Kara finally got to her feet and stood alongside them, sensing their fear as she held her shield against the coming onslaught. A line of Sunset soldiers raced toward them, screaming at the top of their lungs, looking like savages in their fury.
There were too many to fight. Kara's entire body trembled, and the sword and shield felt useless in her hands. She was going to die.
But then the world brightened around her, glowing orange and yellow. The trackers stood alongside her, sending magic at the Sunset Army. Waves of fire swept across the rocky terrain, and bursts of lightning crackled in the air. When the spells hit the line of soldiers, they fell back, shrieking in pain. But some of them kept coming.
Screams came from all around. People were shouting. Horses galloped across the rocky battlefield. Unable to keep track of everything, Kara could only worry about engaging the enemies closest to her.
A few men broke free from the line of soldiers that had fallen to the trackers' magic. Before Kara knew it, she was rushing forward to battle one of them. He charged toward her, swinging wildly. She deflected the blow with her shield, then plunged her sword through his chest. He let out a pitiful whimper before falling to the ground and clutching his chest.
There was no time to dwell on the man she'd killed. Another pair of soldiers was storming toward her. She engaged one, and someone else took the other. This man was not as wild. He thrust his sword at Kara, nearly getting it past her iron shield.
She retaliated with a few quick swings of her own, gauging her opponent's strengths and weaknesses. As she watched him, she noted that he looked maybe fifteen or sixteen years old. He was just a boy. Could she kill someone so young?
A painful blow against her shield reminded her of the urgency of the situation. No matter how young this soldier was, she had to kill him, had to save her own life.
She attacked, retreated, attacked again. At last, the young man stumbled over a protruding rock. Kara stabbed him through the chest before she could second-guess herself.
Once again, there was no time to dwell on the death. The battle continued. She swung at anyone wearing the orange of the Sunset Army, and there were far more of them than she could see of her own side. A soldier raced toward her on a horse. This time, the horse collided with her. She felt sharp pain in her chest. A cracked rib.
The impact knocked the breath out of her, and she lay on the ground, sure she was going to die. But then the mounted soldier moved on to someone else. Kara tried to stand, but pain flared across her chest, and she collapsed, feeling so dizzy she thought she'd pass out.
She looked at her body. Blood was flowing from her chest. It also covered her arms and legs. She had no idea how much was hers, or how severe her injuries were. The world felt suddenly cold, and her thoughts became scattered.
Was this how it felt to die?
She had no idea how long she lay there, listening to the sounds of battle, feeling the rumble of fighting through the rocky ground. Over time, the sounds faded, and the chaos died down, and still she lay there, blood flowing from her chest. She was so cold, so weak.
Through blurry vision, she made out her surroundings. She didn't see any of her allies. Every person near her wore orange. They were now checking the battlefield, probably looking for people still alive like her. Could she fool them into thinking she was dead?
Then again, that didn't seem like much of an act. Surely she was about to die. She'd lost too much blood.
The orange-clad soldiers moved closer, nudging the still forms of the wounded or dead. At least some of the Sunset soldiers were also among the dead. Kara tried to find the faces of anybody she knew, but she could barely keep her eyes open.
She knew one thing, however. They had lost.
The soldiers' voices drifted closer, but she barely heard them. When a soldier nudged her in the side with his boot, she didn't even have the energy to groan. That probably saved her life, for after a moment, the soldier moved on.
It wouldn't be long now. She could feel her life slipping away, and though she wanted to believe God was out there, she feared death more than anything. Through all her pain, she could think only of how she'd never see Nadia again.
Kara let her eyes close, secure in the belief she'd never open them.
Chapter 8: The Mountain Passage
Kara woke to the feel of firm hands against her chest. She blinked a few times as the world came into focus. A dark-haired woman hovered above her, eyes closed, a look of deep concentration on her face.
It took Kara a moment to recognize her. "Alia, is that you?"
Alia pulled away. "Good. You're awake. I was worried for a while."
"What happened?" Kara tried to sit up, but her body felt stiff and sore, so she lay back down. "I'm guessing we lost the battle."
"There was never any question," Aren said, sitting on the rocky ground a few feet away. "We wouldn't have lost so many people if we'd surrendered."
Sitting to Aren's left, Lena shook her head. "I don't care how many we lost."
Aren narrowed his eyes. "There were innocent people, Lena. Most of them had no clue about how to fight. They've been sheltered behind the wards their whole lives. You and the mayor should not have put them in such danger. I'm disappointed in you, Lena."
"I did what I thought was right. You have no right to judge me based on what happened."
"But you had to know we'd lose," Aren said. "You're not stupid."
Lena looked away. Despite her bold words, Kara could see the guilt on her face.
Alia remained at Kara's side. "How're you feeling, Kara?"
Kara tried to sit up, and her body obeyed this time, though she still felt sore. She pressed a hand to her tender chest, felt the dried blood coating her clothes. In all, she looked like she should be dead. Nadia had always said Kara was the beautiful one, but no one would have found her beautiful now.
"I'm feeling a little better." Kara tested her range of movement, still sitting. "But how'd you find me on the battlefield? How'd you know I was still alive? For that matter, how did you all survive?"
She didn't see any of the other trackers. The only other person with them wore the gray uniform of a Millersville town guard. He had a short beard and looked maybe ten years older than Kara.
"I'm Devin," he said. "The five of us are all that's left."
Aren leaned toward Kara. "When the mayor knew the battle would be lost, he told us to save our own lives so we could warn Sierra City of the approaching army. We argued at first, but even Lena knew it was the right thing to do. After the army left the city, we came back to look for you. We figured you were dead, but then we found you clinging to life."
"And then Alia healed me," Kara said. "Again."
Aren chuckled. "You really should stop making a habit of getting seriously injured."
"I never had that problem before I came here."
"Must be a nice world you live in," Lena said.
Kara stifled a bitter laugh. "That's not the word I'd use to describe it. It might be a better place than here, but that doesn't mean it's a good place to live." She finally got to her feet. Her legs wavered, but then she steadied her balance. "Why'd you come back for me?"
"I feel responsible for you," Aren said. "I hated the thought of you dying in our war. A war you didn't even know about until today."
"What about others?" Kara asked. "Did anyone else survive?"
Aren ran a hand through his dark beard. "There were a few others, but they were in even worse shape than you. They were beyond Alia's talents. You were close to death yourself."
"But won't you be delayed in reaching Sierra City because of me?" she asked.
"That's a risk we're willing to take," Aren said. He stepped to her side and put a hand on her shoulder, his touch warm and comforting. "You feeling good enough to travel?"
"I don't know, but I can't slow you down. I'll try my best."
"We should get moving then," Lena said. "We can't take the main road through the mountains. The S
unset Army is all over it. So we'll have to leave the warded areas." She turned to Kara. "I'm afraid this won't be an easy trek."
"I can do it," Kara said, wishing she felt as sure as her words.
Lena nodded. "Good. Now try not to slow us down."
Aren's hand was still on her shoulder as he whispered in her ear. "Don't worry about Lena. Whenever the Sunset Army's around, she gets like this. She doesn't mean to sound harsh toward you. That's just her way."
"I understand," Kara whispered. Lena reminded her of Nadia, the kind of person who focused on a goal and hated anything that stood in her way. Like Nadia, she didn't mean to put people at a distance, but sometimes it was necessary. There was a good woman beneath the rough exterior.
Their party of five started toward the mountains. As they walked, Kara said, "How can you tell directions in this place?"
Aren pulled a compass from his pocket. "I don't know why compasses work here, but they do. We decided that north must be the direction the compass points. Right now, we're heading what we've called west. You can't see the mountains through all the gloom, but we're close. In a few hours, we should reach them"
"Is there such a thing as night here?" Kara asked.
"No. It doesn't matter what time of day it is. It's always gloomy like this."
"Does it ever rain?"
"A little. But there's also a lot of moisture in the mist. Sorcerers and channelers both draw on this moisture for water spells. That's how we support crops and give people something to drink." Aren sighed deeply. "It's a tough life we live here, but it's the only one we've got."
Kara was beginning to feel weak already. "I don't know how anyone survives here."
"We're stuck here," Aren said. "What choice do we have?"
Kara hated the defeat in his voice, but she supposed she'd feel the same if she'd lived in this place her entire life with no promise of escape. Maybe she hadn't been here long enough to realize the futility of her quest. Once again, she thought of Nadia's quest to kill Warrick.
Why had Kara been so reluctant to share in Nadia's dreams? Nadia deserved a better friend than that, deserved someone who would always support her. Kara wished she could find that kind of support right now, but she knew none of the trackers truly believed she could escape. This sorcerer in Sierra City was anything but a sure bet.
As they neared the mountains, Kara pushed through her weakness. The pain had all but vanished, and though she felt unsteady at times, she refused to slow the party's progress.
They traveled through the shifting mist. At times, they could barely see more than ten feet. Only their compasses kept them on the right path, and Kara shuddered to think what would happen if she got separated from the rest of the party. She had her sword and shield from the battle, but she had no food of her own and no compass.
They reached a place where the ground sloped sharply upward. The trek became more strenuous, and Kara struggled to keep her footing. With every step, she thought she might pass out, but she pushed through it.
"We need to be careful," Aren said. "We've reached the mountains now, and since we're away from the warded road, there are gonna be monsters. There've always been a lot of monsters here in the mountains. Don't know why. That's just how it is."
Kara didn't want to hear about monsters or any other potential complications. Already, sweat was dripping down her forehead despite the chill in the air.
The mountain became steeper, the footing more difficult. Eventually, Kara had to ask them to take a few breaks. Lena gave her stern looks, but the rest of the group seemed relieved to get a few minutes off their feet. They all looked bruised and weary from the battle. Alia hadn't healed them, after all, focusing her attention on Kara instead.
One of the times they rested, they started a small fire with wood from some of the nearby trees, which looked all but dead to Kara. The trackers still had some of the meat they'd taken from the beast that had nearly killed Kara. They roasted the meat over the fire and ate.
The meat was a bit tough, but Kara knew she wouldn't get much better here. As they ate, the mist thinned. They sat high atop a rocky ridge, looking down upon the road to the north. Along that road marched the Sunset Army, their orange uniforms standing out in the gray gloom.
"Let's stay out of view," Aren said.
They lay flat upon the ridge, watching the army march. There were far more troops than the small contingent that had attacked Millersville. Kara had no idea how large Sierra City was, or how strong its defenses were, but this army would surely pose a threat.
"Do you think Sierra City can stand against them?" she whispered to Aren.
"I don't know."
The Sunset Army stretched endlessly. Aren directed the rest of the party away from the ridge. When they started traveling again, they took a path farther to the south. They couldn't risk being seen by the army. At the same time, though, they had to reach Sierra City first.
"How're we going to get there before them?" Kara asked.
"We'll have to travel as fast as we can," Aren said.
The terrain became more uneven, and Kara could have sworn she saw shadows stirring in the mist, especially when it cleared and gave them some visibility. When she pointed this out to Aren, he told her she probably wasn't imagining things.
The mist had thickened again by the next time they stopped to rest. They ate dried meat, and soon Kara's jaw ached. Sounds funneled down from the mountains around them. Rocks shifting. Low growls. A high-pitched shriek. Kara trembled. She hated herself for showing fear, for being so weak, but this horrible place had a way of terrifying her. It felt as if she'd never left Woodsville, as if evil spirits lurked in the mist. Was that such an irrational fear?
She leaned close to Aren. "What's making those sounds?"
"Nothing too bad. We should be all right."
Kara shuddered. How could Aren speak of such terrifying sounds so casually? If those were creatures they could handle, what would happen when they faced the worst this place had to offer? She wished she could have the trackers' confidence, but how could she?
She'd faced nothing but terror since arriving in the Shadowed Land. They'd had their entire lives to grow accustomed to it, and surely many people didn't survive childhood here. Those that did survive had to be resilient. Brave. Strong.
Right now, Kara felt none of those things, and that bothered her more than anything else. She had never been the kind of woman who cowered in difficult situations.
As the party began traveling again, she took deep breaths. What good was her sword against creatures she'd never seen, or even read about?
They traveled through the unchanging day, mist swirling around them, the chill air seeping into Kara's bones. Her legs felt heavy, and her entire body was sore. As they'd walked, her pain had gradually faded, but it remained, serving as a constant reminder of her failures.
The terrain grew more rugged. Soon they could barely make any progress. They rested more and more frequently, and not just for Kara's benefit.
Every time they stopped on a high ridge, they looked down upon the road. The Sunset Army continued marching along. Already, the columns had made more progress than their party. The road was a much easier path.
"We have to move faster," Lena said.
Aren glared at her. "We can't move faster. Not without getting ourselves killed."
"And what's your alternative? If we don't get there first, we can't warn them."
"I might not know a lot about this world," Kara said, "but why are we bothering to warn the city? Even if we make it there in time, can they truly stand against an army this large?" She glanced down at the advancing soldiers, feeling nauseous. "Besides, they must have their own scouts who will spot the army. What we're doing seems foolish, doesn't it?"
Aren ran a hand through his beard. "You make some good points."
Lena was pacing. "But we have to do something. We can't give up."
"Do you really think the five of us can make a difference?" Kara ask
ed. Finally, her mind had calmed down, and her thoughts had returned to their rational nature. "Look. I know how much you want to get revenge on the Sunset Army. If your life has been even half as hard as you say, you're justified in your anger. But is it worth getting yourself killed?"
Kara felt as if she were talking to Nadia again. She'd had these same arguments so many times, hoping to talk Nadia out of her foolishness. It hadn't worked then, but maybe it would now. Anything was better than blindly leaping into another battle.
"You haven't lived my life," Lena said. "You don't understand."
Kara rounded on her. "What? You think I haven't lost people? Well, I have. I've lost my parents. I've lost friends and comrades. One man is responsible for their deaths, and I might think of challenging him with the right preparation, but I would not attack him without thinking it through. He is only one man, but he's powerful like this army. Only a fool charges into battle without thinking." She looked into Lena's eyes. "And I don't think you're a fool."
When Kara finished speaking, she felt a sudden upwelling of tears. For the first time since Crayden's destruction, an event that seemed like a lifetime ago, she realized how much she'd lost. She fell to her knees, feeling as if her grief were a thick blanket smothering her.
Alia moved a step closer. "Are you all right, Kara?"
"I-I’m sorry," Kara said. "I just realized that so many people are dead. It happened so recently, and I've been busy since then. I haven't had time to think about what I lost. Maybe I didn't want to. Maybe I knew I couldn't handle it."
Her tears began to flow, and she lay on the rocky ground, casting aside all her worries about looking weak. No one could remain strong through all this. Not even Lena.
"I'm sorry," Lena said. "I shouldn't have made assumptions about your life. You have to understand that we view your world as paradise. It's easy to forget that mankind has always found ways to make people suffer. We don't need a harsh world like the Shadowed Land for that."
Kara wiped away some of her tears. "Thank you, Lena."
Standing a few feet away, Aren cleared his throat. "I have a confession to make. My purpose for leading us to Sierra City was never to warn them. I knew we couldn't move faster than the army, and I knew we couldn't make much of a difference anyways."
World in Chains- The Complete Series Page 59