Lady Knight by Tamora Pierce

Author:Tamora Pierce [Pierce, Tamora]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Children's Fiction
Publisher: Random House
Published: 2002-11-06T00:00:00+00:00

May 6–June 3, 460

Haven and Fort Masti f

eleven

SHATTERED SANCTUARY

About fifty of the enemy attacked from the east three days later. Sparrows got word to Kel, who had taken her young spear trainees to the riverbank. They raced back into Haven. Sergeant Yngvar took out two squads to support Merric’s patrol. While those squads fought the enemy—a mixed force with more foot soldiers than horsemen—on open ground, civilian archers held off twenty more Scanrans who tried to clamber over the boulders and up Haven’s west wall. Idrius Valestone was a cool head in that fight, calming the civilians around him as they steadily aimed, shot, and put fresh arrows to the string.

When she guessed the enemy would break with a little extra push, Kel led a fourth mounted squad to the battle. What was left of the main body of attackers fled. There was no one alive to flee among those who had tried Idrius and the archers on the western wall.

As the refugees piled and burned the Scanran dead, Stormwings circled above, jeering at them. More than one archer tried to shoot them down without success. The creatures were nimble on the wing, easily dodging all the arrows that came their way.

Two days later couriers rode in from Northwatch to deliver reports to Kel before they pressed on to Fort Mastiff. Vanget’s words, set on paper in a clerk’s polished writing, were as blunt as ever. Giantkiller was being rebuilt. Until it was finished, the workers and soldiers lived in mines in the hills between the old Giantkiller and Haven. Vanget also wrote that King Maggur’s army had lost two pitched battles, one to Vanget, one to Lord Raoul and the King’s Own. It was good to read about victories, particularly after Vanget also wrote that the sieges of Frasrlund and the City of the Gods remained firmly in place.

“Write a notice for our people about the battles won,” Kel told the clerks. “If folk ask for word on the sieges, just say that there’s no change.”

Five days after the couriers’ visit, eighty-five more refugees came in from the south in time to join in the elections for the civilian council. Kel, who had looked forward to a decrease in civilian complaints, discovered instead that she now had a clump of angry, quarrelsome people in the shape of the elected council to seek her out day after day. Sorting their arguments out led to such long, late discussions that Kel had to wonder if it had taken as long to arrange Prince Roald’s betrothal to Princess Shinkokami.

“This was your idea,” she accused Neal as the council left headquarters one night.

“It seemed like a good one at the time,” he replied, yawning.

“For two copper bits I’d toss the whole mess into your lap,” she threatened.

Merric, reviewing supply sheets, commented in unison with Neal, “And let you miss such fun?”

Kel scowled at them and went to bed.

With the arrival of still more working hands, Kel found herself eased off the work rosters.

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