said.
Harpy meant snatcher .
The fortress appeared more vast and impregnable as Devon’s troop came closer.
The citadel did not take alarm at their approach. The garrison would recognize the blue uniforms, the Raenthe precision formation, the gold and silver standards and the scarlet litter.
The huge gates between stone towers parted to welcome Devon’s army into the wide stockade with its high picket walls below the lofty citadel.
Devon rode through the gates behind the imperial standards. The garrison troops were jubilant. Reinforcements had come at last.
Devon announced loudly, “These are not reinforcements. This is your relief. You are going home.”
Oceans did not roar so. The sounds rang off the citadel’s rock.
Devon gauged from the soldiers’ riotous cheering how much they hated garrison duty here. Their voices resolved into a thunderous chant.
“DEV-ON! DEV-ON! DEV-ON!”
Governor Kani came out of a tower to greet the Sovereign with a forced smile. Devon had seen that look on ship captains when an admiral boarded their vessels. A master of his own world was not accustomed to having a superior.
Kani was a hulking man with a well-upholstered wrestler’s build. His teeth shone white within his black beard. He wore strange garb that had a military look to it. It was dark green.
Kani greeted Devon.
“ Ma dahn! You made it! Thank all the gods!”
“I am here,” said Devon.
“Why? Why are you here?”
Devon must have looked affronted, because Kani quickly rephrased, “I welcome you. I am astonished that you risked the passage. You have no idea how reckless that was.”
“I have some idea,” Devon assured Governor Kani.
“Why would you do that to yourself?” Kani said.
“I needed to see for myself what you are up against out here.”
“I trust you saw.”
“Do you?” Devon said.
Did Kani already know that Devon had been attacked on his way here? “What do you suppose I saw?”
Kani seemed to hesitate. He threw out like a guess, “Wild men acting wildly?”
“There was some wildness,” Devon admitted. “We were hit in the pass.”
“There! You see?”
“It means the barbarians knew we were coming,” Devon said.
Kani shook his head. “Out here every mountain pass is some bandit’s target. These people are trapdoor spiders. You will always be hit in a pass.”
“No one goes through the Witch’s Cleft but once in forever,” Devon said. “Bandits don’t lay traps where no one ever travels. These men were waiting. For me .”
“That is not possible,” Kani said.
“They hit my litter. First. They knew the Sovereign was coming through the Witch’s Cleft.”
Kani put his hand over his heart. “ Ma dahn , I told no one.” The official communication had gone directly from the Sovereign to the provincial governor. “It had to be someone on your side. Who else knew?”
“Trusted people of my court,” Devon answered.
“And your guard, ma dahn ,” Kani added significantly.
Kani’s eyes and everyone else’s eyes turned to the barbarian Xan.
“No,” said Devon. Afraid he sounded too insistent.
“How can you know that, ma dahn ?”
“Because I am here.”
If Xan had meant to kill him, Devon would not have arrived at his destination.
Kani gave a provisional sideways nod, allowing that argument. Kani suggested instead, “Then perhaps your regent wants to keep the reign?”
Marcus.
Devon stiffened. He did not respond.
Devon noted other men of the citadel dressed in the same strange green garb as the governor. They must be Kani’s inner circle of personal guards. They were dressed differently from the garrison troops out in the front courtyard, who wore standard Raenthe military blue. “Your men out of uniform.”
“Our uniforms wore out,” Kani said. “We make do. We don’t like to go begging back to the capital if we can fend for ourselves.”
“You should look like Raenthe.”
Devon was aware of eyes rolling around him, as if the Sovereign
Harpy meant snatcher .
The fortress appeared more vast and impregnable as Devon’s troop came closer.
The citadel did not take alarm at their approach. The garrison would recognize the blue uniforms, the Raenthe precision formation, the gold and silver standards and the scarlet litter.
The huge gates between stone towers parted to welcome Devon’s army into the wide stockade with its high picket walls below the lofty citadel.
Devon rode through the gates behind the imperial standards. The garrison troops were jubilant. Reinforcements had come at last.
Devon announced loudly, “These are not reinforcements. This is your relief. You are going home.”
Oceans did not roar so. The sounds rang off the citadel’s rock.
Devon gauged from the soldiers’ riotous cheering how much they hated garrison duty here. Their voices resolved into a thunderous chant.
“DEV-ON! DEV-ON! DEV-ON!”
Governor Kani came out of a tower to greet the Sovereign with a forced smile. Devon had seen that look on ship captains when an admiral boarded their vessels. A master of his own world was not accustomed to having a superior.
Kani was a hulking man with a well-upholstered wrestler’s build. His teeth shone white within his black beard. He wore strange garb that had a military look to it. It was dark green.
Kani greeted Devon.
“ Ma dahn! You made it! Thank all the gods!”
“I am here,” said Devon.
“Why? Why are you here?”
Devon must have looked affronted, because Kani quickly rephrased, “I welcome you. I am astonished that you risked the passage. You have no idea how reckless that was.”
“I have some idea,” Devon assured Governor Kani.
“Why would you do that to yourself?” Kani said.
“I needed to see for myself what you are up against out here.”
“I trust you saw.”
“Do you?” Devon said.
Did Kani already know that Devon had been attacked on his way here? “What do you suppose I saw?”
Kani seemed to hesitate. He threw out like a guess, “Wild men acting wildly?”
“There was some wildness,” Devon admitted. “We were hit in the pass.”
“There! You see?”
“It means the barbarians knew we were coming,” Devon said.
Kani shook his head. “Out here every mountain pass is some bandit’s target. These people are trapdoor spiders. You will always be hit in a pass.”
“No one goes through the Witch’s Cleft but once in forever,” Devon said. “Bandits don’t lay traps where no one ever travels. These men were waiting. For me .”
“That is not possible,” Kani said.
“They hit my litter. First. They knew the Sovereign was coming through the Witch’s Cleft.”
Kani put his hand over his heart. “ Ma dahn , I told no one.” The official communication had gone directly from the Sovereign to the provincial governor. “It had to be someone on your side. Who else knew?”
“Trusted people of my court,” Devon answered.
“And your guard, ma dahn ,” Kani added significantly.
Kani’s eyes and everyone else’s eyes turned to the barbarian Xan.
“No,” said Devon. Afraid he sounded too insistent.
“How can you know that, ma dahn ?”
“Because I am here.”
If Xan had meant to kill him, Devon would not have arrived at his destination.
Kani gave a provisional sideways nod, allowing that argument. Kani suggested instead, “Then perhaps your regent wants to keep the reign?”
Marcus.
Devon stiffened. He did not respond.
Devon noted other men of the citadel dressed in the same strange green garb as the governor. They must be Kani’s inner circle of personal guards. They were dressed differently from the garrison troops out in the front courtyard, who wore standard Raenthe military blue. “Your men out of uniform.”
“Our uniforms wore out,” Kani said. “We make do. We don’t like to go begging back to the capital if we can fend for ourselves.”
“You should look like Raenthe.”
Devon was aware of eyes rolling around him, as if the Sovereign
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