Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M. Stirling and Karen Wehrstein ...
Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M. Stirling and Karen Wehrstein ...
Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M. Stirling and Karen Wehrstein ...
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Sova followed the line of sight, her face closed with concentration; her eyes flicked to Enchian light foot<br />
seemingly caught in a crowd of Arkan foot. But the Arkans, she realized, were out-of-ammunition<br />
archers. "The Lakan heavy horse, backed up <strong>by</strong> the Tor Enchian light horse—ya, the Princes' st<strong>and</strong>ards<br />
are moving, there they go, Gotthumml, you're right! Hehas to!"<br />
"And if he calls the pikers?"<br />
"They'll leave the whole center wide open <strong>and</strong> won't have time to get set anyway!"<br />
"Well, maybe. Only ifwe don't do what we ought to quick enough. What's that?"<br />
"Chase them! Seize the advantage!"<br />
"Right. But with forces this size, Sova, things take so long that it's already too late—unless it's already<br />
planned. Now look. Look how things are arranged, stop seeing people <strong>and</strong> banners <strong>and</strong> spear-tips <strong>and</strong><br />
lines, look atpatterns. Look what's forming ." Confusion seemed to disappear like a fog burned away<br />
<strong>by</strong> sun, <strong>and</strong> the way every unit was placed sprang clear; a moment after she'd imagined it, it played out<br />
real, like a dream coming true.<br />
Alliance formations that had been crossing or weaving, wheeling or st<strong>and</strong>ing pat were suddenly all<br />
moving together, one mile-wide axe-blow cutting into the sudden weak point in the Arkan line. Through<br />
the far-lookers, she watched pike-points bobbing backwards or wavering, then mown down as the great<br />
charge stabbed through. The Arkans were thrown into confusion, some running back <strong>and</strong> forth, some<br />
begging for orders from a comm<strong>and</strong>-post now lost under Lakan hooves, some breaking <strong>and</strong> fleeing, <strong>and</strong><br />
some turning to fight alone or back to back, before the Alliance charge washed over, making none of it<br />
matter.<br />
"Should you choose generalling," said Shkai'ra, "it will be twenty or thirty years, if ever, before you're in<br />
a position to try something like that, <strong>and</strong> twenty or thirty years before youshould . But you'veseen it, <strong>and</strong><br />
you can never lose that learning. You saw it, probably about the same time the Arkan general did, <strong>and</strong><br />
knew his pyre was lit… <strong>and</strong> he was a general."<br />
"Well, the dance is over." Shkai'ra grinned. "Now comes the kill. He always leaves them a way out; but<br />
tough luck if they can't run fast enough." In another quarter-hour, nothing was left that wasn't a clear<br />
Alliance rout. Sova witnessed the scene she'd lived that morning—solas, okas<strong>and</strong>Aitzas alike chased<br />
<strong>and</strong> cut down from behind—multiplied twenty-fold.<br />
"Tonight we party, tomorrow we rest, the day after, we march," said Shkai'ra. "And so it will be, until<br />
Zh'veng'-khua has hewn down this Empire, <strong>and</strong> someone else hews down him <strong>and</strong> his in his turn; <strong>and</strong> so<br />
on forever, until the time itself is hewn down, <strong>and</strong> spins dying into darkness." Her grin widened, teeth<br />
baring.<br />
IX<br />
Generated <strong>by</strong> ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html<br />
Shkai'ra had been careful to eat a fair amount of bread, so the wine had not produced more than a sort<br />
of golden glow yet. Fires blazed high all over the Alliance camp, the roasting mostly done <strong>and</strong> the hearths<br />
piled high with wood for the celebrations. Everyone was happy; all except the injured <strong>and</strong> dead, of