The Princess, the Dragon, and the Frog Prince by 9781386553366

Author:9781386553366
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

~o0o~

The wind was thin and cold as the two women looked down from the balcony at the troops arranged in rows in the courtyard below. Frideswide had loaned Sigrun a fur lined cloak and the mercenary was glad of the warmth. She was also glad of the lack of morning-sickness. Frideswide’s skill with healing herbs and spells had produced a miraculous—and necessary—cure. Sigrun’s plan to infiltrate the king’s mercenary band could not have worked if she had still been subject to morning sickness. But now she was an member of King Eric’s company. She stood looking at the troops, her sword slung comfortably at her left hip. A mismatched dagger from her reclaimed baggage provided a resting place for her right hand on the opposite hip.

“They’re not bad,” Sigrun told Frideswide. “They’re not the Silver Oaks, but they’ll do.” Her veteran eye took in the assembly. Quality varied, as did age and armament. There were quite a few veterans. The wars that had plagued the land for the last generation had abated somewhat, and several kings had released most of their troops. That left many soldiers free to seek employment elsewhere. They’d need work to whip them into a coherent force, but that was what sergeants were for. Fortunately they seemed to be well-supplied with veteran sergeants.

“The commander looks familiar,” Sigrun observed, nodding at a cloaked figure inspecting the lines. “I’m sure I know him from somewhere.”

“Tarrin O’Malley,” Frideswide said. “A bit gray for the post, I think, but what he doesn’t know of war isn’t worth knowing.”

“I remember him,” Sigrun said. “He’s good. The Silver Oaks fought under him at Three Rivers when the North Sea Bandit Kings came down out of Njiel’s Fjord for their last big raid.”

“He’s called a staff meeting for just before lunch,” Frideswide said. “He wants you there.”

Sigrun looked at her in surprise.

“So he says,” Frideswide told her.

“Then I’ll have to be there,” Sigrun said, wondering what he could want with her.

The meeting was held in the annex to the main dining hall. It was an extension of the hall, since it had been easier for the architects and builders to wall off a section of the hall than to make a separate room. It shared the same high ceiling and the same style of furniture. It also shared the warmth produced by the dining hall’s giant fireplace, and all present gratefully eased off their cloaks as they settled down at their places on the long benches.

“I am Tarrin O’Malley,” their commander stated as he opened the meeting. “King Eric has hired me to command this company. I have chosen you present for sub-commands.” He was brisk and business-like. He quickly went around the table, making appointments and assignments. He’d obviously taken the time to familiarize himself with his command.

Sigrun carefully noted his appointments. There were minor nobility for officers. They were of fair to good quality. Some were a bit the worse for wear, but they looked as if they knew their way around a battlefield.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.