“As they say, my lady, he who hesitates is lost.” He looked at Teryani again, and his eyes glittered. “While I am personally delighted by Lady Terian’s company, I must say, I am concerned that an army marching into battle is no place for a young lady of such high breeding. Are you certain that you wish her to accompany our army on this campaign?”
“I am confident that you can look after me, Lord Duncastle,” Terian said, inclining her head to the Sembian lord. “And I have my guards, as well. I will be safe, I think.”
Sarya couldn’t help but smile at Teryani’s winsome manner. In truth the Ealoeth noblewoman was a deadly swordmaster, skilled in the arts of stealth, subterfuge, and poisoning. Even if Duncastle was half the swordsman he might once have been, she wouldn’t have been surprised if Teryani Ealoeth could have carved him like a trussed pig in any kind of swordplay-or more likely, killed him in any of a dozen other ways that the human lord never would see coming.
She decided to change the subject before Teryani carried on her coquettish little act any further.
“You need to increase your pace, Lord Duncastle. Events are moving quickly in Battledale and Mistledale. I would not want you to miss out.”
“Do not fear, Lady Senda,” the Sembian lord said with a broad smile. “We’ve already got five full squadrons of cavalry in Essembra. We won’t miss our date in Mistledale.”
“The sooner your whole army reaches Essembra, the better,” Sarya answered. “We have to halt Miritar’s host and draw them into a fight in open ground. You are in a race, Lord Duncastle.”
In Essembra, the Sembian force would threaten Miritar’s right flank. If the elven army continued north from Mistledale’s borders toward Myth Drannor, Duncastle’s Sembians could move west on the Essembra-Ashabenford trail and cut Miritar off from his base in Semberholme, as well as any aid from his human allies in Mistledale and Deepingdale. In fact, Sembia’s army would be ideally positioned to crush those allies if Miritar chose not to meet Duncastle’s threat. Meanwhile, the Red Plume army from Hillsfar descending the Moonsea Ride could come in to block him from a move to the north. And Fzoul Chembryl’s Zhentish army was sweeping far to the west, marching from Voonlar toward Shadowdale to seal the western side of the trap as Duncastle’s Sembians sealed the eastern side.
Sarya had been absolutely enraged to find that the first lord of Hillsfar had presumed to allow yet another petty human tyrant to ally with him, but she had made herself wait one full day before attacking the First Lord’s Tower with a hundred devils and fiends and a thousand fey’ri. After considering exactly how to raze Maalthiir’s tower and execute the first lord of Hillsfar in an appropriately gruesome manner, a few hours for thought had helped her to see that Fzoul Chembryl’s grandiose ambitions and Maalthiir’s underhanded dealings played perfectly into her hands.
Maalthiir is too clever for his own good, she reflected. Either he is foolish enough to think that dealing with another power proves that he is not beholden to me, or he thinks himself prudent in providing himself with an ally whom he might turn against me if we should have a falling out. The question, of course, is who will betray whom first?
Sarya was an old and practiced hand at that particular game.
“Bane’s brazen throne,” Borstag Duncastle muttered, disturbing her from her ruminations. “What is he doing here?”
Sarya followed the direction of the Sembian lord’s glance, and spotted a small party of well-appointed horsemen riding over the bridge alongside the columns of Duncastle soldiers. The man at the head of the company was a handsome lord with hair of close-cut black ringlets, attired in a fine doublet of dove-gray under which mail glinted. A score of armored riders followed him, all wearing surcoats or doublets that featured at least a splash of the same dove-gray.
“Who is this?” she asked, intrigued by Lord Duncastle’s reaction.
“Miklos Selkirk and his accursed Silver Ravens,” Duncastle growled. “He is the overmaster’s son, and his chief agent and defender in any enterprise that catches his eye.” He looked at Sarya, and scowled. “He’ll be here to spy on our every move and carry tales back to his father, mark my words.”
“Does this overmaster have the power to recall your soldiers, Duncastle?” Sarya asked with icy calm.
“He can certainly call my actions into question, and perhaps persuade the Great Council to issue such an order.”
“Then I suggest you avoid giving this Selkirk offense.” Sarya folded her arms and watched the riders in gray approach.
Miklos Selkirk and his company passed abreast of the inn. The overmaster’s son caught sight of Borstag Duncastle and turned his horse aside. He dismounted with easy grace and handed his reins to one of his Silver Ravens.
“Ah, there you are, Duncastle!” he called. “I’ve been riding all up and down this column looking for you.”
“Selkirk,” Duncastle said. He made a shallow bow, never taking his eyes from the younger lord’s face. “I was not expecting you, or else I would have left word that you were to be brought up to me.”
“No matter. The ride gave me a good opportunity to size up your army.” Miklos Selkirk turned to Sarya and Teryani, and he offered a deep flourish and bow. “I am afraid I have not had the pleasure, dear ladies. I am Miklos Selkirk, of the House Selkirk.”
“Lady Senda Dereth,” Sarya answered. “This is my lady-in-waiting, Terian.”
Sarya offered her hand, and despite her deep-rooted loathing of humans and all their works, she had to admit that Miklos Selkirk was a handsome fellow, gifted with almost elven grace and self-possession. She looked into his eyes, and saw nothing but keen steel there.
Here is a worthy adversary, Sarya thought. She would have to amend Teryani’s instructions, if Selkirk was going to be near the head of the Sembian army for any time at all.
“A pleasure to meet you, Lady Senda,” the human said. A flicker of interest crossed his face-a moment’s glance as Selkirk fixed her face in his mind, perhaps, and reminded himself to find out more about her later-then he looked back to Lord Duncastle.
“My father asked me to accompany you for a while, Lord Duncastle,” he said. “As you know, the council has expended no small sum in adding to the forces at your command, and they want to make sure that their investment is in good hands.” Selkirk glanced toward the south and shrugged, as if to imply that he thought it was all nonsense, but Sarya did not mistake the sharp calculation in his eyes. “The expedition is entirely in your hands, I assure you. My only function is to ensure that accurate and timely reports reach Ordulin.”
Duncastle’s scowl deepened, but he held his temper in check. “Very well,” he rumbled. “You are, of course, welcome to observe as long as you feel necessary, Selkirk.”
“Good,” said the younger noble. “I knew you would be reasonable about this, Duncastle. Now, if I may be so bold… might I ask you to explain your plan of march? I see thousands of Sembian soldiers invading the Dalelands, and I find that I am not at all sure I understand why.”
Duncastle fumed, thunder gathering on his brow, but Sarya intervened. “The plan, Lord Selkirk, is to bring three armies against one, and demonstrate to Seiveril Miritar and the rest of Evermeet’s army that the days of elves dictating terms to human kingdoms are over. Now, do you have the steel for the game, or not?”
Miklos Selkirk’s easy manner froze on his face. He looked back to Sarya, and studied her more closely.
“You are playing with dangerous powers, Lady Senda,” he said in a more serious voice. “I don’t pretend to know what sort of old elven spells might still be sleeping in Cormanthor, or what the heroes who defend the Dalelands might do about a concerted threat such as that we’re offering them now, and so I fear the remedying of my ignorance. But yes, I agree that the stakes are… enticing.”
“I do not know what to tell you about any heroes defending these lands,” Sarya said, “but I can tell you this, Miklos Selkirk: I wield Cormanthor’s magic, and as long as Sembia’s army is moving against my enemies, you need have no fear of old elven spells.”