“Roven!” Kaden shouted.
Streaking mere feet above the firedrake and its rider, Exsis poured out a cascade of his own flames as they passed over. The firedrake released a thunderous roar. But satisfaction for Kaden was only fleeting. Another firedrake followed just behind the first. Kaden pushed Exsis into a sharp dive. He grabbed the saddle bar to keep from being separated from the dragon and ducked just out of reach of the firedrake’s sharp claws. The air from the beast’s wings buffeted him as it flew over.
Kaden took a quick breath as they leveled out. At least he hadn’t been killed right off. He looked back. Bursts of fire flashed across the sky, accompanied by roars and ear-piercing shrieks. Curving sharply, Kaden focused in on his next target.
Jace stared upward, riveted to the sky battle above him. Such dangerous maneuvering left him short of breath. Thank Elôm he did not have to be up there. He had enormous respect for Kaden and the other men who had taken up their air defenses.
“Archers, at the ready!” General Mason shouted from just down the wall.
Jace tore his gaze from the dragons and fit an arrow to the longbow he had taken from the armory. He looked out at Daican’s army. It was quite a distance to the other side of the river. They would have to fire high and hope the majority of their arrows found targets.
“Take aim!”
Using his shoulders, Jace drew back his bowstring as far as he could and aimed up into the horizon. A heartbeat of a second passed.
“Fire!”
With the release, Jace watched the cloud of arrows streak into the sky, arching above the river, and then descend in a deadly rain. Despite the distance, most reached the opposite bank. Men in the front rows toppled over. Jace’s heart gave a slight stutter. The bloodshed had started.
They repeated several volleys with fair success. Each one brought down numerous enemies, but a loud mechanical clank in the distance interrupted their attack. A boulder flew toward them. It seemed to come slowly at first, but all at once it was there, smashing into the wall about fifteen feet below with a deafening crash. The stones trembled, but the wall stood solid. Samara’s defenders quickly answered with a volley from their own trebuchets.
“Keep alert!” General Mason called out.
Jace continued firing, but he kept a close watch for flying projectiles. The first rocks hurled at them impacted low or didn’t reach the wall at all but, with a few adjustments, they would likely find their mark. While it might not cause significant damage to the wall itself, it would to human lives.
But the greatest threat to the soldiers did not come only in the form of siege weaponry. A gust of wind tugged Jace’s hair and drew his eyes upward to a firedrake just overhead. The beast headed straight for them, but a sudden blast of dragon fire deterred and drove it away. Jace breathed out. A burst of flames from a firedrake would likely kill even more men than a well-aimed boulder.
He looked out over the wall again. His stomach lurched. A growing blur hurtled towards the parapet.
“Look out!”
He grabbed Holden, who stood closest, and threw them both to the side. The boulder shattered against the parapet, spraying jagged stones into the air. Jace covered his head, pelted by debris. When it settled, he looked up and met Holden’s eyes.
“See?” Holden said. “What did I tell you about watching my back?”
Jace brushed the pebbles and dust from his armor and turned back to assess the damage. The boulder had torn a large section of the parapet off, but no one appeared seriously injured, thank Elôm. It was a grim reminder to remain alert as the bombardment continued and would only gain accuracy.
Kyrin flinched at another tremendous shattering of rock. Between the siege attack and the dragons battling above, she didn’t know where to look. It all left her stomach in knots. So many of the people she loved most in this world were out there, right in the middle of the violent chaos. How could anyone come out of it alive?
She then glanced at Leetra, who stood at the other end of the window. The crete didn’t look so much afraid as angry. Everything from her rigid posture to her fiery expression said she wanted to be out there, but she followed her captain’s orders and remained inside the keep.
Kyrin gazed back out at the wall and tried to catch a glimpse of Jace. It proved impossible in the midst of all the men. She looked for Kaden as well, and perhaps caught sight of Exsis, but all the male dragons looked alike and moved too fast for her to be able to distinguish the rider.
A few minutes later, Leetra leaned over the sill to look down into the courtyard. “Looks like they’re bringing in some of the wounded.”
She backed away and turned for the stairs. Kyrin watched the battle for a moment more. She hated to leave her spot, but she couldn’t stand here all day. It would not give either side an advantage. Helping with the wounded would keep her busy, though the thought of her task left her apprehensive. Her experience in assisting Lenae back at camp consisted mainly of accidental cuts and scrapes. Certainly not battle wounds.
Hardening herself, she hurried after Leetra. Down in the great hall, Josef directed soldiers where to sit and gave instructions to Leetra, who acted promptly. At least most of the men walked on their own. A couple needed the aid of fellow soldiers. When Josef saw Kyrin, he motioned her closer.
“Most of these are only flesh wounds,” he said. “Leetra and I will tend the more serious ones. If you could work your way through the others, I’d appreciate it.”
Kyrin nodded. She would do her best.
“Just clean the wounds and apply bandages if necessary,” Josef told her. “If you are unsure, do what you can, and I’ll finish.”
With another nod, Kyrin moved determinedly to gather supplies and approached the first soldier. The Samaran man had a collection of cuts to his face from flying debris. While they bled heavily, they were minor, and he quickly returned to the wall once the bleeding ceased.
The fourth soldier she tended turned out to be a familiar face.
“Jeremy!”
He held a hand to his forehead, blood rolling down the side of his face and dripping slowly from his chin.
“Hey, Kyrin.” He flashed a smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Shakiness overwhelmed Kyrin’s insides to tend to someone she knew. It was so much more personal, especially since he was Lenae’s son, but she quickly calmed herself.
“Let’s see your wound.”
He pulled his hand away. A large gash ran just above his brow and still oozed blood. Kyrin’s stomach pinched, and she grabbed a cloth to press to the wound. Waiting for the blood to stop, she licked her lips.
“How is it out there?”
Jeremy winced. “Not like anything I’ve ever seen.”
He let out a weak laugh, but Kyrin caught the fear that flickered in his eyes. He kept good control over it, though.
“Are a lot of men getting wounded?” Kyrin asked.
He shrugged. “We’re trying to avoid the attacks, but it’s not always easy. They come fast.”
Kyrin nodded, drawing a deep breath. Any one of those attacks could obliterate her friends. If only it could all just be over. She reached for a wet cloth to clean Jeremy’s face.
“I saw Jace just before I came in.”
Kyrin met his eyes.
“He was doing all right.”
A look of understanding and acceptance settled in Jeremy’s expression, and Kyrin had a suspicion that he had seen what had happened in the courtyard.
“Thank you,” she said, “for letting me know.”
He nodded, and a little disappointment lurked in his eyes, but not animosity.
Kyrin finished cleaning the blood from his face and wrapped a bandage around his head. As soon as she finished, he stood.
“I better get back out there.”
“Be careful.”
It would devastate Lenae to lose her only surviving son. Kyrin didn’t want her to have to go through such heartache again.
“I wil
l.”
He walked out, and Kyrin focused on the next soldier, praying earnestly for the safety, strength, and courage of their army.
Time blurred during the battle, but by the angle of the sun and the empty feeling in his stomach, Kaden knew it neared midday. However, the only thing that mattered right now was to keep focused and keep fighting. Anything like hunger, thirst, or weariness could not distract him.
A firedrake in his periphery gained his full attention. The beast headed straight for the men on the wall. Kaden ground his teeth. Not if he could help it. He swung Exsis around and urged him to intercept. Bracing himself, they crashed claws first into the firedrake’s head. The monster roared and snapped at them, but Exsis flapped hard, rising just out of reach. At Kaden’s command, his dragon spewed fire right down into the drake’s face and routed it away from the wall. Kaden traded a glare with the other rider.
They battled each other for a minute or two—teeth, claws, and fire—but then the firedrake broke away, retreating. Typical of what Kaden had faced all morning. The firedrakes would fight until things got desperate, then pull back to regroup before attacking their next targets. Kaden sensed a lack of confidence and skill on the part of the riders. They may have an advantage in size and numbers, but the dragon riders had more experience and agility. Or maybe the emperor’s force didn’t intend to fight to the death. It was only supposed to be a diversion after all.
Yeah, well, Samara’s forces weren’t playing games.
He pursued the firedrake. Below him, another boulder exploded against the wall. He winced. Hopefully the bombardment wasn’t decimating their ground force.
“Kaden!”
He caught the voice in the wind and turned as Talas and Storm came up alongside him.
“Let’s try to take the catapults!”
Kaden nodded. He should have thought of that sooner. If they were going to win this fight, he needed to be more aware of the situation outside of their battle with the firedrakes.
He looked around and let out a shrill whistle. A couple nearby riders heard him, and he motioned to them. Together, they turned to follow. As a group, the six of them flew out over Daican’s force at the river.
Talas dove down first, Storm’s claws outstretched to tear into the wood of the tall trebuchet. An upward hail of arrows met them, but they managed to damage the war machine and added a spurt of fire for good measure. Kaden followed suit, leading the rest of the riders. Arrows met them as well, and Kaden ducked low over Exsis’s neck. They managed to take out three more trebuchets and catapults before a blasting roar signaled the approach of firedrakes.
Kaden looked back toward the wall. About twenty-five firedrakes were on their way. He straightened, preparing to meet the onslaught.
Kaden had experienced some long, exhausting days in his life, and this one was right up near the top. The battle seemed to stretch out for days, not just hours. Never was he so happy to be on the ground as when he and Exsis landed in the deepening gloom of the courtyard that evening. Soldiers hurried around to light torches as night descended.
For a long moment, he just sat still. His whole body ached, and his throat felt as if he had gone a week without water—not to mention how empty his stomach was. He winced at the pain radiating from his throbbing right shoulder and glanced at it. His leather pauldron was blackened and the fabric underneath it charred. The last hour had been brutal. The firedrakes and their riders finally seemed to have found their confidence. Still, Samara’s forces had held them back. For now, at least. Once the sun came up and they could see well enough to fight again, that might change.
Biting back a groan, Kaden lifted his leg over the saddle and slid down. Even this simple move was a chore. His adrenaline reserve had run dry, leaving his body stiff and heavy. He rested his hand against Exsis’s shoulder. The dragon panted loud, gusting breaths, stirring up dust, and his wings drooped to the ground. They had been in the air all day. Exsis needed this nighttime reprieve even more than Kaden did. He rubbed the dragon’s scales.
“Good boy.”
Kaden’s hand traveled along the dragon’s body. He spotted a few cuts and burns he would have to tend to, but first he needed to check on the rest of the men. Forcing his wobbly legs to cooperate, he walked around to where they had all landed. He had lost four men today. He couldn’t help wondering if he could have done something to prevent it, but at least he hadn’t lost the whole group. Actually, if he looked at it objectively, it was a miracle they were not all dead.
He worked his way to each of them, checking them and their dragons. None of the survivors had more than minor wounds. He reached Talas last. His friend appeared to have fared the best, and asked him how he was.
Kaden sighed. “Could be worse. Ready to get something in my stomach.”
Talas grinned at him. “Let’s get these dragons taken care of and go find some food.”
Kyrin focused half on her work bandaging a soldier’s hand and half on the door of the great hall as men trickled in. Her stomach wouldn’t stop turning with the desperation to see her brothers and friends come through that door. She had wanted to run out to the courtyard to look for them the moment the fighting had ceased, but she couldn’t abandon Josef, Leetra, and the other women. So she waited, praying and tending injuries. Most now were men with minor wounds who had waited until nightfall to leave the wall and have them tended.
Finishing with her current patient, Kyrin crossed the room to refill her basin with fresh water. That’s when she caught sight of her brothers and Jace. She set the sloshing bowl down hurriedly and rushed to meet them. She reached Kaden first, embracing him tightly.
“Thank Elôm you’re all right!”
She looked up into his face. He looked drained. Well, she would see that he received proper care to restore his strength.
She hugged Marcus next, and then Liam. Finally, she came to Jace. Looking up into his eyes, seeing the tenderness in them that was so clear now, her heart gave a little flutter and memories of the morning already left her breathless. She felt a little shy and uncertain, unused to allowing such feelings for Jace. She had held them in check for so long.
When he opened his arms in invitation, she accepted his embrace eagerly. All day she had fought to be strong, but for just these few moments, she let herself completely sink into the security his arms brought her. She blinked away the smarting in her eyes and listened to his steady breathing. How nice it would be just to stay here for a while, but that didn’t seem quite appropriate, standing here in the middle of the infirmary for all to see.
They shared a brief smile when they parted, and Kyrin refocused on what needed to be done next. She turned to her brothers.
“Are any of you hurt?”
Marcus nodded at Kaden. “He ought to have his shoulder looked after.”
Kyrin spied the burnt armor and winced. It was the second time he had been burnt fighting firedrakes.
Kaden, however, wasn’t concerned and said, “Food first,” sounding more like himself.
Kyrin shook her head, but smiled. “War hasn’t changed your priorities, has it?”
He gave a little grin back.
“The refugee women made stew and fresh rolls in the mess hall. They wanted to make sure you men had a good meal tonight.”
Kaden rubbed his stomach. “Thank Elôm for the refugee women.”
Kyrin chuckled. “You go on and eat and then come back here to take care of your shoulder.”
As the four of them headed for the mess hall, Kyrin traded another quick glance with Jace. He looked like he wanted to talk. So did she, and she prayed for a little time to do so. They only had a couple short hours until the men would try to get the sleep they so desperately needed before dawn threw them right back into the fight.
Turning back to her work, Kyrin nursed the wounded and directed soldiers to the mess hall. Before long, and to her immense joy, all her friends made an appearance, and she praised Elôm for each one. They had survived their first day
of battle with minimal loss. If they could continue like this, and their forces at Amberin could turn back Daican’s surprise attack, perhaps they would win the battle strong. Kyrin was afraid to hope, but certainly prayed for such an outcome. Maybe it would deter Daican from trying again.
When her brothers and Jace returned, Kaden carried an extra dinner roll he had no doubt sweet-talked from one of the women. Food seemed to have done wonders in reviving him. He temporarily set it aside as Marcus and Liam helped him out of his armor. The pauldron had taken the most damage, thankfully, but when he pulled off his shirt it revealed a patch of red, blistered skin.
“Well, it doesn’t look as bad as your last burn,” Kyrin said, cleaning it gently as he munched on his roll.
He swallowed. “At least you don’t have any of that stuff Leetra put on it.”
“That stuff kept it from getting infected and helped it heal.” Leetra’s unamused voice came from just behind Kyrin.
Looking over her shoulder, she caught the crete giving her brother her infamous raised eyebrow.
Kaden shrugged. “It still didn’t feel good.”
“Leetra, will I have to do anything more than apply the burn salve and bandage it?” Kyrin asked.
The crete took a quick look at the burn and shook her head. “No, he’ll live.”
She moved on, and Kyrin finished, wrapping Kaden’s shoulder lightly. He pulled his shirt back on, and Marcus helped him into his armor once more. Kyrin imagined that it would have been nice to go without it, but the men had to remain prepared in case of a nighttime surprise attack. Not likely, though, as crete dragon riders would have a significant advantage in the dark over the human firedrake riders.
“We’d better go,” Marcus said when they finished. “King Balen and General Mason have called a meeting with all the commanders.”
Samara's Peril (Ilyon Chronicles Book 3) Page 34