Black wizards - Douglas Niles [140]
Daryth cleaned his scimitar on the dead man's shirt, ignoring the looks of thrilled horror on the faces of the Ffolk. He turned and walked away.
This had to be a good omen for the battle, he thought.
They ate cold venison and discussed the impending fight late that evening on the high balcony of Hugh's favorite inn. Tristan and Robyn, together with Pawldo, Daryth, Alexei, Pontswain, and Fiona had joined the outlaw leader.
O'Roarke outlined his plan. The King's Gate, northeast of Doncastle, would receive nearly half of the defenders, since it lay in the Scarlet Guard's path of approach. The rest of the defenders would be spread among the other three gates.
"You're not going to keep a reserve?" asked Tristan.
"Don't have the men," said the bandit. "Besides, Cassidy's archers will have decimated them by the time they get to the gate! We will meet them with steel, and they will break!"
"You can't be sure of that!" Tristan argued. "If they don't – if there are too many of them – fall back to the river. Don't sacrifice the entire town on this gamble!"
"That's enough! You are not required to stay here – leave if you wish. But if you stay, you will fight by my plan."
Tristan wanted to grab the man by his leather collar and thrash some sense into him, but Robyn's presence at his side somehow calmed him.
"Of course I will stay" he said.
"Very well." Hugh O'Roarke turned to Fiona. "You must leave Doncastle tonight, if possible. The women and children have fled to secret glens and caves."
"I will not!" cried the young woman, pounding her fist on the table. "I am going to be a part of any fight! My father taught me to wield a sword and shoot a bow. Give me either, and I will stand in your line!"
The bandit sensed the futility of argument. "You shall have a sword. But you are to remain at my side throughout the day. Do you understand?" Fiona nodded.
"You're all mad!" said Pontswain, staring about the table in disbelief. "To even think about meeting this army, and these wizards, with a band of outlaws in the woods!"
"We have no choice!" growled O'Roarke.
"Yes – yes, you do! We all do! We can go to Corwell. The king might not come after us, but even if he does, we can meet him with men-at-arms at a castle!" Pontswain looked around the table, desperately seeking agreement.
Pontswain saw no supporting looks. With a snarl of frustration, he leaped to his feet and stalked from the room.
* * * * *
Not a single arrow had flown from the underbrush during the long march through the forest. This in itself, Cyndre thought, boded well for their attack. In the past, the approach to Doncastle had been a nightmare of skirmishing archers and sudden ambush. This time, the ogres had led the way to Doncastle, ready to brutally counterattack at the first sign of resistance. There had been none.
"Why did we stop?" The king stuck his head through the window of his coach, blinking sleepily.
"It is time to deploy for the attack," explained Cyndre.
"Oh. Very well, then… deploy!"
Cyndre walked to the center of the vast forest clearing, where he was joined by the other mages and the four captains of the Scarlet Guard's brigades.
"We will attack Doncastle from two directions," Cyndre explained. "Captain Dornthwait and two brigades of the guard will strike the northeast gate. I will precede this attack with a spell – it will clear the way so that the charge should carry you into the city. After Dornthwait has broken in, the rest of you will take your companies into Doncastle. The city is to be destroyed. Take anything you can carry – but burn the rest!
"The ogre brigade of the guard, accompanied by the other wizards, will infiltrate through the forest and strike the city from the northwest.