Ascendant (48 page)

Thus it was
that Kyre had no idea what Ariana wanted to talk about, when he was announced
at the door to her private chambers in the palace. He had no idea, but he was
hopeful. He had done well in the games before the Cornerstone festival, winning
several sparring contests, and a long horse race. Perhaps he had caught the eye
of the princess? Ariana was in her study, a small but pleasant room with a
large window which gave a view out over the gardens. "Your Highness,"
he said as he bowed deeply to the princess, then he turned and gave a short bow
to her maid. "Mistress Hodgins," he addressed Nurelka, "I have
heard that you like pine honey, please accept this jar I bought in the Wendurn
hills."

"I,"
Nurelka didn't know what to do, being taken aback by Kyre's gesture. Honey from
the pine forest in the Wendurn hills was the best in the land, and her
favorite. She looked to Ariana for guidance, the princess seemed to be as
surprised as Nurelka was. Ariana flicked her wrist in a gesture intended to be
unseen by Kyre Falco, Nurelka accepted the jar of honey, curtsied and responded
properly "Thank you, your Grace," and retreated to the far corner of
the room.

Kyre's gesture
had thrown Ariana off, and that irritated her. Instead of beginning with the usual
meaningless niceties, she went right to the question she wanted to ask.
"Why was Koren Bladewell sitting with the Falco
’
s?"

It was Kyre's
turn to be taken aback. Koren Bladewell had been the last thing on his mind,
the boy was gone, and would be away for months, perhaps the entire summer. He
lamely slipped into a lie. "I thought he would enjoy it, seeing everyone
sitting around arguing. I wanted to get him away from his chores for an
afternoon."

"You
invited Koren to be nice, because you are such close friends?" Ariana
asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"We are
friends." Although Koren deserved a better friend than Kyre.

"You,
Kyre Falco, friends with a common servant, a boy who doesn't even have a
family? I think anyone would find that hard to believe."

"His is
my friend." Or he thinks he is, Kyre thought guiltily. "He's the only
person I know who doesn't want something from me. When Koren goes out riding
with me, it's because he enjoys being outside the castle walls on his horse,
and not because he wants a favor from me or my family." Kyre spoke quickly
because it was the truth, he didn't need to wait while he thought up a good
lie.  "Everything else around here is politics," he looked the
princess directly in the eye as he spoke, "and I grow sick of it
sometimes."

"A Falco
who doesn't enjoy the game of scheming for power? Are you quite certain you are
Kyre Falco?"

Kyre was
genuinely hurt. "You don't know me at all." He responded hotly,
forgetting he was speaking to the crown princess. "You know what your
family thinks of my family, the history of people long dead. How would you like
it if people judged you only by what they think of your mother?"

Ariana knew
she would not like that at all. "I am to believe that you invited Koren to
sit with you, out of your well-known kindness to the common people? Why did
your father's lap dog Duke Bargann object?"

Kyre shrugged.
He'd repeated the lie enough times now that he almost half believed it.
"Bargann sometimes gets a burr under his saddle, and needs to show he's
not beholden to my father. They've had a dispute going since the beginning of
the winter, I don't know what it's about," he said truthfully, even though
he was certain the dispute had nothing to do with Koren Bladewell. Niles Forne
had arranged for Duke Bargann to object to Koren being in the Regency Council
meeting, and Bargann had played his part, likely hoping this small favor would
help gain leverage in his dispute with the Falco
’
s. Except apparently now that favor, the
whole plan, had backfired on the Falco
’
s,
earned the ire of the crown princess. Kyre's father was not going to be pleased
about this. Impulsively, Kyre asked "Is that why Koren left before the
Cornerstone festival?" Kyre couldn't remember now whether Koren had left
the same day he'd been ejected from the Regency Council, or shortly after. It
hadn't seemed important at the time, and Kyre had been very busy.

"No,"
Ariana said with a haughty toss of her head, to cover her own frustration at
mishandling the conversation. Kyre's gift to Nurelka had thrown Ariana
completely off her plan; all her carefully crafted questions, to steer the
Falco heir into revealing the truth, had vanished when she amateurishly blurted
out the question on her mind. Ariana's mother was not going to be pleased about
this. "Lord Salva has business in Hoffsta, which you would know if you'd
been paying attention during the discussions, he left as soon as Captain
Raddick had his troops ready."

Kyre appeared
to take a moment to consider Ariana's announcement. He spoke slowly and
formally, while his mind raced to think. "My mistake, your Highness, I did
not remember. I spoke to Koren after the Regency Council meeting, to apologize
for any embarrassment caused to him, and Koren didn't mention that he was
planning to leave the castle." Kyre was telling the truth, Koren had been
upset, but why hadn't he said anything about going to Hoffsta? Had Koren
suspected that Kyre set him up? "Will that be all, your Highness?"
Kyre needed to talk to Fore about this terrible development, figure out a way
to make certain none of the blame came back to Kyre.

Ariana, more
disgusted with herself than with Kyre Falco, simply nodded, her cheeks red with
a mixture of anger and embarrassment. She was not going to let the matter drop,
but she needed to be more subtle in the future.

Koren
’
s head was still spinning
while they rode that morning. He had plenty of time to think, because Captain
Raddick was not pressing his men to ride fast that morning, they only had five
leagues to go, before stopping in a village for the middle of the day. Paedris
noticed that his servant was distracted.
“
Ah,
I see you have rejoined us, Koren.
”

Koren
’
s face grew red with
embarrassment.
“
Yes,
sir. I was thinking on something. Nothing important.
”

“
Now that you
’
ve thunk,
”
Paedris said with a
twinkle in his eye,
“
I
want you to do a favor for me. When we get to the village of Longshire, ride
ahead with Raddick, and see if they have a room at the inn. After sleeping on a
cot these last three weeks, my back could use a real bed for the night.
”

“
I thought we were only
stopping here for the afternoon, sir?
”

Paedris
chuckled.
“
That
is Captain Raddick
’
s
plan. But, as I
’
m
sure there will be a child, or a prize cow, or a chicken, that needs to be
healed, why, it wouldn
’
t
be right for the court wizard to ignore the needy. Could keep us here until
well after dark.
”

 
“
Oh, yes, sir.
”
Koren winked.
“
Certainly, sir.
”

It was a fine
day, the sky clear, the air fresh and warming, the late morning sun drying the
last of the dew that was still clinging to the underside of fence rails
alongside the road. The air smelled like fresh, clean earth, the homey scent of
plowed fields where seeds had only just begun to sprout. There were only a few
wispy clouds on the horizon to the south, where Paedris said was the sea which
formed Tarador
’
s
southern border. The Sea! Koren very much wanted to see that great body of
water, everyone who had seen it said he would be amazed. The biggest body of
water Koren had ever seen was a lake, and that not a large one, barely more
than a pond. He had seen paintings of the sea, and of the great ships with
their towering white sails. It was hard to imagine a ship, as big as a barn,
moving across the water. Up ahead of him, across the fields and around a bend in
the road, he could see a barn, and beyond that, the roofs of a village.

It was
pleasant to be riding with the army, alongside the wizard, under a clear blue
sky. He had a fine horse, a full belly, and not a care in the world at the
moment. Here, it didn
’
t
matter whether Dukes thought he belonged, or whether maids remembered his name,
or whether a fickle princess liked for him to be around that day, or not. Here,
he only had to ride, and provide for the wizard
’
s needs and comforts, and keep out of trouble.
Koren was thoroughly enjoying himself, out in the countryside where he
belonged, instead of behind the grim stone walls of a castle. The country they
rode through reminded him of Crickdon; low, gently rolling hills, open farm
fields where the crops were beginning to come out of the ground and rise toward
the sky, neatly fenced pastures with sheep-

Pastures with
sheep.

Just sheep.

No people.

Koren rose
from the saddle, looking all around, front and back. He sat back down, opened
his mouth to speak, closed it, opened it, and closed it again. He stared at the
sheep, then at the buildings of the village ahead, unsure of himself.

His servant
’
s odd behavior had not
escaped the attention of the wizard. Had not escaped the attention, nor
annoyance, of the wizard, who was trying to concentrate.
“
Koren, if you have
something to say, please say it, and stop fidgeting.
”

“
Sir, it
’
s the sheep.
”

“
Eh? What about them?
”
They looked like ordinary
sheep to Paedris.

“
They
’
re alone. No shepherd, not
even a dog. No farmer would leave his sheep alone like that, sir, they
’
re too valuable. And too
stupid.
”

“
Uh,
”
Paedris knew very little,
zero actually, about the care and raising of sheep,
“
maybe the shepherd is-
“

Koren
continued excitedly, keeping his voice low.
“
And the village ahead, Longshire. Look, sir,
see? There
’
s
no smoke coming from any of the chimneys. That big white building must be an
inn, or a tavern. The kitchen there should have a cooking fire, for the noonday
meal.
”
Koren
closed his eyes.
“
And,
and, sir, I have a feeling like we
’
re
being watched.
”

Paedris shaded
his eyes with a hand, and peered ahead at the cluster of buildings that made up
the small village of Longshire. Koren was correct, none of the chimneys had
smoke coming from them. The wizard bit his lip while he thought.
“
I don
’
t see
anyone
in
these fields. That is odd, isn
’
t
it?
”

“
Sir, now that I think
about it, I don
’
t
remember seeing anyone for the past several leagues we've ridden. Not since we
passed by that farm where the man was repairing the roof of his barn.
”
Koren had waved to the
man, who had paused in his work to wave back.
“
Sorry I
’
ve
been so wooly-headed this morning.
”

Paedris closed
his eyes tightly in concentration.
“
I
don
’
t sense
anything.
”

“
Then that
’
s good, right, sir?
”

“
You don
’
t understand. I can
’
t sense
anything
. I
fear some other wizard is in the area, and has cast a spell to dampen my
senses. Damn it!
”
Paedris cursed under his breath, the first time Koren had ever heard him curse.
“
We
’
ve all been wooly-headed
this morning. Koren, I want you to make your way up to Captain Raddick, and
tell him I think we are being watched. I know this area well, just beyond the
village there is a crossroads which leads to a bridge, the only bridge across
the river for several leagues. Tell Raddick that I advise him to make straight
through the village, and get across that bridge, if trouble strikes. Go now,
but don
’
t ride
too quickly, if there are eyes watching us, I don
’
t want to alert them yet.
”

“
Yes, my lord.
”
Koren tugged back on the
reins, let Thunderbolt fall behind the wizard
’
s horse, crossed to the other side of the
army column, then he nudged Thunderbolt into a slow trot, and crouched down in
the saddle. As he passed by troops, he greeted them laughing and joking, trying
to act casually. He itched at the delay, for he and Paedris had been riding at
the rear of the column, just ahead of the supply wagons. He slowed Thunderbolt
to a walk as he finally approached the front of the column, where Captain
Raddick rode.

Koren saluted,
his right hand to his temple, although he was not sure a servant, and not a
proper soldier, was supposed to use that greeting. During the entire journey,
Koren had never spoken to Raddick, he had dealt with Raddick
’
s lieutenants instead.
“
Sir? Captain Raddick?
”

Raddick had
been discussing something with one of his lieutenants, and was annoyed by the
interruption.
“
Yes?
Boy, I
’
m busy.
I
’
ll talk to
you later.
”

“
Begging your pardon,
Captain sir, this is wizard business, and it can
’
t wait,
”
Koren insisted. Raddick was intimidating, but nowhere near as intimidating as
Paedris.

Raddick turned
his attention from the lieutenant. The wizard wouldn
’
t interrupt army business
unless it was important.
“
Speak,
boy.
”

Nervously,
Koren blurted out
“
Sir,
those sheep are alone, no shepherd or dog around. We haven
’
t seen anyone in the
fields since we passed that barn a few leagues back. None of the buildings in
the village have smoke from their chimneys. And Paedris says there must be a
wizard around, because he can
’
t
sense anything, nothing at all, which I guess is unusual, for a wizard. He says
he feels like we
’
re
being watched.
”
Koren wasn
’
t
sure how wizard senses worked.

“
Whoa, whoa, slow down,
boy. Sheep?
”
Raddick twisted in the saddle to peer at the sheep contentedly grazing in the
pasture the army column was passing by.

“
Yes, sir, I think-
“
Koren stopped as Raddick
waved his hand for silence.

“
You
’
re right. There
’
s no one in the fields.
And the village ahead appears deserted.
”
Raddick was alarmed now, he exchanged a glance with his lieutenant, who nodded
grimly and said a very bad word under his breath. They were deep inside Tarador,
so Raddick had not bothered to have scouts ride on the army column
’
s flanks. Deep inside Tarador,
but less than fifteen leagues from the seacoast. Could the enemy have landed a
raiding party, which had traveled so far inland? It was difficult to believe,
but the enemy had been shockingly bold recently, even including an invasion of
the Thrallren woods. Raddick didn
’
t
know the full story of how Ariana had been attacked, but Raddick did know
Ariana
’
s visit
to LeVanne province had been cut short, and her guard doubled.
“
I am a damned fool! What
else did the wizard say?
”
Raddick resisted the urge to gallop back to confer with the wizard himself.

“
He advises that, if we
’
re attacked, you go
straight through the village, and across the bridge, he says it
’
s the only bridge across
the river for several leagues.
”
They had passed another bridge that morning, but it was so old that part of the
center span had fallen into the river; it was useless as a bridge.

Raddick nodded
agreement. He had ridden the road before. He was not in a good position, if the
enemy had planned an ambush, they had planned it well. Just across the field to
the east, the river had steep banks on both sides, and was rushing deep and
rapidly with the Spring rains. The only way across the river was the bridge
beyond the village ahead. Behind, the road went through a gap between two
hills, which would be easy for the enemy to block. Ahead, the road squeezed
between buildings in the village. His supply wagons could not travel across the
fields and pastures, they were separated by stone walls, wood fences and tree
lines which acted as windbreaks between the fields. It was a good place for a
prepared battle, not good for an escape attempt.

Raddick made a
quick decision.
“
Pentric,
”
he turned back to his
lieutenant,
“
when
the wizard gives his signal, we ride through the town, enemy there or not.
Leave the wagons, we get the men and horses across that bridge yonder. Boy,
drop back slowly and tell Lord Salva that we await-
”

While Koren
was talking to Captain Raddick, Paedris called two soldiers, a man and a woman,
and gave them orders. Here, in the royal army, he did have command authority.
“
Don
’
t reach for your weapons,
”
he began in a low voice,
“
the enemy is near. I said,
don
’
t
reach for your weapons!
”
He added in annoyance as the younger soldier automatically gripped her sword
and rose half out of the saddle.
“
What
are your names?
”