From conversation within the room, he gathered there was a ship in harbour that could take them. Saalshen's navy ruled the waves, and once into the Sharaal Sea, a ship could find safe harbour anywhere along the Saalshen coast. But how long would such cargo be safe, if Saalshen itself were next to fall?
“This is stupid,” he muttered to himself. Tracato's defenders had little time to prepare, and Elissian cavalry could penetrate faster than they could throw up blockades. They could be here any moment and they could reach Sofy too. Meanwhile he was here, guarding paper.
He stalked from the chamber and down to the main floor. Outside, he heard yells and hooves clattering. Nasi-Keth archers at the doors were loosing arrows at mounted knights who wheeled across the courtyard, running down some city folk armed only with makeshift weapons.
“Aim for the horses you fools!” Jaryd yelled at the archers as arrows glanced harmlessly from heavy armour. There were no more than ten knights, he saw-a small raiding party, advancing ahead of the main body, likely to seek the glory of first capture for themselves.
A horse was struck, and reared, flailing. A knight saw the archers and came charging toward the broad stone steps. Jaryd pushed past to the top step, sword drawn, and dared the knight to come. He did, his horse bounding uncertainly on the steps, the knight's sword readied for a right-handed swing…and Jaryd leaped quickly across the horse's path and half-severed its head with a huge swing.
The animal collapsed, gushing blood, its rider crashing on the stairs. Nasi-Keth were on him before he could rise, pinning his armoured bulk, stabbing with knives into the gaps between armourplate. Jaryd spun his sword several times in challenge, beckoning the other knights who'd watched to try the same.
They did, three at once, and this time rearing their horses on the steps, hooves lashing at head height, forcing the defenders back. Jaryd retreated within the doors, but those were large enough to admit even mounted riders, and now there were knights coming into the Justiciary itself, shod hooves sliding on the smooth pavings as they galloped in circles, spreading chaos.
Stupid fools, Jaryd thought, slipping outside once more through a further door-they were massively outnumbered, and the archers were now shooting at them from the walls, peppering their horses. They'd retreat or die soon enough, and weren't worth his trouble.
He retrieved his horse and galloped back toward the Tol'rhen, where Sofy was surely headed next. Those knights her husband had assigned to protect her were half of them Larosan, and loyal to their lord's lawfully wedded wife. But the other half were sworn only by word, not by blood. In the Bacosh, words beside blood were nothing.
Sofy was halfway back to the Tol'rhen when a knight fell from his horse. She heard the huge crash of metal and spun in her saddle to look. That was when she sensed rather than saw the movement to her left, a knight suddenly riding much closer than he should, and she ducked by some instinct she had not known she possessed. A large sword whistled where her head had been, and then there were yells of alarm from her Larosan guards, blades drawn, steel clashing and horses rearing and colliding all around.
She could not even scream. Having no breath in her lungs, she merely grasped her reins with her face pressed to her horse's mane and kicked with her heels in blind panic, hoping the animal would find a way through the flying bodies and blades.
Someone grasped her reins, and she fought to drag them back, but it was Asym, leading her through the mess. He lashed at one knight, and abandoned Sofy momentarily as another required both his hands. Sofy reclaimed control and found space, galloping into open road. A narrow alley appeared on the right and she skidded into it, nearly hitting the wall, barely ducking beneath an overhanging inn's signpost.
She heard pursuit behind and risked a look over her shoulder to find two knights pursuing…but both wore Larosan colours and the leader waved at her to keep going. She did, weaving through tight corners and across small courtyards. Then she slowed to allow the Larosans to catch up-with no armour she weighed barely a third what they did, to the benefit of her horse.
She stopped in a small courtyard by a fountain, so her horse could drink. The horse was too frightened, blowing hard, ears pricked and swivelling. The two Larosans pushed up their visors, looking anxiously behind.
“Your Highness,” said one, gasping. “I do not know what happened…”
“I do,” said Sofy, and her voice was not nearly as unsteady as she'd feared. “My husband's dear allies have decided to end our marriage. Nothing like some more Tracatan unrest to cover their crime, they could claim anyone did it.”
Then came the sound of more hooves, echoing at some uncertain distance. The Larosans readied their swords. Asym cantered into view down the alley, his blade raised again at the sight of two more knights flanking Sofy.
“Asym!” Sofy shouted above the racket of hooves, her hands raised. “No!” Asym stopped opposite the fountain. “Larosan knights, Asym. Balthaar's allies, sworn by blood.”
Asym spoke only a little Lenay, but he knew the Larosan colours, and knew who had and had not betrayed them. He nodded, narrow eyes grim.
“Five Larosan dead,” he said brokenly, showing five fingers to be sure. “More go, run. We go Tol'rhen?”
Sofy nodded. “We have to. We must tell them what's coming.”
The Tol'rhen courtyard when they reached it was filled with Elissian knights and soldiers.
“What are they doing?” Sofy muttered, peering past Asym's shoulder. They stood, dismounted, at the corner of a narrow lane, watching the activity. There were carts arriving, and men unloading from the back. It was too far away to see properly. Elsewhere in the city, Sofy could hear shouting, and the distant clash of weapons. Somewhere near, smoke rose thick into a cloudy sky. On the wind, she smelled smoke.
Asym said something in his native Telochi that Sofy didn't understand. Behind them, the two Larosan knights stood mounted, guarding the lane to their rear.
Suddenly Asym pointed. Men in the courtyard were shouting, hands waving. On the far side near grand buildings, two had fallen. Another followed, and arrows skipped on stone. Now with a massed yell, armed men were running from the cover of buildings, swinging at those closest Elissians. The Elissians stopped what they were doing and charged. Mounted knights plunged into the attackers, striking out, scattering them. One knight was pulled down, but now Elissian foot soldiers were in amongst it, and the clashes and screams of battle echoed loudly off the surrounding buildings.
Hooves clattered behind and the Larosan knights called warning, but it was Jaryd who appeared on horseback. Sofy ran back to him, away from the conspicuousness of the lane mouth.
“I thought you'd be here,” Jaryd said down to her. “They're all over-they came into the city from several directions, very well planned. Local folk are trying to organise defence, but they're outmuscled. They're going after the big buildings, the institutions. I saw that big library four streets down on fire on the way here.”
“Jaryd, we have to stop them!” Sofy felt utterly desperate. “These Elissians are unloading carts into the Tol'rhen, I don't know what they're doing but now the locals are attacking them….”
“Maybe you could negotiate them into liking each other,” Jaryd said sourly. Sofy stared up at him. “Sofy, this city's done. Finished, understand?”
“It's not finished! We can still…”
“Fight them? This is the Elissian Army, Sofy, the locals are militia at best. I'll fight them if you order it, but I'll be dead well before sundown, as will we all. Is that what you want?”
Sofy put hands to her head in despair.