Part 17 (2/2)
”No,” Rod answered, ”he didn't.”
The d.u.c.h.ess dropped her gaze. ”Alas, poor wight! Need we guess at what hath happed?”
”No, I think it's pretty obvious.” Rod gazed north along the road. ”In fact, he might even have dressed himself as a peasant, in hopes he'd be overlooked. In any case, he's probably the reason Alfar sent his new army out to cut down refugees.”
”Refugees?” The d.u.c.h.ess looked up, frowning. ”What are these?”
”Poor folk, who flee the ravages of war,” Gwen ex- plained.
Rod nodded. ”Usually because their homes have been destroyed. In this case, though, the only ones who've been heading south are the ones who realized what was coming, and got out while they could.”
”You've seen such folk, then?”
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Rod nodded. ”A few. I'd say we've been running into one every mile or so.”
The d.u.c.h.ess shook her head slowly. ”I marvel that they 'scaped the sorcerer's soldiers!”
”They started early enough, I guess-but I'm sure the soldiers caught up with plenty of other bands. And, of course, we did manage to, ah, interfere, when a squad of men-at-arms was trying to stop a family we b.u.mped into.”
The d.u.c.h.ess studied his face. ”What had this family seen?”
”Not a dam thing-but they'd heard rumors.”
”And were wise enough to heed them.” The d.u.c.h.ess's mouth hardened. ”Yet will Their Royal Majesties send an army north, after naught but rumor?”
Rod shook his head. ”Not a chance.”
She frowned. ”Yet how is it thou dost...” Then she broke off, eyes widening in surprise, then hope. ”Yet thou dost come, thou!”
Rod answered with a sardonic smile. ”Quick-witted, I see. And yes, the King sent us-to find out the truth of the rumors.”
”And thou dost lead thy wife and baims into so vile a brew of foulness?” the d.u.c.h.ess cried. She turned on Gwen.
”Oh lady, nay! If thou dost thy children love, spare them this horror!”
Gwen looked up at Rod, startled.
Like a gentleman. Rod declined the unexpected advan- tage. He only said, ”Well... you'll understand that my wife and children are a bit better equipped to deal with evil witches than most might be-so they're not really in so great a danger.”
It earned him a look of warmth from Gwen, but the d.u.c.h.ess cried, ”Danger enow! Lord Warlock, do not let them go! Thou dost not comprehend the might of this fell sorcerer!”
”We've had a taste of it.”
”Then let that taste make thee lose thine appet.i.te! A fulness of his work will sicken thy soul! 'Tis one thing to see a mere squadron of his victims, such as these poor folk...” She waved toward the soldiers. ”Yet when thou dost see them come against thee by the hundreds, thine heart 114 shall shrink in horror! Tis not that his magic is so fell- 'tis the purely evil malice of his soul!”
Rod's eyes gleamed. ”You've seen him yourself, then?”
She dropped her eyes. ”Aye, though only from a dis- tance. 'Twas enow.” She shuddered. ”I could feel his hatred was.h.i.+ng o'er me, as though I stood 'neath a cloudburst of dirtied water. Methought that I should ne'er again feel clean!”
”But how could the Duke let you come so near the battle!”
”He fought against it, I a.s.sure thee-yet the battle did come nigh to me. For when he had dispatched the courier southwards, and his knights had come up with all their men, he donned his armor and rode forth to meet the sorcerer.”
Rod nodded. ”Sounds right. I never would've accused Duke Romanov of hesitating-or of the slightest bit of uncertainty.”
”Error, though?” The d.u.c.h.ess looked up, with a sardonic smile. ”I know mine husband. Lord Warlock. Dearly though I love him, I cannot help but be aware of his rashness. Yet in this matter, I believe, even full caution would have im- pelled him to battle-for 'twas fight or flee, look you, and, as Duke, he could not flee-for he was sworn to the pro- tection of his people. 'Twas his duty, then, to fight-and if he must needs fight, 'twas best to fight just then, when the sorcerer and his forces were newly come from battle, and would therefore be weakened with battle losses.”
”But strengthened with the men he'd captured.” Rod frowned. ”Or didn't you realize...” He gazed at her, and let the words gel in his mouth.
”What?” She frowned.
Rod cleared his throat, and s.h.i.+fted from one foot to the other. ”Well, uh... where he recruited his men from. His army, I mean.”
”Ah.” She smiled bitterly. ”From those he had defeated, dost thou mean? Aye, that word was brought to us with the news of Baron Gratecieux's lost battle. The soldier who came back, did tell us of old friends he'd seen who, he knew, had fought in the train of one of Gratecieux's va.s.sal knights.”
”Well, at least it's not a surprise now,” Rod sighed. ”I suppose it would take Alfar a little while to process his new recruits...”
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”To bind them under his spell?” The d.u.c.h.ess shook her head. ”I know not. I know only that my lord did march out toward the castle that had been Gratecieux's-and I went up to the highest turret, to see them go.”
Rod lifted his head a little. ”Could you see all the way to Gratecieux's castle?”
”Aye; his towers are taller even than those of Their Royal Majesties. We can see only the battlements-yet we can see that much. Not that I had need to.”
Rod frowned. ”You mean they didn't even get that far?”
The d.u.c.h.ess nodded. ”The sorcerer had marched out to meet him. Even when my lord set out, the sorcerer's forces already stood, drawn up and waiting, by a ravine midway betwixt the two castles. 'Tis as though he knew aforetime of my lord's coming.”
”He did,” Rod growled. ”All witches and warlocks here are mind readers.”
The d.u.c.h.ess looked up, surprised. Then her mouth tight- ened in exasperation. ”Aye, certes. And I knew it. I had but to think-and I did not.”
”It matters not,” Gwen said quickly.
”Truth. What aid could I provide?” The d.u.c.h.ess spread her hands helplessly. ”I could but watch. Yet though the sorcerer had magics, my lord the Duke had guile.”
”Oh, really? You mean he managed to escape the am- bush?”
”Aye, and drew them onto ground of his choosing. For they waited on the road, look you, with a wooded slope to the left, and a bank strewn with boulders on the right.”
Rod nodded. ”Good ambush country. What'd your hus- band do about the roadblock?”
”He saw it afar off, and marched his force off the road ere the slopes had begun to enfold it. Out into the open plain they went, and away toward Castle Gratecieux.”
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