Read Online Broken World Book Four - The Staff of Law by T C Southwell - Free Book Online Page B

men formed up into ranks. She had tried to count them, but
had long since given up and now merely admired their handsome blue
and yellow tabards and shining armour. Kieran was somewhere in the
melee, seeing to it that the pieces of the Staff were stowed aboard
one of the supply wagons.
    “ I had no idea there were so many men in a battalion,” she
murmured.
    “ Nor had I,” Chanter replied.
    “ But you were the one...”
    He shrugged.
“It sounded good, and the more the better.”
    Talsy giggled.
“Don’t tell King Ronos.”
    “ I won’t.”
    She considered
the soldiers again. “Do think that’s enough men to keep me safe?
It’s a small army.”
    “ I hope so. The chaos is worsening every day, and travelling
through the forest has many perils too. The mountains have become
unstable, with the ground shaking so much, and many of the trails
have been blocked with rocks. But the forest is full of chaos
beasts, and I fear you’ll need this army there.”
    “ You’ve been talking to the wind again.” She shivered. “I wish
you could come with us now.”
    “ So do I, but this is the only way to get out of the city. I’ll
join you before you reach the valley.”
    The soldiers
formed up into their ranks, and Kieran looked around. Talsy
smoothed the dress Merina had given her and tugged at the short
cloak on her shoulders.
    “ Do I look all right?”
    “ You look very nice.”
    She hugged him
and kissed him on the lips, and he patted her back awkwardly and
smiled when she stepped back. “Be careful.”
    “ I will. I’ll see you soon.”
    Chanter
nodded, and she descended the stairs to the courtyard where the
soldiers waited with Kieran and Orland. Kieran helped her onto her
horse, and officers shouted orders, setting the battalion in
motion. The cavalrymen clattered through the city towards the
postern gate.
    Chanter
watched until the cavalcade was lost amongst the buildings, then
went to the front of the castle to study Queen Larina’s army. The
Lowman soldiers had pitched their tents between strings of tethered
mounts, and the manbulls and manhorses stood together in separate
herds, some lying down on the soft grass. The manhorses carried
long bows slung across their backs and quivers at their waists,
while the manbulls were armed with massive spiked clubs. The black
army camped closest to the castle, and stood like hundreds of
statues, waiting.
     
     
    Talsy
experienced a twinge of unease as they rode through the postern
gate. Already she missed Chanter, even though he was not far away,
the fact that they left him behind made her unhappy. She wondered
how trustworthy King Ronos was, and whether he would try to trap
the Mujar with gold as so many had done. It still seemed strange to
have found a king who was so different from all the others. The
lack of tar in the city spoke volumes about the nature of its
people, however, and she thrust her doubts aside.
    They left the
city wall and rode along a little-used road, judging by its poor
state of repair, running parallel to the cliff. Talsy gazed up at
it, marvelling at the massive amount of power it must have taken to
create it, but then, to a Mujar such a feat was simple. It had the
familiar smooth appearance of a Mujar-made formation, a little
weathered in places now and pitted along the top, and scree had
fallen to clutter its foot. The end of the cavalcade was still
emerging from the postern gate when a group of enemy soldiers,
accompanied by a number of manhorses, came towards them from the
front of the city. Talsy was relieved that there were no Torrak
Jahar with them. They stopped on the road ahead and spread out
across it. Prince Orland raised his arm, and the cavalrymen behind
him halted in an imposing bunch bristling with lances. The entire
battalion was forced to stop, and soldiers galloped past Talsy’s
group to join the leaders in the confrontation.
    An officer
with gold braid on his sleeves and collar approached Orland, his
words carrying to her