The other guard peers at Lerial, then swallows, finally saying in a low voice, “Ruefyl … that’s Lord Lerial you’re denying.”
“But…” Ruefyl looks totally flustered.
“Yes, I am wearing the uniform of an undercaptain. That is because I am one. So is my older brother, who is riding patrols in the south along the river. You might recall that my father the Duke still commands patrols. Or have you forgotten that as well?”
Lerial realizes that he’s already said too much and adds quietly, “Just open the gates. It’s been a long ride from Verdell.”
“Yes, ser.” Ruefyl looks totally dejected as he steps back and signals. “Open the gates. Incoming detachment.”
After several moments, the gates swing inward, and the eleven riders and two packhorses move through.
As they ride toward the stables, Lerial turns to Bhurl. “I’ll need to talk to the duty officer. We’ll need bunks for the Lancers, and food, as well as feed…”
“We can take care of the mounts, ser.”
“If you would. I’ll also need a spare mount and two men as an escort to the Palace. They can stay there tonight. I’ll return them and the mount in the morning. Then I’ll take my own mount back to the Palace.”
“Think I can take care of that, ser.”
Once he dismounts outside the stables, Lerial takes Phortyn’s copy of Altyrn’s report from his saddlebags, then crosses the courtyard to the octagonal building that holds the studies for the senior officers-and the headquarters duty officer. He has taken no more than two steps into the duty chamber when a stocky older undercaptain steps forward, as if he has been waiting.
“Lord Lerial … We hadn’t expected you.”
“We traveled from Teilyn almost as fast as a dispatch rider could have.” While the undercaptain looks familiar, Lerial doesn’t recognize him. “I’m sorry. Our paths have crossed, but I don’t believe we’ve been introduced…”
“Haentur, ser. Lauxyn told me all about you. We all wondered where you’d gone.”
“To Verdheln … with Majer Altyrn to train Verdyn Lancers. We just returned with four Mirror Lancers and six Verdyn Lancers … and two packhorses. That’s for the duty book. Oh … there’s one thing. One of your gate guards, Ruefyl, didn’t want to let us in. I was perhaps excessive in chastising him when he told me that there were no Mirror Lancer detachments in Verdheln.”
Haentur frowns. “I didn’t know that, either.”
Phortyn hasn’t let many of his officers know? “Majer Phortyn’s the one who sent us off.”
“The majer’s not here at present, ser. He’s having dinner with Magus Scarthyn.”
“He keeps in contact with a number of the Magi’i, I understand. That’s not surprising, I suppose, since some have sons in the Mirror Lancers. Isn’t Veraan from a Magi’i family?”
“Yes, ser. Magus Apollyn is his father.” Haentur glances toward the area behind Lerial. “Be hard not to know that.”
“I suppose the majer dines with him often as well.”
“I don’t know about often, ser.”
That is all the answer Lerial will get … and all he needs to know. “Well … since the majer isn’t here, I’d appreciate it if you would leave word for him that I’ll be reporting to him first thing in the morning.”
“Yes, ser. I can do that.”
“And if I don’t see Lauxyn before you do, give him my best.”
“It’s not likely either of us will see him soon, ser. He’s riding patrols in the north. Near Penecca, I hear.”
“Have there been more raids there?”
“No more, but no less, either. Afritans just like to make trouble.”
“I can understand that. Oh … Since I’ll be borrowing a mount, and taking two rankers as an escort to the Palace, I’ll return all three early tomorrow.”
“Yes, ser. I’ll note that in the duty book also.”
“I appreciate it, Haentur.”
When Lerial returns to the stables, Bhurl has two rankers Lerial has never seen before mounted and waiting.
“Hope you don’t mind, ser. Khersett and Lavoyt are with the duty company. Khersett’s the short nasty one. Lavoyt’s taller and nastier. Thought that our men had ridden enough, and I’ve known these two a while. They’ve never seen the Lancer quarters at the Palace, either.”
“So long as I’m not taking them from other duties…”
“Ser…” Even in the dim light cast by the lantern outside the stable, Bhurl’s wide grin cannot be missed. “Don’t know that many duties outweigh accompanying you. One thing to face danger in battle. Can’t help that, but last thing we’d want is having one of the heirs needing to dispatch a bravo here in Cigoerne.”
Lerial grins in return. “Your point is taken.” He turns to the two. “I appreciate your willingness to spell some rather tired Lancers.”
“Our pleasure, ser,” returns Khersett.
Lerial notes that his gear has been shifted to the black mare. He opens one of the saddlebags and slips Phortyn’s copy of Altyrn’s report back inside, then mounts.
Once they leave the headquarters compound, Lerial asks, “Have either of you heard about what’s happened in the south, with raiders and Heldyan attacks?”
“They keep attacking, but not very often, ser,” replies Khersett.
“Most of the raiders aren’t raiders,” adds Lavoyt. “They fight too well, and they know when to back off.”
“So we haven’t taken that many casualties?”
“Some, ser,” replies Lavoyt. “Mostly green rankers who make mistakes.”
“Are meals in the taverns and cafés getting dearer?”
“Ser?”
“Are you paying more for lager or ale?”
“Well…,” Khersett draws out the word, “the Blue Beaker added a copper to the price of lager … maybe an eightday ago. Fhasyl said that was because brewers’ grain was costing more. Still think he didn’t need to.”
Lerial doesn’t learn much more by the time they near the Palace, but he can barely see, and only because of the mirrored lantern below, that his father’s banner flies from the main guardhouse by the gate. So he is here in Cigoerne.
Unlike at Mirror Lancer headquarters, the guards immediately recognize Lerial. But then, they’re from Woelyt’s company … or are they? Hadn’t Emerya written something about Woelyt being posted to Narthyl?
Lerial only gathers his gear and leaves the mare to the ostler. There are times when he doesn’t feel guilty about others grooming his mount … and this is one of those times. He has barely walked away from the stable when he sees and order-senses someone headed toward him. As the other nears, he recognizes Undercaptain Woelyt.
“Good evening, Woelyt.”
“I’m glad to see you, ser. I thought I might not before we left.”
“Your company is being posted to Narthyl?”
“No, ser. I mean, we were going to Narthyl, but Majer Phortyn decided we were needed more in Tirminya. I’m being promoted to captain, and we’re headed out next oneday. The captain there and his entire company are being sent to a new post east of Narthyl, I understand. That’s where I think we were going, but the majer wants a company with more field experience there. That’s to deal with the Heldyan incursions.”
“I just came from there. You’re likely to be just as busy in Tirminya as you would have been in Narthyl. The Afritans have at least a company just north of there, and they could be a problem. They also have sent some archer assassins to Tirminya … and they tried to bribe rankers to open the gates to raids. You’ll have to be vigilant. Certainly, my father and I will be counting on you to make sure nothing like that happens again.” Lerial smiles. “I can fill in some of the details later.”
“I’d like that, ser.”
From what Lerial sees and can sense, Woelyt knows nothing about the intrigue involving the late Captain Dechund-and that may well mean that a ranker or a squad leader in Woelyt’s company does … or has certain instructions. He also wonders just when Phortyn changed his mind. “We’ll do that. It may be a day or so, since I need to report to Majer Phortyn in the morning.” Lerial pauses. “Do you know who your replacement here at the Palace is?”