as soon as the engines of war, and those designed to defeat the dragon, are prepared," he instructed the Chezhou-Lei. ?On the road, your word is rule, as it remains even when Yatol Tohen Bardoh joins you after the recapture of Dharyan, on all matters military. Yatol Tohen Bardoh un-derstands the value of the Chezhou-Lei, I assure you. He knows his place in this ugly business." The last words sent a shiver along Yakim Douan's spine. Indeed, Yatol Tohen Bardoh knew well the means of terrorizing a conquered people.
Douan had pulled the man back from To-gai, not because he was effective, but because he seemed to be enjoying himself a bit too much. it v given the sudden turn and the utter stubbornness of the To-gai-ru, uan wondered if he hadn't made a mistake in relieving the brutal man. Tt didn't matter, he told himself and he waved Chezhou-Lei Shauntil out f his private room. He had other matters to attend - primarily the selec-lon of a new personal attendant, one who would watch over him as he e to maturity in his new body. Only after realizing that he had to get rid f Merwan Ma had the Chezru Chieftain come to understand the depth of his mistake in becoming so close to the man over the years, not only be-cause of his personal grief at having him killed, but because he had not bothered to seed the pool of potential replacements in the event of some unforeseen tragedy.
Again, it didn't matter, he told himself. Transcendence was a couple of years away, at least, and in that time, he would undoubtedly find some over-pious fool eager to assume the duties.
Brynn, Pagonel, Juraviel, Cazzira, and Agradeleous watched the marching force with a mixture of awe and amusement. Never had any of them seen such an array of sheer power, with thousands of marching soldiers and hun-dreds of cavalry, and great war engines, from catapults to gigantic spear-throwing ballistae. This was the power of Behren, the might that had swarmed over To-gai and that kept the often imperialistic Bearmen of Honce-the-Bear, even with their gemstone-wielding Abellican monks, at bay.
"And so I see why you chose not to defend Dharyan," Juraviel said to Brynn. Indeed, Brynn had taken her entire force out of the city soon after sending the refugees down the eastern road toward Jacintha. The To-gai-ru warriors had moved south of the city and were now hiding in the desert, while Brynn and the others had come there, just east of Dharyan, to view the response from Jacintha.
"I did not know it would be so overwhelming," the woman admitted.
Agradeleous snorted, hardly agreeing with that assessment.
"They have prepared for you," Juraviel remarked to the dragon, pointing out the ballistae. ?One strike from those would take you down to the ground."
The dragon snorted again, unimpressed.
"We could not have held Dharyan," Pagonel remarked. ?Not even for a single day against this force."
"We cannot, can never, fight the Chezru Chieftain, army to army," Brynn explained. ?We will frustrate him and his commanders and make them all see that a continuing war is not in their best interests." She turned to the dragon. ?This is where you will show your greatest value to our cause, Agradeleous. Pagonel will help us to forage, what little there is to find, but - "
"More than a little," the mystic put in.
Brynn nodded deferentially, not wanting to underestimate the Jhesta Tn in any way. She was quite sure that Pagonel's understanding of the land would prove invaluable. But still, she knew that it would not be enough not for her warriors and not for their horses. ?But," she continued, ?it \yjij be Agradeleous with his great speed and strength who will truly supplv us. Fly out at night to a river and return to us with buckets of water.
De-scend upon a herd of deer and bring us more meat than we could possibly consume!"
"There are thousands of you," the dragon remarked, seeming not quite convinced.
"I hold faith in Agradeleous," Brynn answered. ?We will construct a great platform and use heavy ropes with which you can bear it." Brynn turned to the others, to see the elves nodding with more than passing curi-osity and Pagonel rubbing his chin, considering it all.
"If we can stay mobile, and independent of the few known watering holes, then the Behrenese will have a difficult time in catching us," Brynn explained. ?We can maneuver about them and strike wherever they are weakest."