by Rosie Scott
“Gather all of your rejects,” Altan teased me. “Planning for Griswald starts tonight.”
*
“Griswald is a mountain city,” Than started, pointing one dark finger at its location on the map of Hammerton that sat on the table. The yellowed parchment appeared to be moving as the nearby sconces cast flickering firelight upon it. “It's set up much like Olympia. It's not as large, though, because the Quakes aren't as grand in scope as the Border Mounts.”
“Griswald is Hammerton's producer of lumber,” I interrupted, my eyes on the map where the forest and Quakes met. “I thought it was a forest city.”
“Well, it is,” Than said, before twisting her lips as she thought. “It's kind of both.”
“Surely we can find someone else who can explain the simple layout of Griswald in better terms,” Kirek spoke up.
Than narrowed her black eyes at the Sentinel. “I can try explaining it in simpler terms for those in the room who aren't so blessed with mental acuity.”
“Explain in whatever terms you need,” Kirek replied. “Just get it done. We have no time for uncertainties.”
“Have you been to Griswald?” Than asked. “Because if you have,” she swooped an arm toward the map, “by all means.”
“I have not,” Kirek said simply.
“Well, I have. So if you'd give me a damn second, maybe you'd learn something.” Than waited for a moment. When Kirek did not respond, Than mumbled a string of frustrated curses before she looked back at me. “Like I said, Griswald's set up like Olympia. Lots of houses, forges, military buildings up in the mountain. They have a Hall of the Dead in the depths of the mountain just like here. The only difference is that there are no plains. At the base here,” she pointed at the edge of the forest, “are lumber camps, homes, taverns, and other such places. The city extends into the forest. It's just different there.”
“Does Griswald have a wall?” Cyrus questioned.
“It does. Two walls, in fact.” Than kept her finger at the edge of the forest and tapped once. “A stone wall at the base of the mountain separating the forest section from the rest, and a wooden wall that extends out around many of the structures in the forest. Not all of them, of course. Most of the lumber camps are spread out in the western forest. It'd be a waste of resources to try to contain everything.”
“How far have you been in Griswald?” I asked her.
“I've been in the lower mines before,” Than told me.
“I'm assuming you used the tunnel from the Quakes to get there.”
“I did.”
“So you had to get into the city from outside both walls,” I surmised. “They can't be that hard to breach.”
“For an assassin like me, no.” Than shrugged. “Griswald is a really hidden, dark city. Like I said, the mountains there aren't huge, so the forest keeps the place perpetually in shadow. The outside of the city is also really claustrophobic. Tight alleyways, lots of places for someone like me to hide.”
“Why is it so claustrophobic?” Altan asked. “From what we've heard, Griswald has a good population of people. If the city's as small as you say, where would they put them all?”
Than flicked her eyes up to the first Sentinel. “Underground.”
“How far underground?” I asked. “Would it be possible to breach it from the tunnels?”
“No,” Than replied. “Trust me, we've tried.” She hesitated and glanced over at Calder. “Do you have a map of the underground?”
“Sure do.” Calder leaned back in his seat to dig a hand into his trouser pocket. He pulled out a map so folded and frayed it was nearly useless and opened it on the table. “Here, love,” he said to me, pointing to a large underground lake. “This is about halfway between Quellden and Demiz. It's a lake that formed from this underground river that runs from the northern Servis. Two of our tunnels run around the lake, but when the thing formed, it created this huge cavern.”
Than nodded. “The dwarves dug through until they hit the roof of the cavern and collapsed part of it into the lake, but the depths of Griswald still hang just above it. If you swim out into this lake underground, you'd be able to look up into Griswald, and some of the dwarves might be able to look down and see you. But as it stands now, there's no way through there.”
“That's...admittedly fascinating,” I decided. “How does part of the city hang over the lake, then?”
“The dwarves have never come across land they couldn't work with,” Than replied. “Underground Griswald was built out of stone and connected by bridges that hang far above the lake. I had a contract once where the target lived there.” The assassin grinned. “The guy traveled across a bridge over the water to and from work every day. Easiest contract I ever completed.” She mimicked a pushing motion and chuckled. “Whoops! Guess he was suicidal. Paid well, too.”
“You Demiz assassins had it easy,” Nyx commented.
“Sometimes,” Than agreed. “I didn't complain.”
Azazel cleared his throat and said, “So I assume infiltrating Griswald in stealth isn't an option here since we'll have to approach from the forest.”
“Right,” Than said. “I think you all should send a few assassins to scout out the place before we march right up to it, but there's no way I know of into that mountain without getting through the gate.”
“Are there any pathways to the city for the giants?” Altan asked. “The forest is too thick for them to walk through.”
“They can go around,” Than suggested, running a finger along the edge of the mountains. “The forest isn't as thick near the mountains, and when I was there last, it looked to me like the dwarves kept it clear of overgrowth for travel anyway. There's a path to Hallmar from Griswald through the Quakes, but the Celds and dwarves from the south tend to prefer traveling through the plains and into the forest side of the city.”
“We'll send Marcus in that direction,” Altan suggested.
“With some assassins, maybe,” I said.
“Or, hell, I could go with him,” Altan replied. “Diversify the southern force a bit.”
“That's a good idea,” I agreed. “He likes fighting with you.” I caught Kirek's gaze and added, “I'm still surprised you haven't chided me for putting Marcus in charge of an army.”
Kirek's gaze didn't falter as she replied, “There's nothing to criticize. It was a good idea. Marcus's directions to the giants were helpful in the last battle.”
I couldn't help but feel like getting Kirek to admit that was a victory all on its own.
“For the rest of us,” Uriel began, “I suppose we'll attack from the forest in units. If the underground part of Griswald is hard to escape once you're in it, perhaps casualties on both sides can remain low once we infiltrate it. The dwarves there will be trapped and might be more likely to surrender.”
“Maybe,” Dax agreed, leaning back lazily in his chair. “But they also know we're coming. If there's only one way into that underground city, they have plenty of opportunities to set up traps and machines.”
“Traps?” I questioned.
“Yeah.” Dax's turquoise eyes were thoughtful on my own. “You taught me that spell that removes toxins from the air. I never needed in the last battle. The dwarves brought their poisons and nerve agents, but they didn't use them. You know why?”
“Why?”
“Because our armies were so mixed together in the streets that they couldn't use them without hurting their own people. I'm concerned that here,” Dax pointed to Griswald on the map, “they will. Griswald's next. They know that. We know that. They could hunker down and goad us to them, filing us down to size to pass whatever surprises they have in store for us. They've been preparing the city for our assault. They'll bring out all their toys.”
“Then I'll be sure to bring mine,” Mirrikh mused.
“You do that,” Dax encouraged him. “But other than fighting alchemy with alchemy, we'll also need dual casters to try to combat it. I don't know how many mages you've taught th
at spell to, Kai, but I think we need to take the time to find all who know water and life so we're prepared.”
“Fantastic idea,” I agreed.
“Attacking Griswald will require an abundance of caution,” Cyrus pointed out, having listened to our concerns. The Sentinel glared over at Altan as if in accusation.
Altan laughed. “First I get yelled at by Kai, now you? All in the same day?” He huffed. “Send an escort with me, if you like.”
“Oh, I plan on doing that,” Cyrus said. “You need one. We can't go rushing into this. I think Dax is right. Griswald will be prepared for our assault in more ways than one.”
Thirty-one
38th of New Moon, 428
Once we were in the depths of the Griswald Forest, it felt like we'd left Hammerton and entered a different country altogether. Our initial trek through its eastern edges on our way to Olympia the previous year had barely introduced us to its splendor. The farther into the forest we traveled, the more determined the pines grew, reaching desperately toward the heavens as if they'd fallen from grace and were asking for forgiveness from the skies.
We were still a week or so away from reaching the city through the forest, but we were closer to Griswald than we'd ever been, and there were few dwarves in our path. Perhaps the civilians were ordered to pull back from the forest since our arrival was imminent.
Altan, Marcus, and Dax had led their armies away from ours to follow the path closest to the Quakes. The rest of us traveled together through the forest as a collective mass. Considering we had tens of thousands of soldiers here, the relative quiet of the morning could have been surprising.
There was a murmur through the trees as soldiers woke up and started to prepare for the one meal of the day that they could sit for. Even more prevalent was the chorus of chirping and chattering forest animals, reminiscent of how it once sounded to wake up in the Silvi rainforest so many years ago. I told Azazel this comparison as he prepared his things to go out to forage while the rest of us ate. He'd known of the forests I'd told him about, of course, but he'd never gotten to experience one until Hammerton.
“It is odd to me,” Azazel said, tying the shoestrings of his left boot, “that forests seem to be the only place where the animals aren't afraid to tell you they're here. It is like this is their home, and we are visiting. In the plains and the underground, animals are usually quiet unless they're endangered.”
“Is this your first time seeing a forest?” It was Leura who asked, which was surprising. The newer Sentinel had kept to herself most of the time I'd known her.
“Other than coming through this one last year, yes,” Azazel replied.
Leura nodded. “Me too.”
“I've heard the forest in the wildlands is large enough that you can see the trees over the wall at Eteri's border,” Azazel said.
“I've heard that, too. Never seen it myself. I've never been that far south in Eteri.” Leura watched Azazel curiously for a moment before she poked at the cooked pork on her plate. “What's the underground like?”
Azazel tugged on his other boot. “Cold. Damp. Dark. Ruthless.”
“Even after the liberation?”
“Probably.” Azazel flicked his eyes up to her as he tied the last set of shoestrings. “I don't really have the inclination to check up on it.”
“I can imagine,” Leura sympathized. “I hope it doesn't bother you that we'll be delving into Griswald if it might remind you of the underground.”
“It doesn't matter if it bothers me or not,” Azazel replied and pointed to me. “Wherever Kai needs to go, I'm going.”
“Speaking of which,” I said, reaching over to poke him. “You want company this morning?”
“I'll just be foraging,” Azazel informed me.
“So? I want to spend time with you.”
“I can't say no to that,” he replied with a small smile.
Leura chuckled as she watched us talk together. “I like that you're our ally, Kai. I've been hoping that your ways of handling your soldiers will be adopted by Eteri.”
“Ways of handling soldiers?” Calder called out from his nearby tent, alerting me to the fact that he'd awakened at all. “Don't worry, love! I won't tell Cerin about these wild escapades of yours!”
Cerin had been in the middle of packing up our own tent, but he took the time to walk over to Calder's, dramatically kicking the nearest tent pole until the canvas collapsed. Azazel burst into laughter as Calder spit curses from within.
“Son of a bitch!” The canvas deflated over Calder's form as he hurried to get out of the mess. “Thanks, Cerin,” Calder mumbled, though he sounded amused.
“Anytime,” Cerin replied, walking back to our tent with a pleased grin on his face.
“Well...” Leura trailed off, though she was smiling. “That's not really what I meant, but that just goes on to prove my point. I like how happy and supportive you all are with each other. I guess that comes with the territory, really. Eteri's army is much larger than yours. The everyday soldier tends to get lost among the masses.”
“You managed to work your way up the ranks,” I complimented her.
“Because using lava in battle is flashy and intimidating,” Leura replied with a chuckle. “Even though I deal with it regularly, I was still impressed by the river of lava you used during the Battle of Highland Pass.”
“You were there?”
Leura nodded. “I was.”
“Who gave you the name Leura?” Azazel questioned.
“My parents,” she replied. “Why?”
“Because it literally translates to lava,” Azazel said. “Did your parents know you would wield earth and fire?”
“They figured, yes,” she affirmed. “My mother was a fire mage. My father was an earth mage. I have her hair and his eyes, and I ended up getting both of their elements, too. Thank the gods, right? I would have felt like a disappointment if they had named me for success and I ended up not having a magical bone in my body.”
“How do they feel that you're a dual caster?” I asked. “Now a Sentinel?”
“Oh, well, my mother died years ago,” Leura said, “but I think she'd be proud. My father retired from the army when she died. He didn't really want me following in her footsteps. I visited him in Mistral when I got promoted. He wasn't thrilled. He was worried.” She flipped a finger around as if to motion to the forest. “Especially because I was being thrown into a war in a foreign land so quickly. It doesn't really matter, though. I was born for this.”
“You sound like Kai,” Cerin said from behind me as he folded up the tent.
“I look like her too, apparently,” Leura chuckled. “I meant to thank you for coming to my aid in Olympia all that time ago, Kai. I never had a chance to really talk to you about it.”
“No need to thank me,” I replied. “I try to be there for my allies. I also felt protective of you since they thought you were me. You should be extra careful in battle. Redirect foes to me if you need to. I don't want you getting hurt from attacks that are meant for me.”
Leura hesitated, though she smiled. “Like I would give you trouble to save myself,” she finally scoffed. “You're my ally. I'll do my best to aid you, not hinder you.”
Azazel stood up beside me then, holding a periwinkle hand out to help me up from the log I'd been sitting on. He grabbed his beautiful black bow and checked to ensure his quiver was full of arrows. Many of the arrows were brand new since he'd spent so much time making them in Olympia.
I was grinning when he glanced back up at me, ready to leave. “What?” He asked, a confused smile lighting up his perfect features.
“Do mushrooms flee?” I asked, leaning over to flick one of his carbon arrows.
Azazel chuckled. “You never know what'll be out in that forest.”
“Like really dangerous, carnivorous mushrooms,” I teased.
Azazel laughed as he started off to the edge of camp with me following his lead. “Or creatures. Dwarves. Assassins.” He h
esitated. “I have to admit, carnivorous mushrooms sound much worse than any of those.”
After a few minutes of walking together, Azazel leaned down to the base of a tree to dig through the dried pine needles that hid moist soil beneath. A cluster of tiny gray mushrooms was revealed, still glistening with moisture and speckled with rich dirt.
“Now how did you know they would be there?” I asked him.
“An educated guess,” Azazel replied, harvesting the fungi and wrapping it in cloth. Before he could put all of it in his satchel, he lifted one mushroom up to me. “What is this, Kai?”
I twisted my lips to the side. “I don't know.”
Azazel chuckled and shook his head. “You should know. I taught it to you just last year.”
“Last year was forever and a day ago.”
He exhaled with faux exasperation. “These are cloud caps. One of the easiest names to remember.”
“Because they look cloudy?” I questioned.
Azazel put the last mushroom in his satchel and stood. “Maybe.”
“Can you eat those?”
“You could, yes, but I'll want to dry them out for potions. Cloud caps are pretty common here, but when ground up and combined with myria petals, you get one hell of a diuretic.”
“What got you into alchemy in the first place?” I asked him.
Azazel went over to check the soil beneath another tree. When it came up empty, he continued walking south through the forest. The canopy of branches overhead seemed to trap the moisture beneath, so he was comfortable without his hood on. Soft yellow rays of sunlight glinted over his cool skin every now and then, giving it a teal hue. “Alchemy was an option for hunters,” he finally said, referring to his time underground. “Hunters were sent out when we were needed. When we weren't, we had to pick one of a few things to do. I worked as a guard on the towers of Hazarmaveth for a time, but I didn't like doing that.”
“Why?”
“Because guarding the towers meant I oversaw when other slaves attempted to escape, and I was expected to kill them.” Azazel stopped beside another tree, scraping fuzzy green moss off of its bark with a knife before wrapping it to dry. “There were only so many times I could 'miss' before I started getting beatings for it. I finally decided to throw myself into learning alchemy. Defensive alchemy wasn't a favorite underground since the Alderi prefer poisons. Even so, it was necessary for hunts, and it let me work in peace most of the time. Even when men weren't sex slaves, they were expected to be at the beck and call of women. Women could usually point out any man they wanted, throw some gold around, and have him.”