Heritage of Cyador (saga of recluce Book 18) by Jr. L. E. Modesitt Read Free Book Online Page A

they fight so much that no one clan has ever really ruled.”
    “Ryalah,” says Xeranya coolly, “would you like to finish your breakfast? Or go without?”
    Ryalah takes a bite of egg toast.
    “As I was saying,” Xeranya continues, “if you should encounter either Duke Atroyan or Arms-Commander Rhamuel, it would be most helpful if you inquired as to the health of the duke’s daughter.”
    “Kyedra? The one I met years and years ago?”
    “She is his only daughter,” replies Xeranya.
    “I will.” Lerial takes another swallow of lager, followed by a mouthful of egg toast. “What about Casseon? Does he have any daughters?”
    “His oldest is about Amaira’s age,” says Emerya. “Khesyn’s sole daughter is around my age, and she has, I’ve heard, a daughter a year or so younger than you, Lerial. His eldest son has two boys. The youngest is about Lephi’s age, maybe a year or two older.”
    From what he is hearing, Lerial almost wishes he had not asked.
    Xeranya glances at Amaira and then to Ryalah. “Girls, it’s time to finish your breakfast. You can go to the courtyard until it’s time for your lessons.”
    Lerial takes the quiet time while the girls eat to finish his own breakfast, suspecting that he would rather not be caught with a mouthful of food during whatever is coming after the girls leave the breakfast room.
    Once Ryalah and Amaira have departed, Kiedron clears his throat. “You all realize that Lerial will have to be the one to head the force we send to Luba.”
    “What about Lephi?” asks Emerya politely.
    “Lerial is better suited to this.” Kiedron glances at Xeranya, then continues. “Because of what happened in Verdheln … and Ensenla, Lerial has more experience in avoiding great losses if he must deal with overwhelming forces. There is also the considerable problem of timing. Lerial can reach Luba almost in the time it would take Lephi to get to Cigoerne, and that doesn’t include the time for the fastest dispatch rider to get to Sudstrym. I doubt we can afford almost an additional two eightdays.”
    Lerial can sense that, while his father is telling the truth, if exaggerating the time for dispatch riders, it is likely that there are other things he is not saying at all, but what those might be, Lerial has no idea.
    “Should you go?” asks Emerya.
    Lerial knows that those are not questions Emerya would normally ask. Why is she doing it? After just an instant’s thought, he realizes just why. Father asked her to.
    “If I go … then there is too much temptation for Khesyn to attack with an even larger force at Luba, and there is too great a risk that even I could not save Atroyan. I suspect that is exactly what Khesyn hopes for. With Lephi at Sudstrym, Cigoerne is much less vulnerable.”
    “That is if you remain in Cigoerne … or near it,” concludes Emerya.
    “I still don’t like it,” says Xeranya. “How will Lephi get any experience in dealing with Atroyan?”
    “He’ll be getting more experience in dealing with Khesyn’s forces, and they’re going to be the far greater danger in the future.” Kiedron looks to Lerial. “Because of the timing, you’ll need to take Eighth and Eleventh Company. You can also take Kusyl’s Twenty-third Company. You’ve worked with him before. That will give you three companies. Commander Jhalet can pull together enough lancers to protect the palace, until another new company can be formed and trained.”
    “Are we spread that thin?” Lerial has his doubts.
    “We’ve been forced to place more than fifteen companies along the Swarth to deal with Heldyan raiders,” admits Kiedron. “There are another ten companies across the northern border west of Ensenla, and that doesn’t count the fifteen companies of Verdyn Lancers keeping Casseon in check, nor the various outposts throughout the duchy. We can likely pull some of the northern companies now, but that will take time.”
    Almost fifty companies … and they’re not