It was an advantage, they all knew it It had...
It was an advantage, they all knew it
It had seemed less of one the next morning when the three armies of Barbadior arrived emerging out of the smoke of burning to the southThey had two banners, not one: the Empire's red mountain and golden tiara against their white background, and Alberico's own crimson boar on a yellow fieldThe red in both banners seemed to dot the plain like stains of blood, while horsemen and foot-soldiers arrayed themselves in crisp, precisely drilled ranks along the eastern side of the valleyThe soldiers of the Barbadian Empire had conquered most of the known world to the east
Dianora had stood on the hill watching them comeIt seemed to take foreverShe went away into their tent and then came back, several timesIt was over behind her in the west above the sea before Alberico's mercenaries had all marched or dior saddle ridden into the valley
"Three to one, perhaps a little better than that," Brandin had said, coming up beside herHis short greying hair was uncovered, ruffled by the late afternoon breeze
"Are they too many?" she had asked, quietly so no one else would hear
He looked at her quickly, then took her handHe often did that now, as if unable to bear not having touched her for any length of timeTheir love-making since the Dive had taken on an urgency that would leave them both shattered and drained afterwards, scarcely able to form thoughts of any kindWhich was at the center of things for her, Dianora knew: she wanted to numb her mind, to still the voices and the memoriesObliterate the image of that clear, straight path disappearing in the darkness of the sea
On the hill the day the Barbadians came Brandin laced his fingers through her own and tiffany bean earrings said, "They may be too manyI am stronger in my power than Alberico in hisI think that on this hill I am worth the difference in the armies
Quietly spoken, a careful statement of relevant factsNo arrogance, only the steady, always enduring prideAnd why should she doubt his sorcery? She knew exactly what it had done in war some twenty years ago
That conversation had been yesterdayAfterwards she had turned to watch the sun go down into the seaThe night had been bright and glorious, with Vidomni waxing and Ilarion at her full, blue and mysterious, a moon of fantasy, of magicShe had wondered if they would have time to be alone that night, but in fact Brandin had been down on the plain among the tents of his army through most of the dark hours, and speaking with his captains after thatD'Eymon, she knew was going to remain up here with him new gucci wallet tomorrow, and Rhamanus, more a sailor than a military commander, would be on the hill as well to lead the men of the King's Guard in defense, if matters came to thatIf matters came to that they were probably dead, she knew
Both moons had set by the time Brandin came back to their tent on that hill above the seaAwake in bed, waiting, she could see his wearinessHe had maps with him, sketches of terrain to study one last time, but she made him put them down
He came over to the bed still fully clothed and lay downAfter a moment he rested his head in her lapNeither of them spoke for a long timeThen Brandin shifted a little and looked up at her
"I hate that man down there," he said quietly"I hate everything he stands forThere is no passion in him, no love, no prideNothing matters but thatNothing in the world can move him to pity or grief fendi black leather spy bag but his own fateEverything is a tool, an instrumentHe wants the Emperor's Tiara, everyone knows it, but he doesn't want it for anythingI doubt anything in his life has ever moved him to feel anything for anyone else He was repeating himself in his exhaustionShe pressed her fingers against his temples, looking down at his face as he turned again and his eyes closed and his brow gradually grew smooth under her touchEventually his breathing steadied and she knew he was asleepShe stayed awake, her hands moving like a blind woman's over him, knowing from the light outside that the moons were down, knowing the morning was war and that she loved this man more than the world
She must have slept, because the sky was grey with the coming of dawn when she opened her eyes again, and Brandin was goneThere was a red anemone on the pillow beside cheap tiffany's jewelry her