Cursor's Fury (Codex Alera #3)(190)

Magnus grimaced. "Sir, the plan isn't going to be easy, even if we move right now. If we wait another two hours..." He shook his head. "I don't see what there is to be gained by the wait."

"Without more Knights Ignus, we've only got one really big punch to throw. It's got to count. The regulars are their backbone and this may be our only chance to break it." He glanced back at Ehren and nodded, and the spy set out at a swift jog to deliver Tavi's orders.

"How long has Marcus been on the wall?"

"Since it started. Call it almost two hours."

Tavi nodded. "We'll need him fresh and in charge when we fall back, wouldn't you say?"

"Definitely," Magnus said. "The First Spear has more experience than anyone on the field."

"Anyone on our side of it, anyway," Tavi muttered.

"Eh? What's that?"

"Nothing," Tavi sighed. "All right. I'm going to order him down. Get some food into him and make sure he's ready for nightfall."

Magnus gave Tavi a wary look. "Can you handle them up there on your own?"

"I've got to get in the mud, too," Tavi replied. He squinted up at the wall. "Where's the standard?"

Magnus glanced up at the walls. "It had been burned and muddied pretty thoroughly. I'm having a new one made, but it won't be ready for a few more hours."

"The burned one is just fine," Tavi said. "Get it for me."

"I'll put it on a new pole, at least."

"No," Tavi said. "Saris blood is on the old one. That will do."

Magnus shot Tavi a sudden grin. "Bloodied, dirty but unbroken."

"Just like us," Tavi agreed.

"Very good, sir. I'll send it up with Sir Ehren."

"Thank you," Tavi said. Then he stopped and put a hand on Magnus's shoulder, and said, more quietly. "Thank you, Maestro. I don't think I've said it yet. But I enjoyed our time at the ruins. Thank you for sharing it with me."

Magnus smiled at Tavi and nodded. "It's a shame you're showing an aptitude for military command, lad. You'd have been a fine scholar."

Tavi laughed.

Then Magnus saluted, turned, and hurried off.

Tavi made sure his helmet was seated snugly and hurried up onto the battlements, making his way down the lines of crouched legionares, bearing shields, bows, and buckets of everything from more pitch to simple, scalding water. He deftly made his way through the fighting, not jostling or interfering with any of the men, and found the First Spear, bellowing orders ten yards down the wall from the gates, where the Canim were attempting to get more climbing lines-these of braided leather and rope, not chain-while their companions below showered the walls with rough spears and simple, if enormous, stones.

"Crows take it! " Marcus bellowed. "You don't have to stick your fool head up to cut a line. Use your knife, not your sword."

Tavi crouched and, while he waited for Marcus to finish bellowing, drew his knife and sawed swiftly through a braided line attached to a hook that landed near him. "Let's keep the hooks, too, Tribune," Tavi added. "Not throw them back out to be reused against us." Tavi checked the courtyard below, then tossed the hook down.

"Captain!" shouted one of the legionares, and a round of shouts of greeting went up and down the walls.

Valiar Marcus checked over his shoulder and saw Tavi there. He gave him a brisk nod and banged a gauntlet to his breastplate in salute. "You all right, sir?"