In the palace of the Queen a large table of polished oak had been set up, and on it lay a map on soft deerhide that showed the extents of the territory of White Vale. On it were wooden chips dyed green to represent the defending forces. Off the coast were red wooden chips. The "acting" Queen of the Vale and the two generals of her forces were consulting with one another, pacing around the table while staring at the troop configurations and trying to decide what to do...and what the enemy would do.
As Bounder...bounded...over, she looked up at him and shook her head.
"Tell them they'll need to hold the pass without me for now. I'm needed here."
"I still think it's a mistake not to commit all available forces to the pass," one of the generals grumped. "If we lose the pass, we lose the city!"
The other general, quieter and more thoughtful, eyed Thorn. "I too am anxious to hear our Queen's reasoning," he said.
Thorn suppressed a grimace and yanked off the emerald earring that the Queen had worn, and lent her for the disguise. She quickly moved her hands over one another, so fast that they blurred, then held them out, fists clenched.
"This hand is the pass approach," she said, shaking her right fist. "This hand is the overland approach, which we've agreed would take too long and leave their forces strung out and vulnerable if they try it." She shook her left hand. "Whichever hand has my earring is the path they'll take to the city."
She turned to face the first general. "Pick."
Both generals eyed her warily. The Queen was young, but this seemed dangerously like reducing warfare to some kind of childish game. Still, they were the Queen's men, to the core. He hesitantly pointed at her right hand.
Thorn opened her right fist, revealing it to be empty. Without closing it, she turned to the other general. "Pick."
The other general lifted his eyebrow. "The obvious choice is your left," he said dryly.
"It is obvious, isn't it?" She opened that hand. It too was empty.
"They'll attack the pass," Thorn said. "They have to. I believe that attack is a feint though. The real objective is in the city, and Teach isn't stupid. He knows the pass will stop his forces. He knows the overland trek isn't feasible. I will not underestimate him. Our preconceptions are his greatest weapon. He will have something we aren't anticipating...some way to get forces into the city we haven't thought of."
She plucked the earring out of her pocket where she'd palmed it, and put it back on.
"We can't be defenseless when that happens."
"How then?!" the first general demanded, pounding his fist on the table and knocking some of the chips over. "How will he move thousands of troops through thin air into the city?!"
"You're thinking like a warrior," Thorn said darkly. "But Teach isn't a warrior. He's a thief. An assassin. These ships from Port September are likewise not crewed with seasoned veterans of war...they are crewed by bravos and pirates and street thugs...thieves and assassins. A thief, or assassin, never enters through a door, and if they knock it's just to provide a distraction."
"We'll hold back two units of rangers and assign them in pairs to patrol the streets. I want longbowmen with the sharpest eyes positioned at high points here...here...here...and here." She tapped her fingers at several points around the city. "Keeping watch for movement. Citizens are to stay in their homes. Anyone walking about will be subject to being stopped and questioned. Each patrolling ranger needs a horn, with orders to blow if enemy activity is confirmed."
She took a deep breath. "After the battle at the pass begins, we'll hold positions and see if I'm right about this. If the battle at the pass goes poorly, and there's been no sign of enemy presence in the city, we'll gather the troops here and ride out to reinforce the pass."
Thorn looked at Bounder. "We'll need a signal to know if you need us. Something we'll be able to see from here. A fire, perhaps, or some kind of spell in the air."
