As the Legions fell back into the Valley, the vord crowded in behind them. As they pushed back the Legions, bit by bit, the frontage of the horde continued to contract—and the pieces representing his forces and Varg’s came rushing up behind to pin them into the valley. “We hit them here.”

Varg grunted. “Few score thousand of us, and millions of them. And you want us to ambush them.”

Tavi bared his teeth when he smiled. “This isn’t about killing the vord host. This is about finding and killing the vord Queen. She’ll likely be somewhere at the rear of the horde, guiding them forward and coordinating their attack.”

Varg’s tail swished pensively, and his eyes narrowed. “Mmmm. A bold plan, Tavar. But if you do not find and kill her, our forces will be left facing the vord in the open field. They’ll swallow us whole.”

“We aren’t getting any stronger. If we don’t neutralize the vord Queen here, we might never have such an opportunity again. They’ll swallow us whole in any case.”

Varg growled low in his chest. “True enough. I have seen the end of my world. If I’d had the opportunity to make a choice like this one when they were ravaging my own land, I would not have hesitated.”

Tavi nodded. “Then I want boots on the causeway by midmorning. We’ll have to move fast if we’re going to plug them into the bottle. Master Cyricus—”

“I’ve had logistics p-preparing p-provisions and supplies for your forces since Tribune Antillus arrived yesterday after-n-noon. They are w-waiting for you at the southern gate of the city, next to the causeway. It’s only a week’s w-worth, but it was the best we could do f-for the time being.”

“Oh my,” Kitai said in Canish, her eyes sparkling. “I may be in love.”

Tavi replied in the same tongue. “I saw him first.”

Varg’s ears quivered again.

Tavi turned to Cyricus, and said, “You may have noticed that we have a number of Canim with us. They aren’t able to use the causeways.”

Cyricus nodded rapidly. “Would supply wagons do, Your Highness?”

“Admirably,” Tavi said.

“I will requisition as m-many as can be f-found.”

Tavi met the young man’s eyes and nodded. “Thank you, Cyricus.”

Cyricus bowed again, and began giving stammering orders to Phrygia’s command staff. None of the men seemed to react adversely to Cyricus’s youth or to the confident manner in which he issued orders. The men obviously trusted the young Citizen’s competence, which suggested that he had given them good reason to do so. Tavi was even further impressed.

“Two days to Riva,” Kitai murmured, looking at the map. “Two more days up to Calderon. Four days total.” She looked up at him from across the sand table, green eyes intent. “You are going home, Aleran.”