“How do I know you're telling the truth?” Baron demanded.
“Because I've never lied to you.”
“That's not good enough,” Baron replied. “You've only told me what I wanted to hear to convince me to outfit your troops for war. I don't believe a word you've said about people coming back to life.”
Corcoran eyed him thoughtfully and a slow smile grew.
“I think you do.”
Baron clenched his jaw.
“Maybe I do. But you're asking me to betray everything and everyone I care about.”
“Wrong. I'm asking you to help them. War is here, Baron, whether you like it or not. I'm not going to stop and many more will die. But I'm giving you the great gift of deciding who will die and who will be spared. Do not take that lightly.”
“I don't want that responsibility,” Baron said. “Why can't you just get it over with and kill me? You've already said I'm a threat to you.”
“So you want the easy way out?” Corcoran asked.
Baron clenched his jaw.
“You would let your wife lay dead in a grave when you had the chance to save her?” Corcoran continued. “Perhaps I was wrong about you. Perhaps we're not as similar as I thought.”
Baron's heart beat quickly. Every time he thought of Ariadra, he was so close to giving in and doing whatever Corcoran wanted. But he took a deep breath and only nodded slowly.
“I'll help you,” Baron said. “But if time is against us, we have a lot to prepare. I need the proper materials if I'm to make armor lighter and stronger than forged iron.”
“Whatever you need, we can provide.”
Baron opened his mouth to continue, but Corcoran held up his hand.
“I'm going to assign one of my forgers to you who will show you our method of mingling stone with iron. Perhaps with your abilities, we can fashion something truly unique.”
Baron was intrigued by the idea, for he had long wondered how they managed such a feat. He nodded in assent and turned to leave. But he stopped short of the door.
“I'd like to take a walk through your armory,” he said. “I'll need more details before we begin.”
“Agreed.”
Then Corcoran called to one of the guards outside the room.
“I'm assigning you to this man,” Corcoran said to the guard. “Take him to the armory and have Melfon meet him in the workroom.”
The guard bowed low and took Baron by the arm.
“Do not mishandle him,” Corcoran said and the guard loosened his hold. “He is our guest now.”
Corcoran gave Baron a polite smile. Then he and the guard departed, traveling down several corridors until they arrived at a thick wooden door. Baron had been trying to make a mental map of just where he was. But this fort, wherever it was, was quite large and Baron had lost track less than halfway to the armory. It must be somewhere on the Banished Lands.
Once inside the armory, the soldier shoved Baron inside and locked the door behind him. Baron heard steps trailing away as he was left to wander the confines of the large room. Weapons and armor were everywhere, enough to outfit an army. Most of the breastplates were of basic iron or brass, which Baron recognized. But a handful were dark and mingled with stone, the same he had encountered from the elite force Corcoran had sent into the land of the Horctura.
Baron walked down the narrow lanes of the large room until the door unlocked again, revealing the guard who had led him here and another man in a dark flowing robe with golden embroidery. He was younger than Baron expected, and had a regal air about him. Nodding to the soldier, he bowed and closed the door, leaving Baron alone with him.
“I'm told I'm to teach you our ways,” the man began and approached Baron.
“Yes.”
“I assume you've encountered this armor before.”
“I have,” Baron replied. “The alliance acquired several pieces after the failed invasion into the lands of the Horctura.”
The man stopped, his eyes narrowing.
“And what have you discovered?” he asked.
Baron opened his mouth for reply but found he had little to offer. The man smirked and walked to one of the pieces of dark armor.
“Where is iron found?” he asked, holding the armor up to his eyes in admiration. But after a few moments of silence, he turned his gaze to Baron.
“Inside iron ore,” Baron replied.
“Correct. So we know that the natural state of iron is to reside in stone.”
“I suppose so,” Baron replied as he considered the notion.
Most of the iron ore of Forthura came from a mine deep within one of the mountains near the castle, Dagron. Though he'd never seen a piece of iron ore before, his father had once described it as stone with dark or silvery veins of metal running through it. Some of the stone contained so much iron that it turned red with rust.
“It took us many centuries to realize the importance of working with iron ore. You've been laboring under our old mistake – to extract the iron from the ore and work it separately. When we make our armor, we use the purest iron ore, keeping the stone and iron naturally mingled. Then we manipulate both until the end result is a single piece of metal and stone.”
Baron was a bit taken aback. He had never considered that. Within ore, the iron formed in spidery veins. Ore had to be smashed and smelted to free the metal. Baron had never thought to apply his Builder's skill to a piece of rich iron ore. He could manipulate the stone and then once finished, heat it until the metal already within the stone melted together to solidify the whole piece. It was unfortunately quite brilliant.
“When do we begin?” Baron asked.
“Haven't we already?”
Then the man motioned for Baron to follow him. Baron's path was now set. He would help Corcoran arm his troops for war. But with a little luck, he'd find a way to weaken the armor before they set off for battle. That was the only help he could give the alliance. After that, he could go and join Ariadra among the dead and finally be at peace. What would she think of him now?
The Flight
The moon stood high over the valley, raining down light onto the grasslands at the edge of the borderlands of Kester. It was a poor night for a full moon but they would make do. Little lights scattered and far off, lit up the valley below as the forces of Corcoran enjoyed their evening fare. But they would soon fall to sleep, giving Estrien and the rest their opportunity to slip by.
It would have been better to let Straiah go out ahead, to see what lie waiting on the other side. But he was already worn ragged from too much travel and not enough sleep. Gwaren or one of the other trackers could go in his stead if they wanted. She wasn't letting Straiah out of her sight.
The group watched in silence atop the hill, waiting for the flickering fires to turn to glowing embers, though it was difficult to tell the difference at such distance. Everything Corcoran had brought across the ocean was down in that valley. What if they waited for Corcoran's forces to fall asleep and attacked them in the night – wreak as much havoc as possible and go out in a blaze of glory?
Estrien could see in the others' faces that they'd considered it also. But the armor they wore was too valuable to fall into Corcoran's hands. Any of their fallen warriors would give up more than their lives. They'd give Corcoran's troops a set of Blair's armor, which could cost far more than a single life.
Straiah stood next to Estrien, watching in silence. Others were attending to the horses, making sure they didn't wander into the valley behind them. The best case scenario would be that those who followed behind would find them and use them to catch up.
“I think that's the last of them,” Straiah said, referring to the fires burning down to ember in the valley below.
“How can you tell?”
“It's more feeling than sight,” he said.
Estrien nodded. It must have been near midnight. The moon was waning but still bright in the sky. It would have been better if it had fully set. But it'd be morning by then.
“Alright, let's go,” she said.
“What happens if we're spotted?” Gwaren asked. “Do we flee back and wait for the rest of our forces?”
“No. We turn and fight our way through to the other side.”
Then Estrien motioned for Straiah to take the lead. They would travel single-file behind him, nearly a hundred warriors through the valley. Their only advantage was that the forces of Corcoran wouldn't expect their arrival so quickly. Without Straiah coming across their path, they'd have never known Kester was being invaded by a hidden force from inside Thob Forest.
The group descended into the valley. Not only was Blair's armor light and strong, it was sleeker than metal armor and not nearly as prone to clanking while moving. They were able to largely travel in silence, even the Bearoc warriors, which surprised her most of all.
Before long, they lost sight of the camp of the enemy, now completely in the hands of Straiah to lead them on safe pathways. The valley was mostly grassy, with copses of trees and outcroppings of boulders scattered about, providing little cover.
They jogged for over an hour, encountering little resistance. Straiah was either very good at what he did, or the forces of Corcoran were lax in their patrols. Estrien honestly couldn't tell. At times, Straiah would freeze and hold up his hand, signaling a stop. Then they would wait, Estrien listening and looking to see what he perceived the rest didn't. At times, she faintly thought she hear the sound of hooves or the vague impression of movement against the hills.
Before long, Straiah's movements slowed. They were close now. Estrien caught the faint smell of smoke on the breeze. Straiah veered left toward the highlands of the valley. Thus far, they'd traveled through the broad basin but now they were almost upon the enemy.
A copse of trees greeted them as they left the shallow grasslands and moved toward the rocky exterior of the mountainside. The going was tough and steep as Straiah led them to what seemed like the sheer wall of the valley.
Then he suddenly held up his hand and dropped to the ground. The others down the line did likewise, watching and waiting. For many long moments, Estrien heard nothing. But then, she thought she saw movement down in the valley below. A soldier on horseback was riding through the lowlands.
Once he'd passed, Straiah led them onward. The scent of smoke intensified as they neared the enemy camp. But the going was difficult now. They were at the edge of the valley, against the sheer wall of the mountainside. Any kicked stone could tumble down the hillside and alert the enemy of their presence.
Towering forms began to appear below them, things of artificial construction tall amid the trees. They could only be the siege works of Corcoran, meant to demolish strongholds and castles. Estrien marveled at their construction. She had never seen such devices. Built of massive timbers bound tightly together with rope and shielded with an iron skin, each of these dozen siege works dwarfed any catapult she'd seen in the flesh. Corcoran had spent centuries preparing for war. What chance did Kester have of repelling them?
Estrien thought she heard voices from below. Not all were asleep in the camp of Corcoran. They were just beginning to pass by them now. From this vantage point, she could see to the far end of the valley. They'd reach it soon if all went smoothly.
But something below let out a low growl. Estrien stopped in her tracks. She could hear soldiers moving to pacify the creature. They watched and waited as the creature grew louder at first, then began whimpering as its handlers disciplined it for its outburst.
Once all was calm and still, Straiah led them on. But the going got even tougher as the valley rose up to almost sheer walls. Straiah searched for a navigable pass through, but to try climbing over with so many would never work. Their only choice was to descend toward the camp of Corcoran.
Loose rubble and stone lay about their feet. Estrien could hear little bits tumbling down the hillside toward the camp. This wasn't going to work. Estrien reached out to Straiah's shoulder to forestall him, but even in the act, a loud roar erupted from the near beyond. It was too late. They'd been heard.
Straiah froze and dropped to the ground. The creature below began fighting against its cage, growing more and more agitated as the handlers sought to calm it. The creature knew that enemies were close. Its rage only seemed to grow amid the efforts of its handlers, smashing against the side walls of its cage to break free.
Straiah slowly unsheathed his sword, sensing the inevitable. Estrien glanced about. They were at least halfway through to the other side of the valley. If they made a run for it, they might make it to the other side. But they couldn't outrun the beasts now clawing to get free.
Other growls and roars erupted from the rest of the beasts now stirring to life. Estrien didn't know what to do – attack or flee. But to stay here any longer was folly. They'd been discovered and would only lose what little they had left of the element of surprise as the camp of Corcoran armed themselves for battle.
But Straiah was remarkably calm, moving not a muscle as the commotion grew. Scouts with torches left the camp, climbing the hillside a few hundred paces below. Straiah waited, crouching low. It was a long way up the hillside. They might grow tired and give up before reaching the coalition forces.
But just then, one of the cages broke open below, freeing a trapped creature whose shadowy form darted toward them. The other beasts went wild, seeing one of their number free and on the prowl. The scouts turned to curtail the creature and clamor erupted among the coalition forces. What were they going to do?
Estrien lost sight of the beast. She looked to Straiah who still stood with eyes closed, listening to what could be heard. Someone needed to make a decision and quickly.
Just then, Straiah stood up and ran backward. Estrien followed and before they had gone a dozen paces, Straiah leaped through the air, intercepting the beast that had somehow gone behind their line. A catlike creature with sharp fangs and claws, it was larger and more muscular than any mountain lion she'd seen.
Straiah and the creature tumbled down the hillside amid snarls and grunting. As he arose, the creature took a swipe at him, its sharp claws screeching across Straiah's armor but doing no damage. Straiah took a swing with his sword, which the creature mostly evaded but for the tip, which sliced its shoulder, sending an angry growl from its throat.
The creature hesitated, seeing Straiah to be a worthy adversary. Straiah advanced in small steps, threatening the creature to make it flee. The scouts below were closing in and the creature glanced about for another victim.
Just then, Drogan approached, startling the creature, which had never before seen a man of such stature. It ran off into the darkness.
“You shouldn't have let it go,” Drogan said.
“It's wounded, angry and scared. If it retreats to its handlers, it'll create a perfect distraction for us.”
“The scouts are closing in,” Drogan replied. “We need a plan.”
“They don't yet know our intentions,” Straiah said. “We make it look like we're attacking so we can move out of the valley. If they know we're trying to escape, they'll plug up the exit.
“My warriors and I will stay behind,” Drogan said. “Take the rest out of here!”
“No. We stay together.”
“Our armor is too large for them to use if we should fall,” Drogan argued. “We'll escape over the ridge once you're free of the valley.”
He was right. The armor Blair had crafted for the Bearoc was larger than any of the forces of Corcoran could wear. It would be useless to them. Straiah glanced to Estrien for a quick moment. She hesitated but gave a nod at length.
Just then, a frightened yell erupted from among their number down the line. The creature had attacked again. Drogan sprinted toward it with a roar. Estrien and Straiah commanded the rest forward. The whole camp of Corcoran was stirring to action, armed infantry climbing the hillside.
Drogan grappled with the creature, which bit at his shoulder ineffectually against the dark armor. Striking it, he sen
t the beast tumbling down the hillside with a whimper. Just then, they heard many cages swing open with snarls quickly following. They were still a few leagues from the mouth of the valley.
The pikemen of Corcoran were advancing in a line now, hundreds steadily climbing the hillside. A huge rock suddenly hurled overhead, striking the ground midway between the two forces and tumbling down toward the line of infantry, who scrambled to avoid it.
More rocks sailed down, giving Estrien and the coalition forces a chance to sprint toward the other side of the valley. But roars erupted from behind, both from the beasts and the Bearoc warriors who now grappled with them. Glancing behind, they saw Drogan locked hand in hand with a creature bigger and stronger than the rest. It was one of Arathama's kin, perhaps even Arathama himself, if they'd managed to capture him.
Estrien froze. They couldn't just leave them. They'd all be slain. What were a few dozen Bearoc warriors against such a force? But Straiah pulled her by the arm forward. The sounds of battle dwindled as they rushed ahead. But some in the camp of Corcoran must have suspected their intentions, for a large group of horsemen left the camp bound for the far side of the valley and would surely reach it before Estrien and the rest.
Estrien grew anxious. Their armor was least effective against cavalry. For though swords and spears would often glance away, the armor didn't protect them from the trampling hooves of horses. They ran through the moonlight diagonally down toward the valley floor, where the valley narrowed to a small gap nestled between the sheer walls of either side of the valley.
The sounds of battle grew dim, though it still raged behind. The horsemen below reached the mouth of the valley and circled, looking for forces in the hills above. But there was a copse of trees nearby and if they could reach it without being seen, they could spring upon the forces of Corcoran before they got their bearings.
Estrien made for it with all speed, taking a higher angle against the steepening hillside, her legs and lungs burning from exertion. But she reached the trees within minutes, the rest of their forces slipping in one by one.
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