* * *
One of their remaining Seti scouts came roaring up and pulled short at the last moment, his mount stamping, sweaty and lathered. Ghelel recognized Toven, the young smartarse who had teased her and Molk earlier. Now, she was grateful for the lad's love of excitement.
’They're headed for Heng,’ he reported.
The ‘they’ in this case was a huge Kan Confederacy army that had come marching out of the south, consisting of some four thousand lancers and twenty-five thousand infantry. The ‘they’ being the reason the Marquis and his command were now hunkered down in a copse of trees south-west of Heng.
The Marquis nodded his acknowledgement.
Thank you, scout. Get yourself a fresh horse.’
‘Aye, commander.’ A leering grin to Ghelel and the lad kicked his mount onward.
‘Going to get himself killed,’ Prevost Razala said with a kind of reluctant affection.
‘I hope not,’ the Marquis murmured, ‘we're running out of scouts.’
‘So this Kan force – they're our allies?’ Ghelel asked.
The Marquis drew his pipe from his shoulder-pouch, clamped it unlit between his teeth. ‘Not necessarily, they may be with Laseen. But, if I were to lay any wagers on the matter, I'd say they're on the side of the Itko Kan Confederacy.’
‘Meaning what?’
‘Meaning that they may be here to try to take Li Heng.’
‘What? But that's ridiculous! With our army here, and Laseen's!’
A thoughtful frown. ‘Not at all. Itko Kan has always resented the establishment of the Free Cities. Heng is the only reason the entity exists. Now's their chance to rid themselves of it. Not to mention possibly keeping hold of Heng. No, I imagine they plan to negotiate with whoever wins up north, using Heng as their card. Sound strategy.’
‘That's—’ Ghelel stopped herself from saying anything that would reveal any more of her lack of … well, cold-bloodedness.
‘Makes me wish the beast would cross the Idryn,’ Razala grated.
Jhardin shot the woman a look. ‘Believe me, Prevost, you do not wish that.’
‘What of us, then, Marquis?’ Ghelel asked.
‘We withdraw west. To the Falls.’
‘West? West to Broke Earth Falls?’ Ghelel repeated, disbelieving. ‘But that would take us completely from battle! We are needed up north! Choss is facing off against Laseen. Every man and woman is needed!’
‘Five hundred would make precious little difference, Prevost Alil. In any case, our way north is blocked. We are cut off from the Pilgrim Bridge, from Li Heng. The only place we may be able to cross is the Falls.’
‘I differ with you on that point, Commander. A charge of a hundred heavies could make all the difference in any battle. Razala? What of you?’
The commander of heavy cavalry held her gaze long and hard on Ghelel, who caught a storm of suppressed emotions writhing just beneath her sweaty, plain, scarred face: resentment, anger, shame and finally regret. Then the woman lowered her eyes as if studying the backs of her gauntlets crossed before her on the pommel of her saddle. ‘I wish it more than I can say, Prevost. But… I'm sworn to follow the Marquis.’
‘So we go west,’ Jhardin said. ‘The Seti will keep us informed.’ And he kicked his mount into motion.