“Those that survived have broken arms and slashes, mostly. Three have broken legs, but with three wagons … we should be able to manage.” Lerial actually plans to send one wagon back to Ensenla with the wounded.
“Sounds as though you’ll manage.”
“So will you,” Lerial replies with a smile.
Since almost all the senior officers are leaving—except for Valatyr, assuming that Rhamuel has not deceived Lerial—there is no senior officers’ meeting. So, after breakfast, Lerial makes his way to the Cigoernean tents. More than half of those that had filled the area south of the main house have been struck and carted off, presumably to some form of storage, and the tents serving Lerial’s forces now stand quite separate from those that remained to shelter Ascaar’s now-departing battalion.
“Ser…” ventures Kusyl, “word is that the arms-commander—”
“Is leaving with Subcommander Ascaar’s battalion,” finishes Lerial. “We’ll have to see if that’s true, but why don’t you mount up Twenty-third Company in case they need some maneuvers exercise.”
“Yes, ser.”
Lerial strongly doubts that such “maneuvers” will be necessary, but … anything is possible. Rather than walk back to the house and have to summon an ostler or stableboy to saddle and bring his gelding, he borrows a horse and saddle from the few spares they have brought and joins Kusyl as the company forms up, reining up a few yards away.
“You don’t think they’ll double-cross us, do you, ser?”
“No. But it’s better to be prepared.” Lerial glances to the east, where rankers with carts are clearing the toppled stones from the breach in the wall and others appear to be digging around the base of the wall, as if to ready the foundation for reinforcement before masons rebuild the damaged section.
Lerial and Kusyl continue to wait and watch as Ascaar’s first battalion forms up. Then, Lerial sees a dark-haired figure that can only be Rhamuel ride around the north side of the country home and rein up beside Ascaar. After a time, the arms-commander rides back to the main entrance, where he dismounts and hands the reins of his mount to an Afritan Guard and then walks through the main entrance.
A tenth of a glass or so passes, and then the column begins to move, riding toward the north entrance and the river road. Lerial continues to watch, but then sees an Afritan ranker riding toward him.
The ranker reins up several yards from Lerial. “Overcaptain Lerial, ser?”
“Yes?”
“I have a message for you, ser.” The ranker holds up a folded sheet, apparently sealed at the edge.
Lerial checks his shields, but they are firm.
Kusyl eases his mount toward the Afritan Guard. “I’ll give it to him.” He takes the extended envelope and rides the few yards to Lerial, handing him the sealed sheet.
Lerial takes it.
Kusyl looks to the guard. “He has it.”
“I’m supposed to wait until he reads it, ser.”
After using his order-senses to check the seal and the paper, and finding no chaos, Lerial breaks the seal and reads the few unsigned lines of Hamorian script.
You’re likely to have an eventful ride, especially if any of the arms-commander’s personal guards “vanish.” My condolences.
Lerial has no doubts who wrote it, but the words tell him who is more likely to be trusted and why Rhamuel has staged the withdrawal from Lubana in the way that he has. He looks up. “I’ve read it. Convey my thanks.”
“Yes, ser.” The Afritan turns his mount and rides back north.
“Ser?” offers Kusyl.
“Some friendly advice. We should be wary of any of the arms-commander’s personal guard that attempt to … shall we say … reach Swartheld before we do.”
Kusyl’s expression says more than the unspoken expletive that he is doubtless thinking.
“Exactly,” replies Lerial. “You can take the company on a tour of the hunting park, then return.”
“Yes, ser.”
Lerial continues to watch, still mounted, until it is clear that all of Ascaar’s battalion has indeed left Lubana.
A glass later, once it is clear that the only forces that remain at Lubana are the battalion under Majer Chorazt, Lerial’s companies, and the arms-commander’s personal squad, Lerial rides back to the country house, past a company of rankers striking the remaining Afritan tents, since the single battalion is clearly quartered in the permanent barracks at Lubana. Once back in his chambers, he seats himself at the desk and begins to compose the necessary dispatch to his sire. He takes his time in composing the text. Almost a glass later, he reads over what he has written.
Ser—
As you had thought, the Heldyans did attack at various points around Luba, including Lubana, the walled grounds surrounding Duke Atroyan’s country house south of Luba itself. The attack began early on the tenth twoday of winter, with more than ten flatboats landing south of the duke’s hunting park, slightly more than a kay south of Lubana …