Rulers of the Darkness
( Darkness - 4 )
Harry Turtledove
Harry Turtledove
Rulers of the Darkness
"Dramatis Personae” (* shows viewpoint character)
Algarve
Almonio Constable in Gromheort
Ambaldo Colonel of dragonfliers in southern Unkerlant
Baiardo Mage attached to Plegmund's Brigade
Balastro Marquis; minister to Zuwayza
Bembo* Constable in Gromheort
Carietto Brigadier in Trapani
Domiziano Captain of dragonfliers in southern Unkerlant
Ercole Senior lieutenant with Plegmund's Brigade
Fronesia Woman at court in Trapani
Frontino Warder in Tricarico
Gastable Mage in Gromheort
Gismonda Sabrino's wife in Trapani
Gradasso Lurcanio's adjutant in Priekule
Lurcanio Colonel on occupation duty in Priekule
Mainardo Mezentio's brother; King of Jelgava
Malindo Scholar in Trapani
Mezentio King of Algarve
Oraste Constable in Gromheort
Orosio Captain of dragonfliers in southern Unkerlant
Pesaro Constabulary sergeant in Gromheort
Raniero Mezentio's cousin; King of Grelz
Sabrino* Colonel of dragonfliers in southern Unkerlant
Saffa Sketch artist in Tricarico
Solino General in Durrwangen
Spinello* Major on leave in Trapani for wound
Turpino Captain in Wriezen
Zerbino Captain in Plegmund's Brigade
Forthweg
Baldred Slogan writer in Eoforwic
Brivibas Kaunian in Gromheort; Vanai's grandfather
Brorda Count of Gromheort
Ceorl Soldier in Plegmund's Brigade near Hohenroda
Daukantis Kaunian in Gromheort; Doldasai's father
Doldasai Kaunian courtesan in Gromheort
Ealstan* Bookkeeper in Eoforwic; Vanai's husband
Ethelhelm Half Kaunian band leader in Eoforwic
Feliksai Kaunian in Gromheort; Doldasai's mother
Gippias Kaunian robber in Gromheort
Hengist Sidroc's father; Hestan's brother; in Gromheort
Hestan Bookkeeper in Gromheort; Ealstan's father
Leofsig Ealstan's deceased brother
Nemunas Kaunian refugee leader in Zuwayza
Penda King of Forthweg
Pernavai Kaunian in Valmiera; Vatsyunas' wife
Pybba Pottery magnate in Eoforwic
Sidroc* Soldier in Plegmund's Brigade near Hohenroda
Vanai* Kaunian in Eoforwic; Ealstan's wife
Vatsyunas Kaunian in Valmiera; Pernavai's husband
Vitols Kaunian refugee leader in Zuwayza
Werferth Sergeant in Plegmund's Brigade near Hohenroda
Yadwigai Kaunian girl with Algarvian army in Unkerlant
Gyongyos
Arpad Ekrekek (King) of Gyongyos
Borsos Major; mage in western Unkerlant
Frigyes Captain in western Unkerlant
Hevesi Soldier in western Unkerlant
Horthy Gyongyosian minister to Zuwayza
Istvan* Sergeant in western Unkerlant
Kun Corporal in western Unkerlant; minor mage
Lajos Soldier in western Unkerlant
Szonyi Soldier in western Unkerlant
Tivadar Captain in western Unkerlant
Jelgava
Ausra Talsu's sister in Skrunda
Donalitu King of Jelgava; now in exile
Gailisa Talsu's wife, living in Skrunda
Kugu Silversmith in Skrunda
Laitsina Talsu's mother in Skrunda
Stikliu Friend of Talsu's in Skrunda
Talsu* Prisoner from Skrunda
Traku Talsu's father; tailor in Skrunda
Zverinu Banker in Skrunda
Kuusamo
Alkio Theoretical sorcerer; married to Raahe
Elimaki Pekka's sister
Ilmarinen Master mage in the Naantali district
Juhainen One of the Seven Princes of Kuusamo
Leino Mage; Pekka's husband
Linna Serving woman in the Naantali district
Olavin Banker; Elimaki's husband
Parainen One of the Seven Princes of Kuusamo
Pekka* Mage in the Naantali district; Leino's wife
Piilis Theoretical sorcerer
Raahe Theoretical sorcerer; married to Alkio
Renavall One of the Seven Princes of Kuusamo
Siuntio Master mage in the Naantali district
Uto Pekka and Leino's son
Vihti Sorcerer in Naantali district
Lagoas
Brinco Grandmaster Pinhiero's secretary in Setubal
Fernao* Mage on duty in Kuusamo
Janira Cornelu's lady friend in Setubal
Pinhiero Grandmaster of Lagoan Guild of Mages
Vitor King of Lagoas
Ortah
Ahinadab King of Ortah
Hadadezer Ortaho minister to Zuwayza
Sibiu
Balio Fisherman running eatery in Setubal; Janira's father
Brindza Cornelu's daughter in Tirgoviste town
Burebistu King of Sibiu
Cornelu* Commander; leviathan-rider in Setubal
Costache Cornelu's wife in Tirgoviste town
Unkerlant
Addanz Archmage of Unkerlant
Ascovind Collaborator in Duchy of Grelz
Gandiluz Soldier contacting irregulars in Grelz
Garivald* Irregular fighter west of Herborn
Gundioc Captain in southern Unkerlant
Gurmun General of behemoths at Durrwangen bulge
Kiun Soldier in Leudast's company
Kyot Swemmel's deceased twin brother
Leudast* Sergeant in Sulingen
Merovec Major; Marshal Rathar's adjutant
Munderic Irregular leader west of Herborn
Obilot Irregular fighter west of Herborn
Rathar* Marshal of Unkerlant traveling to Cottbus
Razalic Irregular in forest west of Herborn
Recared Lieutenant in Sulingen
Sadoc Irregular fighter west of Herborn; would-be mage
Swemmel King of Unkerlant
Tantris Soldier contacting irregulars in Grelz
Vatran General in southern Unkerlant
Werbel Soldier in Sulingen
Ysolt Cook in Durrwangen
Valmiera
Amatu Noble returned from Valmiera
Bauska Krasta's maidservant in Priekule
Gainibu King of Valmiera
Gedominu Skarnu and Merkela's son
Krasta* Marchioness in Priekule; Skarnu's sister
Lauzdonu Noble returned from Valmiera
Merkela Underground fighter; Skarnu's wife
Palasta Mage in Erzvilkas
Raunu Sergeant and irregular near Pavilosta
Skarnu* Marquis; fighter in Ventspils; Krasta's brother
Terbatu Marquis in Priekule
Valnu Viscount in Priekule
Zarasai Underground fighter; a nom de guerre
Yanina
Iskakis Yaninan minister to Zuwayza
Zuwayza
Hajjaj* Foreign minister of Zuwayza
Ikhshid General in Bishah
Kolthoum Hajjaj's senior wife
Qutuz Hajjaj's secretary in Bishah
Shazli King of Zuwayza
Tewfik Hajjaj's majordomo
Qutuz Hajjaj's secretary in Bishah
One
Leudast looked across the snow-covered ruins of Sulingen. The silence seemed unnatural. Afte
r two spells of fighting in the city, he associated it with the horrible din of battle: bursting eggs, the hiss of beams as they turned snow to sudden steam, fire crackling beyond hope of control, masonry falling in on itself, wounded behemoths bawling, wounded horses and unicorns screaming, wounded men shrieking.
None of that now. Everything was silent, eerily so. Young Lieutenant Recared nudged Leudast and pointed. "Look, Sergeant," Recared said, his unlined face glowing with excitement, almost with awe. "Here come the captives."
"Aye," Leudast said softly. He couldn't have been more than two or three years older than Recared himself. It only seemed like ten or twelve. Awe was in his voice, too, as he said it again: "Aye."
He hadn't known quite so many Algarvians were left alive in Sulingen when their army at last gave up its hopeless fight. Here came some of them now: a long column of misery. By Unkerlanter standards, their tall enemies from the east were slim even when well fed. Now, after so much desperate fighting cut off from any hope of resupply, most of them were redheaded skeletons, nothing more.
They were filthy, too, with scraggly red beards covering their hollow cheeks. They wore a fantastic mix of cloaks, Algarvian tunics and kilts, long Unkerlanter tunics, and any rags and scraps of cloth they could get their hands on. Some had stuffed crumpled news sheets and other papers under their tunics to try to fight the frigid winter here in the southwest of Unkerlant. Here and there, Leudast saw Algarvians in pathetic overshoes of woven straw. Snug in his own felt boots, he almost pitied the foe. Almost. King Mezentio's men had come too close to killing him too many times for him to find feeling sorry for them easy.
Lieutenant Recared drew himself up very straight. "Seeing them makes me proud I'm an Unkerlanter," he said.
Maybe the ability to say things like that was part of what separated officers from ordinary soldiers. All Leudast could do was mumble, "Seeing them makes me glad I'm alive." He didn't think Recared heard him, which might have been just as well.
Most of the Algarvians trudged along with their heads down: they were beaten, and they knew it. A few, though, still somehow kept the jauntiness that marked their kind. One of them caught Leudast's eye, grinned, and spoke in pretty fair Unkerlanter: "Hey, Bignose- our turn today, tomorrow yours."
Leudast's mittened hand flew up to the organ the redhead had impugned. It was of a good size and strongly curved, but so were most Unkerlanters' noses. He waved derisively at the Algarvian, waved and said, "Big up above, big down below."
"Aye, all you Unkerlanters are big pricks," the captive came back with a chuckle.
Some soldiers would have blazed a man who said something like that. Leudast contented himself with the last word: "You think it's funny now. You won't be laughing so hard when they set you to work in the mines." That struck home. The Algarvian's grin slipped. He tramped on and was lost among his fellows.
At last, the long tide of misery ended. Recared shook himself, as if waking from a dream. He turned back to Leudast and said, "Now we've got to get ready to whip the rest of King Mezentio's men out of our kingdom."
"Sure enough, sir," Leudast agreed. He hadn't thought about what came after beating the Algarvians in Sulingen. He supposed thinking about such things before you had to was another part of what separated officers from the men they led.
"What state is your company in, Lieutenant?" Recared asked.
"About what you'd expect, sir- I've got maybe a section's worth of men," Leudast answered. Plenty of companies had sergeants in charge of them these days, and plenty of regiments, like Recared's, were commanded by lieutenants.
With a nod, Recared said, "Have them ready to move out tomorrow morning. I don't know for a fact that we will move tomorrow, but that's what it looks like."
"Aye, sir." Leudast's sigh built a young fogbank of vapor in front of his face. He knew he shouldn't have expected anything different, but he would have liked a little longer to rest after one fight before plunging into the next.
They didn't go north the next morning. They did go north the next afternoon, tramping up roads made passable by behemoths wearing snowshoes. Here and there, the snow lay too deep even for behemoths to trample out a usable path. Then the weary troopers had to shovel their way through the drifts. The duty was as physically wearing as combat, the only advantage being that the Algarvians weren't trying to blaze them or drop eggs on their heads.
One of Leudast's troopers said, "I wish we were riding a ley-line caravan up to the new front. Then we'd get there rested. The way things are, we're already halfway down the road to being dead." He flung a spadeful of snow over this shoulder, then stooped to get another one.
A few minutes later, the company emerged from the trench it had dug through a great drift. Leudast was awash in sweat, his lungs on fire, regardless of the frigid air he breathed. When he could see more than snow piled up in front of him, he started to laugh. There a few hundred yards to one side of the road lay a wrecked caravan, its lead car a burnt-out, blasted ruin- the Algarvians had planted an egg along the ley line, and its burst of sorcerous energy had done everything the redheads could have wanted. "Still want to go the easy way, Werbel?"
"No, thanks, Sergeant," the trooper answered at once. "Maybe this isn't so bad after all."
Leudast nodded. He wasn't laughing any more. The steersmen on that ley-line caravan were surely dead. So were dozens of Unkerlanter troopers: bodies lay stacked like cordwood by the ruined caravan. And more dozens, maybe hundreds, of men were hurt. The Algarvians had gained less by winning some skirmishes.
When the regiment encamped for the night in the ruins of an abandoned peasant village, Lieutenant Recared said, "There are some stretches of ley line that are safe. Our mages keep clearing more every day, too."
"I suppose they find out if the ley lines are clear by sending caravans on them," Leudast said sourly. "This one wasn't."
"No, but it will be now, after the mages cancel out the effect of the energy burst," Recared answered.
"And then they'll find another cursed egg a mile farther north," Leudast said. "Find it the hard way, odds are."
"You haven't got the right attitude, Sergeant," Recared said reprovingly.
Leudast thought he had just the right attitude. He was opposed to getting killed or maimed. He was especially opposed to getting killed or maimed because some mage hadn't done his job well enough. Having the enemy kill you was part of war; he understood that. Having your own side kill you… He'd come to understand that was part of war, too, however much he hated it.
In good weather, on good roads, they would have been about ten days' march from where the fighting was now. They took quite a bit longer than that to get there. The roads, even the best of them, were far from good. Though the winter solstice was well past, the days remained short and bleak and bitterly cold, with a new blizzard rolling in out of the west every other or every third day.
And, though no redheads opposed them on the ground, the Algarvians hadn't gone away and given up after losing Sulingen. They kept being difficult whenever and wherever they could. Unkerlant was vast, and dragons even thinner in the air than soldiers and behemoths were on the ground. That meant King Mezentio's dragonfliers could fare south to visit death and destruction on the Unkerlanters moving up to assail their countrymen.
When eggs fell, Leudast dived into the closest hole he could find. When Algarvian dragons swooped low to flame, he simply leaped into the snow on his belly and hoped his white smock would keep enemy dragonfliers from noticing him. It worked; after each attack ended, he got up and started slogging north again.
Not everyone was so lucky. He'd long since got used to seeing corpses, sometimes pieces of corpses, scattered in the snow and staining it red. But once the Algarvian dragons had been lucky enough to take out a column of more than a dozen Unkerlanter behemoths and the crews who served their egg-tossers and heavy sticks. The air that day was calm and still; the stench of burnt flesh still lingered as he tramped past. Dragonfire had roasted the behemoths ins
ide the heavy chainmail they wore to protect them from weapons mere footsoldiers could carry. Even the beasts' snowshoe-encased hooves and the iron-shod, curving horns on their noses were covered with soot from the flames the dragons had loosed.
"Last winter, I hear, the Algarvians were eating the flesh of slain behemoths," Recared said.
He hadn't been in the fight the winter before. Leudast had. He nodded. "Aye, they did, sir." After a pause, he added, "So did we."
"Oh." Beneath his swarthy skin, beneath the dark whiskers he'd had scant chance to scrape, Recared looked a little green. "What… was it like?"
"Strong. Gamy," Leudast answered. Another pause. "A lot better than nothing."
"Ah. Aye." Recared nodded wisely. "Do you suppose we'll…?"
"Not these beasts," Leudast said. "Not unless you want to stop and do some butchering now. If we keep going, we'll be miles away before we stop for the night."
"That's true." Lieutenant Recared considered. In thoughtful tones, he remarked, "Field kitchens haven't been all they might be, have they?" Leudast started to erupt at that, then noticed the small smile on Recared's face. King Swemmel expected his soldiers to feed themselves whenever they could. Field kitchens were almost as rare as far western mountain apes roaming these plains.
The regiment ate behemoth that night, and for several days thereafter. It was as nasty as Leudast recalled. It was a lot better than the horrible stuff the Algarvians had been pouring down their throats in the last days at Sulingen, though. And, as he'd said, it was ever so much better than nothing.
A couple of nights later, thunder rumbled in the north as the Unkerlanter soldiers made camp. But it couldn't have been thunder; the sky, for once, was clear, with swarms of stars twinkling on jet black. When the weather was very cold, they seemed to twinkle more than on a mild summer night. Leudast noted that only in passing. He knew too well what that distant rumbling that went on and on meant. Scowling, he said, "We're close enough to the fun to hear eggs bursting again. I didn't miss 'em when we couldn't, believe you me I didn't."
"Fun?" Werbel hadn't been in the company long, but even he knew better than that. "More chances to get killed, is what it is."
"That's what they pay us for," Leudast answered. "When they bother to pay us, I mean." He'd lost track of how far in arrears his own pay was. Months- he was sure of that much. And he should have been owed a lieutenant's pay, or a captain's, not a sergeant's, considering the job he'd been doing for more than a year. Of course, Recared should have been paid like a colonel, too.