Part 28 (2/2)

Lightning rubbed his hand over his mouth and gazed at me. 'A battlefield is no place for heroics, Jant. The fate of the First Circle is all the proof we need. San's presence is causing us to act like fools.'

'What can we do?'

'I can't see Tornado's and Wrenn's positions. I can't cover them now without hitting them. And b.l.o.o.d.y Tornado's advance must have left all my archers following him exposed to attack from those things.'

'Yes.'

'Right...' Lightning shook his head and focused properly on me. The crisis had revitalised him. His depression had lifted. He said, 'We're pulling out. We're not going to have a second ma.s.sacre at Slake Cross.'

He called up four dispatch riders simply by pointing at them, said, 'You go to Sleat. Tell him to get his fyrd to form a s.h.i.+eld wall in front of the archers on the west flank. The archers must shoot at will to support them. You, go to the Sapper and Macer on the east flank. Tell them to sound the retreat and retire in order. Advise them we are facing a new type of Insect and they should avoid engagement. Tell them the Emperor commands this. You tell Hayl the same and then command the reserves on the east wing to follow the hastai as they pull out. You go to Thunder. Inform him that we will be retreating and ask that he prepare to cover us. Suggest that he tries flaming projectilesthey may scare these larvae. Then tell the Slake Cross garrison to man the walls.'

The dispatch riders galloped away, spraying muck over the front rank of archers. Lightning turned to his steward. 'Harrier, speak to the Blacksmith and organise the battalions here into a proper defensive positionbecause when the Insects finish off Hurricane's men they'll be up against us. We will retreat in unison with the west flank.'

'Yes, my lord.'

Lightning sighed, looked at his saddle pommel then up again. 'Harrier. Make sure the fyrd know that the Emperor is watching them and they must stand firm. But if anyone runs, they must be shot. Tell the wardens this. And have the provosts form up behind us. We can't afford another panic.'

'I understand, my lord.' He paused, nodded, then sped away.

'Jant, go to Eleonora. I mean the Queen. Say her lancers must charge straight up the flank and pick up as many of Tornado's and Wrenn's troops as they can, then retreat to camp.'

'Consider it done.' I prepared to take off.

'And you must inform the Emperor of what I have ordered.'

I stared at him. I had to tell San we were retreating? 'Yes, but...'

'Do it. I will meet you at the Imperial Fyrd once I have finished here.'

Back in the air I could see the formations below beginning to reorganise themselves with glacial speed, drawing together more tightly. I shuddered at the thought of being land-bound, encased in metal, clumsy and slow in the face of the darting nymphs.

The Queen's cavalry were gleaming on the extreme west flank. As they were not treading in the infantry's tracks they had escaped the worst mud and, being upwind of the Insects, the horses were calm. At the point of their wedge I could see Eleonora's upturned face calmly watching as I circled down to land nearby.

She spread her wings in greeting, called, 'Why, Jant! You honour us with your presence!'

I approached her. She sat confidently astride her steel-clad thoroughbred, armoured in her usual mix of s.h.i.+ning metal and self-a.s.surance. She held her helmet beneath one arm and lance in the other hand, a pale blue pennon lazily waving from it. Her dark hair was immaculate and I even imagined I could detect a trace of rose perfume. An oval s.h.i.+eld and a selection of weapons were slung from her saddle. She looked just as formidable on the battlefield as in her boudoir. 'Such a shame to bring you down here, when you look so...graceful in the air.'

I had no time for Eleonora's c.r.a.p. 'We're being attacked! 'Leon, there's a new kind of Insect coming out of the lake. Lightning has ordered a retreat. A total withdrawal! Tornado and Serein's hastai will soon be cut off at the front. Lightning commands you and your lancers to charge, rescue them, and carry as many as possible back to town.'

I described the larvae. Eleonora frowned, then changed to an over-hand grip on her lance, pointing it at the ground like a spear.

'Tell Lightning I accept his command.' She turned, shouted, 'Lancers of Awia! Follow your Queen!' She glanced at me and pulled her helmet visor down over her smile. I staged my own tactical retreat.

I flew to the Emperor and tipped my wings to him. He raised a hand and the Imperial Fyrd walked their horses aside to let him through. As he did so, Frost on her dapple stallion emerged from behind the last riders on the corner of the square. She urged it into a trot and began to advance, even as the call to retreat was going up. Her bodyguard trailed her. I circled, trying to keep her in view. She's an experienced Eszai, she should realise how serious this is. What was she playing at?

I glanced down, acutely aware of San watching me. Frost could look after herself. I descended. The horses of the Imperial cavalry tossed their heads and held them high, their white-edged eyes watching my great wings beating. The horses were actually shaking as their riders struggled to still them.

The riders and mounts acted as a windbreak, and I had no current to balance on for the last few metres. I fell down heavily and landed in a crouch. My coat-tails flopped to the ground. There was a smash and tinkle of broken gla.s.s in my deep right pocket. Crouching in the hoof-printed mud I wondered what it could be. s.h.i.+t. The jar with the Vermiform worms.

I hadn't thought about it at all up until this instant. I looked down, and worms were wriggling out of my pocket.

CHAPTER 22.

Worms, bursting from my pocket, squirmed down my coat in rivulets and dropped off onto the ground. They scattered in all directions and began sinking into the mud, wriggling and twisting around my feet as they burrowed their way down. I scrabbled frantically with both hands, trying to catch hold of them, but they disappeared right under my fingers. I went after others, and the same thing happened. They were too quick; the ends of their tails vanished into the mud. In a few seconds, they had all gone.

I looked up at the Emperor, who was leaning forward over his horse's neck, watching me curiously. I said, 'Ah, my lord...'

'Comet?'

I stood up. 'Lightning sent me to say he's halted the advance and is recalling the men to camp.'

'So I see. Why?'

'There are millions of little Insects with extendible jaws, coming out of the lake. They killed Hurricane; now Tornado and Wrenn are surrounded. Lightning's sending the Awian lancers to their aid.'

'Little Insects?' the Emperor queried.

I felt something tighten around my ankle. I looked down and so did the Emperor. A thick tentacle of worms was pus.h.i.+ng from the soil like the fat stem of a vine. It had wrapped twice around my ankle and the tip was halfway round another loop.

The Emperor's eyes widened but he said nothing. Apologetically I tugged my leg. The tentacle paused, tugged back, then yanked me off my feet. Before I could hit the mud the tentacle shot out of it, a thick column, hoisting me up. I dangled helplessly from my ankle as it poured up, past the Emperor. It kept going, bursting from the ground like the trunk of a tree. Its surface had a linear texture; millions on millions of worms streaking into the air.

The Emperor and all the square of horses shrank quickly below. I could see the whole battlefield now. The Imperial Fyrd's faces looked up, pale and shocked. On all sides of the square they were turning their horses and taking flight. Those in the middle were stepping this way and that trying to push a way out. San, in complete control of Alezane, was looking up at me calmly.

Further off, the canvas city; the pavilions and interlaced ropesI swung round and caught a glimpse of the clash of lancers and dazzling armour against the Insect larvae, and behind them the lake's brown mirror.

I yelled and yelled. My other leg flailed, knee bent, and my bitten foot was throbbing. My arms dangled, and my coat swished somewhere below my head like a slashed leather curtain. My letters dropped out of my pockets and started fluttering to the ground. My keys and hip flask plummeted after them.

The blood was rus.h.i.+ng to my head. My wings slipped open and settled down past shoulder level, loosely spread. My ice axe bounced around, hanging in the s.p.a.ce between them. I waved my arms about but couldn't find anything to grab on to. My ankle was agonythe worms were squeezing it tight and my leg was stretching.

I did a sit-up to see the thick snake of annelids wrapped around my ankle, a branch from the solid column stretching to the ground.

'Hey!' I yelled at the stem. 'Let me go, you f.u.c.king thing!'

I felt something give and I plummeted a metre. It went taut and held me again.

'No!'

It let me go...caught me. The worms moving over and clinging to each other gave an elasticity, so I bounced slightly. My joints stretched to popping point. It let me go, caught me. I automatically flapped my wings, looking like a hawk hanging upside down in a snare. I wouldn't have time to turn and fly if it dropped me on my head.

'No! Don't let me go! Please don't drop me! Let's talk.'

It just shook me, furiously. My jaw clattered, my bangles jingled and my hair, streaming out under me, swept against my coat skirts.

I stomach-crunched up again and tried to grab the tendril but it just twirled me around. The mud and horse-backs streaked round and round beneath me.

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