Chapter Five
Thus officially summoned,I stepped up the dais to her throne. When she’d removed the vacant thrones, she’d replaced the imposing and unyielding one of her father’s with a wooden one that gave a nod to the other half of her heritage. A gift from the Tala, it had been created from wood and magic. Not carved, but grown into its shape, the mahogany hardwood flowed without seam or nail,a bloodred nearly black, into the form of spread hawk’s wings. The arms and feet of the great chair echoed talons and the winged back provided a striking frame for the High Queen’s imposing presence.
By staying one level below her, I observed protocol and avoided appearing to loom over her. “Nothing urgent,” I replied. “Dary spotted something strange in the shadows, but it seemed to disappearagain.”
Ursula considered that with interest. Even now she knew all of her Hawks by name. “Dary has sharp eyes. Almost as good as Jepp. Still it would be helpful to augment the watch with some of the shapeshifters Andi promised to send.”
“We’re bringing in dogs and falcons,” I reported, “but supplementing with shapeshifter eyes would be ideal.”
She considered me. “Perhaps you could travel toAnnfwn with the message. Andi might take that more seriously.”
I caught and held her gaze, delicately setting my mental feet on the narrow line between subject and lover. “Don’t send me away.”
“Would you go if I ordered it?” She sounded idly curious. And didn’t fool me for a moment.
I simply saluted her with theElskastholrr, not with a blade—even I didn’t draw on the High Throne—but with twofingers against my forehead in lieu of a blade. The essence of the vow is in the physical demonstration and, indeed, no words go with it. The intent lies entirely in the heart and mind.
She read it in me with a flicker of resignation, and broke her gaze away to the patiently waiting courtiers. “As you were,” she told me, the quiet words speaking volumes.
I’d returned to my place and she to thebusiness of the realm, when the warning bells sounded from the walls. First-level alert. The courtiers erupted into shouts of panic.
Drawing my broadsword, I positioned myself in front of the throne, scanning the room for signs of attack before glancing back at Ursula, who’d leapt to her feet, her own sword in hand. “You know the drill, Your Majesty,” I declared loudly enough for all nearby tohear.
Members of Ordnung’s guard and Ursula’s Hawks, a protective cadre I’d personally chosen, formed a circle around the throne, more running into the room.
She glared at me in impotent fury, but in this situation our hierarchy reversed itself. As much as she might resent it, the focus of Ordnung’s response to attack had to be protecting the High Queen. We’d fought about it at length—usuallywith most stimulating results—and she’d at last conceded responsibility to me in a state of emergency.
Satisfied with her protection, I nodded at the ranking commander. “If you don’t hear the all-clear, take Her Majesty to the safe room.”
She saluted in the Hawk’s style, fist over heart.
“Harlan!” Ursula’s voice cut through the chaos.
I looked to her, braced for argument, but she set her jaw.“Be careful.”
“Always.” I grinned at her, her exasperated glare giving me heart, then took off running down the center aisle, courtiers scurrying still to both clear the way and move closer to safety. One part of my mind—the part that had made the Vervaldr the best mercenary troop a fortune could buy—noted what worked in our emergency plan and what didn’t.
Courtiers, curse the lot of them, actedmore like terrified chickens than anything. A few, the savvy and those experienced in the conflicts that had shaken their kingdoms over the last years, handled the crisis with efficient, even cynical calm. Most, however, had gone straight into panic and hindered the rest.
Next time—if we had a next time—I’d have troops assigned to crowd control. The former dungeons, now a growing library, madefor excellent safe rooms. The deepest and most difficult to access was reserved for Ursula and the best of her elite guards, but no reason the courtiers couldn’t be sent directly to the rooms that ringed it. More buffer against the enemy reaching the High Queen.
A grim smile stretched my lips as I shouldered a panicked young diplomat aside, his pile of scrolls scattering across the floor, andI imagined him giving his life to protect his liege.
The savage fantasy helped vent my frustration. Truly Ursula should be in the safe room already, but—as with all things to do with her—I’d also eventually compromised. She’d successfully convinced me that it would make her look weak if she ran and hid at the first alarm, but she’d promised to go at the second-level bells, or in the absence ofan all clear. Theoretically.
I’d believe it when I saw her do it. She refused to drill in worst case scenarios.
My own handpicked team fell in behind me as I barreled out of the throne room and into the formal courtyard of the castle. Composed of Vervaldr, Hawks, and a few others, these fighters all either augmented my own strengths or compensated for my weaknesses. At least, those weaknessesI could do anything about. The biggest one should be in a safe room and wasn’t.
Deliberately, I cleared my mind, reciting the mantras of theSkablykyrr, the ancient words tolling in my mind and driving out everything else. I needed to fight and kill, to do and be nothing else but the intelligence behind my blade.
Taking the fastest route, I climbed the ladder to the walls, peripherally awareof the precision teams who raised the ladders for my comrades to climb, then lowered them again. We’d been able to drillthatmuch.
Brant awaited me as I topped the wall. “Dragon, Captain. Approaching from the west.” He pointed and I followed the line of his finger.
A densely dark flying creature flew steadily toward us. With the long-winged silhouette of a vulture, it seemed to be no biggerthan that—until I mentally measured it against the mountains. Enormous. Still distant, but rapidly gaining.
“Sand at the ready?” I jogged beside Brant.
