men standing farther back. “Is that him? You’re one of his guards, aren’t you? Or his second? No, he’d leave his second in command inside, in case something happened.”
“Do you have something to say? If not, this meeting is over,” growled the Darrowan.
As the man spoke, the one farther back stepped forward, putting a hand on the pretender’s shoulder. “It’s all right, Darrell.” Then he gave Will an annoyed look before introducing himself, “Lionell Durant, Captain Commander of the Klendon garrison. You’re perceptive for a young man, but I’m not sure I believe you’re who you say you are.”
Will’s eyes lit with interest and he leaned forward slightly. “I doubt we’ll settle anything at this meeting. I am in charge of this army, and my purpose here is to give you a choice, and set my words in your heart when the time comes for you to choose again.”
“A choice? I’m not going to surrender to some wet-behind-the-ears boy, not when I’ve got every advantage. Klendon’s walls are unbreakable. The only choice here is yours. You can lay siege to Klendon, in which case you’re currently in a bad position with those bridges behind you, or you can cross and try to fight this war without your supply lines, because I guarantee we will disrupt them continually.”
He didn’t flinch at the man’s derision. Will’s face was intense, and he never looked away. Make him believe it. “If you surrender today, I will take you into temporary custody, and Klendon will serve as a logistical supply hub for the Terabinian army. Once the war is concluded, you’ll be returned to your lands and allowed to keep whatever titles you currently possess.”
“You’re insane.”
Will held up one hand. “I’m not done. This is your first chance, but I’ll give you one more in the days to come. If you surrender then, I’ll give you the same terms. Lognion wants to annex Darrow, not burn it, so the fewer people I have to kill the better.”
Durant laughed. “You know I won’t accept that. Nor will I change my mind, no matter what threats you make.”
“It’s not a threat. If you refuse the next chance, I’ll see that you lose everything, including your life. I won’t forgive a leader who needlessly sacrifices the lives of those he commands.”
“March back to Barrowden and I’ll let you go without a fight. If your army is still here tomorrow you won’t get out without losing a significant amount of blood,” said Durant coldly. Then he looked at his escort. “We’re done.”
As they began to walk back to Klendon, Will reiterated, “Don’t forget my words.”
One of the guards beside him, Mark Nerrow, let out a long sigh. “Told you that wouldn’t accomplish much. If anything, he has less respect for you now.”
Will smiled. “It works better if he thinks I’m young and foolish. If he respected me, he’d be more inclined to be suspicious and he might think twice before trying to close the trap around us when the fighting starts.”
The sub-marshal looked thoughtful for a moment, then replied, “Good point.”
Chapter 29
“Lustral must be losing his mind right now,” said Mark Nerrow. “The fact that you haven’t sent the other divisions across the bridges makes our position even more untenable.”
“Even if we did it wouldn’t be great,” said Will. “Since there’s three bridges, we’d have to split them on the north and south sides of the main river to guard both.” The sun had set hours ago, and unlike a more ordinary camp situation, the Terabinian army didn’t just have watches set, but rather the entire army was rotating their sleeping times in four-hour increments. The end result was that at least one-third of the men were awake and armed at all times. After eating and settling in, the other officers and command staff had retired to their tents, but Mark had come to sit with Will until he was ready to rest.
“But having them on the other side of Klendon where they can’t do anything is pure madness, at least to any normal line of thinking.”
“True,” Will admitted. “I’ve put us neatly in the trap.”
“If Durant is suspicious, your counter-trap may not work.”
“Being underestimated because of my age works in my favor. He’s more likely to think I’m a fool,” Will replied, trying to reassure himself with the words. Deep down, he wished he could run. He’d just as soon tell the king to go to hell and abscond with Selene—if it weren’t for all the consequences everyone