The King's Peace (23 page)

Nobody fought at all that day. It was noon before they had an agreement anyone bothered to tell us about. I would have stayed on the wall all that time if Glyn hadn't dragged me off to eat. We had no idea what anyone was saying. Galba brought Sweyn's wife and daughter onto the walls so that they could both witness and be seen to be alive.

He also had them bring the boy. I did not know his name then, but I will give it here—

Morthu ap Talorgen, of Angas. Sweyn's wife was a cheerful brave woman called Gerda, who did much to keep the prisoners content and felt great faith in Sweyn. I liked her, even though I suspected her of indicating more to Sweyn than the fact of her health and presence. She looked exactly like a Jarnish woman should with long, plaited, straw-colored hair and a broad bosom. This was because she was nursing the baby, though she never did it where anyone could see, being very body-shy.

When the agreement was made, two heralds rode up to us. One was Angas, and the other was one of the same men Sweyn had used for his embassy to us before. They explained that we were to open the gates and ride out, then all of us were to leave Tevin to Sweyn. The prisoners were to be left inside, unharmed. The herald was to enter the fortress and see that everything was done according to form.

"Where is my mother?" asked Angas.

"Dead by the sword, the day we retook the fortress," said Galba, smoothly. It is hard to tell from above when a man is wearing a helmet, but it seemed to me that Angas looked relieved.

"Then bring my brother out to me when you come," he said.

We made a brave show as we rode out, but the effect was spoiled by the shortage of horses.

Morthu had to be tied to a horse behind Glyn, as he refused to go willingly. Most of us were wounded, and none of us were very clean.

Galba led the way with half a pennon in as good shape as he could muster. Then followed the wounded and those without horses. We had burned those of our dead who fell in the fortress. The rest of us brought up the rear in marching pennon order. We could have fought if we needed to, and it was good to let the Jarns know it. They drew aside for us as we passed in deep uneasy silence. We could hear every rustle and every footfall of our passing. It made me edgy. I looked straight ahead of rne and ignored them as much as I could as I led my pennon through them.

As we came up to the ala of Caer Gloran they parted for us and raised a great cheer, which was echoed by the blue foot warriors on either side. I wept to hear it, and Beauty began to pick up his feet high, as he always did when he heard cheering. I suppose Morwen must have taught him.

Urdo came forward and embraced Galba, bringing up spare horses for us all. Then he embraced me, before the other decurios. "Sweyn tells me you are a female demon out of his legends," he said to me. "Well done, Sulien ap Gwien, it was all very well done."

"How did you get here so fast?" I asked. "And how did you raise the ghosts?" Urdo smiled.

"Morwen wrote to her son Gwyn of Angas to tell him his father was dead and what her plans were, at least as far as telling him to be ready to attack me. The moment he had the letter he raised the ala of Caer Gloran and rode to Caer Tanaga to let know me. Such loyalty delights me, and has saved us all." We were standing in a crowd, and Angas was near enough to hear. He blushed. "It happened that I had an Isarnagan ambassador there that day, urging an alliance on me as some wars of theirs had recently ended." Urdo smiled. "We had to move very fast, but I got them to bring troops up the coast by ship, while we rode up. I sent to Gwair to bring the ala of Caer Thanbard to Caer Tanaga in case of trouble there. We did it all in eight days from when Angas reached me." The cheering broke out again.

"It's wonderful," I said.

"Now we ride to Tinala," he said. "The great war is beginning, and there is a great chance
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for peace on the other side of it."

"And the Isarnagans?" ap Erbin asked, as Urdo embraced him in his turn.

"It was an emergency," said Urdo, smiling. "I got married."

—16—

Those who went to Caer Lind were battle-ready a power of horses, blue armor, shields, lances held high, shining spear blades, of mail there was no shortage, nor any weapon.

So long to grieve, those left behind them, the great deeds done to be remembered Those who went to Caer Lind, shouting for battle, green mead was their drink, bitter the aftertaste, a hundred warriors, fell-armed, fallen and after exultation, there was silence.

—Aneirin ap Erbin, "Caer Lind"

When I woke, Garah was there, cleaning my face with a warm cloth, and muttering under her breath.

"You could have some consideration for other people. Honestly, Sulien! You let it dry on like this and how am I ever going to get it off again?"

"Hello," I croaked. For a moment I didn't know where I was. I was lying on straw in a tent, not my tent. By the light it was afternoon. The tent was empty except for my armor, piled on a stool, and a heavy ironbound chest. Then I remembered. Apple dead. Osvran dead. Geiran, and Morwen, and Indeg, and Bran . . . —I felt sick briefly, so many gone.

But Garah and I were alive, and here. I took a steadying breath. "When did you get back?

Where are we?"

"We're outside Caer Avroc, and I came up with King Cinon and ap Meneth and the ala of Caer Rangor this morning." She dipped the rag and scrubbed at my face. It stung a little.

"Did you get all the way to Caer Rangor?"

"Oh yes. I found the remains of Borthas's army before I got back here. It was easy to spot by the crows. I could see he wasn't going to be coming to help you. I went forward slowly and almost ran into the other Jarnish army, the one from Bereich besieging Caer Avroc. So I started making for Caer Tanaga like you said, except that I thought any help I could get would be too late, so I went by way of Caer Rangor." She paused to rub hard at my cheek. It hurt. "I think you really do have a scrape here, it's not just dried-on blood."

"I don't remember hurting it."

Garah laughed. "You never do. You're not really hurt. Some spectacular bruises, though."

One of them was under her hand. I winced. "Raul and a doctor had a look at you when you didn't want to wake up and they id it was nothing serious. There were so many wounded who were serious that you haven't really been cleaned up. I think some of them were too afraid of you. You do look a sight. What have you done to your hair? And I hope you're going to help me sand that armor because nothing else will ever get it clean. Glyn wouldn't let me touch it, he said you seemed to want it like that, but that's ridiculous."

"Cut my hair off with my sword," I muttered, then I realized how good it was to be alive and have her scolding me. I lay there a moment without speaking while a tear of relief ran down my face. "Of course I'll help you clean the armor," I said, my voice catching in my throat.

"As soon as I get up. Have I slept all through the day? I suppose I was awfully tired."

"I'm not surprised. And you've slept for nearly two days. You've woken up enough to stagger to the latrine a few times, so they knew you weren't really dazed. They moved you on the wagons with the wounded because you wouldn't wake up enough to talk coherently, Glyn said." I
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didn't remember at all.

I sat up. I felt stiff and awkward, as if I had had a fever that was just leaving me. My bruises and scrapes screamed in protest as I moved, and my knees ached. "Where are the latrines anyway?"

"We're in camp. You've already proved you can find them in your sleep." I giggled, and proved her right. I came back in after a few minutes, yawning.

"I'm hungry. Do you think there'll be anything to eat? What's happening? Everyone was rushing about. Where's Fourth Pennon?" I had only vaguely recognized faces.

"Let me finish cleaning your face first. Nearly done, and you shouldn't really eat with it like that.

Sit down again." I sat down gingerly on the edge of the straw. "There's only the one scrape on it, I think. All the rest of this blood is just dried on and then forgotten about.

That's the last time I ever go off and leave you to fight a battle." She picked up the cloth again.

"No it isn't," I said. "You're not my servant, Garah, you're a member of the ala. A valuable member of the ala. You did exactly what you should have done, you followed orders and went for help. You might have saved all our lives. Thank you."

"I don't quite see why everyone's making so much fuss about it." She shifted her shoulders uncomfortably. "I didn't do anything. By the time I persuaded King Cinon and ap Meneth to move the messenger from Urdo had almost reached Caer Rangor. He met us less than a day up the road. Just as well, really, or we'd have gone to Caer Lind."

She said this so calmly it took me a moment to really take it in. "You managed to persuade them to bring the whole ala? That's who we're camped with now?"

"It was an emergency."

"It was indeed. I never thought of that. It would have worked, too." I was counting days in my head. If she had got here this morning and I had slept a night and a day she would have brought them to Caer Lind by last night. They would have been in time. That would have been before we had to start eating the horses. Caer Rangor had never crossed my mind once as a source of help.

I'd forgotten it existed. "Why Garah! Garah—if you were in my line of command, I'd promote you."

"Too late. I have done it already." The doorway darkened as Urdo came in. He was wearing full riding armor, and his helmet was on his arm. "She belongs to Derwen and to your family no more. Garah ap Gavan is sworn to me as armiger in her own right. She may not have the weight to wield a lance in the line, but she has already given me such service as I will never forget."

Garah blushed, and I stood up and hugged her.

"It was just lucky that ap Cathvan was there and knew me," she muttered. Urdo was beaming.

He looked at her as if she were a new trained horse who had just done an exercise perfectly.

"At last I have people around me who will do what is necessary," he said, stressing the last four words. "Between Angas and you two what could have been the defeat of all my hopes has become the beginning of the long road to victory." I had never seen him look so happy.

"So what next?" I asked.

"I heard word you were awake, so I came to ask if you are well enough to ride? The army of Bereich is drawn up outside Caer Avroc. Flavien ap Borthas is holding out inside.

Angas's ala is getting ready, and ap Meneth's ala is getting ready, and the allied Isarnagan foot soldiers are getting ready, and I have come to ask you if you are well enough to ride as signifer for my ala."

"She wouldn't say no to that if she were at death's own gate, and you know it," said Garah, before I had even opened my mouth to say that I would do it if I had to ride through all the hosts of Jarnholme to do it. I laughed at the two of them.

"I am fit to ride, and I would be honored to ride as signifer." I said. "Raul has looked at me and seen that my injuries weren't serious, you told me so yourself, Garah. I was just tired. It would be
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better if I could eat something first."

"There might be time for some gruel if you are quick," Urdo said.

"I'll get it," said Garah, sighing. I looked down at myself. I was wearing someone's brown-wool shift. It was too short for me. My sword leaned on the side of the stool, on top of it my armor lay, in a pile. I had not really looked at it while I had been wearing it. My shield looked as if some great monster had been chewing on it. As for the rest, Garah was right about the sand. I shrugged off the shift and reached out for it reluctantly.

"See if this fits," said Urdo, looking shyly proud as he did when he made someone a gift. He opened the chest and lifted out some armor. I blinked. It was leather set with metal plates, far finer than in my armor, or even Angas's enameled armor. These plates were polished so that they might almost have been silver like the scales of a great fish.

There were strange hair-fine curling designs inscribed on them, dragons and serpents and strange beasts. It looked as if it had been made for a woman my height. "When my grandfather Emrys returned from the land of the giants, he brought one of the giants with him, as well as the giant horses whose descendants we ride today. The giant was a woman called Larr. The armor was hers. It has been in a chest in Caer Segant for the last fifty years or so. My mother Rowanna found it there and sent it to me, thinking it might fit you. The leather has been well cared for, and this is close to the pattern of all the armor we use today to fight on horseback, as you can see."

I took it from him. "My thanks, lord. I am honored. And I think it will fit." I was awed.

It was armor that might have been forged on the anvil of Govannen the Smith in the morning of the world.

"I don't think she can have been such a giant as all that, then," Urdo said. I began to put it on, carefully joining the beautiful tooled leather and brass connections, smelling the leather and fresh oil.

"Perhaps that's why she left with your grandfather. Perhaps she was as a dwarf in the land of giants. If they were all so big that our great horses were like ponies to them?"

Urdo made an adjustment to the back and I pulled what was left of my hair out of the way. It fitted as if it had been made for me.

"Well, records are terrible for that time when the Vincans were leaving," he said.

"Fascinating as it is. All I know about her is that her name was Larr and she came back with the horses after his famous voyage, and she died in one of the battles my grandfather fought when he made himself High King. She must have been wearing her second-best armor at the time." Garah came back in with the gruel, and gasped at the sight of the armor. Her eyes widened as Urdo stepped out from behind me to look at the effect.