ass and lies to his boss later.”
“That what you’d do?”
“Uh . . . ” I might.
“Longshadow will be here watching him. Go get some sleep. When the sun comes up
I want you perched on Mogaba’s shoulder.” Uncle Doj was only steps away, taking
everything in. We were speaking Forsberger but I wondered if that was enough of
a security measure.
Those crows were never far away.
What I got from the exchange was that Croaker did have a plan. Sometimes it was
hard to believe that.
“I’m not tired right now.” I was hungry and thirsty, though. Any extended period
spent with Smoke leaves me that way. I took advantage of the staff officers’
mess.
Messengers began to come and go. Croaker grumbled, “Guess it’s time to start
telling people what they need to do.”
“There’s an original concept. After all these years.”
“Do we really need another smartass Annalist, Murgen? Get some rest.”
He began gathering senior officers for a meeting. I was not invited.
I went back to One-Eye’s wagon, where I ate some more, drank a lot of water and
then went ghostwalking again.
Me and the fire chief eavesdropped on Croaker and his commanders but I should
not have wasted the time. I learned very little. Croaker did all the talking,
referring to a detailed map showing everyone where he wanted each unit to light
in front of Mogaba. The only real surprise was that he wanted the Prahbrindrah
Drah’s division stationed in the center while his own two divisions positioned
themselves on the right flank excepting one specially trained combat team he
wanted on the extreme left, outside Lady’s left flank.
Interesting. Our right wing just happened to face and lap the Shadowlander
division Blade had been given to command. Croaker really wanted Blade.
Narrow-eyed, Lady asked, “Why did you decide to arrange the army this way? We’ve
talked about this for three years . . . ”
Croaker told her, “Because this is where I want you all.” Lady had trouble
keeping her temper. In a long life she had not had to do that much.
Croaker smelled the smoke. “When I don’t explain to you nobody else finds out
what I’m planning, either.” He offered some tidbit to one of his crows.
That helped. A little. But the Prahbrindrah Drah and most of the rest had no
idea of the significance of Croaker’s crows.
I left Smoke, drank again, snacked, made sure the sleeper got some soup. He did
not need nearly as much sustenance as I did. Maybe he was sucking on me out
there, like some kind of psychic spider.
I slept. I had bad dreams that I recalled only in shards when I awakened. The
Radisha was there. Soulcatcher was there. I suppose the old men in the caverns
were there, too, though none of that stuck. Somewhere a bleak fortress.
I gave up trying to remember, went out with Smoke to try to see our approach as
the enemy would.
Fireballs scattered colored pearls across the night. Torches speckled distant
slopes with islands and snakes of light. The Shadowlander commanders watched
without remark except when Blade suggested that the Captain was making his force
appear more formidable by burning lots of torches.
They were not concerned. A lot of the junior officers expected Longshadow to
turn them loose after they stomped us. They saw themselves heading north in
early spring, with the whole summer to plunder and punish.
But a few were veterans of armies we had embarrassed in the past. Those men
showed us more respect. And betrayed a more intense desire to cause us pain.
They did not believe it would be easy but they did believe we would be defeated.
Mogaba himself seemed more taken with his plans for a counterinvasion than he
was interested in further preparing to withstand us here.
I did not like it but I saw no real reason to believe they were overconfident.
Still, all those fireballs and torches were heartening.
That vast mass in motion out there had been inspired
“That what you’d do?”
“Uh . . . ” I might.
“Longshadow will be here watching him. Go get some sleep. When the sun comes up
I want you perched on Mogaba’s shoulder.” Uncle Doj was only steps away, taking
everything in. We were speaking Forsberger but I wondered if that was enough of
a security measure.
Those crows were never far away.
What I got from the exchange was that Croaker did have a plan. Sometimes it was
hard to believe that.
“I’m not tired right now.” I was hungry and thirsty, though. Any extended period
spent with Smoke leaves me that way. I took advantage of the staff officers’
mess.
Messengers began to come and go. Croaker grumbled, “Guess it’s time to start
telling people what they need to do.”
“There’s an original concept. After all these years.”
“Do we really need another smartass Annalist, Murgen? Get some rest.”
He began gathering senior officers for a meeting. I was not invited.
I went back to One-Eye’s wagon, where I ate some more, drank a lot of water and
then went ghostwalking again.
Me and the fire chief eavesdropped on Croaker and his commanders but I should
not have wasted the time. I learned very little. Croaker did all the talking,
referring to a detailed map showing everyone where he wanted each unit to light
in front of Mogaba. The only real surprise was that he wanted the Prahbrindrah
Drah’s division stationed in the center while his own two divisions positioned
themselves on the right flank excepting one specially trained combat team he
wanted on the extreme left, outside Lady’s left flank.
Interesting. Our right wing just happened to face and lap the Shadowlander
division Blade had been given to command. Croaker really wanted Blade.
Narrow-eyed, Lady asked, “Why did you decide to arrange the army this way? We’ve
talked about this for three years . . . ”
Croaker told her, “Because this is where I want you all.” Lady had trouble
keeping her temper. In a long life she had not had to do that much.
Croaker smelled the smoke. “When I don’t explain to you nobody else finds out
what I’m planning, either.” He offered some tidbit to one of his crows.
That helped. A little. But the Prahbrindrah Drah and most of the rest had no
idea of the significance of Croaker’s crows.
I left Smoke, drank again, snacked, made sure the sleeper got some soup. He did
not need nearly as much sustenance as I did. Maybe he was sucking on me out
there, like some kind of psychic spider.
I slept. I had bad dreams that I recalled only in shards when I awakened. The
Radisha was there. Soulcatcher was there. I suppose the old men in the caverns
were there, too, though none of that stuck. Somewhere a bleak fortress.
I gave up trying to remember, went out with Smoke to try to see our approach as
the enemy would.
Fireballs scattered colored pearls across the night. Torches speckled distant
slopes with islands and snakes of light. The Shadowlander commanders watched
without remark except when Blade suggested that the Captain was making his force
appear more formidable by burning lots of torches.
They were not concerned. A lot of the junior officers expected Longshadow to
turn them loose after they stomped us. They saw themselves heading north in
early spring, with the whole summer to plunder and punish.
But a few were veterans of armies we had embarrassed in the past. Those men
showed us more respect. And betrayed a more intense desire to cause us pain.
They did not believe it would be easy but they did believe we would be defeated.
Mogaba himself seemed more taken with his plans for a counterinvasion than he
was interested in further preparing to withstand us here.
I did not like it but I saw no real reason to believe they were overconfident.
Still, all those fireballs and torches were heartening.
That vast mass in motion out there had been inspired
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