morning, and said so. “One hundred sixty-three horse, one hundred five archers—and of trained regulars, not nearly enough.” He turned worried green eyes on Chay. “If we count the ones who can use a scythe but not a sword—”
“Have you ever had a man come at you with a scythe, Davvi? A man with reaper’s muscles who has every intention of lopping your head off as easily as he’d take care of a stalk of grain?” Chay smiled tightly. “We’ll do just fine. Two hundred and thirty-six with swords and scythes. Of the horse, your people are the best trained—”
“Excepting your own,” Davvi interrupted wryly, and Chay shrugged. “Of those brought in by Lord Baisal—”
“Ah, but there’s a look in their eyes. It’s their own fields they’ll be defending. If you’d do me the favor, please help with the plans for the move. We’ll recamp tomorrow. Battling for one’s own land is an admirable spur, but battling on it makes people nervous.”
Chay had learned that from Zehava. As he went upstairs to his wife, he experienced a fleeting wish that the old prince was here to direct this battle. Or, better yet, that there would be no battle at all. Fine thoughts for a seasoned warrior, he told himself acidly. Rohan had indeed infected him with peace, and Chay suspected that it was a thing which, once in the blood and the brain, was something from which one did not recover. Nor wanted to.
Tobin had spent the morning working within the manor, organizing Baisal’s capable but confused servants into an efficient war machine. But by midmorning she voluntarily sought her bed for a rest, more exhausted than she’d thought by her contact with Andrade. Chay stood watching her for some time, relieved to see that color had come back into her cheeks and her sleep was deep and quiet. She was more beautiful now than the day he’d married her—richer in spirit, more regal of bearing, the dragon’s daughter calmed but never tamed. He smoothed the black hair from her shoulders and placed a kiss on her forehead, then left to wash the morning’s stink off him.
By the time she woke he was clean, redressed, and seated at a small table with a meal spread out before him. “Come and eat,” he invited.
She stretched widely, yawned, and joined him—naked as a baby. “Oh, who’s to see me but you?” she said with a shrug in response to his lifted brows. “And you’re used to me. It’s too hot for clothes, Chay.”
“My shameless darling, the day I’m used to the sight of you is the day I’ve gone blind—and even then my fingers would do the looking. Here, have some cheese. It’s pretty good. I wonder what they feed their goats?”
“Has Roelstra made a move yet?” she asked as she sat down.
“The wine’s not bad, either. I think we’re raiding Baisal’s private reserve.”
“Are more troops coming? How many do we have now?”
“Save your tongue to lick your spoon.”
She made a face at him, but hunger was stronger than curiosity just now. When she had made substantial inroads on the food, Chay began to share his observations of the day and ask her opinions. He would miss her, he reflected, when she was gone away to Stronghold. But her safety and that of their sons was more important.
Their hellions had flatly refused to stay at Radzyn Keep, arguing that if Mama got to go to war then they should be allowed to do the same—and if they weren’t taken along now, they’d find a way to sneak out. Chay knew his sons too well to doubt that they would do just that, and reasoned that having them under his eye was better than not knowing what they were up to. Tomorrow, however, they would be sent to Stronghold, but Tobin did not yet know she would be going with them. When he finally mentioned it—casually, around a bite of apple—her reaction reminded him why he prohibited knives in their bedchamber.
“I won’t go! You need me here!”
“I need you to be safe.”
“No one else can act as faradhi, and even the little I can do will keep you informed. Damn you, Chay, I won’t go!”
“Will you be sensible, please? We have to send Sorin and Andry to safety—especially Andry! I’ll tie them to their horses and have their squires slug them unconscious if I have to. Don’t make me use the same tactic on you.”