“I’ve never been to Swartheld, but it must be filled with wealthy traders.”
Valatyr laughs. “More than you can believe, and they all want something, either to sell the Guard something or a favor for some relative.”
“Do you get many young officers from the merchanters?”
“Some. Usually second or third sons. Often from smaller merchanters. They’re usually very good or very bad.”
“And the ones from the wealthiest families are generally the very worst—except for the one that’s outstanding?”
“You’re obviously familiar with that problem.”
“I’ve seen it.” And Magi’i sons can be even worse.
Even before they approach the third canal, Lerial can smell the odors rising from the water. He glances toward Valatyr.
“It does smell,” replies the subcommander to Lerial’s quizzical look. “All the smiths—blacksmiths, tinsmiths, silversmiths, coppersmiths—must be located along the north canal. Most people live on the canals or lands upstream of here … for obvious reasons.”
Lerial represses a frown. He has not thought Cigoerne particularly advanced, especially after his aunt’s comments about all that she and his father lost when Cyad fell, but his grandmere and father had insisted that all factoring or smithing wastes be carted to the disposal ponds west of the city, ponds ringed with special lilies, or to a dryland gully to the northwest. Nightsoil also has to be collected, although it can be used to fertilize fields that grow fodder.
“You look skeptical,” observes Valatyr.
“We don’t have enough smiths for their waste to fill an entire canal,” Lerial temporizes.
“I’m sure that those who live near here wished that were true here.”
Roughly a third of a kay beyond the third canal, the dwellings come to an end. They continue riding, but to the west of the road is a gentle rise half covered with brown grass, with sandy ground between the patches of grass. Lerial can sense more rises farther west, but has the impression that they have even less grass. Ahead the road angles to the northwest as it climbs the west end of a bluff that the river curves eastward around before seemingly returning to its north-northwesterly course.
Valatyr finally reins up short of where the road steepens. “You can see how steep the incline is between the road and the river from here north. It’s at least that steep for a good fifteen kays. That’s why Khesyn will attack somewhere between the south end of the hunting park and here. That is, if he chooses to attack here at all.”
“Could he just be mustering forces from the south here before sending them downstream for an attack on Shaelt or Swartheld?”
“That’s possible. That’s why there are battalions being held in both places. But we can’t afford to lose the ironworks, either, and that would certainly happen if we didn’t have forces here.”
“I can see that.” And you’d have the dark angels’ time if they ever got a sizable force established on this side of the river.
“Now that you’ve seen what there is to see of Luba by the river, so to speak, we’ll head back.” Valatyr turns his mount.
So does Lerial.
X
The remainder of eightday goes without event, as do oneday, twoday, and threeday. On all of those days Lerial takes his companies to the grasslands southwest of the hunting park and conducts maneuvers. He also uses some of that time to study the land and the area farther south along the river, and insists that Fheldar and the undercaptains do as well. While he sees several more empty flatboats arriving, and Subcommander Drusyn and Valatyr report that at the morning meeting of the senior officers on threeday, the Heldyan piers south of Vyada remain filled with apparently empty flatboats.
Although he has not pressed the issue, Lerial feels that Fheldar and the undercaptains need a tour of Luba and the area north of Lubana. Before the morning meeting on fourday, Lerial meets with Fheldar and his officers and arranges for arms practice for the rankers, under their squad leaders for the day. Then, after the morning meeting on fourday, he approaches Commander Sammyl.
“What is it, Overcaptain?”
“You were kind enough to arrange for Subcommander Valatyr to give me a tour of the area around Lubana, and I’ve familiarized my officers with everything south of the estate. While I would not wish to intrude on any of your officers’ time, I would like to familiarize them with Luba itself and the ground immediately north of the city.” Lerial offers an apologetic smile before continuing. “I fear, however, if Mirror Lancer officers and rankers ride unaccompanied through Luba, this might create some misapprehensions. So I would like to request the presence of four Afritan Guard rankers to accompany us.”