A week passed before the Ariminumese dared venture from their walls. Where the condottieri camp had been, they found a newly erected gallows, and under a wooden sign with the word “Traitors” burned into it were Captain Scarpelli and a dog, both hanged by the neck.
The doge understood the dog was his proxy and trembled. The only question was how long before the condottiere returned for justice.
The Hawk’s Company, justly famed throughout the peninsula for its speed, moved quickly, but for once John Acuto did not lead the march. In the last carriage of the baggage train Sofia watched helplessly as the old bull deteriorated by the hour. He demanded water but could not drink; he demanded paper to write but could not hold a quill steady. Finally, sinking in and out of delirium, he lay back and surrendered to fevered memory.
“She asked me what I hoped to earn, Sofia, and when I said I’d be rich, she accused me of abandoning her for Fortune. I told her I’d write, but she turned her back on me. You know women—Fortune’s jealous, brooks no rival lovers. She stopped answering my letters!”
“You’re tiring yourself, General,” Sofia said. “Hush.”
“My boy, Harry, came to me—that was later. He followed me to Etruria to tell me that after I left, Plague made a cuckold of me. Or was it Fortune? She stole her, then tired of me . . . she stopped answering my letters . . .”
Yuri rode with Levi up to the carriage. “Thought you’d want to know, Sofia. We’re in sight,” Levi told her.
She heard the strange note in Levi’s voice. “What is it?”
“It’s not how I remember.”
“You tolded me it was poor!” said Yuri reproachfully.
She leaped down from the cart. “I want to see.”
The First Apprentice placidly studied the battle though his magnifier. “General, it’s time to pull your men back.”
“But my Lord, we’ve breached—I mean to say, we’re winning!”
“The opening round goes to Rasenna. It’s just that nobody’s escaped to tell you yet. Here—look east.” He thrust the scope at the general. “East, I said!”
“Why—it’s an army!” the general said.
“Well deduced, General! You certainly are earning that promotion.”
“Perhaps it is our allies, come to lend aid?”
“The Ariminumese don’t fight their own battles—they’re certainly not going to fight ours. Look at the Standard.”
“Ah.” The new general paled noticeably and unconsciously took a step back. “Perhaps we should retreat to a better position. Of course we can defeat the Hawk’s Company again, but if they meet us here—”
“Yes, we will be under siege ourselves; rather ironic. But there’s nothing for it. My colleagues shall deal with Rasenna; you deal with John Acuto.”
The general saluted. “Yes, my Lord.”
“Keep our horses ready. We will need a quick exit.”
And the three Apprentices marched into the fray, and their colors were soon obscured by the mist and smoke.
Only the towers were the same. Sofia didn’t know which she felt more, dread or elation. Rasenna’s walls were standing proud and strong and keeping a Concordian legion at bay. If this was the engineer’s work, what was its end? What was the point of further subterfuge if he was in league with the Apprentices? Perhaps Rasenna was only a pawn in a larger game and this was about reclaiming his Family title from the Apprentices.
She knew only one thing for certain. When the Darkness touched her, she realized that her heart was a traitor. Her choice now was whether to betray her heart or Rasenna.
“I have to get in there,” she said.
“Impossible.” Levi pointed. “Look, they’re turning. They’ve seen us.”
The forces that had not yet been committed were maneuvering away from the walls; the rest were pulling back slowly.
“Attacking their rear is all we can do for Rasenna now.”
“That’s plenty,” said Yuri.
“I’m surprised Rasenna’s withstood this long—most towns would’ve surrendered already.”
“Not Rasenna. I need to get in!”
“Sofia, we can’t just charge at them. Our best tactic is to draw them away.”
“It can’t wait that long. I have to get in there or there won’t be a Rasenna to help. I’ve seen it, Levi! Another Wave is coming, and I’ve got to stop it!”
Clad in his hauberk, John Acuto climbed from the carriage. “How?” he growled.
“I don’t know yet, but I know I have to get in there to do it. Please believe me, General!”
“Sofia, we’re outnumbered three to one. Unless there are men in there to fight, men who’ll leave the safety of their walls to help us, we’ll be riding to our doom.”
“They’ll fight, Levi! Even if it’s just women and children left, Rasenna will fight.”
“So be it. I’ll clear you a path, Contessa.”
Levi dismounted. “This is madness. General; you are in no condition to ride.”
“I’m in no condition to be living at all. Let me leave life as I should have lived it, as a knight!”
“You’re fortunate to still be alive.”
“Damn it, Fortune has nothing to do with it! We make our own fortunes for good or ill. All the excuses we use—Concord, money, kings—it’s nonsense. Nothing stops a man but himself. We can be knights, Levi! Knights!”
Levi didn’t argue, and Yuri gave a shrug. “Why not?” They both saw the strength it took the old bull to keep standing.
“Then let me help you, General.”
Once in full armor and heaved into the saddle, Acuto said quietly, “This needn’t be pure folly. A nice rain of arrowheads will puncture their confidence, so get the Welsh lads out first. I’ll lead the cavalry, and we’ll smash their lines wide open.”
Levi passed the order on and then rode up to the line to get a better look at the Concordians. Sofia rode up behind him.
“Was a doomed charge in the five-year plan?”
Levi shrugged. “Don’t underestimate condottieri pride. Treachery beat us at Tagliacozzo. You’re going to see how we do in a fair fight.”
“Why are you doing this, Levi? For the money?”
Levi laughed. “Not this time. This is Etruria’s fight. Scarpelli might have been right, chivalry may be a myth, but look at the old bull: half dead already and still ready to fight. If it’s a myth, then what a myth! If there’s nowhere left in Etruria for condottieri, I suppose I’ll be a knight, fighting for lost causes.” Levi rabbit-punched her arm. “And fair damsels like you.”
Sofia smiled thinly and said nothing.
“Are you afraid we won’t break through?”
“I’m afraid of what I’ll find in there.”
Levi touched her shoulder, gently this time. “Whatever it is, Contessa, you’re equal to it.”
In the shadow of the walls the press of dying men was bitter. Their cries did not distract the Apprentices. Nothing distracted them.
Morning retreated before noon, and dark clouds gathered in the north, blown in on the same wind that had begun to scatter the mist.
Arrows flew by from both directions as they climbed up a fallen siege tower and leaped down onto the walls. For the first time, Bernoulli’s heirs looked upon Rasenna.
“Handsome bridge,” said the Second Apprentice.
“That’s where the Captain will be,” said the man in red. “I must congratulate him. The Contessa’s sure to be protecting the fail-safe. Remember, destroying her is more important than destroying it. It’ll be on a tall building somewhere.”
“There,” said the Second Apprentice, pointing, “that tower on the northside slope with the orange trees.”
As Sofia rode back to the line, John Acuto spurred his horse forward, winking at her as he passed. The men watched as he stopped to look down at the Concordian Army.
After a moment, he turned back and unsheathed his sword. “Impressed?”
“No!” the Company roared mightily.
“Then look again!” he roared back, and waited, letting an uneasy silence spread over the line.
“Look: see their famous discipline, their numbers, and their engines. That is what you face. If you are afraid, this is what you fear. So look again. Are you impressed?”
There was no answering roar this time, and the general spit. “I’m not impressed. Concord’s strength is drills, numbers, machines, and I’m not impressed because I know the quality of the men they face. You may have forgotten; look at the man next to you. Thank the Virgin that you will not face that man in battle! Look at the ranks of knights behind you! Thank the Virgin that you will not face them! You, my men, you impress me. If you faced that knight, these ranks, this company, you would be wise to fear. But you do not!”
He pointed his sword down at the Concordians. “These are slaves! They know condottieri who surrender and retreat. They have never faced knights who fight and win! Do they even remember what a charge sounds like? By God, we’ll show them!”
The Company’s roar was like thunder, thunder soon joined by the rumble of a thousand horses advancing.