Tramm smiled, finished his drink and set the glass back on the table. “They’ll have to move if we threaten Lynndon.”
Hothgaard shrugged. “Perhaps, but without the Palmerrio our position on the Plateau might not afford us any advantage.”
“You think Weldon is finished then?”
“The Massi army would not have returned to Manse otherwise.”
Captain Tramm frowned. “We need to draw them out. Lure them away from their defenses and out on the plains where we can crush them.”
“You speak lightly of the army that has managed to destroy the Deutzani twice and now apparently the Palmerrio,” Hothgaard replied.
“They were not Temple Knights,” Tramm replied confidently.
“Beware young Knight,” Hothgaard warned, suddenly very serious. “Underestimate the Massi at your peril,” he added, thinking about their recent clash with the Massi cavalry.
Tramm sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment, but then Hothgaard stood. “But you are correct; we need to lure them out onto the plains. In Manse, I fear we will never defeat them. If we moved on Lynndon perhaps we can coax them to split their forces, then we’ll have them.”
Tramm said nothing, having no further ideas of his own. Hothgaard moved out of the tent and the young Captain rose and followed him outside. The cheers from the besieged city of Manse were still echoing off the distant Scar.
Hothgaard glanced around and noticed that most of his men were just standing about and glumly listening to the celebration.
‘Morale is falling,’ he thought. ‘We need to take action.’
Hothgaard turned back to Tramm who waited expectantly. “Pass the word. We break camp in the morning.”
“And?”
“And we head to the east.”
ǂ
“Tar Nev has taught you some of our secrets I see,” Tarina re N’dori said a day later as she helped Monde, na Gall and the new little Traveler Laynee, hold open a massive bridge to the Scar Gap. Gwaynn nodded, smiling at the Solitary’s control; he was not helping in the effort, his body still not recovered from his manipulation of time the previous day. Once the connection was made, thousands of Toranado heavy infantry poured through along with a couple of hundred Toranado cavalrymen and an additional five hundred Massi Archers. The Speaker Wynth also made the trip for communications purposes. They were to hold the Gap against all comers including the Temple Knights if they attempted to retreat back to Toranado lands. The bridge was immense and strong; it was the strongest bridge created since the passing of Galen Dawkins over three thousand years ago, but the group was not aware of the fact. N’dori was very powerful and both Monde and na Gall had grown in strength since the war began, the constant need for bridges and Speaker bubbles increasing their potency.
The Travelers stood in a loose semi-circle facing west while Prince Phillip, Tabernas, General Bock and Tar Kostek watched from relatively close by. Queen Ramona, who was still not well, was back in her quarters after much persuading. Captain Dolan would send out a squad of riders to the Toranado Capital to make sure the Palmerrio kept their word. Ramona wanted to return to Eno immediately and it was all Phillip could do to convince his mother to delay her trip and move by Traveler once they knew it was safe. She was ready to go home.
“Yes, Tar Nev taught me many things,” Gwaynn answered in a hushed voice once the troops were through and the bridge winked out of existence.
“Many things,” N’dori agreed. “Some that are not for the eyes of outsiders,” she reprimanded, her tone unusually serious.
“I’m an outsider,” he retorted and began to move off toward the kitchens with the rest of the Travelers. They lagged behind, walking slowly, his body far from recovered. “High Tarina Ethelridge made that very plain.”
N’dori grunted, glancing up at the flat gray sky. There was snow in the air but the small flakes were so light that they actually floated about in the air, like dust.
“No longer High Tarina. As I told you, Ethelridge has lost the Council’s backing, Nystrom is now in charge,” N’dori corrected. “Noble now knows that the Cassinni have joined the fight against the High King. We have a true civil war on our hands.”
Gwaynn glanced at the Solitary, pulling up his collar against the snow which was beginning to fall a bit harder now, but was still very light and in all likelihood would not accumulate. “And just who will Noble support in the end?”
N’dori shrugged. “Perhaps no one. But the danger is to allow every Tar to decide individually…like the Tars and students who have joined you. If such dissent spreads it could split the land and Noble into many, many pieces. I believe the Tars that remain on Noble, if forced to make a choice, will follow High Tarina Nystrom’s advice and remain neutral for now. After all they would be following Tar Nev’s example.
Gwaynn frowned. “Tar Nev is not leading anyone, anywhere,” he spat with obvious frustration as they moved into the large dining hall.
“Do not be so sure,” N’dori answered the smile back on her face. “I’m here plus Kostek and the others, and he did stand for you against the Council not so long ago.”
Gwaynn grunted.
“But he’ll not fight personally against the High King,” N’dori explained as Bock and Hahn joined them. They sat at a wooden table large enough to accommodate thirty troops to a side, but they were all huddled together down on one end. Trays of food soon began to appear and it wasn’t long before all the Travelers were eating and eating and eating. Gwaynn and na Gall would have preferred peach juice, but the fruit was well out of season so they had to make do with meat, breads and nuts.
The group of Travelers remained quiet for a time just consuming calories, as Bock and Hahn stared at them all in amazement. “I’ll never get used to this,” Lonogan told Gwaynn with a smile.
Gwaynn nodded, his own hunger easing off far earlier than that of N’dori’s and the Travelers. He took a deep swig of water and turned to his General. “Send for Gaston,” he ordered and Bock nodded and waved to a nearby messenger, but Gwaynn did not wait and moved his attention to Hahn.
“How many halberdiers are ready?”
“Nearly nine thousand,” Hahn answered enthusiastically. “The men are practiced and ready. The Knights will be caught by surprise…I know it. The new diamond formations and the halberds will work. The Knights will not realize what they are up against until it is too late. I’m positive they’ll rush through the designed gaps in the formation, thinking to divide and exploit the lapse, without ever realizing they’re entering a trap,” he finished confidently, going briefly over the plan once more, though they all were very aware of it. The plan was wildly unconventional; nothing like it had been tried in recent memory, though it did share a few elements with another famous battle from Old Earth…a battle fought at a place called Waterloo.
“I hope you’re correct,” Gwaynn answered and looked to Bock and N’dori, feeling his own excitement rising. “The archers and light infantry will be the bait and if they can hold their positions, then the Knights will be trapped between the Toranado and the cavalry.”
“They’ll hold,” N’dori said softly. “I’ll be with them as will the others from Noble.”