“That’s possible,” Lerial admits.
“What does Duke Casseon really get from all this, ser?”
“He wants to stop the people of Verdheln from becoming part of Cigoerne, because that will strengthen Cigoerne. He thinks that will also protect Duke Atroyan, and he and Duke Khesyn want to eventually take over both Cigoerne and Afrit.” Lerial pauses. “That’s the way I see it.”
“Two dukes who have everything they could want aren’t satisfied and want more, and lots of armsmen and innocent people are dying because of it?”
“That’s a fair way of putting it. But there’s nothing new about that.”
“Doesn’t make it right, does it, ser?”
“No … but right has to be supported by strength. You’ve seen that, I’m sure.”
Korlyn shakes his head and looks as though he is about to say more when Bhurl approaches and announces, “Second squad in position and ready, ser.”
“Good. Have the men stand easy.”
“Yes, ser.”
Korlyn and Bhurl return to their squads, and almost immediately Fhentaar and Moraris report, and then return to their squads. Lerial uses his order senses to check the Meroweyan progress. The lead armsmen are less than a kay from the south side of the meadow, and the green-blue sky remains bright and clear.
A half glass later the first of the Meroweyan forces arrive, a company of mounted armsmen who take a position a hundred yards into the meadow, while behind them the first of the Meroweyan foot form up into a shieldwall that moves forward almost to the mounted troopers, who then ride eastward to a point opposite the end of the Verdyn trench. To counter that, or to give the appearance of it, the two squads of Verdyn Lancers, from first company, ride up to the east end of the trench. Then another company of Meroweyan horse enters the grassy expanse and rides to a point opposite the west end of the Verdyn emplacement. They are countered by Shaskyn’s two squads.
More Meroweyan foot form up behind the shieldwall, almost as wide as the trench that holds the Verdyn forces. Behind the shields, armsmen form more closely than Lerial has seen before, and more seem to fill the space until the Meroweyans are more than ten deep.
Farther back, surrounded by another two companies of cavalry, are two chaos wizards, but Lerial can sense no buildup of chaos, only the chaos mist-slightly different for each of the two-that indicates that both have raised a concealment of sorts, and likely some form of shields as well.
A horn signal sounds, and the shieldwall begins to advance, but the mounted companies remain where they have drawn up, some hundred yards out from the trees on the south side of the meadow, on the flanks of the shieldwall. While the riders carry spears shorter than lances and look ready, they have not moved. As the shield wall approaches the bottom of the rise, the foot behind the large front shields lift smaller shields almost overhead but angled to minimize the impact of the Verdyn arrows. The mounted body behind the massed foot moves forward as well, but there is a gap of at least twenty yards behind the rear of the foot and the first riders.
Lerial waits for the order from the majer for the Lancers and archers to begin to fire at the advancing Meroweyans, but even when they are little more than a hundred yards from the earthen walls that shelter the Verdyn trenches, that order does not come.
Then, just after that, the pipes shrill.
“Second company! Fire at will!” Lerial orders.
Arrows pour down at the Meroweyans, and Lerial can see that many glance off the shields of the still-advancing attackers, although the speed of the advance is slowing slightly as the Mereweyans start up the slope, and as some of the shieldmen fall.
At that moment, Lerial realizes that the Meroweyans have not thrown a single firebolt. Not one. Someone has realized that he can only respond-not that they know who he is, only that whoever can use order is limited to responding-and they are going to storm the defenses on foot, then have the mounted troopers sweep around the ends of the trenches.
But are you limited to responding … or only limited to using chaos through order? He knows the answer, but what other chaos is there to use?
The chaos concealment screen! Can he draw on it … and perhaps create a miniature thunderstorm over the chaos wizards? There likely isn’t too much water in the air, but … You have to do something.
He is still trying to think what he can do when the shieldwall halts, partway up the slope, less than fifty yards from the earth ramparts before the trenches. Then, seemingly from nowhere, comes a hail of javelins, javelins with dull metallic points.
“Javelins! Company down!” Lerial drops to his knees just as the javelins arc down and pass through where he might have been standing, or at least close enough that there was a chance he might have been hit.
He hears someone yell, but he cannot see who it might be or where … and there are other shouts and yells, but what they signify, it is impossible to tell. Before another set of javelins comes toward them, Lerial lifts his head, then sees one in the grass behind the trenches. He grabs it. Immediately, he can see that the tip is bent slightly, and the weapon feels heavier than it should. Lead! The points are cast from lead. That gives the javelin more weight … and if the head pierces a man and deforms …
He wonders if he can fling it back. What if you use order to smooth its path, the way you were smoothing the air? He might as well try. He hurls it as his father once taught him to throw a spear, then reaches out with order to smooth its path.
His mouth drops open as he senses the javelin rip through a shield and into the shieldman. Even though he knows that a few more wounded Meroweyans won’t make that much difference, he glances around until he sees the butt end of one in front of him, as if it had stuck in the front side of the packed earth rampart that shields-mostly-the trench in which he stands, his head slightly down. He grabs the javelin and drops back behind the earthen barrier.
Another pipe signal blares, the one that signals the spear-throwers that Altyrn has posted to begin releasing their weapons. Lerial takes the second javelin and hurls it, this time using order not only to smooth and propel it, but to guide it toward the shieldman on the edge of a gap.
The javelin hits with enough force to slam through the shield and throw the man bearing it back into the two foot armsmen behind him. Lerial looks around frantically, finally taking three quick steps to grab another javelin and hurl it back toward the other side of the gap in the shieldwall.
“Fourth squad! Arrows into the gap!” Moraris’s voice is shrill, but loud.
Lerial can sense the further slowing of the advancing attackers as shafts pour into the bodies of the armsmen who had held shields high.
The hail of javelins slows, almost halting, perhaps in response to the Verdyn spears, but Lerial knows that respite will be slight.
And still the chaos wizards have not thrown a single firebolt!
What if … what if you act as if their shields and concealment screens are like the inside of a thundercloud … and just place what order you can above and around it?
Knowing he only has moments to do something before the Verdyn forces must either fight hand-to-hand or beat an immediate and speedy retreat, he extends his order senses and begins to create order lines as parallel as he can make them to the dancing chaos behind the concealment and possible shields of the chaos wizards. A small dark thundercloud appears over the mounted formation within which are the chaos wizards … but nothing else occurs.
Lerial feels that he can almost-but not quite-create the force he is seeking.
How can you get more order? Is there order within things … not just around them? As there must be within a lodestone?
He fumbles-or he feels like he is fumbling-trying to ease apart order and chaos in both the air above the concealment screen and in the ground below. Someone in the Meroweyan force must anticipate something, because the horn sounds, and the two mounted companies close on the other two surrounding the Meroweyan chaos wizards.