XXVI: THE BATTLE OF KROTHERING SIDE HOW WORD WAS BROUGHT UNTO THE LORD CORINIUS THAT THE LORDS JUSS AND BRANDOCH DAHA WERE COME AGAIN INTO THE LAND, AND HOW HE RESOLVED TO GIVE THEM BATTLE ON THE SIDE, UNDER ERNGATE END; AND OF THE GREAT FLANK MARCH OF LORD BRANDOCH DAHA OVER THE MOUNTAINS FROM TRANSDALE; AND OF THE GREAT BATTLE, AND OF THE ISSUE THEREOF. Laxus and those sons of Corund walked on an afternoon in Krothering home mead. The sky above them was hot and coloured of lead, presaging thunder. No wind stirred in the trees that were livid-green against that leaden pall. The noise of mattock and crow-bar came without intermission from the castle. Where gardens had been and arbours of shade and sweetness, was now but wreck: broken columns and smashed porphyry vases of rare workmanship, mounds of earth and rotting vegetation. And those great cedars, emblems of their lord’s estate and pride, lay prostrate now with their roots exposed, a tangle of sere foliage and branches broken, withered and lifeless. Over this death-bed of ruined loveliness the towers of onyx showed ghastly against the sky. “Is there not a virtue in seven?” said Cargo. “Last week was the sixth time we thought we had gotten the eel by the tail in yon fly-blown hills of Mealand and came empty home. When think’st, Laxus, shall’s run ’em to earth indeed?” “When egg-pies shall grow on apple-trees,” answered Laxus. “Nay, the general setteth greater store by his proclamations concerning the young woman (who likely never heareth of them, and assuredly will not be by them ’ticed home again), and by these toys of revenge, than by sound soldiership. Hark! there goeth this day’s work.” They turned at a shout from the gates, to behold the northern of those two golden hippogriffs totter and crash down the steeps into the moat, sending up a great smoke from the stones and rubble which poured in its wake. Lord Laxus’s brow was dark. He laid hand on Heming’s arm, saying, “The times need all sage counsel we can reach unto, O ye sons of Corund, if our Lord the King shall have indeed from this expedition into Demonland the victory at last of all his evil-willers. Remember, that was a great miss to our strength when the Goblin went.” “Out upon the viper!” said Cargo. “Corinius was right in this, not to warrant him the honesty of such slippery cattle. He had not served above a month or two, but that he ran to the enemy.” “Corinius,” said Laxus, “is yet but green in his estate. Doth he suppose the rest of his reign shall be but play and the enjoying of a kingdom? Those left-handed strokes of fortune may yet o’erthrow him, the while that he streameth out his youth in wine and venery and manageth his private spite against this lady. Slipper youth must be under-propped with elder counsel, lest all go miss.” “A most reverend old counsellor art thou!” said Cargo; “of six-and-thirty years of age.”