Firehand by Andre Norton & P. M. Griffin

Author:Andre Norton & P. M. Griffin [Norton, Andre & Griffin, P. M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Demonoid Upload 6
ISBN: 9780312853136
Publisher: Lisa's E-Book Collection
Published: 1994-06-21T04:00:00+00:00

left little for him to question, and, in truth, he would have been loath to

press for further detail now even had he wanted it. The warrior looked

totally spent.

The agent was sitting in his usual place. His head was lowered, and his

shoulders were uncharacteristically bowed with the weight of his

weariness and with something that was akin to defeat. "I brought you a

costly victory," he said suddenly after a long pause, speaking with

apparent difficulty. "We have eleven slain and forty wounded, twenty-four

of them seriously even—if Eveleeni proves not to be so. Those are the

heaviest casualties we've suffered since taking to these mountains."

The gray eyes seemed utterly stripped of life when he raised them. "I

should have guessed what that convoy would do and allowed for it in my

planning. It was the very course I myself would've followed had I been in

their place. If you no longer want me as your commander, I'll resign…"

"Do not be a fool! Do you imagine yourself Life's Queen's equal that you

should ever be able to read the minds of men? You succeed quite often

enough in doing it, or in seeming to do so."

I Loran looked at him then and sighed. "Your pardon, Rossin. You have

enough riding you without my adding to your burdens."

Ross compelled himself to straighten. "You're right. I was being the

fool, and yet, I can't but grieve over our losses both personally and because

we can so ill afford them. It's a commander's duty to keep such to a

minimum, and right now, I can feel only my failure to do that."

"Without cause, as your own reason must tell you. Naturally, we suffer

for those who have gone down, but we must expect losses when we deal

with Condor Hall's own warriors rather than with mercenaries. Zanthor

has them too filled with tales of the revenge we shall exact upon them and

their kin in the event of Confederate victory for it to be otherwise. Your

party met with a large number of them and paid the cost of taking them, a

cost far lower than might well have been expected.

"As for Eveleeni's fall," he added shrewdly, "that was accident, beyond

any human controlling. Save that a sword caused it, she could as readily

have gone under her deer in the training field or during a supposedly quiet

ride."

The black eyes gentled. "It is you who gave her a chance at life."

"That means nothing if…"

"It means everything."

Ross's head bent once more but raised again in the next moment.

"Thank you for that," he said quietly.

The Terran gave his companion a wan smile as he literally willed the

depression to lift from him. "You make a strong advocate, Ton Luroc."

"I must be to argue down so unbending an opponent. Firehand meets

with no such condemnation from others as he levels against himself on

occasion."

The pale eyes twinkled now. "I've heard Luroc I Loran speak as harshly

of himself."

"And have named him a buck's tail to his face! At least, I have never

gone so far with you… Ah well, have I not said before that we are both

stubborn men?"

The Sapphireholder settled back in his chair.

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