I was a trifle pessimistic about his over-confidence. I would give that to Katorn-he would have been less sure. I half wished, in fact, that Katorn was here. I respected his advice as a soldier and strategist.
And it was the next day, while we still pored over maps, that the news came.
It astonished us. It altered every plan we had made. It made nonsense of our strategy. It put us in a frightening position.
Arjavh, Prince of Mernadin, Ruler of the Eldren, had not attacked Paphanaal. A great proportion of our troops waited there to greet him, but he had not deigned to pay them a visit.
Perhaps he had never intended to march on Paphanaal.
Perhaps he had always planned to do what he had done now and it was we who were the dupes! Outmanoeuvred! Fooled!
'I said that the Eldren were clever,' said King Rigenos when we received the news. 'I told you, Erekose.'
'I believe you now,' I said softly, trying to grasp the enormity of what had happened.
'Now how do you feel about them, my friend?' Roldero said. 'Are you still divided?'
I shook my head. My loyalties lay with humanity. There was no time for conscience, no point in trying to understand these unhuman people. I had underestimated them and now it seemed that humanity itself might have to pay the price.
Eldren ships had beached on the coasts of Necralala, on the Eastern seaboard and reasonably close to Necranal. An Eldren army was pushing towards Necranal herself and, it was said, none could stand against it.
I cursed myself then. Rigenos-Katorn-Roldero-even lolinda-had all been right. I had been deceived by their golden tongues, their alien beauty.
And there was hardly a warrior in Necranal. Half our available force was in Paphanaal and it would take a month to bring them back. The fleet Eldren craft had probably crossed the ocean in half that time! We thought we had defeated their fleet at Paphanaal. We had only defeated a fraction of it!
There was fear on all our faces as we made hasty contingency plans.
'There's no point in recalling the troops in Paphanaal at this stage,' I said. 'By the time they got here the battle would have been decided. Send a fast messenger there, Roldero. Tell them what has happened and let Katorn decide his own strategy. Tell him I trust him.'
'Very well,' Roldero nodded. 'But our available warriors are scarce in number. We can get a few divisions by sending fast to Zavara. There are troops at Stalaco, Calodemia and some at Dratarda. Perhaps they can reach us in a week. Then we have some men at Shilaal and Sinana, but I hesitated to recommend their withdrawal…'
'I agree,' I said. 'The ports must be defended at all costs. Who knows how many other fleets the Eldren have?' I cursed. 'If only we had had some means of gathering intelligence. Some spies…'
'That's idle talk,' Roldero said. 'Who among our people could disguise himself as an Eldren? Who would be able to stomach their company long enough, for that matter.'
Rigenos said: 'The only large force we have is at Noonos. We'll have to send for them and pray that Noonos is not attacked in their absence.' He looked at me. 'This is not your fault, Erekose. I sympathise with you. We expected too much of you…'
'Well,' I promised him, 'you can expect more of me now, King Rigenos. I'll drive the Eldren back.'
Rigenos scowled thoughtfully. 'There's one thing we have to bargain with,' he said. 'The Eldren bitch-Arjavh's sister…'
And then an idea began to dawn on me. Arjavh's sister… We had thought that he must certainly march on Paphanaal and he had not. We had never expected him to invade Necralala. But he had. Arjavh's sister…
'What of her,' I said.
'Could we not use her in this way-tell Arjavh that if he does not retreat, we will slay her?'
'Would he trust us?'
'That depends on how much he loves his sister, eh?' King Rigenos grinned, his spirits rising. 'Yes. Try that, anyway, Erekose. But do not go to him in weakness. Take all the divisions you can muster.'
'Naturally,' I said. 'I have a feeling that Arjavh will not let sentiment stop him while there is a chance he can capture the capital.'
King Rigenos ignored this. Even I wondered about the truth of it, particularly since I was beginning to think there might be something more to Arjavh's decision.
King Rigenos put his hand on my shoulder. 'We have had our differences, Erekose. But now we are united. Go. Do battle with the Hounds of Evil. Win the battle. Kill Arjavh. This is your opportunity to strike the head from the monster that is the Eldren. And if battle seems impossible-use his sister to buy time for us. Be brave, Erekose, be cunning-be strong.'
'I will try,' I said. 'I will leave at once to rally the warriors at Noonos. I'll take all available cavalry and leave a small force of infantry and artillery to defend the city.'
'Do as you think fit, Erekose.'
I went back to our apartments and said farewell to lolinda. She had been full of sorrow.
I did not call on Ermizhad and tell her what we planned.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
PRINCE ARJAVH
I rode out in my proud armour at the head of my army. My lance flaunted my banner of silver sword on a black field, my horse pranced, my stance was confident and I had five thousand knights at my back and no idea of the size of the Eldren army. We rode from Noonos, eastwards to where the Eldren were said to be marching. Our idea was to cut them off before they reached Necranal.
Well before we met Arjavh's forces, we heard stories of their progress from fleeing villagers and townspeople. Apparently the Eldren were marching doggedly for Necranal, avoiding any settlements they came to. There were no reports, so far, of Eldren atrocities. They seemed to be moving too fast to bother to waste rime on civilians.
Arjavh seemed to have only one ambition-to reach Necranal in me shortest possible time. I knew little of the Eldren prince save that he was reputedly a monster incarnate, a slayer and torturer of women and children. I was impatient to meet him in battle.
And there was one other rumour concerning Prince Arjavh's army. They said it was partly comprised of halflings-creatures from the Ghost Worlds. This story had terrified my men, but I had tried to assure diem that the rumours were false.
Roldero and Rigenos were not with me. Roldero had returned to supervise die defence of Necranal, should we be unsuccessful, and it was in Necranal that Rigenos also stayed.
For the first time now, I was on my own. I had no advisors. I felt I needed none.
The armies of the Eldren and the forces of Humanity saw each other at last when they both reached a vast plateau known as the Plain of Olas, after an ancient city that had once stood there. The plateau was surrounded by the peaks of distant hills. It was green and the hills were purple and we saw the banners of the Eldren as the sun set and those banners shone as if they were flags of fire.
My marshals and captains were all for rushing upon the Eldren as soon as morning came. To our relief it seemed that their numbers were smaller than ours and it now looked likely we could defeat them.
I felt relieved. It meant that I did not need to use Ermizhad for bartering with Arjavh and I could afford to stand by the Code of War which the humans used among themselves but refused to extend to the Eldren.
My commanders were horrified when I told them, but I said: 'Let us act well and with nobility. Let us set an example to them.' Now mere was no Katorn, no Rigenos-not even Roldero-to argue with me and tell me that we must be treacherous and quick where Eldren were concerned. I wanted to fight this battle in the terms that Erekose understood, for I was following Erekose's instincts now.
I watched our herald ride into die night under a flag of truce. I watched him ride away and then, on an impulse, spurred after him.