“They shot Cevor,” the undercaptain said.
“I’m sorry. I felt it. I didn’t know who, though.”
“One man … against forty-odd of theirs and a white wizard-there was only one, wasn’t there?”
“Just one.” Kharl took another sip of lager. The worst of his weakness and light-headedness was beginning to subside. “Hate to lose even one of our own. The thing with the chaos-bolts and the windows. Hadn′t seen that before.”
“What?”
“The windows they broke …” Kharl went on to explain how the bolts had been infused with chaos to set the residence on fire. “ … probably wanted the place ablaze so that they could pick off people trying to escape.”
“Sounds like the Hamorians,” said Demyst.
“More like Egen.” Jeka’s voice was hard.
“He wasn′t with them, I don’t think,” Kharl said.
“‘A course not. Let someone else do the dirt,” Jeka replied.
That would only work for a while-at least Kharl hoped so. Eventually, he needed to face Egen, if only for his own sake.
After a time, Jeka, seated across from him, asked, “You … you coulda done this before?”
“No. I didn’t know I could. The staff started it, but I never knew.” Kharlsmiled sadly. “A lot of lancers and armsmen died because it took me a while to learn what I know.”
“More of’em lived than would have otherwise,” suggested the undercaptain.
In fact, he and Demyst were both correct, but it didn’t make Kharl feel that much better about it.
LXXIX
By just after dawn, and only a few glasses of sleep, not only could Kharl still smell smoke, and the ashes of burned men and mounts-and foliage, but despite the clouds, he could also see a pall of thick gray smoke still rising from somewhere near the top of the hill. The only place it could have come from was from the Quadrancy Keep. Whether Osten or Ostcrag had survived was another question, but that speculation could wait. Regardless of that, Kharl needed to deal with Egen and the Hamorians, especially the Hamorians.
Alynar was standing watch out front, and one of Demyst’s guards in the rear, as Erdyl, Demyst, Kharl, and Jeka ate hurriedly in the breakfast room.
“How many men do we have?” Kharl asked Demyst.
“We lost Cevor, and Sestalt’s pretty bruised. Why?”
“We’re going after Egen.”
“Better’n sitting here any longer.”
“We couldn’t start a war. Egen started it,” Kharl said. “We can try to make it very short.”
“Why didn′t-″ Erdyl broke off his words.
Kharl understood the unspoken remainder of the question, and he didn’t have the best answers. He hadn’t wanted to overreact to Egen’s evil viciousness. He hadn′t really understood what being an envoy was all about. He’d worried about setting up a situation where all the rulers of the Quadrancy and Candar would back Hamor in invading Austra-because Austra, in the person of Kharl, had tried to upset the established order in Nordla. Worst of all, while he had understood how evil Egen truly was,Kharl hadn’t realized the true depth of Egen’s ambition until the last few days.
“Because,” was all he said.
“Lord Kharl’s been here less than three eightdays,” Demyst pointed out. “Not very long to learn what’s happening and do something about it. Especially when we got no lancers or armsmen, and Egen’s got wizards and his own private army.″
“Envoys aren’t supposed to bring private armies,” Kharl said dryly. “We’re just supposed to watch and report.” Had it been less than three eightdays? He felt as though he’d been back in Nordla forever. He forced himself to eat another helping of egg toast, followed by a healthy swallow of the too-tart early cider.
“Where are we headed, ser, if I might ask?”
“To the south barracks, the ones out by the new road, just south of the city.” Kharl had already used his order-senses to determine that there were no chaos-wizards remaining at the new harbor barracks, or anywhere around the harbor, and the chaos that surrounded them appeared to have come from the south. He was guessing, but he didn’t think the white wizards who had been at the quarry fort had joined Egen’s patrollers. He didn’t know about the wizard who’d been in the Quadrancy Keep before, either, except that he wasn’t there any longer.
Demyst frowned.
“He’ll be there. Or his patrollers will be. That’s where his golds are. If he’s not there, he’ll be at the fort off the east road.”
“Why there?” asked Erdyl.
“That’s where they can block any lancers from the north and east who might support Ostcrag and Osten.”
“Do we know if they’re still alive?”
“I’d guess that at least one of them is. If they were both dead, Egen and the white wizards would already be holding the Quadrancy Keep.”
“What about the other son-Vielam?″
“I don’t know. He favors Egen, I’ve heard. Doesn’t matter, though. Either Ostcrag survived the attack on the Quadrancy Keep, or one of the older sons did. Otherwise, Brysta would be crawling with patrollers and white wizards.”
Jeka grimaced, but said nothing.
Kharl rose. “We’d better get ready.” He turned to Khelaya, standing inthe archway to the kitchen. “We’ll need some provisions, and I’ll need a hefty bag, and my water bottles filled with cider.”
A quizzical look momentarily crossed the older cook’s face.
Demyst raised his eyebrows in a different inquiry.
“It’s not much of a secret now,” Kharl said. “I’m an order-mage. I can’t keep using magery without eating a lot.”
“After last night, it had to be something like sorcery,” Khelaya said. “Never seen anything like that.”
Behind Khelaya stood Enelya, and the serving girl’s mouth opened. She shut it quickly, and her eyes went to Jeka, who gave the slightest of headshakes.
“We’ll make sure you have enough,” added the cook.
“Thank you.” Kharl hurried up to his chamber, where he donned a black riding jacket and quickly washed, before heading down and out to the stables. As he crossed the stretch of gardens, he glanced up. The clouds had lifted some, but had also darkened slightly, suggesting more rain later.
Mantar had the chestnut gelding saddled and waiting for Kharl. Demyst and Alynar were packing provisions into their saddlebags. Erdyl had already mounted, as had Sestalt, bruised as he was. Enelya stood to the side, holding several more bags.
Kharl looked to the serving girl.
“Jeka already packed yours, ser,” Enelya said quickly, not meeting Kharl’s eyes.
Kharl followed her glance to the side of the stable yard. Jeka was already mounted. She wore a gray jacket, and she’d cut her hair boy-short once more. Before Kharl could say a word, she spoke. “I’m going. I can run messages. Do stuff.”
Kharl didn′t say anything. He just stood there for a long moment. He didn′t want Jeka anywhere near the fighting.
“Don’t leave people,” she added. “Told you that once.”
She had. More than once. And Kharl had let Merayni take Warrl away for his son’s safety. Warrl and Merayni were dead. Who could protect Jeka at the residence if Egen sent men after her? He didn’t like the idea of her coming with them … but … with all the chaos and Egen′s viciousness, she well might be safer with him.
Finally, he took a deep breath and nodded slowly. “Stay out of the direct fighting. Thank you for taking care of the provisions.”
“Yes, ser. You got two bottles, both filled with the cider. I got three bottles, case anyone needs some.”
“Good.” Before mounting, Kharl used his order-senses to make sure that the saddlebags were indeed filled, but did not touch them, not wishing to suggest that he doubted Enelya or Jeka.
As was all too often the case, he was the last mounted. He looked to Khelaya and Mantar. “Take care.”
“That we will, ser.”
Kharl eased the gelding forward and past the side of the residence. As he rode past the sagging gates, he studied the street. The on-and-off rain of the night and early morning had dampened the ashes into a black-and-gray paste that mottled the ancient yellow bricks, but the few charred lumps that had been the men and mounts not totally turned to ash by Kharl′s magery had disappeared. Marks in the sodden ash indicated that a wagon had been used. Kharl suspected that Mantar and the gardener had taken care of that. He could worry about that later. He looked back at the residence. He still worried about those remaining in the residence, but Mantar insisted that they’d be safe, and that they could retreat to the cellar if need be.