Assassin 3 - Royal Assassin (73 page)

Our horses reared back in alarm. We reined in.
What's this? Burrich demanded.

The man stood firm. You may pass, sir, he told
Burrich respectfully. But I have orders that the Bastard is not
allowed out of Buckkeep.

The Bastard? I had never heard such outrage in
Burrich's voice. Say 'FitzChivalry, son of Prince
Chivalry.'

The man gaped at him in astonishment.

Say it now! Burrich bellowed, and pulled steel.
He suddenly seemed twice as large as he had. Anger radiated from
him in waves I could feel.

FitzChivalry, son of Prince Chivalry, the man
babbled.

He took a breath and swallowed. But however I
call him, I have my orders. He is not allowed out.

Not an hour ago I heard our queen command us to
ride with her, or to catch up as swiftly as we might. Do you say
your order is superior to hers?

The man looked uncertain. One moment, sir. He
stepped back into the guardhouse.

Burrich snorted. Whoever trained him ought to be
ashamed. He relies entirely on our honor to keep us from riding
through.

Maybe he just knows you, I suggested.

Burrich glared at me. After a moment the captain
of the watch came out. He grinned at us. Ride well, and best of
luck at Neatbay.

Burrich flung him something between a salute and
a farewell, and we urged our horses through. I let Burrich choose
the pace. It was dark, but once we were down the hill, the road was
straight and good and there was a bit of a moon. Burrich was as
reckless as I had ever seen him, for he put the horses to a canter
and kept up the pace until we saw the Queen's guard ahead of us. He
slowed us just short of joining them. I saw them turn to recognize
us, and one soldier raised a hand in greeting.

A pregnant mare, in early pregnancy, does well
to be exercised. He looked over at me through the darkness. I don't
know that much about women, he said hesitantly.

I grinned at him. And you think I do? I shook my
head and grew sober. I don't know. Some women don't ride at all
when they are carrying. Some do. I think Kettricken would not put
Verity's child at risk. Besides. She is safer with us here than
left behind with Regal.

Burrich said nothing, but I sensed his assent.
It was not all I sensed.

We hunt together again at last!

Quietly! I warned him with a sideways glance at
Burrich. I kept my thoughts tiny and private. We go far. Will you
be able to keep pace with the horses?

Over a short distance they can outspeed me. But
nothing outdistances the trotting wolf.

Burrich stiffened slightly in his saddle. I knew
Nighteyes was off to the side of the road, trotting through the
shadows. It did feel good to be out and alongside him again. It
felt good to be out and doing things. It was not that I rejoiced at
Neatbay being attacked; it was that at last I would have a chance
to do something about it, even if it was only to clean up whatever
was left standing. I glanced over at Burrich. Anger radiated from
him.

Burrich? I ventured.

It's a wolf, isn't it? Burrich spoke grudgingly
into the darkness. He looked straight ahead as we rode. I knew the
set of his mouth.

You know I am. A grinning, tongue-lolling
reply.

Burrich flinched as if poked.

Nighteyes, I admitted quietly, rendering the
image of his name into human words. Dread sat me. Burrich had
sensed him. He knew. No point in denying anything anymore. But
there was a tiny edge of relief in it as well. I was deathly tired
of all the lies I lived. Burrich rode on silently, not looking at
me. I did not intend for it to happen. It just did. An explanation.
Not an apology.

I gave him no choice. Nighteyes was being very
jocular about Burrich's silence.

I put my hand on Sooty's neck, took comfort in
the warmth and life there. I waited. Burrich still said nothing. I
know you will never approve, I said quietly. But it is not
something I can choose. It is what I am.

It is what we all are. Nighteyes smirked. Come,
Heart of the Pack, speak to me. Will not we hunt well
together?

Heart of the Pack? I wondered.

He knows it is his name. It is what they called
him, all those dogs that worshiped him, when they all gave tongue
in the chase. It was what they taunted one another with. Heart of
the Pack, here, here, the game is here, and I have found it for
you, for you! So they all yelped and tried to be first to yelp it
to him. But now they are all gone, taken far away. They did not
like to leave him. They knew he heard, even if he would not reply.
Had you never heard them?

I suppose I tried not to.

A waste. Why choose to be deaf? Or
mute?

Must you do this in my presence? Burrich's voice
was stiff:

Beg pardon, I said, gravely aware that he was
truly offended. Nighteyes snickered again. I ignored him. Burrich
would not look at me. After a bit he nudged Ruddy and cantered
forward to overtake Kettricken's guard. I hesitated, then kept pace
with him. He formally reported to Kettricken of all he had done
before leaving Buckkeep, and she nodded gravely as if accustomed to
taking such reports. At a signal from her, we were honored to fall
back and ride to her left, while her captain of the guard, one
Foxglove, rode to her right. Before dawn found us, the rest of the
mounted soldiers from Buckkeep had caught up with us. When they
joined us, Foxglove slowed the pace for a time, to allow their
winded horses to breathe. But after we had come to a stream and let
all the beasts water, we pushed on determinedly. Burrich did not
speak to me.

Years earlier, I had made a trip to Neatbay as
part of Verity's entourage. Then it had taken us five days, but we
had traveled with wagons and litters, jugglers and musicians and
valets. This time we traveled by horse, with seasoned warriors, and
we need not keep to the wide coast road. The only thing that did
not favor us was the weather. By midmorning of our first day out, a
winter storm swept in. It was miserable riding, not just for the
physical discomfort but in the unsettling knowledge that the
driving winds would slow our companion ships. Whenever our path
took us overlooking the water, I watched for sails, but never saw
any.

The pace Foxglove set was demanding but not
destructive to horse or rider. While stops were not frequent, she
varied the pace and saw that no animal wanted for water. At such
stops, there was grain for the horses and hard bread and dried fish
for their riders. If anyone ever noticed a wolf shadowing us, no
one spoke of it. Two full days later, as dawn and a gap in the
weather found us, we were looking out over the wide river valley
that opened onto Neatbay.

Bayguard was the Keep of Neatbay. And Bayguard
was the home Keep of Duke Kelvar and Lady Grace, the heart of
Rippon Duchy. The watchtower was on a sandy cliff above the town.
The Keep itself had been built on fairly level land, but fortified
with a series of earthen walls and ditches. Once I had been told
that no enemy had ever made it past the second wall. It was no
longer true. We halted and looked out over the
destruction.

The five Red-Ships were still drawn up on the
beach. The boats of Neatbay, mostly small fishing vessels, were a
burned and scuttled wreckage spread along the beach. The tides had
played with them since the Raiders had destroyed them. Blackened
buildings and smoldering wreckage fanned out from where they had
landed, marking their path like a spreading contagion. Foxglove
stood in her stirrups and pointed out over Neatbay, combining her
observations with what she knew of the town and Keep. It's a
shallow, sandy bay, all the way out. So when the tide goes out, it
goes way out. They've drawn their boats up too high. If we can
force them to retreat, we want to do it on a low tide, when their
ships are sitting high and dry. They've cut through the town like a
hot knife through butter: I doubt there was much of an effort to
defend it, it's not really defensible. Probably everyone headed for
the Keep at the first sight of a red keel. It looks to me like the
Outislanders have battered their way in past the third circle. But
Kelvar should be able to hold them off almost indefinitely now. The
fourth wall is worked stone. It took years to build. Bayguard has a
good well, and her warehouses should still be fat with grain, this
early in winter. She won't fall unless she falls to treachery.
Foxglove stopped gesturing and settled in her saddle again. It
makes no sense, this attack, she said more softly. How can the
Red-Ships expect to sustain a long siege? Especially if they are,
in turn, attacked by our forces?

The answer could be that they did not expect
anyone to come to Bayguard's aid, Kettricken said succinctly. They
have the town to pillage for supplies, and perhaps other ships are
expected. She turned to Kerf, motioned him alongside Foxglove. I
have no battle experience, she said simply. You two will have to
plan this. I listen now, as a soldier. What should we do
next?

I saw Burrich wince. Such honesty is admirable,
but not always good leadership. I saw Foxglove and Kerf exchange
measuring glances. My queen, Kerf has more battle experience than
I. I would accept his command, Foxglove offered quietly.

Kerf looked down, as if mildly ashamed. Burrich
was Chivalry's man. He has seen far more battles than I have, he
observed to his mare's neck. He looked up suddenly. I commend him
to you, my queen.

Burrich's face was a struggle of conflicting
emotions. For a moment his eyes lit. Then I saw a hesitation
build.

Heart of the Pack, they will hunt well for you,
Nighteyes urged him.

Burrich, take command. They will fight with
heart for you.

My skin prickled to hear Queen Kettricken
virtually echo Nighteyes' thought. From where I sat, I could
actually see a shiver run over Burrich. He straightened in his
saddle. We have no hope of surprising them in this flat country.
And the three circles they have already gained can become defenses
for them. We are not a vast force. What we have most of, my queen,
is time. We can pen them. They have no access to fresh water. If
Bayguard stands, and we keep the Outislanders trapped where they
are, between the third earthwork and the wall, we can simply wait
for our ships to arrive. At that time we can judge if we wish to
join an attack on them, or simply starve them out.

This seems wise to me, the Queen
approved.

They are fools if they have not left at least a
small force with their ships. Those we will have to contend with
immediately. Then we must set our own guards to the ships, with
orders to destroy them if it looks like any of the Outislanders
have gotten past us and are trying to escape. If not, you will have
ships to add to King-in-Waiting Verity's fleet.

This, too, seems sensible. The idea clearly
pleased Kettricken.

It is tidy, but only if we act swiftly. They
will soon be aware of us, if they are not already. Certainly they
will see the situation as clearly as we have. We need to get down
there, and contain those besieging the Keep and destroy those
guarding the ships.

Kerf and Foxglove were both nodding. Burrich
looked at them. I want your archers for our circle around the Keep.
We want to contain them there, not get into any close fighting.
Simply pin them down where they are. Wherever they breached the
walls is where they will try to trickle out again. Guard most
heavily there, but watch all along the outer wall. And for now, do
not try to go within the outer wall at all. Let them scuttle about
like crabs in a pot.

Terse nods from both captains. Burrich
continued.

I want swords for the ships. Expect the fighting
to be nasty. They'll be defending their only escape routes. Send a
few lesser archers, and have them prepare fire arrows. If all else
fails, burn the ships where they're beached. But try to take them
first.

The Rurisk ! Someone in the back ranks gave a
cry. All heads turned to the water. There was the Rurisk, rounding
the north tooth of Neatbay. In a moment a second sail appeared.
Behind us, the mounted warriors raised a shout. But out beyond our
ships, anchored in deep water, white as a dead man's belly and her
sails as bloated, floated the white ship. The moment I saw it, an
icicle of terror sliced my guts.

The white ship! I choked. Fear sent a shudder
through me that was almost like pain.

What? Burrich asked, startled. It was the first
word he had spoken to me that day.

The white ship! I repeated, and pointed a
hand.

What? Where? That? That's a fog bank. Our ships
are coming into the harbor over there.

I looked. He was right. A fog bank, melting in
the morning sun even as I watched. My terror receded like the ghost
of mocking laughter. But the day seemed suddenly chillier, and the
sun that had briefly parted the storm clouds a weak and watery
thing. An evil cast lingered on the day, like a bad
smell.

Split your forces and deploy them now, Burrich
said quietly. We don't want our ships to meet any resistance as
they come into shore. Quickly, now. Fitz. You're to go with the
force that attacks the Red-Ships. Be there when the Rurisk beaches,
and let those on board know what we've decided. As quickly as those
Red-Ships are cleaned out, we shall want all fighters to join us in
containing the Outislanders. I wish there was a way to get word to
Duke Kelvar of what we're doing. I suppose he'll see, soon enough.
Well, let's get going.