The Shadowglass (The Bone Witch, #3)(83)

One of the Deathseekers swore. “What good are our preparations if they can infiltrate our minds easier than they can tear down our walls?”

“The Yadoshans have arrived,” another Deathseeker affirmed. “A man named Knox wishes to speak with you, General.”

“My azi will keep watch,” I said, “but I fear there may be more ambushes.”

“We’ll have a talk with the Yadoshans, then attack at first light,” Kance decided, rising to his feet.

I startled. “Attack, Your Majesty?”

“My army outnumbers theirs. Add in the Yadoshans, and we can overwhelm them quickly. Lady Tea is right. They attacked our camp to test us, but also to delay us. If we wait for them to make the first move, it will only give them time to regroup. Fortunately, the bulk of their troops are at Mithra’s base. The paths leading up the range aren’t wide enough for any kind of fighting. Let us concentrate on their soldiers and have Lady Tea and Kalen focus on the Faceless there.”

General Lode nodded. “Lady Likh and Lord Khalad shall remain behind with you, Your Majesty.”

But Kance shook his head. “The camp will not be as well defended, and they may try again. I will stay close by you, General. My own Deathseekers will protect me, and we’ll be on hand to offer Lady Tea and Lord Kalen assistance. Both Lady Likh and Lord Khalad shall come with me. With the azi close by, the Drychta will not be as reckless.”

The older man sighed resignedly. It was clear they’d had many discussions like this before. “Very well, Your Majesty. Lord Kalen, Lady Tea—will you be needing horses? Your own may need rest after such a strenuous journey.”

“I have a special steed, General, one with an inexhaustible supply of energy. But we will be doing most of our work on my azi.”

The general shuddered. “I never thought I would see the day when those beasts could be ridden into battle like flying cavalry.”

“Do you intend to confront the Faceless within the mountains?” Kance asked me.

“I would like to concentrate on decimating as many of the Drychta as we can first. Their small numbers have the advantage up the cliffs.”

“We will do our best to keep the battle as short as possible. Let’s go, gentlemen. The Yadoshans are waiting.”

“Will you two be all right?” I asked Khalad.

The Heartforger nodded. “I am worried about Likh though. Her symptoms should have dissipated by now. I’ve talked to Knox. Aden had been examined by one of the remaining Yadoshan asha who arrived from Steerfall, and it seems he’s already closer to recovery than she is. We’ve tested all our food. If there were any spells in it, we’d be afflicted as well. I don’t see why she should be recovering any differently.”

“Keep an eye on her, especially today. I don’t want any of those Drychta within a mile of Likh.”

“I’ll kill them if I have to.” Khalad sounded fierce.

Both the Yadoshans and the Odalians had reached an agreement by the time we returned. Knox grinned widely when he saw us. “Lady Tea,” he crowed, hefting a battle-ax. “Much better than a daeva hunt, don’t you think?”

I groaned. “Only Yadoshans would look at this as a game, Knox.”

“If we play to win, then why does it matter?” He bowed respectfully to Kance. “Your Majesty, we’ve come to lend our strength to yours. First Minister Stefan bids us to follow your orders as if they were his own.”

“I am honored by the faith your leader places in me, Lord Knox. My scouts have told me that King Aadil himself is within these mountains, and that there is some unrest among his soldiers, though the reason eludes us. We aim to take advantage of their unease and attack as soon as we are able.”

“Can’t the Lady Tea traipse into their heads and use runes to force information out of them? She seemed quite capable of it when we interrogated that Drychta spy.”

“That’s not how it works, milord,” I said.

“Drychta spy?” Kance asked curiously.

The man coughed, chastened. “Ah, nothing important, Your Majesty. My men await your orders.”

“The Faceless will be quick to fend off any intrusions, milord,” I reminded him. I’d already tried a quick Scry into the mountains but had detected nothing.

“Then let us begin. The Drychta are used to cavalry, and several phalanxes will be necessary. My Deathseekers shall attack first. It will be best to stay out of their way. My men shall move with archers behind them to cut down any approaching fighters. Once engaged, I would like your men to attack from both sides in a pincer maneuver. Lady Tea and Lord Kalen will direct the battle from overhead, on their azi.”

“Done and done, Your Majesty. Though I wager the azi’ll cut our work for us.”

“I’ve had my own experiences with daeva, and they are unpredictable, to say the least.” Kance’s voice was clipped. “I will put my trust in my men, and in yours. Let’s move out, and may whatever gods listening bestow their grace on us all this day.”

The azi was primed and ready, snorting out thick gusts of smoke as we slid down its neck. We had scarcely settled when it rose, wings flapping, sending up small tornadoes of dust, causing soldiers to scurry out of its way. Kance watched as the daeva took us into the clouds. We watched as the army pushed forward, banners of red and gold streaming across the plain to meet the Drychta’s black and yellow. We circled the empty space above them, waiting for Kance’s signal.