Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 587
direction, and he nearly turned and ran. It had no real features,
just a sketch of flame shaped like a head. Lavin felt no heat,
and though he held his breath expecting to be destroyed, it did
nothing but wait.
Careful to plant his trembling feet and forget that the
world was spinning, he said, "I am the leader of this army of
men. How have we offended you?"
"One is here," said a deep and resonant voice. The voice
seemed to emanate from the hazy tail of fire above the swan’s
head. "One we seek is here."
"What is the name of the... person you seek?" Oh, let it
not be Galas!
"We do not know names," said the swan. "You are not
it." It turned away.
"Wait! May we help?"
It paused. Lavin cleared his throat and went on. "I need
to consolidate my men, for their own safety. To do that I have
to be able to issue commands, and come and go as needed.
Will you let me do that, if I agree to help you find the one
you’re after?"
"Yes," said the swan.
An hour later, Lavin had approached the gates of the
palace, two swans walking at his side. He had commanded the
gates to open, and the queen’s men had meekly complied. The
few hundred men Lavin been able to reassure so far had
nervously marched into the keep. He kept expecting them to
break and run; surely their ill-concealed panic must be apparent
to the defenders behind their arrow-slits. They barely obeyed
orders, and certainly didn’t march in step. As the queen’s men
laid down their arms and surrendered, they gradually regained
their confidence. Hesty appeared from somewhere, looking
shamefaced. Lavin left him in charge, and walked out of the