The Shadow Throne (Ascendance 3)

As the commander had indicated the night before, Avenia was nowhere in sight, but Mendenwal was entrenched in their own camp not far from the lake’s former bed. The soldiers of that camp had enough water for cooking and drinking, and to manage their animals. But little more. There certainly wasn’t enough water for the men to bathe in, and I hoped the smell of so many sweaty and dirty soldiers was choking them. Not that I was in a position to judge. After so many battles and the miles of dusty road in between, I needed my own bath. By now I was sure my odor offended even the devils, which was no small feat.

Mendenwal must have known our camp was here and yet they had not attacked. Why? Perhaps they were waiting for Vargan and his men. It surprised me that they waited at all. Mendenwal had thousands of men here, far more than we’d encountered near Drylliad. Surely they would look at our fewer numbers and see their advantage.

From what I could determine, Mendenwal had crowded their soldiers into a semi-sheltered knot of land that would be nearly impossible for my men to breach. They were near the dry lake bed, but surrounded by sheer slopes. It would be a long ride for us to approach from the south and attack from on top of the slopes. And I was certain the entrances to their camp were very well guarded should we attempt to enter it directly. The only way to defeat them was to draw them out. I had some ideas about that.

After a careful survey of the area, I returned to camp and held council with Mott, Tobias and Amarinda, and my military leaders. We described all we had seen in our battles, and they told me similar stories of their troubles. Little of what we discussed was encouraging.

Mott shared with the group a message that had come in from Drylliad earlier that morning, which was that the nearness of our battle yesterday had thrown the capital into disarray.

As we had suspected would be necessary, Harlowe had opened the prisons to anyone who swore an oath to act in defense of the country. But with the chaos in the city, the one prisoner who had not been offered the chance to fight had still escaped.

“Conner,” I breathed. “Where’s Conner?”

Of course, no one here could answer me, but his absence bothered me in every possible way. More so since I already knew Conner had been in communication with Vargan. I had no time to waste on wondering where he had gone, but clearly I had been wrong all this time to keep him alive. I hated the thought that he was free in the world, likely never to be captured again, and undoubtedly at work on more destruction.

Mott only shrugged in response to my question. Nor did anyone have news about Fink, which bothered me equally as much.

Next, we discussed Mendenwal’s vast armies camped nearby and my commander’s belief that they were readying for attack. Although I would’ve liked to wait for Avenia, it was vital that we make the first strike, before Mendenwal advanced. So with a map of the area spread across a table in my tent, I gave my lieutenants their orders. But the grim expressions on the faces around me very plainly showed their reluctance to carry them out, and in clear and respectful terms, a few of them even shared their specific concerns. Nothing of what they said to me was wrong, unfortunately. We were risking a lot, and also depending far too much on luck to see us through to victory. The confidence I had felt from the beginning faltered beneath their arguments.

“Will doubt be our enemy now?” I asked them. “Because doubt will defeat us far quicker than any army could. No plan is perfect, but that’s no reason to give up. Unless someone has a better option, then we will go forward as planned.” And hope against reason that I was not leading my men to their deaths.

One of my lieutenants leaned forward. “My king, we will follow you to the end. But we’ve seen their numbers. By my guess, we’re outnumbered as much as five to one.”

I sat back in my chair and smiled. “Only five to one? We might consider sending home half our army, then, so as not to intimidate them.”

Uneasy laughter spread within the group and my grin widened. I couldn’t let it show, but in truth, I was just as anxious about the upcoming battle as they were. Probably more.

By then we were coming to the end of a very long meeting, and I was tired. I was much stronger since escaping the Avenian camp, but yesterday had been a hard battle and tomorrow would demand even more from me. With so little sleep the night before, the weight of all I bore on my shoulders felt exhausting. I had only barely motioned for everyone to leave when Mott swept them out as if they carried the plague.

“You’re a king’s ideal nursemaid,” I told him. “Defending me with a sword in one hand, and using the other to tuck me into bed for an afternoon nap.”

Mott smiled. “Defending you takes both hands. So you may tuck yourself into bed, or do whatever is necessary to get some sleep.”

“How can I?” My face fell, and I felt the urge to stand and pace the floor. “Even if everything goes well tomorrow, we both know that Avenia is still out there somewhere.”

“Then what can I do?”

“Find me five men for tonight,” I said. “Men who can climb.”

Mott’s brows pressed together. “Jaron, you haven’t been able to climb since the injury to your leg.”

“I never said I’d be climbing. Now, find me five. And warn everyone else to use this day to rest. We’ll move before first light.”

He gave me a bow, then backed out of the tent. “I’ll find your men, but only if you rest too.”

I lay down for a while, but did not sleep, then got up and ate a little while I studied maps of the area. My camp was higher in elevation, making it difficult for Mendenwal to launch a surprise attack against us, but it wasn’t impossible either. There was a narrow and steep trail that led directly from their camp up to the ridges above them. It probably wouldn’t support an entire army, but it was a fast route to my camp.

I considered joining the others outside to discuss the matter, except that Mott would’ve scolded me for not sleeping, and I didn’t need that.

Tomorrow would prove to be a very important day. I sincerely hoped I wouldn’t regret it.

As requested, five soldiers arrived at my tent that night shortly before dark. I had managed to get some sleep by then and felt ready for what lay ahead. As quietly as possible, I explained what I needed from each of them and the great danger involved, then invited any of them who wished to withdraw to do so. Not one man accepted the offer, which gave me increased pride in the courage of my military. However, before we left, I eliminated two of the men. One was because I knew he had a young family at home, and the other was quietly massaging his wrist. Whatever the cause of his discomfort, he was not the best fit for my plans.

I showed them a small wood-and-iron trunk that had come from Drylliad weeks earlier, then ordered the two strongest men to carry it to the ridge overlooking the former lake bed. As we walked, I explained in more detail the risks and challenges ahead. If the Mendenwal army had the sense of fungus rot, they were watching for our attack. So although the hill to the side of the dam was steep and slippery, they would have to descend it silently and in darkness, using little more than their wits and past experience with near vertical ground. Beyond that, they would have to lower the heavy trunk with them on ropes, and then wait until my signal to use it.

“Tell me you can do this,” I said. “Everything hinges on you tomorrow.”

The three men vowed with their lives to succeed. I had their loyalty; now I could only hope for their safety. We had no second chance if they failed.