attached to your land and the ways of its folk.”

”Let's change the subject,” Otorin said amiably. ”I got word this afternoon from a friend of mine at Oxe- ter. A messenger galloped out two days ago, heading southwest. I'd post a sharp watch for incoming bungle- birds if I were you.”

Darius looked up sharply. ”You think the Duke is preparing to move?”

Otorin swirled the amber liquid in his gla.s.s thought- fully. ”I'm not sure,” he said. ”It would be far more in keeping if he got his allies to attempt the relief. On the other hand, I doubt if they will be willing to move to the aid of his son without a greater commitment of troops on his part. In terms of a throw of the bones for a throne, this is a very small gesture. 1 think we can

78 look for some sort of movement, though from which quarter I cannot be sure.”

”The game's afoot then,” Darius said with relish.

”d.a.m.n, but this has been a good day!”

Otorin tightened his lips and a ghost of his smile ap- peared. ”I'm glad you think so.”

Darius' smile was broader. ”You know me,” he said, ”I can't stand sitting around doing nothing.”

The sortie took place just before dawn, as Darius had predicted. Flight, however, was not the objective. The housing erected to protect the sappers was, and the de- fenders were able to inflict considerable damage before they were beaten back inside the walls. The besiegers pressed them hard, trying to gain access to the lower court, but were, in turn, repelled. Six of Darius' men were killed, and ten from the manor. The only good thing to occur, from Darius' point of view. was that one of the bodies was found to be wearing a piece of the Duke's livery under his mail. The commanders endured a lacerating tongue-las.h.i.+ng from the General-

The following day, outriders from the cloudsteed squadron patrolling to the south reported a concentra- tion of armed men approaching the market town of Aldersgrove, some twenty leagues to the south of Spa.r.s.e- dale. Estimates of numbers were sketchy, but the bulk of the men were on foot and shouldering pikes. Darius ordered the patrols to limit their range to fifteen leagues with occasional solo reconnaissance nights at maximum alt.i.tude. When Otorin found him in the back bar, he was poring over maps.

”What news?” Darius asked without looking up from the table.

”My friend reports that a force of-two hundred mounted retainers remains at Oxeter,” Otorin reported.

”What about footmen?”

79.

”No footmen.”

Darius looked up slowly. ”Abercorn has more men than that. Naxania estimated that he had over a thou- sand retainers. What happened to the rest of them?”

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