The Exile and the Sorcerer Read Online Free Page B

It’ll give her a better grasp of the practicalities of war, and she certainly won’t be in a fit state to bother us afterwards.”
    “I’m worried about this nonsense over the swords. It sounds as if she’s trying to create a pretext for war with us. There was nothing subtle about the threat at the end.”
    “I noticed. But I don’t think it’s reached that point. This parley is just an excuse to scout things out. You saw the envoy’s eyes light up at the sight of Red limping.”
    Lizard pursed her lips. “So what will you do about selling swords to Argenseg?”
    “That’s a hard one. To agree might be taken as a sign of weakness. To refuse would give an excuse to attack. But if I’m right, she’s not serious about the swords, and she can always find another excuse.” The Queen looked thoughtful. “Perhaps I could send Fearless’s brother back as a meaningless gesture.”
    “That won’t please Hilo. She’s taken rather a liking to him.”
    “There’s no shortage of men.”
    “We can’t afford bickering among our families.”
    The two women sat in silence for a while with identical frowns on their faces.
    Lizard was the first to speak. “We might be able to manoeuvre Argenseg into provoking Fearless—suggest to some of their hotheads that it might be funny to take another of her brothers captive.”
    The Queen nodded. “That would be good if it worked, and I think I know the right hothead to suggest it to. We could also send Red to visit folk on Varseg.”
    “With what purpose?”
    “We’d say she merely wants to see the site of her greatest victory again.”
    “Who’s going to believe that?”
    “No one, probably.”
    “So what’s the real reason?”
    “To make Fearless wonder why I sent Red to Varseg.”
    Lizard froze for a second and then yelped with laughter. “Her spies and councillors will tie themselves in knots looking for a reason that doesn’t exist. With your reputation for being a conniving old fox, they’ll end up convincing themselves that you’re hatching a plot so clever it’s beyond them.”
    “And if Red goes to Varseg, it will remind people of all her victories with the invincible Storenseg war band. A good reputation can be the best weapon of all. My family has a lot of prestige, and I’ll use it to bluff a way through this. I want to make sure everyone remembers that the royal family of Storenseg is a very dangerous enemy.”
    “I do see one potential problem,” Lizard said after a moment’s pause.
    The Queen’s face was grim. “I know...Tevi.”

Chapter Two—In The Hay Barn

    By midafternoon, although her knee was still sending darts of fire up her leg, Tevi was able to climb to the fortified stockade high on the hillside. If war came, the enclosure would keep livestock safe from raids. Tevi had volunteered to inspect the defences as a way to get time alone to think. However, Brec had tagged along, and there was no way to refuse her company without pointing out the interpretation Laff might put on their going off together.
    The timber stockade was surrounded by a deep ditch that made use of natural contours wherever possible. From the embankment, Tevi looked down on the village nestling among fields far below. Holric looked like a toy made by a child in the sand. Tevi felt as if she had only to reach out her hand and she would be able to knock it flat. The image was appealing.
    “The ditch and bank are sound, but the palisade needs a bit of work in places.” Brec’s voice interrupted her brooding.
    “Umm, I’ll tell Grandmother to send some women up here with axes. What do you reckon...about a day’s work for three women?” Tevi suggested.
    “That’ll do it easily.”
    Tevi nodded but said nothing more.
    “Come on. Let’s go back and see how preparations are going. We could check out the cooking—sample a few bits to make sure they’re doing it properly,” Brec said in her brightest tones.
    “You could. I might go and see my