Chapter 16

Chapter 16

It took Rosa several hours to comprehend her mentor's words, but before sunset she had another surprise, this time a pleasant one. When the army was leaving the camp, the stableman brought two horses to the headquarters, a humble chestnut horse and a huge crow stallion with a white spot on his forehead.

- A gift from Colonel de Beaulior for master Rosa and her bodyguard, - the stableman explained. - The mare's name is Reed, the stallion's name is Dragon. You can keep the harness too.

- I… - Rosa hesitated, unable to find the words. - I'm very grateful. Tell milord I'll take good care of them.

Since Toad was now lost in reconnaissance flights, the gift was more than welcome - the women were about to load onto the wagon. Now they could ride at the head of the column, next to Vittoria and the Marshal. However, the always suspicious Jeanne personally chose the saddles, checked the stirrups and girths, demanded a change of bridles, and only then allowed Rosa to sit on Reed. "And on the first long stay, I'll have the blacksmith replace the horseshoes," she added, putting the girl in the saddle.

Contrary to the Guardswoman's fears, the horses did not cause any problems - they turned out to be perfectly trained and calm. Even the fearsome-looking Dragon. Already giving the chestnut a leg, Rosa wondered about the colonel's motives. What is this gesture for? Just an impulsive act after a frank conversation? A hint at future cooperation? Or something else? One must get to know the officer more closely to better read his intentions. "When you're influenced by a scheming mentor and a paranoid friend at the same time, it has a strange effect on your character," the young sorceress grinned at her thoughts. A couple of months ago, she would have just been happy about the gift and hung around the new horse's neck.

The column of troops pulled westwards at dusk. Rosa led Reed along the infantry and said to Jeanne, who was riding beside her:

- I probably thought too highly of myself before.

- Already planning how to kill the mentor when you've learnt everything you wanted from her? - The guardian raised her eyebrows.

- No, not at all! - she snorted, covering her mouth with her glove. - How could you do such a...

- It's all right then, - Jeanne shrugged.

- I mean that Donna Vittoria's plans didn't scare me as much as they should have, - the sorceress explained, admiring her companion. The swarthy warrior in a black suit, black boots, black cuirass, riding a raven stallion, clutching the reins with her black-gloved hands, looked... too spectacular. It was breathtaking. - I think I'm... even enjoying it. I've said before that I want to stay, to thwart Auguste and the outsiders, to save people, and that's true. But I also wouldn't mind making history. I've always wanted to, I suppose. It's just that I used to think the way was through science. I'd make great discoveries and my books would be in libraries. But if someday it's not my books on the shelves, but books about me, that's... that's acceptable too.

- It's called ambition, mistress, - Jeanne said in a steady voice. - It's like snake poison. In the right dose it's very useful, but if you take too much of it, it kills people. If you want an example, look at Auguste.

- I'll try to... know the measure. - The girl swallowed.

- Rosa The Bloody... Hmm... No. The Bloody Rosa. Sounds good. - The Guardswoman nodded to herself, not even looking at the blushing sorceress. - "The story of the Blood Rosa." Not like that. "The true story of the Bloody Rosa." There. That's a lovely title for a book. And I'll be in it, too, of course.

At dawn the army's path was blocked by a river, a narrow tributary of the Shaanta, which did not even have a name on the marshal's maps. Of course, the locals called it by some name, but there was no opportunity to ask them, for the two other villages on the way had been burned to the ground, and scavenged bones were lying around the ashes. Luckily, the road led to a ford, and de Cotoci decided to cross first, before trumpeting a halt. Rosa watched the scene with interest. Maintaining acquaintances among the officers of the staff, talking with Jeanne and Marius, the girl more and more understood the manoeuvres, and could now assess the actions of the marshal. The first to cross were the Black Shields, the Guards' own cavalry, followed by the two foot companies and the headquarters. The former ducal soldiers, militia, artillery, and wagons followed. The dragon cannons mounted on the carts immediately turned to the east, their bronze barrels cocked upwards. The bulk of the Black Guard waited, forming a line. The core of the rebel army was still the former garrison of the capital - selected soldiers from the best regiments, skilful and disciplined. De Cotoci evidently wished them to remain ready for a surprise attack while the less reliable units passed the fords. His calculation was soon justified. The crossing was in full swing when a Toad came down near the headquarters, making the ground shake. Don Marius, who had rolled down on its wing, saluted the commander and fell out, panting:

- A large cavalry unit right behind us. Two thousand, at least. In armour. They're coming fast, mounted horses, no packs. I think they know we're close.

- Good. - Marshal rubbed his temples habitually. He'd had a flask or two on the road, but the warlord was hardly hungover. Rose was beginning to suspect that de Cotoci's headaches were not only related to drink. - Get the dragon drink and back in the air. Survey our flanks and keep an eye on the sky. I want to know if Auguste's dragons show up.

A quarter of an hour later, the battalions were in motion - the Guard formed an arc, the ends of which rested in the river. Behind the backs of infantrymen stood cuirassiers of Colonel de Beauliora and continued to cross the carriers. The pursuers did not wait too long.

The royal cavalry crested the distant hills, as if crowned with a silver border that glistened in the morning sun. Above the ranks of gendarmes fluttered the flags of the kingdom and the personal green banners of Auguste the First. For several minutes nothing happened. Probably the pursuers had hoped to catch a disorderly crowd of fleeing rebels at the fords, and the sight of the troops ready for battle confused them. Eventually, however, the echo of battle trumpets, the signal to attack, reached Rosa's ears. The cavalry came over the hills and swept forward, changing from trot to gallop. The girl thought she saw a horde of angry steel ants. Now the bugles sang by the river. Drums rattled. The young sorceress saw the first ranks of the pikemen kneel down, resting the blunt ends of their pikes on the ground.

- The king's commander is either a fool or too confident that our infantry is demoralised, - Jeanne said, stroking Dragon's mane. - This attack will only work if the pikemens start scattering before the gendarmes hit.

When the wave of cavalry had come within five hundred paces of the Black Guard, cannon struck from across the river - only a few barrels - but the cannonballs knocked out fountains of earth in the thick of the attackers, toppling a dozen horsemen. A hundred paces - white sultans of gunpowder smoke soared above the infantry, gendarmes rolled around, knocked down by the bullets of arquebuses. A moment more - and the cavalry, under the crackle of breaking lances, crashed into the line of defenders. The spectacle was grandiose - two thousand cavalrymen looked like an unstoppable force, sweeping away everything in its path. This illusion lasted for about ten or fifteen seconds. Until it became obvious that the infantry had held firm and the onslaught of the gendarmes was weakening, moment by moment. The first ranks of the horsemen stopped altogether, their horses galloping in front of the forest of spades, stumbling over the bodies of the dead and wounded. The rear ranks pressed on, causing confusion. With new trumpet blasts, the royal cavalry swept away from the crossing in disorder. Where the two lines had clashed, a veritable shaft of human and horse bodies piled up.

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- Well, no, that's not all. - Marshal de Cotoci curled his lips. - Trumpet, command the cuirassiers.

At the sound of the bugles, the rebel infantry drew apart and cleared the way for de Beaulior's troop. The colonel's cuirassiers moved forward in a flawless wedge, galloped, and swiftly charged into the loose order of Auguste's troops. The heavier gendarmes could neither escape them nor organise a decent resistance. The infantry moved slowly forward, now and then wrapped in the white haze of gun volleys - now the remnants of the King's forces were being pressed unhurriedly and inevitably into the hills.

- Well, the enemy has more credit for this victory than we do, - said the marshal, lowering his telescope. - If we let too many get away, there is a risk....

A horn sounded the alarm very close to headquarters.

- Demons, what else… - De Cotoci stopped short. A troop of two or three hundred light riders in green uniforms were galloping along the bank from the north. - They had crossed downstream!

The light cavalry were obviously meant to cut off the fugitives at the fords or strike to the rear, but the battle had turned against Auguste's army too quickly. However, the horsemen didn't know this yet - and aimed where they saw the biggest flag. That is, the marshal's headquarters.

- Stop them! - De Cotoci shouted. One of the adjutants spurred his horse towards the nearby Black Shields. Another rushed to the nearest company of footman, waving his hat and shouting.

- Whatever happens, stay close to me, mistress. - Jeanne touched Rosa's shoulder. - As long as I'm with you, don't be afraid of anything.

The lancers with the black badges on their armour noticed the threat themselves. Without waiting for orders, they moved to intercept the enemy - but too slowly to block his path to the headquarters. The officers of the staff bared their swords, summoning the soldiers of the guard, and Donna Vittoria fiddled with the amulets in her belt pouches with contrived calm. Rosa pressed her lips tightly together, clenched the reins until her fingers ached. "I wish I had a crossbow," she thought. – “Why didn't I get a new one?" Out of the corner of her eye she saw a strange movement. The forty-barreled volley gun, designed to protect the headquarters from air attacks, was rolling its bulky weapon towards the enemy.

- Come on, you bastards! - yelled the chief gunner, slapping the servants.

The barrels of the volley gun lowered. The gunner blew on the burning fuse and poked it into the gun.

- Bang! Bang! Bang, bang, bang, bang!

A fan of lead mowed down a dozen riders in an instant. The rest fell back, slowing their pace, and the delay was enough. The Black Shields flanked Auguste's cavalrymen, crushing a good quarter of them at once. A chaotic scramble ensued. A couple of dozen enemy cavalry still managed to escape from the mess, but they were stopped by the guard of the headquarters. When a company of pikemen arrived, it was all over. Both here and on the other side of the river, the remnants of the gendarmes were withdrawing into the lowlands between the hills, leaving the wounded and stragglers behind. One of de Beaulior's cuirassiers was already galloping back with a trophy banner in his hands.

- Milord de Cotoci. - Donna Vittoria did not look the least bit worried, but Rosa knew her mentor well enough to appreciate her pallor. - I think the gun's crew deserves not only praise but also a monetary reward.

- And also bottles of good wine from my chest, - the marshal agreed, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Jeanne simply put her sword back in its scabbard and gave Rosa another pat on the shoulder.

The next few days were unsettling. Auguste's cavalry, which had survived the battle, had reassembled and were now following the Black Guard at a respectful distance. They posed no threat, but the rearguard had to be reinforced by de Beaulior's regiment, and at the breaks, whole companies of pikemen with weapons at the ready kept guard. Toad and Don Marius were exhausted, checking the road ahead and then turning back to make sure that the enemy was not plotting some dastardly deed. The area beyond the tributary of the Shaanta was little affected by the war, and the army even passed through a few inhabited villages, whose inhabitants looked at the soldiers with apprehension, but did not hurry to flee into the forest. Donna Vittoria insisted that the marshal forbid foraging, and buy food from the peasants only with coins, with their firm consent. "Let the locals be better robbed and ruined by those who will pass through here after us - soldiers under the King's banners," the necromancer explained with a slight chuckle. And added: "If we take everything away now, what will they have to lose later? And don't worry about supplies, we'll have enough in the end of the way." She only announced the target when the snowy peaks of the western mountains rose above the horizon.

- The Three Horns Gorge, milords and mlady, - the red-haired donna said as the staff assembled in the marshal's tent. - There it is on the map. Less than a day's journey for us.

- It's a trap, - the marshal frowned. - The ravine is a dead end, and the entrance is wide, making it awkward to defend.

- Don't worry, my lord. - Vittoria gave the warlord one of her most harmless smiles. - I've had my eye on this place for a long time, since we first set foot on Shaanta. It's a dead end for a large army. The mountains are passable for small groups and loners who know the secret paths.

- But we do have a large army. - De Cotoci stared at the map as if he wanted to burn a hole where the black symbol marked the gorge. - And no connections with the locals. They might not give us guides.

- When the time comes, the army will leave the gorge the same way it came in. - The necromancer put her hands behind her back. - You are mistaken about the ties with the locals, milord. There is a village deep in the gorge, too large and prosperous to live from hunting and selling timber to the valley. A smugglers' trail passes through here. As a high-ranking court official, I have connections and cash reserves... the kind that King Auguste has trouble reaching. I've already put it all to use. I'm almost penniless now, but we have supplies and reliable men in the gorge through whom I can conveniently continue my game in the kingdom. If I haven't miscalculated something else, there are other pleasant things waiting for us there.....

What kind of things her mentor was talking about, Rosa learnt a little later. The army reached the neck of the gorge at sunset and began to pull inward along the rocky road. No sooner had the scouts gone ahead than one of them came galloping back and reported that music could be heard around the corner.

- Marvellous! - Donna Vittoria was pleased for some reason. She turned to Rosa and Jeanne. - Let's hurry up. I want to test my hunch.

The three of them overtook the vanguard, tramping through the dust under the unfurled black banner, and soon they heard music. The gentle, soft melody came from different directions, echoing off the walls of the gorge. The further the women travelled, the more distinct it became. Rose covered her eyes just in case, turning to magical vision, but she saw nothing. Not a trace of magic. The source of the music was just around the bend in the road. On a huge round boulder stood a slender, tall woman in a tight-fitting dark suit, playing the violin selflessly. Her long, pointed ears, peeking out from her lush blond hair, twitched slightly in time with the melody. The scouts who surrounded the stone stared at the violinist from bottom to top with suspicion, though none of them had bared their weapons. Seeing the sorceresses, the elven girl lowered her bow and deftly jumped down from the stone. She bowed low, taking her hand with the violin aside.

- I wasn't sure I would see you again, lady, - Donna Vittoria admitted, halting her horse. - Your appearance is a balm to the wounds of my heart. Especially when you're not here alone.

- Not alone. - Lady Captain Lytel, daughter of Eramont, envoy of the Principality of Liarat, straightened with a smile. - It's good to see you, friends. I apologise for the unusual welcome, but I wanted to set the mood for our meeting. Relax and take a breath. I have only good news for you today....