The Affairs of Mortals

Chapter 8

Jean's massive grey stallion charger was waiting for them. He mounted on his own first, then a castle tower of a manservant helped Vero up into a side-saddle position in front of Jean. He held her securely by the waist to keep her in place.

Then, at last, they were out of the camp and into the open air for the first time since Vero had first approached that damned city and that thrice damned tower. She rested her head against Jean's chest and sank further into his arms.

'I love you.' She mumbled into his chest too quietly for him to hear.

'As I love you.'

Vero looked up in surprise. She heard something like a whisper just above the wind. Or had she imagined it?

"Is something wrong Vero?"

"Did you say something to me?"

He smiled. "Yes, I asked if something was wrong just now. Did you say something to me?"

Vero pressed her head against his chest again and did not reply.

The field command was not far from the camp. It was situated on a hill overlooking a broad field before which there was another hill which bore the castle town of Hollowstone. The active companies of men were all out in the field and nothing could get into or out of Hollowstone without being observed. However, she saw only infantry and siege engines.

"I don't suppose you have much call for cavalry during a siege." Vero mused aloud with some mild disappointment. She had hoped to see some knightly valor in person.

"Oh... We may see the defenders come out to give battle on the plain. My informer was caught trying to bribe the gatehouse men, but that was a week ago and they only had ten days rations left then."

"What good is a fortress if one only keeps the food stores to hold it for so short a time?"

"The current magistrate was negligent it seems. Somehow the granaries became infested with rats. I shall have better leadership put into place once I take it. I already have a candidate in mind."

Vero could see the companies of pikes and crossbowmen, but also smaller groups of men who stood apart and fraternized only with themselves.

"What are those smaller groups doing?"

"You have an interest in the arts of warfare, master slayer?"

"During the ancient Imperium - and before that when the elves ruled - slayers often commanded whole battalions of troops trained especially for the purpose of hunting dragons. My education, however, did not include field maneuvers."

"Well, perhaps we shall need to change that. But, you know... the stories always make it sound as though the ancient slayers hunted dragons single handedly."

"That's impossible. I've seen the dragon bones on display in the Imperial acropolis, it was more than fifty feet tall. No man, or woman, could kill something of that size alone. And mind you- scholars aren't even certain that dragon was fully grown... But you haven't answered my first question. Who are those fellows on their own?"

"Artillery men. They're something of an elitist lot, but their skills are almost indispensable."

"You have cannons here!" Vero moderated her initial burst of excitement. "I thought you wanted to keep the wall intact."

"I do, but I also want to keep the threat in their minds. And if they do decide to give us battle, we'll load the cannons with grape shot."

"May I see the cannon fired at something? I've heard about them being used during the war... but I've never seen one up close!"