“Don’t play the innocent, Lord Jenga. Tarja Tenragan murdered Lord Pieter and the priest Elfron. He is to be handed over to us for trial.”
“There was nothing mentioned about this, even in the unverified order.”
“I can assure you, verification is on its way. You must agree to hold him, pending your surrender.”
Adrina glanced at Tarja. He was torn between stepping forward and bolting, she thought. Duty warring with survival. She placed a hand on his arm and shook her head.
“Don’t do anything stupid, Tarja,” she said softly. “There’s nothing you can achieve by going down there.”
Tarja looked at her for a moment. He nodded slowly, acknowledging her advice, then turned back to watching the Kariens.
“Should such an order be received, then of course I will honour it,” Jenga assured Cratyn.
“I should think so,” Cratyn replied, rather lamely. He really wasn’t handling this very well.
“In that case, gentlemen, I believe this discussion is at an end. I shall have Captain Alcarnen escort you to the border. Should verification arrive, I will send a message, advising my position.”
“Your cooperation in this matter is much appreciated, my Lord,” Roache agreed, before Cratyn could add anything further.
“Captain!”
Nheal Alcarnen stepped forward and saluted sharply.
“Would you be so kind as to escort our guests back to the border?”
“Sir!”
There was little else Cratyn and his party could do but follow the captain.
As soon as the Kariens had left the Hall, pandemonium broke loose, as the officers demanded an explanation. Tarja waited until Jenga had quieted his men and ordered them about their business. The last man was leaving as they descended the stairs. Jenga looked up at their approach. His face was haggard.
“You’d better get out of here, and soon.”
Adrina nodded. “I thank you for not betraying my presence, my Lord.”
Jenga shrugged. “A small victory over the Kariens, your Highness, even if there is nobody to share it with. I wish you a safe journey, although I suspect your future is as doubtful as mine.” He turned to Tarja. “I want you to go with them, Captain.”
“I won’t desert you, Jenga. Not this time.”
The Lord Defender shook his head. “I want your resignation then. I’m damned if I’m going to hand any man of mine over to the Kariens for some sort of farcical trial with a noose waiting at the end of it. Particularly for a crime he didn’t commit.”
Adrina looked at Tarja curiously.
“I won’t run away, Jenga.”
“Now is not the time to be noble, Tarja. I lied to the Kariens. A courier delivered the orders from the Citadel this morning, signed by Joyhinia. Accompanying the orders was a warrant for your arrest.”
“Then you
“I have no choice.”
Tarja didn’t answer.
“Go,” Jenga ordered. There was more emotion in that one word than Adrina could ever recall seeing the Lord Defender betray previously.
Tarja hesitated for a moment then saluted smartly. “My Lord!”
He turned away, his expression determined and even a little disappointed. Adrina impulsively leaned forward and kissed Jenga’s weathered cheek before she and Tam hurried after him.
“Captain!”
They stopped and looked back. Adrina could have sworn there were tears in the old man’s eyes.
“Take as many men with you as you can. Just be quiet about it.”
Tarja nodded in understanding. “As you wish.”
“You’re the only one I can ask this of, you understand that, don’t you? No other man in my command has experience of this type of warfare.”
The comment puzzled Adrina. “War is war, isn’t it? Besides, you said you would surrender.”
“I’m surrendering my forces, your Highness. I have no say over what former officers do once they have resigned from the corps.”
“You’ll accept my resignation then, my Lord?”
The Lord Defender nodded.
“Make the bastards pay, Tarja,” he added. “Make them pay for every league of Medalon soil they claim.”
What could one man and a handful of renegade soldiers do, she wondered, to halt an army the size of the Kariens? Then she glanced at the captain and saw the look of quiet determination in Tarja’s eyes.
Cratyn was going to find taking Medalon a lot harder than he imagined.
Chapter 56
There was no denying the rumours once the Kariens arrived under a flag of truce, and Lord Jenga did not bother trying. On the morning following the meeting with Prince Cratyn word was passed through the camp that Medalon would surrender. The following day a messenger was sent north through a miserable squall to request another meeting with the Kariens – this one to negotiate the details. Mikel heard the news with mixed feelings. The welcome thought that he would soon be back among his own people was soured by the knowledge he carried.
The Hythrun camp was dismantled with remarkable speed. Rather than move out as one large force, Lord Wolfblade dispatched his men in waves, a Century at a time. He was concerned that his fleeing force might prove too tempting to the Kariens. Cratyn would not be able to resist pursuing a thousand Hythrun across Medalon, but it was unlikely he would bother hunting down countless scattered bands of them.
Mikel overheard Monthay discussing the strategic merits of the Warlord’s decision with another sergeant. He seemed to admire it. The Raiders left in platoons of one hundred, which would break into smaller groups once they were clear of the battlefield. They had been ordered to make their way home anyway they could. Some would ride straight for the Glass River, others would stay on this side until they almost reached Bordertown. It would be well nigh impossible to round them all up.
The Hythrun weren’t the only ones departing in haste. The followers’ camp was a frenzy of activity as some hastened to leave and others dug in, hoping for even more business once the countless Kariens arrived. Mistress Miffany’s brightly striped tent was gone even before the Kariens had paid Lord Jenga a visit, as was old Draginya’s tent. Mikel had no idea what happened to his eggs but he cared little for them now. He had more important things to worry about. More adult things. He had not seen Dace or Kali for days and assumed his new friends had left too.
The last of the Hythrun to leave was Lord Wolfblade’s party, and the size of it puzzled him. He was certain nearly all of the Hythrun Raiders had left already, yet there seemed far too many men gathered on the edge of the camp waiting for the order to move out. Then Mikel realised that over half the men riding with the Warlord were mounted on sturdy Medalonian horses, not the magnificent golden horses of the Hythrun. There were even men mounted on the captured Fardohnyan steeds. His suspicions were confirmed when Damin appeared with Tarja at his side. The soldiers wore nondescript civilian clothing, but they were Defenders, sure as Xaphista was the Overlord. Tarja was abandoning the field and taking hundreds of his men with him, including the captured Fardohnyans.
Mikel watched from the top rail of the corral nearest the Hythrun stables. He could not see the princess, but she was there somewhere, he was certain. Nor could he spot Jaymes in the milling crowd. He had anxiously studied
