by Lisa Cassidy
Alyx stared at him. “Fine. Then stay.”
“Alyx—” Dawn ventured but she cut her off.
“It’s their choice. Go!”
Cario hesitated only briefly before following Tarrick. “You always were a fool, Grandfather.”
“Mage Egalion!” Duneskal’s voice thundered at her as she paused in the doorway.
Alyx stopped, turned back. “Come with me, or stay here and die. Your choice.”
Duneskal hesitated further, and it was Walden who shouldered past him, looking suddenly haggard. Yirith followed suit. Contempt for both of them flashed over Duneskal’s face, but eventually he too headed for the stairs.
Chapter 28
They clattered down the narrow stairwell and burst out into the hall at the bottom. Unlike earlier, it was now filled with running green-clad soldiers. Alyx almost collided with one of them as she exited the stairs, trying to keep up with the others. Tarrick took her arm from behind, steadying her, and then they were running again.
Dawn led the way, Ladan a step behind. Dashan hovered by the councillors, hurrying them and keeping a protective eye on their surroundings at the same time. Fighting sounded not far off. A woman screamed, her voice cutting off abruptly.
They crossed the wide hall and headed through another doorway that led into an empty room. Without hesitation, Dawn ran over to the sliding door opposite and hauled it open.
“The Shiven haven’t reached this section of the building yet. We’ve got a clear run to the inner western wall,” she said.
“Good, that’s the way we need to go.” Dashan shouldered past her. “Stay right behind me and let me know if we’re about to run into any danger. Ladan, watch the old men.”
He led the way across the small garden beyond the doorway, and from there it was a short distance to a narrow gate set into the inner wall. Then they were running through the city via a series of narrow, winding alleyways. Despite the flushed faces and staggering steps of the old men, Dashan refused to slow the pace. Dawn ran with eyes half-closed, Ladan’s guiding hand on her shoulder, warning them if any Shiven approached.
The sounds of fighting filled the city around them. At one point they had to cross a main street filled with militia battling Shiven at both ends, but Dashan and Ladan merely shouted for them to keep running. Smoke billowed into the air to the south; something had caught fire and was burning strongly.
Eventually Dashan led them into a large courtyard that ran alongside the outer city wall. A small gate was set into the thick stone on the other side of the yard, though it was hard to see through the milling horses and riders—at least a hundred of them, all militia.
“The gate is camouflaged on the outside to make it look like part of the wall,” Dashan explained. “My scouts have used it as a secret way to get in and out of the city.”
A familiar young man emerged from the throng and saluted Dashan. “Commander!”
“Are they ready to move, Rodin?”
“Yes, sir. We were just waiting for you.”
“How many got out?”
“Three full units just before the Shiven surrounded us completely. More have been trickling out at night since, as you instructed. Those still fighting in the city have orders to retreat as soon as the council members are out safely.”
“Good. Send the retreat order at once. Then find some spare horses for the mages.”
With that, Dashan was gone, disappearing into the mass of militia. Alyx dragged her eyes back to Rodin, suddenly realising he was speaking to her. Focus!
“Are your party all well enough to ride un-aided?” he asked.
“We’re fine.” She nodded.
“Good. If you’ll wait here a moment.” Rodin followed Dashan into the throng of horses and riders, returning a few moments later with horses for each of them.
Behind her, Duneskal was muttering some sort of complaint, but Ladan’s terse words quieted him. Mechanically, Alyx hauled herself onto the back of a chestnut stallion. Despite her best efforts, Dashan’s sudden appearance had completely thrown her, and she was struggling to keep her thoughts focused.
Dashan is alive.
The words screamed through her entire soul, but there was no time to react to that knowledge. They were trapped in a city surrounded by Shiven and facing the possibility nobody was speaking aloud—that Shakar was out there too.
Taking a deep breath, she straightened her shoulders and kicked her horse over to Tarrick. “If we’re going to force our way out, I’ll need to ride up front. You and Cario bring up the rear so that once I blast a path through, you can keep them from following too closely.”
“And the rest of us?” Dawn asked.
“Stick as close together as you can. If things get too bad, I’ll drop a shield over us, but then I’ll need your strength to maintain it, Finn.”
“Understood,” Finn said. “I’ll keep close to you.”
“What if Shakar is out there?” Tarrick asked, saying aloud what had been hovering in the back of Alyx’s mind.
She gave a little shrug. “We put our heads down and ride as fast and far as we can. I don’t know what else we can do,” she said.
Dashan reappeared, now mounted. “We need to go now, before they find us here and realise we’re about to escape. Alyx, can you clear a path through the Shiven army once we’re beyond the wall?”
She hesitated briefly before replying, his appearance once again throwing her thoughts into turmoil. Stop this!
“I should be able to.” She explained her plan.
“Good. I’ll ride up front with you, and Ladan can take the rear.”
“I’ll ride with Alyx,” Ladan said firmly. “You watch the council members.”
She glanced at her brother, startled by the suppressed anger in his voice—there was a glimpse of the old Ladan in the tautness of his features.
“Fine.” Dashan wheeled his horse around and shouted an order to the gathered militia. “Everyone close up in tight formation and stick as close behind the Magor-lier as you can. Go!”
Without a word, Alyx kicked her horse out of the gate as it swung open before her. Ladan rode at her left, and the other mages and the militia followed, Dashan shouting orders for them to fall in line.
The Shiven army had completely encircled Carhall, and while many of their number had entered the city, it didn’t take those still outside the walls long to spot the streaming line of riders trying to escape.
A horn blast rang through the morning air, then a second and a third as various Shiven units responded. Like a slow-moving stream, warriors began moving across the open grassy plain to cut them off. Sunlight glinted from their naked swords, their challenging shouts drifting in snatches on the breeze.
Taking a few seconds to get accustomed to the stride of the horse under her, Alyx waited until she could almost make out the features of the individual Shiven racing towards them. Then, sitting up straighter in the saddle, she took a breath, fought past her exhaustion, and let loose with her magic.
Her control suffered when she was this weary, and the concussion bursts that flew from her hand were nearly as large as the horse she was riding. They flew across the intervening distance in bright green flashes. When they struck, a massive tectonic boom exploded through the air. Shiven went flying like they were nothing but straw dolls, and Alyx had to erect her shield to prevent the backlash hitting those behind her.
As soon as the concussion wave had passed by them, she dropped the shield and sent another two bursts flying. It was enough to blow a large hole in the Shiven line. Even then, the left and right flanks reformed quickly to try and get in front of them. Gritting her teeth, Alyx dug deep for more strength, sending two more blasts to her left and right, destroying the closest of their pursuers. Behind them, more blasts went off as Tarrick waded into the defence of their rear.
Then they were through and racing south across the open plains towards the forest. Behind them, the Shiven massed in complete disarray, and relief edged he
r weariness. They probably wouldn’t be able to pursue them immediately.
“Veer to the southeast,” Dashan shouted from behind. “There’s an escape route set up; supply camps, more soldiers and fresh horses.”
Alyx glanced back, then reined in her horse, allowing Dashan to catch up. “Then take the lead.”
He gave a quick nod as he flew past. She waited—Ladan sticking close by—while the hundred-odd militia raced by her, then urged her horse after them at the rear.
They rode as far and as fast as the horses could manage. Dashan took a handful of militia scouts and pushed ahead to ensure the route ahead of them remained clear. The rest followed more slowly to allow the injured soldiers to keep up.
Nobody talked. The relentless pace made it necessary to focus all their energy on simply staying awake and in the saddle. When they did stop to rest and water the horses, Alyx moved from her saddle to the softest place on the ground she could find to catch an hour or two of sleep before moving on again. They had a single purpose—get as far from Carhall as fast as possible.
Regular messages came back from Dashan, letting them know the best route to follow to avoid the Shiven lines. In his absence Rodin commanded the group in regular consultation with Tarrick. Exhaustion pressed down on her like a weight, and any scrap of strength and focus she had was used to help Dawn scan their surroundings for danger.
Almost a week later the terrain grew steeper, their pace slowing as they climbed what felt like an unending incline. When they finally reached the top, she was astonished to look down and see DarkSkull Hall in the valley far below them. In her haze of weariness, she hadn’t even noticed they’d been climbing the northern valley wall.
Trying not to sway in the saddle, she followed the long line of horses down into the valley. Night fell as they rode, but as they emerged at the bottom, a large cluster of tents and horses grew visible. The flickering light of lanterns shone from the windows of the DarkSkull buildings that hadn’t been completely destroyed in Shakar’s attack.
Her tired horse stumbled to a halt behind the others in a cleared area before the steps leading up to the main hall. Someone was shouting orders, and around her everyone was dismounting. Trying, and almost failing, to keep her eyes open, Alyx threw a leg over the saddle and slid to the ground.
Her legs gave out, and she would have crumpled to the grass if she hadn’t the presence of mind to grab hold of the stirrup. It took a moment for her to steady herself and then she stepped away from the horse, allowing it to be led away by an unfamiliar militia soldier.
“You okay?” Tarrick appeared, Finn hovering at his side. She waved off his wordless offer of healing energy. He looked as exhausted as she felt.
“I’m awake,” she said wryly. “Which is something. Where are the others?”
“The whole group got here safely, and Dashan apparently rode in last night. I saw him and Ladan together just a few moments ago,” Tarrick said. “They were heading into the old stables.”
“So was Dawn,” Finn added. “I gather it’s being used as a meeting space.”
“We’re all exhausted.” Tarrick looked dubious. “Maybe we should just…”
He trailed off, clearly uncertain. She was tempted to take the out he offered, to find somewhere to sleep and deal with what came next when she felt better, stronger. In all the fighting and running, there’d been no time to talk, no time for questions. But now they’d stopped running.
He was alive. He’d been alive and in Carhall for three years. She didn’t even know where to begin with that. Questions crowded into her thoughts, bringing with them a tangle of conflicting emotion, a knot so confused she couldn’t tell them apart.
“No,” she said softly. She wasn’t going to be able to rest until this was over. “We should at least take stock of our situation before getting some sleep. Come on.”
The grassy area around the old DarkSkull stables was covered in orderly rows of tents. Fires had been lit outside several of these, and green-jacketed militia sat around them, talking and cooking food. The scent of grilling meat filled the air. Alyx’s stomach grumbled—it had been days since she’d eaten anything more substantial than oatmeal or a hunk of stale bread.
She used a quick burst of telepathic magic as they tiredly picked their way between the rows of tents, tent ropes, horses, and people—there were sentries up in all the watchtowers and along the valley walls, mages included. No Shiven patrol would get near DarkSkull without them knowing about it.
After the magic she’d used in Carhall, even that effort left her with a dull ache at the back of her skull. Thoughts of the impending meeting sent the ache into overt throbbing.
Finn pushed through the door first, Alyx following behind Tarrick, eyes roving the interior. The open space between the rows of stalls had been filled with a long table and a scattering of crates, large pieces of rubble, and boxes that served as chairs. The surface of the table was covered with maps, and lanterns sat high on the wall above, giving the place a warm glow.
All at once she was edgy and restless, nervous energy filling her despite her weariness. There was no more battle to focus on. Nothing to use as an excuse to delay dealing with reality. Cario and Dawn sat at the table, Tarrick and Finn joining them with quick smiles of greeting that quickly faded in the sober atmosphere. Ladan leaned on one of the stall doors. Finally her gaze landed on Dashan, standing at the head of the table, one booted foot resting on a box.
Nobody was looking at the maps. Or each other.
“What comes next? Can we expect pursuit?” Tarrick spoke first, his voice determinedly casual. Alyx shot him an incredulous look—that was what he was going to start with?
Dashan glanced at him. “We have a good head start on the Shiven, and I had measures in place to divert any attempts to follow us. Plus, their army will be busy consolidating their hold on Carhall. I’d say we’ve got a couple days of safety here to rest horses and men.”
“I—” Finn cleared his throat, but Ladan’s patience snapped and he pushed off the stall door, angrily cutting him off.
“I’d like to know what the hell you’ve been doing these past three years, Dashan. Did you have a reason for making all of us think you were dead? Or did you just enjoy being the big man in charge in Carhall too much to let us know you were alive?”
Dashan’s eyes flashed. “How about you back off and give me a second to explain. I don’t need to stand here and be interrogated by you.”
Ladan’s face darkened with fury, and before any of them could stop it, he leapt over the table, crashing into Dashan full-force. Part of Alyx yelled at her to stop them, but the rest of her was frozen, slow to follow what was happening. Slow to react. The others at the table seemed equally uncertain.
“You bastard!” Ladan shouted as they hit the ground. “Do you have any idea—”
The rest of his words were muffled as he hauled Dashan to his feet and slammed him against the stable wall. Dashan shoved him back, but Ladan didn’t loosen his grip. He slammed Dashan against the wall again.
“I didn’t remember!” Dashan roared, shoving Ladan off him with enough force to send Alyx’s brother staggering away. He turned to face the rest of them, chest heaving. “I didn’t remember.”
Alyx’s eyes shot to his, because of course he was only looking at her, pleading written deep in his brown eyes. Shocked silence filled the room, but she barely noticed. She couldn’t see anything but him.
“Everyone out,” Alyx said into the silence. “Go. Dash and I need to talk.”
“Alyx—” Tarrick began.
“Don’t.” She levelled him with her hardest stare. “Just go.”
The mages filed out of the stables with varying degrees of reluctance. Ladan left last, the anger on his face fading a little as Dawn took his hand. When the door swung shut behind them, Dashan moved to pick up the crate that had fallen over during his scuffle with Ladan, breaking their stare.
“Dashan…” Alyx’s voice broke on the word, and
all of the energy that had been building up inside her suddenly drained away, leaving her limp and worn out.
He sat, smiling bitterly as he looked up at her. “Three years is a long time, isn’t it?”
“Just tell me what happened. Please.”
Something in her voice—the utter weariness or long held grief—registered with him, and he was up in a flash, moving with Taliath-quickness to gently take her arm. “You need to sit down. Come on, mage-girl.”
The words brought tears straight to her eyes, and she allowed him to lead her over to the table and sit her down. She hadn’t heard those words in so long. Had thought she would never hear them again. All at once she wanted to put her head down on the table and cry. Fighting that urge was almost impossible, and when she met his eyes, his face was equally stricken.
“You really thought I died?”
“In Sandira,” she whispered. “Yes.”
He nodded, pulled a box close to hers and sat down. “I woke up in Carhall three years ago as a guest of the council, and had no idea how I’d gotten there.”
“You remembered nothing?”
“I knew my name, that I was a Bluecoat and that I came from Alistriem, but that was all,” he said. “The council told me I was a Taliath, that I’d been badly hurt in a battle. I had a pretty nasty head injury.” He pointed to a narrow white scar that ran along his hairline before disappearing into the dark brown curls of his hair. “The healers said that was what had caused the memory loss.”
Her gaze lingered on his scar. Her emotions were churning, but a hint of anger was beginning to establish itself over the others. “Did you remember how you got hurt?”
“No,” he said quietly, voice rich with pain. He couldn’t look at her.
“You got hurt because you sacrificed yourself for me.” Bitterness rang through her voice. “Because you decided all on your own that you needed to die so that I could live.”
“I know.” His gaze remained firmly fixed on the floor. “I remember that night. I remember everything now.”
She frowned. “When did you remember?”