“I’m short of magic right now,” said Erik, standing up. “I had better see how the men are.” He saluted and left the tent.
He encountered Leland outside and said, “Your father’s fine; his wound is slight.”
Leland’s face reflected his relief. Erik’s estimation of the boy rose; he had gone about his business not knowing how his father fared.
Erik asked, “How are the reserves?”
“They stand ready,” said Leland.
Erik was relieved. “I lost track in the afternoon and didn’t remember if they had been called up.”
“They were not, Captain.”
“Good, order the men inside the diamonds relieved and tell the cavalry to stand down. Get the men fed. Then come back. I have a job for you.”
Leland saluted and hurried off. Erik made his way to his own modest tent among the Crimson Eagles and sat down. Commissary soldiers hurried with water and food and one approached Erik with a wooden bowl of hot stew and a water skin. He took the bowl and a spoon and dug in, ignoring the heat.
Jadow Shati and the men from the center diamond came walking slowly back and Jadow half-sat, half-collapsed next to Erik. “Man, I don’t want to do that again.”
“How did we do?”
“We lost a few,” said Jadow, fatigue making his speech slow and his tone somber. “It could have been worse.”
“I know,” said Erik. “We’ve got to come up with something brilliant and unexpected, or we’re going to lose this war.”
“I thought it was something like that,” said Jadow. “Maybe if we could bleed them enough tomorrow we could launch a counteroffensive and punch through their center, leaving their forces divided.”
Erik was almost finished eating when a messenger found him. “Earl Richard’s compliments, sir. Would you attend him at once?”
Erik rose and followed the youngster and returned to the command tent. There he found a terrified-looking scribe standing next to Earl Richard. “This just came in a few minutes ago,” Richard said to Erik.
Erik read Jimmy’s message and said, “Gods!”
Richard said, “What do you think we should do?”
“If we take any of our forces south, we lose Yabon. If we keep them here, we lose Krondor.”
Richard said, “We must preserve Krondor. We can hold here and, if we must, postpone the campaign to retake Yabon until next year.”
Erik said, “This is impossible.” He was silent for a minute, then said, “My lord, if you’ll allow me?”
The Earl said, “I always do, Erik. You haven’t made a mistake so far.” The old Earl had come to recognize Erik’s talents and his utter lack of personal ambition and would ratify any decision Erik made.
Erik said, “Send for Jadow Shati.”
While the messenger was gone, Erik questioned the scribe and found the man completely ignorant of most of the things Erik wanted to know. He did, however, impress upon Erik the level of concern and agitation in Earl James, enough that Erik felt he must heed Jimmy’s warning.
When Jadow showed up, Erik said, “We have a change in plans.”
“Don’t we always?”
“I want you to start now on building a barricade. I want a fort by the end of this week.”
“Where?”
“Here,” said Erik. “Across this road. Put a squad up in the hills to the east with Akee’s Hadati and kill anything that comes south. This is our new northern border until I tell you otherwise.”
“What sort of fortifications?”
“I want a six-foot-high earthen breastwork a hundred yards north of the three diamonds. When that’s done, start building a wall. Fell trees to the south and get on it. I want it twelve feet high, reinforced, with an archery platform every twenty yards. I want two ballista ports every hundred feet, and a clear line of fire to the rear for catapults, so they can launch stones without knocking our own men off the walls.”
“Man, how long is this thing to be?”
“From the cliffs overlooking the sea to the steepest hill you can find.”
“Erik, that’s more than two miles!”
“Then you’d better start now.”
Leland of Malkuric appeared. “The cavalry is standing down, sir.”
“Good,” said Erik. “At first light I want you leading them down the coast, back to Krondor.”
“Krondor?” said the youth, looking at his father.
The old Earl nodded. “It appears our old friends the Keshians are about to launch an assault on the city. Earl James of Vencar requests reinforcements.”
“But what about the fight here?” asked the youth.
“You just get south and save Krondor, lad,” said Erik. “Leave this area to me.”
“Yes, sir,” said the lad. “Which units, sir?”