“A legion?” Mari looked down at the road worriedly. “I’ve seen legionaries at drill. I don’t mind saying they scare me.”
“They scare me as well. We must respect the threat from them.” Alain looked back in the direction the legionaries must have come. “These were somewhere closer to the mountains, south of where we came.”
It took her only a moment to understand. “They’re part of the force that attacked you?”
“It seems likely, but that was a larger force than what I see traces of here.”
“What does that mean?” Mari’s eyes widened. “Some of them are behind us?”
“Yes.” They sped up a little, but not by much because they knew they would be walking all day and because the growing density of foot travelers and horse or mule or oxen drawn carts, carriages and wagons made it hard to push faster than the flow of traffic. Alain found himself fighting down annoyance, and having to avoid showing his reaction when he was occasionally jostled or blocked by other people.
He looked around at the commons, some of them showing exasperation at the traffic, others just resignation. Beside him, Mari was doing a slow burn and plainly trying not to snarl at everyone and everything around them. “We have only been receiving the special treatment granted to members of the Great Guilds for a short time, and already we expect it,” he told her. “How would this feel if we had been living with special privileges for many years?”
“Even more aggravating,” Mari grumbled.
His eyes lingered on riders passing by, their progress a little easier because the crowds had to part before the horses.
Mari must have noticed his gaze. “If you really, really want to ride, we can try to get some horses.”
“Your voice tells me that you do not really wish to do that,” Alain said.
“I’d put it up with riding for your sake, but no, I wouldn’t be happy. It’s not that I don’t like horses,” Mari continued. “I mean, I like looking at them, and watching them run and everything. They’re beautiful. But when I get in the saddle it’s like I’m a misaligned part. I can’t get comfortable or adjust right to the way the horse moves or anything. I think some horses laugh at me and others take pity on me, while some are just plain mean, but the truth is that I’m not a natural rider and probably will never be good at riding a horse. I’d rather walk for now.”
“I was just thinking that we should continue walking,” Alain said.
“That’s what you were thinking while you were looking at those riders?” Mari asked skeptically.
“Yes.”
“Liar.”
“Like a Mage,” Alain said, wondering if that was the right way to form a humorous response.
It must have been, because Mari laughed and wrapped her arm about his so that they walked side by side again.
They took a break around noon, standing to eat since there was nowhere to sit off the road that was not covered in snow or soaking wet. As they shared food and drink from Alain’s pack, he felt a warning sensation. “More Mages are approaching,” he whispered to Mari.
Her head came up in alarm. “Which way?”
“From the way we came. There are at least six.”
“Can you hide from them?”
“I think so.”
Mari frowned at him. “Get behind me. You should also physically hide yourself without being obvious about it. I’m not big enough to hide you, but maybe you’ll be less noticeable that way.” She took another look down the road. “I see some kind of banner.”
The brass notes of horns sounded down the road, and Alain understood what the banners foretold. “The rest of the legion is coming. The Mages must be with them.”
They could see commons hastily moving off the road now, going either right or left to clear the route for the oncoming legionaries. The speed and concern they showed made it clear what would happen to any common who was still in the way when the soldiers arrived. Walking was impossible now with the shoulders of the road packed with commons and their wagons who had left the road, so Mari and Alain waited, he feeling exposed with Mages coming, even though Mari had positioned herself between him and the road. A sudden realization struck him then. If they came for me, Mari would keep herself between them and me. She would be my shield. The insight was both frightening and heartening, knowing that Mari cared enough to sacrifice herself for him but knowing that he could never allow her to be hurt. At such a moment, her status as the long-prophesized daughter mattered not at all. It was only because she was Mari. Alain redoubled his efforts to hide his presence from other Mages.
Cavalry led the column, but not very much of it. Alain, familiar with the makeup of Imperial forces from his schooling in the wars of common folk, wondered why more cavalry was not present. It was only as the first ranks of horsemen trotted past that he realized from the bandaged wounds on many of them that this was the same force which had ambushed and pursued the Alexdrians. This is partly due to me. Their ranks are thin because I helped kill or seriously injure many of their comrades. The pain that idea brought made Alain wish for a moment that he could still deny emotion.
Behind the cavalry came a long column of foot soldiers, the legionaries marching in ranks which filled the entire width of the road. The Imperial soldiers moved past, banners hanging almost limp in the mild breeze, silent except for the rattle of equipment, the clop of horse hooves, a drum pounding out cadence for the marchers and the sound of feet striking the road in endless repetition. The faces of the legionaries were weary, tired from the fight and from the march.
Alain could not help comparing the Imperial legion to the Alexdrian soldiers he had fought with, thinking that the Imperials seemed both grander and more lethal than the Alexdrians, with bright insignia and armor glittering in the sun and a practiced discipline to their movements. For the first time, he realized just how lucky he and the surviving Alexdrians had been to escape from these soldiers.
Then he felt a chill as two enclosed carriages came into view, their occupants screened behind curtains that completely covered the windows. The presence of the Mages inside the carriages glowed to Alain’s Mage senses as he concentrated on hiding his presence from them. Those other Mages were not bothering to hide themselves, a good sign that they were not concerned enough to be alert for any signs of Alain’s presence. These Mages were doubtless certain that he had died under the talons of the dragon.
Alain kept his eyes on the carriages, sensing that the first carriage had only two people in it, both radiating the power of potent Mages. Lightning and Dragon, surely, Alain thought, and both elders from the feel of them. He felt a moment of irrational pride that his Guild had felt it necessary to use two such powerful Mages against him.
Perhaps that moment of pride, the moment of distraction, betrayed him.
The second carriage held the six other Mages Alain had guessed at, those who had taken out the Alexdrian scouts without allowing them a chance to cry warning. As Alain watched that carriage pass, he felt a familiar presence among them.
The curtain over one window twitched open and a Mage looked out upon the crowd, her eyes going straight to Alain. He saw long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a familiar face of surpassing natural beauty. Asha. Her eyes met his, but her face remained impassive, as that of a Mage should. Alain stared back at her, knowing that she must have sensed his presence, as he had hers, perhaps because of his familiarity to her. She must have recognized his face. What could he and Mari do when Asha called out an alarm? With all of the Imperial soldiers at hand as well as at least seven more Mages, neither Alain nor Mari would stand a chance. Perhaps I can draw all of the attention onto myself and Mari can escape. It will be her only hope for survival. He tensed, ready to run away from Mari the moment Asha acted.