Colors of Chaos

CXXII

AROUND THE CIRCULAR table in the private library sat three White mages, a Black healer, and the High Wizard of Fairhaven. A low fire nearly guttered out in the hearth, sending thin intermittent trails of grayish smoke into the room.

Jeslek rose from his chair at one side of the table. Despite nearly two eight-days spent recovering from his trip from Fairhaven, dark circles rimmed the sun-gold eyes, but those eyes retained their flaring intensity as he surveyed the room.

“The plan is simple enough.” Jeslek pointed to the map pinned to the easel, a map redrawn to combine Cerryl’s screeing maps and older ones. “The combined lancers will sweep the two river roads. Once they have cleared the roads, or when they contact any massed enemy forces, we will use the river barges to transport the levies downstream to attack.”

“What about all those traps the blues use?” asked Fydel.

“Those are road traps.” The High Wizard smiled. “That is Cerryl’s charge on the west river road, and Buar’s and Faltar’s on the east. We will not subject the bulk of our forces to such devices and stratagems. Cerryl has some considerable skill in detecting Black devices. He and his light lancers will scout in advance of the main body of lancers. Cerryl is not there to fight. He is there to discover traps and stratagems. If large blue lancer forces are present, he is to call up the full lancer forces under Captain Teras and under Gallosian Overcaptain Grestalk. For now. Shortly Eliasar will be joining us to act as field commander.”

Jeslek turned to Fydel. “You will command the lancer forces on the eastern bank and support Buar and Faltar as Teras will support Cerryl.”

Fydel nodded slowly. “They are not so skilled as Cerryl.”

“That is why I have put all three of you on the east bank. Lady Leyladin will remain with me and the bulk of the forces. Anya will begin with us, but she will handle the fast cavalry reserves, for anything unforeseen.” Jeslek cleared his throat. “Have you any further questions?”

“How soon will we begin?” asked Cerryl.

“Three days from tomorrow morning. All should be ready tomorrow, but it will not be.” Jeslek gave a knowing smile.

“Do the blues expect us to move now?” asked Fydel.

“They do not seem prepared,” answered Anya. “Most of their forces remain near Kleth, except for the few patrols that harass us here.”

“Their commander may have something else in mind,” Cerryl volunteered. “So far, he has not been caught unprepared.”

“Do you have any idea what that might be, Cerryl?” The momentary look of irritation on Jeslek’s face faded into an ironic smile. “While this Brede is a good commander, he is young, and he must defer to his superiors, the traders. They do not wish to hazard their few remaining forces far from Spidlaria.”

“He is not that good,” mumbled Fydel under his breath.

“We have moved more ships into the Northern Ocean,” added Jeslek, “to keep them from getting blades or supplies once their stocks run low. Their crops were not good last year, and they’re short on mounts for their lancers and light cavalry.”

“Have you discovered more about the smith?” Anya asked Cerryl.

“He has made some devices of black iron and carted them to Kleth, as I told the High Wizard an eight-day ago.” Cerryl paused to swallow. “I cannot tell what the devices are, except that they hold great order. They feel like the one you recovered last year, so far as I can tell.”

“That is why we will scout all the roads first,” emphasized Jeslek. “Even our scouting forces should outnumber any Spidlarian horse you might encounter. This year, this year…we already have enough armsmen and horse to put them to flight, and we have more marching to support us.”

You said something like that last year.

Leyladin’s eyes widened, and Cerryl could tell she had understood the feeling behind his thought. He hoped no one else had.

“If you have no other inquiries, you may go and prepare for our departure.” Jeslek nodded.

Once outside the headquarters mansion, Cerryl and Leyladin mounted and rode slowly through the warm misting rain, back to the quarters they would soon be leaving.

“Jeslek’s not as well as he could be,” murmured the healer.

“Too much chaos?”

“I don’t know, but I would judge so. He could still muster enough power to bring down Kleth and Spidlaria.” Leyladin eased her mount closer to Cerryl’s gelding. “He does not seem quite so close to Anya. Did you notice that?”

“No,” Cerryl admitted. “He still turns to her.”

“It is not the same.”

Cerryl wanted to roll his eyes but refrained.

“I felt that.” Leyladin laughed. “You think I’m silly, but I’m not. You need to watch her even more.”

That-that Cerryl could definitely accept.