As for Danos, he had indeed attempted to loose a war arrow at the fearsome horse, only to have his bowstring snap near th£ hornbow’s upper nock. Whereupon he had backed his mount, reined about and spurred toward the safety of the road, not being of a suicidal nature. From that road, he heard the shouts and shrieks of men and the furious screaming of the king stallion and his two sons, while he hurriedly fitted another bowstring. Then he waited, freshly strung bow held on thigh, arrow nocked.
But man shrieks ceased, as did the battlecries of the embattled horses. Then Gaios’ dun gelding came limping over the crest of the grassy knoll, his eyes rolling whitely, his off fore-quarter streaked with red blood from the great tooth gash in his withers. Of the two mares, Ohros’ and Roopos’ mounts, there was no sign, and Danes’ repeated shouts evoked no human answer, only the faraway challenge of a stallion.
As soon as he had firmly relatched the high gate and gathered up the trailing reins of the dun, he cased his bow and rode for the hall as fast as the battered gelding could travel.
So, for the Lady Hehrah, there had been nothing for it save to order that a child be seized from the nearby village. But all of her people seemed suitably impressed with their introduction into the Deeper Mysteries, and, fronvthe moment she again partook of the Blood, she felt much relieved … almost at peace.
With the reclamation of Thoheeks Bill’s deserted capital city, Milo had had Aldora lead her five thousand cavalrymen there, partially because it was more centrally located than was Morguhn Hall, partially to remove the passionate and possessive woman from proximity to the convalescent Vahrohneeskos Ahndros-who, until his return to the Duchy of Morguhn, had been the dearly beloved lover of the High Lady Aldora Linszee Treeah-Pohtohmahs Pahpahs.
Nearly a hundred and fifty years of witnessing and sometimes attempting to ameliorate Aldora’s infatuations and tantrums had vouchsafed Milo great familiarity with her character. And although he had known her but bare days, he also recognized Mother Mahrnee, old Hwahruhn of Mor-guhn’s youngest widow, for a woman similar in many ways to Aldora-which might be part of why Ahndros loved her. She loved him, as well, and would violently oppose any attempt on Aldora’s part to rewin the nobleman’s affections. A stand-up fight betwixt the Undying Lady Aldora-who, like Milo, could not be slain by steel-could have but one certain outcome, and the rebellion had sown enough discord in Morguhn without the addition of a so surely tragic duel.
The Confederation troopers, guided by the young thoheeks’ Freefighters and Kindred, fanned out through the duchy. Their orders were simple and merciless: take anyone suspected of being noble or priest alive, if at all possible; burn all Ehleen churches; reclaim and garrison all Kindred property; slay any non-noble, male or female, who essayed either fight or flight; slay any non-noble discovered in possession of sword or pike or war gear, burning his home, if possible; burn any village or hamlet found to be harboring rebels.
While the cavalry went ravening through the countryside and the main army marched from the trade city of Kehnooryos Deskahti, which had been secured earlier, Milo left Aldora to command the Morguhnpolis garrison and rode with a large force under the nominal command of Thoheeks Bili upon the duchy’s two remaining cities, Theftehrospolis and Lohfahspolis. Neither were actually cities, only large villages wherein a nobleman had his seat, nor were they walled.
Nor did either resist. The people of Theftehrbspolis, indeed, welcomed the troops with open arms, having been much bedeviled of late by small bands of rebels fleeing across the nearby southern border. They proved as unreservedly loyal as their lord, Vahrohneeskos Ahndros, who had come by his grievous wounds in defense of Thoheeks Bili and the High Lord. Lohfahspolis, formerly seat of Vahrohneeskos Stehfahnos, the first noble rebel to die, was found to be as bare of life as had been Morguhnpolis. The thoheeks allowed the troopers free rein in looting the sprawling village, and himself, sent back a groaning wagon of loot from the late Stehfahnos’ palace. Then the torch was put to every structure, not even the privies being spared.