“Come in, come in,” his father said, and Terian had the door open before he’d finished speaking. Amenon looked up at him as he entered. “Glad you’re back from your … errand. All is well, I take it?”
“If you define well to include the shedding of former allies in roughly the same way a dog sheds water after a dousing, then yes—all is well.”
Amenon stared at him, and then curled the side of his mouth. “She did not wish to attach her carriage to your horse, then?”
Terian stared evenly at him. “To put it mildly. But I don’t consider it much of a loss.”
“Yet I suspect it stings all the same,” Amenon said with a quick nod, “but no matter. We have, at this very moment, a way to take our first step back to grace.”
Terian paused, considering his reply. Please, don’t let this be some madness afflicting him. “How?”
Amenon picked up a long page of parchment. “This … is a mission from the Sovereign for our band.”
Terian nodded, staring at the page. “Our band is down by two at present. And Xemlinan has been of little use lately.”
“No matter,” Amenon said, shaking his head, “because this is a mission that we could handle between just the two of us.”
Terian waited for the other boot to drop. “The particulars?”
Amenon shifted in his chair, pushing it back from the desk. “You recall our friend Sert Engoch?”
Engoch? “That poor bastard I scared the living hell out of in your torture chamber?”
“The very same,” Amenon said, pacing around his desk with the enthusiasm of a much younger man. “You recall the name of the town that he made mention of?”
“Aurastra,” Terian said. “Dwarven town. Kind of isolated—”
“Correct,” Amenon said, eyes shifting wildly. “The Sovereign has asked us to deal with a matter in Aurastra. There is a mine that has been excavated. Something was found within it that has the Sovereign concerned.”
Terian listened without speaking. If this something has the God of Darkness concerned, it’s probably worth worrying about.
“He has assigned the task of carrying a barrel of some elven creation called Dragon’s Breath to the mine,” Amenon said, “where we are to light it where it will explode and seal the mine shut, thus preventing any further excavation.”
“Won’t they just be able to dig it out again?” Terian asked.
“Apparently not,” Amenon said, almost dismissively. “Something about destabilizing the tunnel and thus keeping it from being dug out—I confess I don’t fully understand the details, but the Sovereign is set upon this. His message addresses this mission in the most strident tones.” He waved the paper. “It is written in his own hand! He has trusted this to us, and we must carry it out immediately.”
“All right,” Terian said, feeling almost like he was conceding to it rather than hurrying to carry out the Sovereign’s orders. “I’ll assemble the team.”
“With haste, Terian,” Amenon said, a thin smile splitting his face. “With haste. This … it could be our chance to rise again.”
Terian smiled, but faintly. “We won’t fail, Father.” He turned to leave, but a thought cut through him as he did so. Unless Shrawn has planned for us to … and then, based on your current disposition, we’ll likely charge blindly into it … and end ourselves in the process.
Chapter 53
The light of the teleport faded to reveal snow-capped peaks on all sides. The wind howled around them and the bright light of a winter sun shone down blindingly. Terian flinched from the light, brighter than anything he’d seen in weeks.
“It takes adjusting,” Amenon said. He wore a dark cloak over his armor, bound tightly around his shoulders. “After acclimating to being underground again.”
“Aye,” Terian said in simple acknowledgment and pulled his own cloak tighter around his shoulders. He had a very fine one that tucked under his pauldrons to keep from shredding on his spikes.
“A brisk day,” Grinnd said with a smile. Terian cast a look at the big warrior. He’d strip down to bare chested and roll in the snow if we let him, the crazy bastard. Terian’s eyes alighted on the heavy barrel that was strapped to Grinnd’s back. But not today. Not with that on his back.
“It’d be nice to have Verret with us for this one,” Xemlinan said, shielding his eyes from the sun. Green pines stretched toward the heavens a little ways off from the portal, but not nearly close enough to shade them. Snow covered the branches and boughs in thick clumps like fluffy tufts of white cotton brought down from the slave fields. “He was always better in the open air than I.”
“We have Bowe to aid us,” Amenon said, brusque, all business—like he’s returned to form, Terian thought. Their feet already hovered above the snow, the result of the Falcon’s Essence spell that had been cast upon them before they had even left Saekaj. “We must leave no sign that we were here.” He looked around the circle of them. “Clear?”
“It sounds as though it is just another mission in that regard,” Dahveed said, eyes dancing in the sunlight. He had his robes wrapped tightly around him and another cloak for protection from the elements. “Always in the shadows, we dark elves.”
“Aurastra is a day’s hike in this direction,” Terian said, staring at the morning sun overhead. He pointed northwest.
“The Sovereign’s will waits for no man,” Amenon said abruptly. “Let us be on about it. Bowe, keep us in the air.” Without waiting for acknowledgment, he was off.
They headed off over a nearby peak, treading up impossible cliff faces and threading their way through thick forests by brushing between tree branches. Terian heard countless pine needles scratch lightly against his armor as they walked twenty feet off the ground through snow-covered pines. They kept silent, the exertion of their legs and the gravity of their mission quieting them. Even Dahveed did not seem predisposed toward conversation, preferring to keep his hands inside his robes as he walked along in line with the others.
The sun crawled across the sky as they made their way over the ground, far from any road. The scent of pine was heavy in the air, along with the brisk smell of the mountain wind. A creek burbled nearby, and they followed it for some time, the chorus of the waters playing along with the thoughts that ran through Terian’s mind.
I live in a land of horror, where slaves are kept and no man is free. Where the Sovereign rules all and does so with an unbreakable fist. Our own god smiles down upon us from the palace, and he is a merciless enemy when opposed, yet for some reason he likes me. Me, of all people. Probably hints he’s not a great judge of character.
A branch whipped toward him, released from where it had caught on Grinnd’s barrel, and Terian drew his axe in time to catch it on the blade. It splintered and broke, the remainder of it whipping past him. The end scraped his helm before it fell, down to the snowy ground below. And then there’s Sareea …
I should not have expected loyalty from her, not in return for the minor rewards of position my family gave her. He sighed. Kahlee, on the other hand … The sun seemed blinding overhead. I live in a land where mistresses are strangely venerated, and exchange is expected in return for keeping one. Well, I kept one, and she was the first dark knight of her kind. Why am I surprised when she stabbed me while I was down? I should consider myself lucky she didn’t spill my little secret …
He cursed under his breath, drawing a look of amusement from Dahveed. “It’s not that bad of a walk,” the healer said.
“I didn’t say it was,” Terian replied. I was foolish to expose myself in that way. Foolish to even consider letting myself not do the hard things, the necessary things. Sareea was right. I’m not playing this game in a way that will enable me to win, and if I’m not going to do that, I should damned sure quit before I get myself and my family killed.
“Down there,” Amenon called as they reached a peak. The air was thin, and Terian felt himself fighting harder for breath. He looked do
wn into a valley below. Snow covered it, rocks and trees breaking the white monotony with faint strains of grey and green.
A village rested in the center of the valley, snow-covered huts and buildings introducing lines of brown barely visible under the snow. Chimney smoke wafted upward in columns and clouds, breaking the fading light of day and the distant horizon.
“How far down do you reckon that town is?” Xem asked. He was huffing now that they’d stopped, gasping for breath.
“A good hour’s hike,” Amenon said, looking up at the orange sun dipping behind the peaks across the valley. “Enough time for the sun to set and conceal our purpose.”
“As much as I like the darkness,” Terian said, “we do need to find the mine that we’re supposed to destroy. Any idea where it is, exactly?”
“On the far side of the valley,” Amenon replied, and pulled a crumpled piece of parchment from under his cloak. “The dwarves burrowed under that peak looking for gems and metals, and they found something … else.” He stopped suddenly, as though he’d thought the better of what he was going to say. “Let us go.” He started down the mountain, following the slope but closer to the ground this time.
What did they find, Father? Terian wondered. What could possibly worry the Sovereign so? He watched the team get ahead of him, Xem falling into line last of all, leaving Terian at the rear, still up on the peak.
What does a god have cause to fear?
Chapter 54
The darkness was nearly as complete as any day in Saekaj or Sovar. The sun had retreated below the horizon long before Terian and the others had reached the bottom of the valley, and now the sky was deep purple and heading toward blackest night. The village was nestled quietly before them, no sign of activity within its borders. The smell of dinner was heavy in the wind, the scent of some animal roasting on a fire wafting through the cold, crisp mountain air.
“Keep to the shadows,” Amenon whispered, so quietly that Terian barely heard him at the back of the line. They were moving slowly now, hovering only inches off the snow. “We need to cross the main thoroughfare unseen.”
“Might want to wait until darkness has finished settling,” Dahveed suggested. “It shouldn’t be more than an hour or so.”
Terian could see the gears turning in his father’s mind. “An hour’s wait to remain undiscovered is not … unreasonable,” Amenon said.
They settled in quietly, staring at the edge of the village through the pines. The mountain loomed above, watching quietly over them. Terian stared into the dark, trying to see through the gaps in the houses. Snow drifted from the trees above, falling here and there in drifts blown by the wind. Terian felt the cold wind finding the gaps in his helm and chilling his cheeks.
Dogs barked in the distance, faint yelps here and there in the village, falling silent every now and again. The whole place was still save for the whipping of the wind and clouds of smoke piping from the chimneys.
Once the night had claimed the land for its own, Amenon rose from where they had waited. “Come along,” he whispered, his voice hushed as they moved forward out of a thicket that had frosted over in the winter.
The squeak of a hinge caused Terian to freeze as though he’d had snow dumped down the back of his armor. He hesitated only a moment before snaking behind a tree, pressing his armor against the bark. He watched Grinnd do the same against a nearby pine while Dahveed went prone, finding cover behind a bush. Bowe had disappeared, as had Amenon. An invisibility spell. But where’s—
Terian saw movement to his side and craned his neck around the tree to see Xemlinan caught in the open, frozen in the middle of the snowy ground, his black silk clothing obvious against the white background.
A dwarf came around the corner of the nearest house, whistling lightly to himself as he trudged down into the snow. It came to his waist, and he trod a path that had already been partially cleared. The crunch of his footfalls was the only noise in the night save for a barking dog, and his sure steps carried him toward where Xem waited.
The dwarf’s head was down as he walked, oblivious to the dark elf just in front of him. Terian could see Xem’s eyes wide, and his head turned slowly, as though it were stuck. He can’t move now or he’ll be heard and seen, but if he stays still there, he’ll be seen in a matter of moments—
Terian looked to the ground just below him for a stone, a stick, something to throw as a distraction. I have to get Xem out of there before the fool makes obvious our presence—
He felt a jarring sensation down his spine as his muscles straightened. He’s trying to get us caught. Because …
Because …
Shrawn.
Terian felt the icy clutch of fear and turned his gaze back to Xemlinan, who waited, his hand on his dagger. Terian saw his muscles twitch, and he started to cast a spell, then stopped himself. What if he’s just a fool caught in the middle of a daft moment?
The dwarf had come close enough now to be within inches of Xem, and Terian held his breath. I’m not like the others. I can’t lash out blindly at a friend just because I’ve been betrayed before, or else the Sovereign and Shrawn win. Xem has been loyal. Xem is not a fool. He is indebted to my father—
He is—
The dwarf paused in his shuffle, and Terian could see the dim awareness on his face that something was wrong, that something was lingering in front of him. Are his eyes weak? Dwarves can see in the dark, can’t they?
Can he see Xem?
The dwarf said nothing for a long moment, staring into the dark, his jawline twitching as he squinted. He doesn’t know what he’s seeing? Maybe he sees something but can’t figure out what it is?
Xemlinan was mere feet away, and Terian found his breath caught in his throat. Don’t move, Xem.
Terian clenched his jaw as the dwarf leaned forward slightly. Don’t move. Just … don’t … move.
There was a long pause and a desperate silence. The dwarf seemed to pull away slightly, his face slackening.
And then there was a flash as Xemlinan drew his dagger and struck at the dwarf. The dwarf recoiled at the sudden motion and threw up a hand. The blade caught him across the palm on a thick leather glove, and he cried out in pain as he stumbled.
Xem moved toward him, pursuing the kill, but it was too late. The dwarf shouted into the air, loud enough to call for oblivion.
“DARK ELVES! DARK ELVES IN THE VILLAGE! DARK ELV—”
The slash of Xemlinan’s dagger across the dwarf’s neck ended the cry. A rattle of doors and the sound of alarms being raised across the village echoed through the valley. Cries of “Dark elves!” rang forth with the thunder of boots and the clatter of weapons.
“We’re buggered,” Grinnd said, hoisting his sword and snugging the barrel closer to his back. “They’ll be coming, now.”
“Time to fly,” Terian said, turning to look at Bowe. “Get us out here.”
“Hold,” Amenon said, and the wind kicked up a bitter gust that found every crack in Terian’s armor. “We shall not fail.”
“We were supposed to complete the mission and escape unseen,” Terian said, gesturing with his arm toward the village. “There are a hundred dwarves heading toward us at the moment that will make that nigh impossible.”
Amenon unsheathed his blade, and the glow of the red in the night caused the chill to seep into Terian’s bones. Surely he doesn’t mean to—
Amenon turned toward the town, eyes narrow and cold, his blade clutched tight in his hand. “We kill them all.”
“Father, this is a town of dwarves—women, children.” He extended his hand outward. “We can’t just—”
“We can.” Amenon’s voice was heavy and hard like steel. “We will. Make ready for our foes as they come to us.” His words came steady and sure like the way he had been before, but there was a cold and furious edge that Terian had not heard since the night he had ordered Sareea Scyros to cut his own son’s throat. “And we will leave none alive.”<
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Chapter 55
This is madness. The thought echoed over and over in Terian’s head as he dropped the axe blade again and again. A dwarf caught it in the middle of his skull and the bone was split open, dashed out in streaks of red on the snow. The smell of it sickened him, but he controlled his stomach’s urge to empty its contents and buried his axe into the chest of a dwarf coming at him from the side with a pitchfork.
“They’re breaking!” Grinnd’s shout echoed over them, crackling against the peaks that surrounded the valley. He let out a mighty bellow that sounded over the field of battle and then cleaved a dwarf in half with a blow from his sword that would have split a log in two.
Terian felt something sharp at his back, the screaming pain of a hatchet hitting his armor and slipping into the crack at his waist. He wanted to scream but controlled it into a grimace then spoke words under his breath while pointing his hand at the red-haired, red-bearded dwarf who had sunk the wood cutter into him. He tore a scream from the dwarf’s throat, a bloody scream that caused the man to fall in pain, blood seeping out of his side onto the snow.
“Not so much fun when someone turns your own harm back upon you, is it?” Terian asked, tasting blood from what the dwarf had done to him. He knew if he checked under his armor, the wound would be healed, flawless skin peeking from beneath the broken chain main. The blood remained, however, as did the phantom sensation of pain.
“You’re all making this far too easy on me,” Dahveed said calmly from behind them. “I never truly get a chance to exercise my skill when I’m with you.”
Terian turned his head slightly to see the healer with a long, thin-bladed short sword in his hand. There was only the body of a single dwarf at his feet, and he sighed as he looked down at it. “Looks like you’re practicing one of your skills,” Terian said.
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