“Blitzkrieg.”
“I suspected as much.”
“Why? Oh, forget it. You're trying to figure out the commander's plan. Well, you have it right there.”
I had nothing to say. I was thinking about what I had hoped to achieve for myself during the pause. I needed a few days swinging a sword for a start, plus knowing the battle signals wasn't the same as hearing them and reacting to them. I wasn't ready. Didn't feel ready.
“Don't worry, you'll do fine.”
Dammit, can everyone read my mind?
“Do we have any clue what numbers we're facing, initially?”
He shrugged. “Not really. Probably only a couple of thousand and they'll scatter as soon as they hear we're close. Then we divide into eight units a mile apart and cut a swathe through their territory heading for the Alendi and making a mess along the way.”
True, two thousand wouldn't stand. You face odds of four to one you don't stand. It could all go as he said but maybe not. “What if they have raised the whole tribe, there could be twenty thousand.”
“Then there may be a battle, but we are an army of the city and twenty thousand isn't even three to one. There are plenty of historical precedents for a couple of cohorts taking on those numbers and winning if they had good battle mages. And we do. I wouldn't worry.”
I thought he was being complacent but I knew he was right. Three to one was a hell of a numerical advantage, but illusionary units, fog banks to blind the enemy, rolling balls of fire, noxious gases and other magics, made a confused enemy and helped thin the numbers wonderfully. Also the use of magics damaged morale like crazy; imagine moving forward en mass and seeing thirty of your fellows go up in flames right next to you. That'll put you off your stride every time.
“There is such a thing as overconfidence, and there have been occasions where ten to one and less have beaten our troops, mages and all.”
He nodded soberly. “Agreed. It's happens. But I don't want to hear it around the men. Confidence, determination and a hatred of the enemy. That's what I want to hear.”
I apologized. He was right. Even amongst ourselves.
The camp was already taking shape around us when we rode through the western gap in the wall; Tulian's cohort had peeled off to dig their section of ditch and place their stakes, while their servants led the donkeys to the right section and started putting up tents and making cooking fires. It would be an hour before they were done. My charges, of course, had no such duties and headed for the pegged-off area where we would put up tents and settle for the night. The crossbowmen carried their own minimal gear on their backs and set things up for themselves. Of course, at this point there was nothing in our area apart from us and a few stakes and string and a flag with our number on it so we knew where to be. The engineers were first to arrive and last to leave every single day. The servants of my charges set about tent-raising and, as usual, Meran arrived with two horses, one carrying the essential gear and the other himself, and started in on putting up my tent. For a while I had nowhere to be and no reason to be there. But a commander cannot afford to be seen to be idle so I started moving. The mages were closest so it was their turn first.
“Gentlemen.” They stood in a group, talking amongst themselves and waiting for things to happen.
“Commander,” Larner greeted me in return, the others turned my way in silent acknowledgment.
“I was wondering why the alarm device wasn't set up last night? Problems?”
“It was, commander.”
“Oh.” I had come back way after dark and felt and heard nothing and said so.
“When we created it we gave it a specific area and excluded everyone inside it at that time from the effect, of course.”
“How?” The word just slipped out and in response he smiled thinly.
“It's a two thousand coin effect. If you would care to make those funds available I would gladly teach you.”
“Which? The ward or the ability to exclude people from its effects?” I was trying for sarcasm but he chose to take me at face value.
“The ward. The exclusion is an enhancement and would be extra.”
“How do you know that only the people in my command are excluded? In fact, as I have a man outside the area at all times, how did you manage to exclude him?” I had suddenly smelled a rat and the second question was much more important than the first.
He looked embarrassed for a moment, then covered it in dignity. “We made a token that can be passed from one man to another so that your sentries can pass through the ward without triggering it.”
“So the thing is compromised and useless.”
He glowered at me. “If an enemy knew of the ward, and if they knew of the token, and if they knew your man had it and what it looked like, in theory someone could take it and use it to pass the ward. Yes.”
“And if someone does so and cuts your throat in the night, who will you blame?”
“No one, I'd be dead.”
The brief snort of humor escaped me unbidden. “Point taken.”
I remembered I was supposed to be ingratiating myself with these people, and realized it wasn't going too well so far. Still, nothing I could do about it right now.
“Tell me, did you know this ward spell, or develop it?”
He raised an eyebrow and considered a moment if he would answer. In the pause, Hettar spoke instead.
“We know a lot of spells. Sometimes it takes awhile to remember one, to figure out which one to try and remember.”
Larner turned to the old man in surprise, but then seemed to consider that what he had said was safely neutral and gave away nothing that was secret. “Just so,” he said, turning back to me.
There was nothing more to say. “Well, thank you for your efforts.”
With that I left, heading for the healers.
Lentro seemed pleased to see me and I realized I had been neglecting them for a few days. Not a good idea. I might need healing one day and I could learn from them, if they ever did any magic and I happened to be watching with the sorcerer's loupe unobtrusively tucked in one eye socket… well, okay, that wasn't going to happen but it was a fine fantasy.
“Sumto, to what do we owe the pleasure?”
Ouch. I smiled pleasantly. “I've been neglecting you. If there is anything you need please send one of your people to see me.”
He waved the matter away graciously. “There's nothing. A slower pace would be nice, but I doubt you can arrange that? No? An idea of what is happening, perhaps?”
I really had been neglecting them. “My apologies. We are heading toward an Orduli force on the edge of the border with Geduri. I'm afraid I can't say much more.
“Thank you. Will you dine with us tonight?”
“That would be pleasant.”
Rastrian would have to be put off again. I made my excuses and went to see him.
His men were busy and so was he. I noticed that he mucked in to get things done alongside his men and approved. Not something a patron could do, though we do train with the men and often fight with them to show we are as good with weapons as they are and as willing, but we draw the line at digging ditches and making roads with our own hands.
I also noticed Dubaku. He was sitting on a cloak of heavy cloth and watching. Maybe the men felt he was too old to be putting up his own tent, or maybe they honored him for his supernatural abilities. Maybe both. In any case, I wanted to talk to him as well, and Rastrian was busy enough that I decided to let him be. I had time. Dubaku got to his feet readily enough when I came close.
I found him as unsettling as ever. The expressionless eyes. The expressionless face. All of a sudden I couldn't think what to say to him or how to broach the subject I had in mind. Then a thought struck me.
“Tell me, can you summon and speak to any spirit?”
He considered a moment, unfazed by the lack of greeting or preamble. “If I know the name they used in life,
