As Dhresyl has predicted, it takes Lerial and the Mirror Lancers almost two glasses to get themselves out through the gates of Harbor Post and just on the paved road down to the shore road that will take them to Afritan Guard headquarters. Much of that delay is caused by the need to ready the wagons for the wounded, since Lerial is not about to leave them at the Harbor Post. Lerial himself rides at the head of Eighth Company, with the First Squad leader Dhoraat.
Once Lerial can see—since he still cannot order-sense more than a few yards away—that Twenty-third Company is away from the post, he looks to Dhoraat, the First Squad leader. “I haven’t had a chance to thank you for getting me out of the mess I created. I do appreciate it. So will my family.”
“I couldn’t do any less, ser. Any of the men would have done it. I was just the closest.”
“That may be, but you did do it, and if it had been anyone else, I’d thank them as well. But it wasn’t. It was you, and I’m most grateful.”
Dhoraat inclines his head slightly, then asks, as if not wanting to dwell on his own acts, “Do you think the Heldyans will attack again?”
“They will if they can. I’m hoping that Commander Sammyl and the arms-commander may know more.” And I’d really like to know if Ascaar was able to defeat or at least repulse the attackers at Shaelt. Lerial glances ahead along the right side of the road, where he can see scores of bodies in the gray-blue colors of Heldya. Already, the flies, especially the red flies, are beginning to circle the corpses, but Lerial does not see any burial details … or anything that looks like a pyre. With as many deaths as Dhresyl has reported, something needs to be done … and fairly quickly. Another suggestion for Sammyl … or Rhamuel … assuming Rhamuel hasn’t taken a turn for the worse. Both to the south of the stream and to the north of where he rides, he can also see figures searching the bodies of the fallen, most likely locals seeking anything of value overlooked by the Afritan Guards who have doubtless already looted the fallen.
Although Lerial cannot see more than glimpses of the site of yesterday’s battle, those few patches of ground he can see through the scattered trees and above a low stone wall and the shoulder of the shore road are little more than blackened ground. Thin wisps of grayish white smoke drift upward from the site of Lerial’s use of order-chaos separation, soon lost in the thin high haze of a spring day that already seems more like a day in early summer.
Several companies of Afritan Guards are posted at the east end of the hamlet where the Heldyans had encamped, some still mounted, others on foot. Lerial doubts they will find much of use, except for the neatly bundled tents. But you could be wrong. He also puzzles over the Heldyan majer’s cryptic references and half statements. Against whom? But if the majer is suggesting that Khesyn did not send his best troops … why wouldn’t Khesyn? Why would he send less than the best? It doesn’t make sense. Yet Lerial could sense a hint of truth … or at least that the majer believes what he almost said was true.
At the end of the road down from the Harbor Post, Lerial leads the lancers south on the shore road, back toward Swartheld, and for all his musing, he cannot come up with a reason why Khesyn would not have sent his best troopers.
Even before Lerial reaches the north end of the harbor, and the beginning of the merchanting district, he sees people walking the streets, going about whatever they are doing as if there had not been a massive battle less than four kays to the north. There are even a few vessels tied up at the piers, if far fewer than there had been an eightday before. All of the merchanting buildings appear open and unshuttered, and Lerial cannot help but recall the scathing observations of the wounded Heldyan majer. Even the small cloth factorage near the Afritan Guard headquarters is open.
The troopers guarding the gates at headquarters look surprised, if only briefly, as they see Lerial and the Mirror Lancers approaching.
Captain Dhallyn, again, is the first officer to come out to meet Lerial once he reins up outside the headquarters building. “Overcaptain, ser … ah…”
“We’ll be here for a time, I suspect. Harbor Post was getting overcrowded, what with Heldyan prisoners and the companies from South Post. I’ll be leaving in a few moments with one squad to head to the palace to meet with Commander Sammyl and the arms-commander. How is he? Do you know? We haven’t heard anything.”
“Undercaptain Norstaan sent word yesterday that the arms-commander was doing well, but that he’s likely not leaving the palace for a time yet.”
Meaning that he still can’t walk or ride, most likely. “Have you heard any word about Subcommander Ascaar?”
“No, ser. Only that he had engaged the Heldyans at Shaelt.”