casualties we have with us now, it will be difficult to avoid another disadvantageous situation, for our mobility is limited. I have faith that you will send reinforcements to prevent our retreat from becoming something worse.
Field Marshal Lustral’s wound seems minor and he may wake and resume command at any time, unless a more senior officer is present. This may be important for deciding how you will handle the situation.
Yours in service,
Sub-Marshal Nicht
Will stared at the page as if he could rearrange the letter through will alone. A cold knot had formed in his stomach. All he had to do was keep the Patriarch’s armies busy for a while. I didn’t expect the fool to rush headlong into an ambush. For the first time, he seriously considered that Lustral might not be the traitor. If he was, he shouldn’t have nearly been killed. Instead, it appeared the man was simply an idiot.
And Eric might be dead, thanks to the fact that he’d left his cousin under the command of the half-witted nobleman. He fought the sudden urge to tear his own hair out. He wanted to break something. Something moved, and a force-lance tore a hole through the flap of the tent before Will realized what he was doing. Everything went still, then a few seconds later Lieutenant Renly pushed the flap back and entered, his eyes wide with fear.
“Is it safe to enter, sir?”
I almost killed him. Looking down, Will could see the letter in his hand was shaking. I need to calm down. “Yes, come in.”
“The sub-marshal wants you to know that the city is fully secured, though he expects it will take considerable time to completely sort out the various administrative issues that will arise—”
He was referring to Nerrow of course, the only sub-marshal with them at the moment. Will interrupted, “Send for him now, as well as Commanders Lambel and Hargast.”
“You just sent them out two hours ago, sir. I’m sure they’re all occupied with your previous orders.”
“Ask me if I give a damn!” yelled Will. Leaping out of his seat, he stalked forward while Renly tried desperately to shrink into himself. “I don’t want your opinions, Renly! All I require from you is obedience, not questions! Do you understand?”
His breathing was heavy, and Will could feel his heartbeat in the blood rushing to his face as it flushed red. Renly looked terrified. Will closed his eyes and tried to breathe slowly. “Forgive me, Lieutenant. I shouldn’t have spoken in that tone. I’m a bit overwrought at the moment.”
“Y-yes, sir,” stammered his assistant. “I’ll send for them immediately. May I go?”
“Please do.”
The officer left, but Will remained where he stood for several minutes. He was angry with Lustral, not Renly, but he’d allowed his emotions to boil over in an unacceptable manner. And I’m still angry. In his mind, he kept seeing the execution of Fraelis, but with Duke Lustral in the Darrowan’s place. What would Selene think if she saw me now?
That was an open question, actually. She’d grown up with a psychotic sociopath for a father. She might be repulsed, but then again, she might also be understanding. Either way, he didn’t want to find out. This isn’t who I want to be, he told himself.
When the sub-marshal and the commanders arrived a quarter of an hour later, with several of their junior officers in tow, Will was in better control of his emotions. He recognized one of the younger men beside Commander Hargast. It was Captain Barrentine, the man who led Will’s company back when he’d been just a private contract soldier. He nodded in recognition to his friend, before addressing the senior officers.
First, he gave them a summary of the recent news, which resulted in a lot of grim faces. Then he asked a few pertinent questions, turning to the sub-marshal first. “You’ve already made a preliminary assessment of the city, correct?”
Mark Nerrow shook his head. “No. We’ve just made certain we control it. The assessment is only just beginning. Even a preliminary will take days.”
Will sighed. “Obviously we can’t afford to wait that long to make decisions. What’s your best guess at how many men you’ll need to hold Maldon as well as restore the gates?”
“The gates could take months. Rebuilding the stonework of the gatehouse is no small feat—”
“I don’t mean a complete restoration, simply a functional replacement, so the enemy can’t just walk in the door on a whim,” clarified Will.
“That’s easier. We can manage that within a week,