the source material for possibly thousands of learned works down the centuries. If I thought too closely about what I’m recording, I don’t think I’d have the nerve to carry on.”
“Well, don’t think too much, then. Just write.”
By this time they’d reached the long flight of stone steps that led to the battlements, and they all ran up to the top. Before them, the open plain lay bathed in brilliant sunshine, its millions of wildflowers a blaze of color beneath the clear blue sky. The long sweep of the defenses could be clearly seen curving from the forest that guarded the northern and western approaches and away out of sight, as it made its long triple circuit of ditch and embankment around the city. And all along its ramparts thousands of soldiers scurried, as tiny as moving grains of sand.
To the east rose the high rocky ground that formed the boundary of the farmland surrounding Frostmarris, and at a distance of two miles the southern limit of the plain was marked by hills that reached up into the sky. It was here that Scipio Bellorum would take his position when he arrived, marching his massive army along the road that led to Frostmarris and its defending forces. To take the rest of the Icemark, the general of the Polypontian Empire must first defeat Thirrin, her soldiers, and the allies that she had managed to muster so far.
As Oskan looked out across the plain he felt an odd mixing of elation and fear. How long would they need to hang on before their other allies arrived? He’d questioned the werewolf scouts several times, but all they could or would say was that the mustering of the Wolffolk took a long time. And as for the Vampires … well, they were a law unto themselves.
Then, as his eyes traveled along the ribbon of road to the south, he caught a faint glitter on the horizon. He drew breath sharply. At the same time a great clamor of howling broke out as the werewolf scouts, who’d all now returned to Frostmarris, announced the first sighting of the enemy.
An odd baying and jeering arose from the soldiers as they watched the faint metallic glitter on the horizon grow into the recognizable form of a massive army. Soon it was possible to make out ranks of the pike phalanx, made up of soldiers who carried sixteen-foot-long spears. Behind them marched countless numbers of musketeers; the ordinary foot soldiers of the infantry, armed with shield and sword, came next; and farther back still, on the very edge of sight, came the cavalry.
After a while the sound of shrill pipes and drums playing marching tunes grew and wavered on the wind, until eventually the air pulsated and rattled with the rhythm of the military band. The music was intended to intimidate the enemy, but Thirrin had an answer for this. Turning to a soldier behind her she gave a quick command, and the sound of a bugle rang out.
Oskan looked out over the walls to see what would happen. At first he was disappointed; all he could see were the defending soldiers staring at the arriving Polypontian troops. But then he caught sight of Elemnestra and her regiment of mounted archers trotting swiftly along the path that wound its way through the barriers of the defenses and out on to the plain. As the last of the female archers trotted through the narrow offset gap that was covered by an overlapping embankment, a party of soldiers repositioned the barrier of sharpened stakes that blocked it.
At a signal from Elemnestra, her regiment leaped to the gallop, and Oskan watched as in one fluid motion each of the troopers drew an arrow and fitted it to the string of her compound bow. A great shout rose up from the watching defenders as they thundered away toward the advancing army, and soon the brilliant colors of their embroidered jackets and caps made it look as though a field of flowers had taken up arms in the fight against the Empire.
As they approached the vanguard of the enemy, they swiftly altered course and, riding parallel to the pike phalanx, they loosed a rain of arrows. Immediately gaps appeared in the ranks as Polypontian soldiers crumpled to the ground, but before they could react, another flight of arrows cut into them and more men fell.
Elemnestra then signaled her archers to alter course and the regiment thundered down on the military band, silencing