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.Nordheim and Eisweg were a lawunto themselves, with darker magicks that could be pitiless, often cruel,and always powerful.Damiel held out her hands.Rogan set the papers on her desk, and tookthem. I asked Tristan every question I could think of.He wrote all heknows and can remember.Damia.beware of Bardolf. And of Eamon, and of Hrald Barbansen, she added with a frown atthe shaman. If I could, I d leave a force from the Harbendane regimenthere at Althea, to guard our backdoor.But if I do, I ll weaken the forcedefending the north.There aren t enough swords and spears to guard both,Rogue.If we split our strength in order to guard the south against an attackfrom Bardolf which might never come! we might as well give Bar-bansen the north, and invite Eamon to dine in Althea at his pleasure. And when we ve marched so far north of Huyuk we re beyond thereach even of couriers, Rogan said quietly, when the landpirates havepinned us down in the heather like ptarmigans, then Bardolf will come forAlthea. The shaman stood and smoothed the skirts of his robe.He was tiredbut still straight-backed and vital, defying age.He frowned deeply atDamiel. When Bardolf is done with Althea, he ll turn on the outlandbarons.Eamon and Hrald won t be able to stand against him, not with theresources of Harbendane behind him.He ll sweep them right back intoEisweg, burn their steadings, drive off their horses, plow salt into theirfields, and let the winter finish them, unless they re ready to kneel beforehis banners.This is an old man s folly of empire. The silence in Damiel s chambers was so intense, the waterclock in thechimney corner sounded loud.Rogan gave it a glance and was not sur-prised to see noon. I saw Sybella.She gave me the news, our marchingorders.I have a lot to do, Damia. As have I. Damiel squeezed his shoulder and let him go. You llhave command of the Althea regiment, as always, Rogue.As soon as youreach Huyuk, take command of the Northwinds from Morgan and tell herto get herself back to Althea. She won t leave, Rogan warned. She will if it s a ricon s command, Damiel retorted. She s been inthe field for too long, she ll be weary.and I need her here. She noddedat the chamber s east wall and, beyond, the bridge over the HarbendaneRiver s gorge. There s little left in Althea to fight with, but for a long timeMorgan and I have achieved a lot with very little.We ve always beenlucky, and Amadeus tells me the elementals favor us still, and the spirits of116 our ancestors are with us. She gave Rogan a faint, tired smile. Andthere s no one I d trust before you to take the regiments of Althea andHarbendane into danger s way, and bring them back safe. Rogan winced. I m flattered, but don t let Stefan and Rigel and Julianhear you say so. She scoffed. Stefan can t find enough optimism to get up in themorning.Rigel can t take anything seriously.And Julian.Julian, my son.My eldest son, and the hope of Harbendane. She shook her head slowly. Julian would rather have a jug of wine in one hand and a nice, fat littlecourtesan in the other, the one with the biggest breasts and thickest lips, theway they breed them in Fuegos.Julian is a philanderer, a lover, a poet,even, though not a very good one.He s no kind of a warrior. In fact, he was some kind, Rogan allowed.Shevan Armes had taken thefourteen year old Julian Halloran Thered in out of Althea, had draggedhim out of the arms of some statuesque concubine who was born or trainedin the Thousand Islands beyond Shorros Bay.In a week, the boy foundhimself in the barracks with the Lochrain regiment, the Ancients.He atewith them, rode with them, got drunk with them, and learned the other artsof love when his companions looked at him with admiring eyes.In the regiments, all began as equals.The law was unwritten, unspo-ken, but everyone who answered the call to arms and marched behind thebattle colors knew it.The chieftain s son and the steader s daughter werethe same, until or unless they distinguished themselves on the battlefield.The day Julian Halloran deliberately tumbled a girl in the barracks was theday he was tumbled himself sweating and swearing under a big,brawny archer from Joab who had been wanting him all week.The appren-tice swordwoman was worth no less than Julian, in the Lochrain regimen-tal quarters; and if the Halloran wanted to be more, he would work for it.To his credit, Julian worked.He shot well, he rode well, in practice hecould dance rings around most of the instructors, even though he wouldrather have been in the bed of any plump, voluptuous courtesan [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.Nordheim and Eisweg were a lawunto themselves, with darker magicks that could be pitiless, often cruel,and always powerful.Damiel held out her hands.Rogan set the papers on her desk, and tookthem. I asked Tristan every question I could think of.He wrote all heknows and can remember.Damia.beware of Bardolf. And of Eamon, and of Hrald Barbansen, she added with a frown atthe shaman. If I could, I d leave a force from the Harbendane regimenthere at Althea, to guard our backdoor.But if I do, I ll weaken the forcedefending the north.There aren t enough swords and spears to guard both,Rogue.If we split our strength in order to guard the south against an attackfrom Bardolf which might never come! we might as well give Bar-bansen the north, and invite Eamon to dine in Althea at his pleasure. And when we ve marched so far north of Huyuk we re beyond thereach even of couriers, Rogan said quietly, when the landpirates havepinned us down in the heather like ptarmigans, then Bardolf will come forAlthea. The shaman stood and smoothed the skirts of his robe.He was tiredbut still straight-backed and vital, defying age.He frowned deeply atDamiel. When Bardolf is done with Althea, he ll turn on the outlandbarons.Eamon and Hrald won t be able to stand against him, not with theresources of Harbendane behind him.He ll sweep them right back intoEisweg, burn their steadings, drive off their horses, plow salt into theirfields, and let the winter finish them, unless they re ready to kneel beforehis banners.This is an old man s folly of empire. The silence in Damiel s chambers was so intense, the waterclock in thechimney corner sounded loud.Rogan gave it a glance and was not sur-prised to see noon. I saw Sybella.She gave me the news, our marchingorders.I have a lot to do, Damia. As have I. Damiel squeezed his shoulder and let him go. You llhave command of the Althea regiment, as always, Rogue.As soon as youreach Huyuk, take command of the Northwinds from Morgan and tell herto get herself back to Althea. She won t leave, Rogan warned. She will if it s a ricon s command, Damiel retorted. She s been inthe field for too long, she ll be weary.and I need her here. She noddedat the chamber s east wall and, beyond, the bridge over the HarbendaneRiver s gorge. There s little left in Althea to fight with, but for a long timeMorgan and I have achieved a lot with very little.We ve always beenlucky, and Amadeus tells me the elementals favor us still, and the spirits of116 our ancestors are with us. She gave Rogan a faint, tired smile. Andthere s no one I d trust before you to take the regiments of Althea andHarbendane into danger s way, and bring them back safe. Rogan winced. I m flattered, but don t let Stefan and Rigel and Julianhear you say so. She scoffed. Stefan can t find enough optimism to get up in themorning.Rigel can t take anything seriously.And Julian.Julian, my son.My eldest son, and the hope of Harbendane. She shook her head slowly. Julian would rather have a jug of wine in one hand and a nice, fat littlecourtesan in the other, the one with the biggest breasts and thickest lips, theway they breed them in Fuegos.Julian is a philanderer, a lover, a poet,even, though not a very good one.He s no kind of a warrior. In fact, he was some kind, Rogan allowed.Shevan Armes had taken thefourteen year old Julian Halloran Thered in out of Althea, had draggedhim out of the arms of some statuesque concubine who was born or trainedin the Thousand Islands beyond Shorros Bay.In a week, the boy foundhimself in the barracks with the Lochrain regiment, the Ancients.He atewith them, rode with them, got drunk with them, and learned the other artsof love when his companions looked at him with admiring eyes.In the regiments, all began as equals.The law was unwritten, unspo-ken, but everyone who answered the call to arms and marched behind thebattle colors knew it.The chieftain s son and the steader s daughter werethe same, until or unless they distinguished themselves on the battlefield.The day Julian Halloran deliberately tumbled a girl in the barracks was theday he was tumbled himself sweating and swearing under a big,brawny archer from Joab who had been wanting him all week.The appren-tice swordwoman was worth no less than Julian, in the Lochrain regimen-tal quarters; and if the Halloran wanted to be more, he would work for it.To his credit, Julian worked.He shot well, he rode well, in practice hecould dance rings around most of the instructors, even though he wouldrather have been in the bed of any plump, voluptuous courtesan [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]