Lora of Two Worlds

Since returning to the guest house, Faye and her brother had vanished. Only at departure time did Chester Horn appear, with three carriages and forty guards.

He told Roland, proudly: "These are only Faye's personal effects. The dowry will follow by sea. We may be fallen Black Eagle nobility, but in the Empire, we're still a house of standing. Faye marrying you is no step up."

Roland didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Yes, they were going back to Lohenheim. But they'd be riding through a war zone. Was this the time for pots and jars?

He discussed with Alvin. All carriages, one convoy. Von Klein, Lora, and Faye with the carriages. Alvin with twenty guards plus Chester Horn's forty, escort the convoy.

Corin and three hundred Turkic men, with Roland. Once outside the city, they'd split.

Lora agreed without hesitation. In front of her brothers, she climbed into the carriage and disappeared.

Nearly a hundred men and horses filed out the gate. The household guards watched them take the official road, then turned back.

They dismounted to say their farewells. Corin came to Lora's side, low:

"Our men are at the Five-League Pavilion. My mother says, your kindness is too great. Travel money isn't needed. They'll manage. She spent her own private funds, and each family contributed, to buy horses for their sons..."

"Buy horses? You said when you left the steppe, every family had horses?" Lora thought, then smacked her forehead:

"I forgot, you've been in the Empire over a year..."

When people couldn't eat, they sold horses for grain. Keeping two or three for emergencies was the most you could manage. Buy horses... where would they get that kind of money?

Corin looked down at the bewildered girl, smiling:

"The khanate's people have horses in abundance. They just can't sell to southerners. Off the books, no tax, they can sell cheap. Market price: twenty ounces. Turkic buyers: two ounces. So many khanate people risk their necks selling horses illegally."

"Two ounces? That's still six hundred ounces for three hundred! I only gave you sixty!" Lora nearly tore her hair out. And she didn't have that much on her.

"My mother said not to worry. She said, just protect the lady..."

Leon stood nearby. He'd heard every word.

But both his men were out delivering letters. As Corin passed, Leon stopped him:

"Are you a man?"

"Do I look otherwise?" Corin was puzzled.

Leon said, coolly: "You spent money, and let a woman pay your debt. Some man. A real man would borrow from me, and repay slowly. Don't make your women and children bear the interest."

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Corin knew, to raise that much that fast, his mother would have gone to moneylenders.

"What, you haven't even your mother's courage?" Leon's voice carried a sting.

Corin thought it over. Gritted his teeth: "Fine. I'll borrow from you."

Leon smiled: "I charge interest. No need for her to know."

A heavy coin pouch flew into Corin's hands. Three gold ingots, sixty ounces. He told Mo, then spurred his horse back toward the city.

Leon watched him go. Then looked for Lora, gone. Already in the carriage.

Alvin finished with Roland. Roland said goodbye to von Klein, was about to go to Lora's carriage, but the column was moving. He glanced at Leon. They rode.

The cavalry column surged forward under Roland's lead.

Leon was about to ride when small arms grabbed his shin: "Cousin! Wait for me!"

He looked down. The small figure in a guard's tunic, Lora. Without a word, he pulled her onto the horse:

"I knew it. If you didn't do this, you wouldn't be you."

Lyle really was a good boy. The extra stirrups he'd bolted on, already in use.

"Thank you, cousin."

"How did you know I'd take you?"

Lora giggled: "You had Lyle add the stirrups. If you weren't taking me, who were you taking?"

Fair enough. Leon kept his face straight: "This road is hundreds of miles. Farther than Yewtree. Riding is exhausting. Are you sure?"

"These trousers are padded extra. Soft as a cushion. My backside doesn't hurt at all."

With a girl this shameless, his face nearly cracked. He squeezed his horse: "Legs tight. We're running. Yah!"

Two riders, one horse. They leaned forward together, found the same rhythm, the same rise and fall. Lora in his arms, his cloak snapping in the wind behind them. She called out, bright and clear:

"Yah! Yah!"

The same voice, the same breath. Nothing more need be said.

Five li out, at the Five-League Pavilion, they joined three hundred Turkic riders. Corin caught up too.

Roland saw the small guard on Leon's horse. You two are this cozy, and you still need my help?

He slowed the column. What else could he do?

"Camp near Liangford tonight. We can't go slower." Roland told Leon. Leon nodded:

"Your pace. At each posting house, take an extra horse. We'll keep up."

Eight days of siege, and on the road, no refugees fleeing. The closer to Deepford, the stranger it seemed.

"Greyhollow March is that confident? Why besiege without attacking?"

"The Yarrow-Deep domain was split away less than fifty years ago. In that time, sometimes the crown controlled it, sometimes the household guards. Constant war. The people must miss the old days under Greyhollow March.

The Duke of Greyhollow March is playing a long game. He wants the people who remember his rule to drive out the garrison commander. Take the city without a fight."

"And the siege, keeping people in, cutting off supplies, the people's anger at the garrison grows and grows. Cousin, we're three days from Deepford. Yorvik and Weybrook troops should arrive by then?"

Leon smiled: "You mean to say, our three hundred men showing up is pointless. Right? No need to be delicate about it."

She was smiling, he could feel it though he couldn't see her face.

"No, we're not attacking Deepford. The one besieging Deepford is the duke's eldest son, Windsor Yvain. We're attacking the Greyhollow March heartland, Stoneford."

Greyhollow March held four provinces: Stone, Shadow, Shale, and Jade. Three of them, Zhen, Zara, Shen, were close together, in a triangle, supporting each other. Each had twenty thousand. No one with any sense would assault Stoneford directly.

And yet, Leon and Roland turned at Deepford and headed for Stoneford.

Outside the White Horse Gate, west of Stoneford, Linn and Lyle were waiting, anxious.

"Letters delivered. Weybrook and Yewin march in two columns, one to relieve Deepford, one to strike Gibford directly. When we came through, we saw Shefford and Zhaozhou already sending reinforcements to Gibford. But the borrowed troops "

Linn hesitated.

Besieging Jarvis to relieve Ding, the advantage was drawing Zara and Shen's forces away, leaving them no time to reinforce Stoneford. That part, thanks to Duke Osler and Hayes Hadrian, was done.

Roland frowned: "We've no ties to Hayes Jensen. They answered the call, that's already generous. Borrowing troops... even my father asking in person might not work."

Stoneford was right there. And they had three hundred men.

How do you fight that?

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