"The wise learn many things from their enemies."- Aristophanes
Baron Kensie Poldara looked sourly at his fellow ensign. They were preparing to leave Poldara Castle for their journey to their posting with Captain Joshua Peregrine at the guard station along the north shore of Lake Evendim.
Kadhael Corbie's back was turned towards Kensie, so he did not see Kensie's look. Not that it mattered. Kadhael had made it plain he was travelling with Kensie only because his orders said he must.
Neither looked forward to three long sennights in each other's company, but it was safer than travelling alone, especially after midwinter.
Despite the enmity between himself and Viscount Corbie, Count Wyeth had felt it necessary to welcome Lord Corbie's heir as a guest in his official residence before Kadhael and Kensie travelled to their post. Failing to do so would not only be gauche and insulting, it would harm the solidarity of the soldiers under Captain Peregrine when it became known. Since their post lay to the west, it was natural for Kadhael to pass through Poldara on the way. Therefore he had come to Poldara to join Kensie when they set out.
The two young men would follow a strict itinerary that had been laid out by the Guard. It ensured that they would never be too far from shelter in the event of a sudden storm or other emergency. Colonel Darius Attar, commander of the guard at Poldara, told them both to take no chances and to delay if the weather was too foul to move on. In no uncertain terms, he told them that any recklessness on their part would lead to a black mark on their records.
"A fool who risks killing himself stupidly is no loss, but he also has no place in the army." He glowered at the two young noblemen.
Since the army did not allow ensigns to bring personal servants, Kensie had to leave Spod behind. Count Wyeth took the quick-witted Spod into his personal retinue as a second manservant. Wyeth told Spod that, in addition to assisting his own manservant Hanno Linna, Spod would continue to act as a spy as he had for Kensie, but now Spod would report to Wyeth and Clyde Jensen.
Kensie had sent his allowance of personal clothing and other items forward before winter set in. He assumed Kadhael had done the same. Kensie and Kadhael would travel light, with just enough clothing for the journey.
The two set out at first light. The weather was cold without being bitterly so. The afternoon sun might get warm enough to partly melt the snow covering the fields. The local guard had cleared the road after the snow two days before, so the surface was bare.
Both Blood and Kadhael's stallion, Magog, jigged restively, eager for a gallop. "Let's go." Kadhael said.
"Warm them up, first." Kensie said.
"Afraid to have a run before sun-up?" Kadhael sneered. He didn't say 'coward', but the word hung unspoken between them.
"Not at all. But I won't risk a strain to Blood. Once they've warmed up and loosened their muscles, let's have a good run. Blood and your Magog both need it." Kensie eyed Magog appreciatively. The young grey still had dark dapples, but had well developed muscles on a magnificent frame. The only flaw, to Kensie's eyes, was a tension in the stallion's expression and muscles. Kensie guessed that was due to rough handling.
Kadhael noted Kensie's appraising look. "You aren't going to steal this one from me, Poldara." Kensie thought the way Kadhael stroked the horse's neck was possessive rather than affectionate.
After the prescribed mile at the walk and mile at the trot, Kensie nodded to Kadhael. The latter needed no further invitation and spurred Magog hard, sending the stallion into a flat-out gallop.
Kensie followed. He allowed Blood to come up to Magog, but held Blood a head and a half behind. With his animal mindspeech, he could sense Blood's eagerness to go to the fore but persuaded his horse to stay slightly back. Let Kadhael think he was 'winning'; he would be obnoxious about it, but Kensie knew that would be nothing compared to Kadhael's sulk if he 'lost'.
When his animal mindspeech told him that the horses were tiring, he eased Blood back to a trot. Kadhael galloped another hundred yards before halting Magog with a hard pull on the reins. He waited while Kensie trotted up to him, then trotted alongside until Kensie asked Blood to walk. Kensie winced as Kadhael yanked hard on the reins to walk Magog beside him.
"Quite a beast, isn't he, Poldara." Kadhael grinned boastfully. It was now light enough that Kensie could see the look of triumph on his face.
"He really is magnificent." Kensie agreed.
"Left your boy in the dust, didn't he?" Kadhael demanded admiration for his mount.
Kensie repressed the urge to defend Blood. He pasted a smile on his face and said "He really does like to go. I'd say you have a great horse." At least Kensie could honestly admire the stallion, if not the rider.
"Paid Lord Ashkevron seven hundred crowns for him. Worth every copper." Kadhael stroked Magog's crest with the same possessiveness he had before.
Kensie forced a wide-eyed expression to his face. Privately, he thought the price too high, but he was determined to let Kadhael boast. It would be easier that way.
For the rest of the morning, Kensie let Kadhael boast about his stallion, adding an appreciative comment whenever he felt one was wanted.
After luncheon at a village inn, the resumed their journey. Kadhael moved to other subjects, pronouncing his opinions and judgments on everything from the passers-by on the road to 'the Queen should remarry and have a male heir.'
Kensie let him talk on, limiting his responses to non-committal grunts or occasional agreements when his fellow traveller said something sensible.
They arrived at their assigned stopping point in mid-afternoon. There wasn't enough daylight left to consider going on. Kadhael was scornful when Kensie insisted on grooming Blood himself, declaring that Kensie was acting beneath his rank and such was best left to the stablehands. Kensie said "I am sure that Master Wilkes is perfectly capable." He flashed a grin and a wink to the stablehand. "But I think it creates a bond between horse and rider for the rider to groom his horse himself."
They took the best rooms at the inn. Kadhael complained loudly that it wasn't good enough, though he confided to Kensie that his complaint was partly to "keep the innkeeper on his toes, they get sloppy if you go easy on them." Kensie, schooled by his mother that servants should always be treated politely, thanked the innkeeper and servants for all they did. For some reason, Kensie's supper had superior cuts.
The next few days of travel were much the same, except for one evening they spent at the guard post in Saroli. There, Kadhael was obsequiously deferential to Captain Herzog and his fellow officers and insulting towards the enlisted man ordered to help him. Word of Kadhael's behavior reached Captain Herzog, who ordered Kadhael into his office and gave him a dressing down. He also ordered Kadhael to apologize to the enlisted man in the presence of those who had been there at the time, including Kensie.
The next morning, Kensie and Kadhael were barely out of earshot of the guard post when the latter began a long tirade against the ineptitude of Captain Herzog and the quality of his command. When Kensie disagreed, Kadhael rounded on him and called him a toady. The rest of the morning passed in stiff silence.
They were delayed for two days by a snowstorm during their second sennight and resumed their journey after it ended. Their travel orders had assumed there would be at least two such delays, so they did not fall behind.
The snow had still not been fully cleared on their eleventh day. It slowed their travel and they arrived late at the village of Oakdale. Tomorrow, they would go on to the guard post in Doncaster. As they entered the yard of The Bull and The Feather, Kensie uneasily noticed several armed men around the yard getting to their feet.
The two ensigns dismounted and handed the reins of their stallions to the horseboys while they bespoke rooms. Kensie noticed the armed men moving towards them. "Prepare for a fight." He whispered to Kadhael. The latter looked around in alarm, aware of the approaching men for the first time.
The men drew their swords and charged at the two young men. "That way!" Kensie pointed to one side where there was a stout wall. They would lose some freedom of movement, but the attackers would unable to get behind them and, bunched on one side, would interfere with one another.
There was one man between Kensie and the wall. He was unprepared for Kensie and Kadhael to charge at him. Kensie slashed his throat open and jumped over his falling body on the way to the wall.
Reaching the wall, Kensie and Kadhael faced their remaining attackers. There were still seven of them. No matter how good the two ensigns were with their swords, there was no way to fend off all of their attackers without help.
As Kensie forced the sword of the man nearest him down and sliced his right bicep nearly through, he mindcalled the two war stallions, who were already dancing restively where the horseboys held them.
Blood and Magog reared and screamed, shaking off the horseboys, who abandoned their attempts to restrain the horses and fled to the stable.
At same time, the man who Kensie had wounded cried out. He dropped his sword and fell back. Another took his place. There were still three men facing Kensie and two attacking Kadhael. A sixth man, better armoured than the others, stood behind those attacking Kensie, ready to step in if one of Kensie's opponents fell.
Kensie fought with desperate fury, using all the skills Alberich and Hwyl Fian had drilled into him for dealing with multiple opponents. If the men had been army trained instead of local bandits, Kensie would have gone down in an eyeblink. He managed to keep them at bay until Blood hit them from behind.
The stallion ran right over the armoured man in the rear, who screamed as the horse trampled him. Kensie slashed the face of a second opponent, but another got through his guard as he did so, stabbing Kensie in the side. Kensie flinched and pulled aside.
He was open for a heart thrust and the third man was coming in to finish him just as Blood slammed into the attacker from behind. The attacker fell on his back and screamed in terror as the horse reared and plunged down on his chest.
Kensie's other two attackers, bumped by the massive warhorse, stumbled. Kensie fought through the pain of the gut-wound and put his sword into one of the men's right shoulder, forcing him to drop his weapon.
The remaining attacker turned to flee. Blood chased after him. The stallion struck the fleeing man's leg with a forehoof, shattering the bone. The man screamed in pain as he fell beside the horse trough. As Blood reared for the kill, the man rolled away. He scrambled into the narrow space between the trough and the wall where Blood could not strike at him.
The battle was over. Holding his left hand over his bleeding wound, Kensie looked around. The two men facing Kadhael were both dead, their bodies mangled and heads smashed by Magog's hooves.
Two men lay moaning in front of Kensie. One was the first man Kensie had wounded, holding his left hand over the deep cut in his arm. The other was the man Kensie had wounded in the shoulder. The latter lay on his back, blood spurted from his lips and his left leg stuck out at an odd angle; evidently Blood had stepped on him as the stallion fought to defend Kensie.
Kadhael came over, holding Magog's reins. The stallion was still jigging restively. Kadhael raised his sword to finish the man with the cut arm.
"I yield!" The man cried out, raising his left hand to fend off Kadhael's blow.
"No!" Kensie shouted. "We need to question them."
By now, the innkeeper and several of his customers were warily emerging from inn. They came towards the two ensigns to offer help.
Kensie ordered them to bind the two attackers near him and pushed through the villagers. Still holding his sword in his right hand and pressing his left against the bleeding wound in his side, Kensie walked painfully over to where Blood still menaced the man cowering behind the horse trough.
After glancing around to confirm there were no more attackers and that the people from the inn were not threatening him, Kensie sheathed his sword and put his right hand on the stallion's shoulder. "Easy, Blood. Good boy." The stallion flicked an ear at his master and whickered. Blood relaxed slightly but still kept his attention on the cornered attacker.
"Show me your hands." Kensie ordered.
When the man fearfully raised his hands to show he had no weapon, Kensie said. "Get up."
"I canna stand. 'e broke m' leg." The man groaned.
Kensie glanced around. He nodded to two of the men who stood nearby. "Get him up."
The inn patrons nervously worked their way around Blood, who rumbled menacingly as they approached. Kensie moved the warhorse back, using mindspeech to reassure the stallion. The two villagers roughly hauled the attacker to his feet, ignoring his yelp of pain as they stood him up.
Holding his side, Kensie made his way to a bench and collapsed onto it. Blood followed his master anxiously, sensing something wrong. Kensie stroked the horse's muzzle. Using his animal mindspeech, he reassured the horse and directed him to go with the stableman, who came forward nervously to take the reins.
"You're hurt!" Kadhael noticed Kensie's wound for the first time.
"I'll send for Earl Schmidt." The innkeeper said. He pointed to one of the horse boys, who nodded and left the yard at a run.
Kensie eyed the innkeeper. "Who is Earl Schmidt?" He asked.
"He's our Healer. He hasn't got the Gift, but he's good with wounds and potions."
Kensie nodded. "And you are?"
"I am Kurt Bruni. This is my inn." He answered.
Kensie gestured at the three captives. The villagers had laid out the bodies of the five dead men on one side of the yard. "Master Bruni, do you know these men?" He fixed his eyes on the innkeeper's. He was tempted to drop his shields and 'listen' to the innkeeper's thoughts, but decided to leave it for now.
The innkeeper shook his head. "No, no. Never saw them before. Well, not before three days ago when they showed up. They've been hanging around since then, keeping an eye on everyone who comes through."
"Keeping an eye out?" Kensie asked.
"They would sit in the inn, just keeping to themselves except they always had two men out watching the road."
"What were they watching for?" Kensie asked.
"They were watching for someone, but they never told me. Every time a traveller came up the road, one of the watchers would come in and check with their leader. A couple of times, they all went out. The last time was just before you got here."
"Who was the leader?" Kensie demanded. "How did you know?"
The innkeeper looked at the bodies laid out. He pointed to the man with the good armour. "That one. The second on the left. They never said anything, but he was the one they came to and he never went outside to watch the road."
Kensie pointed to one of the villagers. "You. Check his right wrist. See if there is a tattoo on the inside of his arm."
Gingerly, the villager went over and bared the dead man's arm. "Yes, there is." He looked back at Kensie as he spoke.
"Is it a firedrake?" Kensie asked.
The villager looked again. "Yes, it is." He said.
"Tedrel." Kensie said. As everyone went wide-eyed, a man in healer green came into the yard. The horse-boy bustled him over to Kensie.
The healer took one look at Kensie's wound and said. "Let's get you inside."
Kensie groaned and tried to rise. The healer took his right arm and the innkeeper his left. As they helped Kensie into the inn, Kensie glanced at Kadhael, who was still holding Magog's reins. Catching Kadhael's eye, he nodded in the direction of the prisoners. "See if you can find out why they attacked us."
By now, it was nearly night. Kadhael handed his stallion's reins to the horse-boy and gestured for the villagers to bring the captives into the inn.
The innkeeper and healer took Kensie into the innkeeper's own rooms and laid him down on a bed. When the healer pulled Kensie's shirt and jacket up, the wound began bleeding heavily.
The healer stanched the blood quickly and cleaned the wound with a stinging wash. He examined it closely. "Hmm. Not too deep. Nicked the muscle a bit, but nothing vital hit. Just stop the bleeding and stitch it up. You should be on your feet again in a sennight."
Kensie started to protest that he was supposed to be going to his army posting, but stopped himself. He was sure that Captain Peregrine would understand the delay. "Can you get word to the guard post in Doncaster?" He asked instead.
Before the innkeeper could answer, the door opened to reveal a Herald.
"Herald Courier Lena Jenius." She identified herself. "Goral said we needed to stop when the villagers waved at us. What happened?"
Kensie looked at the Herald. Her hood and scarf were pulled back to reveal her black hair and thin face. The tiny Herald could not have been over five feet tall, but her posture clearly showed that she was in charge and expected answers.
"I am Ensign Kensie Poldara." Kensie noted her face showed recognition and slight contempt. "Kadhael Corbie and I are on our way to our posting. We were attacked by a gang of men as we got to the innyard."
"Why were you attacked?" The Herald asked.
"I don't know. Lord Kadhael is questioning the surviving attackers in the other room. Innkeeper Bruni says he does not know them." Kensie said.
Herald Lena frowned. "I'm on a courier run, so I can't stay to investigate." For a moment, her face took on the distant look that told Kensie she was mindspeaking her Companion. "Goral says that things are under control here for now. I'll take word to the commander of the guard-post in Doncaster when I stop there tonight. Goral says there is a Herald attached to the resupply station there who can be back here tomorrow."
"But it's dark already." The innkeeper blurted.
She quirked a smile at him. "Companions aren't bothered by the dark. I'll check with Ensign Corbie to see what he has found out, then be off." She turned and left the room.
A half candlemark later, the Healer finished stitching Kensie's wound. As he and the innkeeper were helping Kensie to his feet, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in!" The Healer ordered.
A white-faced Kadhael came in. He looked straight at Kensie. "Kensie, they were hired to kill us."
Kensie laughed mirthlessly, then winced at the pain in his gut. "I thought so. What did they say?"
"They said their leader – his name was Virgil Medraut – said they were to kill us. They would be paid five crowns each for killing us." Kadhael flushed slightly. "Actually, they said they were supposed to kill you, but their leader said to kill me as well."
Leaning on the healer and innkeeper, Kensie took a step, wincing at the pain in his stomach. "Did they say who hired them?"
"They said only their leader knew."
Kensie let go of his supporters and walked slowly towards the door. He smiled at Kadhael. "Sorry you got caught up in this. I wish I knew who is trying to kill me and why. That's three times, now."
Kadhael looked surprised. "Three times? You mean...?"
Kensie reached the door. He leaned on it, panting for breath. "Yes. Those two 'robberies' were assassination attempts. Father and I have been keeping quiet about it, hoping the person behind it would show himself in some way." He gasped. "Master Bruni, would you kindly show me to a room. I think I will take Healer Schmidt's dose of poppy after all."
Kadhael put Kensie's arm over his shoulder. The innkeeper supported Kensie from the other side as he helped him to a room. Kadhael and the innkeeper helped Kensie undress and climb into bed. Kensie insisted that his sword be left beside his bed.
Kensie swallowed the dose of poppy and lay back. He glanced at Kadhael. "Well, I know three things about my enemy now."
"What's that?" Kadhael asked.
"First, it is someone who has contacts among the Tedrels who stayed in Valdemar as bandits. Probably had those contacts before the end of the war, too.
"Second, it is someone who has access to information from the army."
"How do you know that?" Kadhael looked baffled.
Kensie pointed at the innkeeper, who looked alarmed. "Master Bruni said the gang had been waiting for three days. We know they were waiting for us. That means they knew we were coming this way. Which means they knew what our orders were." The innkeeper relaxed, seeing that Kensie was not blaming him.
Kensie laid back and closed his eyes. He could feel the poppy taking effect.
"And the third?" Kadhael prompted.
Kensie opened his eyes slightly. He grinned at his fellow ensign. "That you and your father are not the ones trying to get me killed."