‘Yes, Sergeant Major!’ Nelson said with a salute and turned.
‘And, Nelson,’ Erik said, halting the man.
‘Yes, Sergeant Major?’
‘Get your uniform back on. Garret may shoot you down for a bandit before he recognizes you.’
Nelson nodded and ran off.
‘What’s this all about, then?’ asked Duga.
Erik held up the map. ‘There are twenty companies like yours scattered through these hills. And if I read this right, they’re all going to seize key points in the hills, opening up the way for the Queen’s army to breach those mountains.’
Duga said, ‘I don’t follow.’
‘No,’ said Erik, ‘but I do. Jack!’
Another soldier hurried over. ‘I’m going to draft a message for Knight-Marshal William. You take six men and ride like hell for Krondor.’
The soldier hurried off to get ready. Duga followed Erik as he moved toward his own horse. Erik pulled parchment, pen, and ink from his saddle bag. Duga said, ‘What is this about key points in the hills?’
Erik turned and said, ‘If you’d moved about much outside this clearing, you’d have seen a range of mountains west of here.’ With his chin, he indicated a vaguely southeast direction. ‘Sethanon, that city you spoke of, is down that way. There’s nothing of marble, gold, and silk about her, but she’s important. I’m not quite sure why, but I have it on good authority that if we let your former comrades get there, we’re all dead, even those in the Queen’s army.’
‘That doesn’t surprise me,’ said Duga. ‘She kills men every night.’
‘Tell me about it later,’ said Erik. Duga fell silent as Erik wrote. When he was finished, he handed the parchment to the soldier named Jack and said, ‘With your life!’
The soldier saluted. ‘Understood, Sergeant Major.’ Then he ran to where the other six riders waited.
Erik turned to Duga. ‘Looks like you’re about to enlist in the King’s Army. You’re going to fight for gold after all - just on the other side.’
Duga shrugged. ‘I’ve done it before.’
‘As I was saying, Sethanon’s down there, and the mountains are over there. And the Queen’s army is coming over those mountains to get there.’
‘Ah,’ said Duga. ‘Now I see why they went to the trouble of getting us here.’ He shook his head. ‘Some of those Pantathians collapsed when they sent the lads in front of us. It took some powerful magic by the look of things. Some of them died.’
‘That doesn’t break my heart,’ said Erik as he started shouting orders to strike camp.
‘What I mean,’ said Duga, ‘is they can’t send any more soldiers with that magic. Because if they could, they would, don’t you see?’
Erik stopped. ‘You must be right. Else why hide you all down here?’
He scratched his beard. ‘Some very odd goings-on, if you ask me. Why didn’t they just put us in this city of Sethanon?’
‘Because you’d all be dead before you got your bearings,’ answered Erik. He thought it best not to elaborate. The truth was, he didn’t know why that was so, but all Duke James and Knight-Marshal William would say is that it wouldn’t be possible for the Pantathians to send men directly into Sethanon. Erik suspected it had to do with one or another of the magicians that James was talking about. Pug or that woman Miranda.
Erik didn’t dwell further on the question. He had too many things to do. ‘Duga?’
‘Yes?’
‘These other companies, do you know them?’
‘A couple. Taligar’s Lions were the first through. They’ll not throw down swords easily - Taligar’s got a bitch of a temper and he just doesn’t like to lose. Nanfree’s Brothers of Iron might listen to reason if I can talk to them before people start bleeding.’ He grinned. ‘Nanfree’s a smart old fox who likes to work as little for as much gold as he can.’
Erik said, ‘Good. We’ll go in and talk to them first if we can, but if we need to fight, I expect you to know which side you’re on.’
Duga shrugged. ‘I forgot which side I was on years ago.’ He glanced around the woods. ‘This seems like a nice place. I’ve had my fill of killing and burning. Might as well pick this land to call home and die for. Don’t see much back where we started worth that.’
Erik nodded. That’s as good an answer as I could expect.’
Duga turned and shouted to his men, ‘Up we go, lads. It’s time to earn some pay.’ He glanced at Erik, then with a grin he shouted, ‘You’re all soldiers of the King now, so behave yourselves!’
‘Wait!’ Erik instructed softly.
The defenders had holed up behind some rocks, and Erik had sent bowmen along a ridge above to provide cover fire. For a month he had swept through the Dimwood, using the map to locate and encircle the various companies of the Emerald Queen’s who were hidden there.