“What have we for tonight’s dinner?”

The cook started listing the meats; Kieri held up his hand. “That’s ample,” he said. “We have fifty hungry soldiers to feed out of this kitchen tonight—can you do it?”

“Yes, my lord king!” The head cook looked happy at the thought.

“Good. They’ll have marched most of the day; they’ll be hungry. Plenty of meat and bread, anything else you can cook in a glass or two.” He nodded, dismissing the cook, who turned at once to the assistants.

“Have a horse saddled,” Kieri said to the steward. “I’ll ride out presently to speak to Aliam’s captain.”

The camp, when he came to it, looked a proper camp: they had not dug ditches or made a barricade, but the tents were set up in neat rows, and a safe fire pit already flickered, though no pots hung over it.

“My lord king,” Talgan said, going down on one knee. Kieri remembered him only slightly; he had been Seliam’s replacement, but Aliam had always praised him.

“About your provisions,” Kieri said. “I see no pots on the fire.”

“Mm … yes, my lord. We … came away in a hurry. We have only hard travel rations.”

“You will eat well tonight. The palace kitchens are at work on it. Send a squad to the kitchens in a glass.”

“Thank you, my lord king. If I may—it’s good to see you again, sir, and we were all glad to hear about you.”

“Thanks, Talgan. How are the Halverics, down south?”

“Very well, sir, though we were crowding them, all of us there together so long.”

“I had the same problem in the north,” Kieri said. Talking to Talgan, he felt himself sliding back into that world he’d left. “But with the gods’ aid, Arcolin’s got them down south again. I would have taken them myself—” The memory of all those trips to Aarenis went through him like a knife blade—the sights, the smells, that view coming down into the Vale of Valdaire with all the south open before him and every opportunity. He pushed that aside; it was not his world anymore.

“I’d think being a king a lot more pleasant,” Talgan said, relaxing.

“I don’t have to wear armor in a Southern summer, at least,” Kieri said, laughing. “That last year—it’s a wonder Aliam and I both didn’t end up skin and bones from sweating off so much weight.”

Talgan grinned, then sobered. “Well, my lord king, Lord Halveric said to ask you for orders, and then let him know what you wanted of the rest. I’m to send word.”

“Do you have Lyonyan maps in your tent?”

“No, my lord.”

“Well. I should have brought them. I’ll get you one later. Let’s go sit down and I’ll do my best to explain.”

Kieri laid out his plans for the northern defense. “I can use two full cohorts easily. How soon do you think they could move?”

“A few days,” Talgan said.

“I’ve already sent the Royal Archers north,” Kieri said. “After you’ve provisioned here, you should position your group about a half day from the river. I’ve marked that on the map I’ll show you. I’ll send Sier Halveric to you in the morning to discuss provisioning.”