I leant against the wind and soared lower and lower to horseback-level, then pulled my wings in and dropped to the ground. At that very moment the Circle broke.

Lightning gave a great cry of rage: ‘Lourie!’

I furled the blades of my wings and staggered to my feet. The mud here was atrocious. Lightning’s horse was smeared in it up to the breast.

‘Hurricane is dead.’ Lightning looked down from the saddle. ‘What in San’s name is happening out there? Do I shoot or advance?’

‘I don’t know for sure,’ I said. ‘The sarissai were attacked by Insect larvae. They routed and the akontistai are caught up in it…’

‘Insect what?’

I briefly described the new kind of Insects. ‘Little, long Insects. So big-’ I held my hands apart. ‘But their jaws shoot out this far on a kind of jointed appendage. They’re intent on eating. And they’re going to keep coming because the ground from here to the lake is solid with them.’

Lightning looked to his steward, who was on a brown horse beside him, acting as a division captain. The warden of the first Micawater battalion was on horseback just beyond him. Lightning said, ‘We don’t know what these things can do. We haven’t seen them before and they’re not Insects; I don’t know what it could mean. Abort the march. We will return to town.’

I said, ‘Tornado and Wrenn are already advancing. They are-were-trying to relieve Hurricane. They’re in amongst the larvae all up there-’ I pointed towards the centre.

‘What! Into my target zone?’

‘Yes. The larvae look small and easy to kill but they don’t know how many there are.’

‘Why are they advancing independently? Why didn’t you stop them?’

‘Tawny wouldn’t listen. He’s been throwing his weight around ever since San arrived. But there are millions of larvae. They’re bound to get cut off.’

Lightning rubbed his hand over his mouth and gazed at me. ‘A battlefield is no place for heroics, Jant. The fate of the First Circle is all the proof we need. San’s presence is causing us to act like fools.’

‘What can we do?’

‘I can’t see Tornado’s and Wrenn’s positions. I can’t cover them now without hitting them. And bloody Tornado’s advance must have left all my archers following him exposed to attack from those things.’

‘Yes.’

‘Right…’ Lightning shook his head and focused properly on me. The crisis had revitalised him. His depression had lifted. He said, ‘We’re pulling out. We’re not going to have a second massacre at Slake Cross.’

He called up four dispatch riders simply by pointing at them, said, ‘You go to Sleat. Tell him to get his fyrd to form a shield wall in front of the archers on the west flank. The archers must shoot at will to support them. You, go to the Sapper and Macer on the east flank. Tell them to sound the retreat and retire in order. Advise them we are facing a new type of Insect and they should avoid engagement. Tell them the Emperor commands this. You tell Hayl the same and then command the reserves on the east wing to follow the hastai as they pull out. You go to Thunder. Inform him that we will be retreating and ask that he prepare to cover us. Suggest that he tries flaming projectiles-they may scare these larvae. Then tell the Slake Cross garrison to man the walls.’

The dispatch riders galloped away, spraying muck over the front rank of archers. Lightning turned to his steward. ‘Harrier, speak to the Blacksmith and organise the battalions here into a proper defensive position-because when the Insects finish off Hurricane’s men they’ll be up against us. We will retreat in unison with the west flank.’

‘Yes, my lord.’

Lightning sighed, looked at his saddle pommel then up again. ‘Harrier. Make sure the fyrd know that the Emperor is watching them and they must stand firm. But if anyone runs, they must be shot. Tell the wardens this. And have the provosts form up behind us. We can’t afford another panic.’

‘I understand, my lord.’ He paused, nodded, then sped away.

‘Jant, go to Eleonora. I mean the Queen. Say her lancers must charge straight up the flank and pick up as many of Tornado’s and Wrenn’s troops as they can, then retreat to camp.’

‘Consider it done.’ I prepared to take off.

‘And you must inform the Emperor of what I have ordered.’

I stared at him. I had to tell San we were retreating? ‘Yes, but…’

‘Do it. I will meet you at the Imperial Fyrd once I have finished here.’

Back in the air I could see the formations below beginning to reorganise themselves with glacial speed, drawing together more tightly. I shuddered at the thought of being land-bound, encased in metal, clumsy and slow in the face of the darting nymphs.

The Queen’s cavalry were gleaming on the extreme west flank. As they were not treading in the infantry’s tracks they had escaped the worst mud and, being upwind of the Insects, the horses were calm. At the point of their wedge I could see Eleonora’s upturned face calmly watching as I circled down to land nearby.

She spread her wings in greeting, called, ‘Why, Jant! You honour us with your presence!’

I approached her. She sat confidently astride her steel-clad thoroughbred, armoured in her usual mix of shining metal and self-assurance. She held her helmet beneath one arm and lance in the other hand, a pale blue pennon lazily waving from it. Her dark hair was immaculate and I even imagined I could detect a trace of rose perfume. An oval shield and a selection of weapons were slung from her saddle. She looked just as formidable on the battlefield as in her boudoir. ‘Such a shame to bring you down here, when you look so…graceful in the air.’

I had no time for Eleonora’s crap. ‘We’re being attacked! ‘Leon, there’s a new kind of Insect coming out of the lake. Lightning has ordered a retreat. A total withdrawal! Tornado and Serein’s hastai will soon be cut off at the front. Lightning commands you and your lancers to charge, rescue them, and carry as many as possible back to town.’

I described the larvae. Eleonora frowned, then changed to an over-hand grip on her lance, pointing it at the ground like a spear.

‘Tell Lightning I accept his command.’ She turned, shouted, ‘Lancers of Awia! Follow your Queen!’ She glanced at me and pulled her helmet visor down over her smile. I staged my own tactical retreat.

I flew to the Emperor and tipped my wings to him. He raised a hand and the Imperial Fyrd walked their horses aside to let him through. As he did so, Frost on her dapple stallion emerged from behind the last riders on the corner of the square. She urged it into a trot and began to advance, even as the call to retreat was going up. Her bodyguard trailed her. I circled, trying to keep her in view. She’s an experienced Eszai, she should realise how serious this is. What was she playing at?

I glanced down, acutely aware of San watching me. Frost could look after herself. I descended. The horses of the Imperial cavalry tossed their heads and held them high, their white-edged eyes watching my great wings beating. The horses were actually shaking as their riders struggled to still them.

The riders and mounts acted as a windbreak, and I had no current to balance on for the last few metres. I fell down heavily and landed in a crouch. My coat-tails flopped to the ground. There was a smash and tinkle of broken glass in my deep right pocket. Crouching in the hoof-printed mud I wondered what it could be. Shit. The jar with the Vermiform worms.

I hadn’t thought about it at all up until this instant. I looked down, and worms were wriggling out of my pocket.