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aking their heads slowly。
〃It may well be that you have；〃 said the Captain at length。 He didn't look particularly concerned。 〃We'll know soon enough。 Get up； lad；〃 he added。 〃Stick something cold on the side of your face or you'll have trouble offering opinions about anything for a while。〃
Lain Nunez had already turned to ride back。 Now the Captain did the same。 Alvar stood up。
〃Captain；〃 he called； with difficulty。
Ser Rodrigo looked back over his shoulder。 The grey eyes regarded him with curiosity now。 Alvar knew he was pushing things again。 So be it。 It seemed his father had been that way too； amazingly。 He was going to need some time to deal with that。 And it seemed that it wasn't his mother's pilgrimage to Vasca's Isle that had put him in this pany； after all。
〃Um； circumstances prevented me from finishing my last thought。 I just wanted also to say that I would be proud to die defending your wife and sons。〃
The Captain's mouth quirked。 He was amused again。 〃You are rather more likely to die defending yourself from them； actually。 e on； Alvar； I meant it about putting something on your jaw。 If you don't keep the swelling down you'll frighten the women in Fezana and ruin your chances。 In the meantime； remember to do some thinking before next you speak。〃
〃But I have been thinking…〃
The Captain raised a hand in warning。 Alvar was abruptly silent。 Rodrigo cantered back to the pany and a moment later Alvar led his own horse by the reins over to where they had halted for the midday meal。 Oddly enough； despite the pain in his jaw； which a cloth soaked in water did only a little to ease； he didn't feel badly at all。
And he had been thinking； already。 He couldn't help it。 He'd decided that the Captain was right about Garcia de Rada's raid taking the matter out of the area of a private feud and into the king's affairs。 Alvar prided himself that he had always been willing to accept when someone else made a shrewd point in discussion。
All that was days in the past。 A swollen but not a broken jaw had assisted Alvar in the difficult task of keeping his rapidly evolving thoughts to himself。
The twice…yearly collection of the parias from Fezana had bee something close to routine now； more an exercise in diplomacy than a military one。 It was more important for King Ramiro to dispatch a leader of Ser Rodrigo's stature than to send an army。 They knew Ramiro could send an army。 The tribute would not be refused； though it might be slow in ing and there was a kind of dance that had to be performed before they could ride back with gold from Al…Rassan。 This much Alvar learned during the shifts he rode ahead of the party with Ludus or Martin； the most experienced of the outriders。
They taught him other things； too。 This might be a routine expedition； but the Captain was never tolerant of carelessness； and most particularly not so in the no…man's…land； or in Al…Rassan itself。 They were not riding south to give battle； but they had an image； a message to convey： that no one would ever want to do battle with the Horsemen of Valledo； and most particularly not with those manded by Rodrigo Belmonte。
Ludus taught him how to anticipate from the movements of birds the presence of a stream or pond in the windswept plateau。 Martin showed him how to read weather patterns in the clouds…the clues were very different here in the south from those Alvar had known in the far north by the sea。 And it was the Captain himself who advised him to shorten his stirrups。 It was the first time Ser Rodrigo had spoken directly to Alvar since flattening him with that blow on the first morning。
〃You'll be awkward for a few days；〃 he said； 〃but not for longer than that。 All my men learn to ride like this into battle。 Everyone here knows how。 There may e a time in a fight when you need to stand up in the saddle； or leap from your horse。 You'll find it easier with the stirrups high。 It may save your life。〃
They had been in the no…man's…land by then； approaching the two small forts King Ramiro had built when he began claiming the parias from Fezana。 The garrisons in the forts had been desperately glad to see them； even if they stayed only a single night in each； to leave letters and gossip and supplies。
It had to be a lonely； anxious life down here in Lobar and Baeza； Alvar had realized。 The balance in the peninsula might have begun to shift with the fall of the Khalifate in Al…Rassan； but that was an evolving process； not an acplished reality； and there had been more than a slight element of provocation in the Valledans placing garrisons； however small； in the tagre lands。
These were a handful of soldiers in a vast emptiness； perilously near to the swords and arrows of the Asharites。
King Ramiro had tried at the beginning； two years ago； to encourage settlement around the forts。 He couldn't force people to make their way down there； but he'd offered a ten…year tax exemption…given the costs of a steadily expanding army； not a trivial thing…and the usual promise of military support。 It hadn't been enough。 Not yet。 Only fifteen or twenty families； clearly leaving hopeless situations in the north； had been brave or rash or desperate enough to try making lives for themselves here on the threshold of Al…Rassan。
Things might be changing year by year； but the memory of the Khalifate's armies thundering north through these high plains was a raw one yet。 And everyone with a head above the ground knew the king was too fiercely engaged by his brother and uncle in Ruenda and Jalona to be reckless in support of two speculative garrisons in the tagra and the families who huddled around them。
The balance might be shifting； but it was still a balance； and one could ignore that only at peril。 Thinking； as they continued south； about the narrowed eyes and apprehensive faces of the men and women he'd seen in the fields beside the two forts； Alvar had decided there were worse things for a farmer to contend with than thin soil and early frosts in the north by the Ruenda border。 Even the fields themselves down here had seemed pathetic and frail； small scratchings in the wide space of the otherwise empty land。
The Captain hadn't seemed to see it that way； though。 Ser Rodrigo had made a point of dismounting to speak to each of the farmers they saw。 Alvar had been close enough to overhear him once： the talk was of crop rotation and the pattern of rainfall here in the tagra lands。
〃We aren't the real warriors of Valledo；〃 he'd said to his pany upon mounting up again after one such conversation。 〃These people are。 It will be a mistake for any man who rides with me to forget that。〃
His expression had been unusually grim as he spoke； as if daring any of them to disagree。 Alvar hadn't been inclined to say anything at all。 Thinking； he'd rubbed his bruised jaw through the beginnings of a sand…colored beard and kept silent。
The flat； high landscape of the plateau did not change； and there were no border markings of any kind； but late the following afternoon old Lain Nunez said aloud to no one in particular； 〃We're in Al…Rassan now。〃
Three days later； nearing sundown； the outriders caught a glimpse of the Tavares River and； not long after； Alvar saw for the first time the towers and walls of Fezana； tucked into a northward bend of the river； honey…colored in the westering light。
It was Ludus who first noticed the strange thing。 An astonishing number of carrion birds seemed to be circling and swooping above the river by the northern wall of the city。 Alvar had never seen anything like it。 There had to be thousands of them。
〃That's what happens on a battlefield；〃 Martin said quietly。 〃When the battle's over； I mean。〃
Lain Nunez； squinting to see more clearly； turned after a moment to look at the Captain； a question in his eyes。 Ser Rodrigo had not dismounted； and so none of them had。 He stared at Fezana in the distance for a long time。
〃There are dead men in the water；〃 he said finally。 〃We'll camp here tonight。 I don't want to go closer； or enter the city； until we know what's happened。〃
〃Do you want me to take two or three men and try to find out？〃 Martin asked。