He heard the sound of hooves on the rise behind him. Lieutenant Jalenhorm, big and solid in his saddle. Short on imagination, perhaps, but a fine rider, and a trustworthy man. A good choice for the task that West had in mind.

'Lieutenant Jalenhorm reporting, sir.' The big man turned in his saddle and looked down towards the river. 'Looks like they're having some trouble on the bridge.'

'Doesn't it just. Only the start of our troubles, I fear.'

Jalenhorm grinned down. 'I understand we have the advantage of numbers, and of surprise—'

'As far as numbers go, maybe. Surprise?' West gestured down at the men milling around on the bridge, heard the vague, desperate shouts of their officers. 'This rabble? A blind man would hear us coming from ten miles distance. A blind and a deaf one would probably smell us before we were halfway to battle order. We'll be all day just getting across the river. And that's hardly the worst of our shortcomings. In the area of command, I fear, the gulf between us and our enemy could not possibly be wider. The Prince lives in a dream, and his staff exist only to keep him there, at any price.'

'But surely—'

'The price could be our lives.'

Jalenhorm frowned. 'Come on, West, I hardly want to be going into battle with that thought first on my mind—'

'You won't be going.'

'I won't?'

'You will pick out six good men from your company, with spare mounts. You will ride as hard as possible for Ostenhorm, then north to Lord Marshal Burr's camp.' West reached into his coat and pulled out his letter. 'You will give him this. You will inform him that Bethod is already behind him with the greater part of his strength, and that Prince Ladisla has most ill-advisedly decided to cross the river Cumnur and give the Northmen battle, directly against the Marshal's orders.' West clenched his teeth. 'Bethod will see us coming from miles away. We are handing the choice of the ground to our enemy, so that Prince Ladisla can appear bold. Boldness is the best policy in war, apparently.'

'West, surely it's not that bad?'

'When you reach Marshal Burr, tell him that Prince Ladisla has almost certainly been defeated, quite possibly destroyed, and the road to Ostenhorm left open. He'll know what to do.'

Jalenhorm stared down at the letter, reached out to take it, then paused. 'Colonel, I really wish that you'd send someone else. I should fight—'

'Your fighting cannot possibly make any real difference, Lieutenant, but your carrying this message might. There is no sentiment in this, believe me. I have no more important task than this one, and you are the man I trust to get it done. Do you understand your orders?'