“Archers?” Sasha asked.
“Lots,” said Rhillian. “Mostly crossbows. They put them in the buildings and behind the front shield wall.”
Sasha considered it for a moment. She couldn't see the defences from here, they were down amongst the buildings, out of sight. But she thought she had a reasonable idea. She looked at Idraalgen, questioningly.
“Far be it from me to make decisions ahead of the conqueror of the Altene,” Idraalgen replied to her unasked question. “The Steel have always promoted on merit, and my experience in battle is not half of yours.”
Sasha felt uneasy. What Idraalgen said made sense. She knew that she could command respect from fighting men, and Arken's men had certainly given her that. But even so, this was Ilduur, she was a foreigner, and this rapid transference of trust seemed hasty to say the least.
Still, she had no choice. “How many are your battalion?” Sasha asked Idraalgen.
“Eight hundred foot,” said the formation captain, “two hundred horse. We've summonsed the other garrisons with word of what has happened, and the closest of those could be here in another day…but that's only another four hundred in total. The big garrisons are on the borders, obviously.”
“I'm not waiting another day, let alone several,” Sasha muttered. “Half the city could rise up. Why not simply leave? Take the Steel and march to Jahnd?”
“Without first taking the Remischtuul?” Idraalgen darkened with fury. “Those scum have betrayed Ilduur and they shall pay. Besides which, we cannot leave our families unprotected. The only way to preserve order in Ilduur is to remake the Remischtuul anew, after this lot have been swept out and punished.”
Sasha looked at Rhillian. Rhillian gazed back. Sasha recalled accusing Rhillian of making a mess of this kind of thing in Petrodor. Rhillian's gaze was unaccusing, yet Sasha sensed a judgement there, wondering how much better her young friend would do in a similar circumstance. Still she felt uneasy. She did not know Ilduur well enough, and surely she was missing things. She wondered exactly what she was walking into.
Her only goal, she decided, was to march to Jahnd with as many of the Ilduuri Steel as would follow, as soon as possible. After that, Ilduur could stew. It was out of her hands.
“Well,” she said, “how are the approaches to these buildings on the east of Heroes' Square?”
“Closed and protected,” said Rhillian, with the certainty of recent scoutings. “Steel could attack up them.”
“So we take these buildings, and gain a platform of fire for the talmaad,” said Sasha, pointing. “That allows us to disrupt movement across the entire square, and fire down onto neighbouring barricades.”
“It will be a slow way to attack,” Idraalgen warned. “Taking those buildings will be time-consuming, and we cannot shock them with our force of arms if we move so slowly.”
“Hardly matters,” said Sasha. “Force of arms is a Steel strength, but their one chance is to meet us with superior numbers and defender's advantage, and stop us. I'd rather grind them down-inexperienced troops hate it and we have a big advantage in archery with the talmaad. Let them try to redeploy their reserve under talmaad fire, we'll put soldiers in the base of those buildings to keep them safe from counterattack, and let them waste men trying that under fire if they choose.
“Then we go up the main roads here and here from the lake, force them to engage the barricades there, then a small force to feint from the west, no more than a hundred, I think. That will spread them…no, look at the size of that space they're defending, under fire at the eastern end: that should use up most of them. And this road here…” she pointed along the base of the hills, “…what is this?”
“That's Meadow Road,” said Arken. “It will be defended.”
“It is,” Rhillian confirmed.
“Against cavalry?” Sasha asked. “Two hundred you said, Captain?” Idraalgen nodded.
“You'd send cavalry onto those cobbles?” Rhillian asked.
“I would if there's no one left to defend that road,” Sasha explained. “Even if they've double what you say they have, inexperienced armies simply do not redeploy well under pressure and under fire. If we press them like I say, I can't see how they'll keep enough force on Meadow Road to stop two hundred cavalry getting through. And if two hundred cavalry get through there, that's a knife in their heart, they'll have cavalry in their rear…”
“The killing blow for sure,” Idraalgen agreed. “If it works.”
“Aye,” said Sasha. “If it works.”
She held Aisha back as the others descended the stairs, so they could talk on the way down. She could see with one look that Aisha had much to tell her. Aisha knew Ilduur better than any non-Ilduuri here.
“Talk,” Sasha said simply, in Lenay.
“Three-fourths of the Steel are eastern,” Aisha replied in kind. “The east of Ilduur is distrusted elsewhere, for close relations with Saalshen. The Remischtuul has kept them from power and tried to recruit other Ilduuris to the Steel, but in this land of isolation, few save the easterners want to be part of an army that is friendly with foreigners.”
“Do you think Idraalgen and those like him want more power for the east?”
Aisha nodded. “This is their chance to remake Ilduur. No bad thing, save that if they try for a great reform, there will be resistance, and the Steel will be required to stay and put it down. We need them in Jahnd, not putting down disturbances here.”
Sasha nodded grimly as they descended the spiral stairs.
“Another thing,” Aisha said hastily, “they embrace you very quickly for a foreigner…”
“I was just thinking that.”
“Good, you noticed. The same thing happened when Saalshen first arrived two hundred years ago. They exalted us as a great wind of change, and there was much worship of the great foreign lords. It puzzled us too, but then when things began to go less well, we realised what it was. Whether you are a great foreign hero, Sasha, or a hated foreign invader, what are you not?”
“A common Ilduuri,” Sasha realised.
“Exactly. Outsiders are useful to be hated, useful to be worshipped, and can be discarded either way. Never mistake the worship for acceptance.”
“If it all goes wrong, they can blame me and cast me off,” Sasha summarised. “But as an outsider, I have freedoms of action Ilduuris do not, making me useful.”
Aisha nodded. “Just don't believe what they tell you. Now it all gets crazy.”
It was crazy. As morning moved to midday, Steel infantry arrived in the square. Sasha briefed the assembled officers, who then departed to spread the plans further. There was a lot of yelling and urgent excitement. The talmaad were calmer, stocking arrows and testing bowstrings. They gathered about Rhillian and listened quietly.
To one side of the courtyard, a small group of Andal locals gathered to yell obscenities at Steel and talmaad alike. A few tried pleading with Steel officers, and were shrugged off. Some others threw cobblestones plucked from the roads. A Steel officer grew tired of it and sent cavalry to ride into the group, scattering them. A horse's bridle was grabbed, and the cavalrymen began striking. People scattered back into the streets and alleys, leaving several dead on the ground.
Five soldiers came across the courtyard at a run, straight for Sasha. “M'lady,” said their leader, “best that you have a guard. This city is hostile, any watching this action from a window will soon observe you giving orders, and any fool can fire a crossbow.”
He handed her a shield as well. Another time, Sasha would have refused. But today, she could feel the city simmering. She took the shield and beckoned her personal guard to follow to where the Ilduuri Steel was beginning to assemble, direct from their march from Andal Garrison in gleaming ranks of armour, shields, and helms.