Free Wine of the Gods 08: Dark Lady by Pam Uphoff Page B

that I can do is make corridors. Corridors might be useful. We could send scavenging parties out beyond them, bring in more supplies."
    " Err . . ."
    " Sorry, they’re . . . you just step in one side and out the other, sometimes miles away. Umm. Maybe I'd better try before I promise, the state my head is in."
    The Prince scratched his jaw. "Could we send troops out? Raid their back areas and make it look like there are some Imperial Guards out of the town?"
    " Oh yes, that would be easy. If I can do it at all, all sorts of things are possible."

Chapter Twelve
    Friday February 27, 3493 AD
    Jeramtown, Arrival
     
    Liz spent the next day on horseback doing uncanny things.
    The lady had to have been someplace before she could make a magic corridor. So the first corridor was just to the north of town, where she had first ridden Phantom.
    "I think I can throw the end of the corridor a mile or two. Anything longer and I'll have to be there to stretch it." She frowned, looking introspective, then shrugged. Pantomimed grabbing something. Pulling it open, throwing it. She stepped up and patted the wall, pulling something across like a curtain of green grass and hillside.
    " Well, there aren't any troops on that side of the corridor." The lady walked back to Phantom and mounted.
    Kurt led the way with a troop on spooking horses bei ng forced into the bright square drawn on the brick wall and out into a field outside of the town. They emerged to hear startled gasps. Behind them, a group of Arbolians, surprised, but starting to move. Liz reined frantically away from one reaching for his sword, but the lady kicked Phantom forward, her sword extended and braced and stabbed him. The lady pulled the sword free and spun the stallion to block another Arbolian's attack, sliding her sword down his then breaking loose to slash as she passed him.
    One of the guards ran him through from the back, and looking around Liz realized that the entire troop of Arbolians was dead. Three of the Imperials were wounded, and the lady produced a flask and warned them to only take a small sip. They were healed very nearly instantly, and rode looking uncomfortable. Out of the corner of her eye she saw them adjusting their britches and they occasionally cast longing looks her way. Kurt was biting his lip.
    " You look like you are trying to not laugh."
    He cleared his throat. "That is a wicked combination of herbs or spells or whatever in that wine. Especially for a man in a rather hard saddle."
    Liz blushed, and looked away. And frowned at a square image of a town street hanging a few inches off the ground. Right. I guess Lady December is uncanny after all.
    They found three farms, so far unlooted, and the lady made another corridor back to town.
    The gleaning crew and wagons lurched through and proceeded to loot. The owners were there to oversee, and a clerk from the baron's office made notes. The lady rode to four other farms whose owners or tenants hadn't had time to bring grain and hay to town, and she made corridors for them as well.
    " These will, umm, evaporate on their own in less than a day, because I didn't anchor them. If there is someplace you want a permanent, or at least, long lasting, corridor to, tell me. I can pin them down better, so they last."
    Kurt nodded. "We just don't have much time before they get it all. Even if we're just dumping it on the ground, we've at least denied it to them. Damn it, we were all stockpiling for the fourth year famine."
    The lady blinked. "Fourth year . . . Dumping it on the ground? Excuse me." She aimed Phantom back through the square, and stayed there for perhaps half an hour.
    Liz kept watch, feeling a bit helpless after the fight. The lady had killed a man without blinking, had more than held her own against another. All Liz could do was duck and run.
    Phantom jumped back through the square.
    " All right, I've fixed up some storage space for the grain, which has given me a brilliant idea about the rest of your