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VThe ride to Armat took almost four eightdays. We rode through the Westhorns to Middle Vale and then down into Suthya by the road to the north of the River Arma. Until we reached Suthya, in most places, the snow beside the roads was at least waist-deep, and twice we had to help the road crews clear away new-fallen snow. In Armat, we had to wait another eightday for the ship Lydya had engaged with the letter of credit from the Marshall. While we waited, she continued to purchase goods in one fashion or another. When the Pride of Armat ported, I was surprised to discover it was one of the largest vessels in the harbor, with three tall masts. The ship was heavy-laden indeed by the time her master lifted sail and we departed from Armat three days later. Lydya and I talked frequently, but it was mostly about the cargo, about the guards and their consorts, and about how we would need to use all the woodworking and stoneworking tools to build our own shelter on Recluce. That bothered me little. All Guards knew something about building and maintaining structures. Westwind could not have endured over the centuries without those skills. I tended to be better with stone. Perhaps I lacked the delicate touch needed for woodwork. After more than an eightday of hugging the northern coasts of Candar, the ship had finally left the easternmost part of Lydiar behind, swallowed by the sea. For the first two days, we'd been followed by another vessel, until Lydya had suggested to the captain that he fly the banner of Westwind I had brought. About halfway across the Gulf of Candar, the war schooner eased away on a different course. Lydya and I stood just aft of the bowsprit, at the port railing. "Do you know what to expect in Recluce, Shierra?" "No, except that it will likely be hot and dry and strange. We'll have to build almost everything from nothing, and there's a garrison of savage men we'll have to deal with." Lydya laughed. "They'll have to deal with you. None of them are a match for your least-trained Guards. That's one of the reasons why Creslin needs you, and why the Marshall permitted some of you to come." "But she drove him out, didn't she?" "Did she?" The question made me uneasy, especially asked by a healer. "Why did you come to Westwind?" "To ask the Marshall for what might be called Creslin's dowry. For obvious reasons, he cannot ask, and he would not even if he were physically where he could." For that, I also admired him. "How did you come to know him?" "I was a healer in the White road camp where they imprisoned him. After he escaped, Klerris and I followed him, not to Montgren, but to Tyrhavven. That is where he and Megaera took the Duke's schooner that brought them to Recluce. Klerris accompanied them, and I traveled to Westwind." "Is he really a mage?" "Yes. He may become one of the greatest ever. That is if he and Megaera survive each other." "Healer . . . what is the Sub-Tyrant like?" I did not wish to ask the question, but I had to know, especially after Lydya's last words. "She has hair like red mahogany, eyes as green and deep as the summer seas south of Naclos, fair skin, and freckles. She is also a white witch, with a kind heart, and a temper to match the most violent thunderstorms of summer." "Is she . . ." "She is as beautiful and as deadly as a fine dagger, Shierra. That is what makes her a match for Creslin, or him for her." What could I say to that, except more pleasantries about the sea, the weather, and the cargo we carried? VIAnother day passed. On the morning of the following day, a rocky headland appeared. I could see no buildings at all. There was no smoke from fires. As the ship neared land, and some of the sails were furled, I could finally make out a breakwater on the east side of the inlet between the rocky cliffs. At first, I wasn't certain, because it wasn't much more than a long pile of stones. There was a single short pier, with a black stone building behind it, and a scattering of other buildings, one of them clearly half-built. A dusty road wound up a low rise to a keep built out of grayish black stones. On one end was a section that looked to have been added recently. The captain had a boat lowered, with a heavy rope—a hawser, I thought—attached to the sternpost. The men in the boat rowed to the pier and fastened it to one of the posts, and then the crew used the capstan to winch the ship in toward the pier. As we got nearer to the shore, I could see that very little grew anywhere, just bushes. "Lydya . . . it doesn't look like we'll have much use for that woodworking equipment. All I see are a few bushes." The healer laughed. "Those are trees, or what passes for them." Trees? They were barely taller than I. I swallowed and turned back to look at the handful of people waiting on the pier. One of them was Creslin. I could tell that from his silver hair, lit by the sunlight. Beside him on one side was a black mage. On the other was a tall red-haired woman. That had to be Megaera. Once the ship was tied past to the pier, the captain scrambled onto the pier, bowing to Creslin and Megaera. I just watched for a moment. "Shierra . . . you're the Guard captain," said Lydya quietly. "Report to the regents." I was senior, and I would have stepped forward sooner, except . . . There was no excuse. I vaulted over the railing and stood waiting behind the captain. Once he stepped back, I moved forward. "Guard Captain Shierra, Regent Creslin, Regent Megaera," I began, inclining my head in respect to them. "Did you have any trouble with the wizards?" Creslin asked. "No, ser. But then, we insisted that the captain fly our banner. One war schooner did follow us. It left halfway across the Gulf." I couldn't help smiling, but felt nervous all the same as I gestured to the middle mast that where the Westwind banner drooped limply. "You seem to have a full group." Creslin smiled, but he didn't seem to recognize me. Then, why should he have? Fiera had been the one who had kissed him. "Two and a half squads, actually." Creslin pointed westward toward the keep. "There are your quarters, rough as they are. We'll discuss other needs once you look things over. We might as well get whatever you brought off-loaded." "Some carts would help, ser. The healer"—I didn't wish to use her first name, and what else could I call her to a regent?—"was apparently quite persuasive . . ." I went on to explain everything in the cargo holds. "Now, that is true wizardry." Creslin laughed. The sound was so infectious, almost joyful, that I ended up laughing with him. Then, I was so embarrassed that I turned immediately to the Guards. "Let's off-load!" I forced myself to concentrate on the details of getting the Guards and consorts and the children off the ship, and then making sure with the ship's boatswain that the holds would be unloaded in the order on the bill lading that I did not even sense Megaera's approach. "Guard Captain?" Her voice carried, despite its softness. I tried not to jump and turned. "Regent Megaera." "Once you're ready, I'll escort you up to the keep." She smiled, almost humorously. "They'll have to walk. We're a bit short on mounts. It's not that far, though." "We have enough mounts for the Guards, and some spares." I paused. "But they'll have to be walked themselves after all the time on ship." It took until early afternoon before we had even begun to transfer cargo and to walk the horses up to the crude stables behind the keep. Once I had duties assigned to the Guards, I stayed at the keep, trying to keep track of goods and especially weapons. The wall stones of the outbuildings being used as tables were so loosely set that the stalls would have filled with ice on a single winter day at Westwind. The storerooms on the lower levels of the keep were better, but musty. I blotted my forehead with my sleeve as I stood outside the stable in the sun, checking the contents of each cart, and directing the Guards. After the cart I had checked was unloaded and Eliera began to lead the old mare back down to the pier, Megaera appeared and walked toward me "Guard Captain . . . I have a question for you." "Yes, Regent?" What could a white witch want of me? "Recluce is a hard place, and it is likely to get harder before it gets easier. Could you instruct me in the use of blades?" "Regent . . ." What could I say? Westwind Guards began training almost as soon as they could walk, and Megaera was nearly as old as I was, I suspected. Beautiful as she was, she was certainly older than Creslin. She lifted her arms and let the tunic sleeves fall back, revealing heavy white scars around both wrists. "I can deal with pain and discomfort, Guard Captain. What I cannot abide is my own inability to defend myself with a blade." But . . . she was a white mage. "Magery has its limits." She looked directly at me. "Please . . . will you help me?" How could I say no when she had begged me? Or as close to begging as a Sub-Tyrant could come. Directory: ebooks ebooks -> Hcm cộng hòa xã HỘi chủ nghĩa việt nam ebooks -> "That was our view and I believe it right." ebooks -> The Teachings of Don Juan ebooks -> I’ve got it let’s invade Iraq! ebooks -> Appendix 9c sa army unit histories1 Infantry ebooks -> 8. 0 Cellular Phone Systems 01 Cellular Voice Reference Model ebooks -> War against the machine accountability meter has expired. Time ebooks -> Reader Description Download 2.63 Mb. Share with your friends:
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