to listen.
“I’ve never seen anything like that,” said Mark Nerrow. “I haven’t even imagined anything like that.”
Laina responded first, “You mean you’ve never heard anything like that.”
Irritated, her father growled back, “You know what I mean! How was that even possible? It was as though he was standing right beside me—and everyone else. Even the men in the other divisions outside the city heard him clearly. I get shivers just thinking about it.”
“You knew he had some unusual abilities—” began Laina, but her father interrupted.
“This goes well beyond unusual abilities, Laina! You’d have to look back at some of the more fanciful histories to find anything like what he did last night,” said Mark.
“He held the gates against who knows how many soldiers, a few sorcerers, and a vampire, and you’re more worried about the fact that he cast his voice across the city? Are you sure you have your priorities straight?” asked Laina.
Elizabeth Sundy spoke then. “Your father is correct in this. What he did at the gate was extraordinary, but it was still within the realm of believability. The thing he did with his voice, I don’t think I would have credited it if I hadn’t heard it myself, even if every person in this army swore it was the truth.”
“Are you saying he’s some sort of monster?” There was a hard edge to her voice as she asked the question, as though she was on the verge of losing her temper.
“Of course not,” said Mark Nerrow in a placating tone. “We’re just trying to understand what happened, and to make sure that there isn’t something more serious to worry about.”
“Such as?” Laina demanded.
Her father’s voice was resigned as he answered her, “Such as, how did he obtain that strange power? There were rumors in the past about the fae, and we know he’s dealt with demons before. How do we know he hasn’t made some sort of desperate bargain?”
“I know,” declared Laina, “and if you had any sense you’d know too.”
Elizabeth broke in, trying to head off the incipient argument. “I don’t think suspecting him of warlockry is justified, Lord Nerrow. As astounding as it seems, I think it more likely he’s displaying a new facet of this strange new wizardry he espouses.”
The baron laughed. “Next you’ll tell me you think he’ll live for centuries like the wizards in those historical fictions!”
“Lord Courtney isn’t so sure that there isn’t some truth to those stories as well,” replied the scholar. “He’s put quite a bit of faith in the Royal Marshal’s unusual training.”
“And do you believe them?” asked Mark.
“I am not sure,” Elizabeth answered honestly.
Will couldn’t see them, but in his imagination, he felt sure Laina was biting her tongue as she pondered whether or not to mention the things he had told her about his life expectancy. She said nothing, and Will smiled in amusement, in part because he knew she was probably annoyed as hell and also because he knew she was doing her best to protect him.
Rising from the cot, he went and joined them. None of them mentioned the subject of their conversation before he arrived.
Over the next week, they solidified their hold over Klendon. The officers and significant leaders were sent to Barrowden to be kept humanely until the war was over while the Darrowan soldiers were simply relieved of their weapons and armor and sent home. Most of the garrison had families either in Klendon or the nearby regions, but some of those who lived farther away expressed concern about returning after having surrendered. Will allowed some of them to remain and serve as low-paid labor, though they were kept away from tasks that might allow them to sabotage Terabinia’s efforts.
Repair efforts were started on the bridges. Ironically, the two wooden bridges would be the most difficult, since their structural supports had been damaged. The big stone bridge was far easier, for Scholar Sundy and the engineers had been able to set up their spell-bombs to precisely destroy just one section without damaging either of the two of the major support columns that it ran between. It was a matter of only a day or two for sorcerers with earth elementals to recreate that portion.
The few sorcerers they found in Klendon were relieved of their elementals, which Will released, though he was tempted to give them to his student sorcerers. In the end, his conscience wouldn’t allow it. Lognion had given the students their elementals, but if Will did the same he