Modesitt, L.E - Corean Chronicles 03 - Scepters by Modesitt L.E

Author:Modesitt, L.E [Modesitt, L.E]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 86

Sexdi was much the same as Quinti had been, with no sign of the Matrites from the ring road. Alucius checked his maps and sent Waris, Elbard, Rakalt, and Bakka to check the ring road for other possible Matrite attack points. None found others as promising as the one Alucius located, but they did not go farther east than the intersection with the road to Zalt. While a second major attack might well take place farther east, he could cover only so much of the ring road from where they were stationed. He could only hope that any obvious movement of even more Matrite lancers and the spear-throwers would precede such an attack. The reports that Alyniat provided indicated that the bulk of the Matrite forces remained near the two main high roads.

That could and would change, Alucius was convinced, but until it did, he saw no point in moving his own forces blindly. They could use a day of not riding, and so could their mounts. In the meantime, he also established a scouting pattern and rotation for the ridge area, then worked out a rough pattern of attack—if the Matrites did as he thought they might.

As Alyniat had wagered, the main Matrite force moved slowly down the high roads toward Southgate, so slowly that, by sunset on Sexdi, the main body was still on the coastal high road, a good seven vingts north of the ring road. A slightly smaller Matrite force was on the southwest high road six vingts northeast. Had Alucius been planning an attack of the sort he had envisioned, the Matrites were close to where he would have been. So far as Alucius could determine, there was no absolute proof that the Matrites would attack either as he had expected or as Alyniat had, but Alucius was wagering that the Matrites would not begin with a direct assault.

While the two other senior colonels had small rooms in the road fort, Alucius had decided to sleep in the field, where he could rouse and move his forces quickly.

His plan was based on what he had seen and learned years before. The spear-thrower had felt totally dead until it was put into operation, and that meant that Alucius couldn’t count on using his Talent against it until the Matrites powered up the weapon. He didn’t know when that might be, but it was likely that wouldn’t happen until the weapon was close to the ring road. He hoped his guesses were correct. He’d planned his attack that way, although the details of what he intended were not something he was sharing, beyond telling his officers and squad leaders that there was a special attack force. He wasn’t saying that he was the attack force.

On Sexdi evening, he’d gone over the contingent battle plans with his officers until he was certain they understood. He hoped they did, but he was uncertain about Deotyr.

He finally drifted off into sleep, a restless sleep.

In time, he struggled awake, only

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