Chapter 11: Imperial Boots

The second attack came at dawn, and it came for the granary and the east tower together.

Eskil was on his feet with fresh bandages and a face the color of ash.

He had gone down once on the stair, and Thessaly had put her shoulder under his arm and walked him to the council table herself.

"You will not lead them like this," she said.

"There are forty men in imperial boots in the valley, and every one of them is better rested than I am."

"Then lead them from a chair, and send me where you cannot go."

He stared at her.

"I'll ask," she said, with her chin up. "I'm asking. Give me the lords."

He did not say yes.

He took the Duke's signet from his belt, put it in her hand, and closed her fingers around it with his scarred ones.

"The Duchess commands the Keep," he told the room. "Whoever disobeys her, disobeys me."

She came out of the Hall into the grey light.

The old lord of Ashfell walked on her left and the young lord from the back row on her right.

"Ashfell."

"Take your men and every cart in the yard."

"Block the south road of the granary with carts, on their sides, and put archers behind them," she said.

"My lady, the carts will burn..."

"Wet them. The well is not frozen at the north end, and I have thirty women with buckets. Go."

The old lord went.

"You," she said to the young lord. "The east tower."

"They'll be in it already."

"They will be in the stair."

"Nerissa is at the top with my father, and my father has a poker and four lords' sons who followed him," she said.

"Hold the stair from below."

"Do not let anyone go up."