Rocky Crag
Copyright© 2016 by Gina Marie Wylie
Chapter 5
Jane sat her horse, watching as the last of the Shastri vanished. “Lord Travan, how many archers have been dispatched?”
“We could only spare a few hundred.”
“And their instructions?”
“To hinder the Shastri retreat, but not to stand and fight. Messengers are spreading the word as well. The Shastri will not have an easy time of it. The people are greatly upset.”
“And these men? A thousand of the levy, and five hundred of the reserve?”
“Yes, my Lady. The levy we spent two days training not to fall off their horses, and to lower their lances on command. I would that they were true knights — we’d have killed all of the Shastri. They are not, and wishes won’t make it so.”
“How many bowmen? How many are skilled with the sword?”
“About half are decent with a bow — they won’t shoot each other. A handful can hold a sword without cutting off their own fingers.”
“How many of the levy can be spared from the planting?”
“None, my lady. Even for this, it hurts.”
“The levy is called for a week. Maps! I need maps!”
Lord Travan waved, and men went to fetch maps. “My lady, I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that by our laws you are not confirmed in your position. There will be some that use the call-up of the levy against you.”
Jane turned to him, her eyes blazing. “Good! I hope they stand up in Council and declaim my commands.” She waved in the direction of the departing Shastri. “First, I intend to kill as many of them as I can. Tell the men that I want the head of every dead Shastri fetched to Travan. I will pile them high enough for the Council to lose sight of their own ambition. And if any stand against S’Harris, their heads will join the Shastri. I can see no difference between them and the beasts that killed my family.”
“As you will it, my lady, so it shall be.”
They held a council of war there, on the hillside, in the morning sun, with the last of the dew still wet on the grass.
“Send a third of the levy archers south, here,” Jane told them, placing a finger on the map in the spot she wanted them. “Tell the officer who leads, he’s to line them up as soon as he arrives. Give them ten minutes to rest in line, then start shooting at the Shastri.
“A third north, the rest to stop just short of the Shastri position. Once the force to the south starts shooting, they are all to start. None of the archers are to advance. Shoot, hold their lines, but not advance.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“The rest of the main body, they are to form up to the right of the last archers. Their archers are to stand ready, but not to shoot. When the first men off the beach reach the Tall Ship — then they are to start shooting. Three arrow volleys, and the knights and swords are to charge. The archers will follow them in. Both the levy as well as your main body.”
“It will be better, my lady,” Evan’s brother said, “to wait and let the Shastri signal for the attack. They have three hundred men to move, and their boats will hold a hundred. Let the first wave go, as soon as the second wave pushes off from shore — then we should go.”
“Two hundred, three hundred. It doesn’t matter. The archers to the south have the furthest to go. They get in place, rest a little, and then start shooting. The Shastri are confused and, I suspect, have doubts about what has happened. I want to kill as many of them as we can.”
Lord Travan spoke. “Lord Skolia, Lady S’Harris is correct. The southern force will have to step out very fast to get in place while any Shastri are still on our shores. We need to show them there is no place to turn.”
Evan’s brother slammed a mailed fist into a glove. “For that title alone, a title I never sought, never expected, I want to kill as many of them as I can!”
“Lord Skolia, I have spent two years training you. If you throw that training away foolishly, I will spit in the face of your corpse and have it tumbled in the pit with the Shastri. You are a noble of the Land! You will not waste your training! You will not demean the nobles of the Land because of your stupidity!
“All of us, every noble of the Land, thirst for vengeance! We will gain that vengeance as Lady S’Harris commands! On the bodies of the Shastri we kill!”
He turned to the assembled officers. “Rostum, you will command the south. Gather your men and start right now. Hurry! Do as Lady S’Harris commands!”
“Yes, my lord!” He left at a run, calling for his officers and sergeants.
“Baron Cullen, lead a third of the levy north. Line them up, but you are not to reveal yourselves until Rostum engages. Then kill the Shastri, but still, hold your men in place. We will need every man in the levy for planting. Conserve them!”
“Of course, my lord!” He too hurried off, calling on his men for support.
“Lord Skolia, I have two commands left for able officers. The levy and the main body. Pick one.”
“There is no honor commanding the levy, but, my lord. I am shamed. I have no claim to honor here. I will lead the levy.”
“Don’t be stupid! I taught you better! Indeed, take the levy, but for the sake of God! Take care of them!”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Lord Kissum, you’ll be my number two. You’ll lead the charge against the Shastri. My lady wife should have given me another child by now. She would take it ill if I were to leave her a widow this day!”
Lord Kissum was middle-aged, running a bit too fat. “On a plan by a chit of a girl?”
Jane stepped forward, drawing a belt knife, putting it to the man’s throat. “As I said, so it shall be!”
Lord Travan laughed. “John would laugh. His youngest daughter would stand at the sand tables with his sons when they were taught to command armies. More often than not, he told me, his daughter was right and his sons were wrong ... and if not wrong, their plans were lacking brilliance. Jane S’Harris was better at the sand tables than they were. She sought excellence and they sought to be great leaders.
“This here,” he waved at the maps, “is as good of a plan as there can be. Yes, we can withdraw and let the Shastri flee. Do you understand that they will count that as another victory? We showed them forces that could have destroyed them — but didn’t. What are the Shastri going to think about that?”
“A girl...”
“Return to my lady wife. Tell her I will be home in a few days with a basket of Shastri heads to decorate her garden.” He turned to the lieutenant that had accompanied Jane from Finian’s. “You were trained at the Academy? A four-year man?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Take the main body. Do what has to be done.”
The lieutenant bowed. “My lord, some of those men are my fellows. I will be as sparing as I can — but this is attacking Shastri. It will not be cheap, my lord.”
“Do it!”
“As you order it, my lord!”
“Gather your men and prepare to march. It wouldn’t do to be late.”
“When motivated by the prospect of killing Shastri, I believe we can fly, my lord!”
He too left at a run. Lord Travan faced Lord Kissum. “Why are you still here?”
“I’ve been set aside? For a mere lieutenant?”
“You’ve been set aside for a man who obeys his orders.”
He stood, staring at the other man.
“This is beyond the pale! I will object to the council!”
Lord Travan sighed. “Such as you will never learn. My best friend in the world was John S’Harris. I pledged to follow him to the death. That has not been my fate — I live and he’s dead. His wife is dead, his sons are dead, and his oldest daughter is dead.”