Starwind nodded, and narrowed his eyes in thought. 'Aye, Gallen; you know your lore well, I think. So. This Krebain has retreated to whatever place he has made for a fastness, and it is bound to be somewhere near; I think we shall continue with my original plan. Gallen, I shall leave young Vanyel here with you. He knows something of material strategy and warfare; he is also Mage-Gifted.'
Vanyel shivered at the thought of being left alone here. The headman cast one doubtful look at him and ventured a protest; Vanyel didn't much blame him. 'Master Starwind - I beg you - this is only a boy - '
'He destroyed a queen colddrake, alone and unaided,' Moondance said quietly, pushing Vanyel forward and putting one hand on Vanyel's shoulder. 'It is in my mind that he could deal with more than you would reckon.'
'He did?' This time the look Headman Gallen gave him was a little less doubtful, but it was still not overly confident.
'Gallen, I do not expect Vanyel to have to defend you from this Krebain,' Starwind said patiently. 'He could never be a match for a blood-bound Adept, and I would not expect it of him. I expect him to have to deal with some of this renegade's creatures at worst. My thought is that the three of us shall find Krebain and deal with him - and that when his control over his slaves is gone, some of them may think to attack here. I see no reason why, among you, you folk and Vanyel could not defend yourselves against such lesser dangers. Does that content you?''
It didn't - that was obvious. But it was all that Headman Gallen was going to get, and he well knew it. Vanyel attempted to put himself into the mindset of a warleader. He didn't feel particularly successful at it.
'Van, see what you can do about organizing these folk,' Savil said quietly. 'You know most of those old ballads by heart, and there's lots of good advice in them; that's why we make you learn them. I don't want you to try anything more than a token defense if something does come at you that you can't handle. Just call Yfandes for help and delay things as long as you can. For the rest - the creatures they've described are strong, but not particularly bright. Barricades across the road and fire should keep most of them at bay. You took that queen colddrake; remember that. You can take just about anything else except this Krebain himself so long as it isn't a small army.'
Vanyel gulped, and tried to look competent and brave. This is what it all comes down to, doesn't it? This is what I have to do; I have to, like 'Lendel said. Because these people need me. 'Yes, Aunt,' he said carefully. 'Barricades and fire.'
Savil looked worried and preoccupied. 'Do your best, lad. Remember that 'voice' I used to stop you and 'Lendel fighting? It makes people listen; goes right to their guts. Imitate that if you can.' She mounted Kellan from the porch; Starwind took Yfandes' saddle, but Moon-dance hesitated a moment before taking the pillion behind him.
'Vanyel, ke'chara, remember what I told you about the nodes. Use them. There are - ' he paused, and his eyes unfocused for a moment. 'There are three that I can sense that you should be able to use. I wish you could reach the valley-node as we can, but I think it is beyond your strength for now. None of the three nearby are as strong as the valley-node, but taken together they should serve.' He took Vanyel's face between his hands and kissed him on the forehead. 'Gods be with you, youngling. With fortune, this will be no more than an interesting exercise for you.'
He mounted behind Starwind, and the crowd of villagers parted to let them through. Vanyel watched them vanish into the darkness with a heavy heart.
If he hadn't been so frightened himself, he'd have lost his temper a dozen times over. He had to keep explaining to these people, time and time again, exactly what he wanted of them and why he wanted it - and would turn his back on one group, thinking that he had finally gotten through to them, only to return to find they'd abandoned the project and were staring apprehensively off into the darkness.
It wasn't that they were stupid; it was that they were so completely without hope. They couldn't see any chance of holding off anything, and so they had abandoned any thought of being able to do so. After all, their best efforts hadn't done anything but get folks killed. Vanyel, who was counting on them to be as much protection for him as he would be for them, was nearly frantic. It took hours before he was finally able to get them going under their own power.
Then there was the matter of defense.
When dawn came and he asked for their weaponry, he got as ill-used and motley an assortment of near-junk as he'd ever seen, and there wasn't a one of them who knew how to use any of it. These were farmers born and farmers bred; most of them off lands held of lords or mage-lords who were bound to protect them. The k'Treva had bartered protection for made-stuffs and foodstuffs, and they had never thought they'd need to raise a blade in their own defense.
So Vanyel was faced with the task of showing rank amateurs the way of the sword. Forget teaching them point-work; forget the finer points of defense. In the end he padded them to the eyebrows and set them to bashing at each other. Teach them to hold something long and poke with it, or hold something heavy and smash with it - and if it was something with an edge, hope that the edge, rather than the flat, connected.
By the second day of this he was tired to the bone, half-mad with frustration, and frantic with the fear he dared not show. So when Veth, Gallen's half-grown son, came at him wide open for the hundredth time, he lost his temper completely and hit him with a full force blow he had not consciously intended to deliver. And tried to pull it too late to do any good.
He knocked the boy halfway across the square.
Veth landed sprawled on his back - and didn't move -
And Vanyel's heart stopped -
And in his mind he saw - Jervis - standing over him -
Oh, gods!
Vanyel's sword went flying; his helm followed it as he ran to kneel at Veth's side in the cold dust of the square.
Oh, gods - oh, gods - I've done to him what Jervis did to me. Oh, please, gods, please don't let me have hurt him -
He unlaced the boy's helm and pulled it off; about then Veth blinked up at him and started to sit up of himself, and Vanyel nearly cried with relief.
