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Vaelin turned to Alturk as the howl faded, finding him now on his feet, the defeated sluaze fierce with certainty “I’ll need that,” he said, gesturing to the war club
Vaelin glanced at Kiral, expecting her to voice an objection, but her expression was one of gri skill,” he told Alturk “He can stitch your cuts”
Alturk runted “Had I been sober, you would be dead now”
Vaelin sighed the sh and tossed the war club into his hands “I know”
CHAPTER TWO
Reva
The Volarian was dying, she could see it; his skin hanging from the bones of his face like a desiccatedNevertheless, he had told his tale in an unwavering voice, the tones clear and strong, aexperience in oratory “The Empress will confront you with only a third of the fleet,” he said to the assembled captains of the Queen’s Host, called to council on her flagship “After you have defeated them she expects you to sail into the Cut of Lokar The full fleet will move from the south to cut you off That is all I know”
Reva watched as the Shield examined the detailed chart on the table They had convened on the h to accoh still fractious enough to ly, shipping water with every passing , even after she overcame the initial bout of sea-sickness the confines of ship life were trying in the extrehts strayed to Veliss and Ellese
“The Cut of Lokar” Ell-Nestra’s voice brought her back to the present as he tapped an inlet on the Volarian coast “The only direct sea-route to Volar Once we sail in there they could bottle us up with comparatively few ships Numbers won’t matter for much in such close confines Plus it’ll be an easy ainst a landing”
“This new Eant trap,” Count Marven said with a note of reluctant admiration “Sadly, it seems she’s no Tokrev”
“An overcomplicated ruse,” the queen responded, her voice uncoloured by any respect “I doubt she’s ever played keschet” She turned to the Shield “Your advice, Fleet Lord Ell-Nestra?”
“Fighting a needless battle is never a good option,” he replied, his gaze still roa the map “Especially at sea where soa fleet so heavily laden with troops will prove arduous to say the least I suggest we si a north-eastern course to land here” He tapped a shallow bay a hundred miles north of the Cut of Lokar “So on these shores and tell h to acco With the bulk of Volarian forces securing the banks of the Cut, they shouldn’t have more than a handful to oppose us Once the army is landed the fleet will be free to deal with any threat to our supply lines”
The queen turned to her Battle Lord “Count Marven?”
“It will take three days at least to land the entire arhness Whilst most Volarian forces will be concentrated to the south, we arrisons before being fully ready to march”
“We could land farther north,” the Shield conceded with a sigh “But the coast offers few other landing sites for at least another two hundred reater the distance to Volar the lesser our chances of success,” the queen said, raising her eyes fro to rest on Reva “And we have one in our ranks who can be considered expert in fending off Volarian attacks”
• • •
“In addition to your archers and guardsi the Wolf Runners”
“They will be very welcohness,” Reva replied