Cold Magics (49 page)

“Fire,” said Thomas, looking at the flames dancing above the buildings.

“What about magic?”

Thomas shook his head. “The buildings are in the way. All I see is flames.”

“Get your battle gear on. I’ll meet you in the hall.”

A bell began ringing in the castle. Another joined it a moment later.

“Someone’s seen,” said Henry. “Thank the Four.”

Henry headed down the stairs. Thomas took one more look at the city and saw another gout of flame rise from the streets to engulf a building. Trying to swallow the horror he felt, Thomas got off the roof and headed for the chest where the page had placed his fighting gear. The page had laid it out in the order it was to be worn, thankfully. Soon, Thomas had warm under-layers and a chain-mail shirt beneath the black clothes. A long, black winter coat, cut for running or riding went on top of it, then the black cloak on top of that. The chain-mail was heavier than he was used to. He didn’t let it slow him as he ran to the great hall.

When he got there, the room was in chaos.

Young lords were running from the hall—heading for their rooms and their weapons, Thomas guessed. There was no sign of George. Henry and his brothers were in a tight group around their father. Thomas ran towards them.

“Are you sure it’s the raiders?” the duke was asking.

“I’m sure!” said Henry, his tone suggesting that it was not the first time he’d answered the question. “Fire doesn’t move that way by itself.”

The duke’s lips pressed hard against each other. “The poor quarter?”

“Aye. Father, we need to get out there!”

“I know!” snapped the duke. He looked around the room. “How long before your knights are ready?”

“I don’t know,” said Henry. “The ones that are here are already heading for the stables. The bells should bring the others.”

“John?”

“The lords are getting their weapons,” he said. “Half of them are spoiling for a fight, anyway.”

“Richard?”

“The men I have in the city are here in the hall,” said Richard. “Most are still in the mountains.”

Father Roberts came forward. “I meant what I said about the church’s support,” he said. “My men and all church guards in the city are yours to command.”

“Good. Add your troops to the city guards. You are under the guard captain’s command. Henry, get into the city as soon as your knights are ready. Call your company together as well and stand ready to march on the poor quarters.”

A man wearing a fancy guard uniform entered the hall and approached the duke. “I am here, your Grace.”

“Report, Captain,” said the duke.

“The attackers are in the poor quarter, your Grace. My men are moving to contain them. We will have all entrances to the quarter blocked within the hour. Our men have encountered the enemy twice. The second time they used fire against us.”

“You held?”

“It was a near thing, your Grace. If the refugee men had not come and reinforced us, the enemy would have broken through. We have summoned the town levies and are preparing to advance.”

“Do not,” said the duke. “Block the exits and wait for reinforcements. What of the rest of the refugees?”

“They are in front of the barricades, asking to be let through.”

“Don’t,” said the duke. “There may be raiders hidden among them. Keep them where they are until reinforcements arrive, then round them up and take them to the central square.”

“Keep them where they are?” John repeated. He looked horrified. “There’s women and children there!”

“No one in or out,” snapped the duke. “Not yet.” He turned back to the captain. “What about the fires?”

“We are letting them burn, for now,” said the captain. “We cannot risk going in while the attackers are still there.”

“Fine,” said the duke. “John, Richard, Father Roberts. Take the lords and your men and reinforce the city watch. My knights and I will join you soon. Henry, your levies are in the city, take command as soon as your knights are ready, and go to the west entrance to the poor quarter. You will lead the attack from there. Where is Thomas?”

“Here, your Grace,” said Thomas, stepping forward.

“Earn your keep. Get your company and meet Henry at the gates. You’ll be front line on this.”

“Yes, your Grace.” Thomas looked around the room. “Lord Henry, has Eileen returned?”

“Sir George’s sister?” The duke shook his head. “I have not seen her.”

“Here!” called Eileen, charging into the room. She had a warm winter cloak and coat over her dress, her weapons in one hand and her boys’ clothes in the other. Rose and Cecily were hard on her heels, gasping for air. Rose also had her rapier. “Henry, what do you want me to do?”

“You’ll do nothing,” said Lady Prellham, starting up from her spot at one of the tables. “You will stay here until this matter is dealt with.”

“She will do as I ask,” said Henry, “and as my father orders.” He turned back to his father. “Speaking of which?”

“She stays here,” said the duke.

“But I can help!”

The duke looked down his nose at her. “Have you ever been in battle, Miss Gobhann?”

“Yes.”

The word came out as flat and bleak and determined as the expression on Eileen’s face. Thomas felt a terrible pride for Eileen as she stood, sword in hand, facing down the duke.

The duke’s own expression softened, and he reached out one hand to brush Eileen’s face. “As that may be, you’ll not be fighting here.” Eileen’s mouth opened again and the duke raised a finger to forestall her words. “No, Miss Gobhann.” He turned to his sons. “I want this filth cleared from my city by dawn.”

Henry nodded, and headed for the door. “Thomas, come.”

“I’ll be right there,” Thomas promised, going to Eileen.

Tears were flowing down her face, now, and she was biting her lip hard not to cry out loud. Thomas stopped in front of her, feeling dreadfully unsure of what to do. Eileen wrapped her arms hard around him. “By the Four, don’t leave me here,” she said, burying her face in his shirt.

“I have to do what Henry says,” said Thomas gently. “You know I do.”

“Please,” she whispered. “Don’t leave me behind. Not like this.”

“I have—” The words never got out. Eileen wrapped her arms hard around him and kissed him hard and deep. Her hands went into his hair and pulled hard, forcing his face to hers. She pulled her lips away just far enough to say “Don’t you get hurt, you hear me? Don’t.”

“I—”

“Shut up. “ She kissed him again, even harder, then pushed him away. “Go.” Tears were streaming down her face, now. “Go!”

Thomas stumbled back. His eyes swept the room and saw the sympathetic looks from the knights’ wives and children, and many of the merchants. Sneers were scattered throughout, though, and looks of disapproval and amusement. Amelia, he noticed, had a very peculiar expression on her face—horror and fascination together. Cecily and Rose came to Eileen’s side.

Thomas pulled the tower key out of his pocket. “Here. See if the duke will let you go up to my tower. Let anyone who wants to come with you. They can see what’s happening from the roof.” He caught Eileen’s hands and pressed the key into them. “Eileen, I love you. I will come back, I promise.”

“I love you, too,” she managed, through her tears. “And tell George to be careful!”

Thomas kissed her once more, as hard and as urgent as she had kissed him, then let go and ran from the hall.

24

Thomas’s students were dressed and armoured and waiting by the gate under the watchful eye of Sir Rowland. Thomas quickly divided them into groups of eight and put Mark and Kevin in charge of two of the squads. “I’ll lead the third group myself,” said Thomas. “Does anyone have any actual battle experience?” Heads shook all around. “I’ve been in one, but I’ve never led anyone before,” said Thomas. “Partner up and stay with your partner, listen to what your squad leader tells you. You two,” he picked a pair of students from his squad. “You’re to stay with me at all times. You’re my runners and my assistants, understand? Names?”

“Wilson, Captain.”

“Marcus.”

“Stay with me all the time, no matter what happens, unless I send you off to do something. Understand?”

“Yes, Captain.”

Thomas turned to the rest of them. “Lord Henry has command of us, so we do as we’re told. And we’re going to be in the thick of it.”

Thomas watched as Henry’s knights gathered, armed themselves and got their horses. They were moving as fast as they could, and it still felt like forever before they were ready. As the last knight mounted, Thomas went to Henry. “We’re ready. What should we do?”

“Follow us,” said Henry, mounting his horse. “Keep together and stay behind us. Knights! With me!”

The knights rode out into the streets and Thomas and the students followed behind, moving at a jog. They slipped and slid their way through the streets. The cold wind blasted at them as they went.

“This is no good,” Thomas heard Henry call from the front. “The wind will stir the fires. We need to go in quickly, clear each block and then let the watch come up behind and hold the ground while the people put out the fires. We keep moving and we keep fighting until the enemy is dead. Understand?”

“What about the witches?” asked one of the knights. “How do we stop them firing the city?”

“That’s Thomas’s job,” said Henry. “We get him where he needs to be, and he’ll do the work.” He glanced back at Thomas. “Don’t waste effort on anything else, understand?”

Thomas nodded, ignoring the confused looks.

Henry turned to Sir Lawrence. “Has the company been called up?”

“They have,” said Lawrence. “They’re to meet us at the barricades.”

“Good. We’ll need the archers.”

They moved fast through the streets until they came to west entrance of the poor quarter. Several of the students were gasping for air by then, but none had fallen behind. The city guards had made makeshift barricades of carts and barrels and boxes. On the far side, women and children huddled together against the walls and the barricade itself. Beyond them, men lined the streets, putting their bodies and weapons between the women and children and whatever enemy was to come at them.

A hundred men, each wearing a tabard with a white wolf on it, were standing on the guards’ side of the barricade. They cheered when they saw Henry and the two dozen knights. Thomas recognized some faces from their night in the tavern, though many were strangers. The men were on foot, swords and pikes in hand, arrows and bows on some backs.

Henry called the sergeants of his levies forward and began conferring with them. Thomas took the moment to look over his own students. They were breathing hard, and looking very nervous, but they were still in formation.

There was an extra one in the last row.

The stupid, stupid…

Thomas walked down the lines of his men until he reached her. She was wearing a student cloak over her winter clothes, probably stolen from their barracks, and was looking at the ground. Thomas stood in front of her until she looked up and met his eyes. “I’m not going back,” she said.

The other students all looked in her direction. “Alex?” said Mark.

“Aye,” said Eileen before Thomas could. “I came north with Eileen and George and Thomas.”

“You were told to stay in the castle.”

“I couldn’t,” said Eileen, and Thomas could see she was fighting back tears. “I can’t, Thomas. I mean, Captain. Please.”

Thomas was glaring at her and deciding what to do when Henry called the troop to order.

“You stay with me,” said Thomas. “Come here. Marcus, Wilson, this is Alex. He’s not supposed to be here but it’s too late to send him back. Your jobs are the same, and Alex acts as partner to me until one of you gets sent on an errand. Then Alex pairs off with the other. Got it?”

Henry called for them to move and led the whole troop away from the main street to a barricade on a side street. There were fewer troops there, and fewer refugees on the other side of the barricade. The troops looked grim and tired, and several were injured or burned. Before them there were a few women and children, and a dozen armed refugees.

“Any sign of the enemy?” demanded Henry.

“None here, my lord,” said one of the city watchmen, “though we had to fight our way back.”

“Right. Open the barricades. We’re going after them.”

The refuges tried to rush forward as the guards pulled the carts out of the way, but the knights lowered their lances, forcing the crowd back. Henry ordered his men forward, and let them go ahead until Thomas led his company through the gap. Henry rode beside them. “How are you all doing?”

Thomas looked over the students. “We’ll manage,” he said. “What’s the plan?”

“We find the enemy and we kill them.”

“And if we can’t find them?”

“We look harder.” Henry adjusted the shield on his arm and looked at Thomas.

“Quick question.”

“Yes?”

“What’s the penalty for disobeying orders?”

“Flogging or death depending on whether it was in battle,” said Henry. “Why?”

“Curious,” said Thomas.

Henry’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t ask further. Instead, he gripped his reins and raised his open hand, then closed his fist and moved it side to side. “That means no more talking. Stay close behind the knights.”

Henry stayed where he was to talk to the sergeants in his company. Thomas turned to the students. “Right. Stay with me at all times, do as you’re told, and no talking. Got it?”

Heads nodded, including Eileen’s. Thomas glared at her again before turning back to watch the knights riding forward to the first corner. Two knights moved ahead of the column, using hand signals to show when a street was clear. The troops moved forward, their harsh breathing and the noise of feet and hooves on the snow the only sounds. There was no sign of anyone on their route, and Thomas could have almost believed the city deserted save for the sounds of fire growing ever closer as they snaked through the back streets.

They came at last to a main street, and the knights in front signalled a stop. It relayed back through the column and all the men pulled to a halt. Henry moved forward and after a whispered conference with his knights, turned back and led his horse back to the rest of the column. A quick circle of his hand above his head brought forward a dozen men from the company, and Patrick and Rowland. Thomas, guessing Henry was summoning his company commanders, went forward and joined them.