Homage and Honour (45 page)

Carpenters were
working day and night preparing the ships in order to accommodate
the horses and the Lind, the latter would remain with their human
partners but the horses needed rough stalls built in the holds.

He would leave
with the last ship and swat off any conflicting orders that might
arrive from the Council. Any commandeered vessels that remained
empty of troops at Port Lutterell would sail down the coast picking
up Garda, Ryzcks and any Lind in the vicinity as they went.

Liam Durand
trusted his sister. The Larg were going to attack.

His sister was
also sure, positively sure.

Accurate and
disquieting reports were coming in.

The entire
adult male population of Largdom was on the march. It was not an
attacking army but an invading army. She had to stop them.

She sent for
the Captain of the Emily Stanton again.

“I was
wondering,” she began, “if there was any way we can impede their
journey.”

He stared at
her. “I hope you’re not intending that I attack the Larg with my
ship!”

“Both my gut
feeling and the reports tell me,” replied Lynsey, “that the Larg
are already on the march, their forward scouts may even now be
passing over the Trent Reef. I do not, however, believe that their
main army has started the crossing or is even close to the reef. I
know we can defeat them as long as we can keep the numbers more or
less even. My problem is that if say, we meet a third of their army
in battle and defeat them, then the next third will arrive and then
the next. Intelligence suggests that they are up to full strength.
I must find a way to stop all the kohorts from crossing.”

“Blast powder,”
the Captain said without a moment’s hesitation.

“Blast
powder?”

“Aye. The same
as the miners use. As we know, the sea is frozen linking the land
islands that make up the reef. Perhaps if we can set off the blast
powder at a suitable point, between two of them rocks, where the
water is deeper and the ice not so thick it might work. We could
break up the ice and close the route.”

He pointed to
the chart.

“Here and
perhaps here also. Fast and deep currents pass through both. There
the ice will be thinner, more friable, stands to reason.”

“Is it all
ice?”

“No, this part
in the middle is solid ground. Treacherous rocks.” He pointed to
the place. “If you do want to try and stop them before they get
across then we should deal with them
here
. See on the map
where the colours are darker? This shows deep water that is iced
over now. If the Larg can cross, that means it can bear their
weight, then it will also support us.”

“What good
would us being on the ice do?” asked a perplexed Lynsey. “I don’t
want to fight them on the ice.”

“If we sail,”
he began to explain, “to where the reef is, cross over the ice to
this rocky point we can set the blast powder explosive at a
suitable spot on the ice beside it. With enough explosive force,
the ice will crack. The current will do the rest. No more Larg will
be able to get north, or south.”

“I’ll deal with
them,” replied an implacable Lynsey.

“You’ll need to
send some infantry; one of these Ryzcks of yours would help as
well. We can hold the solid ground on the tor against them for a
time, time enough for the miners to set the detonations. I think we
might also detonate some ice on either side of the rock, stop them
coming back to get at us, with enough men I can hold them off or at
least give us time enough.”

“Can it be
done?”

“There’s a
powder ship at the Settlement; I know they were having some
trouble, she’s anchored in the bay to make repairs to the rigging
damaged during the last storm.”

“I’ll send word
immediately; get them moving into the Middle Sea and to us. I’m
going to send the Fifteenth Ryzck and a detachment of our own
Vadathian Militia with you. You will take command of the fleet and
get them there? I can’t think of anyone more suited to the
task.”

“Agreed Susa. I
will do my best.”

“Ryzcka Leon
and his Lind Malya will be in charge of the actual fighting at the
reef if there is any. It’s not pirates you will be facing on this
occasion but the Larg and I don’t believe they know the meaning of
the word fear.”

“Understood.”

“I’ll get the
two of them to report to you then. See the Quartermaster and get
anything you and your men need, arms, equipment, food and water.
Leon will detail the Militia.”

“The Captain
saluted her, naval style and with a start Lynsey realised that
before he got his own ship the man must have spent time serving
with the Argyll’s small regular naval force. His back was ramrod
straight as he marched away. She began to feel a bit more confident
that the Captain could do what he said he could.

“Sure you don’t
want me to go?” queried Rhian.

“I need you
with the main army Rhian. The senior cadets will run the
communications pivot. It’s what they have been training for this
last year. You are needed with us. You, me, the senior cadets and
the training staff. Danel will come out of retirement and take over
the juniors who will remain at Vada. His rheumatism is too bad for
him to go with us.”

“I know they
have to go but I don’t have to like it,” complained Rhian who had
been vocal with her displeasure that they would be accompanying the
army.

“You and every
Weaponsmaster before you have uttered the same. You should read the
notes our first Weaponsmaster Wilhelm Dahlstrom left, he had to
commit all of his cadets to battle, juniors included.”

“I’ve read it,”
answered Rhian in a voice devoid of emotion.

* * * * *

War (3)

At Stewarton,
the capital (and only) city in Argyll, the Councillors were largely
unaware of the events that were unfolding west and east. They did
not know it yet, but they had been sidelined.

News of
Lynsey’s recall of the Ryzcks had caused consternation, especially
amongst those whose wards were on the coast. That Lynsey had used
the title Susyc and not Susa, well, they had not understood the
full import.

It wasn’t until
one of the legalists was brought in to advise them that they
understood at last although they still did not realise the full
danger facing them all.

“It says in law
that in times of need the Vada Susa will assume the title of Susyc
and will lead all the Armies of the North against the Larg and
whoever else threatens our continent,” announced Councillor Keane,
eyeing the written order that had been delivered from the Vada
Station close to Stewarton with distaste.

“I am not
arguing about her rights,” said a querulous old biddy, Councillor
for one of the northern Wards, by name of Edith Charles, “but is
this a ‘time of need’? That paper you hold in your hand Keane, it
does not tell us much. Until she does condescend to expand her
orders and tell us exactly what is happening, with proof, we cannot
order the Garda west. With the Ryzcks gone, they are needed to
protect the coasts.”

“That
vadeln-pair told us that the lands of the Lind are about to be
attacked by the Larg. They have found another route north. If this
is not a ‘time of need’ I don’t know what is,” shouted another
Councillor against the loud murmurs of agreement with Edith
Charles’s statement.

The old
Councillor dismissed this with a snort. “That does not concern us,”
she continued, her voice rasping over all other agitated
discussions, “that’s so far west it does not matter. I say the
Garda remains here.” She sat back in her chair, a triumphant smile
on her face.

“The Ryzcks are
leaving,” mentioned another

“Confirms my
point. The Garda can’t leave as well.”

“There is the
Militia.”

“Part-time
soldiers,” she dismissed them with a snort.

“If Susa, I
mean Susyc Lynsey is right, that kohorts of Larg land and defeat
the Lind what then? The whole idea of having a Susyc in overall
command was that together we can defeat them, on our own we
cannot,” countered Councillor Keane.

“It will not
come to that,” intoned Edith Charles

“How can you be
so sure that the Larg are coming?” queried a dark-visaged
individual who was sitting beside her, “she is not sure where, it
might be here, in Argyll, at Settlement.”

There was a rap
at the door of the Council Chamber.

It was Wallis
and her Lind Venerfei.

“I have a
report for the Councillors,” she announced with a slow bow. Wallis
was no longer young and cold weather made her back ache. “Susyc
Bernei, vadeln of Susyc Lynsey sends word, “he has had information
from the South where a spy has been searching for the kohorts. We
knew they had left their pack ranges some tendays ago but we did
not know where they had gone. We do now. They are not in the east
nor are they to the south.”

“Thanks be to
the Lai,” breathed Councillor Keane as he realised his own country
was not the target, “where?”

“Susycs Lynsey
and Bernei were correct. They are running northwest towards the
ice-covered island chain in the far corner of the rtathlians. Our
spies estimate their army is in excess of thirty thousand. She
calls for all the aid that you can muster.”

The Councillors
stopped arguing with immediacy. When Councillor Keane asked for a
show of hands only one was not lifted.

“Order the
Garda to prepare,” ordered Councillor Keane.

Wallis looked
at him, Venerfei looked wise.

“They have
already left,” she said, “two days ago.”

“How dare they
without orders,” exclaimed the Councillor who had not raised her
hand, predictably, the one with the name of Edith Charles.

“The last ship
left this morning,” continued Wallis, “with the last Ryzck that
could reach the port in time. General Durand has stripped the areas
round Port Lutterell and Settlement of every available soldier.
Even some of the Militia have answered the call.”

Stunned
amazement!

“I cannot fault
General Durand’s actions,” said Councillor Demertuis, “he answered
the call, he realised the greater need. We must honour our treaty
with Vadath and the Lind.”

“He should be
demoted to the ranks. How dare he?”

“Oh dry up you
old harridan.”

The other
Councillors laughed and Edith Charles went a bright pink.

“In time of
war, the Susyc outranks all of us,” said Councillor Keane in a mild
voice although inwardly he was rather pleased to see Councillor
Charles getting such a public censure. He had always found her more
than a little of a trial.

“Why didn’t he
tell us,” she recovered and demanded of Wallis and Venerfei, “or
perhaps he did, the message sent and not delivered?”

“I had
instructions to deliver it at Eighth Bell today,” Wallis informed
them.

“Thought to
keep us in the dark did you?” asked Councillor Demertuis with mock
severity.

There was a
bark of laughter from Councillor Keane. “Well, it doesn’t matter
now, so?”

“It was felt
that there should be a … a … delay, General Durand believed the
situation was critical and he thought he might be ordered to wait
until you had come to a decision. There was no time to waste.”

“We must take
steps to make sure that the coasts are adequately guarded with
Militia,” said Councillor Keane.

“We can help
with this,” said Wallis. “I can no longer fight in a battleline,”
she lifted up her left arm and the Councillors noted that the hand
was missing all its fingers, “but we of the Re-Supply Stations and
the Express are at your service. Susyc Lynsey is also sending us
the junior cadets, those capable. They are on their way.”

“That is good
of her,” said Councillor Patrick.

“We of the Vada
know our duty,” Venerfei said in a deep bass voice. “We will
protect you as far as we are able. As you have sent soldiers to the
aid of our rtathlians so we shall protect you as long as we have
breath in our bodies.”

There was
another rap at the door.

“Councillor
Keane? The Ambassador of Murdoch is here.”

“Send him
in.”

It was Count
Charles Cocteau.

“Could the
Queen send some regiments to our aid?” queried Councillor Keane
before Charles had reached the seat set aside for invited
dignitaries and ambassadors.

Charles shook a
regretful head.

“The Queen was
unable to persuade Conclave. The regiments remain at our
borders.”

“The Larg are
not attacking Murdoch.”

“The Dukes are
nervous. They insist. If events go ill with the Armies of the
North, the Larg will turn on us. Murdoch will guard the island
chain at Graham and ensure no Larg attack there. More the Queen
cannot do.”

“More the Dukes
cannot do.”

Charles
shrugged, “it is the same.”

* * * * *

At Fort,
Conclave was in session. The borders were quiet but the Lord
Marshall and the Dukes were edgy.

Queen Anne was
sitting at the head of the table, David was too ill to attend, a
prerogative never before allowed and definitely discouraged, it was
a mark of the Dukes’ unease that they did not object.

The discussion
was long and filled with portent. Anne listened, her face speaking
volumes.

“You think we
should help them,” said the Duke of Duchesne to her at last. Unlike
most of the other Dukes, he had respect for Anne’s acumen.

“I do admit
it,” ventured Anne, speaking for the first time. “But I also agree
that we must not relax our own border guards. The Navy though,
could they not help? The Larg are running towards that other island
bridge, our ships might be able to help, even if it is only to
transport their troops.”