The Serpentwar Saga

Erik said, ‘I only know him as –’

‘The Eagle of Krondor,’ finished Owen. ‘I know. He’s important, that’s all I know. But when the dust settled, I was on the Freeport Ranger, with a list of missions to last three months, and one month to finish them when we made port in Maharta.’

Erik finished his food and said, ‘Sorry to have put you to this, Owen.’

Owen laughed. ‘It was in the cards, as the gamblers say. And truth to tell, I was growing bored at Darkmoor. The wine’s the best in the world, and the women as fair as anywhere, but there’s little else to stir a man there. I’ve grown tired of hanging bandits and running escort from one safe city to another. I think it’s time for something grand.’

Nakor shook his head. ‘There’s little grand ahead of us.’ He stood up, yawning. ‘I’m going to sleep. We have three long days ahead.’

‘Why?’ asked Erik.

‘While you were killing those men, we got word of a rendezvous.’

‘What is that?’ asked Erik. ‘I’ve heard that term before.’

‘Meeting,’ said Owen.

‘A great camp,’ offered Nakor. With a grin he said, ‘It is where the two sides in this war will come to make offers for the service of companies like ours. It’s where we will find the army of this Emerald Queen, and then friend Greylock’s adventure will begin.’ He wandered off into the gloom.

Owen said, ‘He may be the strangest man I’ve met. I’ve only talked to him a couple of times since yesterday, but he has some of the oddest notions I’ve ever encountered. But he’s right about one thing: it’s a long day tomorrow and we both need to sleep.’

Erik nodded and took Owen’s bowl. ‘I’ll wash that up. I’m doing mine anyway.’

‘Thank you.’

‘And thank you,’ replied Erik.

‘For what?’

‘For talking.’

Owen put his hand upon Erik’s shoulder. ‘Anytime, Erik. Good night.’ He walked after Nakor.

Erik went to the bucket used to clean the wooden bowls and rinsed them with water, scoured them with cleaning sand, then rinsed with fresh water again. He put the bowls where the men who would make the morning mess would expect to find them, and returned to his own tent.

The others were sleeping, except Roo, who said, ‘Are you all right?’

Erik sighed and said, ‘I don’t know. But I am better.’

Roo seemed about to make a remark, then thought better of it and turned over to go to sleep. Erik lay in the darkness, and while he intended to practice the self-healing Nakor had taught him, sleep was on him less than a minute after Roo.

The camp was immense. At least ten thousand armed men were scattered across a low valley that ran from the hills on the east to the river on the west. Cutting through the middle was a smaller tributary to the Vedra, and along this smaller river camps had been made.

The brokers who were conducting the contracts were arrayed under a large canopy, ocher in color, at the heart of the valley. Erik rode with his companions in their usual position near the head of the column, near enough to Calis to overhear his conversations with the men around him.

Praji pointed. ‘Some of those banners are damn strange; I thought I knew every company worth talking about in this gods-forsaken continent.’ He glanced around. ‘Some of these others are a long way from home.’

‘How is it shaping up?’ asked de Loungville.

‘It’s early yet. Khaipur fell less than a month ago. If the Emerald Queen’s representatives get here in the next week I’ll be surprised. But I’ll bet you a whore’s hoard that the Priest-King of Lanada is spending money like a sailor in port.’ Looking around, he said, ‘We’d better head up the valley and see if there’s anywhere good near the river.’ He sniffed the air. ‘With the number of these fools pissing in the water after they get drunk, downstream’s the last place I want to be.’

De Loungville laughed. ‘Looks like the best places are taken.’

‘Only if you like the taste of another man’s piss in your water,’ said Praji. ‘This is just the start. The word’s been about for five years now. There’s a big war to end all wars coming, and any man with a sword who doesn’t get in now will be out of the looting.’ He shook his head. ‘Doesn’t make much sense, does it? You’d think any man with eyes in his head could see –’

Calis cut him off with an upraised hand. ‘Not here. Too many ears.’

Praji nodded. ‘Look for a red eagle banner, twin to your own. That’ll be Vaja if he’s found his way here.’

Calis nodded.

They rode into the camp area, and Erik felt his pulse race. Never had so many pairs of eyes regarded him with suspicion. The rendezvous was neutral ground, where both sides in the coming conflict could recruit mercenary companies to their cause, openly bidding against one another, and tradition bound every man who entered sight of the tent to keep his sword sheathed. But tradition and enforceable law were two different things, and more than once a battle had erupted at such a meeting. Men in this camp knew only that those in their own company were allies. Anyone else might be someone they would see across the field of battle mere days or weeks after leaving the rendezvous.

They passed by the large yellowish tent, though on the other side of the water, as they picked their way upriver, and away from the main body of men camping. Calis found a small rise with a flat top that gave a commanding view of the valley below and motioned to de Loungville that they would camp there. ‘No fortifications; it’s against the compact, but I want double guard. When the whores come by, let the men indulge, but no strong drink and no drugs – chase the peddlers away. I’ll not have some fool start a war because he sees the ghost of some enemy in the smoke and pulls his sword.’

De Loungville nodded and gave the order. Without the need to dig a trench and rampart, making camp took little time. When Erik’s squad had finished erecting their tent, Foster came by and gave the rotation for guard duty. Erik groaned when he was told the second watch, which was from midnight to two hours before dawn. Sleep interrupted was as good as not sleeping from his point of view.

Still, after three days in the saddle, a little time to lie around would be welcome. And if he had the midnight watch tonight, that meant the dawn watch tomorrow, and the day after, no watch at all. He found that a little gratifying, and was glad to have found any reason to feel good whatsoever.

Trumpets blew and Erik came awake with a start. They had been in camp for five days now and he was back to a split night of guard duty. He rolled out of his tent and saw that everyone was looking down into the valley below.

Roo came to his side and laughed. ‘Looks like an anthill with a stick in it.’

Erik laughed, for Roo was right. There was motion everywhere. Then Foster was hurrying through camp shouting, ‘Every man to horse! We muster for inspection!’

Erik and Roo turned and went back into their low tent, grabbing their swords and shields. They hurried to where other men were already saddling their horses and got theirs ready. When the order to fall in came, they swung up into the saddle and moved the horses to their position in the column. Foster rode by and said, ‘Rest awhile, lads. The shopping is beginning and you’ll be doing little for a day. When the brokers come by, do your best to look fierce.’

This got a laugh, and Jadow Shati’s bass voice carried from somewhere back in line. ‘Just put Jerome in front, man. That will scare them, don’t you know!’

This brought another laugh, and then de Loungville’s voice cut through the air. ‘Next man who says anything better make me laugh, or he’ll wish his mother had taken holy vows of celibacy before he was born!’

The company fell silent.

A hour later the sound of riders came from up the valley and Erik turned to see a small company of a dozen men heading their way. At their head was a large man, grey of hair, but otherwise young-looking. He wore foppish regalia, and obviously had put much thought into his appearance, despite being covered with road dust. At his side rode another carrying a crimson eagle banner.

‘Vaja!’ cried Praji as they pulled up. ‘You sorry old peacock! I thought someone had killed you out of mercy. What took you so long?’

The other man, handsome despite his years, laughed, and said, ‘You found them. If I hadn’t heard of the rendezvous I would still be on my way down to the City of the Serpent River looking for our good Captain and this company of sorry fools.’

Calis came riding over as Vaja and his men dismounted. ‘You’ve come just in time. The muster begins today.’

Vaja looked around. ‘There’s plenty of time yet. We’ll have three or four days of this at least. Are both sides here?’

‘No word of the Emerald Queen’s agents. Just the Priest-King,’ answered Calis.

Vaja said, ‘Good. That gives me ample time to bathe and eat. You won’t be taking any offer for days.’

Calis said, ‘You know that and I know that, but if we’re to be convincing, they’ – he hiked his thumb over his shoulder in the general direction of the brokers’ tent – ‘can’t know that. We have to look as if we’re weighing all offers equally.’

‘Understood,’ said Vaja. ‘But I still have time for a bath. I’ll be back in an hour.’ He turned and led his companions away.

Praji said, ‘Twenty-nine years I’ve fought at his side, and I swear to this day no man more vain exists on this world. He’d primp for his own execution.’

Calis smiled, and Erik realized it was one of the few times he had ever seen the Captain smile.

For days they would muster on command, and brokers would come by to look over the company. With Vaja’s men and the men under Hatonis, they numbered better than one hundred swords: a significant enough troop to be taken seriously, but not so large as to bear special scrutiny.

After the third such day, offers began to come in and Calis listened to them politely. He remained noncommittal.

A week after the mustering had started, Erik noticed a few companies departing. He asked Praji about this over supper, and the old mercenary said, ‘They’ve signed on with the Priest-King. Probably poor captains running low on gold to pay their men. They have to find employment quickly or lose their fighters to richer companies. Most are waiting around to hear what the other side has to offer.’

Still more days passed and the other side didn’t appear.

Two weeks after arriving, Erik had requested permission to move the horses upriver, as they had grazed the area clean, and the hay and grain brokers were charging outrageous prices. Calis gave permission, but instructed Erik to make sure a full guard company surrounded the animals at all times.

Another week went by.

Almost a month after arriving, Erik was walking back from having checked the horses, a three-times-daily ritual now, to hear a series of loud trumpet calls from the heart of the camp. The weather was hot, the hottest part of the summer, he had been told by one of the clansmen, and soon summer would be waning. It felt odd to lose a winter, to leave in fall and return to spring. Erik was sure Nakor could explain this backwards season to him, but he wasn’t sure he was up for hearing the little man’s explanation.

Trumpets continued, insistent, and Erik started to hurry to see what the matter was. As he neared his own tent area, Foster came running toward him and shouted, ‘Get those horses down here! That’s a call to quarter! We’re being put on notice a fight’s going to break out!’

Erik dashed back up the hill and down into the next small valley, and waved his hand as he shouted to the men standing guard. ‘Bring as many as you can lead!’ He hurried past to the most distant picket line, and managed to lead four horses away. Others came hurrying past, and before he had reached the main camp, every horse was being led after him.

The men broke camp faster than Erik had ever seen. Calis gave orders for a defensive perimeter to be established, and a company began digging a breastwork. Archers scanned the hill below for signs of anyone heading their way.

Despite the sound to quarter, no sounds of battle erupted from below. Instead, a strange buzzing sound carried up the hill, and it took Erik a long minute to realize he was listening to men’s voices. Arguments and curses carried up the hillside, and the sound carried a frantic quality, but there were still no sounds of fighting.

At last Calis said, ‘Bobby, take some men down there and find out what’s going on.’

De Loungville said, ‘Biggo, von Darkmoor, Jadow, and Jerome, with me.’

Roo laughed. ‘He’s got the four biggest men in the company to hide behind.’

De Loungville turned in a single motion, looked at Roo, and said, ‘And you, my little man.’ With evil delight in his eyes, he grinned as he said, ‘You can stand on my shield side. If trouble erupts, I’m going to pick you up and throw you at the first man heading my way!’

Roo rolled his eyes heavenward and fell in beside Erik. ‘That will teach me to keep my mouth shut.’

Erik said, ‘I doubt it.’

They made their way down into the camp below on foot, trying not to call attention to themselves as they approached another campsite. Men were arguing with one another as they came within earshot.

‘I don’t care, it’s an insult. I say let’s ride south and take whatever the Priest-King offers.’

Another voice said, ‘You want to fight your way out, so you can turn around and fight again?’

Erik tried to make sense of the remarks, but de Loungville said, ‘Follow me.’

He made his way through several such camps, more than one marked by a busy attempt to get ready to ride. One man said, ‘If you break to the east, up this river, then cut through the hills to the south, you will probably get free.’

The man next to him answered, ‘What? You’re an oracle now?’

De Loungville led them to the area surrounding the brokers’ tent, where he found a knot of terrified brokers standing outside their own tent. He pushed past and entered.

A low wooden desk was used by the brokers, and behind it sat a large man in fine armor, well cared for but obviously used often. His feet rested on the polished wood, mud scattering all over the documents still upon them. He looked little different from the other soldiers in camp except that he was older, perhaps older than Praji and Vaja, the oldest men in Calis’s company. But rather than of age, his aura was that of a man of profound experience. He calmly looked at de Loungville and his companions as they entered, and nodded to another soldier who stood behind him. Both wore an emerald green armband on their left arm, but otherwise they wore no distinctive markings or uniform.

De Loungville stopped and said, ‘Well then, what fool blows a call to quarters?’

‘I have no idea,’ said the old soldier. ‘I certainly didn’t want to cause this much commotion.’

‘Are you the Emerald Queen’s agent?’

The man said, ‘I am General Gapi. I’m no one’s “agent.” I’m here to inform you of your choices.’

Erik sensed something in this man he had seen in a few others—the Prince of Krondor, Duke James, and Calis upon occasion. It was a sureness of command, an expectation that orders would be followed without debate, and Erik decided that this man’s title was no mercenary vanity. This man commanded an army.

De Loungville put his hands on his hips and said, ‘Oh, and what choices are those?’

‘You can serve the Emerald Queen or you can die.’

With a slight gesture of his head, de Loungville instructed the men around him to spread out. Erik stepped to his right, until he stood opposite the single soldier in the tent behind Gapi. De Loungville said, ‘Usually I get paid to fight. But your tone makes me think I might be willing to forgo payment this one time.’

Gapi sighed. ‘Break the peace of the camp at risk, Captain.’

‘I’m no Captain,’ said de Loungville. ‘I am a sergeant. My Captain sent me down to see what the fuss was.’

‘The fuss, as you call it,’ answered Gapi, ‘is the consternation of men too stupid to realize they have no choice. So you don’t hear a garbled version of what was said here an hour ago, I’ll repeat this so you can tell your Captain.

‘All companies of mercenaries mustering in this valley must swear fealty to the Emerald Queen. We begin our campaign downriver against Lanada in a month’s time.

‘If you attempt to leave to take service with Our Lady’s enemies, you will be hunted down and killed.’

‘And who’s doing this hunting and killing?’ asked de Loungville.

With an easy smile, Gapi said, ‘The thirty thousand soldiers who are now surrounding this pleasant little valley.’

De Loungville turned and glanced outside the tent. He searched the ridges above the valley and saw movement, a glint of light upon metal or a flicker of shadow, but enough to tell him that a sizable force was ringing the valley. Letting out an exasperated sound, he said, ‘We wondered what was taking you so long to reach here. We didn’t think you’d be coming in force.’

‘Carry word to your Captain. You have no choice.’

Looking at the General, de Loungville seemed about to say something. Then he just nodded and motioned for the others to follow him.

They were silent until they were away from the main camp, when Erik said, ‘You look bothered. Sergeant. I thought the purpose was to join this army.’

‘I don’t like it when the other side changes the rules,’ said de Loungville. ‘Around here you pay a man to fight. I think we may be getting sucked deeper into the sand than we thought.

‘Besides,’ he added, ‘when I’m going to get buggered, I like to be asked nicely first. It annoys me when I’m not.’

• Chapter Seventeen • Discovery

Roo pointed.

In the distance, fire marked a skirmish. True to his word, General Gapi attacked any band seeking to leave to the south. A few captains were stiff-backed enough to try to smash their way through the encircling army, and they were met with the full weight of those soldiers already in better positions and dug in.

The valley might have made a pleasant enough place for the rendezvous, but as a place from which to launch an attack it had little to recommend it. Since it was narrow and steep to the north and south, the only possible means of escape was through the eastern end, the way Vaja and his companions had come, which he reported as being treacherous hills with unforgiving trails for those taking a wrong turn. Still, some smaller bands attempted to leave this way.

Others moved out as did Calis’s Crimson Eagles, either to serve and take whatever recompense might be forthcoming through looting or other rewards, or to steal away at some future opportunity. Everywhere Erik looked he saw unhappy men. De Loungville wasn’t the only one feeling buggered without leave.

Those who obeyed General Gapi’s orders mustered in columns at the lowest end of the river, just before it joined with the larger Vedra. A bridge, long burned out in some forgotten war, marked the place, and a series of ferries had been established to provide transport from north to south on the east side of the Vedra or from east to west below the nameless tributary.

Calis’s company was among the last to reach the ferry, having quartered higher up in the valley than most, and as a result they were afforded a longer opportunity to sit and watch than those who came before. Men, and a few women, from every corner of Novindus were moving across the river, crossing to join those, like Calis’s, already on the south bank.

A man wearing a green armband rode up and said, ‘What company?’

De Loungville pointed at Calis, who sat next to him on the left, and said, ‘Calis’s Crimson Eagles, from the City of the Serpent River.’

The man frowned, looking at Calis. ‘From the siege at Hamsa?’

Calis nodded.

The man grinned and there was nothing friendly in the expression. ‘I almost had you, you slippery bastard. But you went east to the Jeshandi, and by the time my company doubled back, you were into the steppes.’ He looked hard at Calis. ‘Had I known you were of the long-lived I would have headed east straight away. A lot of your kind with the Jeshandi.’

He took out a parchment and a charcoal stick, made some marks, and said, ‘But Our Lady accepts all who come to her, so we’re on the same side now.’ He waved toward the south. ‘Make your way downriver about a mile. Find the Master of the Camp there and report in. In a few days you’ll get orders. Until then the rules of the camp are simple: any fighting, and you’re killed. We’re all brothers now, under the banner of the Emerald Queen, so any man who starts trouble goes to the stake. I don’t recommend it; I’ve seen some men twitch for an hour or longer.’

He didn’t ask if the order was understood, simply putting heels to his horse and riding off toward the next company.

‘That was simple,’ said Praji, who sat on Calis’s left.

Calis said, ‘Let’s find this Master of the Camp and report in. We might as well get situated as quickly as possible.’ He nodded at Praji and Vaja, who peeled off from the company without comment.

‘What’s that?’ asked Erik quietly.

Foster, who was riding next to Erik, said, ‘Keep your mouth shut.’

But Nakor laughed. ‘With all the confusion, it’s easy to get separated from one’s own company. It may take Praji and Vaja days to find out where we’re camped. They’ll have lots of time to hear many things.’

Calis shook his head and looked over his shoulder, as if warning the Isalani to keep this to himself, but the little man giggled in delight at the notion. He said, ‘I think I’ll get lost for a while, too.’ He tossed his reins to Luis, saying, ‘I do better on foot,’ and slid off his horse.

Before Calis could object, he was scampering down to where a huge company of horsemen was disembarking from barges while another large company rode in from the west. Within minutes the two companies were locked in milling confusion and Nakor had vanished into the press, ducking between horsemen who shouted curses as their horses shied at Nakor’s sudden movements.

Calis said, ‘He’s done this before.’

Foster looked after Nakor with black murder in his eyes, but Calis and de Loungville only shook their heads.

They found the Master of the Camp hours later. A narrow face with dark, darting eyes regarded them as Calis reported in. He made a mark on a document, then waved toward the riverbank. ‘Find a spot between here and two miles downriver. There are other companies scattered along both sides of the road. Find a campsite between the river and the road. There should be a company calling itself Gegari’s Command, just to the north of you. Across the road will be a company under a captain named Dalbrine. If you move south of that position, you will be assumed to be deserting and you will be hunted down. Those not killed will be brought back for public execution. And do not try to cross the river.’ He made a vague motion across the river, where in the distance they could see a company of horse riding along at an easy lope.

Something bothered Erik, and then he realized that the riders and horses were far too large for the distance and the speed they were moving. He blinked as he tried to make sense of the image, then he realized what he was seeing. ‘Lizard men!’ he said aloud without thinking.

The Master of the Camp said, ‘Our Lady’s allies are called the Saaur. Do not call them “lizards” or “snakes,” lest you incur her wrath.’ He motioned for Calis to lead his company away as another company approached from behind.

Squinting against the afternoon sun, Erik tried to make sense of the distant riders.

‘Those horses must be twenty hands,’ said Sho Pi.

‘Closer to twenty-two or -four,’ said Erik. ‘They’re bigger than draft animals, but they move like cavalry mounts.’ As the riders moved away, he admired the fluid motion of the horses. The Saaur rode with an easy rocking seat, though their bodies looked oddly top-heavy, as their armor was cut in an almost triangular configuration due to flaring shoulder guards and a cinched waist. ‘I’d like to get a closer look at one of those horses,’ said Erik.

‘No you wouldn’t,’ snapped de Loungville. ‘At least, not one with a rider on his back.’

Erik shook his head in wonder as the riders were lost in the distant afternoon haze.

They located the campsite, and Calis made a guarded introduction to his neighboring captains. It was clear that no one was feeling talkative, as none of the companies knew if those next to them were actively supporting the cause of the Emerald Queen or were those coerced into serving.

Erik was no military expert, but he got the feeling that in this strange country, with its custom of hiring men to fight as opposed to supporting standing armies, having men without loyalty under arms was not a very smart thing to do. Still, no general uprising seemed to be taking place, so Erik assumed those in command of this host knew something he didn’t, and left it at that.

Calis ordered the men to bed down without erecting tents. There was no order given to dig a perimeter defense or erect a breastwork. It was clear without being said that he wanted the men to be up off the ground and on horseback in the shortest possible time if the need arose.

After the second day, the surrounding camps became small communities, to be visited if the men weren’t on duty. Bartering, gambling, swapping stories, or just alleviating the boredom of a camp between battles, the men wandered as far as they could without causing trouble. The level of trust was rising, albeit slowly, as those forced to serve grew more accepting of fate. They might resent having no choice as to who their new master was, but for most captains, one side was as good as the other, and booty was booty.

Some companies had an open attitude, welcoming a new face who might bring some news, gold to gamble, or just a break from the routine. But others were still wary, and twice Roo and Erik had been told to keep moving when they approached one of those camps.

The second night, Foster walked through the camp, stopping at every group of men to speak with them. He came upon Erik, Roo, Sho Pi, and Luis, who were sitting around a fire, watching as Biggo and Natombi took their turn cooking for the squad. ‘Here!’ he said, motioning for the men to stand.

When they did, he opened a purse and counted out two golden coins and five silver for each man. In a low voice he said, ‘Mercenaries get paid, and if you can’t buy something from a vendor or whore now and again, you’ll get people asking questions about us. And the first man who gets drunk and says the wrong thing into the wrong ear, I’ll personally have his liver on a stick!’

Erik hefted the coins, feeling them cold in his hand. He hadn’t held coins since leaving Darkmoor, he realized, and it made him feel good to be able to buy something. He put them into a pouch sewn into a seam in his tunic, where they would be safe.

Whores appeared later that night, plying their trade. Without tents, there was little privacy, but that seemed to bother few of the men. Many simply pulled the woman of their choice under a blanket and ignored whoever might be sitting a few feet away.

A pair of them came by where Erik and Roo sat, and one said, ‘Looking for some company, boys?’

Roo grinned and suddenly Erik found himself flushing with embarrassment. The last time whores had visited their camp, at the other site up on the tributary of the Vedra, he had been looking after the horses and they had moved on by the time he returned. He was certain he was the only man in camp who had never lain with a woman. Erik thought, I might never get the chance again. He looked at his friend, whose smile spread ear to ear, then found himself grinning back. ‘Why not?’ he asked.

One of the women said, ‘We get paid first?’

Roo laughed. ‘And pigs fly.’ He waved at the camp. ‘We’re not going anywhere, but we can’t say the same for you, now, can we?’

The whore who had spoken gave him a sour look, but she nodded. ‘You’re not as young as you look, I wager.’

Roo stood up. ‘I’m older than I’ve ever been before in my life.’

The whore looked confused by the statement, but followed Roo as he motioned for her to follow.

Erik stood, finding himself alone with the other woman. She could have been young, but it was difficult to tell. A hard expression and the dim campfire light made it impossible to tell if she was closer to fifteen years or forty. Some grey in her dark hair convinced him she was older than he, but he didn’t know if that made him feel more comfortable or less.

‘Here?’ she asked.

‘What?’

‘Do you want to do it here, or somewhere else?’

Suddenly feeling profoundly embarrassed, Erik said, ‘Let’s go down by the river.’

He stuck out his hand awkwardly and she took it, her grip firm and her hand dry. He suddenly felt regret for the gesture, as his palm was damp and his grip uncertain.

She laughed softly and he said, ‘What?’

‘First time, is it?’

He said, ‘Why … of course not, it’s just … been a long time, with travel and …’

‘Of course,’ she said. Erik couldn’t tell if there was warmth in her amusement or contempt. He led her down to the bank of the river, and nearly stepped on a couple who were in a frantic embrace. He moved to where it was relatively dark, and stood there uncertain.

The woman quickly was out of her clothing, and Erik felt his own body respond to the sight of her. Her body was nothing extraordinary, a little plump around the hips and thighs, and her breasts sagged, but he suddenly thought of what he was about to do and he couldn’t get out of his clothing fast enough. He had his tunic off and was working on his boots when she said, ‘You’re a big lad, aren’t you?’