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Thayet smiled at her and crooked a finger at her son and daughter. “Come talk to me,” she ordered, and they obeyed. Thom went to stand with his father, and Daine sought out Numair.
“Are you all right?”
He looked tired and strained. His mouth was tight, as if he were afraid he might say too much if he opened it. He barely managed a smile for her. “I’m scared,” he said quietly.
She looked up at him. I’m the only one who understands, she thought. If the Lioness were here, he’d’ve said it to her, but she’s not and I am. There’s magic in the air, lots of it, and everyone looks to him for a miracle. Right now he can’t even tell if his magic is the right kind, and he’s afraid.
She put her hand in his, and he squeezed it tight. “I hate to theorize without information, but I need a working plan,” he told her softly. “As it is, I either hold the spells off the Swoop so the others can function, or I leave the dampeners on them and punch through myself, to fight with what I have. The problem is that as a warrior-mage my talents are limited, and I have no healing magic at all. If Alanna were here, we could work off each other, but—” His face tightened again.
“That’s it, then,” she said, trying to think aloud as he did. “They lured the Lioness off and put an army between her and us just for that.”
He nodded.
“Which means they’ve been watchin’ us all along.” Daine and Numair both jumped when George spoke behind them. “They know we’ve the queen here, and the next two in line for the throne.”
Daine and Numair looked at each other and chorused, “The Stormwings.”
That’s why they were spying out the seacoast,” Numair went on. “They were waiting for us to arrive and get settled. I’ll bet they also made sure none of our army or navy was close enough to help.” Something occurred to him, and his eyes lit. “Daine—your magic. How is it?”
She was surprised he even asked. “It’s the same as ever. You told me, yourself, I couldn’t turn it off.”
“Wild magic,” Numair breathed. “It’s in everything. No matter how many dampeners they lay on us, you’ll be able to function!”
Something tugged at the back of her eyes—something ugly and sour. “I can’t send my friends to die,” she warned, but already her attention had shifted. “Bows!” she yelled, getting hers off her back and putting an arrow to the string. “Bows! Stormwing in the air!”
George shoved Thom down between the wall and the floor of the deck, grabbed the prince and princess and did the same with them. Thayet and Onua had their weapons in hand. The trainees and guards were armed and ready. The baron had drawn his sword and dagger.
Numair swore so vividly that the children looked at him in awe and delight and added, “The wind’s shifting. They don’t need the fog anymore.”
“The dampeners?” George asked hopefully.
The mage shook his head. “Still there. The fog laid them down. Now the spells will stick to all that the fog touched.”
Within minutes the fog was gone, and the world around them was lit by a midmorning sun. Daine gasped at the scene that lay before them. A fleet lay in the cove: five long boats, or galleys, rowed by chained men belowdecks, and seven smaller vessels, all bristling with warriors and their arms. Behind them lay four barges, huge, flat-bottomed boats with no apparent way to move. Large wooden structures sat in the middle of each, things that were wood, rawhide, and rope knit together. Each barge carried a stock of round stone balls, and a complement of barrels. Around their rims, and around the weird structures, were huge bags of sand.
“Such a big siege for such a little castle,” Thayet murmured. “Where could they have sailed from?”
“Copper Isles,” George replied quietly. “They’re Carthak’s allies now.”
“What are the big, flat ones?” Daine asked, searching the air for the Stormwing she had felt.
The queen raised a spyglass to her eye. “War barges—the terror of the Carthaki navy.” She offered the glass so Daine could see clearly. “The things in the middle are catapults. Each barge is counterbalanced with magic and ballast so the catapults can hurl stone balls or liquid fire. They can pound the walls of a place like this to rubble in the space of a day.”
“So this emperor has declared war?” Daine asked. She had found the Stormwing, high above. He stooped, dropping onto the deck of the largest of the galleys, laughing as humans scrambled away from him.
“No Carthaki flags,” Onua said. “This isn’t official.”
Daine stared at her. “Surely that makes no difference. A flag’s only a bit of cloth, after all.”
“A war’s not a war until an official declaration is made and the armies march under flags.” Onua pursed her mouth cynically. “None of those men or our friends in the woods are wearing uniforms, either.”
“And he can do that?” Daine asked, outraged. “It’s not a war till this emperor fellow says it is?”
“Or until His Majesty does,” Numair remarked.
Onua said, “We can’t expect any help from our navy?”
“A week ago Scanran wolf-boats hit all along the north coast,” George told them. “Most of the navy is up there, or on our part of the Inland Sea.”
“How nice,” Prince Roald muttered.
“Heads up, darlin’s,” George said. “I think we’re about to hear terms.” The Stormwing was taking flight again, an elegant white flag in one claw and something much smaller in the other.
“This is not good.” Numair too had a spyglass. “See the red robes at the bow of each ship? And there are at least four yellow robes per barge?” He lowered his glass. “A scarlet robe from the university in Carthak means you have your mastery—the same level as the Mithran black-and-gold robe. University yellow robes are adepts. They brought the barges here, and their spells keep them afloat and working.”
“What robe are you?” Daine asked, watching the Stormwing’s approach.
“None,” he replied. “Ever put one of those things on? They’re hot.”
“He’s a black robe,” Onua said, hands tight on her bow as she watched the monster. “There are only seven of them in the world.”
The Stormwing was a hundred feet away.
“Bows,” Thayet said quietly. In the same movement she and all the archers on the deck raised their weapons, sighting on the messenger.
He hovered in the air before them, smirking. “Now, is that nice?”
Daine clenched her teeth. This was the one who’d come between her and her ma. This close, she could put an arrow clean through him.
The creature dropped a scroll onto the stone between Thayet and George. The queen didn’t blink; it was the baron who picked it up and opened it. “‘To Queen Thayet of Tortall and Baron George Cooper of Pirate’s Swoop, from the Lord of the Free Corsairs, Mahil Eddace, greetings. By virtue of superior numbers and armament, I claim the castle, village, point, and waters of Pirate’s Swoop for the League of Free Corsairs. Should you prove obdurate—’”
“Obdurate?” Daine whispered without taking her eyes from her target.
“Stubborn,” supplied Numair.
George continued to read, “‘—I shall have no choice but to reduce the castle, enslave the survivors, kill all beasts, and sow its fields with salt. You have one chance only to avoid death, capture, or enslavement: surrender to me the person and effects of Thayet of Tortall and her children, Prince Roald and Princess Kalasin. You have what remains of this day and tonight to reflect. If the three persons named are not given over to us by such time as the dawn sun will clear the horizon, we will commence bombardment by catapult. If you wish to signify acceptance of these terms, you may do so by runnin’ up three white pennants.’” Calmly he rolled the message up again, and as calmly ripped it to pieces and tossed them over the wall.
“Looks like Ozorne decided what advantage he needs against the king,” muttered Onua.
“There was a time when your folk were no one’s errand boys,” the baron told the Storm
wing. His voice was even and almost friendly.
“We don’t mind helping out,” the Stormwing told him, baring his filthy teeth in a grin. “In a good cause, you understand.” He looked at Daine. “Hello, pink pig. Zhaneh Bitterclaws will be here to see you soon.” He nodded at Onua. “Both of you.” Turning back to George and Thayet, he said, “Well? Your answer?”
