Gaib thought he could actually hear the yelp of the lancer officer. “Sun and Wind, man!” the reply came beaming. “Have you taken leave of your senses? A good half of those Vawnee look to be heavily armed. They’ll go through my two troops like-”
With seconds as precious as emeralds, Gaib furiously cut off his subordinate. “Wind take you for a coward, Ahl! Follow my orders or give over your command to a man with more guts! I said you’ll be the ‘second line, dammit; those heavy-armed fire-eaters of ours will take the brunt of it.”
Then he sought the mind of Thoheeks Kehn Kahr. “If you please, my lord, has your group taken many casualties?”
He could almost see the steaming, red face-Thoheeks Kahr had gained years and much flesh since last he had actively campaigned or worn armor in summer heat-but there was ill-concealed eagerness in the return the nobleman beamed. “Vahrohneeskos Behrklee’s son, Steev, has a broken leg … I think. His horse took a dart and fell ere he could clear leather. And we’ve lost a few more horses, but no gentlemen, praise be to Wind and Pitzburk. But we await your orders, Captain Vahrohnof-son. When do you want us to fight? Where?”
Gaib breathed a silent sigh of relief. The thoheeks and his half-troop were only technically under his command. They could all see the charging Vawnee from their present position and must be aware that the odds against them were something over ten to one. Had Kahr opted for flight rather than fight, Gaib would have been powerless to do aught save curse him.
“If it please my lord, form a single rank to block the road. Place your left flank at that deep gully and your right at the perimeter ditch. The lancers will be forming behind you. You must hold them until the High Lady is safely away and my squadron be formed. My bugles sounding The Charge’ will be your signal to disengage. Does it please my lord to understand?”
“Captain Vahrohnos’-son, nothing has pleased me more since my favorite mare dropped twin foals, one black and one white! And both stallions! We’ll hold. By Sacred Sun, well hold!”
Then Gaib tried to range the mind of the arrogant Clan Linsee prick who commanded the High Lady’s guard. Meeting with no success, he beamed directly to the High Lady herself.
“Yes,” came her answer, “I am aware that we are under attack and have so mindspoken the High Lord, in the van. He comes, but it will take time. I’ve listened in on your beamings, as well, captain. You are a good officer and a credit to the army. Your decisions are sound. Would that I might sit a horse at your side, but it is my time-of-the-moon and I have imbibed of a decoction of herbs. Though they leave my mind clear, so seriously do they affect my balance and coordination that I doubt I could draw my saber, much less use it.”
“Another reason, my lady, that I would have you on the road,” Gaib mindspoke emphatically. “As of this dawn, my squadron was understrength, and I doubt not that we’ve lost horses and men to the missiles. Yonder comes a strong force, and. if I’m to have sufficient weight to smash their attack, I’ll need every sword. I recall that your team be hitched, my lady. Let it please you to take road forthwith-but you’d best leave some few of your archers to retard pursuit if we fail here.”
Aldora agreed to adopt his plan, adding. “Wind guard you, young Linstahk. The Confederation cannot afford the loss of men such as you.”
While his lieutenants and sergeants formed up their half-strength units, Gaib and his bugler and color bearer sat their mounts with an outward show of calm, ignoring alike the incredible tumult and confusion of the milling, bleating, dying noncombatants and the feathered death still falling from the clear, sunny skies.
Thoheeks Kahr’s nobles were strung out in position barely in time. The leading elements of the Vawnee cavalry struck their thin line of steel with the sound of a thunderclap and the line bowed inward, inward, inward at its center, until Gaib was certain that it must snap and let the screaming horde of Vawnee through to pour over the mostly unarmed throng of servants-, cooks, smiths and wagoneers.