Siege of Tarr-Hostigos k-4 Page 14

  "Not surprisingly, there were thousands of Urgothi warriors whose clans and tribes were decimated during the Time of Troubles and most of them have flocked to his standard. Being a tribeless man in the Sastragath is a terrible fate, usually ending in indentured servitude, or outlawry. To be able to join the Warlord's Clan is not only a great honor, but also a refuge with possibilities of many battles and all the loot and honor that go along with them. Sargos has added so many clansmen to the Tymannes that they are now the largest clan in the unclaimed territories. Wannax Sargos is personally able to field about fifteen thousand warriors, with almost ten times that number of women and children!"

  Kalvan paused to knock the heel out of his pipe. "I learned a lot of this from his Warchief Vanar Halgoth, who arrived shortly after you returned to Greffa and brought me up to date. The last time I saw Sargos, all the warriors of the Tymannes didn't number more than a Royal regiment. I do remember warning him about establishing a cult of leadership without sufficient loyal troops."

  "Yes, and you also told him about the twenty acres, a mule and 10 golden Crowns. Now Sargos is settling his new clansmen along the Hos-Ktemnos border. That'll give King Cleitharses a few sleepless nights. He told me that your words convinced him that it was time to civilize the Sastragath before the Knights or Hos-Ktemnos did it under Styphon's House's direction."

  "I wish I'd sworn Sargos to take his horde into Hos-Ktemnos. I doubt that a Sastragathi invasion would take Grand Master Soton out of next spring's campaign, but Great King Cleitharses of Hos-Ktemnos would think twice before sending any troops north with Sargos and his army knocking on the back door!"

  Verkan laughed, but the smile quickly vanished. "No one expected Styphon's House to rear up off its hindquarters as if bitten on the end-parts by a wolf! Besides, Sargos might have had to turn you down, which would have meant a blood-debt had gone unpaid-and that might have brought about a real breach between the two of you."

  Kalvan finished refilling his pipe with fresh tobacco and nodded. "You're right. Maybe we can get some help from Great King Nestros. I'll have to send an envoy-Prince Ptosphes, maybe Harmakros too, since they hit it off. Anyone with less status than First Prince Ptosphes, Nestros would be sure to see as an insult, damn his thick skull! I don't have enough good officers to send them haring off on wild-goose chases in Hos-Rathon!"

  "From what Tortha told me of your Trygathi campaign, Nestros certainly owes you anything you might ask for. As for Sargos, I'm sure he would be more than glad to 'help' out. But he told me that he has already promised his Ruthani allies that he would take a large force into the Sea of Grass to fight against the invaders from the South. Sargos told me that if he can take the war across the Great River that will help settle things in the Sastragath so he will be able to concentrate his future energies on building his new realm. Also, it's been a long time since any Sastragathi Warlord has taken his army into the Sea of Grass and I think that appeals to his vanity. With the firearms he scrounged during the war and the ones you sent him, he'll certainly have more firepower than any Sastragathi army before him."

  Kalvan took a long pull on his pipe. "Sargos doesn't strike me as a man who fights for vainglory; I think he's still establishing his leadership position among the clans and villages of the Sastragath. By taking his warriors across the Great River he's reversing the usual invasion route and proving his capability as Warlord and Var-Wannax. If he's already making the changes you've mentioned, he's going to need all the credibility he can get. Still, we could use his help."

  Verkan nodded his agreement. "Now that the Fireseed Mystery is blown, time is running out for Styphon's House. They must realize they need to win this war while they're still controlling the Southern Kingdoms.

  All you have to do is hold out for two or three more winters, and Styphon's House -will collapse from the inside of dry rot."

  "It can't happen too soon," Kalvan replied, shaking his head.

  II

  Archpriest Anaxthenes knew he should be packing for his departure to Balph, but his mind was too crowded with plots and machinations. Great King Lysandros had been obviously pleased that such a high-ranking Archpriest, the Speaker of the Inner Circle, had arrived in Harphax City to officiate at the enthronement. Anaxthenes had met with Archpriest Grythos, Grand Master Soton's candidate for the Inner Circle, and had found him to be a strong potential ally. Soton and he had discussed many issues and found themselves in agreement on most of them. They had even discussed ways to decrease Investigator Roxthar's influence over the Temple Guardsmen. For the first time since Kalvan had begun his conquest of Hos-Harphax, Anaxthenes believed his own star was again on the ascent.

  Anaxthenes heard the knock at the door, stopped his pacing, and turned around. His bedchamber was fit for a prince and recently re-modeled by Great King Lysandros for visiting dignitaries to the palace. Former King Kaiphranos had let the palace fall into disrepair and Lysandros had spent a small fortune-mostly borrowed from the Temple-to refurbish it for his enthronement. The Archpriest, however, was oblivious to the satin and velvet furnishings, and only had eyes for the door. "Who is it?"

  "It's Petty-Captain Fydar. I have someone who says he has your permission to call."

  Anaxthenes opened to door to see the Royal Bodyguard holding a short, hunchbacked man in a black robe by the scruff of his neck. It must be important or Yagos would have never come directly to his chamber.

  "Let him down, Petty-Captain." The bodyguard grimaced but let the little man drop to the floor like a bag of laundry.

  "Thank you, Archpriest," the little man said in a surprisingly deep voice, as he scrambled to his feet.

  "You may go, Petty-Captain." Anaxthenes passed him a small purse. "I would be most appreciative if you told no one of this visit."

  "Yes, Your Sanctity." The Petty-Captain had the look of a man who'd seen all manner of comings and goings in the palace and knew when it was smart to keep his mouth shut.

  After the door was closed, Anaxthenes asked, "How did you fare, Deacon Yagos?"

  The little man rubbed his hands nervously. "It was more difficult than I expected, Your Sanctity. This mercenary Captain-General commands more loyalty than most of that breed. I had to spend one purse on drinks for these mercenaries that call themselves the Iron Band. Among them they would drink the Harph River dry were it ale!"

  "Yes, yes, go on!"

  "They told marvelous and wondrous tales about fighting the Daemon Kalvan and his soldiers, but no one knew much about their captain-other than he makes yearly treks to Zygros City."

  "I'm not surprised. His accent is Zygrosi. Go on, Yagos."

  "I tried to talk to General Kyblannos, but he is married to his guns and has little interest in anything than doesn't clank or go bang. Grand-Captain Geblon has been with Captain-General Phidestros for eight winters, since he was a petty-captain. The man, besides an unquenchable thirst for drink, has an endless well of stories about his leader. Even falling off his stool, he wouldn't talk about Phidestros' journeys to Zygros City."

  "So, then?"

  "I found the highest priced madam in Harphax City. For a large purse of gold I was able to purchase the services of a most magnificent harlot."

  "I take it you had a plan in mind?" Anaxthenes asked dryly.

  "Oh, yes, Archpriest! I paid the Lady Sessadra-she claims to be Prince Selestros' bastard daughter-five golden rakmars, with a promise of ten more were she able to bring me the information I required. I then escorted her to the Red Dog Tavern, with the Temple Guard you loaned me-a wise precaution, Your Sanctity, since the two of us would not have walked six paces before this goddess was spirited away, so lovely is she."

  "Please, spare me! The information-what did you learn about our Captain-General Phidestros?"

  "Ahhh. Geblon could not wait to take her to his chambers. I watched from behind a barrel, while she stunned him with beauty like a snake spells a fat bird. Oh, our poor Grand-Captain never had a chance. He told her all about his great Captain-Ge
neral and how it was rumored in the Zygros City wine shops that he was the get of the Zygrosi royals. Some say he is the spitting image of Grand Duke Eudocles, when he was a young man. Is this the Hos-Zygros connection you suspected, Your Sanctity?"

  "You have done well, Yagos," Anaxthenes said, removing a large purse from the cupboard. He turned and tossed it to the little priest. "Here is your reward. Your goddess awaits!"

  The little man nodded, as the purse disappeared within his tattered robe. "You know me well, Your Sanctity."

  "Too well. Just don't mark the Lady up too badly; I don't want to have any complaints from the city warden. Great King Lysandros is said to have little patience with lawbreakers. I will not buy your freedom again. And see that you're not too drunk to report to the packet I have arranged for your transport, when we leave this barbarous kingdom on the third morning. If you're not at the dock on time, you can walk back to Balph!"

  "Yes, Your Sanctity. I will return in time."

  "See that you do!" Anaxthenes forgot the little man the minute he left the room. So much planning to do. Now that he had his observation verified: what to do? He knew Great King Lysandros would find this information most interesting, but Lysandros was of little use to him. Anaxthenes had taken his measure of Lysandros; he neither trusted the Great King nor his 'ardent' belief in Styphon. Lysandros was a man who loved himself before all things-including men and gods. Nor was he a fanatic like Rox-thar, trying to remake the world as he thought it should be. Should he tell the Grand Master? Yes. Soton might find this information of value in his dealings with Phidestros. Of one thing he was certain, someday this information would be worth much more than a dozen purses of gold.

  III

  Kalvan looked down at the parchment sent to him by his Chief of Intelligence, Duke Skranga. He had spent the day with Master Ermut trying to explain the concept of a lens for the new telescopes, or farseers as Ermut called them. It was too late to return to Tarr-Hostigos, so he was running over some of the day's briefings. One of Skranga's moles at Tarr-Harphax had picked up a very interesting bit of information, a communique between Great King Lysandros and Great King Niclophon of Hos-Bletha. The Hos-Blethan King was sending five thousand regulars from the Royal Army and another six thousand irregulars, mostly light cavalry and javelin throwers, under the command of Captain-General Lykron to join the invasion of Hos-Hostigos in the spring. The troops and their mounts would be ferried by Styphon's Great Fleet directly to Port Naphros in Hos-Ktemnos and from there they'd join the Great Host atTarr-Veblos.

  Kalvan shook his head wearily and poured another shot of Ermut's Best into his new glass goblet, swirling the burgundy spirits around the glass before drinking it all down in one gulp. Suddenly the Styphon's House sponsored invasion force was beginning to live up to its billing as the Grand Host, as Great King Lysandros was calling it as he rallied his under lords. Captain-General Phidestros already had a sizeable Harphaxi force, five thousand cavalry and six thousand infantry, not counting the City Bands. If Great King Cleitharses sent the Sacred Square and the other Princely squares, or tercios, Kalvan could be facing another twelve to fifteen thousand Ktemnoi-next to the Hostigi the best man-for-man army in the Seven Kingdoms, or Eight counting the Sastragath under Wannax Sargos as a Great Kingdom, which it would be soon under his dynamic leadership. Kalvan could really use the sixty thousand nomads that had helped chase Grand Master Soton and his Knights back to Tarr-Ceros; unfortunately, they were all irregulars and couldn't be harnessed up and set aside for a rainy day. He had a feeling that Hos-Hostigos was going to be in the middle of a veritable manure storm come spring.

  He needed a way to tie down those troops from Hos-Bletha, since there was nothing he could do short of an invasion of Hos-Ktemnos to keep the Sacred Squares out of the war. Maybe it was time to use some of the Confederate guerrilla tactics that his maternal great-grandfather, a former Virginian, used to tell him about as a lad. Winter was approaching and time was running short. Whom could he send? Skranga had the brains; once he was given the mission he'd improvise and make it work, if it could be done at all. He'd need a military advisor, but which one?

  Someone with leadership qualities, like Harmakros-but he needed Har-makros at home to fight the Styphoni.

  If truth be known, Kalvan himself was the perfect candidate to lead a popular uprising. With Verkan's help, they could have the Blethan countryside in such an uproar it wouldn't subside for a decade! It would be fun too. A sojourn to Hos-Bletha would give him and Rylla some needed breathing room too but, sadly, without the Gods-Sent-Kalvan to depend upon, the Army of Hos-Hostigos would shrivel up and blow away. He was growing weary of the role of the indispensable man. Kalvan poured himself another slug of brandy.

  Then it hit him like a flash: Colonel Democriphon. Democriphon was an excellent officer and tactician as long as it was an independent command, but balked at orders when part of a force. Yes, he would be an ideal officer for this kind of campaign, although like Custer before him, Democriphon suffered from a bad case of over-inflated ego. If he pulled this off and took some of the military pressure off Hostigos, he would be welcome to it. It would be best to let him pick his own troops too. He was commander of the Third Royal Regiment of Horse. No riflemen. That would mark them as Hostigi right at the outset. Democriphon needed some kind of cover story.

  Kalvan needed more information about Hos-Bletha, but Skranga was back in Hostigos Town, and the only Blethan Kalvan knew was the troubadour Gasphros who was the University gadfly. For being untutored- although Kalvan suspected Gasphros' childhood station had been higher than the troubadour let on-he had the intuitive gift of making interesting connections and asking the right questions. Gasphros had proven to be an asset to the University--enough so that Kalvan had put him on salary as a 'roving' recruiter. Young people flocked after him like the Pied Piper.

  Gasphros had also been one of Skranga's best operatives in Harphax City until the Duke's cover had been blown. Gasphros had been a fixture at Skranga's legendary soirees and had left, like Skranga, one step ahead of the local gendarmes.

  Kalvan had given Cleon permission to retire hours ago, so he went down the stairs into the kitchen where the best of the University's interdisciplinary work took place. He found Ermut in the midst of a deep discussion with Gasphros over the length of the copper condensing tubes for the new distillery that was being constructed on the outskirts of Hostigos Town. Already, the taverns and inns in town were ordering more brandy than Ermut could produce at the University's makeshift distillery. Kalvan, with a huge standing army to support, needed all the revenue he could squeeze-casks of brandy were selling for three times the price of winter wine.

  Kalvan was tempted to start distilling corn mash, until he remembered the horror stories that occurred when cheap gin was distilled from grain and sold in England on the streets by the cupful-"drunk for a penny, dead drunk for two." Alcoholism had hit England's poor with the savagery of the Great Pox. Cheap distilled spirits from grain or corn would come along soon enough, with or without his help, but Kalvan didn't want to be known for bringing this plague into the Seven Kingdoms.

  "Gasphros, come into my study. I have some questions about Hos-Bletha I need answered."

  Gasphros emptied his tankard of ale and pushed himself away from the table with his more than ample belly. "My information is badly out of date, but I'd be glad to share it with you, Your Majesty."

  "Good." Kalvan said as he led the way up the staircase.

  Gasphros was puffing by the time they reached the study. "I'm out of shape. It's time to go a-wandering again."

  Kalvan smiled. "That's just what I had in mind."

  Gasphros intelligent eyes peered over his bearded cheeks and into Kalvan's own. Kalvan pointed to a chair, sat down behind his desk and pulled out a pouch of tobacco. Gasphros' long clay pipe was out and filled before Kalvan had time to reach for his own. They both lit up, using Kalvan's Name Day tinderbox, which was made of brass and in the shape of a cannon: a present
from Rylla during better times.

  Gasphros picked up the heavy tinderbox and examined it closely. "This is a remarkable piece of craftsmanship. It even has a real barrel."

  Kalvan pointed to flintlock mechanism. "Reverse this and you've got a working pistol!" Kalvan reached over and reversed the flintlock to where it would flash into the touchhole of the tiny barrel.

  "Amazing! Who made this?"

  "Count Rogos, a friend of the family and a wonderful goldsmith. Rylla likes for me to shoot it off whenever we win a battle." He pointed to the wainscot where there were two rows of tiny lead balls sunken into the wood. "Have to be careful of the load or it'll put a hole in the wall." He uncorked the stopper on the decanter of Ermut's Best and asked, "Would you like a drink?"

  "Certainly. If I didn't take one, it would be the first one I've ever turned down, Your Majesty."

  Kalvan nodded and filled Gasphros' goblet. "From the latest intelligence reports from Harphax City, it appears that Styphon's House is using every bit of influence it has to get all the soldiers in the Five Kingdoms into Hos-Harphax to fight against Hostigos."

  "You'll tan their hides, Your Majesty! You always have before."

  Kalvan bit down on his pipe stem. "This is going to be a bigger and tougher and more experienced army than anything we've faced."

  "You mean the so-called Grand Host might even live up to its name?"

  "Exactly. I just learned today that a sizable army is set to arrive this spring from Hos-Bletha. Delivered to our back porch, lock, stock and barrel, by Styphon's Great Fleet. What I need to do is to pick your brain of knowledge about Hos-Bletha."