Mage-Guard of Hamor (47 page)

Oneday found Third Company on the road once more, if a different road, under a hazy late-afternoon sky that created a feel of more chill than actually was present.

On eightday, Taryl had summoned Drakeyt and Rahl. His briefing had been direct and simple. They were to take the side road, also paved, and almost as well traveled as the main road, as far as the town of Undmyn, some fifteen kays to the west-southwest. Third Company was to discover if there were any sizable forces in the area and to check the status of the mines just short of the town and determine if they were being protected by rebel forces. If the mines were not defended, Rahl and Drakeyt were to suggest to whoever might be in charge that any shipments of copper to rebel forces or to areas currently controlled by the rebels would be considered treason and dealt with accordingly. They were not to enter the town itself, nor were they to initiate any combat, but only to defend themselves were Third Company attacked. If the town and surrounding areas were free of rebel forces, Third Company was to continue onward, taking the road farther until it returned to the main road, where the company was to rejoin Second Army.

After the briefing, Taryl had transferred another twenty-five troopers to Third Company, from one of the companies so decimated by the battle that those twenty-five were all who were left alive and unwounded. One was Dhosyn, the new squad leader for first squad, a small and compact man with old scars across both cheeks and his forehead.

For some reason, Dhosyn reminded Rahl of Khalyt, the first engineer Rahl had met in Nylan, although they looked not in the slightest alike. Was it the quiet competence? Rahl wasn't sure, and he wondered exactly why he'd thought of the young engineer. Then, Deybri had that same quiet competence, and a quiet warmth that he missed even more, as much as he told himself that there was no help for it. He had tried to write her about the battle, but, in the end, he'd torn up that part of his continuing letter. He might tell her…

Rahl shook his head and shifted his weight in the saddle. When would he see her to tell her in person? Would he even receive another letter for seasons?

He turned his eyes to the way ahead.

The road to Undmyn didn't look that much different from the road from Lahenta to Thalye. There were steads everywhere, with fields, meadows, and woods. The grasslands south of Thalye had already begun to give way to lush and fertile fields, and the air was warmer, so much so that, although it was but a few eightdays past the height of winter in Merowey, Rahl was only wearing his riding jacket in the early morning or well after sunset. The tilled fields were showing green sprouts, doubtless because the area was warmer and the danger of frost had passed earlier in the year. The older wooden fences held a greenish shade, as if they harbored moss all year round.

The other similarity was that no one was in sight when Third Company rode by. There might be a woodpile with a stack of fresh-split wood chunks, but the splitter had vanished. There might be laundry half-hung on a line between two trees, but no sign of anyone who might have hung it.

Less than a kay before, Rahl and Alrydd, riding behind the scouts as outriders, had passed a kaystone whose worn characters had indicated five kays to Undmyn. Outside of a grittiness in the air, and a faintly acrid and metallic odor, there was no sign of either the mines or the town, and Rahl had not yet sensed the presence of large numbers of people—either troops or the grouping that suggested a town or hamlet.

“Hard to believe there's mines ahead, ser,” offered Alrydd.

“Sometimes, there are more than a few things that are hard to believe,” replied Rahl.
Such as what had happened in the fighting at the edge of the swamp.

As hard as Rahl had tried to recall exactly what had happened when he and first squad had battled the rebel troopers coming out of the swamp, he did not remember much in the way of details beyond images of his truncheon striking troopers. But he could not believe he had killed all that many, and he had trouble crediting the stories he'd heard—or the belief by troopers that he broken the attack himself.

Yet…whenever he thought about the truncheon or let his order-senses touch it, Rahl could feel the difference. While it had been crafted from dark oak, that oak had been part of a staff. Rahl had to wonder if the staff had been one given to an exile from Recluce. There was enough order within the oak that the staff was strong enough to stand up to steel. He'd examined it more than once since the battle, and there were no marks at all on the smooth surface. It couldn't have been that way earlier, because Khelra couldn't have crafted it. Could she?

Rahl shook his head. He hadn't sensed that kind of order-crafting in the cooper, good as she clearly was as a crafter. So what had happened to the truncheon? Had he done something to it in the heat of battle? The odds were that he had, but what, he didn't know and couldn't recall.

“Another disadvantage of being a natural ordermage,” he murmured to himself.

“Ser?”

“Just thinking out loud, Alrydd.”

At that moment, he could feel the faint and distant chill, not in his body, but in his thoughts, that he had come to recognize as the hallmark of some mage using a glass to scree for him. Although Rahl could sense screeing attempts, he had followed Taryl's advice and kept holding stronger shields—which was getting easier with each day—and he could sense that the mages seeking him were not finding him—at least not in more than a general sense.

Still, he had to wonder whether the Third Company's patrol to Undmyn was really necessary, except as a tactical maneuver to keep the rebel mages off guard as to what Taryl and the marshal were actually doing.

Whatever the reason might be, Rahl reminded himself, he needed to concentrate on the road and the areas beside and beyond it, and for the next kay or so, he said nothing, just kept trying to see or sense anything that might pose the slightest threat to Third Company. He could detect nothing.

“Ser?”

“Yes, Alyrdd.”

“I been wondering, ser. You know, at Thalye, we beat up the rebels pretty bad, but the overcommander didn't pursue them. Well, not right away, and he's a pretty crafty one.”

“You'd like to know why?” Rahl chuckled. “He didn't say much about that when he briefed us, but he did say that only about one in five of their troopers escaped being captured, wounded, or killed, and they scattered every which way. I'd judge that there wasn't much way to pursue them without splitting up our forces.”

“Makes sense, ser, but I wasn't sure.”

There was another reason, too, if not more, from what Rahl knew of Taryl. One well might have been that Taryl wanted word to circulate about the immensity of that rebel defeat.

Ahead to the right were several low hills, and beyond them, Rahl could make out a number of brick chimneys. But as he rode closer, Rahl could tell that those stacks were cold—not the slightest trace of smoke issued from any of them.

He turned in the saddle. “Mines ahead!”

Drakeyt immediately rode forward to join Rahl. “The chimneys beyond those hills?”

“I'd judge so. I'm not sure there's anyone there…but I can't tell yet.”

“I'll have the company ready weapons, just in case.” Drakeyt turned his mount back toward the main body.

Rahl and Alrydd kept riding.

Even before he rode fully clear of the hills flanking the smelter below the mines, Rahl could tell that the structures and the mines were empty. The buildings hadn't been burned, but Rahl could sense that no one was there.

As he rode even closer, he could see recent tracks in the side lanes and could discern a feeling of recent inhabitation. There were also no hauling wagons in sight. Doubtless, the rebels had hauled away all the copper stock or ingots or sheets and shut down the mines and smelter when they had learned Second Army was headed to Undmyn.

Had that been one of Taryl's goals?

At the moment, Rahl honestly couldn't have said he knew what any of the overcommander's objectives were, except to put down the rebellion for the Emperor…and the Empress.

On threeday, Third Company rejoined Second Army just outside the small town of Secryta, just before sunset. During the entire ride from Thalye through Undmyn and back to the main road, neither Rahl nor any of the scouts or patrols had seen any sign of rebels. Nor had they seen any locals outside, which was understandable. Rahl had used the glass several times as well, but the nearest rebel force, as well as he could tell, was a good twenty kays to the south.

As Drakeyt and Rahl rode toward the inn in Secryta, to which they had been summoned to meet with the overcommander, Rahl had realized that Taryl had not asked him to check tariffs and town administrators, and in fact, Third Company's orders had precluded such. Why?

“You're looking concerned, Majer,” offered Drakeyt.

“Just thinking.” Then he nodded. Taryl had wanted to know the level of support enjoyed by the rebels in areas where there was some rebel presence and where local authorities had in fact had a choice in whether to remain loyal to the Emperor or to support Prince Golyat. Now, Third Company was in territory controlled by the rebels, and there was little point in verifying that. In fact, doing so might create problems later on.

“Is it the sort of thinking that might worry captains, ser?” Drakeyt's tone was light, but the feelings behind the words were not.

“Not this time.” Rahl laughed softly. “I was thinking about why I had to check the records of some town administrators and clerks and not others. It wasn't about tactics or positions.”

“Might I ask…?”

“Supplies and golds…who had them, how much went to the rebels, and who was trustworthy.” That was true enough so far as it went, but Rahl didn't feel comfortable saying more because he would have been speculating. He didn't actually know Taryl's reasons.

“The overcommander thinks of more than many commanders.” Drakeyt's voice was bland.

“Quite a lot more, I've discovered.” Rahl offered a short laugh. “There's the square up ahead.”

The inn at Secryta was, as most were in Merowey, located on one side of the town square. Troopers, nearly a squad, were stationed around the inn, but there was space for Drakeyt and Rahl to tie their mounts at the hitching rail below the wide front porch. They walked up the three brick steps to the porch and into the inn.

An undercaptain straightened and turned as Rahl and Drakeyt stepped through the ancient golden oak doorway. His eyes went to Rahl, then turned just slightly from meeting the mage-guard's. “Majer, Captain, the overcommander is in the room on the left at the end of the foyer. He's expecting you.”

The room at the end of the foyer was opposite the public room, which held several majers and two commanders. Rahl could feel eyes on him as he turned toward the chamber in which Taryl stood. The overcommander was looking down at an array of maps spread over an oblong table that extended nearly ten cubits, suggesting that the chamber was usually a private dining area, although Rahl had to wonder why a town as modest as Secryta would have needed such a function room very often.

“Consortings,” replied Taryl dryly, as Rahl stepped into the chamber, “and you still let things slip past your shields, Majer.”

“I apologize, ser.” Rahl inclined his head.

“Accepted. Close the door.”

Drakeyt did so.

Taryl motioned them toward the larger map on the table. “This is the area to the south of us. We have solid word that Golyat's forces—a goodly portion of them—are marshaling at Bhucyra. Here.” Taryl pointed to a red dot on the map. “That is clearly an effort to stop us at a position where terrain favors them. We will appear to oblige them…initially.” The overcommander's index finger pointed to a spot north of the red dot. “Third Company's task is to take this side road here and make a brief preemptive attack. The targets are the lead companies of the rebel battalions who are using this side road in an effort to flank First Army. You are not to attempt penetration of the enemy companies, but to make a series of attacks so that they will have to concentrate on Third Company. Your efforts will permit other Imperial battalions to strike them with far-more-damaging force. There are low rises to the north of the road—just enough to conceal your approach, until you are within a quarter kay. You will depart Secryta before dawn tomorrow, and you should reach the target area by late midmorning. If the rebels continue as they have, they will arrive somewhat after midday. You are to wait until they do arrive, or until it is clear that they will not—or until a courier reaches you with a change of orders.”

Rahl had to believe that Taryl's information had to come from the older mage's use of a screeing glass. How else would he have known?

“How intense an attack, ser?” asked Drakeyt.

“Enough to make them stop or pursue you. It's not likely that they'll pursue for long. You'll be attacking over a low rise that could conceal battalions, and they should be hesitant to follow.”

“And if they aren't, ser?”

“Then I am confident that Majer Rahl will have planned for that, based on the situation and the terrain.” Taryl nodded toward Rahl. “After your part of the operation is concluded, you are to scout the area to make sure that no one surprises Commander Shuchyl. Then you will return with the commander's force to Second Army.” Taryl paused. “Any other questions?”

“How large a rebel force are we expecting?” Rahl asked.

“Between two and four battalions.”

Ten to twenty companies? What had Taryl planned?

“I'm sure you understand why Third Company is required, Majer.”

“Yes, ser.”

“Good. Thank you, Majer, Captain.” Taryl nodded to dismiss them.

As they left the overcommander and walked out of the inn, Rahl realized that something else about Taryl troubled him. Rather, it was about how Taryl had changed in his treatment of Rahl. In the beginning, and even on their mission to Recluce, Taryl had been helpful, glad to explain matters to Rahl. Now, it was as though any explanation came only if Rahl asked for it—and only then if Taryl decided that Rahl should have an answer.

“The overcommander answered a question you never asked,” Drakeyt said, standing by his mount.

“Ordermages who are Triads or close to that ability can often sense unspoken inquiries,” Rahl said.
Especially from careless mage-guards.
“That's one reason why the Emperor's Triad is useful and also why he must be absolutely loyal.”

After a moment, Drakeyt replied, “I can see that.”

Although the captain's posture did not change, Rahl could sense an internal stiffness and wariness. Rather than say more, Rahl mounted.

“Can you tell me the reason why Third Company is required?” Drakeyt asked softly.

“Because we create an impression of far greater force than we actually have,” Rahl replied. “That is what the overcommander believes.”

“I see,” replied Drakeyt.

Rahl could also sense the half-whispered thought that followed Drakeyt's words.

“…and who are we to question the overcommander?”