I sighed, exasperated. “It might be worth it, rather than lose part of your body forever. They don’t grow back, you know.”
“I know. The hair in my nose keeps growing back no matter how much I trim it, but lose an arm or leg, or even a finger, and it’s gone forever. What a glorious thing, the human body.”
I snorted. “When did you become so macho? You’re worse than the infantrymen I used to treat on the battlefield.”
“Nothing macho about common sense. What’s gone is gone. I needed that finger like a pig needs a saddle. How are you? Anything broken?”
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, searching my body for damage. The sight didn’t come as easy as it had when I was young. It didn’t help that I was out of focus, still reeling from the crash. I took note of several large bruises around my chest and some swelling around my leg, but nothing appeared broken. I took a deep breath and felt pain in my ribs. Again, nothing broken, but lots of bruising.
“I think I’m okay. Where are we?”
“Southwest of Silverspire. The ocean is just beyond the ridge.”
I envisioned it in my mind, trying to map it out. We had encountered the dragon ship just south of Silverspire. I’d pulled the plane to the west during the accident, but then the spin… there was no telling where exactly we had landed.
I pushed myself up again. My body groaned, but at least I didn’t seem to be in danger of passing out this time. I reached out to Robie and he helped me get to my feet. He bent over to retrieve his cloak, which I realized he’d placed under my head as a pillow.
“Are you cold?” he said, offering it to me.
“I’m fine.” It was chivalrous of him, helping me like that, but for some reason it made me angry. I wasn’t used to needing help. I didn’t want help. I scraped off the pine needles and threw my gaze around the area, trying to orient myself. Robie watched me quietly.
I cautiously climbed the hill behind us to get a look at the coast. I moved slowly, making sure not to further injure myself. My body cried out with a dull thudding pain that reverberated up and down my spine with each step. Thankfully, my muscles loosened up quickly as I climbed. The bruises would take time to heal, but at least I was mobile. I had to keep moving. I could rest later.
I crested the hill and threw my gaze to the south and west. The ocean roared as the surf broke against the rocky beaches. I turned slowly to the north, and saw only treetops and mist. I knew Silverspire was there, hidden somewhere in that dense fog, but so were the dragon ships.
“Did you see how many ships they had?” I said.
Robie shook his head. “I just saw the one we crashed into, but there are more.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because it’s what they do,” he said. “They hit the capital with several dozen ships at once. Why would they hit Silverspire with just one?”
I considered that. He was right, of course. “Their army must be huge,” he continued. “Their ships are huge and we already know that they have dozens of them, maybe even hundreds.”
It was clear that the invaders had come seeking no treaty, no peace accord. They had already killed King Ryshan and his family. This was an act of pure aggression. They had come to destroy us. It was maddening. I couldn’t see their motivation yet. I didn’t understand why they had come, or what they wanted.
“They’re very good at what they do,” I mused. “They strike quickly, without warning. They overwhelm a city before anyone can even react. That’s what they did at Avenston, and that looks like what they did here as well.”
Even as I spoke, it occurred to me that I had family in Silverspire. The queen of the Tal’mar was my grandmother. My mother was the princess, the first in line to inherit the throne. My heart sank as I realized what must have happened to them.
Robie seemed to sense my thoughts. “They hit the palace first in Avenston. They went straight for the royal family.” He put his hand comfortingly on my shoulder. I knew what he was thinking. In all probability, my mother was dead.
I pulled away. “Let’s go,” I said.
Robie stood watching me, contemplating as I walked down the hill under the canopy of trees. He probably wanted to tell me that it was insane to go into the city, that my family couldn’t possibly be alive. I knew this, of course, but I had to see it for myself. We’d arrived too late to warn them, but maybe there was still time to save them. I wasn’t ready to give up hope yet.
Over the rough and untamed landscape, it took nearly an hour to reach the walls of the city. Our injuries, though minor, did nothing to aid the speed of our travel. It must have been close to midnight when we slipped through the woods outside the city wall and located a tree tall enough to get us inside.
As I leapt into the branches and made for the top of the wall, I nearly forgot Robie was standing on the ground below. I glanced down and saw him gazing up at me expectantly. The impatience on his face was clear. Despite his size and strength, it was beyond Robie’s ability to leap into the branches the way that I had. The trees bend for me, they reach to gather me up like a mother cradling a babe in her arms. Moving through the trees is second nature to Tal’mar. Not so for humans. For Robie, the branches were too far out of reach and the tree trunk too smooth to climb.
I leaned down, dangling by one arm with my legs wrapped around a thick limb, and offered him my hand. He looked skeptical, but he accepted my reach. He jumped and I pulled him forward, bringing him within reach of the lower branches. His boots found a niche and his arms went around the tree limb. He grunted noisily, hoisting himself up over the top. I put my finger to my lips and glared at him. The noises he’d made were small, subdued, but may as well have been a gunfire among the Tal’mar. Any elf within a mile would have known we were there. I could only hope the invaders didn’t possess Tal’mar senses.
I made my way back to the wall, carefully choosing the stoutest branches to walk across, so that they could support Robie’s weight. He followed me as quietly as he could manage, but I found myself wishing I’d left him back at the crash site. At last, we settled on top of the broad stone wall and huddled among the branches, staring out across the city. The heavy fog obscured our vision, but the sky was bright with the color of bonfires and burning buildings.
We caught glimpses here and there of the tall foreigners leading groups of Tal’mar citizens around in shackles, but they were distant and obscured by fog. We couldn’t tell much about them, other than their size. Thankfully, we didn’t see any of the executions that Becca had described in Avenston.
I put my finger to my lips, reminding Robie that silence was imperative. I led the way along the wall to a tight corner, where I knew he would easily be able to climb to the ground. As he started making his way down, I slipped down the face of the wall and waited patiently for him at the bottom. When his boots touched the ground, he stepped back and looked up, expecting to see me at the top. I tapped him on the shoulder and he jumped back, reaching for his sword. I couldn’t help smiling even though he was as noisy as a heard of stampeding cattle.
“Don’t do that!” he whispered angrily. I shushed him, and then slid into the shadows.
It wasn’t long before we got a good look at the invaders. Slipping through the dark alleys and back streets, we made our way through the outskirts of the city. On the main streets, we hid out of sight as patrols of invaders passed us by. Even Robie wondered at the invaders’ massive size. They weren’t as tall as the giant Kanters, but these were men, not giants. As far as I could tell they were human, but they were massive. They had arms and legs like tree trunks, bulging with muscles.
They had light skin, even lighter than the humans of Avenston, and many of them were decorated with tattoos. They were dressed mostly in furs and wore jewelry made from animal bones and beads. They wore swords and axes slung over their broad shoulders. Many of these weapons were taller than I was. Most of the invaders wore their beards and hair long, and some of them wore it braided. I noted that many of the
m had blonde or red hair. Features like that were rare among the humans of Astatia. Redheads were nearly unheard of. Among the invaders, these features appeared to be quite common.
Robie and I avoided these patrols entirely as I guided him through the back allies and dark streets of Silverspire, making my way towards the palace. I had an advantage over him, having spent much time in the city while visiting my family and learning about my mother’s culture. For Robie, the place was little more than a maze.
At one point, I heard an approaching patrol and we stepped through the broken-down doorway of a winemaker’s shop. We watched in silence from the shadows as a handful of the invaders marched down the street, their eyes scanning the shadows and alleys for Tal’mar who might have evaded them. As they passed, I felt Robie’s touch on my shoulder. He motioned for me to follow, and then led me across the room, to a large window.
From this vantage, we were able to see the ruins of the palace. Silverspire was so named because of the smooth, silvery polish on the palace towers that reflect light almost like a mirror. The silvery walls of the towers lay scattered about the ground now, reflecting firelight back into the sky. The walls of the palace were in a shambles, little more than ruins left standing amidst the rubble. I pulled back, unable to look any longer, my stomach churning.
“What now?” Robie whispered.
I shook my head, staring at the floor. “We have to do something.”
“Do what?” he said. “We’re outnumbered by hundreds, maybe even thousands. Those… creatures are everywhere. We’d be lucky to fight one of them, much less an entire army!”
“I understand that,” I said. “I know we can’t fight them. I can’t just leave, though.”
“Breeze, what are you saying? There’s nothing here to fight for. We can’t help these people. They’re Tal’mar, let them fight their own battles.”
I shot him an angry glare. “I’m Tal’mar, Robie. Do you forget so quickly?”
“Of course not, but what allegiance do you have to these people? Breeze, your family is gone. They’re dead.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “They may be that,” I said, “but these are still my people. They may not look like you or live like you, but does that mean you will let them suffer and die?”
He looked away shamefully. “Of course not. But there’s nothing we can do, Breeze. Maybe if we could raise an army, we could come back-”
“Raise an army?” I said. “Where? Riverfork? Anora? What do you think is left of those cities? Who do you think will be able to fight?”
He turned away from me and walked to the counter. He stared at the rows of wine bottles on the wall. “All right,” he said. “If that’s what you want, then we’ll stay here long enough to find out what’s what. We’ll help, if we can. Otherwise, we make for the bridge and try to get to the mainland while we still have a chance. Will you agree to that?”
I nodded. “Of course. But you must agree to one thing first.”
“What’s that?”
“Wait for me here.”
He narrowed his eyebrows. “What are you talking about? I’m not letting you go out there alone.”
“Trust me,” I said. “I can move more quickly and quietly on my own. I’ll scout out the city and find out what’s happening to the captives. I’ll try to find the queen, if she’s still alive. Give me an hour.”
“No,” he said. “I won’t do it. I won’t let you go out there alone, not with those creatures out there.”
I stepped close, staring up into his face. He looked away angrily. I took his hand in mine, pleading with my eyes. “Robie, don’t take this the wrong way, but if you go with me, you’ll get us both killed. I know you’re strong. I trust you, I honestly do, but to the Tal’mar your heavy weapons and clothing sound like the rumble of thunder when you walk down the street. I can move through the city like a shadow. The invaders won’t even guess I’m here. For a little while, you must trust me.”
That was enough to convince him. He sighed heavily. “I will be here,” he said. “One hour. No more.”
“Agreed.”
Chapter 4
I was certain that Robie would be safe in the wine shop, at least for the time being. The invaders were everywhere but the pillaging wouldn’t begin in earnest until daylight. By then, I planned to be long gone.
I slipped back outside and made my way towards the palace grounds, stopping several times to let the patrols pass by. I melted into the shadows. Often, the tall foreigners passed by so close that I could have reached out and slid a dagger across their throats before they even noticed. They never even suspected that I was there. It was probably in my own best interest that I had no weapons, otherwise I might have been foolish enough to try.
I quickly made it to the palace courtyard and skirted through the rubble, making my way into the building. There was nothing to see here, or perhaps I should say there was nothing I wanted to see. The place had been decimated. It was little more than a giant smoking crater. The crumbling stone walls were black and scorched, the charred furniture smashed and covered in ash. Passages between various sections of the palace were blocked by massive heaps of rubble and collapsed walls.
I saw a few Tal’mar bodies here and there among the rubble, but they had been burned beyond recognition. Those who had been in the palace during the attack must have died almost instantly. Those outside may have made an escape, but most of them probably ran straight into the waiting patrols. That explained how the invaders managed to capture so many citizens and clear the city so quickly. I shook my head, wondering again at the efficiency of our new enemies, and my heart sank into deep despair. I knew then that our losses had just begun. We were like children against this enemy. We were infants screaming in futility against the night, and they were hungry wolves ready to pounce.
I left the area, my heart heavy with grief.
Outside the palace walls, I took a few minutes to pull myself together. I grappled with mourning and loss, and with fear of this terrifying new enemy. I knew now that my Tal’mar family had died. My mother, my grandmother, even the many friends I had made during my visits to the city. If any of them survived, then they had already been taken as prisoners.
Desperately reaching for hope, I convinced myself that there was a chance I could rescue some of the captured Tal’mar. If they had been taken as prisoners, then possibly they could escape. And if these invaders carried weapons, then that meant they could bleed and die like the rest of us. I made that my goal, to save what prisoners I could and take them somewhere safe, possibly into the northern wastes or deep into the Blackrock Mountains.
With a renewed sense of focus, I pressed on. It didn’t take long to find the invaders leading a group of captured Tal’mar through the city. I followed them, slipping silently from shadow to shadow as they exited the gates and marched into the surrounding woods. They led the captives to a broad, grassy clearing southeast of the city, where they had clear-cut dozens of trees to widen a landing area for one of their massive ships. I watched from the safety of the surrounding woods as they guided their prisoners up a ramp and disappeared inside the enormous vessel.
I moved closer, edging along the trees, ducking under the fallen logs, straining for a closer look. The behemoth ship rose up before me, almost lifelike in shape and movement. The dragon’s head was frighteningly realistic, with shining black scales carved into its throat and red eyes that glistened with the moisture of condensation. I could see from my vantage that the creature’s mouth was open and that the ship’s designers had mounted some sort of cannon inside the opening. I wondered if that was the weapon they had used to destroy the palace. Then, on closer inspection, I realized that guns and cannon ports lined the sides of the ship as well. This may have been a cargo vessel, but it was armed to the teeth.
Up on the main deck, thick black smoke churned out of the furnaces, drifting up to vanish in the night sky. The flickering light of the fires cast dancing shadows on the surface of
the great black balloon that held the ship aloft. The propellers near the aft section idled slowly, temporarily disengaged from their drive shafts.
Giant black sails billowed in the wind high overhead as the vessel drifted slowly back and forth, tugging gently against its chains like a living creature testing the bonds of captivity. I noted the movement and saw that massive balloon up above strained to pull the stakes from the ground and launch the ship heavenward, but the restraints held firmly in place. The ship, caught in the middle, could only creak and moan in distress. The wooden hull groaned with every gust of wind.
I scanned the area, taking note of the guards and soldiers on patrol. I couldn’t even count them as they stomped in and out of the ship, some of them going back into the city, others heading out to patrol the woods. They seemed beyond number. How many more ships did they have like this, I wondered. How many more soldiers? It seemed that an entire nation had invaded us in one night.
I was about to leave when a rustle in the branches nearby caused the hairs on the back of my neck to rise. I snapped my head around and stared, trying to find focus in the darkness. Gradually, my eyes adjusted and a cool purple light became visible in the branches just ahead. I could tell by the size that it was one of the Tal’mar. I scanned the trees around the clearing, but I didn’t see any others. He appeared to be alone.
The Tal’mar crept noiselessly forward and looked down at me as he reached the end of the branch. He seemed to be about my age, with dark green hair and riveting violet eyes. His skin was pale and flawless like all of his kind, and he was dressed in woodland clothes with a deep green hooded cloak. He wore an elven bow across his chest and a quiver full of arrows hung from his shoulder.
He tilted his head sideways, pressing a finger to his lips, and smiled at me. “You’re as clumsy as a human,” he said in a whisper.
Tinker's War (The Tinkerer's Daughter Book 2) Page 3