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just perhaps, Kumul—for whom serving the legitimate ruler of Grenda Lear had been his life work—died when he did because God had more mercy than Ager had ever believed.
    And as for this slaughter of the army from Haxus, a traditional enemy, he could not help wonder if Salokan could not have been allowed to run home with his tail between his legs. Haxus had never been a serious threat to Grenda Lear itself, more a nuisance than anything else. Ironically, this was a possibility Kumul himself would never have considered; for him, the argument would run that Haxus was an enemy and you killed your enemies.
    But I am not a general, and I am not a king-in-waiting, and I am not Kumul Alarn. I am Ager Crookback. I do not understand these things.
     
    At midday Lynan called another council. The attitude of all the clan chiefs was noticeably different than the day before. When asked for their advice, all they would do was ask in turn what Lynan would have them do. Ager thought Lynan looked satisfied with this response, and it made him feel uneasy; yet when the prince asked him for his opinion, he had little to offer.
    'We have two choices,' he said.
    'And they are?' Lynan urged.
    'To turn our attention again to the Kingdom, either by attacking the remnants of Areava's army or by attacking Daavis, or to retreat over the Algonka Pass and reconsider our strategy.'
    Lynan nodded, as if in agreement. 'Will no one else add their thoughts?'
    There were muffled refusals. Even Korigan and Eynon seemed content to forget their feuding and wait on Lynan's word. He had given them a great victory, perhaps the greatest in Chett history. He was the son of the General. He was the White Wolf returned. Who were they to question him?
    Lynan turned to Jenrosa. 'And what do the magikers say?'
    Jenrosa looked up in surprise. 'They say nothing on this.'
    'Has the earth been asked?' he insisted.
    'The earth had no words.'
    'Have the eagle and karak been asked?'
    'The eagle and karak had nothing to show us.'
    Lynan glanced quickly at the woman sitting directly behind Jenrosa. Lasthear, Jenrosa's teacher, nodded in agreement. Ager saw the exchange and was offended on Jenrosa's behalf, then guiltily realised Lynan knew Jenrosa would still be greatly affected by Kumul's death and may not understand everything her magik showed her.
    'We need a base on this side of the Ufero Mountains from which to operate,' Lynan said.
    'If we capture Daavis, we will have such a base,' Gudon suggested light-heartedly, and many laughed.
    'Our army is made up of cavalry,' Lynan said. 'We have not the troops nor the wherewithal to assault a city.'
    'Are you suggesting we build a base in Hume?' Ager asked, resisting the temptation to add that the Chetts did not have the wherewithal for that either.
    'We need something more secure, more permanent, than that,' Lynan answered.
    'What exactly are you suggesting then?' Ager prompted.
    Lynan smiled at him. 'You said we had two choices. We move south, or we move west. There is a third choice.'
    Ager looked blankly at Lynan for a second, then opened his mouth in surprise. The answer was so obvious he felt a fool for not realising it. He could tell by the expression on Korigan's face that she had seen the truth at the same time.
    'Haxus,' Ager said.
    'Yes. We have defeated its army. We have captured its king. Haxus is open to us… if we move quickly enough.'
    'We need only march in and take it!' Eynon declared. 'A whole Kingdom will fall to us from one battle!'
    Lynan shook his head. 'A whole Kingdom does not fall because it loses its king,' he said severely. 'Grenda Lear lost my mother Usharna and my brother Berayma in one season and survived easily enough. But our chances in Haxus are greater than our chances in south Hume. Another army could be marching north from Kendra right now to join the army already in the province. Grenda Lear has vast resources to draw on.'
    'But in comparison, Haxus does not,' Ager finished.
    'But Haxus does have