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hoping the question might calm the man’s temper.
    Guwan met his gaze with venomous eyes. “Orders? Yes, they have their orders. Yet again, they’re to lick their wounds and prepare for the next wasted attack you have me lead.” He gestured around the space. “I see you didn’t even watch the slaughter this time. Easier to ignore, I presume.”
    Nareash raised an eyebrow. “I assure you, I ignore nothing.” He looked around the tent. “Hezen, dismiss your people. You and Colan leave as well. I need to speak with Guwan in private.”
    Hezen complied.
    After the last person exited the tent, the High Mage poured Guwan a cup of wine. He continued. “I thought we had reached an understanding.”
    Guwan took the cup and drank. “Never did I think this strategy of yours would continue for so long. I’m tired of not having full control of the men I command. I’m tired of leading them each day to another defeat.” He drank again. “The Kifzo are not taking this well either.”
    And you think I’m taking this well? I thought I would be sitting on Cadonia’s throne at this point, planning how to expand my empire, not wondering what they can manage with the scepter. My scepter. It’s bad enough not to have it, but worse still knowing it’s in the hands of someone not even ranked as a High Mage.
    “We need to continue testing their defenses before mounting another full attack. We still don’t know what else they’re capable of doing with the weapon.”
    Guwan snorted “I wonder if they can do anything more than what’s already been done. They haven’t used it once since that first instance. Maybe it isn’t capable of more.”
    Oh, it’s capable of much more.
    “They’ll use it again. I promise you.”
    “But for now, they haven’t. All of these probes haven’t accomplished anything more than wasting our resources. And I’m assuming that you and Mizak still haven’t found anything of use in your studies.”
    “Not as much as I had hoped,” admitted Nareash.
    “Then let me do more,” Guwan pleaded. “They have less than thirty thousand men sitting behind three stone walls. That hasn’t changed. I was on the verge of taking that pile of stone once. I know I can do it again.”
    Nareash rubbed is jaw. “I was actually thinking about increasing our probes. Hezen and I were looking at new strategies.”
    “And what was decided?”
    “Nothing just yet. We’ll finalize plans tomorrow.”
    “That will be too late. I need to start planning in time for the morning’s attack.”
    “No. I’m giving everyone tomorrow off. I don’t want to rush into any decisions.”
    “By waiting, we’re only giving them another chance to regroup!”
    Good. Then maybe Krytien will have more time to think about taking matters into his own hands.
    * * *
    Guwan stared at Nareash’s back as the High Mage strode from the tent.
    Guwan had never particularly liked him. Yet for a time, he had at least learned to respect the man. It was hard not to respect someone who wielded such power or possessed the intelligence to craft so many innovations incorporated by the Blue Island Clan. Once Guwan discovered that the High Mage had come from another land, his sense of awe had only increased.
    But it dwindles every day now.
    Despite their differences, Guwan once understood the mage. Like so many others, Nareash sought power, the idea of which he knew well. He had latched onto the High Mage because he knew he would never rise in rank under Tobin.
    Not as long as Walor and Ufer lived.
    “He’s infuriating, isn’t he?” said Hezen, re-entering the tent alone.
    “He can be.”
    “Nareash had me killing myself recruiting while you barely slept, training the army. We nearly broke our necks rushing here to attack as soon as possible. But, at the first sign of a setback, he withdrew and completely changed tactics.”
    “He said he’s going to do something different with the next assault. That’s what you were talking about before I