“What do you think?” Kessligh asked her.
“I'm hoping they don't know how to use that artillery they captured,” Sasha replied. She spoke Saalsi, which all senior Steel spoke competently. A talmaad translated for the Lenays, who nodded grimly.
This lookout stood directly above the wall. To their right, the Dhemerhill Valley was joined by the smaller Ilmerhill Valley. Across the Ilmerhill, upon the opposing slope, was Jahnd, protruding into the Dhemerhill from that intersection of the two valleys.
“How far is our artillery range?” she asked.
“See that mill down by the Ilmerhill River?” Kessligh said, pointing. “If we have catapults on the walls, that's their range.”
“Can't even shoot beyond our own city,” Sasha surmised. “Some of the roads looked good enough for hauling catapults. We probably can't haul them back up the slope, but we could forward-position some out here in the valley, then once this new wall is breached, they fall back within the range of our city-wall catapults.”
“That's the plan,” Kessligh agreed. “We can only fit about a quarter of our artillery on the walls anyhow, and those can be easily avoided. I want to create killing zones where we force them into unavoidable losses.”
“Which is why you're sitting up here.”
“Exactly. There are a couple of crests along this side of the valley with road access from the ridge behind. I want to put a bunch of them along here and force them to take this ridge. My artillery captains tell me these roads aren't quite steep enough to stop us retreating from here down into the Ilmerhill. We'll hold the mouth of the Ilmerhill even after this wall here is breached; there are good natural defences. So we can get artillery from this position down into the Ilmerhill for a new defensive line there.”
“You'll need someone to hold this ridge,” said Sasha. “You can't concede the high ground above the Ilmerhill, even if they can't get catapults up this way. Ilduuris would be ideal.”
“Are they that much better on the hills?”
Sasha smiled. “They climb like mountain goats and their armour and shields are lighter for the purpose. And they read the high terrain excellently, they know which passes need to be defended, and which the enemy is simply wasting his time on.”
“I'd thought to use your Ilduuris on the right flank, too,” said Kessligh. “Which means you'll have to split in two, defending the high-left and high-right flanks.”
Sasha shrugged. “I have good captains, I can delegate. But we'll lose this ridge eventually, and from there we'll certainly lose the Ilmerhill.”
Kessligh nodded. “Yes, but it will cost them dearly.”
Behind the new wall across the Dhemerhill, armies were camped along the valley floor. The Rhodaani, Enoran, and Ilduuri Steel, or what was left of them. And the Army of Lenayin.
“There's one other thing,” said Sasha. “We cannot simply fight this as a defensive action, retreating all the while and making them pay for each step taken. If they have as much artillery as is being said, we can't win that way. We have to try and take out some of that artillery.”
“I know,” said Kessligh. “You've fought against artillery. What do you think they'll do?”
“Well, assuming they're not stupid, and I don't think they are considering artillery has killed so many of them in the past…” She paused, thinking about it, looking from the ridge upon which they stood, to the valley below and back again. “Well, see, they have to take this ridge first. With artillery up here, we can hit them but they can't hit us. The first fight will be here.
“If they want to use their artillery against this wall, they'll have to risk losing it to our artillery on this hill. So it wouldn't surprise me if they simply try to take the wall without their artillery-hit this ridge and the wall simultaneously, but hold their artillery back so they don't lose it. It will cost them a lot more men that way, but better that than lose artillery.”
“If they leave it back by the Ipshaal in safety…” Kessligh said thoughtfully.
Sasha nodded vigorously. “Exactly. We must risk a thrust into their rear to try and get their artillery first. Otherwise, well, I heard the stories of what the Rhodaani Steel did in Elisse to lords who cowered inside defensive positions; half a day and there was nothing left. We won't cave in half a day, but once they've taken this wall, these hills, the Ilmerhill behind us…we'll be stuck in Jahnd, under bombardment, and everything will burn. We won't last three days.”
“Good,” said Kessligh, gazing across the scene, deep in thought. She doubted she'd told him anything he hadn't already thought of. It was more that ideas, like the vegetables he'd taken such time and care over on their ranch in Baerlyn, needed to be nurtured.
Upon the road up the valley side, Sasha saw a new group of horsemen. These moved light, like talmaad. One of them was breaking away from the rest, in unreasonable haste. Sasha grinned. It could only be one person.
“He's been amazing,” said Kessligh, with a little irony. “You should know that he has quite a following here now, amongst the talmaad. Perhaps to rival Rhillian's.”
“Yes, well, we'll see about that,” Sasha said. “You heard what she did?”
Kessligh nodded. “Extraordinary. Serrin civilisation has always evolved far more slowly than humans, but even so. They did fight and kill each other once, long ago. It seems the instinct is not entirely dead.”
Sasha shook her head. “That's not it.” And to Kessligh's querying look, “I'll explain later.”
“One last thing-Errollyn has struck up quite a friendship with Damon in our ride here.”
“Hmm,” said Sasha. “You've heard about our issues with Damon too.”
Another nod. “Now go to him before he kills his horse coming up that hill.”
Sasha took off back down the road, giving the stallion enough freedom to find his own pace down the hill. She met Errollyn at the first elbow where the road turned back on itself, but the horse did not slow fast enough, so she had to haul him back and around. But Errollyn had leaped off, so she leaped off too, and then she was in his arms. His grip was strong, almost painful, and she clung desperately.
“Hey,” she said, muffled against his shoulder.
“We shouldn't make too much of a scene,” Errollyn suggested. “I mean, I'm talmaad leader here, and you're general of the Ilduuri Steel. People are watching.”
“Fuck them,” said Sasha, and kissed him.
There was another wall being built across the Dhemerhill Valley upstream from Jahnd. It was no taller than the other, cutting through paddocks, grain fields and orchard groves like a great grey scar. Facing it, trees were being cut, and farmhouses demolished. Riding along it, Sasha recalled a time when she would have felt excitement at the prospect of the greatest battle in Rhodia for several centuries at least. Now, seeing the destruction for its preparation, and pondering the destruction to come, she felt only sad.
“It's a day's detour to come through the hills and into the Dhemerhill Valley upstream,” said Errollyn, riding at her side. “We've some ambush ideas along the way, but there's nothing we can do to stop them.”
“I don't like this at all,” Sasha muttered, looking back over the wall at Jahnd, rising high up its hillside. “Once they take this wall, they can hide behind it as we do, on the reverse side. We block our own avenue to a counterattack, and give them cover from our own artillery.”
“Little choice,” said Errollyn. “We must make them fight for position in the valley, and subject them to our artillery on the high slopes. It's our main chance to inflict serious casualties, because once we're forced back to Jahnd and under their artillery fire, the casualties will be mostly ours.”
Errollyn took her east, upriver where the valley turned slightly across Jahnd's right flank, making a wider valley floor. Here the river widened, and the fields were open, and more clear of trees. This was cavalry country. Above it, Jahnd's buildings spread beyond its old defensive walls and along the high ridge. Paths led down to the valley from there, steep in parts, but not too steep for an army to climb. This would be Jahnd's right flank. Her right flank. It was high ground, which made it Ilduuri ground, plus whatever artillery was put up there. The Regent would have no choice but to capture these ridges, to prevent terrible fire from being rained down upon his forces with impunity.