expected to muster and maintain on Evermeet's northerly coasts to defend the isle. Each of the high lords of the realm governing the isle's districts were required to do the same, supplementing the royal army with their own troops. Lord Muirreste served as Seiveril's marshal and captain, supervising the forces that owed loyalty to the Miritar family. Seiveril could not take the entirety of the Silver Guard with him, of course. He had promised Amlaruil that he would not compromise the safety of the realm. But the Silver Guard contingent comprised a company of knights, two of lighter cavalry, and three of infantry, totaling almost nine hundred uniformed knights and soldiers.
Jerreda Starcloak, the Green Lady of the wood elves, had been the first of the captains to arrive in Elion. Her wood elves filled the air with off-color songs and ribald jests as they trotted and gamboled along, roughhousing and boasting to each other. They did not make even the slightest attempt to form any sort of companies or march in any particular order. Each wood elf simply marched at whatever pace he and his friends enjoyed. But Jerreda Starcloak brought not two hundred, as she had promised in the Dome of Stars, but fully five hundred and fifty of the best archers, scouts, and forest-wise folk in Evermeet.
Mage Jorildyn, the fourth of Seiveril's captains, was one of the surviving mages of Tower Reilloch. A half-elf with a heavy and powerful build that seemed more suited to a swordsman than a wizard, he was in fact a very talented evoker and battle-mage who had fought alongside elven armies on many previous occasions. His beard was streaked with gray, belying his human blood, and his manner was blunt to a fault, though few dared sneer at his mixed heritage. Jorildyn represented the arcanists of the gathering army, almost a hundred mages, bladesing- ers, spellsingers, and spellarchers, not a few of whom had followed him from Tower Reilloch. The Circle of Reilloch Domayr needed little urging to consider a counterblow against the daemonfey and their demonic allies.
'Well, we all seem to be here,' Seiveril began. 'Thilesin, how stand our numbers so far?'
Thilesin consulted a small book she kept with her at all times and said, 'The Moon Knights of the Temple of Sehanine Moonbow marched in an hour before sunset. They are only eighty strong, but they are all clerics and skilled swordsmen, and I understand all have some skill at healing magic. Earlier today a flight of Eagle Knights appeared.'
'Yes, I saw them,' Seiveril said. 'I spoke with their captain.'
The Eagle Knights were only thirty strong, but each was mounted on a giant eagle. They were invaluable as aerial scouts and would serve well against any flying enemies the army met. Seiveril wished dearly for a hundred more, but the Eagle Knights were indispensable to Evermeet's defenses, and he could not ask for any more to join his cause without straining his promise to Amlaruil.
'Also, Lord Celeilol Fireheart of Leuthilspar sent word that he will be here tomorrow afternoon. He is leading a company of spearmen in mail.'
'I don't think I've ever heard of him,' Seiveril said. He glanced at the others, who shrugged back at him. 'How many in his company?'
'He reports two hundred and fifty. By my best count, that brings us to just over five thousand warriors, plus at least two thousand more in armorers, engineers, drivers, and other such folk.'
'The Moon Knights are under the command of Ferryl Nimersyl?'
'Yes, Lord Seiveril.'
'Please invite him to our captains' council, then. He has a sound mind and I know he fought well in Nime- sin's war.'Seiveril paused to organize his thoughts. He would have to be careful about asking too many captains to attend his councils, but it would be difficult to limit his invitations without offending any who weren't asked to come.
'How about the individuals?' he asked.
Thilesin grimaced and replied, 'It's very hard to get a count, Lord Seiveril. They show up by ones or twos and simply set up a camp wherever they like. I have arranged for my assistants to establish a station where all who come to join can sign up, and give us a name at least. Based on our rolls, which are incomplete, I'd say we have almost three thousand volunteers who aren't a part of any company or society.'
'That could be fifteen companies of infantry,' Elvath Muirreste observed. 'How can we equip them all?'
'More to the point, how do we organize them into companies?' Seiveril asked. 'I have no idea what to do with so many.'
'Best to divide them among the companies we already have, I think,' said Muirreste. 'It would seem to be impossible to organize and equip new companies before we march, let alone train them for battle. Any we cannot place with a real company, we should send back home.'
'Do not turn away anyone whose heart is full of courage, Seiveril,' Jerreda Starcloak said. 'Yes, we must do something to put these fellows in order, but they are willing, and they are waiting to be led. Marching and heeding orders can be taught, but determination and courage are harder to teach. If you give them the chance, they will storm a dragon's lair for you.'
Seiveril replied, 'For many of them, it is simply the passion of youth. They think they are signing on for the adventure — of their age, and they can't stand the thought of missing it.'
'Yes, for many of our volunteers that is true,' Jerreda said, 'but I think you might do well to walk among the camps tonight and see who has answered your call, Lord Seiveril. They come from all over Evermeet. Many are soldiers of the Queen's Guard who resigned their positions to serve in your army. Others are huntsmen of the Silver Hills. We have dozens of noted swordsmen and archers; bladesingers, spellsingers, and spellarchers; and whole Towers full of mages. They might serve to leaven the rest.'
'That many?' Seiveril asked. He thought hard. In truth, he wanted to do exactly as Jerreda suggested, and go among the newcomers, greet them, speak with them, find out who might be skilled or experienced enough to serve as a leader for the rest, but he dared not. There were much more dangerous problems demanding his attention. 'All right, this is what we will do. Muirreste, Gaerth, I want you to select one third of your officers and sergeants to leave your companies and serve as leadership cadres for five new companies each, to be organized from our unattached volunteers. Make sure you pick some good and capable leaders for this duty. You will be promoting them, after all. Have the cadre commanders figure out how to build their new companies from our volunteers. In the meantime, you may go among the volunteers and see if any of them would serve to replace the captains and officers you will be losing.'
'Lord Seiveril, I don't know if I can spare that many good officers,' Knight-Commander Gaerth said.
'Lord Gaerth, you and Muirreste have the largest, most well organized contingents here. If anyone can spare seasoned commanders, it's the Silver Guard and the Knights of the Golden Star.' Seiveril offered a stern smile and added, 'I don't want to leave anyone behind who wants to go, and I can't have them organize their own companies. You will have to help them.'
'We will do our best,' the sun elf knight capitulated with a grimace.
'My thanks,' Seiveril replied. He glanced at each of his principal officers again, and offered a rueful smile. 'I know it is difficult, but time is pressing. Since we were not permitted to bring Evermeet's army to aid our kinsfolk in Faerun, we must build the best force we can in the shortest time. I want to send at least some of our strength through the elfgates to Evereska in two days' time. Now, do we have any other pressing business?'
'I fear so,' said the mage Jorildyn. 'Tell me, Lord Seiveril, have you decided which elfgates you wish to use to move the army to Faerun?'
'There's a gate to Evereska about ten miles from here,' Seiveril replied. 'I understand it can be held open for several hours at a time, long enough for quite a few troops to march through.'
'I think we should put it under a strong guard.'
Seiveril looked sharply at the mage and asked, 'Why?'
'It occurs to me that your crusade could be easily defeated or delayed if it proved impossible to move to Faerun when you would like. If you were forced to use a gate that led to some place hundreds of miles from the fight, you might conclude that you could never get there in time. There are powerful families on the council who feel that you flouted their will by arranging your voluntary crusade. They might be willing to return the favor by denying you the means to leave the isle where and when you wish.'
'You think matters are that serious?' Seiveril asked with a frown.
The heavy-shouldered mage replied, 'Are you confident they are not, Lord Seiveril?'
The nobleman studied his chief mage, conscious of the eyes of the other captains on him.
'Lord Gaerth,' he said, 'have your troops provide a guard over the elfgates we intend to use. Mage Jorildyn,
