But like a well-tempered blade, the line slowly commenced to straighten, helped by the yelling lancers and, unexpectedly, by fifty unmounted sappers armed with a motley of long-handled spades and sawbacked engineer shortswords. Witnessing the valor of these support troops, Gaib vowed that never again would he either engage in or tolerate the sneers and snickers when a “dungbeetle”-which was what his peers called sapper officers-entered the mess.
The ringing, clanging blacksmith symphony raged on, with the superior weight of the Vawnee bearing the defenders back and back. But Thoheeks Kahr was nought if not true to his word, for every foot was hotly, bloodily contested and the meager gains of the rebels were dearly bought. In spite of their being stupidly proud, supercilious amateur soldiers, Gaib flushed with pride that his veins surged with the same rich blood as these men, for they, one and all, fought with the tenacity of the best professionals.
Then the squadron sergeant-major was saluting him with a flourish of gleaming saber. “Sir, the troops be formed on squadron front Half the High Lady’s guards ride with us. I posted them to Thehltah Troop on the left flank.”
Gaib nodded stiffly. “Very good, sergeant-major. The High Lady is away then?”
“Yes, sir. At the gallop. She should be well up the road by now.”
Gaib slowly drew his saber and smilingly saluted the grizzled noncom. “Well, then, Baree, let us see what these rebels know of saber drill. Or had you expected to die in bed?
“Bugler, ‘Walk, March,’ if you please. Then, ‘Draw Sabers.’ ” Dropping his reins over the pommel knob, Gaib first raised his beaver, then lowered his visor, sloping the back of his saber blade against his epaulette in the regulation carry. The troop buglers echoed the ordered calls and a chorus of metallic zweeps behind him coincided with the first steps of his well-trained charger, who probably knew cavalry drill as well as any man in the squadron.
Panicky, the noncombatants were, but not so panicky-especially since the death-dealing arrows and darts had slackened off-as not to recognize what was now coming and to stir their stumps to avoid being ridden down by charging kah tahfrah ktoee.
When his path was relatively clear, Gaib signaled the bugler. “Trot, March” rang out and the familiar jingling rattle of armor and equipment penetrated even Gaib’s closed helm. As always, at such a point in an action, his chest felt constricted and his guts were a-roil, his mouth was dry as dead leaves and he knew that his bladder must soon burst. Drawing himself up straighter in the kak, he began to sing, his voice booming in the confines of the helm.
“… Oh, let us sing our battle song, Of saber, spear and bow, Clan Linstahk, Clan Linstahk, Your courage we’ll show.”
Noting the decreasing distance, Gaib gave another signal, and “Gallop, March” pealed from his bugler’s instrument, being taken up by the troop buglers halfway through. He mindspoke his stallion, Windsender, “I know you lack that shoe, and I’m sorry,, brother, but this must be. We must fight ere I can see to you.”
“Your brother understands,” the horse beamed back. “It is not very uncomfortable, and a good fight does not happen every day.”
At the moment he gauged best, Gaib raised his saber high over his head, then swung it down and forward, swiveling his arm so that the keen edge lay uppermost. Five bugles screamed the “Charge.”
To his credit, Drehkos managed to get away with a little better than half his original force, but, even so, he knew that their raiding days were now done. The very flower of the rebel cause lay trampled into the gory mire on the eastern fringes of the Confederation camp. Worse, he had failed to secure the supplies Vawnpolis needed so desperately. Nor had he succeeded in wiping out the service troops and burning the wheeled transport, which last would have been a crippling blow to so large an army so deep in hostile territory. If only the plan had worked, if only Danos had started the arrow-storm at the proper time … Danos!
But Drehkos could no longer feel anger at the archer. He was just too weary. And it was not just a physical weariness born of the exhaustion of battle. No, it was a weariness of Soul, a desire for nothing more than a long, long sleep, a sleep which would not be disturbed for the rest of eternity. Perhaps in such a sleep he could forget. Could forget the idiocy of so much sacrifice and suffering in the name of a lost rebellion and an antique god, could forget the never-ceasing loneliness-which persisted even in the heart of an overcrowded city; whose chill he suffered in the heat of a sunny day even while chatting with these men who would bleed and die for him.