Kevin raised his eyebrows. 'I say we send a small company down to aid Lord Chipino. We send the rest of our troops back down the valley we marched in through. Then we send a fast-moving company with the cho-ja, to surround the hills where Tasaio's troops are in hiding, and harry them out into the open, over the hills, and into the company in the valley. Our attacking companies will have the advantage of height. With decent timing, our archers can pick a third of them off before they hit our centre lines in force. We'll have a battle in the valley, but one we stand a chance of winning, with all our enemy surrounded. We could drive them into Xacatecas' waiting spears.'
Lujan spun his blade, expertly flicking off the fine traces of blood that marred the edge. His voice held disgust as he answered Kevin's bold plan. 'Your ideas are no better than a dream. Only cho-ja could move fast enough to effect the manoeuvre you describe, and one company of them will not be enough to surround this stand of hills.'
'We'll have to try,' Mare cut in,'or else be caught in this Minwanabi snare and break our trust with the Lord of the Xacatecas.'
'No,' Kevin corrected. He glanced across the incline to where the cho-ja waited, still as statues in their ranks. He wondered briefly whether the creatures had a prickly sense of dignity, then gave that up as moot. Mara and all of her following were going to be cut down where they stood if Minwanabi had the chance to complete his offensive as planned - not to mention the fact that he, Kevin of Zun, would be hanged in disgrace if he proved wrong. With a fatalistic sigh that approached a laugh, the Midkemian sucked in new breath and related his intentions to Mara and her Force Commander.
Tasaio repressed a shameful desire to slam his fist against the rocks. 'Damn her, why does the whore not order her troops to charge? Her father and brother were not cowards.
Why does she hesitate?'
On the hardpan, cooked under the merciless noon sun, the Xacatecas forces retreated into a tight-knit, defensive shield ring. Pinned in place and surrounded by enemy warriors, they could do nothing but close ranks and suffer losses until Mara sent in relief companies to save them. The black-and-yellow banner with its sigil poked stubbornly from the press of defenders, now and then obscured by blown dust kicked up by the battle. Tasaio squinted across the hardpan, littered with the limp, bloodsoaked dead of the tribes and the yellow-and-purple armour of fallen Tsurani.
He stared until his eyes burned at the low stand of hills beyond, seeking to sort out the movement that ran like the seething of water on the boil through the Acoma troops still stationed there.
'Why does.she hold back?' Tasaio snapped impatiently.
'Her ally stands in peril of his life, and all her family honour is in jeopardy.'
On the hardpan, pinned down by enemies, Lord Chipino was likely wondering the same thing. A horn call arose from the company beleaguered on the plain, signalling urgently for aid. In answer, a small, dense square broke away from the rise of the hills and advanced upon the battle that swirled the lowland dust.
'A half company, looks to be,' offered the Minwanabi Strike Leader, trying to be helpful.
'I see that.' Tasaio stroked his weapon hilt, repressed a peevish impulse to pace, and instead gathered up the plain, unplumed helm he had acquired for his campaign in the desert. 'I need a better vantage point.' He snapped the buckles and jerked the strap adjustments tight. 'And find me runners! We're going to have to send messages to the companies hiding behind the ridges, to inform them the battle is not proceeding at all as we had planned.'
'Yes, sir, as you command.' The Strike Leader hastened off, clumsy before Tasaio's angry grace. Yet the irritation of his senior held nothing of discouragement. Battles did not always go as intended; the brilliant man, the master tactician, was the one who could turn setbacks to advantage.
Lujan placed a hand in trepidation on the slick, horny carapace of the cho-ja. He resisted the impulse to ask the insectoid Strike Leader again if he minded the idea of carrying a human rider. The creature and its fellows had agreed to Kevin's outlandish request, and to question again would be to cast doubt on cho-ja dignity. 'Mox'l, you will tell me if I