Then she took the sword from the old cloak in which it was wrapped and handed it to Tancreda.

“Oh my God,” she said. The sword was fine, but the blade was a rainbow of colours unlike normal steel, and set in it in letters of gold, it said, Durandala.

Sauce smiled. “Always wanted a magic sword,” she said.

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Loomsack Mountain—Ser Gavin Muriens

Ser Gavin Muriens knew he had very little time to get his army across the Cohocton, and he drove them like a cattle herder in the predawn darkness. But bad luck, or fate, sent a flight of wyverns over before the baggage was fully across; the ford was already muddy, the rain was raising the water level, and nothing was moving until he allowed them to use torches, which were like a beacon for the wyverns. Days of fighting were taking their toll; discipline was not the best, and too many of his best people were already across with the cavalry, whom he had sent first.

He rode back across the ford in the gentle rain, and with Syr Ydrik and his Irkish knights as an escort and Tapio as a companion, he rode west to the top of the round-topped mountain that dominated the ford.

To the west, in the very earliest light of day, he could see for a mile or more, and the road and the whole vale of the Cohocton seemed to be alive.

Gavin shook his head.

“He’s coming for us,” he said.

Tapio looked. “We will have to fight to cover our retreat.” He shrugged. “If you are correct, man, then he knowsss by now.”

“We need all of Redmede’s people and the Moreans,” Gavin said.

“They’re the back of the column. And get us a caster.”

He waved at Giannis Griatzas, now one of his squires. “Get the Redmedes and all their people.” He thought a moment. “And the Duchess Mogon, if she will come.”

Griatzas bowed and rode off into the rain.

“You will sssacrifice them,” Tapio asked.

Gavin tugged the water out of his beard. “Not if I can help it,” he said. “Look; with this hill in our hands, we can cover the baggage and all the infantry across the ford. And then we slip away; it won’t be easy, but we’ll be on the wrong side of the river and he’ll be caught.”

“Man, if he crosssesss the river, it is we who will be caught.” Tapio smiled and his fangs showed. “But neverthelessss. If he followsss, he is sssurely defeated by disstance.”

“It will be bad, for the rear guard,” Gavin said. He was looking at his own knights.

Loomsack Mountain—Bill Redmede

Duchess Mogon was watching the chaos at the river crossing with increasing annoyance and a good deal of fear when Griatzas found her. But Griatzas was a very mature young man and he knew that he was requesting, not ordering; her beak opened and shut twice with a click, but she didn’t bridle or raise her crest.