Biggo said, “I’d not wish this on a hound of hell.”
The attention of Erik and his five companions was diverted by Foster suddenly shouting, “All right, ladies, enough time to take in the scenery later. Fall in!”
They were moved to where de Loungville waited. He pointed to a group of six men, the one that included Jerome and Jadow Shati. Erik knew them by name and had spoken to each from time to time on the long voyage. “This is the oldest team of six I have. They’ve been training for three years.” Then he motioned toward Erik and his group. “This is the newest group. They’d been training for only a few weeks before we left.” He addressed Erik’s group. “Watch them. Do what they do. If you get into trouble, they will help you. If you make mistakes, they will help you. If you try to escape, they will kill you.” Without another word, he moved away, calling Foster’s name, he shouted instructions to get the men organized for a march.
The horsemen conferred with Calis, then turned and rode off. A short distance away, large bundles were tied down under canvas, staked to the ground by peg and rope. Foster ordered a dozen men to uncover them, and when they had finished, Erik saw a cache of arms and armor.
Calis held up his hand. “You are mercenaries, now, so some of you will dress like ragpickers, while others will look like princes. I want no squabbling over who takes what. The weapons are more important than the finery. Leave your Kingdom-made weapons here, and take what’s under the canvas
Roo whispered, “Wish they’d told us we wouldn’t need all this armor before we lugged it up the cliff!”
Calis continued, “Remember, this is mummery, nothing more. Booty isn’t our objective.”
The men gathered closer, for Calis rarely addressed them and they were still not privy to much of what lay before them. “You know what you’ve been told,” he continued. “Now you will know the rest. In ancient times a race was created, the serpent men of Pantathia.” Instead of the usual muttering, the men were rapt and silent, for they knew their lives depended upon knowing as much about this mission as possible. “This race has lore as ancient as the Chaos Wars. They think their destiny is to rule this world, destroying all else who abide here.” Looking around at the men, as if memorizing their faces, the young-looking elf-kin said, “They have the means, I think. Or at least it’s our task to discover if they have the means.
“We came here twelve years ago, some of us.” He nodded to a knot of soldiers from the last campaign. “We thought in simpler terms then: we would lend our weight to the struggle and turn back conquerors. We now know better.” All the surviving soldiers of the first campaign against the Pantathians nodded in agreement. “Whatever these creatures plan, it is more than simple land-grabbing or raiding for booty. Twenty years ago they came against a small city on the far side of this continent, Irabek, and since then, any land they take falls behind a curtain of death and fire. We have no word from any place they have conquered. Those of us who faced them on the walls of Hamsa know what they are. Mercenary companies such as we pretend to be lead the wave, but behind them are fanatic soldiers. There are human officers and cadres of well-drilled fighting men, but more: there are also serpents who ride horses twenty-five hands high.”
Erik blinked at this. The largest war-horse he had seen in Baron Otto’s cavalry was nineteen hands. He’d heard of some being twenty hands, used by the Krondor Heavy Lancers, but twenty-five hands? That was nearly eight and a half feet at the withers. Not even the biggest Shire horse he’d seen came close to that.
“We’ve not seen these creatures,” continued Calis, “but we have reliable reports. And behind these creatures come the priests themselves.
“Some men, we are told, are rewarded by being placed high within this company of well-drilled fightingmen. But all of them are willing servants of those who seek to dominate this land.
“Our mission is simple. We must get as close to the heart of this army of conquest and discover as much about it as we may. Then, when we have learned all we can, we must flee to the City of the Serpent River, and from there home, so that Prince Nicholas can prepare for the coming invasion.”
There was a moment of silence; then Biggo said, “So that’s all we need do, and then we can go home?”
Suddenly there was laughter. Erik found be couldn’t hold it in. Roo looked at him, seemed to struggle to hold in his own guffaw, then abruptly was laughing as well.