The Silver Mage - Katharine Kerr [158]
“That would be a good number, and we should be able to reach the town in five days if we take extra horses. Unless, Dalla, you know a way to get us there even faster.”
“I can’t open a dweomer road for more than one or two people, if that’s what you mean,” Dallandra said. “With Evandar gone, the roads get more and more unstable. They’re probably not safe for anyone who’s not dweomer themselves.”
“I see.” Cal considered for a moment more. “I’d ask the dragons to carry some of us there, but frankly, I think we’d best go with a show of force.”
“I agree,” Dallandra said. “What if the Horsekin send emissar ies, like they did before?”
“They’ll understand a message delivered by a troop of archers a lot better than fine words,” Cal said. “Even with dragons hovering around.”
“Quite right,” Dallandra said. “And they’d love to get their hairy paws on Prince Dar. He’ll need guards.”
“Which brings us back to the point,” Dar broke in. “We need to delay the main army. Can the dragons do that?”
“We can try,” Rori said.
Salamander got to his feet. Dallandra had never seen him so grim, with all his fool’s pretense tossed aside. “I need to go north with you. Valandario can receive any messages Dalla sends back. When it comes to harrying the Horsekin, I have the best weapon of all.”
Calonderiel snorted like an angry stallion and set his hands on his hips. “And what, pray tell, might that be?”
“Alshandra herself.” Salamander crossed his arms over his chest and stared straight at the banadar. “Or her image.”
“Oh, splendid idea!” Dallandra said.
Salamander smiled at her. Calonderiel, however, scowled and opened his mouth to speak.
“Cal, hold your tongue!” Dallandra got in first. “Ebañy knows what he’s about.”
“He does?” Cal hesitated then turned to Salamander. “My apologies.”
Salamander looked so shocked that everyone laughed, including the dragon.
“You can come with me, Brother,” Rori said. “Arzosah mentioned that you’ve ridden dragonback before.”
“It was not a pleasant experience, but I have, indeed,” Salamander said. “I suspect it will be easier with you instead of her, however.”
“It’s likely,” Rori said. “I’ll ask Arzosah to travel with the prince till they reach Cerr Cawnen. Then she can come north to join us.”
“We’ll be flying straight for the army, then.”
“Not quite. I want to go to our caves first and fetch Medea. It’s time she learned how to harry an enemy.” Rori rumbled briefly. “And that way you can meet your nephew.”
Calonderiel slaughtered and skinned a pair of sheep for Rori, who needed to rest rather than hunt. Rather than watch his brother eat raw mutton, Salamander went to his own tent and packed a pair of saddlebags to take north with him. Rori had told him to be ready at the first light of dawn. He’d just finished when Dallandra joined him.
“Are you riding with Cal when they leave?” Salamander said.
“No,” Dallandra said. “I’ll be traveling on one of the dweomer roads. I want to reach Niffa as soon as possible.”
“I see. What about Dari?”
“I’ll be leaving her with Sidro. She’s too young to wean, but Sidro’s already getting milk. The Gel da’Thae seem to live for motherhood, I must say! Sidro had a child before, you see, and now she’s pregnant again. That and then the amount of time she spends tending Dari has apparently gotten her motherly humors flowing early.” Absent mindedly, Dalla rubbed one of her own breasts through her tunic. “It’ll be a nuisance for me, but for all I know, there’s a woman in Cerr Cawnen who needs a wet nurse. I’ve asked Niffa to look for one.”
“You’d nurse a stranger’s child?”
“Why not? Someone else will be nursing mine. I can scry for Dari whenever I want, so it’s not like I’ll have no news of her.” Dallandra’s voice turned uncertain with worry. “Sidro can’t talk mind to mind yet, but I’ll contact Val every day.”
There were times, Salamander reflected, that he was grateful for having been born male.
“Very well,” he said aloud, “but I was hoping that I could send Dar warnings, should I see something to warn him about, anyway.”
“Grallezar’s offered to ride