Griogal answered. “Probably because they don’t know for sure how powerful our princess is.”
“If so, they’re biding their time until the gigatherion arrives,” Loran said.
“Then we must fight now!” said Griogal, pounding his chest with his fist.
“The other side must expect us to do that, but… it seems we have no choice.”
“And Griogal of Ledon,”the loud voice went on.“Aiding the treasonous is also treason. But if you capture Loran and bring her to us, we shall extend the hand of mercy to the tribes.”
Griogal scoffed. “The warriors of our fifteen tribes shall be the vanguard. Not to put too fine a point on it, but most in the Arlander army have never lifted a weapon until mere days ago. They will never break the Imperial formation.”
“You are correct, but the vanguard will be decimated by the chariots. Your five hundred warriors will fall before they even reach the enemy formation. I urge you to wait for your moment and attack from the flank, as we previously discussed.”
“But if we do not break their formation with the first charge, I am afraid that we shall lose even before the gigatherion gets here.”
Loran was reminded of the Ledonite sword doctrine.
“The undefeated gigatherion Clarios is on its way,”shouted the loud voice.“You cannot win.”
Loran wanted to scream at them to be quiet, but they wouldn’t be able to hear her from that distance.
“I shall lead the first charge,” she said instead.
Griogal cleared his throat. “Has the princess ever led an army into battle?”
“I have not.”
“The vanguard will be struck by the Empire’s cannons, as you yourself mentioned just now. Many will die before they even reach a stone’s throw of the enemy. The warriors of the fifteen tribes came ready for that sacrifice, but what of the farmers and the merchants? Do they understand what that would mean for them and their families?”
“Put down your weapons and surrender your leader. The blameless and ignorant people of Arland shall be left unharmed. Only the ringleaders shall face judgment.”
Loran smiled despite herself. It was the very “blameless and ignorant people of Arland” who had prevented her from surrendering in the first place. She looked down the fortress wall. None of the gathered seemed to pay the words of the Twenty-Fifth any mind. Many of them had joined her on her way to surrender, dissuading her every step of the way. She had witnessed their determination firsthand.
She said, “I believe that all those gathered here understand what it would mean.”
Griogal nodded. “Then only say the word. We five hundred are at the princess’s command.”
Ready to do so, Loran turned her head—and glimpsed a soldier on the wall opposite waving a red flag. There were two accompanying bursts from a bugle. Something had happened on that side.
Coming down the ladder, she said, “What is it?” Only after asking three more people as she rushed to that side of the fortress did she receive an answer.
“An army approaches from the east.”
A legion pincer attack was impossible. She had hunters roving those forests and hills as scouts, keeping an eye on the movements of the enemy. If there had been a detachment going around the fortress, they would have sent up smoke signals.
Crossing the fortress, too hurried to respond to the parting sea of soldiers bowing to her, she climbed the ladder on the other side to see this approaching army. She removed her eyepatch and concentrated on her left eye. The wriggling lumps in the distance began focusing into people. About a thousand of them. The banner was just about visible now.
The green lion. Kamori.
Loran shouted down the ladder, “Ready my horse! And a hundred soldiers to greet our reinforcements!”
Gwaharad came. Despite what happened, a thousand-strong Kamori Liberators came to aid Arland. Had he learned of Loran’s capture of the fortress, and changed his mind?
She quickly mounted and went galloping out the gate before a hundred soldiers had managed to gather. She kept looking back, wanting to go full speed to meet the Kamori, but the foot soldiers could not follow her so quickly.
The Kamori force finally came into full view. A young man inchain mail holding a long spear led the other soldiers. He seemed to recognize Loran and came swiftly ahead on his horse.
But something was off. Gwaharad was not leading this force. Nor did she find any others that she recognized from the underground palace. Had they sent a new commander? She was glad enough to be sent help, but couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed Gwaharad had not come himself.
