«Ocher,» said Evyan softly, «out of my way.»
«I like not retreat, my lady,» he answered in a thin tone.
«Nor I,» said Evyan. «But I must have an escape route open. We will fight again.»
Slowly, Ocher withdrew, back to his own home. Evyan chuckled once, and a wry grin twisted her young face.
Rogard was looking at her so tautly that he did not see what was happening until a great shout of iron slammed his head around. Then he saw Bishop SORKAS, standing in Carlon’s square with a bloodied mace in his hands, and Carlon lay dead at his feet.
Carlon, your hands are empty, life has slipped from them and there is an unending darkness, risen in you who loved the world. Goodnight, my Carlon, goodnight.
«Madame—» Bishop SORKAS spoke quietly, bowing a little, and there was a smile on his crafty face. «I regret, madame, that—ah—»
«Yes. I must leave you.» Evyan shook her head, as if she had been struck, and moved a square backwards and sideways. Then, turning, she threw the glance of an eagle down the black squares to LEUKAS’ Earl ARACLES. He looked away nervously as if he would crouch behind the three soldiers who warded him. Evyan drew a deep breath sobbing into her lungs.
Sir THEUTAS, DOLORA’S Knight, sprang from his stronghold, to place himself between Evyan and the Earl. Rogard wondered dully if he meant to kill Ulfar the soldier; he could do it now. Ulfar looked at the Knight who sat crouched, and hefted his spear and waited for his own weird.
«Rogard!»
The Bishop leaped, and for a moment there was fire-streaked darkness before his eyes.
«Rogard, to me! To me, and help sweep them from the world!»
Evyan’s voice.
She stood in her scarred and dinted armor, holding her sword aloft, and on that smitten field she was laughing with a new-born hope. Rogard could not shout his reply. There were no words. But he raised his mace and ran.
The black squares slid beneath his feet, footfalls pounding, jarring his teeth, muscles stretching with a resurgent glory and all the world singing. At the frontier, he stopped, knowing it was Evyan’s will though he could not have said how he knew. Then he faced about, and with clearing eyes looked back over that field of iron and ruin. Save for one soldier and a knight, Cinnabar was now cleared of LEUKAN forces, Evyan was safe, a counterblow was readying like the first whistle of hurricane. Before him were the proud banners of LEUKAS—now to throw them into the dust! Now to ride with Evyan into the home of MIKILLATI!
«Go to it, sir,» rumbled Ulfar, standing on the Bishop’s right and looking boldly at the white Knight who could slay him. «Give ’em hell from us.»
Wings beat in the sky, and THEUTAS soared down to land on Rogard’s left. In the hot light, the blued metal of his armor was like running water. His horse snorted, curveting and flapping its wings; he sat it easily, the lance swaying in his grasp, the blank helmet turned to Flambard. One more such leap, reckoned Rogard wildly, and he would be able to assail the King of Cinnabar. Or—no—a single spring from here and he would spit Evyan on his lance.
And there is a Barrier between us!
«Watch yourself, Queen!» the arrogant LEUKAN voice boomed hollow out of the steel mask.
«Indeed I will, Sir Knight!» There was only laughter in Evyan’s tone. Lightly, then, she sped up the row of black squares. She brushed by Rogard, smiling at him as she ran, and he tried to smile back but his face was stiffened. Evyan, Evyan, she was plunging alone into her enemy’s homeland!
Iron belled and clamored. The white guardsman in her path toppled and sank at her feet. One fist lifted strengthlessly, and a dying shrillness was in the dust: «Curse you, curse you, MIKILLATI, curse you for a stupid fool, leaving me here to be slain—no, no, no—»
Evyan bestrode the body and laughed again in the very face of Earl ARACLES. He cowered back, licking his lips—he could not move against her, but she could annihilate him in one more step. Beside Rogard, Ulfar whooped, and the trumpets of Cinnabar howled in the rear.
Now the great attack was launched! Rogard cast a fleeting glance at Bishop SORKAS. The lean white-coped form was gliding forth, mace swinging loose in one hand, and there was a little sleepy smile on the pale face. No dismay—? SORKAS halted, facing Rogard, and smiled a little wider, skinning his teeth without humor. «You can kill me if you wish,» he said softly. «But do you?»
For a moment Rogard wavered. To smash that head—!
«Rogard! Rogard, to me!»
Evyan’s cry jerked the King’s Bishop around. He saw now what her plan was, and it dazzled him so that he forgot all else. LEUKAS is ours!
Swiftly he ran. DIOMES and BOAN howled at him as he went between them, brushing impotent spears against the Barriers. He passed Queen DOLORA, and her lovely face was as if cast in steel, and her eyes followed him as he charged over the plain of LEUKAS. Then there was no time for thinking, Earl RAFAEON loomed before him, and he jumped the last boundary into the enemy’s heartland.
The Earl lifted a meaningless ax. The Law read death for him, and Rogard brushed aside the feeble stroke. The blow of his mace shocked in his own body, slamming his jaws together. RAFAEON crumpled, falling slowly, his armor loud as he struck the ground. Briefly, his fingers clawed at the iron-hard black earth, and then he lay still.
They have slain Raddic and Carlon—we have three guardsmen, a Bishop and an Earl—Now we need only be butchers! Evyan, Evyan, warrior Queen, this is your victory!
DIOMES of LEUKAS roared and jumped across the frontier. Futile, futile, he was doomed to darkness. Evyan’s lithe form moved up against ARACLES, her sword flamed and the Earl crashed at her feet. Her voice was another leaping brand: «Defend yourself, King!»
Turning, Rogard grew aware that MIKILLATI himself had been right beside him. There was a Barrier between the two men—but MIKILLATI had to retreat from Evyan, and he took one step forward and sideways. Peering into his face, Rogard felt a sudden coldness. There was no defeat there, it was craft and knowledge and an unbending steel will—what was LEUKAS planning?
Evyan tossed her head, and the wind fluttered the lock of hair like a rebel banner. «We have them, Rogard!» she cried.
Far and faint, through the noise and confusion of battle, Cinnabar’s bugles sounded the command of her King. Peering into the haze, Rogard saw that Flambard was taking precautions. Sir THEUTAS was still a menace, where he stood beside SORKAS. Sir Cupran of Cinnabar flew heavily over to land in front of the Queen’s Earl’s guardsman, covering the route THEUTAS must follow to endanger Flambard.
Wise, but—Rogard looked again at MIKILLATI’S chill white face, and it was as if a breath of cold blew through him. Suddenly he wondered why they fought. For victory, yes, for mastery over the world—but when the battle had been won, what then?
He couldn’t think past that moment. His mind recoiled in horror he could not name. In that instant he knew icily that this was not the first war in the world, there had been others before, and there would be others again. Victory is death.
But Evyan, glorious Evyan, she could not die. She would reign over all the world and—
Steel blazed in Cinnabar. MERKON of LEUKAS came surging forth, one tigerish leap which brought him down on Ocher’s guardsman. The soldier screamed, once, as he fell under the trampling, tearing hoofs, but it was lost in the shout of the LEUKAN Knight: «Defend yourself, Flambard! Defend yourself!»