Book 7, Chapter 17: An Army Returns
As I exited the inn, an errant breeze wafted over the old city walls, and I breathed deeply. It held faint traces of the forest fire, but remained fresher than this warzone. I was happy to hear no new screams, no war horns. The sun was late in the sky, red against the stone of the walls and buildings, still glinting off the palace windows, the light was now long and tired, the world heading into dusk.
General Sostram appeared on my right so quickly, he must have been holding the door from behind. “Your Majesty, what happened in there?”
“They broke parley and attacked. I think it’s safe to say there will be no negotiating with these guys. At least before we, ah, reduce their numbers considerably.” Carrying the candelabra wrapped up in the oiled leather with my left hand, I headed toward the library.
He hurriedly walked beside me, matching my step, “And will you be reducing their numbers?”
“We will, General. We will. But right now, I have to speak with the mage once more, briefly.”
He nodded, then looking behind us, back at the inn, but remained silent. Clearly, he was wondering what had happened, what they could have said, that would require me to seek out Talaren so soon. Not something I wished to reveal. “General, it might be best if we board up that inn or block it, perhaps from the inside. It’s definitely a weak point in our defenses.” I stopped, nodding my head.
He likewise stopped, and bowed, “Yes, ma’am. I’ll see to it.”
“Excellent. After, let’s reconvene at the war room.”
While Sostram got to work organizing the soldiers he’d brought, I continued on to the fat library tower, passing all the resting, eating, or sleeping troops I’d passed earlier. With the wind gone, the smell had not gotten any better.
Mest caught up and asked, “Ma’am, that woman, she declared you not a god. Is that why you’ve snatched the candelabra?”
I hated to say this, but I glanced back, and no one seemed to be paying attention. But her fellows were very good at appearing thusly. “I’m hoping this will affect others like, well sorta unlike me, honestly.”
“And are her words true?”
“No.” I said, but I wondered. The only way to know for sure would be to test it, and the best way to do what was on me. Not something I looked forward to. On the other hand, maybe I did just survive poison and that was all the proof I needed. I continued, “She expected the candles to work quickly, and they didn’t. Mest, I’m the one who survived poison, and she’s in there cooling.”
“Ah, yes my lady, that is true. You look well.”
“It’s the ale. I joke. That was a joke. I’m finding it very strange, honestly, that I’m fine. Physically. Definitely not, uh, the other way. So, yes. I mean, yes. I don’t know, maybe that knife wasn’t poisoned.”
“It was poisoned.”
We walked a bit further. “Have you, uhm, explained it to the others?”
“My sisterhood? Yes. They don’t believe me.”
“Sisterhood? I really have to spend more time with you guys, get to know you. I’m sorry there just hasn’t been that much time.” I’d have to organize a tea or lunch for us. It was terrible that a man died for me, and I didn’t even talk to him. “Hey, I should have asked this before, but everything is just happening so fast, but first, I am sorry your fellow died protecting me. Please tell me his name.”
“Farandok. He trained very hard. I admired his dedication.” Mestamir took hold of the door handle to the tower, saying, “It was his great honor to shield your body with his life,” before opening it for me.
“He will be remembered. Thank you.” I paused, holding onto the frame, “May I ask why sisterhood and not brotherhood?”
“I believe it was your mother’s father who began the practice of having only women bodyguards.”
“That’s creepy. Now it’s mixed, though, I take it.”
“Yes, but the name lingers. It differentiates us from the regular soldiers now, who generally call themselves brothers.”
“That’s amazing.” I stifled a yawn, “Sorry. Oh, I could use more of that coffee.”
“Only a few hours since you assumed the throne, my lady.”
“That explains the late afternoon sun reddening up the sky. This has been a very long day, Mest. And we have a ways to go yet, I think.”
We were quiet on the staircase leading up to the library and remained so inside. I did not know what to make of Mest’s worship, nor did I have much time to think on it. The enemy was almost certain to attack as soon as they realize their emissaries weren’t returning, and I had to speak with the mage before the generals.
Though I had no idea what to tell the generals. I’d only just met them, given them some diagrams to make weapons of war. Not a chance the smiths completed any yet. Presumably, the generals were doing all they could to secure our defense and all I would be to them was someone to report to. Given the enemy’s number, our situation was going to get worse soon.
Still sitting where I left him, books open on the table, I pushed a couple away and plopped the candelabra down. “Do you know what this is?”
“Do you know how rare that tome is?” Talaren stared at the leather package in front of him.
“I moved it, the book didn’t get hurt.” He looked at me as I sat across from him. “Go on, open it.”
The mage unwrapped the leather and pulled the artifact out, setting it down carefully, “With the irons on, I’m afraid I cannot tell if this is magical, though I presume you’ve brought it because it is. Unfortunately, I have never seen the like before.”
I waved at the candelabra, “An enemy agent used this to incapacitate me. I believe it’s some kind of artifact that affects, ah, otherworldly beings. I’d like to know if it works on those trapped in the prison.”
“I take it you no longer have the agent to question?” He sat back.
“Dead, I’m afraid.”
“You seem to leave a trail of bodies after you.”
“No need to be petty.”
Taking a deep breath, he sat back, “I will examine it. But it’ll take time because now I’m researching two impossible and esoteric topics.”
“Impossible?”
“Can you tell me anything about this candle, anything at all?”
Leaning forward, I grasped my hands together on the table, “I believe it nearly killed me.”
“Believe?”
“I was poisoned at the same time.” Pointing at my cheek, “Here, see the cut? Though, I’m not sure which affected me, the poison or this. We can test it, but not now and, well, I’m a little hesitant.”
“Assuming this artifact affected you, how did you survive?”
“My bodyguard extinguished the candles.”
“My lady, if this can incapacitate you so easily, perhaps even kill you, it might be rational to destroy it.”
“Yeah.” I looked down at the table, “Yeah. Maybe. Look, Talaren, we don’t have a lot of options. And I don’t know what to do. Can you, please, see if you can learn anything about this? I’ll try to capture someone who does, but we are greatly outnumbered here, and I am having difficulties imagining how to keep this city intact.”
“Is it that bad?”
I stood up. “It’s dire. Anyways, do what you can. I’m off to speak to the generals again.”
***
In the war room, my four remaining generals waiting on me to speak, and the one I’d demoted. It took me a while to recall his name, and in the end it was his black hair that reminded me. Mazdak. He was standing back with the assistants. Someone must have insisted he come. So, other than noting it, I let it go. They’d brought him for a reason, which meant it was perhaps a mistake to have demoted him. Maybe that was the message.
By now, the man had to have heard what I’d done. He was brave. To have come.
“Gentlemen,” I said loudly, calling everyone’s attention, but they were waiting on me to start, regardless. “They used the parley to attack. It appears they mean to take this city. And we have less than half their number. Thoughts?”
Sasan, blond, took the lead again, “The walls and towers are well supplied with arrows. We have hot oil and stones at choke points, along with additional fortifications on the ground. The men are taking shifts, with a third on at any given time. Weak spots have been shored up. And the smithies,” he nodded in my direction, “are working through your diagrams. If you have any suggestions, we are at your service, my lady.”
“I want an attack plan crafted.”
Sasan blinked. Several of the other generals looked pale. “Ma’am, we don’t, ah, think that would work.”
“Plans, not plan, my mistake. I want several options for harassment attacks. Not full on, fighting until we drop, but darting in and out. And I want those rhinos in play.”
The older general, Abtin, stepped forward, “The Empress’s plan has merit. It has merit. We should not accept their terms for the upcoming battle. If we do that, we fall to their greater numbers. My lady, might I make a suggestion?”
“I am really hoping you will.”
“Put General, ah excuse me, have Captain Mazdak lead the offensive. He is not only skilled in combat, but an excellent tactician, which is how he rose to the rank of general.”
Ok, so yeah. Backing up the whole maybe I am dumb thoughts I’d been having. They clearly believed this man knew war, and better than they did. It’d be unwise to ignore their soft reinstatement of the man, “Excellent, that works. Thank you for the suggestion. Mazdak, you’re in charge of the offensive. Use whichever troops and whatever weapons, including the war rhinos, you deem fit.”
Stepping forward, he bowed, saying, “Ma’am.” Then he stepped back to stand with the assistants.
“There’s another matter,” said Sasan. “Scouting parties have arrived since our last meeting. I’m afraid the enemy’s second army is returning. There’s no sign of our army and the messengers we’ve sent have not returned.”
My hand dropped to the table, but that was the only outward change I allowed myself, keeping my expression neutral. Damn. We are well and truly fudged. That will bring their army to over one hundred thousand if they suffered no losses in the field. Probably smaller, then. But it didn’t matter, the odds were dramatically against us now.
“Change of plans. General Mazdak, step forward.”
He did, looking a little surprised.
“We are going on the offensive now. It’s our city. You know it, the troops know it. The enemy doesn’t. That’ll count for a lot. I want all available archers on the walls, high buildings, towers. And you,” I pointed at one of Sasan’s assistants, “take three people with you and get me two bows and as many quivers of arrows as you can. I’m going to give our troops some breathing room. Wait,” I held my hand up, “not all available archers. I have an idea.”
“Ma’am?”
Archers were akin to snipers for us. Except far more limited. Yet I was only considering distance. If they remained on the walls, the infantry would eventually run out of ranged support. “I want archer teams to accompany the ground assault.”
“Ground assault?”
“As each street is cleared, the archers will enter the buildings to the top floor and continue loosing into the enemy. I want our troops to take this city back building by building. We’ll need shock and awe at the beginning, but after we’ll methodologically secure the city.”
Sasan, clearly taken aback, asked, “The archers need to enter every building?”
“What? No, just the strategically important ones. The ones they can use to loose upon the enemy and support the infantry.”
He visibly relaxed. “Excellent, ma’am.”
“How many war rhinos can run down a street side by side?”
General Dareb spoke up, “Ma’am, they have almost certainly positioned their archers in buildings, too, making the rhinos vulnerable.”
“If you were a soldier in formation in a small city street when a herd of giant rhinoceros with sharp steel blades on their horns charged you, what would you do?”
“Ah, ma’am, I’d, uh . . .”
Mazdak spoke up, “Two or Three, depending on the city street. Ma’am, I believe I understand what you want and will now go and arrange the army, if I may.”
“That will be excellent, thank you. General Dareb, I aim to remove all those archers. If you would see me to an appropriate and nearby tower? Oh, and someone bring me a pot, uh, a jug of coffee. Not a cup. A jug.”
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