road. The flat light gave the water-covered parts of the road a silver cast. The air was still cold and damp enough that at times the breath of the horses steamed.
What was he doing riding out again to do something that could easily get himself killed if anything at all went wrong? Kharl wondered. He'd had to risk his life just to stay alive when he had been running from Egen. Then he'd risked his life in saving Lord Ghrant to repay Hagen. Now he was risking his life, in a sense, to keep what he'd earned so that he didn't end up back in poverty and on the run. Was life just a continuing series of situations where he had to wager himself for higher and higher stakes-just to
avoid losing what he had? Was that why rulers in difficulties ended up making bad decisions?
After a time, Kharl began to notice an acrid odor in the air. Something was burning, and it didn't smell like a hearth fire or a forge. He turned to Charsal. "How much farther do we need to ride along this road?"
"A good two kays more, maybe three. Then we'll be taking a lane to the back side of the orchards. The scouts reported that Malcor and Kenslan have got their forces north of there. The trees have started to leaf out, but they're mostly still winter-gray."
"That will provide some cover?"
"Enough so they won't see us from afar, anyway. They don't have pickets out more than half a kay. Leastwise, they didn't yesterday. Wouldn't count on that, though. KenslanTl begin whipping 'em into better discipline."
"Vatoran didn't do that?"
"Vatoran came up through the ranks. Learned that you got further if you didn't piss off the officers who came from lordly families and if you always said yes to lords. Gets you promoted. Doesn't make for good discipline." Charsal laughed. "That's what Commander Norgen says, anyway. But... back then, who was worrying about discipline? Hadn't been anyone to fight in years."
"It's late to instill discipline after the fighting starts," Kharl said dryly.
"Yes, ser. Commander Norgen said that Lord Estloch should have kept Lord Hagen as arms-commander, but too many of the younger sons of lords complained that he was too strict."
So Hagen had once been arms-commander of Austra? Hagen had alluded to his past, but that was something he hadn't mentioned.
"That's when he went to sea, they say." Charsal frowned, then held up a hand. "Halt."
Kharl managed to rein up his mount, far less smoothly than did the riders behind him. He glanced northward. The narrow road sloped upward to a crest a good ten rods ahead. He thought he could make out the beginning of a hedgerow beyond on the left side of the road.
In the silence, the undercaptain listened for several moments before speaking. "Riders .. . headed this way."
Kharl could not only hear the drumbeat of hoofs, but also, for the first time, could clearly sense something like a faint white fog-a white wizard.
Had they been detected by sorcery? How many wizards were there supporting the rebel lords? He could hope that there was only one remaining.
"They're still almost a kay away, from the sound. We'll head up just short of where the road crests, so we can look over and see how many and how far away they are."
Kharl had hoped they would have been able to get closer to the rebel forces. From what Charsal said, he was almost three kays away. Still, he'd walked three kays many a time, and more than once just to save a few coppers.
When they reined up short of the road crest, Kharl tried to make out the riders who headed down the long and gentle incline that was opposite the low hillcrest from where he watched. Against the low clouds, he found it hard to take an accurate count, but there were clearly far more armsmen headed toward them than in the small force behind him.
He looked ahead to his left, where the hedgerow began, bordering the road on the west. Behind the hedgerow
What was he doing riding out again to do something that could easily get himself killed if anything at all went wrong? Kharl wondered. He'd had to risk his life just to stay alive when he had been running from Egen. Then he'd risked his life in saving Lord Ghrant to repay Hagen. Now he was risking his life, in a sense, to keep what he'd earned so that he didn't end up back in poverty and on the run. Was life just a continuing series of situations where he had to wager himself for higher and higher stakes-just to
avoid losing what he had? Was that why rulers in difficulties ended up making bad decisions?
After a time, Kharl began to notice an acrid odor in the air. Something was burning, and it didn't smell like a hearth fire or a forge. He turned to Charsal. "How much farther do we need to ride along this road?"
"A good two kays more, maybe three. Then we'll be taking a lane to the back side of the orchards. The scouts reported that Malcor and Kenslan have got their forces north of there. The trees have started to leaf out, but they're mostly still winter-gray."
"That will provide some cover?"
"Enough so they won't see us from afar, anyway. They don't have pickets out more than half a kay. Leastwise, they didn't yesterday. Wouldn't count on that, though. KenslanTl begin whipping 'em into better discipline."
"Vatoran didn't do that?"
"Vatoran came up through the ranks. Learned that you got further if you didn't piss off the officers who came from lordly families and if you always said yes to lords. Gets you promoted. Doesn't make for good discipline." Charsal laughed. "That's what Commander Norgen says, anyway. But... back then, who was worrying about discipline? Hadn't been anyone to fight in years."
"It's late to instill discipline after the fighting starts," Kharl said dryly.
"Yes, ser. Commander Norgen said that Lord Estloch should have kept Lord Hagen as arms-commander, but too many of the younger sons of lords complained that he was too strict."
So Hagen had once been arms-commander of Austra? Hagen had alluded to his past, but that was something he hadn't mentioned.
"That's when he went to sea, they say." Charsal frowned, then held up a hand. "Halt."
Kharl managed to rein up his mount, far less smoothly than did the riders behind him. He glanced northward. The narrow road sloped upward to a crest a good ten rods ahead. He thought he could make out the beginning of a hedgerow beyond on the left side of the road.
In the silence, the undercaptain listened for several moments before speaking. "Riders .. . headed this way."
Kharl could not only hear the drumbeat of hoofs, but also, for the first time, could clearly sense something like a faint white fog-a white wizard.
Had they been detected by sorcery? How many wizards were there supporting the rebel lords? He could hope that there was only one remaining.
"They're still almost a kay away, from the sound. We'll head up just short of where the road crests, so we can look over and see how many and how far away they are."
Kharl had hoped they would have been able to get closer to the rebel forces. From what Charsal said, he was almost three kays away. Still, he'd walked three kays many a time, and more than once just to save a few coppers.
When they reined up short of the road crest, Kharl tried to make out the riders who headed down the long and gentle incline that was opposite the low hillcrest from where he watched. Against the low clouds, he found it hard to take an accurate count, but there were clearly far more armsmen headed toward them than in the small force behind him.
He looked ahead to his left, where the hedgerow began, bordering the road on the west. Behind the hedgerow
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