by Leah Putz
Merek grinned widely. “I’m quite convincing.”
“Green Marsh is close to Nul,” Lura said, appearing more somber than her companion. “We experience my brother’s tyranny more often than not. Our people are eager to fight back. It did not take much convincing. We will march with you. Our army is currently preparing to leave. We have a fairly large force of foot soldiers and cavalry that I’ve managed to keep secret from my brother in the event that he attacks. Approximately five-thousand men and women make up our ranks. It will take some time to prepare, the soldiers need to say goodbye to their families and gather their belongings. I don’t expect we will be ready to leave before nightfall.”
“Understood,” I said, trying to remain calm though excitement was coursing through my veins like adrenaline. “We will begin to move forward. When the Green Marsh army is ready, you can follow us, and hit Nul as a second wave.”
“We will depart tomorrow morning at the latest,” Lura promised, before turning and heading back to the city.
“I’ll be joining your ranks if you don’t mind,” Merek said after Lura left.
“Of course! We are happy to have you. And the men and women of Cessam will surely be overjoyed to be reunited with their leader.” I smiled, my heart warming at the friendship blossoming between us.
As soon as the plan was settled, we packed up and were on our way again. “How much farther are we set to march?” Lisalya asked.
“Well, we’ll go a few hours tonight, like Vik said. Then it should only be another two days, if we stay on track,” Jion answered.
A shiver passed through her body at his reply. I knew the possible confrontation she faced with Carthoc terrified her and, hoping to offer some comfort, I brushed my hand over her arm lightly, and so quickly that no one else would have noticed. When she glanced up, I met her eyes with a reassuring smile and a whisper of “It will be okay. We’ll win.” She took a shuddering breath, flashing a nervous smile in response.
***
We marched until we felt on the brink of collapse. The darkness was so deep I could hardly see my companions beside me, and I felt as though I was going to fall asleep standing up. As soon as I called for a halt, Lisalya dropped her stuff to the ground and sat down heavily.
“How are you faring?” I asked.
“Fine,” she grumbled, and I knew she was annoyed at how long I’d pushed everyone without allowing a rest. I just hope she understands that I don’t really have a choice, I thought.
I chose my next words carefully, not wanting to spoil her mood any further. “Are you sure? Is your back giving you any trouble?”
She hesitated before quietly saying, “It’s bothering me, yes.”
I draped a curtain over my mind as I stretched my arm out, offering her my hand and trying to ignore the butterflies that erupted in my stomach as she took it without question, and hoping my attempt at masking my emotions from her was working. “Come with me,” I said. “We’ll go to the river away from everyone and perform your healing spell one more. Perhaps that will give you some relief.”
“Fine,” she replied. “But I might fall asleep as you paint my back.”
I chuckled, leading her through the woods to the riverside. “That’s alright. I can carry you back to camp… again.”
A loud laugh boomed from her chest, “Would you stop making that joke?”
“Not while it still makes you laugh,” I replied, a softness to my voice that I didn’t catch until it happened, though I hoped she wouldn’t notice or read into it. The noise of the rushing water suddenly boomed over every other sound.
After finding a patch of soft grass, I sat down. Lisalya paused. “Could you look away? I’ll have to take off my shirt before I lay down.”
“Of course,” I replied, thankful for the darkness of the evening that could hide the blush that was surely painting my cheeks. I gazed out on the rushing water of the river as I waited. “This area is quite beautiful. I imagine we won’t see anything like this for much longer. The closer we get to Nul, the more decimated land we will see,” I said, remembering the scorched earth we had witnessed outside Cessam.
“Siglind does not seem to care for nature much,” she replied.
“No,” I said. “I don’t remember him caring much when we were kids either. The people of Doctsland as a whole have more regard for nature than Bushand, I think it's merely a cultural difference, but Siglind takes it a step further.”
“Why is he so… angry?” she asked, laying on the ground beside me and handing me the brush she had made with her spell.
I set to work at once. “I can’t say for certain. Only he can. And, perhaps Lura. But I can tell you my guess. From what I remember, Siglind was very attached to his mother. He didn’t take kindly to it when she left Bushand to marry my father. He hated my father, hated Doctsland, for taking her away. But he also hated her. He felt it was her duty to stay in Bushand and care for him, the male heir. He was young, petulant, and had no one to tell him so. The regents he was left with catered to his every whim, and fed into the hatred blooming from him. Growing up unchecked like that… well, he never did grow up. He’s an adult, older than me, but he is still acting like a power-hungry child. He wants and wants and wants, and nothing is enough. He is going to devour his own country and then, if we don’t stop him, ours.”
She trembled under my hands before speaking. “Then we must stop him.”
“Yes, we must,” I said. “Is this helping?” I asked after a beat.
“Mmm,” she hummed in response. “It is. I feel so relaxed I could just melt into the earth.”
I chuckled. “Please don’t. I could still use your help out here.”
“Hmm, I suppose I’ll stick around. For you,” she replied.
For the rest of the spell we sat in peaceful silence. I continued until she signalled for me to stop. “Thank you. My back feels more at east than it has since… Well, since this all happened.” I turned as she moved to put her shirt back on. I grabbed her hand and helped her to her feet when she was finished.
“Any time,” I replied as we made our way back to camp, using Jion’s small fire as a guide.
As we approached the fire and our companions she dropped my hand, and I realized all at once that we’d been holding hands since we left the riverside. I ran the tips of my fingers together as I lay down by the fire, missing her warmth.
Chapter Fifteen
Lisalya
An order of silence blanketed any sound as our army marched for the next two days. Siofra and Jion raised the concern that if the noise of an army was heard, Siglind would be aware of our march and have extra time to prepare. Therefore, we were forbidden to speak above a whisper as we moved.
Merek, who had been to Nul on a few occasions, familiarized us with the city’s layout. We wanted to join forces with the incoming Doctsland fleet, so as soon as we were within a day’s march we moved away from the river and towards the beach so as to approach Nul from the water. There were four main gates opening the large city of Nul to the world, but even though they faced no major threat, Siglind’s paranoia kept them all under lock and guard. We were going to be coming to the east gate, which stretched over the water to allow Nulian trade ships in and out. According to Merek, and verified by several other of our companions who were familiar with the city, a small patch of land on either side of the bay stretched under the gate. It was barely enough to notice, but a slight man could slide under on his belly. It was one weak point in the fifty foot stone wall; one weak point in Nul. Between the great military minds of Jion and Siofra and with Merek’s knowledge of Nul, a whispered plan was devised.
Near the end of the second march we halted for the last time, and Viktor took the opportunity to offer words of encouragement to all of us. “We’re very near to our destination,” he said, speaking softly but with power in his deep voice. “Tomorrow morning Captain Merek will enter Nul unnoticed, where he will wait for the telltale sound of the horn of the Doctsland fleet. Tha
t sound will be our rousing. We will rush the Southern Gate of Nul, taking the city by surprise and overwhelming them with both forces.
“Yes, Nul is a strong city, a powerful city with a ruthless leader, but we are also strong. And we have passion, purpose, and a desire for freedom on our side. That makes us stronger, and no matter how many men Siglind on his side they cannot take that from us.” If it weren’t for our known need for silence, surely a loud cheer would have rung out as he finished his speech. His words lit a fire within me, and I strongly desired to take Gaisgea and storm the city at once.
“Now,” he continued. “Unfortunately, we’re too near the city to risk lighting any fires, but we have a tradition in Doctsland- a hearty meal the eve before a battle. Please, enjoy yourselves tonight. Eat to your fill, drink any wine you’ve carried with. Tomorrow brings victory.” He ended with a smile, and I turned to the crowd to see that many faces mirrored it. Rather than Vik, my friend, I saw before me the future king of Doctsland. And he wore leadership well.
That evening was everything Viktor had encouraged. Laughter, games, food, and drink filled the camp and the quiet, yet joyous energy was so strong it almost boiled up and over my walls. And though by the end of the night I was exhausted and my body yearned to sleep, I didn’t want to lie down for fear of what the morrow may bring.
Finally, the prince gave me no choice. Most of the camp had gone to sleep, but I remained awake, sitting near the emerald beach and watching the moonlight dance on the waves. Viktor sat beside me, and I could just make out his face in the light of the full moon and stars.
“You should get some rest,” he said.
I raised an eyebrow. “As should you.”
“Right you are,” he replied, chuckling. “It’s hard to rest the night before a battle, I know. But it’s all the more reason to sleep. If you’re exhausted, it will be harder to wield your sword. Gaisgea will feel heavier in your hands, burdensome. It will be easier to make a mistake, and in the heat of battle you can’t afford a mistake, great or small.”
“I understand,” I murmured, looking down at my feet in the sand and mulling over his words. “I just want a few more minutes of peace before…” I trailed off, not wanting to think about tomorrow quite yet.
Viktor nodded beside me. “A few more minutes of peace then.”
His presence beside me was comforting enough that I soon felt my eyes begin to flutter shut. With a sigh, I decided it was time to stop delaying the inevitable, and I moved to lay myself down to sleep. The last thing I saw before drifting away was the outline of Viktor’s broad shoulders against the waves as he sat staring out into the sea.
***
Noise and clatter woke me the next morning. The sun was high in the sky so I knew I must have been allowed to sleep in.
I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and trying to discern what was happening. A buzzing surrounded me, the air filled with voices and the ringing of steel and armor. “You’d better hurry to get dressed.” Siofra’s voice startled me. I hadn’t even realized she was close. “We’re nearly ready to march towards the south gate.”
“Has Merek already…” I started.
“Yes,” she answered before I could finish. “He left early this morning, still under the cover of darkness.”
“Oh,” I murmured, saddened by the lack of goodbye from our newfound friend. The bustling of everyone around reminded me of Siofra’s words to hurry, so I stood and began frantically getting dressed. While much of our armor had been lost in the shipwreck, we had gained some pieces from Cessam and the other towns that had joined us. While it was somewhat ill fitting and extremely uncomfortable, it worked. I wore a shirt of mail with a large plate over top to protect my chest, and a helmet. For ease of maneuvering, I wore fitted leather trousers, the same I had been marching in the past days. In a matter of minutes, I was ready.
“Here,” Siofra said, handing me a piece of bread and a strip of salted steak. “Eat this.”
“I’m not hungry,” I replied, feeling like there was already a rock in my stomach, vibrating with anxiety.
She would not take no for an answer. “We don’t know when we’ll have another meal. It will help sustain you throughout the battle.”
“She’s right,” Viktor said, appearing out of a crowd of soldiers. He was already dressed, his hair pulled back into a low bun against his neck, his sword at his side. “I know it’s difficult to eat, I struggled this morning as well. But you must.”
Nodding, I took the offered items from Siofra and tried to stomach them. It was difficult, my mouth felt dry and it seemed nearly impossible to chew and swallow, but with Vik and Siofra’s words running through my mind, I forced it down.
“How far is it to the gate?” I asked as I finished my small meal.
“Only about an hour’s march,” Viktor answered. “But we need to leave now, and to move quickly. The ships will be here at any moment. But before we leave, I need you to do something for me. Could you check the city? See if you can pinpoint Merek and ascertain his safety. If not, could you at least try to sense suspicion from the city? Or knowledge of our presence and the threat?”
“Of course,” I replied. Closing my eyes, I opened my mind and began to probe at the city walls, searching for Merek. It was rather easy to find him, for a multitude of reasons. First, it’s usually easier for me to find the mind of someone I know in a sea of strangers. Secondly, most others in the city must have been under the sorcerer’s spell. As soon as I sought the city, I was hit with a wave of chills radiating from its inhabitants. I recoiled from the icy blast, causing a startled “Lis? What happened? Are you alright?” from Viktor.
“Fine. I’m fine,” I said, quickly regaining my composure and pushing past the icy blast. “The sorcerer is there. He’s masking almost everyone.” The only people I could sense aside from Merek must have been lower class civilians with no part in this war, for all I felt from them was terror at the mass quantities of soldiers that had taken control of their city since Siglind began his rule. I turned my complete focus to Merek until I sensed his confidence in the plan, and then pulled away, retreating back within my own mind and throwing up barricades.
“He’s safe,” I assured Vik. “He’s confident in our plan, in our role. Waiting for the time to come.”
Viktor set his jaw, and a light came into his eyes that I had not seen since our battle at Cessam. A fearsome light that haunted the gaze of a warrior. “Good. Let’s go.”
He raised his voice a little to address the camp. “We march to the gate. And then, to war!” A cheer rang out, quiet enough to not raise alarm, but full of power and conviction. And then we were off.
The march was short and silent. Staying within the shelter of the few trees remaining around Nul, we kept the city’s walls in sight while we all listened eagerly for the sound of the ship’s call. It came when we had only just arrived within view of the gate. Up rose the unquestionable lilt of a Doctsland battle cry, which always began with a high pitch, sunk low, and then rose again before sharply cutting off.
Everything happened at once, and I was swept away in the rush. A great noise rose from the city, voices screaming in fear as the gate just visible beyond the trees began to swing open.
“NOW!” Viktor roared, raising his sword high above his head and charging forward with a snarl like a beast. I hesitated for half a moment, my feet glued to the earth, before I remembered Viktor’s request that I remain by his side for protection. I knew he meant for my own protection, and yet the only thing that pushed me forward was the desire to protect him. He needed someone to watch his back, and were he to be separated from Jion or Siofra, I needed to be there for him. With that in mind, I pulled my feet from the ground despite my fear and joined the rushing crowd, hurrying to catch up to my prince.
As I surged forward with the crowd, we broke free from the frail protection of the trees. We were now laid bare, hurtling towards Nul on a wide plain. The city seemed to grow larger as we approached, and the
closer we got the clearer it became.
By the time I noticed the archers stationed atop the wall it was too late, they were already letting loose their arrows. Terror washed over everyone strong enough that I could sense it through my walls as a volley of arrows rained down. Those with shields held them above their heads for protection. Those without ducked their heads as they ran, and prayed, to the Kelps or to whatever gods the Bushanian worshiped.
Together we moved forward, regardless of those who were struck and had fallen, careful not to lose sight of the destination. Three more torrents struck us before we reached the city’s walls, and we left a sea of dead on the field in our wake. Emotions bubbled up inside me, tears threatening, but I buried them deep. Such weakness in the midst of a war could prove deadly.
Our army roared even as we ran, and I found myself yelling along, propelling myself forward with the sound of my voice. Before we reached the gates I had regained my position at Viktor’s side, running alongside him with Jion. As soon as we breached the wall, chaos erupted. A sea of Nulian soldiers stood waiting for us, and we crashed into them like a barricade as a clatter of steel rang out, occupying nearly every sense.
In a strange way I felt thankful for our skirmish in Cessam. It allowed me to draw from that experience as I swung Gaisgea, striking down any one that came near me in the signature black armor of Nul. All the fear and anxiety I had been harboring all week was swept from my body by a flood of adrenaline.
“Move forward!” I heard Viktor yell. “Towards the keep!”
The keep. I looked up, searching through the slit in my helmet for our target. It was not difficult to find, looming large over the city as a black-stoned tyrant. It was made up of a series of round towers grouped together haphazardly, as if, at one point, it had been several different buildings that had since been forced together. Each tower was topped with a tall spire, giving the already threatening building an even more sinister look. It seemed as though it was in the center of the city, perched atop a tall hill, and I knew we had a long way to fight before we could arrive there.