The Swans' War 3 - The Shadow Roads (31 page)

The officers appointed by Menwyn came sullenly to the pavil-ion, grumbling among themselves, looks of apprehension and re-sentment on their faces. Rica had them stand out in the open and placed guards with swords drawn around them.

"All of you appointed in my absence by Lord Menwyn deserve the gratitude of the House of Innes. But I have, upon the order of Lord Menwyn Wills, resumed command of the army of Innes. Your services are no longer required. You are hereby dismissed and may return to your former officers—immediately." The Prince nodded to them in a kindly way, then gestured to Rica, who marshaled the stunned captains away before they might think of doing something foolish. Another group of men were quickly gathering—these in the purple and black of Innes. They fell in before the pavilion, and the Prince had each of them give his name, rank, and former com-

mand. The situation was not as bad as it could have been, for a number of former commanders still remained. The other positions were quickly filled by men the commanders recommended. Michael had them swear an oath to him and warned them to take orders from no one but himself or Rica until he had filled the ranks of senior commanders—at which time the Prince would make these officers known to them. These men were sent off to organize their companies.

He did not yet have in place a structure of command—there was a broad layer of senior commanders missing—but he was mak-ing quick progress.

"So tell me, Captain Rica, who is left among my father's former allies and senior officers who might either be loyal to the House of Innes or hate the Wills enough to side with me?"The man stood with one hand on the map table. "It is difficult to say, your grace. So much has changed and so rapidly. After the Prince, your father, was murdered, Hafydd took control of the army, placing his own men in all but a few key positions. When Hafydd left, Lord Menwyn drove the black guards off and put his own men in their stead. Everyone was forced to swear an oath of loyalty to the Wills. The few who refused were stripped of their po-sitions, thrown into cells, or 'disappeared.' Of the noblemen who were your father's allies I think only T'oldor and Quince might side with you against Menwyn. Your grace must realize that these men were all promised large areas of your estates. They will not give up that promise easily. I would let none of them stand at your back."Michael nodded. It was unfortunate that his father did not command loyalty. Now his son would pay the price for this short-sightedness.

"Your grace. They are coming."The noblemen and officers who had been given control of the army of Innes had elected to travel the length of the camp on horseback, banners flying, perhaps hoping this display would give them legitimacy in the eyes of the men. When they reached the army of Innes they spread out, only six approaching the pavilion,the rest riding out among the mustered companies. They began calling out orders immediately.

Six minor noblemen reined in their horses. "My Prince," one said with feigned urgency, "the army marches. Come with us, and we will inform you of the design as we go."Michael did not answer, praying that the soldiers would not move without command from their newly appointed officers. He held his breath. Not a man stood or acknowledged the shouted orders of the horsemen. Michael had to stop himself from smiling.

"This army," he said, "goes nowhere without my express com-mand. And within the hour I will command it to return to my es-tates. Now get off your horses and order your officers back, or you may go tell Menwyn that he meets the Renne alone." Michael crossed his arms and stared at the six men.

The noblemen retreated to confer among themselves, whisper-ing and casting glances toward the prince.

"Captain Rica," Michael ordered. "Do you see these horsemen trying to give orders to my army? Warn them that if they do not de-sist immediately and remove themselves from my ranks, I will treat them as enemies trying to undermine my command."Rica seemed to have anticipated this and had several small com-panies ready. These ran off, each bearing a banner of the House of Innes. They soon reached the shouting officers, some of whom had drawn swords and were threatening the soldiers. Two or three re-fused to remove themselves, and swords were drawn, companies of soldiers leaping to their feet at orders from the Prince's captains. One horseman was chased out by armed men, haughty even in re-treat, the rest realized that their lives were in danger and acted ap-propriately.

The six noblemen still conferred.

"Captain Rica?" Michael said loudly. "Drag these former allies off my father's off their horses and bring them to me."The six noblemen separated then, two quickly dismounting.

The other four were surrounded by armed men on foot, and they too dismounted, and all were brought before the Prince.

"Who among you will renounce your claim to the parts of my estate that Menwyn Wills has promised and swear an oath of loy-alty to me?" The Prince regarded the six men, all of whom he had known since childhood. Apparently they still thought him a child. They had not been witness to the events of the Stillwater, when Prince Michael had been forced to come of age.

"I will take an oath, my Prince," Lord T'oldor said, dropping to one knee.

"As will I," responded Quince, whose estates comprised a small tract of mountains and meadows to the north—far too small for a man of such ability and character, Michael thought.

"I lived beneath the heel of your father's boot for thirty years," said Lord Farwell, "I will not live beneath yours now.""No one need live beneath the heel of my boot, but the estates of the Prince of Innes are not for the taking. This army that my fa-ther created is mine to command, and I will not commit it to the field until I am satisfied that it is not being sent to ruin. If you will not swear loyalty to me, then go back to Lord Menwyn and de-mand that he pay you what he promised out of his own purse. It won't be coming out of mine."T'oldor and Quince swore an oath to the Prince, with all of the army there to witness. The other noblemen and their officers rode back the way they had come, having failed in their attempt to seize control of the army of Innes.

T'oldor watched the men go, then turned to Prince Michael. "It is well that none of them offered to swear an oath to you, my Prince. I should never have trusted them.""Nor would I, T'oldor, but the offer had to be made. They were the allies of my house for many years."Rica had unrolled a map on the table, the corners weighed down by stones. Michael wondered what had become of the silver weights his father had used. In someone's purse, no doubt.

T'oldor, an elegant ruin of a man, sketched in the design. His white hair hung in carefully arranged ringlets, and the lace of his collar and cuffs was as unblemished as new snow. For all that, he was a brilliant old scoundrel, as Michael well knew.

"Menwyn's spies tell him that the Renne intend to land tonight where this valley meets the Wynnd."T'oldor placed a finger on the map. "He plans to move his army into position surrounding the landing place, then let the Renne disembark their army before driv-ing them into the river, preferably at first light, though our pres-ence might not go undiscovered for so long.""Show me the disposition of our forces?" Michael asked.

The old man laid a few quick marks on the paper with a stick of charcoal.

"But the army of Innes has all the forward positions!" Michael said, more in anger than surprise. "Menwyn's army is only the reserve.""That is true, my Prince," Quince agreed, his manner very subdued.

"Then we are to fight this battle against the Renne and suffer all the casualties?"The two noblemen nodded.

Michael stared at the map a moment. Of course he didn't want to fight the Renne at all, but he was certain that his officers and his men wouldn't readily accept that. His hold on the army and on the loyalty of these noblemen was tenuous. The prince took the charcoal from T'oldor and redrew the lines. "Menwyn's forces will array themselves here, to the south, we will arrange our armies here, to the east and the north. That will put him in the forefront of the battle across a third of the area to be contested. He will have to fight. I will not take all the losses and he all the gains." He turned to Lord T'oldor. "Will you go to Lord Menwyn and tell him this?""Gladly, but it might be better if I don't go alone, as I am now a traitor to the Wills." "Take forty men with you—mounted, if you like. Tell Menwyn that once his armies have taken up the southern position, I will move mine into the positions I have indicated. Don't allow him to argue or prevaricate. I will march my army home before I will let him use it so." The riders were quickly formed up and they followed Lord T'oldor down the long aisle between the armies. Michael stood looking around the field. He wondered if he would be forced to fight the Renne before he could do away with Menwyn Wills. One thing was certain, he would not give up control of his army at any cost. The moment he did that he would be dead.

"Rica?"

"Your grace?"

"Bring me our four most experienced captains. They are about to receive promotions.""Immediately, your grace," but despite his promise of immedi-ate action, he stood there awkwardly a moment.

Michael turned to the man. "You have something more to say, Captain?""If I may, your grace. There is one young captain whose abili-ties are far beyond his years. He is,perhaps, the strongest of all your subordinate officers.""Then bring him as well. Rica? You have my permission to speak your mind whenever you deem it necessary.""Your trust is an honor, your grace.""And you may call me Prince Michael.""My Prince," the man said, making a quick bow before hurry-ing off.

Lord T'oldor returned to find Michael going over the plan of battle with his new officers, deciding how the companies would be arranged, how they would move to their places, and how they would be supplied both with food and arms. Moving such a large force even a short distance, which was what they intended, took a great deal of planning. Men who had been fed fought better than those who were hungry. And men who believed in the abilities of their superiors fought better still. The army of Innes would have no idea of the abilities of the Prince. He would have to prove himself. They didn't know he had fought the ser-vants of Death in the Stillwater and wouldn't believe it if they were told.

"And what said Lord Menwyn?" Prince Michael asked Lord T'oldor.

"He was not pleased and there were accusations of infamy all around."The man smiled like the rake he was. "I have seldom more enjoyed being the bearer of bad news.""Then he will do what I require?""You control the superior force, my Prince. If you refuse to fight, Lord Menwyn and his allies will be outnumbered by the Renne. They will be driven from the field." The man looked up at the sun. "We will know within the hour for he must soon begin moving his army to the river, or retire.""It will be a long hour. Captain Rica? What became of Lord A'denne's men-at-arms?""They were distributed among the companies of the Wills and of Innes, your… my Prince.""Is it possible to find a man who served in Lord A'denne's per-sonal guard?""I believe it could be done.""Good. When you find such a man send him up that hillside and have him wait at the crest. The men who aided me in my jour-ney here are hiding in the trees. If he had a banner or some token of the A'denne that he could display, it would be useful."There was a moment's silence, then Lord T'oldor spoke. "Prince Michael, Carl A'denne was a traitor to your father's cause. He is widely blamed for our failure on the Isle of Battle, for we be-lieve he warned the Renne of the invasion.""Lord Carl was the enemy of Sir Eremon, who had my father under his sway. He is still the enemy of Sir Eremon, which makes him my ally. Tell this man you send up the hill to bring my com-panions to join us after dark. There are some secrets that it would be better Lord Menwyn not know.""My Prince," Rica said hesitantly, "you told me that I must speak my mind when I felt it necessary…""Yes, Captain. Please say what you will.""Your men… they are ready to lay down their lives to fight our enemy, the Renne. Many of your soldiers lost comrades and kin on the Isle of Battle. The lust for revenge is strong. It is true that they resent Menwyn Wills, who they believed supported Sir Eremon in the murder of your father, but their real hatred is reserved for the Renne. A change of alliances would be a dangerous thing right now. You might lose the army.""Captain Rica," Michael said, "I chose well in you." He turned to the serious man-at-arms, and all of his other newly ap-pointed officers. "I traveled far in the company of the man you call Sir Eremon—though his real name is Hafydd and he was once in the service of the Renne. He has made alliances with… powers we can't understand and has become a sorcerer of great skill. Killing him now would be almost impossible. If he comes back… No. When he comes back, he will kill Menwyn and me and take over this army, with which he will overrun the land be-tween the mountains. And this man—this sorcerer—is loyal to no one and to no thing. Better a hundred years under the rule of the Renne than a year under Hafydd. But we don't have to war with the Renne—they will ally themselves with us against Hafydd." Prince Michael watched the faces of the men. They looked at him darkly, mouths drawn down, their arms crossed. How to make them understand? "Menwyn Wills, unfortunately, hates the Renne above all things and will never give up his feud, and this weakness will allow Hafydd to return. We can only hope to defeat Hafydd if we have strong allies and are prepared for great sacrifice—perhaps our own lives. I believe the Renne are those allies. And Menwyn Wills? He would lick Hafydd's boots for an-other ten minutes of life." He looked from one man to the next, meeting their eyes. "I know Hafydd. A more heartless, cruel man has not been born of woman. If this army will not give up its de-sire for revenge against the Renne, and make them our allies,then you will bend a knee to this sorcerer, and he will lop off your heads and the heads of your families, for he will not suffer any to oppose him.""But Prince Michael," Lord T'oldor said softly. "Captain Rica is right. Your army wants revenge on the Renne. Talk of sorcerers will only frighten them."The man-at-arms who had been a guard of the late Lord A'denne brought the small company down the hillside and, using the pass-words, escorted it into the presence of Prince Michael of Innes. Not long before, the sun had plunged into the western hills, setting the horizon aflame, and dusk crept out of the east like spreading smoke. The armies had arrayed themselves in a half circle around the Renne landing place, and waited in utter silence, the penalty for speaking being death.