Storm Warning - Mercedes Lackey [122]
That did sound just like a cat, and he chuckled weakly in spite of his shock. “Still—I mean, I’m not a Valdemaran, I’m a Karsite. What’s more, I’m sworn to Vkandis. Are you really, really sure this shouldn’t this be left to Altra?”
Florian snorted. :Altra doesn’t know near enough about Heralds and Companions, things that you will need to know—but being a cat, he’ll act as if he does, and make up what he doesn’t know. Really, Karal, I’m honestly here to help you. If you’ll let me, that is.:
Karal hardly knew which way to turn; he could only remember one thing. According to Ulrich, Companions were “just like” Firecats. That made them, in effect, speakers for the Sunlord—
Or Whoever, he reminded himself.
:Well, remember what Ulrich told you,: Florian reminded him. :Does it matter who I speak for? We’re both on the same side. Karal, this is important. You need to accept me. Please, trust me in this.:
Wonderful. Now something else wanted him to trust it.
On the other hand—
:You need me,: Florian repeated stubbornly.
He sighed. “All right,” he said at last, with resignation. “I’ll trust you. But mainly because it’s a lot easier coming to you for answers than it is to go look them up—or try to, anyway.”
:Good!: Florian tossed his head and pranced in place. :Excellent! I told them you’d see reason! Now—since I happen to know that your friend An’desha is still with Firesong, and I also know you have a head full of questions you haven’t asked yet—: The Companion nudged him with his nose in the direction of the barn, :—you can groom me while you’re asking those questions. I haven’t got a Herald, and no one spends any amount of time grooming Companions who don’t have Heralds. I itch.:
“I’m sure you do,” Karal sighed. “I’m sure you do.”
He headed obediently toward the barn; after all, he might as well do the Companion that little favor in return for getting an easy set of answers to all his questions, starting with, “just what does the Queen’s Own do?”
But if anyone had asked him, among Natoli, Altra, and Florian, he was beginning to feel as if he was suffering from a spiritual concussion!
Some people are born to greatness, Grand Duke Tremane thought glumly. Some people stumble into greatness. And some people get all the responsibilities without the acknowledgment.
From the moment he had walked through the Gate into the headquarters of the Hardornen Campaign, he had been forced to improvise. The situation was a complete nightmare, the worst campaign he had ever seen or read about. The only good thing about the disaster was the headquarters itself; the fortified manor of some nobly-born Hardomen his men had taken intact. Not even the paintings on the walls were disturbed, nor more than a handful of jewels and other small objects looted. If he must be in a perilous situation, at least he would endure it in comfort. This was the privilege of command and control.
Normally when the Empire moved in on a country to conquer it, the conclusion was foregone from the moment the troops first crossed the border. The situation within the target nation was always in a state of turmoil; the central government would be in chaos thanks to the internal machinations of Imperial agents, and generally the populace was in revolt as disorganization allowed greedy nobles to take liberties. That made conquest little more than defeating the few troops willing or able to oppose the Empire, and moving in.
Front-line Imperial shock troops always went in first to take a precisely calculated amount of terrain. They would take no more, and no less. At that point, they would stop and hold a line; consolidation troops would follow to mop up whatever weak resistance still remained. Once the commander was certain that the conquered territory was going to stay conquered, holding troops moved in. Their task was one of fortifying strongholds, establishing or repairing