The Red Knight (46 page)

“If you were anyone else, I’d say just do as you’re damn well told. The truth is, I need another night. I need the cover of darkness to get the Queen and your family out of here. I’ll ask for terms tomorrow, and before you say anything, don’t worry. I have a plan to save the rest of the garrison. I won’t see innocents slaughtered if I can help it, but I can’t lie; it does depend on the Free Companies. Now we both know they’re a bunch of backstabbing bastards, but I have faith in their laws and what’s more, I understand them.” She laughed, knowing how horrified her father would have been for a whole second before he laughed with her.

“What if the Free Companies don’t play their part? What if your plan fails?” he asked.

“Then I’ve got a lot of innocent blood on my hands.”

Cassian’s face was all angles; his thin lips were drawn in a knife straight line, his brow was a deep ‘V’ of concentration. He shook his head. She didn’t blame him; this was a hard circle to square. Logic demanded that she sue for peace now, and let kings and princes squabble over power. Her duty as a knight was to save as many people as she could, but that was at odds with her duty as a Royal Guard Captain, oath-sworn to serve the King.

No one ever said it was going to be easy, but damn
,
she never thought it would be this hard. And then there was Talin. The very thought of him made her face burn with shame.
You’re not serving the King and saving the Queen, you’re saving the man you love.

“That’s hard, Alyda.”

“You know as well as I do that innocents get hurt in war. I swear, I’ll do everything in my power to get them out of this, and that means stopping the attack today, giving those fa’cachti a taste of steel that’ll make ‘em think twice. They can’t be enjoying climbing over their dead bloating in that moat. If we hurt them today they’re more likely to accept terms tomorrow.”

Cassian rested his hands on the wall and stared hard at the stone between them. “I refer you to my earlier comment; there are only a hundred of us fit to ride.”

“I refer to you mine; we’re the best damn cavalry in the world, and look here.” Alyda directed his gaze to the earth bulwarks. “Look at where they’ve positioned those banks. They haven’t considered that they might be attacked on the field; they’re just there to protect them from arrows and the trebuchet.”

“Either I’m being dense or…?”

“See how the warriors are packed between the moat and the walls, they’re like sheep in a pen.”

The ghost of a smile flicker across Cassian’s face. “They are hemmed in. If we rode along the moat…” he said.

She nodded. “Hit hard and fast, use their numbers against them.”

“Wolves among the sheep, eh? Getting back will be…interesting.”

“But not impossible. They aren’t expecting a ground attack. Speed and surprise will be our allies.”

After what felt like an age, Cassian nodded. “As you say, Captain Stenna, we should play to our strengths. I’ll tell the stables to saddle the horses.”

In her mind, Alyda fought the battle a thousand times. It went perfectly to plan right up to the point where they turned back for the Arth. Try as she might, she could not see a way through the bristling field of spears closing in around them. So be it. Live or die, Talin and his family would be taken to safety, Nev and Griga knew what to do.
Oh, but where were those fucking reinforcements?

“Have you been avoiding me?”

She turned. Talin was standing at the top of the rubble strewn stairs.

“No. I thought you’d know where to find me; this roof’s become my second home. Anyway, I’m glad you’re here. I’ve got something to tell you…”

“I know they’ll try to use me if I’m taken, but with Oli and my mother safe, I’m resolved to deny them any advantage. If I fall into their hands I know what I must do.”

Alyda shook her head. “No. The people—your mother, they’ll need you.”

Talin laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“You are.”

She smiled and kissed him. It was a while before they parted, both lost in the pleasure of the moment, far from the reality of their situation.

“I’m sorry, Tal. You can’t ride out with us for a dozen reasons you already know. No one will think any less of you, least of all me.”

“I don’t give a screw what people think of me. I just can’t bear the thought of you being out there without me.”

“Please, just do as I ask.” She didn’t add that although she couldn’t command him she could order her knights to lock him up with his mother until after they’d gone.

“Very well, Captain Stenna, I will do as you ask. You know, not so long ago I wouldn’t have been so obedient, not for anyone. What have you done to me?”

“Nothing you didn’t enjoy.”

“Just promise me you’ll be careful,” he said.

She didn’t have an answer so she pulled him close and kissed him again.

Tomas gazed up at him, his bright blue eyes full of wonder. The joy of the moment was made more precious by the thought that this might be the last time that he held his son.

It had been the happiest day of his life when Beri told him he was going to be a father, and such a shock when, nine months later, Tomas arrived. He looked like his mother, thank the gods. His eyes were the same shade of blue and he had her thick, dark hair and her adorable, angry pout. Tomas grabbed his chin and giggled. Cassian kissed him before handing him to his nurse. The girl was on the verge of tears, but somewhat hypocritically, Beri had already scolded her for sniffling. She bit her lip, curtsied and left the room. When the door closed, he and Beri rushed into each other’s arms. He held her close, as tightly as he dared, she smelled of roses.

“No matter what happens, never forget; you and Tomas mean everything to me,” Cassian whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

“Stop that, you foolish man. You’re going to make me cry.” She pushed him away and tugged the scarf from her hair. “Here, take this for luck.” She tied it around his arm. The delicate blue silk looked incongruous against the battered armour.

Cassian smiled. “Do you remember the first time you did that?”

“How could I forget? It was at the joust in Weyhithe, you almost broke your neck. I thought it the most miserable luck. I’d finally plucked up the courage to give that handsome, if rather serious looking knight my favour and he’s gone and got his head knocked off.”

He laughed, the memory of the impact still eluded him, but waking up in the infirmary to see her beautiful face staring down at him was as clear as though it had happened yesterday, as was the angry lecture that had followed.

“I remember waking up and you telling me that I’d been sloppy, reckless, and stupid.”

She laughed through tears. “Well it was true, you were reckless.” She gripped his hands, they were both shaking. “You can’t be reckless today. You see, Tomas and I will be riding with you. Anything that happens to you, happens to us, so you must be careful.”

A cold certainty gripped his heart. No matter what sweet lie he told her, no matter what promises he made, he felt sure that he would not return.

He couldn’t stand watching the knights preparing to ride out. So rather than hang around in the bailey, Talin climbed up onto the wall walk. While he was up there, he talked with the others who would be staying behind to defend the walls.

Most were civilians; people from all walks of life and possessed of every shade of character, rank, and occupation. They had forged strong bonds during the brutal fighting, and now bakers stood shoulder to shoulder with dressmakers and veteran knights, all proud to call each other comrade.

Talin was humbled by their courage and felt profoundly guilty for all the years he’d wasted taking his life of privilege for granted. He swore that if he survived he wouldn’t spend another hour in idleness—not that Alyda would allow him to sit on his arse even if he wanted to.
Alyda.
He thought of the short time they’d had together and the promise of the years that that lay ahead, and how close they were to losing everything.

Bear hailed him and came over. “You ready for this, Highness?” she said, her bloodied buckler hanging from her belt, the heavy falchion casually resting on her shoulder.

“No, but I don’t suppose that’s going to change anything. How about you?”

She shrugged, gave a wry grin. “Oh, you know me.”

“I know you could leave if you wanted.”

She yawned and scrubbed at bloodshot eyes. “Aye. Over the wall and gone like a fart in the wind. Lucky for you, I’ve decided to stay. Purely for selfish reasons, you understand. I mean, without me you’d only go and get yourself killed and I’d lose a drinking partner.”

He sighed. “Are you ever serious?”

She gave him a sideways glance. “I think you know when I’m being serious.”

“I don’t know how to do this, Iris. People are looking to me for reassurance, can you believe it?” He laughed.

“No, not really, if I’m honest.” She laughed and punched him on the arm. “I don’t think anybody knows how to deal with this, Tal. People like Alyda just hide their fear better than most. You’ll do alright. I’ve been watching you; I’ve seen how you are with people, like up here, just now. You’ve lifted their spirits, made them smile, and forget for a moment what in the Void’s going on, and that’s a bloody good trick at a time like this. My advice is, don’t think about it too much. Just keep doing what you’re doing. You know thinking isn’t one of your strong points.”

“You just did that thing again: being nice and a bitch in the same breath.”

“Yes, Highness, I know.”

“I could have you executed.”

“No you couldn’t…”

An hour after they were ready to ride, the first volley of stones hammered into the Arth. Alyda held Lyco steady while they waited for the bombardment to ease. When the stones stopped falling, the weary defenders returned to their posts. The Guthani were massed on the far side of the moat, and a new battering ram had been dragged to the bridge ready to assault the barbican. Archers on the wall loosed at the ram, but their arrows failed to penetrate the thick cowhide screen.

The ballista could have pierced the mantlet, but Alyda had ordered them not to loose just yet. She wanted the ram closer. Cassian was at the head of the Black Lancers, Beria’s scarf tied round his arm. Alyda felt a sharp stab of guilt. Cass would have surrendered; he would have saved the garrison and not put everyone through this…

Enough!

“
Hard as iron, cold as stone…”
she whispered.

They had to ride out, flatten the enemy and return. Something they’d done a thousand times before. Her fingers tightened around her sword hilt. She lowered the visor of her borrowed helm, gathered her reins and signalled the Guard Sergeant in the winch room. Battle standards were unfurled; they ripped and snapped in the sharp wind. The portcullis bared its fangs and the gates yawned open. Horns blared and the sound of thundering hooves echoed in the barbican as the Hammer and the Black Lancers rode out.

The knights drove their mounts over the bridge, and ploughed through the mantlet protecting the ram, trampling those beneath it. Swords flashed and the trapped ram crew were quickly dispatched. Alyda led the knights left, between the moat and the nearest earth bank.

A sea of shocked faces turned to see the wrathful knights bearing down on them. Some of the attackers scrambled up the banks; others dived into the corpse-choked moat. Crushed together in the narrow defile, most could only raise their shields or couch a spear as the Hammer and the Lancers roared towards them.

Let them know fear
, thought Alyda as she drove Lyco on,
let them feel despair
. She spared a glance over her shoulder. Defenders piled out of the Arth and heaved the ram and its carriage into the moat, clearing the way for their return. She laughed.

This is what you were born for,
said the voice in her head.

It was right.

A group of battle-hardened Guthani formed up, interlocked their shields and set their spears. Alyda heeled Lyco in the flanks. The world whipped past in a speeding blur. They smashed into the Guthani, splintering shields and crushing warriors into the dirt. Alyda saw a destrier impaled on a sheaf of spears. It fell screaming, taking its killers and its rider with it to the grave.

Death surrounded her, sharp and bright, eager to claim its dues.
Not yet you don’t.
The Guards hurtled along the moat, hacking a bloody swathe through the penned attackers. When they reached the end of the earth bank, Alyda looked back at the destruction they’d wrought and it filled her with a savage joy.
Just as it should be.
They’d punished the enemy’s arrogance, and stalled their advance. Now, with speed and a little luck, they’d get back to the Arth before the enemy had a chance to rally. She amended that to
a lot of luck
as the trebuchets were turned towards them.

The first volley of stones missed and crashed into a group of mercenaries mustering in front of them. The second hit some of the Lancers and some Guthani. After that, Trenham’s engines fell silent.