The Born Queen - J. Gregory Keyes [126]
Z’Acatto heaved a sigh and looked around.
“Now, that was a pretty speech, lady,” Piro said.
Then all eyes turned to z’Acatto. For a moment he had the look of a caged animal, but then Cazio saw something firm up in him.
“All right, purcii,” he said. “We’re wasting time. Somebody tell me what we’re facing.”
“There’s ninety of us. Our scout’s last count of them was seventy horse, sixty heavy foot, twenty archers.”
Z’Acatto looked around at the men. “I make you at about half and half heavy and light. Does that get it?”
“Yes.”
“We need a narrow field,” he said. “Forest or cliff on our flanks. Anything like that around here?”
“I’ll find it,” a young rusty-haired fellow said.
“Do it, then,” z’Acatto said. “Now, someone talk to me about supplies.”
Cazio stayed with z’Acatto, trying to absorb what the old man was doing, to be what help he could, but in the end he felt rather useless. Z’Acatto and the soldiers spoke a language he didn’t understand, and it wasn’t the patois of the king’s tongue, Vitellian, and Almannish but something deeper, rooted in common experience. He said as much to Austra that night when he went to check on her.
“You’ve marched with soldiers before,” she pointed out.
“We marched alongside them,” he said. “But I never fought as a soldier. In fact, tomorrow I’ve no idea what I’ll do. I’m not a pikeman, I can’t shoot a bow, and a rapier isn’t much use in a battle formation.”
“Did you have any idea? About z’Acatto?”
“There were hints, I guess. Ospero called him ‘Emrature’ once, and I knew my father and he fought in the wars, but he wouldn’t talk about it. I never imagined that soldiers somewhere were still telling stories about him.”
“Well, it sounds like they trust him to lead them,” Austra said. “And they know more about what we’re up against than we do.”
“They have no choice, though. You remember the army we fought at Langraeth? They were all infantry, like these men. Anne’s horse destroyed them. It’s hard to fight cavalry.”
Austra leaned up and kissed him. “We’ve been in a lot tighter spots than this.”
“True,” Cazio said. “But those were situations where being a swordsman counted for something.”
“You’ll always count, Cazio,” Austra said. “The saints love you as much as I do.”
He smiled. “Errenda gave me you, so I know she loves me. I’m pretty sure Fiussa has a soft spot for me.”
“Courting two female saints? That could lead to trouble.”
He felt a guilty little start and then another at the novel feeling of guilt.
“I don’t think I’ll be courting any other women, saints or no,” he said, suddenly feeling very out of sorts.
“I was just joking, Cazio.”
“I’m not,” he heard himself say. “In fact, I hope that you’ll agree to marry me.”
She frowned. “Look, don’t joke,” she said.
“I’m not. I can’t offer you much more than you see, but I’ll give you that.”
She just stared at him. “You really do think we’re about to be killed, don’t you?”
“That’s not it,” he said. “I love you, Austra. I’ve just figured out how much, and I feel foolish for not knowing it earlier, for not marrying you the day we set foot in Eslen. I hope you’ll forgive me for that.”
“I really do,” she said, her eyes watering. She kissed him, and it lasted a long time.
“Just another reason we have to go to Eslen,” he said, stroking her hair. “I have to ask Anne’s permission to steal you away.”
“She’s already given it,” Austra said. “She told me before she sent me away. She said she’s going to create you a duke or something and give me leave to marry you.”
“Duke?” Cazio said.
“Or some title. Lord Dunmrogh, maybe.”
“I have a title already,” he said. “It’s not much of one, but I was born with it.”
“You can have more than one, you know.”
“Hmm. Duke Cazio. Duoco Cazio. That doesn’t sound half-bad.”
Something rustled outside, and then there was a tap on the carriage door. He opened it, and found Jan standing there.
“Aeken found a place,” the soldier informed them. The Emrature wants us there before sunup, so gangen we now.”
The march