Mina read the missive, her face expressionless. When she finished, she handed it to Galdar. He read it. His jaw dropped so that his sharp teeth glistened in the sun, his tongue lolled. He read and reread the message, turned his amazed gaze upon Mina.
“Forgive me, Mina,” he said softly, handing the piece of parchment back to her.
“Do not ask my forgiveness, Galdar,” she said. “I am not the one you doubted.”
“What does the message say, Galdar?” Captain Samuval demanded impatiently, and his question was echoed by the crowd.
Mina raised her hand and the soldiers obeyed her unspoken command instantly. The templelike hush fell over them again.
“My orders are to march south, invade, seize, and hold the elven land of Silvanesti.”
A low and angry rumble, like the rumble of thunder from an approaching storm, sounded in the throats of the soldiers.
“No!” several shouted, incensed. “They can’t do this! Come with us, Mina! To the Abyss with Targonne! We’ll march on Jelek! Yes, that’s what we’ll do! We’ll march on Jelek!”
“Hear me!” Mina shouted above the clamor. “These orders do not come from General Targonne! His is but the hand that writes them. The orders come from the One God. It is our God’s will that we attack Silvanesti in or.cier to prove the God’s return to all the world. We will march on Silvanesti!” Mina’s voice raised in a stirring cry. “And we will be victorious!”
“Hurrah!” The soldiers cheered and began to chant, “Mina! Mina! Mina!”
The messenger stared about him in dazed astoundment. The entire camp, a thousand voices, were chanting this girl’s name.
The chant echoed off the mountains and thundered to the heavens. The chant was heard in the town of Sanction, whose residents trembled and whose Knights grimly gripped their weapons, thinking this portended some terrible doom for their besieged city.
A horrible, bubbling cry rose above the chanting, halting some of it, though those on the outskirts of the crowd continued on, unhearing. The cry came from the tent of Lord Milles. So awful was that cry that those standing near the tent backed away, regarded it in alarm.
“Go and see what has happened,” Mina ordered.
Galdar did as commanded. The messenger accompanied him, knowing that Targonne would be interested in the outcome. Drawing his sword, Galdar sliced through the leather strings that held the flap shut. He went inside and came back out a instant later.
“His lordship is dead,” he reported, “by his own hand.”
The soldiers began to cheer again, and many jeered and laughed.
Mina rounded upon those near her in anger that lit the amber eyes with a pale fire. The soldiers ceased their cheering, quailed before her. Mina said no word but walked past them, her chin set, her back rigid. She came to the entrance of the tent.
“Mina,” said Galdar, holding up the bloodstained message.
“This wretch tried to have you hanged. The proof is here in Targonne’s response.”
“Lord Milles stands before the One God, now, Galdar,”
Mina said, “where we will all stand one day. It is not for us to judge him.”
She took the bloody bit of paper, tucked it into her belt, and walked inside the tent. When Galdar started to go with her, she ordered him away, closed the tent flaps behind her.
Galdar put an eye to the flap. Shaking his head, he turned and mounted guard upon the entrance.
“Go about your business,” the minotaur commanded the soldiers who were milling about in front of the tent. “There’s work to be done if we’re marching to Silvanesti.”
“What is she doing in there?” asked the messenger.
“Praying,” Galdar said shortly.
“Praying!” the messenger repeated to himself in wonder.
Mounting his horse, he rode off, anxious not to lose a moment in reporting the day’s astonishing events to the Lord of the Night.
“So what happened?” Captain Samuval asked, coming to stand next to Galdar.
“To Milles?” Galdar grunted. “He fell on his sword.” He handed over the message. “I found this in his hand. As we guessed he would, he sent a pack of lies to Targonne, all about how Mina nearly lost the battle and Milles saved it. Targonne may be a murdering, conniving bastard, but he’s not stupid.” Galdar spoke with grudging admiration. “He saw through Milles’s lies and ordered him to report word of his ‘victory’ directly to the great dragon Malystryx.”
“No wonder he chose this way out,” Samuval commented. “But why send Mina south to Silvanesti? What happens to Sanction?”
“Targonne has ordered General Dogah to leave Khur. He will take over the siege of Sanction. As I said, Targonne’s not stupid. He knows that Mina and her talk of One True God is a threat to him and the phony ‘Visions’ he’s been handing out. But he also knows that he will start a rebellion among the troops if he tries to have her arrested. The great dragon Malystryx has long been annoyed by Silvanesti and the fact that the elves have found a way to thwart her by hiding beneath their magical shield. Targonne can placate Malystryx on the one hand by telling her he has sent a force to attack Silvanesti, and he can rid himself of a dangerous threat to his authority at the same time.”
“Does Mina know that in order to reach Silvanesti we must march through Blöde?” Captain Samuval demanded. “A realm held by the ogres? They are already angry that we have taken some of their land. They will resent any further incursion into their territory.” Samuval shook his head. “This is suicidal! We will never even see Silvanesti. We must try to talk her out of this act of folly, Galdar.”
“It is not my place to question her,” said the minotaur. “She knew we were going to Silvanost this morning before the messenger arrived. Remember, Captain? I told you of it myself.”
“Did you?” Captain Samuval mused. “In all the excitement I had forgotten. I wonder how she found out?”
Mina emerged from Milles’s tent. She was very pale.
“His crimes have been forgiven. His soul has been accepted.”
She sighed, glanced about appeared disappointed to find herself back among mortals. “How I envy him!”
“Mina, what are your orders?” Galdar asked.
Mina looked at him without recognition for a moment the amber still seeing wondrous sights not given to other mortals.
Then she smiled bleakly, sighed again, and came back to her surroundings.
“Assemble the troops. Captain Samuval, you will address them. You will tell them truthfully that the assignment is dangerous one. Some might say ‘suicidal.’ ” She smiled at Samuval. “I will order no man to make this march. Any who come do so of their own free will.”
“They will all come, Mina,” said Galdar softly.
Mina gazed at him, her eyes luminous, radiant. “If that be true, then the force will be too large, too unwieldy. We must move fast and we must keep our movement secret. My own Knights will accompany me, of course. You will select five hundred of the best of the foot soldiers, Galdar. The remainder will stay behind with my blessing. They must continue to besiege Sanction.”
Galdar blinked. “But Mina, didn’t you hear? Targonne has given orders that General Dogah is to take over the siege of Sanction.”
Mina smiled. “General Dogah will receive new orders telling him that he is to turn his forces south and march with all possible haste upon Silvanesti.”
“But. . . where will these orders come from?” Galdar asked, gaping. “Not Targonne. He is ordering us to Silvanesti simply to get rid of us, Mina!”
“As I told you, Galdar, Targonne acts for the One God, whether he knows it or not.” Mina reached into her belt where she had tucked the orders Milles had received from Targonne.
She held the parchment to the sunlight. Targonne’s name loomed large and black at the bottom, his seal gleamed red. Mina pointed. “You will meet us here,” she said, indicating a place on the map marked with a pebble. “I calculate that it will take you two days to meet up with General Dogah and another three days to rejoin us. The One God speed you, Galdar.”