good."
"Why not?"
"A shaghun's a sort of priest-knight. They're a fighting order like the Guild's Knights Protectors. One with a group this small is unusual."
"So?"
"They're sorcerers too. Not big-time, but they've got some magic."
"But I thought El Murid killed all the magicians..."
"Sure!" Ragnarson interrupted, sneering. "All that didn't get religion. You ever hear of a priest who wouldn't make a deal with his devil to get what he wanted? El Murid's no different. He's a politician first, same as all of them. He just started out with ideals. After reality kicked his ass a few times, he started compromising. The shaghun system worked for the Royalists—Haroun is supposed to be one, but he didn't get much training before he had to run—so why not for him?"
Bragi was a cynic who disapproved of any organization structured for purposes other than warfare. His opinions of governments were as severe as those regarding priesthoods.
"What can we do?" Elana asked.
"About what?"
"About this hedge-wizard, you lummox!" Mornings they both could be bears.
"Oh. I'll have to kill him. Or give up and see what he wants. How's Rolf?"
"Still in a coma. I don't think he'll come out."
"Grim. Where's Mocker? And where's that shaghun? If
I'm going to get him, I got to know where." He sent someone to get Uthe from the tower.
Elana started to ask why he had to do it. She knew. It was his way. The more dangerous the task, the less likely he was to delegate it.
"Let's go to the study," Bragi said. He had a room of his own off the main hall where, supposedly, he attended to business. It was more a museum filled with mementos, and a library. "I hope he stays alive long enough to tell me why I've got El Murid's horses trampling my wheat."
"I'd like to see him live a little longer than that." She revealed too much emotion. Bragi frowned puzzledly, was about to ask something when Uthe arrived.
The men went to four maps hung on a wall. One was of the west, political; another of the Itaskian Kingdom; a third was of the landgrant with inked notations about resources and special features. The last was of the area around the house, with large blank borders where the forest still stood. It was to this that Bragi and Uthe went. Haas pointed out the location of the shaghun, then of nearby horsemen. Bragi traced an approach route with one heavy forefinger.
"Did you see his colors?" Ragnarson asked. "Did you recognize them?"
"Yes. No."
"Guess we couldn't tell much anyway. Bound to have been a big turnover. Most of them died before El Murid gave up and went home. Well, I don't know what else I can do. Wish I'd known he was out there when it was still dark."
He grabbed Elana, kissed her swift and hard. "Uthe, if it don't work, you take over. Wait for Mocker. He's bound to come—though how much good he'll be I don't know." He kissed Elana again.
ii) His regiment arrives
The ground was cold. His leg ached. The dew on the grass
had soaked through his trousers and jerkin. A breeze from the south did nothing to make him more comfortable. His hands were chilled, shaking. He hoped they wouldn't ruin his aim. There was little chance he would get a second shot. The shaghun would have a protective spell ready for instant use.
A hundred yards more, at least, before he dared a shot. And they the hardest since he had slipped out the tunnel from the cellars. There was no cover but a fencerow.
Where was Mocker? he wondered.
The yards slowly passed under his belly. He expected an alarm at any moment, or the cry of the shaghun ordering an attack.
It was light enough to storm the house. Why were they waiting?
From the end of the fence he would have to trust luck to cross five yards of naked pasture to a ditch.
They would get him there for sure.
A sudden outcry and stirring of horses startled him. He almost let fly before realizing the horses were moving away. He raised his head.
Mocker had come.
And how he had come. The column emerging from the
"Why not?"
"A shaghun's a sort of priest-knight. They're a fighting order like the Guild's Knights Protectors. One with a group this small is unusual."
"So?"
"They're sorcerers too. Not big-time, but they've got some magic."
"But I thought El Murid killed all the magicians..."
"Sure!" Ragnarson interrupted, sneering. "All that didn't get religion. You ever hear of a priest who wouldn't make a deal with his devil to get what he wanted? El Murid's no different. He's a politician first, same as all of them. He just started out with ideals. After reality kicked his ass a few times, he started compromising. The shaghun system worked for the Royalists—Haroun is supposed to be one, but he didn't get much training before he had to run—so why not for him?"
Bragi was a cynic who disapproved of any organization structured for purposes other than warfare. His opinions of governments were as severe as those regarding priesthoods.
"What can we do?" Elana asked.
"About what?"
"About this hedge-wizard, you lummox!" Mornings they both could be bears.
"Oh. I'll have to kill him. Or give up and see what he wants. How's Rolf?"
"Still in a coma. I don't think he'll come out."
"Grim. Where's Mocker? And where's that shaghun? If
I'm going to get him, I got to know where." He sent someone to get Uthe from the tower.
Elana started to ask why he had to do it. She knew. It was his way. The more dangerous the task, the less likely he was to delegate it.
"Let's go to the study," Bragi said. He had a room of his own off the main hall where, supposedly, he attended to business. It was more a museum filled with mementos, and a library. "I hope he stays alive long enough to tell me why I've got El Murid's horses trampling my wheat."
"I'd like to see him live a little longer than that." She revealed too much emotion. Bragi frowned puzzledly, was about to ask something when Uthe arrived.
The men went to four maps hung on a wall. One was of the west, political; another of the Itaskian Kingdom; a third was of the landgrant with inked notations about resources and special features. The last was of the area around the house, with large blank borders where the forest still stood. It was to this that Bragi and Uthe went. Haas pointed out the location of the shaghun, then of nearby horsemen. Bragi traced an approach route with one heavy forefinger.
"Did you see his colors?" Ragnarson asked. "Did you recognize them?"
"Yes. No."
"Guess we couldn't tell much anyway. Bound to have been a big turnover. Most of them died before El Murid gave up and went home. Well, I don't know what else I can do. Wish I'd known he was out there when it was still dark."
He grabbed Elana, kissed her swift and hard. "Uthe, if it don't work, you take over. Wait for Mocker. He's bound to come—though how much good he'll be I don't know." He kissed Elana again.
ii) His regiment arrives
The ground was cold. His leg ached. The dew on the grass
had soaked through his trousers and jerkin. A breeze from the south did nothing to make him more comfortable. His hands were chilled, shaking. He hoped they wouldn't ruin his aim. There was little chance he would get a second shot. The shaghun would have a protective spell ready for instant use.
A hundred yards more, at least, before he dared a shot. And they the hardest since he had slipped out the tunnel from the cellars. There was no cover but a fencerow.
Where was Mocker? he wondered.
The yards slowly passed under his belly. He expected an alarm at any moment, or the cry of the shaghun ordering an attack.
It was light enough to storm the house. Why were they waiting?
From the end of the fence he would have to trust luck to cross five yards of naked pasture to a ditch.
They would get him there for sure.
A sudden outcry and stirring of horses startled him. He almost let fly before realizing the horses were moving away. He raised his head.
Mocker had come.
And how he had come. The column emerging from the
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