ggk.thelionsofal-rassan-第109节

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r　ago；　riding　with　Alvar　and　Velaz。　She　had　only　one　man　with　her　now；　but　he　was　worth　a　hundred　and　fifty；　by　one　measure。
　　He　was　worth　infinitely　more　than　that；　by　the　measuring　of　her　heart。
　　She　moved　her　horse　nearer　to　his；　and　held　out　a　hand　and　he　removed　his　glove　and　laced　his　fingers　through　hers。　They　rode　through　much　of　the　morning　like　that　as　the　clouds　ahead　of　them　slowly　lifted　and　grey　became　blue　towards　the　sun。
　　At　one　point；　breaking　the　long　silence；　she　said；　ically；　〃A　camel　herder　in　the　Majriti？〃　And　was　rewarded　to　hear　his　swift　laughter　fill　the　wide　spaces　around　them。
　　Later；　in　a　different　voice；　she　asked　him；　〃What　did　you　say　to　my　father？　Did　you　ask　his　blessing？〃
　　He　shook　his　head。　〃Too　much　to　ask。　I　told　them　I　loved　you；　and　then　I　asked　their　forgiveness。〃
　　She　rode　in　silence；　dealing　with　this。　Finally；　very　quietly；　she　said；　〃How　much　time　are　we　going　to　be　allowed？〃
　　And　gravely　he　replied；　〃I　truly　don't　know；　love。　I　will　do　all　I　can　to　give　us　enough。〃
　　〃It　will　never　be　enough；　Ammar。　Understand　that。　I　will　always　need　more　time。〃
　　Their　lovemaking　each　night；　after　they　made　camp；　had　an　urgency　Jehane　had　never　known。
　　After　ten　days　of　riding　they　intercepted　the　army　of　Ragosa　heading　towards　Cartada；　and　time；　in　Al…Rassan　the　Beloved；　began　to　run；　swift　as　horses；　towards　its　end。
　　
Eighteen
　　In　a　reaction　to　the　protracted　siege　of　his　city；　King　Badir　of　Ragosa　had　ordered　the　northern…style　wooden　chairs　removed　from　his　private　chambers　in　the　palace。　They　had　been　replaced　by　additional　pillows。　The　king　had　just　lowered　himself…with　some　care　for　his　wine　glass…into　a　nest　of　cushions　by　the　fire。
　　Mazur　ben　Avren；　his　chancellor；　did　the　same；　not　bothering　to　hide　a　wince　of　pain。　Personally；　he　regarded　the　king's　abjuring　of　northern　furnishings　as　an　entirely　unnecessary　gesture。　Descending　to　the　floor　to　recline　seemed　a　more　difficult　exercise　every　time　he　did　it。
　　Badir；　watching　him；　looked　amused。　〃You're　younger　than　I　am；　my　friend。　You've　let　yourself　grow　soft。　How　does　that　happen　during　a　siege？〃
　　Mazur　grimaced　as　he　searched　for　an　easier　position。　〃A　touch　。。。　of　something　in　my　hip；　my　lord。　It　will　ease　when　the　rains　let　up。〃
　　〃The　rains　are　useful。　They　must　be　miserable　out　there　in　their　tents。〃
　　〃I　do　hope　so；〃　said　ben　Avren　with　fervor。　There　had　been　rumors　of　sickness　in　the　Jalonan　camp。
　　He　lifted　a　hand　and　the　nearest　servant　hastily　brought　him　a　glass　of　wine。　From　ben　Avren's　point　of　view；　it　was　an　extreme　relief　that　his　monarch's　rejection　of　things　northern　had　not　extended　to　the　better　Jaddite　wines。　He　saluted　the　king；　still　trying　to　find　a　fortable　position。　Both　men　were　silent　for　a　time。
　　It　was　autumn　and　the　eastern　rains　had　arrived　early。　Ragosa　had　been　under　siege　since　early　summer。　It　had　not　fallen；　nor　had　the　walls　been　breached。　Under　the　prevailing　circumstances　this　was　remarkable。
　　Fezana　had　been　taken　by　the　Valledan　army　in　the　middle　of　summer；　and　recent　tidings　had　e　by　carrier　pigeon　that　the　king　of　Ruenda　had　broken　through　the　walls　of　Salos　at　the　mouth　of　the　Tavares　and　had　put　all　the　adult　males　to　the　sword。　Women　and　infants　had　been　burned；　in　the　name　of　Jad；　but　the　city　itself　had　not　been　torched：　King　Sanchez　of　Ruenda　was　evidently　proposing　to　winter　there。　A　bad　sign；　and　Badir　and　his　chancellor　knew　it。
　　The　Valledan　army；　more　bold；　had　already　pushed　southeast　over　the　hills　towards　Lonza。　Rodrigo　Belmonte；　once　a　captain　in　Badir's　own　army；　did　not　seem　inclined　to　rest　content　with　only　the　one　major　city　taken　before　winter。　The　Valledans　were　said　to　be　meeting　with　resistance　in　the　hill　country；　but　details；　for　obvious　reasons；　were　hard　to　e　by　in　besieged　Ragosa。
　　Given　these　developments　to　the　west　and　given　the　fact　that　they'd　had　to　release　almost　half　their　own　army　or　risk　an　internal　uprising…many　of　the　Jaddite　mercenaries　had　promptly　joined　the　Jalonans　outside　the　walls…Ragosa's　holding　out　was　an　achievement。　A　measure；　as　much　as　anything　else；　of　the　chancellor's　prudent　marshalling　of　food　reserves　and　supplies；　and　the　affection　and　confidence　the　people　of　the　city　vested　in　their　king。
　　There　were；　however；　limits。　To　food；　to　supplies。　To　support　for　a　beleaguered　monarch　and　his　advisor。　His　Kindath　advisor。
　　If　they　could　last　until　winter　they　might　survive。　Or　if　Yazir　came。　There　had　been　no　word　from　the　Majriti。　They　were　waiting。　Everyone　in　Al…Rassan　was　waiting　that　autumn…Jaddite；　Asharite；　Kindath。　If　the　tribes　came　north　across　the　straits　everything　in　the　peninsula　would　change。
　　Everything　had　already　changed　though；　and　both　men　knew　it。　The　city　they　had　built　together…a　smaller；　quieter　repository　of　some　of　the　same　graces　Silvenes　had　embodied　under　the　khalifs…was　already　finished；　its　brief　flowering　done。　However　this　invasion　ended；　King　Badir's　city　of　music　and　ivory　was　lost。
　　The　Jalonans　or　the　Muwardis。　One　way　lay　a　terrible　burning；　and　the　other　way　。。。　？
　　It　was　very　late。　Rain　was　falling　outside；　a　steady　sound　on　the　windows　and　the　leaves。　The　two　men　were　still　in　the　habit　of　taking　this　last　glass　together；　the　depth　and　endurance　of　friendship　marked　as　much　in　their　silence　as　in　the　words。
　　〃There　was　a　report　this　morning　they　are　building　small　boats　now；〃　Badir　said。　He　sipped　from　his　wine。
　　〃I　heard　the　same　thing。〃　Mazur　shrugged。　〃They　won't　get　in　through　the　lake。　They　could　never　make　craft　large　enough　to　carry　sufficient　men。　We　would　annihilate　them　from　the　harbor　towers。〃
　　〃They　might　stop　our　fishing　boats　from　going　out。〃
　　The　siege　was　failing　in　part　because　the　small　craft　of　Ragosa　had　been　able　to　go　out　upon　the　lake；　using　care；　covered　by　archers　from　the　harbor　walls　as　they　came　back　in。
　　〃I'd　like　to　see　Jaddites　try　to　blockade　this　harbor　in　the　autumn　winds。　I　have　swimmers　who　could　sink　any　boat　they　send　out　there。　I'm　hoping　they　try。〃
　　〃Swimmers？　In　autumn？　You　would　send　someone　out　with　an　auger？〃
　　Mazur　drank　from　his　glass。　〃They　would　fall　over　themselves　volunteering；　my　lord。　We　have　a　city　disinclined　to　yield；　I　am　pleased　to　say。〃
　　It　helped　that　surrender　wasn't　really　a　possibility。　They'd　killed　the　king　of　Jalona　and　one　of　the　High　Clerics　from　Ferrieres　even　before　the　siege　had　begun。
　　That　had　been　ibn　Khairan's　doing；　his　last　act　in　Ragosan　employ；　just　before　he　left　them　for　Cartada。
　　He'd　taken　a　dozen　of　the　best　men　in　the　city　and　slipped　out　one　moonless　night　in　two　small　boats；　heading　east　and　north　along　the　lake。　The　Jalonans；　enthusiastically　burning　villages　and　farms　as　they　came　south　around　Lake　Serrana；　were　too　placent；　and　it　cost　them。
　　Ibn　Khairan　and　his　men　surprised　a　raiding　party；　which　had　been　their　intention。　It　was　purest　luck…he　had　always　been　said　to　be　a　lucky　man…that　the　Jalonan　party　of　thirty　riders　had　included　King　Bermudo　and　the　cleric。
　　At　twilight　on　a　spring　evening　ibn　Khairan's　men　had　e　upon　them　at　a　fishing　village。　They'd　waited　down　the　beach；　hidden　by　the　boats。　They'd　had　to　watch　villagers　burned　alive；　and　hear　them　scream　as　they　were　nailed　to　wooden　beams。　When　the　wine　flasks　had　emerged　among　the　raiding　party　the　mood　became　wild　and　the　northerners　had　turned　to　the　women　and　young　girls。
　　Thirteen　men　from　Ragosa；　acting　in　cold　rage　and　with　specific　intent；　had　e　up　from　the　beach　in　the　darkness。　They　were　outnumbered　but　it　didn't　matter。　Ibn　Khairan　moved　through　that　burning　village　like　a　dark　streak　of　lightning；　his　men　said　after；　killing　where　he　went。
　　They　slew　all　thirty　men　in　that　raiding　party。
　　The　king　of　Jalona　had　been　cut　down　by　one　of　the　Ragosans　before　his　identity　was　known。　They　had　wanted　to　throw　him　onto　the　nearest　of　the　fires；　but　ibn　Khairan；　swearing　like　a　fisherman　when　he　saw　who　it　was；　made　them　carry　King　Bermudo's　body　back　to　the　city。　He　would　have　been　far　more　useful　alive；　but　there　were　still　things　that　could　be　done。
　　The　cleric　from　Ferrieres　was　nailed　to　one　of　the　wooden　beams　he　had　been　instrumental　in　having　raised。　All　of　Esperana　was　ing　south；　it　had　by　then　bee　evident；　and　the　Ferrieres　clerics　were　stridently　invoking　a　holy　war。　It　was　not　a　time　for　ransoms　or　the　courtesies　normally　offered　pious　men。
　　There　had　been　a　brief　flickering　of　hope　in　Ragosa　that　the　shocking　disappearance　of　their　king　might　lead　the　enemy　to　withdraw。　It　was　not　to　be。
　　Queen　Fruela；　who　had　insisted　on　acpanying　the　invading　army；　took　control　of　the　Jalonan　forces　with　her　eldest　son；　Benedo。　By　the　time　that　army　reached　the　walls　of　Ragosa；　a　great　many　farmers　and　fisherfolk　had　been　captured　on　sweeps　through　the　countryside。　These　had　not　been　killed。　Instead；　the　besieging　army　set　about　mutilating　them；　one　by　one；　within　sight　of　the　city；　at　sunrise　and　sundown　while　the　Jaddites　prayed　to　their　golden　god　of　light。
　　After　four　days　of　this；　it　was　King　Badir　who　made　the　decision　to　show　the　body　of　King　Bermudo　from　the　city　walls。　It