‘Will there be fighting?’ asked the boy with wide eyes.
Roo sat back and said, ‘If the gods are kind, no. But if there is, we’ll protect you.’ He glanced from face to face, from the tiny perfection of the children to his wife’s nervous smile to Helen’s resolute expression, and said, ‘We will certainly protect you all.’
Erik reached Greylock’s position at nightfall. He had engaged ihe Emerald Queen’s forces a half-dozen times along the way, and had witnessed the carnage they had left behind. Bodies littered the roadside, and it was clear that their first concern had been food. A few items of value, coins, jewelry, and the like, were found scattered around, but not one edible item could be seen.
After exchanging the password, Erik and his company rode in. Owen greeted Erik. ‘How are things? Bad?’ he asked.
‘Worse,’ said Erik, dismounting. He allowed one of Greylock’s men to take the horse to tend to it and followed the former Swordmaster of Darkmoor to a campfire some distance behind the barricades they had erected across the road.
Erik left his own officers and sergeants to see to the horses and get the men fed. Greylock pointed to a pot of steaming stew and said, ‘Help yourself.’
Erik took a wooden bowl and spoon and suddenly realized he was starving. As he filled the bowl, Greylock fetched him a small loaf of bread and a wineskin. ‘Tell me what you know,’ he said after Erik had shoveled in a couple of heaping spoonfuls of the savory stew and taken a drink of wine.
‘If Krondor’s not fallen this day, it will by tomorrow, no doubt. The palace is gone.’
Both men knew that meant it was almost certain Knight-Marshal William was dead. Duke James might or might not have escaped. The Prince and the rest of his court, those nobles not in the field, were now safely in Darkmoor if everything had gone according to plan. Greylock said, ‘We’ve been pretty quiet. A few of the enemy’s scouts have come close, but we chase them away, and when they see our fortifications, they seem inclined to move on.’
Erik nodded as he chewed another mouthful of stew. After he swallowed he said, ‘If things are going according to plan, they’ll waste a lot of time wandering north and south before they realize they’ve got to come back this way. Maybe we can pick up some of the time we lost at Krondor.’
Greylock ran his hand over his face, and Erik could see that the older man was as tired as he was. ‘I hope so. There’s still a lot to be done.’
Erik put down his empty bowl and drank again from the wineskin. ‘Well, there are no more refugees behind us, so at least we no longer have to worry about a rear guard.’
Owen nodded. ‘Now we just defend, making the bastards pay for every inch of ground.’ Then he grinned at Erik. ‘No offense,’ he said, remembering Erik’s own sinister birth.
‘None taken,’ said Erik. ‘I’m a bastard by birth; these invaders work at it.’ He sighed. ‘I’ve been more tired, but I can’t remember when.’
Owen nodded. ‘It’s the pressure. The always being on guard. Well, as you and your boys have to take over here while I pull back tomorrow, we’ll take the watch this night. You should be able to rest for one night.’
‘Thanks, Owen.’
Greylock smiled, his narrow face looking almost sinister in the firelight. ‘I guess you should know. Prince Patrick has named me a Knight-General.’
‘Congratulations, I think,’ said Erik, ‘sir.’
‘Commiserations are more like it. I’ve got Calis’s charge, defending the entire range from the Dimwood to Dorgin, and I think I’m going to wish you had the job before I’m done.’
Erik said, ‘I’m in over my head already. I can’t begin to understand what it is I’m supposed to do from here.’
‘You’re just tired. Get some sleep and in the morning you’ll have a better grasp on things. If you forget everything else, just remember you’ve got to slow the bastards down. We’ve got to hold them in the mountains for the next three months.’
Erik sighed. ‘Until winter.’
‘When the snows fall, and they’re on the west side of the mountains, we’ll know we’ve won. They’ll starve and die while we wait for spring, when we can chase them back where they came from.’
Erik nodded, but he found his eyes were getting heavy and he couldn’t think. ‘I’m going to find where that soldier took my horse, get my blanket, and go to sleep.’
‘No need,’ said Owen, pointing to a bedroll that had been made ready a short distance away. ‘I had that made up for you. Your men are also being told to get some rest. You just forget your worries this night, Erik.’
‘I won’t argue,’ said Erik, moving toward the bedroll. He removed his sword and got his boots off, but he didn’t remember anything after that as he rolled himself in the blanket and fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.
Roo kissed Karli on the cheek.