even with Agradeleous, To-gai is sorely out-manned by the Chezru Chieftain."
"And still she chooses to go after Dharyan, instead of clearing the steppes of the lesser forces."
"It is because of that very fact that she knows she must strike, and hard," said Juraviel, nodding and staring into the direction where Brynn and Runtly had ridden away, a grin of respect widening on his small and angular face.
Th v were spotted traveling north through the valley of the Mazur Shin-Y tol ? Carwan Pestle reported to Grysh. ?A considerable force, sev-1 times larger than that Ashwarawu led against us."
"A d are there any dragons flying about them?" Grysh asked with obvi-ircasm, and a wry crooked smile.
He looked away from the map Led up on the wall to consider his attendant.
Phe Dragon of To-gai leads them, we believe," Pestle replied. ?A woman, and not awurm."
Grysh laughed heartily. When the Jacintha soldiers had arrived, he had hidden them to come in quietly, thinking to turn them loose upon the steppes soon as the weather softened into springtime. How glad he was now that he had delayed! And that he had kept their arrival relatively quiet! For the reports had been coming in daily that the new rebel, this Dragon of To-gai, had come down from the steppes and into Behren at the head of a con-siderable force.
"They say that she rode with Ashwarawu, you know?" Grysh asked, and Carwan Pestle nodded. ?She wants revenge, and so she will come against us, oblivious to the fact that we now have more than twelve hundred new warriors at our disposal."
"Shall we deploy them as we did against Ashwarawu, Yatol?" ?No," Grysh said without hesitation. ?This woman remembers well that disaster and she will no doubt look for signs of any armies camped nearby. Our guests are to remain in the city - no one is to leave! Not a Behrenese nor a Ru! Do you hear?"
"Yes, Yatol, it has already been ordered, all about the wall." ?Let the Dragon of To-gai charge right up to our gates. Then we will hit ler and her wretched band with a volley of destruction that will overwhelm hem where they sit astride their pretty ponies." ?Yes, Yatol."
Grysh looked at the map, at the valley of the Masur Shinton. If the re-ports were correct, the Dragon of To-gai would arrive at Dharyan's gates early that very evening. And there she would die, as Ashwarawu had died.
That thought did bring a twang of regret to Yatol Grysh, for his friend and trusted commander, Wan Atenn, rotting on the sun-baked stones of a tar-distant southern wasteland, would not partake of this glorious victory.
But now he had seven Chezhou-Lei at his disposal, he reminded himself, his new advisor and the six who had come in from Jacintha. That would suffice to destroy utterly this pretentious rebel and her followers. Then jrysh would lead the force personally into To-gai, spending the summer moving across the steppes, bringing harsh justice to the upstart Ru. They would accept the rule of Behren, or they would die. It was as simple as that.
"Mark the line, left and right," Brynn instructed as her force of nearly thousand neared Dharyan. She stretched out her front line, spacing th warriors widely, and squared them up to the city, its dark wall back-lighteH by the fires burning within.
Beside her, Pagonel sucked in his breath, as did many others.
Brynn looked to him for support. She had pleaded with him not to corn out there, but he had refused to be left behind, and in truth, she was glad that he had. Now that the time was upon her, Brynn did not think that she could get through this difficult beginning without him beside her.
But how much worse would it become if he was felled by an arrow?
Brynn growled that dark thought away. ?Strike the torches!" the woman ordered, and the call went along the line, and those few brave volunteers who had agreed to wield the torches brought them up in a blaze.
"Cadence slow!" Brynn cried and the drummers began, beating out a slow pace, the whole of the force walking deliberately toward the distant wall. Those drums would be heard within Dharyan, Brynn knew, and in fact she was counting on it.
More torches went up along that wall, and a voice called out, ?Halt where you are and be recognized!"
"Do you not know me, Yatol Grysh?" Brynn cried back. ?Have you not heard of the Dragon of To-gai?"
A great cheer