The Conqueror's Shadow by Ari Marmell Page A

an army’s march. Damn! Imphallion’s sprawl was definitely no asset to a would-be conqueror.
    It was, thankfully, a decision that Audriss felt he could put off for a while longer. “The armies,” he told the others, “will have to travel by the main roads. The supply wagons won’t make it through the wilderness. And it’s the same road either way up to … here!” His fingerstabbed downward, covering a small dot on the map. “Once we take this town here, we’ll decide if we’re heading northwest to Orthessis or southwest to Abtheum.” He peered closely at the parchment, looking for a name. There. Vorringar.
    â€œYou can meet us there?” he asked the disgusting little creature.
    â€œMeet, yes, be there. He can go. He wonders what it wants him to do, yes, when he gets there many walks before it does. The things above the ground are slow, yes, and clumsy.”
    â€œJust wait for us. We’ll contact you in the usual manner when we arrive.”
    â€œGood, yes. He goes now to say what the Audriss has told him, yes.” Still muttering to itself, the gnome shambled away through the door.
    â€œOdd little creature,” Mithraem remarked drily. “Do they all call themselves ‘him’?”
    â€œSomething about their language, or how they think, or what have you. It’s obnoxious.” A sudden thought occurred to Audriss, purely irrelevant but intriguing. His eyes flickered down to the ring that gleamed a sullen green upon his finger. “Pekatherosh?”
    /Yes?/
    â€œHave you ever consumed a gnome?”
    /No. Can’t do it./
    â€œCan’t—but you eat souls.”
    /Exactly./
    So much for curiosity. “I’d been hoping either you or the gnomes would find what we were looking for here,” he said to Mithraem, “but I can’t say I’m surprised we didn’t. Even if he couldn’t make use of it, Rebaine isn’t stupid enough to have left it here.”
    â€œStill,” the other acknowledged, “we had to know.”
    â€œWe know now,” the warlord snapped. “I’m leaving a garrison at Denathere, to occupy the city. Can you assign any of the Legion to support them?”
    Mithraem rose gracefully from his seat. “I can station a few of my people here. They won’t enjoy being left behind, but they’ll obey well enough.”
    â€œGood. Tell them not to gorge themselves while I’m gone; I’d like to have a city left when I get back.”
    â€œWhat a novel idea. I’ll be sure to tell them.”
    â€œDo it quickly. I want the men packing the instant the sun’s risen. We’re leaving in two days.”
    /And what of Rebaine?/
Pekatherosh asked once Mithraem had dissolved again to mist and seeped through the open doorway.
    â€œRebaine will play his part, never you worry. For now, I’m more concerned with the war effort itself.”
    /You don’t
sound
all that concerned./
    â€œI’m
not
‘all that’ concerned. The only things between us and our next objective are a handful of small towns—including Vorringar. It’s such an insignificant little speck, it barely made it onto the map at all.
    â€œThe next stage of the operation is a cakewalk, Pekatherosh. There’s nothing between here and Vorringar to slow us down.”

Chapter Five
    Slowly, the world bouncing beneath him and his head pounding with each jolt, Corvis fought his way back toward consciousness. Leaves and twigs appeared before him, just in time to sting his face as he passed. The saddle on which he sat was hard and uncomfortable—the heavy ropes that chafed his wrists and ankles were worse.
    Blinking languidly, trying to focus through the pain rattling around in his skull, he peered blearily about him. The dappled horse trod along a wooded path through thick copses of trees, following a broad-shouldered, greasy-haired fellow who clutched the