Codex Alera 05 - Princeps' Fury Part 26

Gaius turned to Miles. "I was just about to take some . . . breakfast?" He glanced at Ehren. Gaius turned to Miles. "I was just about to take some . . . breakfast?" He glanced at Ehren. "It's more like lunchtime, sire," Ehren supplied. "It's more like lunchtime, sire," Ehren supplied. "Lunch," Gaius said firmly, nodding. "Join me, and we'll discuss the defenses." "Lunch," Gaius said firmly, nodding. "Join me, and we'll discuss the defenses." "Yes, sire," Miles said firmly. "Yes, sire," Miles said firmly.

Ehren bowed slightly to Gaius as the First Lord returned to his quarters with Captain Miles. Then he went to see to it that food was brought up to the room before Gaius changed his mind.

It was only after he was several steps down the stairs that he realized the import of Gaius's words, and realized what was happening. Ever since Ceres, Gaius had been retreating from the Vord-and for the last several days, Aleran forces had barely put up any resistance at all. But the Crown Legion was Gaius's single most trusted and capable force, and would certainly be present in any decisive confrontation with the enemy. If the First Lord had sent the Crown Legion ahead to prepare Alera Imperia, it meant that Gaius never intended to prevent the Vord from reaching the Realm's capital.

Gaius wasn't being driven back by the Vord.

He was luring them forward.

If the retreat had been such a terrible strain on Alera and her Legions, it had to be pus.h.i.+ng the Vord's resources, too. Savage and deadly as they might be, the Vord still had to eat, and they apparently needed their croach croach as food. By forcing them to stay on the move and in pursuit of the Aleran forces, Gaius was also keeping them ahead of their supply lines, advancing far faster than the as food. By forcing them to stay on the move and in pursuit of the Aleran forces, Gaius was also keeping them ahead of their supply lines, advancing far faster than the croach croach could grow. could grow.

Meanwhile, the Crown Legion was preparing Alera Imperia herself for battle.

Gaius was drawing the Vord into the most vulnerable position he could arrange for them, tiring them with the campaign-only to prepare to turn upon them at the high point of his power, the heart of the Realm, Alera Imperia.

It was the gamble of a desperate man, Ehren thought. If Gaius won, he would crush the Vord strength in the Realm. If he lost, the center of Aleran commerce, travel, and government would fall with him.

Ehren hurried forward, to get the First Lord a solid meal.

CHAPTER 30

The taurga rolled east at their lumbering trot, crus.h.i.+ng the miles beneath their cloven hooves.

"I still don't understand," Kitai murmured, close to Tavi's ear. She rode behind him on his taurg, her arms around his waist. Even carrying the two of them, their taurg was less burdened than any of those bearing one of the Canim, and led the group in fine spirits-which was to say, it tried to toss them off every mile or so. "Why do we keep traveling east when we know the queen we must destroy is to the south?"

Tavi grinned and called back to her, "The best part about this plan is that I don't have to explain anything to anybody."

She slipped a hand under his armor and pinched him hard on the flank. "Don't make me hurt you, Aleran."

Tavi laughed. "All right, all right." He glanced back down the line of taurga. "The Shuaran warriors are engaging the Vord to the south of us. We're going to ride around the main area of engagement, come in from the side."

"And encounter less resistance from the Vord," Kitai said.

"Or interference from the Shuarans," Tavi said. "It isn't as though we can expect every officer in the field to know that a group of Narashan Canim and Alerans-"

"And a Marat," Kitai said.

"And a Marat," Tavi conceded, "are traveling on a special, secret mission with Lararl's approval, even with Anag here to explain things. Simpler and faster if we avoid them."

She frowned. "Tell me something."

"Hmm?"

"Has it ever struck you as strange that the Vord never seem to notice you and me when we are near them? How they simply accept our presence unless we directly oppose them?"

"When we fought them in the tunnels beneath the capital, you mean," Tavi said. "I thought it very strange, yes." "When we fought them in the tunnels beneath the capital, you mean," Tavi said. "I thought it very strange, yes." "Did you ever wonder why they did so?" "Did you ever wonder why they did so?" "Oftener and oftener, the past few days," he said. "Oftener and oftener, the past few days," he said. "I think it is because we were responsible for waking them," Kitai said. There was gravity in her voice. "I think it is because we were responsible for waking them," Kitai said. There was gravity in her voice.

"When we went down after the Blessing of Night, you mean," Tavi said, his own tone growing more sober. "We had no way of knowing what was going to happen."

"No," Kitai said. "But it does not change the fact that the first queen stirred after we we stole the Blessing from the center of the Wax Forest. That it emerged and tried to kill us that very night." stole the Blessing from the center of the Wax Forest. That it emerged and tried to kill us that very night."

"Until your father threw a big rock at it."

Kitai let out a low laugh. "I remember."

"In any case, it isn't as though they all all ignore us. The queen I fought under the Citadel certainly saw me, and was more than willing to fight." Tavi chewed on his lip. "Though the lower-intelligence Vord, the wax spiders and takers and so on, haven't ever attacked me unless I attacked them first. It's almost as though they think we're other Vord, somehow, until we start getting rowdy." ignore us. The queen I fought under the Citadel certainly saw me, and was more than willing to fight." Tavi chewed on his lip. "Though the lower-intelligence Vord, the wax spiders and takers and so on, haven't ever attacked me unless I attacked them first. It's almost as though they think we're other Vord, somehow, until we start getting rowdy."

"An advantage we could use."

"Possibly," Tavi said, nodding.

She rode in silence for a time, then said, the words rushed together, "I'm frightened, chala chala."

Tavi blinked and stared over his shoulder.

She shrugged. "What fool would not be? What if I lose you? What if you lose me?" She swallowed. "Death is real. It could take either of us, or both. I cannot think of living without you. Or of you without me."

Tavi sighed and leaned back slightly against her. He felt her arms tighten around his waist. Tavi sighed and leaned back slightly against her. He felt her arms tighten around his waist. "That isn't going to happen," he told her. "It's going to be all right" "That isn't going to happen," he told her. "It's going to be all right" "Fool," Kitai scoffed gently. "You do not know that." "Fool," Kitai scoffed gently. "You do not know that." "Sometimes you don't know the most important things," Tavi said. "You believe them." "Sometimes you don't know the most important things," Tavi said. "You believe them." "That is completely irrational." "That is completely irrational." "Yes," Tavi agreed. "And true." "Yes," Tavi agreed. "And true."

She s.h.i.+fted her position, and he felt her lay her head against his back. Her hair tickled the back of his neck. "My mad Aleran. Making promises he cannot keep."

Tavi sighed. "Whatever happens," he told her, "we'll be together. That That much I can promise." much I can promise."

Her arms tightened again, enough to make him strain a little to draw in his next breath. "I will hold you to that, Aleran."

Tavi turned to her, awkward on the broad saddle, but enough to kiss her. She returned the kiss fiercely.

Until the taurg bellowed, bucked, and threw them both twenty feet through the air and into an enormous puddle of shockingly cold sludge almost two feet deep. Then the enormous riding beast bellowed in victory and went charging off the road, tossing its horns and bucking all the way.

The shock of the water was so cold that Tavi had trouble catching his breath as he struggled up out of it and onto his feet. He turned to find Kitai still in the muck, her green eyes narrowed as she regarded him.

"I am stuck," she informed him. "I blame you."

The other riders caught up to them, their taurga thundering to a halt, bellowing protests along the way. Max and Durias, each on his own beast, stopped closest to them. Durias's expression was dutifully neutral, but his eyes shone. Max was grinning.

"My lord," he said, sweeping a particularly florid bow from his saddle, flouris.h.i.+ng one hand as he did. "Are we to take our leisure here for a time, then?"

Tavi gave Maximus a steady glare. Then he turned, slogged through the mud to Kitai, put his hands under her arms, and hauled strongly to pull her free of the mud. She popped out abruptly, his feet slipped out from under him, and they both fell back into the freezing mud, Kitai atop him.

"We could put up curtains for privacy if you like, my lord," Durias said soberly.

The Canim, atop their own mounts, remained a few yards off and none of them were looking in Tavi's direction-but they all sat with their mouths open, teeth showing, their grins requiring no translation.

Tavi sighed. "Just throw us a line, Max. And catch that b.l.o.o.d.y taurg before he runs into the ocean."

"You hear that, Steaks?" Max said to his own taurg. "It wasn't the Princeps' fault. Your b.l.o.o.d.y friend way over there was rebellious. Just you watch and see what happens when royal displeasure falls on uppity insurrectionists."

"Maximus," Kitai said. "I am cold. Speak another word, and I will strangle you with your own tongue."

Max laughed, and produced a coil of rope from his saddlebags.

The country that the Vord had emerged into from the tunnel they'd used to bypa.s.s the Shuaran defenses was composed of rolling, rocky hills spa.r.s.ely covered in pine trees. Varg's three Hunters had determined what Tavi was doing before half the day was gone, and had proceeded ahead of them, fanning out widely as outriders for their group. Though they wore their shapeless grey cloaks, they fairly bristled with weaponry, and each of the silent Canim wore a large, lumpy pack on his back filled with who knew what other instruments of mayhem.

Once they had taken the lead, Tavi simply followed the Hunters, who were sure to know the country better than he did. They turned off the main road and began traveling cross-country by midafternoon, leaving the plain and entering the first of the lightly forested hills Lararl's maps had shown at the interior of the Shuaran plateau.

By sundown they found the Vord.

The Hunters had led them to the vague Canim equivalent of a steadholt. Like the buildings of the Narash fortifications, it looked like a solid block of stone, a rectangle perhaps three stories high-or perhaps two, given the greater height of Canim ceilings. They rode the taurga into it through a relatively narrow doorway, and found that the lower floor of the Canim steadholt was one enormous, cavernous hall, evidently used in the same way Alerans would a barn, if the scattered droppings were any indicator. No livestock were in sight, though their scent was still strong on the air.

One of the Hunters leapt down after tying his mount to a ring on the wall, and picked up an oddly lumpy pole nearly eight feet long. He began working with it, and Tavi realized that he was unrolling a net or mesh made of wire, which was wrapped around the pole. The Hunter unrolled the pole completely, and sank one end of it into a socket on the floor, and Tavi noticed that there were many such poles and wire fences around the hall.

"Clever," he said.

Beside him, Max grunted. "What's that?"

Tavi gestured at the Hunter, who was erecting a second wall around the tired taurg. "It lets them use this s.p.a.ce to pen livestock when they need to, but when they don't, they can clear it out for other uses. They can change the size of the pens, or set it up so that you can cut some animals out and leave the rest penned up. That's handy."

Durias just blinked at Tavi.

Max snorted. "Don't tell anyone," he told the centurion, "but our Princeps was brought up on a steadholt. Herding sheep, if you can believe that."

Durias looked skeptical, but his tone was polite when he asked, "What breed?" Durias looked skeptical, but his tone was polite when he asked, "What breed?" "Rivan Mountain Whites," Tavi replied. "Rivan Mountain Whites," Tavi replied. Durias's eyebrows shot up. "Those monsters? Hard work." Durias's eyebrows shot up. "Those monsters? Hard work." Tavi grinned at the former slave. "There were days." Tavi grinned at the former slave. "There were days." "Tavar," Varg growled. He and Anag stood by a steep stone staircase at the far end of the building. "Best see what can be seen." "Tavar," Varg growled. He and Anag stood by a steep stone staircase at the far end of the building. "Best see what can be seen."

Tavi nodded and kicked the taurg lightly in the back of the head. The beast tossed its head and bellowed, and while it was distracted, Tavi pa.s.sed the reins back to Kitai, who quickly took up the slack again before the animal could realize that it was no longer being held under tight control. Tavi slid off the taurg's back and to the ground, then went up the stairs with Varg and Anag.

They pa.s.sed the second floor, evidently quarters for whoever had lived there. They were as silent and as empty as the lower floor had been. The stairs continued on up to the building's roof.

Even that s.p.a.ce was practical. Long stone troughs were filled with rich, dark earth. A great many vegetables could be planted there during what was sure to be a short summer, to take maximum advantage of the suns.h.i.+ne. A winch-and-pulley rig beside a large bucket at the roof's edge indicated that irrigating the rooftop gardens would be taxing, but not impossible.

It wasn't the same as an Aleran steadholt, but the practical, conservative thought behind its design was no different. Tavi felt oddly comfortable there.

Anag and Varg walked to the western edge of the roof and stood staring out for a time. Tavi followed, hopping up onto one of the stone planting troughs to put his head on a level with theirs.

Perhaps two miles to the west, as the ground rose gently, the green glow of growing croach croach was visible through the spa.r.s.e trees. was visible through the spa.r.s.e trees.

Anag snarled in pure, quiet hate.

Varg glanced aside at Tavi. "How fast does it grow?"

"From what I read in Lararl's study, it depends on several things-temperature, weather, how much plant cover is on the ground, as well as how large it already is." Tavi shook his head. "Maybe other things we don't know about. And the b.l.o.o.d.y wax spiders spread it when they want to cover a new area, too."

"Not far," Anag growled quietly. "It was not growing until the Vord emerged."

"He's right," Tavi said. "A mile, two at the most. We're near their hole. Though I'll wager that we probably pa.s.sed dozens of smaller patches today in the daylight, without seeing them. They set them up like outposts."

"More like spreading seeds," Varg rumbled. "More like spreading seeds," Varg rumbled. Tavi gave the big Cane a sharp glance and nodded. Tavi gave the big Cane a sharp glance and nodded. "Then it is possible that we have been observed," Anag said. "Then it is possible that we have been observed," Anag said. "Probable," Varg corrected him. "Probable," Varg corrected him. "If so, then why have they not attacked us?" "If so, then why have they not attacked us?"

"Because they don't care," Tavi said, smiling slightly. "We're fewer than a dozen, after all. What threat could we be? We're not in a position to hurt them from here-and if we approach closely enough to do something that might inconvenience them, we'll have to cross the croach croach to do it. That will warn them in plenty of time to act." to do it. That will warn them in plenty of time to act."

Anag's tail thrashed left and right. "Then how shall we find and kill this queen creature? We can't even be sure where she is." Anag's tail thrashed left and right. "Then how shall we find and kill this queen creature? We can't even be sure where she is." Varg tapped his skull. Varg tapped his skull. "Warmaster?" "Warmaster?" The older Cane growled, the sound amused. "Explain it to him, please, Tavar." The older Cane growled, the sound amused. "Explain it to him, please, Tavar."

"Unlike Lararl," Tavi said, "the Vord queen doesn't have a trusted subordinate she can leave to secure vital rear areas-like the mouth of that tunnel. Without her to control them, the Vord aren't nearly as effective-but as long as the tunnel back to the area they already control stays open, she can throw away as many unguided troops as your warriors can kill. She'll always have more to draw upon. If the tunnel is shut, the Vord are cut off from reinforcements and supplies."

"She must protect it at all costs," Varg rumbled, ears flicking in agreement. "We will find her there." "She must protect it at all costs," Varg rumbled, ears flicking in agreement. "We will find her there." "She will be strongly guarded," Anag said. "And she will seek to avoid us." "She will be strongly guarded," Anag said. "And she will seek to avoid us." "Without question," Varg said. "Without question," Varg said. "And more Vord will be pouring in through the hole in a constant stream." "And more Vord will be pouring in through the hole in a constant stream." "Undoubtedly." "Undoubtedly."

Anag nodded. "Then we must fight through her guard, and all those nearby Vord, and and any others she can call to her once we reach the edge of the any others she can call to her once we reach the edge of the croach croach and alert them of our presence. We are few. Can it be done?" and alert them of our presence. We are few. Can it be done?"

"If it's all the same to you," Tavi said, "let's not find out."

They waited for three hours, until night was fully on the land. While the Hunters kept watch, the others took what rest they could, until the evening was mature, and the half-frozen rain that had fallen every other evening had begun to speckle the night. Then the group set out on foot through the sleet and darkness toward the glowing beacon of the croach croach.

"I'm going to catch a cold," Max muttered. "These cloaks soak up water like towels."

"That's because they are are towels, Max," Tavi answered in a low voice. "The Vord sense the heat of our bodies at night. These cloaks are going to hold cold water, help hide us from them." towels, Max," Tavi answered in a low voice. "The Vord sense the heat of our bodies at night. These cloaks are going to hold cold water, help hide us from them."

Max gave Tavi a sour look. "I'm going to have rusty armor. Are you sure this works?" Max gave Tavi a sour look. "I'm going to have rusty armor. Are you sure this works?" "I've done it," Tavi said with perfect confidence. "I've done it," Tavi said with perfect confidence. "But does it work?" "But does it work?" One of the Hunters turned to them and bared his teeth in pure threat. One of the Hunters turned to them and bared his teeth in pure threat. Max muttered something under his breath, about someone smelling like wet dog, but subsided into silence. Max muttered something under his breath, about someone smelling like wet dog, but subsided into silence.

They reached the edge of the croach croach, and Tavi s.h.i.+vered. The tall, dark forms of the Canim were just as threatening as the eerie landscape. The croach croach looked just as it had before, a coating like the drippings from an unimaginable number of candles, covering ground and stones and trees with a faintly luminous green sheathing. It spread out before them, nightmarishly beautiful, unsettling, and alien. looked just as it had before, a coating like the drippings from an unimaginable number of candles, covering ground and stones and trees with a faintly luminous green sheathing. It spread out before them, nightmarishly beautiful, unsettling, and alien.

Nothing moved within-but that meant little. The Vord could hide dozens of their number virtually in plain sight upon the croach croach, and have them go as undetected as anything hidden by a windcrafter's veil.

Tavi signaled Kitai with a motion of his hand, and the two of them moved up to the edge of the croach croach. Tavi crouched close to the ground to examine it, frowning. He beckoned Kitai, who ghosted over to his side, her green eyes shadowed inside her damp cloak, watching the spectral-lit forest steadily.

"Look," Tavi whispered. "The croach croach. It's thicker here than it was in the Wax Forest."

She bent down and examined it quickly before returning to watching the forest before them. "You're right. But why?"

Tavi pursed his lips, and frowned. "The Vord here have modeled themselves after the Canim. Each one is larger, and much heavier, but not quite as big as a Cane. The croach croach is growing thicker, maybe so that it won't break under the weight of the Vord-just under that of a Cane." He looked up at Kitai. "That's one of the things the is growing thicker, maybe so that it won't break under the weight of the Vord-just under that of a Cane." He looked up at Kitai. "That's one of the things the croach croach is designed for. It's a kind of watchman. The Vord can alter their forms. They must alter the is designed for. It's a kind of watchman. The Vord can alter their forms. They must alter the croach croach to be able to better serve their needs." to be able to better serve their needs."

Kitai regarded him steadily. Then she nodded, and said, "Then let us test it."

Before Tavi could protest, she had prowled out onto the surface of the croach croach.

Tavi held his breath.