The reason for part of the confusion became apparent. The Shadowlanders were trying to stay away from the hills. When they got too close to the city archers sniped at them. But the disorder was sorting itself out.
Sindhu had to eliminate several sentries.
Shadowspinner stopped hammering the hills. Narayan guessed, "His shadows were watching his sentries."
Not so. Their confusion was caused by my proximity. It would envelop the sentries. But maybe he sensed our approach some other way. I sent word to Sindhu to run for it the instant he thought we were walking into something.
I was a hundred yards from the old walled camp. Sindhu was at its shattered gate. He thought the way was clear. We might actually get our shot at Shadowspinner.
All hell broke loose.
Half a hundred fireballs jumped straight up to push back the night. Their light betrayed a hundred men stealing toward the camp. Taglian men and big black men. Some were in hand-shaking distance of my Stranglers.
I looked into the eyes of their commander, Mogaba the Nar, from thirty feet away. He had had the same idea as I'd had.
Chapter Forty-Five
Longshadow glanced across a table where a bowl of mercury sat, reflecting the frightened, wavering face of his slave Smoke. The Howler floated over there. Between them they had just enough strength to communicate with the little wizard. The Howler was amused.
The slave had nothing good to report. Senjak not only was not available, she had evaded his eye well enough to have moved south perhaps as far as Stormgard. Longshadow flung a hand out above the bowl and broke the pattern. Smoke faded, chaotic colors melting.
Howler chuckled. "You should have seduced him. You're too enamored of brute force. Took more time to do it the hard way. And now he's a bent tool. And they don't trust him."
"Don't tell me how to..." This was not one of his powerless minions. This one was almost as strong as he. He would not endure attempts at intimidation. He had to be placated, lulled. Seduced.
"Let's check on our colleague at Stormgard."
They joined talents. Though Longshadow could reach that far without help, help did forge the connection more quickly.
It was apparent Shadowspinner was preoccupied. He responded only sporadically. The magnitude and scope of his troubles became clear only slowly.
"Damn it all!" Four thousand men lost. Chaos among the besiegers. Who knew how many more men lost tonight. Shadowspinner falling back oh his last desperate device for keeping the city sealed... . "That's Senjak herself this time. Has to be. And she's recovered some of her skills."
"Or she's found someone to provide them."
That was Howler, always finding extra explanations, confusing issues. Damn him. It would be a pleasure killing him. Maybe it would take a century to finish him.
"Whatever. She's there. We can end the threat she poses. Have you completed the new carpet?"
"It's ready."
"I'll give you three capable men from my Guard. Bring her here. We will enjoy her for ages to come." Would Howler accept that? He was not naive.
It was a risk, sending him. He might run off with Senjak. The knowledge she possessed...
Forewarned is forearmed. He would send his best three men.
"Fail in this and there will be but one answer left. I shall have to loose one of the big ones off the Plain."
The Howler's concentration broke momentarily. A terrible wail tore through his lips. Then the little bundle of rags chuckled. "Consider her caught. I have a score to settle myself."
Longshadow watched the ragbag drift out, taking its odor with it. Maybe its first torment would consist of soap and water.
He sent for his best three Guards and briefed them, then tried contacting Shadowspinner again.
Spinner did not respond. He was preoccupied. Or dead.
He retreated to his crystal tower. Crows perched on its top peered down. It was time he did something about them. Permanently. After he sent shadows to Dejagore.
Chapter Forty-Six
Mogaba was much more surprised to see me than I was to see him. An immense displeasure marred his features, a grand measure of his surprise. He was always in control of what he showed the world.
The look persisted only a moment. He altered his course to join me. Before he reached me Ram was beside me, between him and me, and Abda had materialized to my left. Narayan was making certain no outsider caused me grief.
Up ahead Sindhu cursed the light and ordered men to move. It was hit fast or die.
"Lady," Mogaba said. "We thought you dead." He was a big man without an ounce of waste on him, muscled like a fictional hero. He was blacker than Blade and a consummate commander, one of the Nar, descendants of the original Black Company. Croaker had enlisted him in Gea-Xle during our southward journey. The Nar constituted a separate warrior class there. With a thousand Nar I could have cleaned the Shadowmasters out as fast as the men could march.
There were only fifteen or twenty left alive, I guessed. All loyal to Mogaba.
"Did you? I'm tougher than you think." His men piled into the camp with mine, trying to reach Shadowspinner before he reacted. I suspected Mogaba's men had triggered the lights. In Spinner's place I would have expected an attack from him before one from me.
"Do you have the Lance?" he asked. The question took me from the blind side. I would have thought he'd want to talk about the siege or which of us had the stronger claim to the Captaincy.
"What lance?"
He smiled. Relieved. "The standard. Murgen lost it."
He was stretching the truth somehow. I turned the conversation to business. We would not have much time. The Shadowlanders were getting ready to interrupt. "How bad off are you? I have no veterans and few trained men. I can only harass them, not break you out."
"We aren't in good shape. Their last assault nearly overcame us. Where did you get your power? Who are you riding with? Murgen saw Croaker die."
"The enemies of the Shadowmasters are my friends." Better to be cryptic than to hand him free information.
"Why don't you put an end to the Shadowmasters?"
I could not answer without lying. I lied. "My friend is no longer with me."
"Who was up there today?"
"Anyone can wear armor."
He smiled tightly, showing a thin strip of sharp teeth. "The Captaincy, then. You don't plan to let me get out of here. Do you?"
We spoke the language of the Jewel Cities, both disinclined to let our companions in on our conversation.
Men started screaming inside the encampment. I shouted, "Narayan! Come on!" The Shadowlanders west of us would be ready to move any moment. I told Mogaba, "There's no problem with the Captaincy. The progression was established. When the Captain dies the Lieutenant steps into his shoes."
"The tradition is for the Captain to be elected."
We were both right.
Mogaba shouted, "Sindawe! Let's go! It won't work." His archers and artillerymen on the wall were hard at work, laying down fire to cover his withdrawal. "We know where we stand, Lady."
"Do we? I have no enemies but those who choose to make themselves my enemies. I'm interested only in the destruction of the Shadowmasters." My men flew past me. Mogaba's flew past him. A wall of Shadowlanders hurtled toward us.
Mogaba showed me that smile, turned, headed for the city and the safety of ropes hanging down the wall.
Ram gouged me. "Move, Mistress!"
I moved.
A gang of Shadowlanders came after my band, thinking us the easier meat. In the hills some observer had initiative enough to bluff them by sounding trumpets. They slackened the chase. We vanished into the dark ravines.
We assembled. I asked Narayan, "Did we get close?"