Rhiannon and Sendatsu.
‘We have our first Velsh Magic-weaver,’ Rhiannon confirmed.
‘You are not going anywhere.’ Huw patted Bevan on the back enthusiastically. ‘Who knows how many more wait for us in there?’
Rhiannon and Sendatsu grinned at each other, then a powerful smell wiped the smiles off their faces. A harsh voice interrupted them and they turned slowly to see Dung Sniffer holding out a handful of reeking sheep droppings.
‘Are you ready to test me now, because these are best used when warm and I’ll need to collect some more if we wait any longer.’
‘Don’t say anything,’ Rhiannon warned Sendatsu, as he opened his mouth.
Ward looked back over his shoulder as he rode out of Cridianton. The buildings and the wall around his city looked even more beautiful from this side, he decided. Especially when he had feared he was never going to get the chance to see them from anything but his bed.
‘We shall ride back in triumph, Father,’ Wilfrid said from behind him. ‘The walls will be lined with people cheering our names!’
Ward exchanged a look with Edmund and said nothing. He felt he had to go north, see for himself what was happening. Waiting in Cridianton for news would be unbearable. He did not trust the elven Magic-weaver and would-be leader Sumiko and he needed to see events unfolding. Everything he had already won and done was at risk and not even Edmund could be trusted to make all the right choices, but leaving Mildrith to watch Cridianton while he took his sons and Edmund north was also a huge risk, especially as he had stripped the southern countries of men to replace those lost in the forest around Dokuzen. Behind him marched five thousand battle-hardened Forlish soldiers, almost every man he had under his flag. He had left only one regiment down south and, should things go wrong, every country he had taken would rise against him. He smiled to himself. He should be dead, according to the Landish doctors. Anything from now on was a victory.
‘Sire, you don’t have to do this. Captain Wulf knows what he is doing. He can look after the army while I take men into Dokuzen with the elven traitor,’ Edmund said softly.
‘Wulf is a good man and if I had to hold a defensive line, he would be my first choice. But we have thousands of elven warriors to worry about, even before we think about the elven-trained Velsh, who are quite capable of giving us trouble by themselves. This is something I need to do.’
Edmund bowed his head and Ward relaxed in the saddle, enjoying the sensation of having a healthy body once more, feeling fresh air stream into his lungs. His castle was beautiful but it was so cold. To ride in the warm sun, with his sons beside him — this was life.
‘What if this is all a trap and we find the elven army waiting to destroy us?’ Uffa asked.
Ward bit back his first, angry words. They were trying — both Wilfrid and Uffa were trying. He had wanted them to think and to ask questions. He had to be patient; he wanted to be patient.
‘We have been over this before,’ Edmund answered for him. ‘I have one day, dawn to sunset, to get into Dokuzen and get back again with hostages. If I am not back by then, we know it is a trap but, even before then, we prepare for the worst. When we met the elves outside Dokuzen, we had no cavalry and, as Captain Wulf discovered, that is the elves’ weakness. We shall have a prepared defensive position on a ground of our choosing and if they come to us, they will find it a different story.’
‘But if all goes to plan and the traitor gets Edmund back out of Dokuzen safely, the elves will not try anything with their leaders in our grasp,’ Ward instructed.
‘And then, once the traitor has taken power and given us what we want, we turn on her and strike at Dokuzen?’ Wilfrid hazarded.
‘No!’ Ward roared, then clutched the reins until the leather bit into his hands. ‘No, we release the old leaders and let the elves fight
‘We have our first Velsh Magic-weaver,’ Rhiannon confirmed.
‘You are not going anywhere.’ Huw patted Bevan on the back enthusiastically. ‘Who knows how many more wait for us in there?’
Rhiannon and Sendatsu grinned at each other, then a powerful smell wiped the smiles off their faces. A harsh voice interrupted them and they turned slowly to see Dung Sniffer holding out a handful of reeking sheep droppings.
‘Are you ready to test me now, because these are best used when warm and I’ll need to collect some more if we wait any longer.’
‘Don’t say anything,’ Rhiannon warned Sendatsu, as he opened his mouth.
Ward looked back over his shoulder as he rode out of Cridianton. The buildings and the wall around his city looked even more beautiful from this side, he decided. Especially when he had feared he was never going to get the chance to see them from anything but his bed.
‘We shall ride back in triumph, Father,’ Wilfrid said from behind him. ‘The walls will be lined with people cheering our names!’
Ward exchanged a look with Edmund and said nothing. He felt he had to go north, see for himself what was happening. Waiting in Cridianton for news would be unbearable. He did not trust the elven Magic-weaver and would-be leader Sumiko and he needed to see events unfolding. Everything he had already won and done was at risk and not even Edmund could be trusted to make all the right choices, but leaving Mildrith to watch Cridianton while he took his sons and Edmund north was also a huge risk, especially as he had stripped the southern countries of men to replace those lost in the forest around Dokuzen. Behind him marched five thousand battle-hardened Forlish soldiers, almost every man he had under his flag. He had left only one regiment down south and, should things go wrong, every country he had taken would rise against him. He smiled to himself. He should be dead, according to the Landish doctors. Anything from now on was a victory.
‘Sire, you don’t have to do this. Captain Wulf knows what he is doing. He can look after the army while I take men into Dokuzen with the elven traitor,’ Edmund said softly.
‘Wulf is a good man and if I had to hold a defensive line, he would be my first choice. But we have thousands of elven warriors to worry about, even before we think about the elven-trained Velsh, who are quite capable of giving us trouble by themselves. This is something I need to do.’
Edmund bowed his head and Ward relaxed in the saddle, enjoying the sensation of having a healthy body once more, feeling fresh air stream into his lungs. His castle was beautiful but it was so cold. To ride in the warm sun, with his sons beside him — this was life.
‘What if this is all a trap and we find the elven army waiting to destroy us?’ Uffa asked.
Ward bit back his first, angry words. They were trying — both Wilfrid and Uffa were trying. He had wanted them to think and to ask questions. He had to be patient; he wanted to be patient.
‘We have been over this before,’ Edmund answered for him. ‘I have one day, dawn to sunset, to get into Dokuzen and get back again with hostages. If I am not back by then, we know it is a trap but, even before then, we prepare for the worst. When we met the elves outside Dokuzen, we had no cavalry and, as Captain Wulf discovered, that is the elves’ weakness. We shall have a prepared defensive position on a ground of our choosing and if they come to us, they will find it a different story.’
‘But if all goes to plan and the traitor gets Edmund back out of Dokuzen safely, the elves will not try anything with their leaders in our grasp,’ Ward instructed.
‘And then, once the traitor has taken power and given us what we want, we turn on her and strike at Dokuzen?’ Wilfrid hazarded.
‘No!’ Ward roared, then clutched the reins until the leather bit into his hands. ‘No, we release the old leaders and let the elves fight
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