Free The Black Robe (The Sword and the Spell) by Clare Smith Page B

words so that his question didn’t sound as if he doubted his commander’s competence. “What about the civil wars, you must have been around then?”
    Gadrin smiled and wondered how old the boy thought he was. “The civil wars were before I was born, but I do remember Sarrat and Tallison taking their thrones. You can’t really call them wars, there were no armies involved, just treachery and knives in the night.”
    “I see.” Newn paused deciding there was no subtle way to ask his question. “If there haven’t been any wars in the six kingdoms how do you know all about this stuff?”
    He pointed at the map with the dark blue line of the Blue River running down its centre and the white and black markers positioned either side. The map was an old one and had hung on the wall of the king’s study in the palace of Dartis for as long as either of them could remember. Despite its age it was accurate and detailed which was why it was on the table in the command tent. In contrast the markers were new. Carved from weiswald and ebon wood each marker represented a thousand men. There were six white markers nestled in the bend of the river, a day’s ride from Crosslands Bridge and four black markers facing them across the Blue River.
    Gadrin picked up one of the white markers and placed it next to the bridge. “The same as any man learns their trade; I read about warfare and studied under others who were more experienced than I was.” He smiled at the memory of his student days. “Despite what you think I haven’t always been old and crusty. There was a time when my friend Dilor and I were young and reckless and took a boat from Shipside across the Great Southern Ocean. They know all about war and the conduct of battles in the lands to the south, which is fortunate for us as they are far too busy fighting each other to turn their eyes on the six kingdoms. Dilor and I spent three summers fighting for one king or another and came back swearing that we would never let war tear the six kingdoms apart as it had their lands.” He looked sadly at the map and moved the white marker back to the bend in the river. “It looks like we’ve failed, doesn’t it?
    Newn frowned; he didn’t want to tear the six kingdoms apart either but what could he do? “We could withdraw back to Tarbis and just defend our borders.”
    Gadrin shook his head. “No, it’s too late for that. Borman has gone too far and needs to be stopped, otherwise he will take Vinmore and then move onto us. We have the reason and the men to fight him; all we need now is the courage to take that first step across the river.”
    It was Newn’s turn to pick up one of the white markers and move it to the other side of the river to join the black. He went to move another one but stopped as one of the troop captains entered the tent.
    “Your Majesty, Commander, you need to see this, there is activity across the river.”
    “Damn,” muttered Gadrin to himself as he followed his king out of the tent and into the morning sunshine; the sudden brightness taking him by surprise. The horses were already waiting along with a small escort of guards and the Lady Tarraquin. That was another thing he could do without; a woman in the camp, and not just any woman but the king-to-be’s betrothed.
    He had done his best to persuade Newn that Tarraquin should stay in Dartis with his own wife where she would be safe, but the lady had insisted that she should be here and the king had agreed. It was another irritating problem that he didn’t need. A war camp didn’t have facilities for a woman, especially one who seemed to be sick for half the day. He had to allocate men to guard her and not just from the enemy, and if something went wrong and the battle went against them, then he wouldn’t have the men to protect her and she would be in real danger.
    Tarraquin smiled as Newn approached and he smiled back, obviously pleased to see her, which was more than could be said for Gadrin