Master of Hawks (25 page)

He looked up at Prenis and said, "Triple the guard if you have to, but I don't want any of their accomplices to get out of the city; and those guards had better be alert!"

"Yes, sir; I'll put whatever men are available on duty, but we're really shorthanded."

Jaxton ran his fingers through sleep-
tousled
hair. "I know. Do the best you can."

"Yes, sir!" said Prenis. He hurried out.

Casting a wistful glance at his still warm bed, Jaxton hesitated and then dismissed the thought of
getting any more sleep. So he washed his face again, shaved, and dressed. Then he crossed the hall to his office, poured himself a stiff drink, and walked over to one of the bay windows facing the square.

The cloudy sky had begun to lighten; in the early morning gray he could make out soldiers below patrolling in front of the city hail. Unfortunately their diligence had come too late.

His eyes were drawn to the shrine's spires. He wondered what the N'Omb priests would think when they learned of Hawk's escape. Although the N'Omb Church was officially neutral in the war, the priests stationed in the Eastern Kingdoms naturally sided against the invaders. They hoped the Church would condemn the Empire. They would try to use an incident such as the bird attack to force the issue.

Jaxton guessed that Father Richards would suggest that Hawk's escape had been only a convenient ploy to conceal the Empire's complicity in the bird attack. The deaths of the six soldiers might help convince the priest of the truth, but Jaxton doubted that even that would completely remove the priest's suspicions.

Suddenly there was a flurry of activity in the plaza as a horseman rode up to the building. He was quickly escorted inside. Jaxton hoped that the man had some good news about the escaped prisoner and his accomplices, but when the rider entered his room a few minutes later, Jaxton received the last of the day's surprises.

The horseman was a messenger from S'Stratford bringing word that the battle for York had begun and that Jaxton's presence was urgently requested.

The content of the summons put a stop to any thoughts Jaxton might have had about pursuing the
hawk-telepath himself. The order was imperative and unequivocal. The two halves of the Imperial Army had surrounded York, and the battle had begun earlier than anticipated. He was to leave his men garrisoned at Kellerton and head to Castle York at once.

"Guard, send for Lieutenant Prenis and have my horse saddled. I've been ordered to join our forces at Castle York—Prenis will be in charge while I'm gone."

Then he reread the dispatches. By the end of the day he would be facing Douglas S'Stratford. He wondered what S'Stratford would say when he learned about the strange bird attack. What had York hoped to gain by it?

It was just after sunset when Jaxton reached the army. From a distance the encampment looked as though a thousand fireflies had landed on the plain encircling the dark knoll of rock and gravel upon which stood the castle. At close range the lights became campfires surrounded by dour-faced soldiers, who ate if they could and readied their weapons, for the word had been passed that an attack was expected at midnight.

A soldier escorted Jaxton across the muddy pastures to one of the tents near the front lines. Inside sat Douglas S'Stratford and Jessica S'Logan discussing strategy over a map of the area spread across part of a table still cluttered with supper dishes. In preparation for battle, the redhead had forsaken her usual flamboyant crimson attire for modest brown tunic and trousers, but Jaxton noted with amusement that the inside of her waist-length cape was scarlet. Although she was not vain enough to let herself become an
obvious target, she was too vain to give up her trademark completely.

At the sound of Jaxton's entrance S'Stratford looked up, and for a moment his worry-creased expression eased and a smile flickered across his face. Then his lips twitched back into a firm line and his brow furled.

After a quick, passionless kiss from Jessica, Jaxton reported the events at Kellerton and his judgment that the attack had been a last-ditch attempt to discredit the Empire—an attempt that had failed, leaving the N'Omb priests cautiously neutral.

As it turned out, S'Stratford accepted the story without much comment or concern. When he sketched out the situation at York for Jaxton, it became clear S'Stratford thought the bird attack was a trivial matter compared to the impending battle.

The York stronghold was well defended and heavily provisioned, and the presence of a formidable group of sorcerers and numerous protective spells reduced the possibility that the Empire could win with sorcery alone. S'Stratford explained that the Imperial troops had circled the castle at a radius of about one-half to three-quarters of a mile in classic siege strategy, hoping eventually to starve York into submission. However, Brian S'York had taken the offensive by staging a series of sorties from the castle and by positioning the remnants of Derek S'Mayler's forces somewhere to the northeast so that they could raid behind the lines.

Using his necromantic powers to foresee York's moves, Taral had discovered that a surprise attack was planned for that very evening. However, York's barrier of protective spells had been partially effective, and, as a result, Taral had learned only the time of the attack, not its shape or thrust. He had guessed that with just the moon and stars for light, the assault would almost certainly be based upon magic rather than might.

Since Taral expected that the main target would be their supply stockpile in the southwest, he had stationed himself and a group of his best sorcerers there. The rest of the Council members were scattered around the perimeter, with Jessica and S'Stratford defending the northwest.

Ramsey still lay in a coma. His spellstones were tuned to him in such a way that they remained useless for anyone else.

While S'Stratford talked, Jaxton studied the map and familiarized himself with the troop positions, castle layout, and fortifications. Then he tried to second-guess York's likely tactics, while reviewing his repertoire of magic to find the best way to counteract any type of attack.

Interrupting S'Stratford's monologue he asked: "If you think York's geared up for a full-fledged attack tonight, wouldn't the best thing be for us to set up a real counteroffensive?"

S'Stratford shook his head. "Unfortunately we're not quite ready for that. We expected we'd have weeks, perhaps months, before we'd need siege towers, so we had just started to build them when York began its sorties. We've got men working on them around the clock, but it will take several days to complete them."

"And when they are ready, Taral will begin the offensive," added Jessica. "I think he's just as impatient as I am to get this war over with and complete
the take-over of the Eastern Kingdoms. He never wanted to use a siege here in the first place. But the rest of the Council thought we should be cautious." Her left hand clutched the table edge, her fingernails digging into the top and then tapping impatiently against its edge. "Ramsey was one of that group. I can't say I'm sorry to see him out of this now. He and the rest were afraid of Derek S'Mayler—afraid of his power and afraid that he might persuade his League friends to rescue York. He's dangerous, all right, but not that dangerous—I know."

Jaxton wondered just how accurate the Red Witch's assessment could be. She had known S'Mayler sixteen years ago, when Taral's plan for conquest had only been in the formulation stage and she'd been a spy in the Western League. Derek S'Mayler had been little more than a boy then, perhaps nineteen. Since then he'd had a lot of years to study and grow as a sorcerer.

He'd seen S'Mayler in action at Threeforks—and the empty shell he'd left of Ramsey. The man undoubtedly had planned most of York's strategy so far, and he'd probably dreamed up the bird attack as well.

"You know," he said, "I don't think either of you realizes how close he came to winning over the N'Ombs with that bird attack—I'm sure he was behind it."

"So what if he was?" Jessica replied. "It didn't work. I think you spent too much time listening to Ramsey. Despite all of S'York's efforts, and Derek S'Mayler's too, York didn't manage to enlist the League's help or to break the N'Omb neutrality. Time's run out for them; it's too late for them to get any major allies now. The war began the day our troops crossed into

York, and in a few days, perhaps a few weeks, Castle York itself will be ours."

"I hate to break off this fascinating discussion, but it is getting late, and we wouldn't want the battle to
start without us, you know? The surprise will be on York when they discover that we are ready for their attack." S'Stratford rose and stretched his short, slim arms above his head. Then he gathered up his cloak and rune-covered staff. "We'd better get going outside. I'll give some final instructions to my men. Jessica, you can take Sinclair out to the front lines."

The Red Witch took Jaxton's hand and led him outside. "We've had a charmed circle set up for days, of course. When Taral sent word that there would be an attack tonight, Douglas and I set up a few more wards in the area."

The circle was painted on a rocky ridge just behind the front lines. The place had an unencumbered view of the York fortress and of most of the surrounding countryside. Four three-foot-high rune posts were placed equal distances apart along the circumference of the circle. Several chairs and a table had been set up inside.

Jessica S'Logan extended her hand over the northern post. Then she let the powerstone in her ring touch the pole's pointed top as she recited an opening spell. The engraved runes glowed a dull yellow, and the circle of blood on the ground seemed to shimmer as she entered.

Jaxton followed her example, using the Pendant of Thantos as the key to the warded area. Once inside he made himself a meal from the provisions stacked under the table and half-listened to the Red Witch chat about the war's progress and the new gowns she
would order when it was over. Finally S'Stratford arrived and cast the last, binding spells that made the circle almost impregnable. During the attack they would be able to use their power to defend the troops and to return fire without having to expend any protecting themselves.

While they waited, the almost full moon rose higher in the sky, casting a silver glow over the dark gray stones of Castle York. The fortress remained quiet, as though its occupants really slept. The only signs of life were the flickering torches upon the outer wall that lighted the way for the usual night watch.

The Empire troops had moved quietly into position. The catapults and ballistae stood ready. They waited.

As midnight came and passed, the air seemed to tingle with the tension. Jaxton's eyes hurt as he strained to see any change on the castle walls. His back ached from sitting in the stiff wooden chair too long, so he paced around the table. Feeling like a trapped animal in a cage defined by the blood-red line that ringed them, he struggled to relax, knowing that part of the psychic energy he'd built up in preparation for the battle was beginning to leak away with the tension.

Douglas S'Stratford sat leaning back in his chair with his staff raised and pointed at the moon. His swarthy skin glistened with sweat as he concentrated on building up his own power reserves.

Jessica brought out a mirror and began inscribing a rune upon its surface as she chanted. Her spell could be keyed to any of the other members of the Council of Seven who had similar rune-activated mirrors. They would be able to see and hear one another through the devices.

She contacted each of the Council members in turn, but none had any activity to report.

By one-thirty the attack still had not begun. Suddenly there was a slight crackle of static behind Jaxton, and he turned to find Jessica receiving a message from Taral. Taral's voice was as cold and hard as frozen earth in winter as he announced that York had learned that they knew of the surprise attack. Now York had postponed its attack, so that Taral could no longer be sure when it would take place. However, he thought that it would come in the next few hours.

"N'Omb's damnation!" cried Jaxton as he recognized York's cleverness. When York had found out that Taral had learned of its plans, it had turned the tables on him by delaying the attack. While York's men relaxed for a few more hours and perhaps got some extra sleep, Taral's men would be forced to remain alert, waiting for an attack that would probably come only when they'd grown tired and irritated. Yet Taral couldn't run the risk of letting his men rest when the assault might come at any time; so they were compelled to wait the night out on York's terms.

Jaxton studied the dark walls of the fortress silhouetted against the pre-dawn sky. It was so quiet that he could almost imagine that it had been deserted.

Without warning, the night's silence exploded into sound as York's ballistae spewed forth heavy bolts and stones. The projectiles glowed faintly as they thundered into the Empire positions, since sorcery was boosting them farther than the normal range of about four hundred yards. Catapults sent arrows
whistling through the sky, and at the same time streamers of light arched out over the castle as the ballistae launched balls of fire toward the supply depot in the southwest.

Jaxton and the other sorcerers around the line of battle blocked the hail of missiles and turned some back toward the citadel. The air blazed with sparks as spells clashed with counterspells above the battlefield. While the barrage continued, the wind began to whip into hurricane force, shafts of energy sailed toward the troops, and darts of light that exploded on contact lit the sky. During the turmoil Jessica relayed instructions from Taral, while S'Stratford pointed his staff toward the castle and murmured a spell that could dissolve the mortar holding its stones together. Jaxton concentrated on defense.