Cyrgons main force will come from the lands of the sun to attack our friends in the city that shines.
I have seen that place. The Child Goddess spoke first with us there.
Sparhawk frowned, trying to remember the details of Vanions map. There are high places here and to the south, he said.
Ghworg nodded.
Then, even further south, the high places grow low and then they become flat.
I see it, Ghworg said. You describe it well, Anakha. That startled Sparhawk. Evidently Ghworg could visualize the entire continent.
In the middle of that flat place is another high place that the man-things call the Tamul Mountains.
Ghworg nodded in agreement.
The main force of Cyrgons children will pass that high place to reach the city that shines. The high place will be cool, so your children will not suffer from the sun there.
I see which way your thought goes, Anakha, Ghworg said. We will take our children to that high place and wait there for Cyrgons children. Our children will not eat Aphraels children. They will eat Cyrgons children instead.
That will cause hurt to Cyrgon and his servants, Ghworg.
Then we will do it. Ghworg turned and pointed toward the landslide. Our children will climb Klaels stairway. Then Ghnomb will make time stop. Our children will be in the high place before the sun goes to sleep this night. He stood up abruptly. Good hunting, he growled, turned and went back to join his fellows and the still terrified Trolls.
We still have to proceed as if things were normal, Vanion told them as they gathered near the fire a couple of hours past noon. The sun, Sparhawk noted, was already going down. Klael can probably appear at any time and any place. We cant plan for himany more than we can plan for a blizzard or a hurricane. If you cant plan for something, about the only thing you can do is take a few precautions and then ignore it.
Well spoken, Queen Betuana approved. Betuana and Vanion were getting along well.
What do we do then, friend Vanion? Tikume asked.
Were soldiers, friend Tikume, Vanion replied. We do what soldiers do. We get ready to fight armies, not Gods. Scarpas coming up out of the jungles of Arjuna, and Id expect another thrust to come out of Cynesga. The Trolls will probably hamper Scarpa, but they can only move out a short way from those mountains in southern Tamul Proper because of the climate.
After the initial shock of encountering Trolls, Scarpa will probably try to go around them. Vanion consulted his map. Well have to have forces in place to respond either to Scarpa or to an army coming out of Cynesga. Id say that Samar would be the best location.
Sama, Betuana disagreed.
Both, Ulath countered. Forces in Samar could cover everything from the southern edge of the Atan Mountains to the Sea of Arjuna and be in position to strike eastward to the southern Tamul Mountains if Scarpa evades the Trolls. Forces in Sama could block the invasion route through the Atan mountains.
Sama, Betuana disagreed.
Both, Ulath countered. Forces in Samar could cover everything from the southern edge of the Atan Mountains to the Sea of Arjuna and be in position to strike eastward to the southern Tamul Mountains if Scarpa evades the Trolls. Forces in Sama could block the invasion route through the Atan mountains.
His points well taken, Bevier said. It divides our forces, but we dont have much choice.
We could put the knights and the Peloi in Samar and the Atan infantry in Sama, Tynian added. The lower valley of the River Sarnas ideal for mounted operations, and the mountains around Sama itself are natural for Atans.
Both positions are defensive, Engessa objected. Wars arent won from defensive positions.
Sparhawk and Vanion exchanged a long look. Invade Cynesga? Sparhawk asked dubiously.
Not yet, Vanion decided. Lets wait until the Church Knights get here from Eosia before we do that. When Komier and the others cross into Cynesga from the west, thats when well want to come at the place from the east. Well put Cyrgon in a vice. With that sort of force coming at him from both sides, he can raise every Cyrgai whore ever lived, and hell still lose.
Right up until the moment he unleashes Klael, Aphrael added moodily.
No, Divine One, Sparhawk told her. Bhelliom wants Cyrgon to send Klael against us. If we do it this way, well force the issue in a place and time that we choose. Well pick the spot Cyrgon will unleash Klael, and Ill unleash Bhelliom. Then all we have to do is sit back and watch.
Well go to the top of the wall the same way the Trolls went, Vanion-Preceptor, Engessa said the following morning. We can climb as well as they can.
It might take us a little longer, Tikume added. Well have to push boulders out of the way to get our horses up that slope.
We will help you, Tikume-Domi, Engessa promised.
Thats it, then, Tynian summed up. The Atans and the Peloi will go south from here to take up positions in Sarna and Samar. Well take the knights back to the coast, and Sorgi will ferry us back to Matherion. Well go overland from there.
Its the ferrying that concerns me, Sparhawk said. Sorgis going to have to make at least a half-dozen trips.
Khalad sighed and rolled his eyes upward.
I gather youre going to embarrass me in public again, Sparhawk said. What am I overlooking?
The rafts, Sparhawk, Khalad said in a weary voice. Sorgis gathering up the rafts to take them south to the timber markets. Hes going to lash them all together into a long log-boom. Put the knights in the ships, the horses on the boom, and we can all make it to Matherion in one trip.
I forgot about the rafts, Sparhawk admitted sheepishly.
That log-boom wont move very fast, Ulath pointed out.
Xanetia had been listening to their plans intently. She looked at Khalad and spoke diffidently, almost shyly. Might a steady wind behind thy logs assist thee, young Master? Xanetia asked Khalad.
It would indeed, Anarae, Khalad said enthusiastically. We can weave rough sails out of tree-limbs.
Wont Cyrgonor Klaelfeel you raising a breeze, dear sister? Sephrenia asked.
Cyrgon cannot detect Delphaeic magic, Sephrenia, Xanetia replied. Anakha can ask Bhelliom whether Klael is similarly unaware.
How did you manage that? Aphrael asked curiously.
Xanetia looked slightly embarrassed. It was to hide from thee and thy kindred, Divine Aphrael. When Edaemus did curse us, he did so arrange his curse that our magic would be hidden from our enemiesfor thus did we view thee at that time. Doth that offend thee, Divine One?
Not under these circumstances, Anarae, Flute replied, swarming up into Xanetias arms and kissing her soundly.
2
The log-boom Captain Sorgis sailors had constructed from the rafts was a quarter of a mile long and a hundred feet wide. Most of it was taken up by the huge corral. It wallowed and wobbled its way south under threatening skies, and it was frequently raked by stinging sleet-squalls. The weather was bitterly cold, and the young knights who manned the raft were bundled to the ears in furs and spent most of their time huddled in the dubious shelter of the flapping tents.
Its all in attention to detail, Berit, Khalad said as he tied off the rope holding the starboard end of one of their makeshift sails in place. Thats all that work really isdetails. He squinted along the ice-covered line of what was really much more like a snow-fence than a sail. Sparhawk looks at the grand plan and leaves the details to others. Its a good thing, really, because hes a hopeless incompetent when it comes to little things and real work.
Khalad! Berit was actually shocked.
Have you ever seen him try to use tools? That was something our father used to tell us over and over. Dont ever let Sparhawk pick up a tool. Kaltens fairly good with his hands, but Sparhawks hopeless. If you hand him anything associated with honest work, hell hurt himself with it. Khalads head came up sharply, and he swore.
Whats wrong?
Didnt you feel it? The port-side tow-ropes just went slack. Lets go wake up those sailors. We dont want this big cow turning broadside on us again. The two fur-clad young men started across the icy collection of lashed-together rafts, skirting the huge corral where the horses huddled together in the bitterly cold breeze coming from astern.
The idea of making a log-boom out of the rafts was very good in theory, but the problems of steering proved to be far more complex than either Sorgi or Khalad had anticipated. Khalads thickly woven fences of evergreen boughs acted well enough as sails, moving the sheer dead weight of the boom steadily southward ahead of Xanetias breeze. Sorgis ships were supposed to provide steerage-way by towing the boom, and that was where the problems cropped up. No two ships ever move at exactly the same rate of speed, even when propelled by the same wind. Thus, the fifty ships ahead and the twenty-five strung out along each side of the boom had to be almost constantly fine-tuned to keep the huge raft moving in the right general direction. As long as everybody paid very close attention, all went well. Two days south of Bhellioms wall, however, a number of things had gone wrong all at once, and the log-boom had swung round sideways. No amount of effort had been able to straighten it out, and so they had been obliged to take it apart and reassemble itback-breaking labor in the bitter cold. Nobody wanted to go through that again.
When they reached the port side of the boom, Berit took a dented brass horn out from under his fur cape and blew a flat, off-key blast at the port-side tow-boats while Khalad picked up a yellow flag and began to wave it vigorously. The pre-arranged signals were simple. The yellow flag told the ships to crowd on more sail to keep the towing hawsers taut; the blue flag told them to put out the sea-anchors to slack off on the ropes; and the red flag told them to cast off all lines and get out of the way.
The tow-ropes went tight again as Khalads crisp signal trickled down through the ranks to the sailors who actually did the work aboard the ships.
How do you keep track of everything? Berit asked his friend. And how do you know so quickly that somethings wrong?