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"I think that I am selecting the perfect donors," Ennit said haughtily.
Taking a deep breath Peria tried again. "But someone as prominent as the lady . . ."
"Lady!Call that horse a lady!" He laughed harshly. Ennit loomed over his sorceress. "She's a mercenary
captain and hardly worthy of being called a woman, let alone a lady. She deserves everything she's going
to get, and more besides." He clenched and unclenched his fists. "I shouldn't be second to that . . . female
in any way. Nor to the next one I've selected!"
"As to that one," Peria said, looking nervous but determined, "she's a friend of my mother's."
"What do I care?" Ennit said with a laugh.
"My point," the sorceress said carefully, "is that I don't wish to offend my mother. And I assure you, my
lord, neither do you."
He glared at her and his breathing deepened. Outside the tent Terion expected him to hit her and
wondered if she dare interfere.
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"I beg you to choose someone else," Peria said, clasping her hands before her.
Slowly Prince Ennit smiled. "No," he said and turned away. Then he glanced over his shoulder. "You
may go. But send in Lita, you know, the little blonde." He turned away again, with a smirk on his face.
The look on Peria's face was downright scary.
I don't think I'd want to be little Lita at this point, Terion thought.The poor kid's gonna come down with
munga-twat at the very least.She rose and moved carefully away from the tent, filled with misgivings.
* * *
Even though he matched her brisk walking pace, it was taking Feric awhile to catch up to her mentally.
He looked at her, his mouth slightly open, with all the intelligence of a stunned cow. Terion sighed. You
could get Feric on his feet and moving, but actually waking him up was a lot more difficult. Maybe she
was being too indirect.
"I think they intend to do something to me tomorrow during the battle," she said, breaking the problem
down to its simplest elements.
"Wha?" he mumbled.
His eyes seemed to be moving randomly and Teri considered slapping him but just couldn't bring herself
to do it. It wasn't his fault he was a sound sleeper.
"I want you beside me during the battle tomorrow."
That got his attention. In fact he immediately seemed taller because his hair stood on end. Then he
chuckled.
"You're joking," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "For a moment there I thought you were serious."
He put his arm around her brawny shoulders.
"I am," she said.
"Heh heh," he replied. They walked on in silence for a moment, then his steps slowed. He turned to smile
at her, the smile somewhat desperate.
"I am," she repeated. His hand squeezed her shoulder almost painfully tight. "Ric, you're supposed to
pinchyourselfto see if you're dreaming," she said somewhat testily. "And you're not."
He spread both hands on his chest, his eyes huge. "But . . . I'm . . . You're . . . I . . . You know . . ."
After a moment he gave in to his shock and waved his hands, shaking his head, mouth open, not even
attempting to speak.
"I need you beside me to protect me from Peria's spell."
"Couldn't I stand beside Peria?" he asked. He nodded quickly as though that would make her agree.
"Since she's usually beside the king's magician, who stands beside the king himself, I'd have to say, um,
no." Terion put her hand on his shoulder. "Iwillprotect you, even as you protect me." She leaned in to
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give him a kiss.
"I don't have armor!" he said, pointing a finger gleefully.
"We're with an army, sweetheart. Armor won't be a problem, believe me." Teri put her arm around his
shoulder and walked him back to bed.
* * *
"We're a female company," Terion explained, amused at Feric's protesting the breast cups on his breast
plate. "I would never have a male squire. And flat-chested you look like what you are a man."
"I should hope so," he muttered.
"No one will know but you and me," she assured him. "If nothing happens then you just slip away, and if
anythingdoeshappen," Teri shrugged, "same thing, I guess."
"I must warn you," Feric said, nervously plucking at his mail, "the iron in this may inhibit my abilities."
Terion jammed his helmet on his head, then lifted the visor and smiled. "When you're focused, my dear,
nothinginhibits you." She kissed him lightly and slammed the visor shut, grinning at the sound of protest he
made. Then she turned to her duties, trusting Feric to stay by her shoulder.
She'd gotten out of eating with the prince by saying she'd been up for hours and had already
breakfasted. But there'd been no way to avoid the toast Ennit had offered.
"To the king, and victory!" he shouted. She'd even had to drink the whole draught as his eyes were on
her the whole time. Sure as the goddess made little green men, Ennit was planning to attack her
somehow.
She mounted Captain Avia's restive bay and Feric got on Terion's grey, "mounted" being far too elegant
a description for what he managed. The grey snorted in disgust. Ennit pranced up to them on a huge
black stallion that made the two smaller horses wicker nervously.
Nice to know we're all in agreement about this pair, Teri thought. Which was that they were better
looking than behaved and dangerous in an attack-you-from-ambush-for-no-reason sort of way.
"Who is this?" Ennit demanded, indicating the well-disguised Feric.
"My squire, your highness," she said.
I need you beside me, she'd insisted last night and he'd finally stopped his protests. Now, in the face of
the prince's suspicious looks, surely he could see that she was right. Terion hoped it would make up for
the bronzed bumps on his chest.
* * *
Feric kept his horse just behind Terion's and between her and the prince.
Ennit glanced over his shoulder at him and there was no mistaking the irritation that shone in his eyes.
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"Have your squire move back," the prince snapped. "Has she no sense? My stallion dislikes being
followed so closely."
Terion waved a hand and Feric fell back slightly, while she widened the space between herself and the
prince. When they reached their positions at the head of the mercenary companies, Ennit turned to Feric
again.
"Get back!" he snapped. "I won't have you crowding me!"
Feric glanced at Terion, even as he obeyed, certain that whatever Ennit planned was going to happen
soon.
I should be watching Peria, he thought anxiously.Not cluttering up the battlefield like this.He suspected
that everything was in place, or almost so, requiring only that slight nudge of power from the sorceress.
Feric looked around and spotted the royal party on a slight rise in the ground behind them. The young
sorceress was easily distinguished by her black clothing amid the brilliant colors of the courtiers. A glance
at the prince showed that he was looking in the same direction. Peria raised her hand and Ennit reached
out to touch Terion's shoulder.
Feric spun his arm in a great circle as though winding up and throwing a ball. There was a flash of light
and the scent of ozone and a very soft, grinding sound as of something very heavy slicing into the
ground.
The prince's gloved hand bounced against something invisible and he pulled back his hand. Terion
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