"That is proof the gods watch over you, Sirna. Is not Lytris the Patroness of Greffa?"
"That is true. There are statues and shrines to the Lady all over Greffa."
Lavena looked her directly in the eyes, with a wounded gaze. "Would you like to come with me to Harphax City, Sirna? You have no one waiting for you in Besh Town. Just as I have no friends in Harphax City; no family, either, now that my father is living in Hostigos Town. I don't know if I can stand living in that drafty old palace, hated by everyone in sight, without at least one friend."
Sirna was torn. For her research on Aryan Transpacific, Styphon's House Subsector, Kalvan's Time-Line, it would be far better to be based in Harphax City, the hub of Hos-Harphax, than stuck in a backwater Princedom. She might even be able to find someone in Harphax City from the Kalvan Study Team! Then I can go home to visit.
On the other hand, she would miss Phidestros and her friends in the Iron Band. I wonder if Phidestros will care. He might even prefer that his mistress decamp. And, how will I feel as he parades his new wife through town?
"I will talk with Phidestros and see if he still needs me. Most of the soldiers I tended are well now. A few died; those with the most grievous wounds were left behind."
"That's to be expected, Sirna. I'm sure you're a good healer."
"I'm a lot better now than I was before. I'll make my decision after I talk with the Prince. If I have no further healing duties, I have no reason to stay in Besh Town. You're staying at Tarr-Beshta for a few days, aren't you?"
Lavena nodded. "I will stay there for as long as you require, Sirna. I'm not eager to return to Harphax City, even with my new badge." She wore a golden chain of office hung with a huge green emerald surrounded by diamonds. It was of immaculate workmanship and ancient in appearance. "I'm not sure of my welcome."
"You have the King's Bodyguard."
"Yes, but little else."
TWENTY
Duke Osthwuld heard the roar of thunder, so close it sounded as though Thanor's Hammer had struck the castle itself. Righting himself in his chair, he asked himself, "What in Hadron's realm is that?"
Courtiers scattered while his favorite courtesan began to scream. He continued sitting at Prince Varrack's large oak dining table, eating his morning bread and porridge. He was in command of Thagnor while Prince Varrack was off romancing his latest female conquest. If this thunder the guns of the Greffan fleet? he wondered. It's awfully early in the morning, but I wouldn't be surprised. Prince Varrack has been dancing over hot coals for too long now. It's time he got burned. Finally, King Theovacar's patience has come to an end.
One of the Prince's Housecarls ran into the dining chamber, his armor clattering. "Your Grace, we're under attack!"
Osthwuld finished swallowing and dropped the chunk of bread he'd been gnawing. "What standard are they flying?"
"It's a red keystone on a green field, Your Grace. I'm not familiar with that device."
"Any other flags?" he asked between cannon discharges.
"A double-headed golden axe surrounded by stars. They're also flying a blue halberd on a red field. I've never seen its like before!"
Osthwuld nodded. "It's the flag of Hostigos. We're under attack by Kalvan!" What has Varrack gone and done now?
"There's maybe a dozen warships, Your Grace."
"Then nothing to worry about… Order the fleet to set sail. That'll put them on the run."
"But your Grace, their ships carry more guns between them than we have on our entire fleet!"
He tried to organize all the facts that he'd heard about the gods-sent King Kalvan and Hos-Hostigos. Maybe we do have a problem. Kalvan is the one who solved the fireseed mystery. He must have a lot of it with him, too. And his army is huge!
"Did we not hear that Great King Kalvan lost his Kingdom to the dung-eaters of Balph?"
"Yes, Your Grace, but he still has an army, and apparently a navy!"
May the gods come to our aid if Kalvan's dragging the false priests of Styphon behind him. "Find me Captain-General Errock. I need him. Now!"
"Yes, Your Grace!"
II
Kalvan's cabin aboard the Prince Ptosphes was full of tobacco smoke, fire-seed fumes, stale fish odors and the stench that comes from men crowded together for a moon with no bathing. The Hostigi fleet had silenced the Thagnor City guns, all three of them, giant stone-throwing iron bombards that took half an hour to load. Only one of them had time to fire before a broadside from the Prince Ptosphes knocked it and its crew head over heels, taking a good portion of the wall with it. A petty officer using one of the University's primitive telescopes had reported that the other two guns had been unseated and were out of action-at least for this battle.
Kalvan wished he could climb the rigging and watch the battle from the crow's nest himself, but Admiral Herad would have been scandalized. He was the Great King, even if only in name, and had to act the part. Kalvan could have ordered a halt to the bombardment the moment the guns were silenced, but he wanted to create a diversion until the gunboats had time to reach the docks. Once they'd arrived, he'd order his Marines into Thagnor City when the Army of the Saltless Seas entered from the other side.
The only remaining obstacle was the old tarr on Eryn Wolan (Belle Isle), a huge fort with almost a dozen antiquated bombards and some six hundred men. Vart-Burgult had controlled the passage through the Burgult straits for three hundred years, providing Thagnor with tolls and tariffs that had made the Princedom a rich prize. Once the City and outlying areas were under Hostigi colors, Kalvan would ask for Vart-Burgult's surrender.
If the fools inside refused, he'd give them a few months of short rations, then ask again. He didn't want to besiege the fort since it was so well situated that he'd lose hundreds of good men despite his advantage in fireseed. Nor did he want to destroy the walls. Not when he could outwait them through the winter and get the castle for a few bushels of squash and barley cakes.
Captain Mykos, his adjutant, ran into the cabin, "Phrames' troops have entered the City! We got word that the Prince has breached the city walls in three places and has met with minimal resistance. As you predicted, Your Majesty, the Army of Thagnor is a paper panther."
There was another ragged volley of cannon fire and Kalvan had to open his mouth wide to keep his ears from plugging up. "We should control Thagnor City by nightfall," he shouted. "Count Vinaldos, what have you been able to learn about the fort's provisions?"
"Your Majesty, one of the prisoners we took yesterday was a former guard at Vart-Burgult. He claims that they're supposed to keep two seasons' worth of victuals, but they're usually short because the Prince's purchasing agents buy the cheapest bread, beans and salt pork, much of the meat spoiled or worm ridden. The bread is hard as stone and full of weevils. He said there's usually not more than two moons worth of edible rations in the fort."
"That's what I expected. We'll send a herald and offer the castellan terms. If they refuse, by mid-winter they should be down to shoe leather and harness belts. Then they'll be eager to parley."
Vinaldos frowned. "The fort will keep our new fleet tied down to the shorefront, Your Majesty."
Kalvan smiled. "We're not going anywhere this year, Count. Winter is on the way. It'll give us an opportunity to make repairs and refit the Thagnori fleet." He paused while the Ptosphes fired another broadside. The ship shuddered and then, when the last gun went off, slowly rocked back and forth, the rigging creaking and gun crews shouting hoarsely aboveboard.