Spoiling the tranquil scene were the dark, motionless forms lying on the fields closer to the town. Here at the treeline, Sasha knew, they were already within range of high if inaccurate longbow fire.
Guardsmen were pointing westward along the lakeshore, just beyond arrowshot from the town. A cluster of soldiers and horses was visible there, encamped within the narrow space of open land between the lake and the steep rise of the forested slope. One rider was now galloping forth, bearing a banner on which there flapped a white flag.
'I advise we come closer before he arrives, my Prince,' Kessligh called to Damon. 'I should like a look at the town.'
Damon nodded and they continued forward, the rear sections of the column galloping to draw up the flanks as they cleared the treeline. Sasha saw an arrow protruding from the ground nearby, half-buried at a steep angle. Then, from the town, there came a second rider, also bearing a pole with a white flag. He jumped the low surrounding wall and spurred toward them.
Sasha could see now that the tight cluster of buildings was no accident of planning-the narrow streets would weave between such buildings, providing no easy avenues for galloping horsemen and plenty of cover for defending archers. There were men standing on some of the roofs, leaning on railings that seemed designed for the purpose, while others stood along the low stone wall that ringed the town. Lenay soldiers did not typically favour archery, but for the defence of Vassyl, it seemed the logical methodnorthern cavalry armour was rarely more than leather-on- chain, which would blunt longbow fire, but not stop it. And horses, of course, were not armoured at all. And now, as the column drew closer, they passed the first fallen bodya horse, sprawled upon its side, an arrow shaft through its neck. Sasha noted its side continued to rise and fall.
'Damn,' she muttered and swung in her saddle to call to the nearest man behind… but he had already spotted the animal's plight, and swung off from the column whilst drawing his sword. Sasha averted her eyes from what followed-she'd seen enough killing of late. Besides, there were dead men lying up ahead, and more fallen horses. These men did not wear the dark grey of the Hadryn militia at Perys, but rather the black and silver of Hadryn line troops.
'The Hadryn Shields,' Kessligh noted as they passed one man, sightless eyes gazing at the sky, a shaft effortlessly puncturing his mailed chest. His surcoat bore the emblem of a silver shield upon black. 'Excellent soldiers. Some of Lenayin's best, not like those idiot militia. Their commanders can sometimes let them down, however.'
The man galloping from the town reached the column's head first, and the forward guard parted to let him through, hands warily on their weapons. Damon halted and Kessligh rode to his left side, Captain Tyrun to the right, as the forward guard held the man's back, and Damon's small Royal Guard contingent clustered close behind. Sasha kept herself in reserve at Kessligh's rear, with Jaryd for company.
'My Prince,' said the rider, with an accent that was somewhat northern, but mostly familiar. He bowed in the saddle, long, braided hair falling about his face. When he straightened, Sasha saw that his face bore tattoo markings, and his ears shone with many rings. 'Good that you have come. The Hadryn make war on us, my Prince. This is an invasion, as surely you can see. We defend the rear way to Halleryn and we have not yet let them pass. But the northern clans are more numerous than we, and we fear that a reinforcement may see our number overwhelmed. You must put an end to this aggression, my Prince.'
'What the prince must and must not do,' Captain Tyrun said sharply, 'is for the prince to decide.' The Goeren-yai rider simply looked at him, head high and eyes proud. The men of these regions were deferential to royalty, but only from politeness… and when they found some personal benefit in it.
'Lord Krayliss holds Halleryn?' Damon asked the rider.
'Aye, my Prince. And Lord Usyn Telgar puts Halleryn to siege even now. They have heavy cavalry that Taneryn cannot match in the open. We can only defend what is ours and hope for justice from Baen-Tar.'
'And how did Rashyd Telgar die?'
'Some Hadryn priests came to Gessyl, not five folds over yonder,' pointing west toward the Hadryn border. 'They disrupted the people's livelihoods, angered the spirits and offended the honour of the women.' Sasha frowned at that. Most Goeren-yai women, though not fighters, could look after their own honour. 'They were driven from Gessyl, but invented stories of their mistreatment and of pagan insults to the Verenthane gods. Both Lord Rashyd and Lord Krayliss heard this and rode to Gessyl. Lord Rashyd was upon Taneryn land, my Prince. He invaded our territory, he insulted the people and caused mortal offence to Lord Krayliss. A great lord need not suffer such insults upon his own land. The fight was for honour and my Lord Krayliss proved the most honourable.'
A new thunder of hooves approached and the Hadryn rider was admitted into the circle before Damon, Kessligh and Tyrun.
'My Prince,' said the Hadryn man, all in black and silver, with the leather and chain of the vaunted Hadryn Shields cavalry. He bowed in the saddle. 'Well that you have come. Have you more forces on the way?'
'Many,' Damon said flatly. 'They arrive shortly. Explain your presence on Taneryn land.'
'The matter is simple, my Prince,' said the Hadryn cavalryman. 'My Great Lord Rashyd Telgar was murdered at the hand of Lord Krayliss of Taneryn. By your father's law, my Prince, the now Great Lord Usyn Telgar, son of Rashyd, may seek revenge. Lord Krayliss has refused to yield to the demands of manly honour. Thus, we seek it from him by other means.'
As Sasha understood it, Usyn Telgar could seek revenge as a son, and as a man. But to do so in the capacity of provincial great lord, by risking all-out war, undermined the authority of the king in Baen-Tar. Here, at this moment, Damon represented the king's authority, but was he prepared to use it.
'How dare you murdering thieves speak of honour… ' the Taneryn man growled, but Damon held a clenched, gloved fist in the air.
'Insults and posturing shall do nothing to sway my favour,' he said with a dark glare at the Goeren-yai. 'I assure you.'
'My Prince,' said the Hadryn Shield, 'these animals do not even allow us a pause within which to reclaim our dead and wounded. We fear some of our wounded may even have been murdered as they lay…'
'We did no such thing!' the Taneryn shot back, eyes hard with fury. 'We gathered the wounded and are tending to them with the best of our care, as the customs dictate. Should the invaders decide to withdraw their presence, we shall return those men to their comrades.'
'The men of Hadryn shall tolerate no hostage threats!'
'Enough!' Damon barked. The two men subsided to a simmering, furious silence. The Hadryn was well armoured, armed and elegantly presented astride his huge lowlands charger; whilst the Taneryn was a roughened, rural image in long braids, tattered skins and leathers astride his wiry, half-breed dussieh pony. It turned Sasha's blood cold to see them as such, these two halves of Lenayin, Verenthane and Goeren-yai, with such murderous hatred between them. Pray that it did not spread. Pray to the gods or spirits; whoever would listen.
'My Prince,' said the Hadryn, after a lingering, boiling silence. 'At least, if we are not granted a truce, if your own men could retrieve our fallen comrades? It should not befit anyone's honour to leave them lying here.'
'The soldiers of Baen-Tar,' Damon said coldly, 'are not here to sweep up after your conflicts.' The Hadryn man paled in silent anger. 'Soldier,' Damon continued, turning his gaze upon the Taneryn, 'upon my request, will you grant a truce for this purpose?'
The Taneryn thought about it for a moment. There was a command in Damon's tone that Sasha had never heard before. A newfound confidence? No. More likely simple fury, Sasha thought. It seemed to affect the Taneryn, for he nodded. 'No more than five horses may come,' he said.
'Upon your honour,' Damon insisted.
'Upon my honour, we shall not fire.'
'Go,' said Damon, 'carry the message. We shall ride to Halleryn.'
'My Prince,' protested the Taneryn, 'if you would ride the back-route along our side of the lake, we can offer you a safe journey to Halleryn…'
'I shall talk with the new Great Lord of Hadryn first,' Damon said firmly. 'He is the one claiming grievance, after all. Have no fear, I shall interview Lord Krayliss in his turn. You are both dismissed.'
The two men bowed low in their saddles, then reined their mounts about and set off galloping toward their respective camps. The forward guard reformed ahead and Damon pressed after them. Kessligh held to Damon's side and Sasha took the opportunity to move abreast herself and listen to their conversation, above the clustered noise of hooves, jangling harnesses and equipment.
