Soarers Choice (15 page)

Mykel
inclined his head politely. “Thank you.”

“I
also thought I’d let you know that you no longer need to provide perimeter
security for the alector’s compound west of Hyalt. We’ll be bringing in
engineers and personnel to rebuild.”

“When
do you want me to pull the patrols?”

“At
dawn tomorrow, unless someone returns with a change.”

“You’ll
have perimeter patrols until dawn tomorrow.”

“Thank
you, Majer.” Captain Lyzetta swung up into the silvery saddle and fastened the
riding harness with quick and practiced movements.

Mykel
stepped back from the square, joining Rhystan. The two Cadmian officers watched
as the pteridon spread its wings and sprang skyward. Again, Mykel sensed the
burst of purpled Talent energy required for the creature to become airborne.

“Wonder
what it’s like to fly on one of those?” asked Rhystan.

“I’d
just as soon not discover,” replied Mykel. “Let’s go back to the mess and see
what the Marshal of Myrmidons has in mind for us. I’d feel slightly happier if
the orders came from the submarshal.” He paused. “Only slightly.”

Rhystan
glanced toward the departing pteridon once more.

“I
have a few concerns when we get orders directly from the Myrmidons, rather than
from the colonel.”

So
did Mykel, but he said nothing as he walked back toward the barracks. Once
inside the small mess room, he opened the envelope and took out the papers
inside. He began to read.

The
Third Battalion, Cadmian Mounted Rifles, Majer Mykel commanding, is hereby
ordered to proceed immediately to Iron Stem. The commanding officer, Third
Battalion, will assume full command of all Cadmian forces in the Iron Valleys,
including but not limited to command over Fourth Battalion. He will take any
and all steps necessary to restore complete civil and military order and will
eliminate as necessary all predators and disturbing influences....

In
proceeding to Iron Stem, Third Battalion will proceed by mount and wagon to
Tempre, and take barge transport from Tempre to the river port of Dekhron ...

Mykel
finished reading the orders and instructions, then looked back at the title and
signature under the orders proper: Dainyl, Marshal of Myrmidons.

“What
is it, sir?”

“Submarshal
Dainyl is now the marshal. The orders are from him.” Mykel laid the orders on
the mess table. “We’re headed to Iron Stem. Half of Fourth Battalion was wiped
out.”

“Majer
Hersiod isn’t much better than Vaclyn. If you’re junior to him...”

“He
was among the casualties. We’re in charge of all Cadmian forces in the Iron
Valleys,” Mykel replied. “And we have to deal with strange creatures like
sandwolves, rebel miners, and predators supposedly nastier than anything we’ve
faced yet.”

“I
think you were telling me that Marshal Dainyl was better than his predecessor.”
Rhystan raised his eyebrows.

“Well...”
Mykel drew out the word. “He did put us in charge from the start.”

“When
do we leave?”

“Immediately.
We’d better plan on Tridi morning. We’ll take all the wagons and as many
supplies as we can. We’re to ride to Tempre and take barges upriver to Dekhron.
Have you been there?”

“Years
back. It gets cold in the winter, and the women aren’t that friendly. The miners
don’t like anyone, and the holders north of Iron
Ste.
are wealthy and arrogant. The garrison there isn’t that big, either. Oh, and
the air stinks from the ironworks.”

“You’re
so cheerful, Rhystan.”

“I’m
only telling you what to expect, sir.”

“I
know. That doesn’t even take into account the problems we’re being sent to
fix.” Mykel had no doubts as to why Third Battalion was being sent. None at
all, but he couldn’t very well tell anyone, either, although Rhystan would
certainly suspect those reasons. “We’d better tell the undercaptains, and see
what supplies we can get from the locals.”

Rhystan
nodded as Mykel picked up the orders and tucked them into his leather case.

Dainyl
looked at the message from the High Alector of Justice again, reading over the
key phrases.

...
all unnecessary uses of resources by Myrmidon companies and associated units
and activities should be deferred or minimized to the greatest extent possible
... Likewise, use of pteridons and skylances should be restricted as much as
possible to allow lifeforce on Acorus to increase in the immediate seasons
ahead....

Zelyert
was all but admitting that the transfer of the Master Scepter was imminent, but
that he didn’t know exactly when it might occur. He folded the note, then laid
it on the floor, extending a flash of Talent. Only fine ash remained.

His
eyes drifted to the window, closed against the cold and damp wind blowing in
out of the northwest. Londi had -been warm enough, but from early on Duadi
morning, the day had gotten progressively colder. Now, by midafternoon, high
dark clouds had appeared in the west, and outside it was positively chill.

As
he watched, a pteridon alighted on the flight stage. The flier carried a
dispatch pouch, which she handed to Sharua. The duty messenger hurried toward
headquarters, the wind blowing her hair around her face. Shortly, there was a
knock on Dainyl’s door.

“Marshal,
sir, there’s a dispatch from Captain Lyzetta. It came in marked urgent.”

“Bring
it in, Sharua.” The last thing Dainyl needed was another urgent problem,
especially one from Lyzetta.

The
new duty messenger practically tiptoed into Dainyl’s study, handed him the thin
envelope, and quickly retreated, even before Dainyl could finish saying, “Thank
you.”‘

He
opened the envelope and began to read.

Marshal
—

I
felt you should know about some other matters, as well as the progress of the
rebuilding efforts. Rains have been extremely heavy for late harvest, and for
some reason, the water level of the River Vedra has risen suddenly. East of
Dekhron, the River Vedra is at flood stage already. The bridge at Emal has been
destroyed. So have the barge piers at Dekhron. The late field crops in the area
north of the River Vyana may all be lost.

We
have completed all of the initial transport required by the engineers, and all
of the material and equipment was first carried to Tempre. We have since made
some ten trips to Hyalt, and another ten remain. The engineers are asking for a
pteridon to make small equipment flights every other day. Seventh Company can
do so, but I told the engineer in charge that continuing flights would have to
be approved by the marshal...

I
would also note in passing that, as you instructed, I conveyed the orders for
Third Battalion to Majer Mykel personally and relieved the Cadmians of the duty
of guarding the perimeter around the regional alector’s compound. The majer is
highly skilled, and if not for his lander heritage, might well pass for an
alector in all his capabilities, and I thought you would best be able to decide
how to deal with his future assignments in that light.

Dainyl
shook his head at the last paragraph. He would have to write an acknowledgment
to Lyzetta, along with the background of the majer’s next assignment. When he
had promoted her to commanding officer, he had not realized her parentage, and
that might have been for the best, but it was likely to cause additional
problems for him in the troubled times ahead.

He
took out paper and began to write, while he still had a few moments before
something else transpired.

Captain
Lyzetta —

I
appreciate your dispatch and thorough report. You may supply pteridon transport
to the engineers for another two weeks on an every other day basis. If more use
of Seventh Company pteridons than that is required, please inform me, and I
will take the matter up with the High Alector of Justice.

In
regard to the other matter you mentioned, and for which I appreciate your
diligence, Third Battalion is being transferred to Iron
Ste.
to deal with certain problems created by the ancients, including the loss of
more than half of the Fourth Battalion, Cadmian Mounted Rifles. I am certain
that the majer’s capabilities will prove useful in that unsettled locale. If
necessary, and assuming that he has some success there, we will review his
future options.

Dainyl
remained torn about the majer. Talented landers were a great danger, and should
be eliminated, but the unspoken policy did not indicate an absolute timing, and
he did owe his life to the majer. Since the majer was in the field, and since
he had neither wife nor any apparent close female ties, he was thus less likely
to have offspring immediately. If Zelyert discovered the majer’s abilities, and
that seemed unlikely immediately, Dainyl could justify using Majer Mykel’s
Talent against the creatures of the ancients, rather than risking Myrmidons far
from Elcien. Lyzetta’s indirect communications with her father might be a
greater danger, and that was why Dainyl had taken pains to spell out his
rationale to a junior Myrmidon captain.

Because
Dainyl needed to inform both the Duarch and High Alector Zelyert about the loss
of the iron and coal loading piers in Dekhron, he immediately drafted a short
message. While it would have been easier to send a copy of Lyzetta’s message
directly to them, he did not wish the second part of the message going
anywhere. Quickly, he finished both copies. While he could have asked Doselt,
the administrative clerk, to copy the second one, Dainyl could write out a
second copy in less time than it would have taken to explain what he wanted.

With
both copies in hand, he then headed to the administrative spaces.

“Doselt?”

“Yes,
sir?” The squad leader jumped to his feet. “Here are two reports. They need to
go to High Alector Zelyert and the Duarch immediately. Please take care of it.”

“Yes,
sir.”

Dainyl
also needed to talk with Alcyna to discover what she had found out about the
troubles in Eastice and to update her on the Table repairs. He turned from the
records room and walked back down the corridor to Alcyna’s study. Her door was
ajar.

“Alcyna?”
He stepped inside, but did not bother to close the door.

She
looked up, then stood. “Yes, sir?”

He
motioned for her to sit down and took the chair across from the desk that had
once been his. “Have you found out anything new about what happened to the
Cadmians in Eastice?”

“Some,
sir. I went to the Hall of Justice, and had the recorder show me the site in
the Table. A whole chunk of the cliff did give way. Chastyl pointed out that
there were some silvery-green sparkles in the image, and that suggested the use
of Talent. The green component...”

“The
ancients helped it happen,” Dainyl said.

“That
would be my judgment. It was Chastyl’s as well.”

Dainyl
fingered his chin. “I could see it if they had attacked Myrmidons — or engineers
— but why the Cadmians? They’re no threat to the ancients.”

“What
are you doing with the Cadmians, sir? Where are you sending Third Battalion?”

Dainyl
laughed ironically. “You’re suggesting that they’re sending a message — that
the Cadmians can’t stand up to them. Is that a tactic to make us use
Myrmidons?” He frowned. “It well could be. They don’t operate far from higher
locales.”

“That
would be my best guess,” replied Alcyna.

“We’ll
have to see, then.”

“You
intend to wait and see what Majer Mykel can do? He’s the one who handled the
rebel alectors, is he not?”

“He
is.”

“It’s
said that he can recognize Talent and avoid it.”

Dainyl
wondered where she’d picked that up. It certainly wasn’t in any of the records,
but then, Alcyna had probably been the one to suborn the late Colonel Dhenyr,
and she doubtless had her own sources. “He has some abilities, and he is a
good, if not an excellent, field commander. It seemed prudent, in many
respects, to send him and Third Battalion to Iron Stem. We will have to see
what happens.” He paused, then continued. “We haven’t any updates on the Sixth
Battalion in Soupat, either. Oh ... and Captain Lyzetta just sent a message
saying that the River Vedra is flooding in Emal and Dekhron. That may cause
some delays in getting Third Battalion to the Iron Valleys. It will likely also
cause delays in getting coke and iron to Faitel. I’ve taken steps to inform the
Highest and the Duarch.”

“You
think the ancients know you’re sending the Cadmians?”

“They
might. It also might not matter to them. They could have their own agenda
directly aimed at us.”

“How
intelligent are they, Marshal?”

“I
would judge they are highly intelligent. At one time, they had a city where
Dereka now stands, and they built the aqueduct to serve it. They created metals
that are as hard as anything we can forge. They can destroy pteridons.”

“Then
why do they not control Acorus?” Alcyna’s question mirrored curiosity, rather
than exhibiting challenge.

“I
would guess that they do not have many offspring and that they could not
increase their numbers quickly when we began to warm the world. We also had the
indigens to help.”

“You’re
worried, aren’t you?”

“I
have to say that I am,” Dainyl admitted. “The flooding and the cliff have to be
their doing. The rains aren’t heavy enough to create those floods by
themselves, not in fall. And I don’t like the possibility that they stole the
skylances from Fifth Company in Dereka.”

“You
honestly think that?”

“It’s
a real likelihood. The lances are useless without a pteridon. That’s why Rhelyn
built lightcannon.”

“But
why ...”

“What
if they wanted to analyze them?” asked Dainyl.