She stepped back, and the camp descended into chaos. Troopers ran around, pulling on boots or armour, and grabbing crossbows. Officers were bawling and shouting to be heard over the pandemonium, screaming at their soldiers to get into position. Killop and Chane were locked in a heated discussion, their voices low.
Daphne glanced at Celine.
‘We’d best get ready.’
Celine nodded, and they walked into the shallow caves where Daphne was based, pulling back the long curtain that shielded the interior from eyes and the wind. Daphne put Karalyn down into her cot, and picked up her armour.
‘Help me,’ she said, and Celine began fastening the buckles at her side.
‘Who do you think…?’ she said, then stopped as the curtain flapped and Kylon walked in.
‘I heard,’ said the Kell, his face stern. ‘This is bad. You know what it means, don’t you?’
‘Yes,’ Daphne said. ‘Either the Emperor can see through Karalyn’s vision shield, or someone has betrayed our location to him.’
‘Exactly,’ Kylon said. He turned, as Baoryn walked in.
Karalyn let out a low whimper, her face crinkling in fear, and Daphne’s eyes narrowed.
‘Celine,’ she said, ‘take Karalyn to the cave at the back, and stay there until I tell you.’
Celine gave a slight nod, picked up the child, and disappeared behind her. Daphne stepped forward, buckling on her sword belt. She smiled, and entered the Rahain man’s head. She ploughed in deep, her power ripping through his thoughts. Baoryn staggered and fell to the ground, twitching. Kylon cried out, and dropped to his knees beside him, but Daphne carried on, searching through the Rahain man’s mind, looking into all the dark corners. She stopped. There, hidden away, she sensed the mage threads of the Emperor, nesting inside his brain like a parasite. She recoiled in disgust, and let out a fierce blast of power, scouring it clean.
Baoryn screamed, and Daphne pulled her vision back.
Kylon stared up at her, his eyes enraged. ‘What have you done?’
She glanced down, her breath calming. Baoryn was lying still with his eyes open. Foam and spittle covered his chin, and the veins in his head were bulging.
‘The Emperor got to him,’ she said. ‘He was watching us through his eyes.’
‘And you killed him for it?’
She shook her head. ‘He’ll live. He might have a sore head for a while. I burnt the Emperor’s presence out of him.’
‘He didn’t know it was there,’ Kylon said. ‘He couldn’t have.’
‘I know,’ she said. ‘That’s why he’s still alive.’
Kylon nodded.
‘I need to ask you something,’ Daphne said, ‘and I want a straight answer. Did you ever speak to Baoryn about my daughter?’
‘I told him it was our job to protect her,’ he said, ‘but not why. Do you think the Emperor was listening?’
‘We’ll have to assume he might have been, whenever Baoryn was in earshot,’ she said. ‘Get him out of here, and get ready to go. We’ll be following Chane’s force down the valley to the west.’
He picked up Baoryn, nodded, and left the cave as Killop walked in.
‘What happened to him?’ he said.
‘He was our spy,’ she said. ‘How they knew we were here.’
‘Shit. The Emperor was in his head?’
‘Yeah.’
‘How?’ Killop said. ‘I mean, how did he know that Baoryn knew us?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Daphne. ‘I’m guessing that it was bad luck, and that the Emperor was messing with the heads of the scouts he was sending up into the mountains to hunt for us. I dealt with it, though. He’s blind to us again.’
Killop nodded. ‘I have to go. Just came to see you before we head off.’
She put her arm around his waist. ‘Please don’t do anything stupid out there.’
‘I won’t.’ He kissed her. ‘Where’s Karalyn?’
Daphne turned her head. ‘Celine!’
The Holdings woman walked out, carrying the girl.
‘I’ll get out of your way,’ she said, passing Karalyn to Killop and retreating. He held his daughter close.
‘See you soon, wee bear.’
‘Daddy hide from the bad man,’ she said, touching his cheek.
‘I will if I see him,’ he said. He put her down in her cot.
‘Get out of here as fast as you can,’ he said to Daphne. ‘And don’t look back.’
They kissed, and he left the cave.
Daphne sat on the bed and lit a cigarette. Celine emerged from the rear of the cave, dragging two large packs.
‘He’ll be alright,’ she said.
She nodded. ‘Ready to go?’
Celine gazed around the cave. ‘So we’ll be sleeping rough from now on?’
‘Looks like it,’ Daphne said, ‘unless you can get everything packed up in the next two minutes.’
Celine dropped the packs. ‘Two minutes?’ She raced round the cave, gathering blankets, clothes, and anything lying around, and stuffing them into the already bulging luggage.
An officer parted the curtain. ‘Ma’am, Captain Chane’s force is preparing to leave.’
‘Thank you, Lieutenant,’ Daphne said, picking up Karalyn. ‘Time’s up, Celine.’
Troopers entered the cave. They began to lift the packs, and Daphne walked back outside into the morning light. Only a few tents remained where dozens had stood ten minutes before, and the campfires were out. Troopers were lined up, their weapons and kit strapped to their belts and backs.
‘This way, ma’am,’ said the officer, and they followed him passed the first rows of troopers, towards the western entrance to the valley. They reached Mirren, who was surrounded by her personal guard. Kylon stood close by, brooding.
‘Here we are, ma’am,’ said the officer.
Daphne stopped, and her own guard formed up round her.
‘Where’s Baoryn?’
Kylon nodded ahead. ‘Up with the sick and injured.’
Daphne gazed down the long line of troopers. Twenty yards ahead were a dozen carts, laden with bags, crates and those unable to walk.
‘I’m sorry I had to hurt him.’
The Kell man shrugged. ‘You did what you thought was right.’
Mirren strode over to her.
‘Quite a morning, Lady Holdfast,’ she said.
She nodded, glancing up the line ahead, which was just starting to move off.
‘I suppose you wish you were up there?’ Mirren went on. ‘Leading the charge.’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘It’s what I do best. I’m not used to being at the rear.’
‘You may be needed here,’ Mirren said. ‘If the Emperor breaks through your commander’s blocking force, then I imagine the rearguard could get a little busy.’
They began moving, their guards flanking them by the sides of the path. They crossed the campsite, walking between the abandoned tents and equipment, and the extinguished fires, where breakfast dishes lay stacked. The line slowed as they reached the narrow neck of the valley, and began to descend the long gorge. The carts had to be lifted over several large boulders blocking the way, and Daphne opened her cigarette case while they waited.
‘It was very brave of your commander,’ said Mirren, taking an offered cigarette.
Daphne lit Mirren’s, then her own.
‘Especially considering the fact that he gave Captain Chane his best squads.’
Daphne frowned.
‘You didn’t know, my lady?’ Mirren said. ‘They had quite the row about it. Captain Chane felt that Commander Killop should take them, but he insisted.’
Daphne said nothing, a knot forming in the pit of her stomach.
‘It makes sense,’ said Kylon. ‘He wants us to have the best chance of escape. The quality of his soldiers won’t make any difference against the Emperor anyway.’
Mirren stared at the Kell man, a mixture of contempt and distaste in her eyes.
They bega
n to move again.
Daphne held on to Karalyn, and kept her eyes fixed on the path.
They walked for over an hour through the long and narrow gorge, high cliffs on either side. Troopers hauled the carts ahead of them, while behind, the rear guard marched in silence. Water from the early rains of winter was tumbling over the sides of the cliff to their left, joining a stream that ran along the foot of the gorge. Caves had formed behind the waterfalls, and Daphne gazed at their beauty, for a second forgetting why she was there.
A shout rang out from far ahead, and she looked up the gorge. The other troopers were also staring, as the sounds of steel and the cries of the wounded and dying reached them. Squads began to move up the line, rushing towards the fighting.
‘Chane’ll smash them,’ said Celine. She glanced at Daphne. ‘Your arms must be aching.’
‘Thanks,’ she said, passing her Karalyn. The girl tried to cling on, but Daphne pulled her fingers from her hair.
‘Don’t worry, Kara-bear,’ she said, stretching her right arm. Her left, ensconced in its Rahain armour, was stiff and painful. She reached into a pocket and took out a stick of keenweed. Kylon lit a match for her, and she smoked, her pain receding, and her senses quickening. She gazed upwards. The sun was behind a bank of clouds, somewhere overhead. Impatience spread through her. She turned, facing the way they had come. Over the heads of the rear guard, the cliffs loomed, casting deep shadows across the floor of the gorge.
‘I’m sure he’s all right,’ said Mirren. ‘Your commander is a very capable soldier.’
Daphne’s nerves flared. Why had she let him go? She should have told him his place was with her and their daughter. He couldn’t stand up to the Emperor, no one could. She felt a desperate desire to range with her vision, to scan the camp and the valley where Killop was positioning himself, but feared that she might give their location away to the Emperor.
The Creator. She had to remember who it was they were fighting.
A messenger arrived.
‘My lady,’ she said, catching her breath. ‘Captain Chane reports contact with the western Rahain force. She wishes you to know that she is engaging them with all strength in a full frontal assault on their positions.’
‘Thank you,’ Daphne said, stubbing the weedstick out beneath her heel. ‘Let her know the rear remains secure, and pass on my best wishes.’
‘Ma’am,’ the messenger bowed, then sprinted back down the gorge, following the line of the stream towards the sounds of battle.
Daphne gazed around. ‘Where’s Kylon?’
‘Gone to check on Baoryn,’ said Celine.
‘I heard that he was the Emperor’s eyes and ears,’ said Mirren. ‘Most unfortunate. I had deemed you a better judge of character, Lady Holdfast.’
‘I didn’t delve deep enough into his mind when I first looked,’ she said, ‘but I believe he was unaware he was being used.’
‘Well, it’s too late now, I suppose. The damage has been done.’ Mirren gazed back up the path. ‘The thing that killed Guilliam is hunting us, with nothing to protect us except Killop and a few young troopers. I fear our rebellion may soon be at an end.’
‘It’s not over yet,’ Daphne said. ‘We get through this gorge, we can flee north. Without Baoryn, the Emperor has no chance of finding us. We’re going to get out of this, Mirren.’
‘He hasn’t come all this way to give up now,’ she said. ‘He wants us, and the mages.’ She leaned in close. ‘Maybe if we led him to the mages, he might be satisfied, and leave. Then we’d be safe. You and your daughter would be safe.’
‘We can’t betray them.’
‘I know. It was just a foolish thought.’
Daphne frowned. ‘If you have any more, keep them to yourself.’
Mirren gave a gentle bow, and walked to where her troopers stood.
‘Do you think she was serious?’ whispered Celine.
‘She’s scared,’ Daphne said.
‘She’s not the only one.’
Twenty long, nervous minutes passed. The rear guard waited by the carts, smoking and casting glances back up the path.
Daphne sat on a boulder. Celine was next to her, rocking Karalyn back and forth in her arms as the child slept.
Kylon was close by, leaning against the side of the cliff, his long black coat trailing on the ground. He caught her eye, and glanced towards the carts.
Daphne turned, and saw movement. She jumped off the boulder.
‘We’re moving,’ she called out. ‘Everyone up.’
The troopers got back into their positions as the carts began to roll forwards. The messenger ran up the path towards them.
‘My lady,’ she said, ‘Captain Chane reports that the path is clear, though she warns that there are still pockets of hostile Rahain forces in the valleys on either side. She requests that the rear guard make all haste.’
‘Tell her we’re on our way,’ Daphne said.
The messenger ran off.
Daphne faced the troopers.
‘I want half of you up with the carts,’ she said. ‘Get them moving as quickly as we can. The rest watch out for attacks from the flanks. Go.’
Squads of troopers peeled off from the others, their sergeants bellowing orders. The carts began to move faster, and Daphne urged the rear guard on. The gorge widened, with caves and sharp crevices on either side, while the sounds of boots, cartwheels, and the rushing stream blotted out every other noise. The first body appeared, a Holdings trooper shot though the stomach by a crossbow bolt, lying by the bank of the stream. Others came into sight, a mixture of Rahain and Holdings, their bodies piled by the side of the track. Large birds circled overhead in the grey light, waiting for them to pass.
‘I might have to give her to you soon,’ said Celine. ‘My arms are getting sore.’
‘Just let me know,’ Daphne said. ‘Is she still sleeping?’
‘Out like a light. She’s the only one around here not shitting their pants.’
‘I’ve been in worse situations than this,’ Kylon said.
‘Oh shut up, you miserable bastard,’ Celine said. She glanced at Daphne. ‘Should I wake her up?’
Daphne looked at the sleeping child. Her eyes were twitching behind her closed lids. She thought of Killop.
‘No,’ she said. ‘She might be vision-dreaming.’
Daphne’s ears picked out a low rumble.
She turned, gazing back up the track, and her heart froze. In the far distance, a new force of Rahain were streaming towards them through the gorge, and in their midst strode the figure in black armour.
‘Run!’ she cried, plucking Karalyn from Celine’s arms and racing towards the carts. To her left she glimpsed Mirren, her face drawn in terror. The rear guard rushed down the gorge. It narrowed ahead, and carts were being squeezed through two abreast. Troopers were scrambling round them, climbing a few feet up the rocky slopes and leaping down to the other side.
Daphne turned, Kylon by her side, his hand on his sword hilt.
The approaching Rahain were only a few hundred yards away, their lead units sprinting towards them. She pulled on her battle-vision.
‘Celine, take Karalyn, and get into the caves. Quickly.’
She stretched out her arms, and Daphne passed her the sleeping child.
‘Go, go,’ Daphne cried, and Celine and Kylon sprinted off, dodging the retreating troopers, and heading for the deep caves under the high cliffs by the track.
She drew her sword, and opened her mouth to scream orders at the troopers, but the earth beneath their feet buckled and rippled, and a force like a wind threw them to the ground. Daphne landed on her side, then scrambled back to her feet. She stared over to the cliffs, but there was no sign of Karalyn or her two protectors.
You thought you could hide from me forever, Daphne Holdfast, said a voice piercing her mind.
Daphne staggered.
Ahead, the figure in black raised his arms. The Rahain around him drew aside, clearing a path as he appr
oached.
There was a crack like thunder, and the rock face behind the Holdings rear guard shook. Stones began to fall, and the cliffs on either side toppled over and collapsed, blocking the gorge, and killing those trying to haul the last carts through the gap. The troopers round Daphne and Mirren stared, their mouths open.
‘Get into lines!’ Daphne cried. ‘Shields up.’
The troopers began to obey, moving into a rough line, their backs to the blocked gorge. As the Emperor grew closer, he lifted his finger at a trooper, and his head disintegrated in a flash of red. Daphne felt Mirren grab her arm, her face a mask of terror.
I see you, Holdfast. And you, faithless queen.
Daphne turned, staring as the troopers of the rear guard began to fall to the flicks of the Emperor’s finger. He was only fifty yards away, scanning the crowd, looking for her. He nodded to his soldiers.
The Rahain charged the rear guard, their shields battering into the line of troopers. Daphne darted forwards, her sword arcing through the air, slicing deep into the neck of a soldier. The Rahain pushed the troopers back, overwhelming them with their greater numbers. Daphne and a handful of troopers were forced to their left, as the Emperor strode forwards, striking down any Holdings close to him.
Daphne looked over her shoulder. Between the jutting edges of the cliff was a deep, narrow ravine, and as the Rahain pushed forwards, troopers began to fall down into it, screaming. She glanced over the edge. It was a fifty foot drop, with a dark stream tumbling at the bottom. With her feet braced half a yard from the lip of the ravine, Daphne lunged out with her sword, killing another soldier, her small group of troopers protecting her with their shields.
The Emperor swept his arm to the side, and around where Mirren stood a dozen troopers fell, blood exploding from their eye sockets. The rest of her guard dropped to their knees and threw down their weapons. The queen stood among them, her head lifted, but her eyes hollow in defeat.
As Daphne swung her sword down again, she felt the Emperor in her head.
It’s over, Daphne. I don’t want to kill you. Surrender, and you shall be the mightiest mage in my service, and will stand at my right hand.
The Magelands Box Set Page 180