Page 81 of Obsidian Throne
Evander took a moment to tell me how many forces each piece represented. I remembered what he had said back in Lochlann, that Bear had the single largest military force in Socair.
It hadn’t been an exaggeration. There were nearly twice as many black pieces on the board as any other clan had, though Elk was close to rivaling Bear, and Wolf wasn’t far behind them.
Going to a drawer, Evander grabbed a velvet bag and spilled out a pile of purple crowns, then started moving them around based on the vague intel we had received from Crane.
His hands went to the black pieces, and Taras listed out numbers and locations until Evander had those placed as well.
“We can assume he has forces from Eagle and Viper,” Evander said, moving those in a line.
“Ram?” Someone asked.
His eyes flickered to a lord at the opposite end of the table.
The man shook his head. “We haven’t heard from our spies.”
“And now we know why,” Evander muttered. “Mikhail is a coward, so if he’s joining Iiro’s forces, it won’t be until the last minute. He won’t pit them directly against Bear. That will buy us time.”
“And Elk?” I asked.
Evander’s hand stilled over the map, and he met my eye. “Iiro is likely in charge of Elk forces.”
The truth of his words hit me like a stone. It made sense, of course, but still…it meant that Theo would be on the other side of this battlefield.
“And what about our allies?” I asked.
“Crane’s forces are clearly depleted, but they will step in once they aren’t walking into a slaughter,” he confirmed. “Lynx is...less militant than some of the other clans, but their size will be an attribute. Still, it will take them time to mobilize.”
“Wolf?” I glanced at the canine-shaped pieces on the board, noting there were quite a few of them considering the space.
“Their forces aren’t as well positioned to help, but they will be crucial in holding the eastern line at the border.” His eyes slid down to the territory southwest of Wolf. “And Bison is still anyone’s guess.”
Evander surveyed the map before sliding several of the minuscule black bears along the southwestern border of our territory.
“We’ll send a sizable contingent to the Ram border to intimidate them into staying out of this fight. The troops we sent to the south should be sufficient for now, but we’ll mobilize a cavalry to bolster them, and leave the western forces where they are to guard the border and the estate.”
Of course, he had already sent troops to prepare for this possibility. I couldn’t help but shoot him an admiring gaze. The man really did think of everything.
“When do we leave?” Taras asked.
There was no trace of fear in his tone, only the determined tone of a soldier prepared to do his duty. As far as I could tell, Taras was the Socairan equivalent to a Lochlannian Captain of the Guard. Leading the troops to battle would normally fall on his shoulders.
But Evander looked at him for a long moment, long enough that I knew what he was going to say before he said it.
And I knew why.
Judging by the protest in Taras’ eyes, he knew also.
“Wedon’t,” Evander said shortly. “I do. I need you here to guard the estate.”
Meaning, I refuse to let you leave your pregnant wife unless you have to.
Taras opened his mouth, then shut it with a wary glance around the room. He would not contradict his duke in the middle of the war room, but it was clear he wasn’t happy.
Which made two of us. Because I couldn’t help but notice that Evander saidI.
I also refrained from opening my mouth to argue, but my husband must have sensed that I wanted to. He glanced at me, his gray eyes assessing the flinty look in mine before giving a sharp nod.
“Lady Rowan will accompany me,” he declared casually.