Princeps' Fury (Codex Alera 5)

Max took the paper and charcoal. "You aren't going to last long as First Lord if you go around handing your singulares compulsory homework, my lord."

"I know. But if I'm forced to spend my time listening to all their complaining, I'll knife myself and save the assassins the bother."

Max snorted and ambled away, surveying the Canim city and beginning to draw on the topmost sheet of paper.

Kitai emerged from the shelter and settled down beside Tavi, watching the battle with mild disinterest. "That was kind of you."

"Hmm?"

"Giving Max something to occupy his mind."

"Oh, that," Tavi said. "He's quite a bit brighter than he lets on. He kept passing marks at the Academy for two years, despite the fact that he debauched himself practically every night. If I didn't give him something to do, he'd drive us all insane."

"A pity there is not more privacy," Kitai murmured. "I could certainly use something to occupy my... mind." She smiled and found Tavi's hand with hers. "Walk with me?"

Tavi gave her a bemused smile. "That won't take long."

Kitai jerked her chin toward the carnage at the fortifications. "I'm tired of looking at that. You should be, too."

Tavi gave the battle one last glance and shook his head. "Perhaps you're right, but..." They rose and began pacing the edge of the roof. When they were the farthest they could get from the others on the roof, Tavi asked, "What's on your mind?"

"We should have heard from Crassus by now," she said.

"Yes."

"And so you do nothing?"

"I am waiting."

Kitai absorbed that for a moment, her expression serious. "Since I have known you, I have learned the single greatest activity at which you have little skill-sitting patiently." Her green eyes searched his. "Especially not in the face of so massive a threat, chala."

Tavi gave her half of a smile. "You're worried that I've given in to despair."

She opened her hand, palm up, and shrugged. "It is one possibility. But I am mostly worried because you are not acting like yourself. I expected you to have formulated half a dozen overly complicated escape plans by now."

Tavi shook his head. "No."

Kitai nodded. "Why not?"

"Because we need to wait," Tavi said. He turned his gaze to the city below. "The air's full of it. Nothing we do will accomplish anything-yet. We need to wait."

"For what?"

Tavi shrugged. "Honestly? I'm not sure. It's just..." He searched for words and found none. He shrugged at her again.

"Instinct," Kitai said.

"Yes," he said.

"You've had them before."

"Yes."

Kitai studied his eyes, then nodded, and said, "Reason enough."

Horns suddenly brayed in the streets below the tower.

Tavi had to take several steps to be able to see their source, on the street at the tower's base. Half a dozen taurga came down the street at full speed, lungs heaving loudly, bellowing their complaints. Canim of the city scattered before them, and one of the mounted Canim sent up another warning blast on his horn. The party of blue-armored warriors thundered to a halt at the base of the tower, and the leader of the column dismounted without bothering to secure his beast, and hurried inside.

The Canim left outside to care for the mounts looked exhausted. Their armor was battered, and minor wounds were in evidence on most of them. They'd obviously seen combat recently.

Tavi frowned. All the fighting was at the western edge of the city. These riders had entered from the east. Which raised the singular question: Whom had that patrol been fighting?

The Shuarans wouldn't be fighting one another-not in the face of a threat like the Vord. Only three other parties could possibly be responsible. There was no way the taurga could have outrun Aleran Knights Aeris, and after two years of fighting Nasaug back in the Amaranth Vale, Tavi knew well how difficult it was to get the drop on the Canim commander. If Nasaug had gone on the offensive, Tavi thought it unlikely that so many riders would have escaped an attack.

Which left only one likely suspect...

Tavi felt his heartbeat begin to quicken and a trembling sensation low in his belly.

"There," he told Kitai. "That's it."

Anag and a contingent of guards came to take them to Lararl within the hour.

"No," Tavi told them calmly. "We're not going anywhere. Tell Lararl that we've come to see him once already. If he wants to speak to us again, he can come up here."

Anag stared at him for a moment. Then he said, "This is Lararl's tower. Here, you do what he says."

Tavi showed Anag his teeth as he folded his arms. "Apparently not."

Anag growled and put his paw-hand to his sword.

Tavi sensed it when Maximus and Kitai, standing close behind him, tensed up. He did not move himself. He simply stared steadily at Anag.

Varg stepped forward in the precise instant that Anag's anger began to waver. He stopped beside Tavi, and said, "Lararl has shamed himself enough without you adding to it, Anag."

The younger Cane hesitated, his eyes flicking from Tavi to Varg.

Varg didn't reach for his weapon. He strode forward to stand within range of Anag's as-yet-undrawn blade without a flicker of apprehension. "You will go to Lararl," Varg said. "You will tell him that we await him here." Varg moved his arm then, slowly putting his hand to his weapon in a display made quietly deadly by the utter stillness in the rest of his body. "You will tell him that I am disinclined to be moved anywhere by any will but my own."

Anag was still for a few seconds more, then leaned his head to one side in acknowledgment and vanished from the rooftop, taking the other guards with him.

Max let out an explosive breath. "Bloody crows, Tavi."

Varg turned his head slightly to stare at Tavi. He had not, Tavi noted, taken his hand from his weapon. His voice came out in a deep, threatening basso growl. "Why?"

Tavi met Varg's gaze as he answered. "Because circumstances have changed. Lararl needs us, or he would have left us to rot up here."

Varg let out a rumbling growl, and Tavi found himself centering his balance, in case he needed to avoid a sudden strike-but the sound proved to be more pensive than angered, and Varg lowered his paw-hand from his sword's hilt.

"Besides," Tavi said, "Lararl abused your people's sense of honor and obligation. I find myself unconcerned with protecting his pride."

Varg made another thoughtful rumbling sound. "Have a care, Tavar. Lararl is not swift to forgive. And he never forgets."