Tamlin shrugged. Aisha, mimicking him, copied the gesture with careful accuracy. The boy folded his arms and tapped his foot, his face defying Envermet to continue. Aisha mirrored every move, right down to his expression. By the time they were done, Marsh was having trouble keeping a straight face.
Master Envermet caught her biting her lip and sighed, waving the troublesome pair in her direction.
This time they didn’t argue. Tamlin stalked over to Marsh and looked her up and down.
“We’re not happy with you either,” he told her, then sat at her feet and leaned against her shin.
“Yes, bad Marsh,” Aisha added, following her brother’s every move.
Marsh realized she was staring in drop-jawed surprise and closed her mouth. It didn’t help when she saw the small smile tugging at the corners of Master Envermet’s mouth as he resumed his seat.
“Go on, Master Leclerc.”
“I...” Marsh took a breath, all too aware of the two newest members in her audience. “I still need to go out to the Danets’ farmstead to confirm their absence, then I need to return to the Deeps Monastery to formalize my guardianship of the children.”
Tamlin snorted and, catching the look on Marsh’s face, explained.
“It’s not like you’d have had to do anything else,” he scolded her. “Even if my uncle and his family had been at home, Aysh and I wouldn’t have agreed to stay. It wouldn’t have been safe.”
It was like the kid had thrown a bucket of cold water over her.
“Why not?” she asked.
“Because they felt the same way about magic as Nettie’s parents. You wouldn’t have liked them.”
If what the boy said was true, Marsh would have done more than not like them. She might very well have given them to the raiders, herself.
No, but you’d have kept the children, Roeglin told her. I’d have seen to that. I’m sorry...
Marsh brushed his apology aside and frowned at Tamlin. “Why didn’t you tell us?” she demanded since the boy had known one of her tasks was to find his relatives.
Tamlin shrugged.
“Because it wouldn’t have mattered what I said. You’d have still had to come and see for yourself.” He glared at Roeglin. “Isn’t that right, Master Leger?”
“Yes, it is. That part hasn’t changed.”
“And you’ll be coming with us when we check out your uncle’s place,” Marsh told him.
She’d meant for it to be comforting, but the boy fixed her with a rebellious stare.
“Too damned right, we will.”
Marsh risked a glance at the gathered leadership as a small voice rose in echo.
“Damned right!”
An equally defiant wuff followed, and Scruffknuckle strolled out from the shadows to lie down beside them. He was followed by a hoshkat kit that hissed at her as it passed.
Marsh rolled her eyes, catching the quickly smothered grins and chuckles around the fire. Struggling to maintain her dignity, she nodded to Master Envermet.
“Beyond that, I still have to continue my investigations into the raiders so that we can focus on finding them once the Four Caverns are secure, and I believe I have obligations to the Protectors and the Monastery, as well.”
It was the best way she could think of to signal that she thought she’d covered everything and it was time for him to take over, and she was glad when Master Envermet took the hint.
“This is true,” he said, and turned back to the others. “My business here is to clear the caverns of as much raider influence as I can and to assist the local Protectors or Defenders in establishing themselves. I am also authorized to leave a training contingent if it is required and to establish an outpost for the Monastery, but I think you already have allies who can fill the same role. Once we have assisted in securing the cavern and making sure it is protected, we follow Masters Leger and Leclerc to the next of the Four Settlements. Dimanche is the next to last to require our assistance.”
He paused looking at the faces of the leaders before him.
“How may we assist you?”
Marsh blinked. She hadn’t realized they’d come as far as they had, but it made sense when she thought about it. The Defenders were established, and very few details remained to be sorted out. She watched Devin stand to answer Master Envermet’s question.
The druid glanced around at those gathered, making sure he had caught their attention. His mouth curled upward as his gaze passed over the two children sitting at Marsh’s feet. When it had returned to Master Envermet, he began.
“While I understand the Defenders need to formalize their paperwork, I accept they are here to stay.” He dipped his head in acknowledgment to Valerie and Luka and continued. “As such, I propose that our first task be to investigate the Piermonts to see if they are in league with the raiders and how far their operations are compromised, and that we do that today.”
Luka and Valerie did not disagree.
“How soon do you need us to be ready?” Valerie asked, rising to her feet.
“Is a half-turn sufficient?”
“It is more than enough,” the mercenary leader told him. “With your permission...”
Devin nodded assent, and everyone rose from around the fire. The mercenaries and local mages headed in opposite directions, and Marsh could only assume that they knew exactly where they were going. She followed Master Envermet, conscious of Roeglin and the children moving with her.
Scruffknuckle bounded around them in barely contained delight, and the kit stalked by Aisha’s side. Marsh frowned.
“Where’s the other one?”
“You didn’t know?” Tamlin’s voice was full of exaggerated surprise. “What a shadows-hung surprise!”
Marsh glared at him.
“We haven’t had a lot of time to catch up,” she reminded him, trying to keep a firm grip on her temper.
“And whose fault is that?”
Marsh opened her mouth to respond and found she really didn’t have an answer for him. It wasn’t the boy’s fault she’d been busy, but it also wasn’t her fault either. It was just the way things were.
“Look, I—” she began, only to have Roeglin cut her off.
“Not fair, Tams. You’ve both got jobs to do, and they’ve taken up a lot of time. She’ll spend more time with you once we get back.”
“When?” the boy demanded. “Before or after she goes chasing down the raiders?”
The bitterness in his voice was sharp enough to cut, and Aisha reached up and laid her hand on his arm, her small face full of concern. Marsh didn’t give the little girl time to speak.
“Before,” she told him. “Even if it’s just a day. We’ll take the time to catch up.”
“Wow, a whole day,” Tamlin snarked, but he didn’t sound as upset as before.
Marsh noticed that Roeglin was surprisingly quiet, which was odd. Usually, the shadow mage had a lot more to say.
You’re on your own with this one, he told her. I can’t help you.
Not even a little bit?
You’re doing fine.
As they reached where Gustav was waiting near their troops, Marsh hoped so. Apart from her uncle and cousins, the kids were the only family she had, and she didn’t want to lose them.
Not going to happen.
Thanks, Ro.
They were formed up behind the local mages and druids well before the half-turn was up, and jogging out across the cavern shortly thereafter. As they left, Marsh noticed a small group of mercenaries split away from the group and head back to town, Kels leading them.
“Where are they going?” she wondered.
“Back to Shameless,” Valerie said from behind her. “We’ve got contracts to cancel and contracts to write up, and neither are doing us any good unwritten. I figured Hugh could earn his keep. Luka’s sent folk, too. He has to get his people moved into new quarters and make sure his patrons know they need to find someone new.”
“Won’t they be upset?”
“Yup, but they’ll be fine. The way Luka and I look at it, we’re still keeping their people safe as part of our duties to the cavern. We’re just not giving their safety precedence over anyone else’s. The sooner they come to terms with that, the better.”
They jogged on in silence, with Marsh stretching her senses out into the cavern to get a feel of the life they passed. She also kept tabs on Mordan, Scruffknuckle, and the kit, noting how the three of them ran together on the edge of the formation, their forms sliding in and out of view between the rocks and shrooms.
They followed the trail back to a turnoff that led them closer to the cavern’s center, then swung away toward its outer perimeter. Marsh lifted her head as the air changed, becoming less earthy and more...something else. Ahead of her, Master Envermet noted the change.
“You didn’t tell us the cavern breached the surface.”
“The Piermonts chose it because there’s an outlet into a valley in the Desolation, and they have enough open spaces for the horses to graze.”
“The horses?”
“Mais oui. The horses, and the donkeys. For making the mules. You didn’t think the Shades-cursed creatures grew on trees, did you?”
“No, but I wondered why they were so hard to come by.”
“That’s how they build their business. They control the supply of mounts in the caverns. Always have.”
From the sound of his voice, Devin didn’t approve of the monopoly, but before Master Envermet could continue the conversation, Marsh heard the sound of fighting and the leaders signaled for their troops to stop.
“Marsh,” Envermet called as Valerie, Luka, and Devin called several names of their own.
Marsh hurried to join Master Envermet, and he signaled her to fall in with the rest of the scouts assembled before their leaders.
“Go and see what’s going on and report back,” Devin said, and the leaders nodded their agreement.
This time, Marsh was not the only one to fade into shadow and vanish into the dark. She traveled with several other scouts who did the same, and they fanned out from their mercenary counterparts, who moved quietly forward, using all the stealth available to those without magic.
It didn’t take them long to reach the battle and Marsh took in the scene with a practiced sweep of her eyes, knowing Roeglin was seeing what she saw and relaying it directly to Master Envermet and Gustav.
Raiders had breached the gates of the compound surrounding the Piermonts’ house and stables, and the clash of weapons came from within and around its walls.
Circle round to the back so we have an idea of the layout, Roeglin ordered, and Marsh knew Gustav or Envermet had requested the information.
She did as she was told, stepping from the glow of a patch of brevilars to the darkness surrounding the base of a pillar that had been built in the Times Before. Once there, she scanned the walls again and took another step to reach the rear of the compound, except she didn’t. The walls were built into the side of the cavern, which was split to reveal an opening beyond them.
Marsh remembered that the raiders had tried to take Mika’s Outlet, and how they had cleared the farm of all witnesses of their activity. She guessed that it was exactly what they were trying to do here. The fact they could take control of the Four Caverns’ sole supply of transport as well was just an added bonus.
Marsh vowed that she would not allow that to happen. She might not agree with the Piermonts’ monopoly, but that didn’t mean she wanted to see that monopoly passed on to the raiders. Focusing on a patch of shadow close to the top of the wall, she slid through the shadows to gain a vantage point from above.
When she emerged, she could look down into the field on the other side of the wall, and she realized just how large a force they were facing.
The raiders had breached broad stone gates leading out beneath the rift into the surface world.
They sent a second force from the outside, Marsh relayed. I see at least a hundred men.
We’ll be evenly matched unless Luka still has men trying to keep the family and livestock safe.
Marsh scanned the grounds again.
I see two...no, three battle sites, she began, then had to stifle a yelp of surprise when Mordan stepped out of the shadows to stand beside her. She also noticed just how large the kat had gotten, and wondered how she could have missed her increased size before.
You’ve been busy. Now focus! Roeglin didn’t seem interested. I’m interested, but I’d rather know how the damned beast can shadow step, which, by the way, is a trick I need to learn.
I could just ask you to figure it out for yourself, but we’re kinda busy, so here.
She gave him the concept as she understood it and turned back to studying the skirmishes playing out below her. Mordan watched with her, studying the scene with a hunter’s intensity.
We could start there, the big kat suggested, highlighting where a cluster of mercenaries in the dark blues and reds of Luka’s outfit were just maintaining their control of a set of stables.
Marsh studied the scene, noting that the raiders and mercenaries seemed evenly balanced in numbers and equipment.
It wouldn’t take much to tip the balance, she agreed, hearing war cries and shouts of surprise drifting from the front of the compound. Ro. We’re going to try and even things up here.
His reply was short and unexpected, and nothing like the protest she expected.
Meet you in the middle.
Well, if that wasn’t permission for her to go and wreak havoc, she didn’t know what was. As soon as she felt Roeglin refocus somewhere else, Marsh turned to the kat.
What’s the plan? she asked, because she was sure Mordan would have one.
We strike from here. The kat highlighted two patches of shadows and the closest raiders.
It wasn’t much of a plan, but Marsh got it. They’d come out of the shadows hard and fast and kill every raider in the way of them meeting at the main entrance to the barn. She figured that the kat knew Luka’s men wouldn’t leave them to finish that particular piece of business on their own.
A quick scan of the battlefield confirmed that the rest of the raiding force was so busy with battles of their own or pushing for the main homestead that they probably wouldn’t intervene.
Ready, Dan? she asked, and the kat stepped into the closest patch of shadow and vanished.
22
The Battle at Piermont’s Ponies
Marsh waited long enough to see which end of the line the kat appeared on and shadow-stepped to the other end.
That could have been done better, she thought, dragging a dart from the shadows and hurling it into the raider nearest her when she emerged.
From the other end of the line, a man screamed, the sound ending in a reverberating crunch. The raider next to the one Marsh had struck looked torn, as if he couldn’t decide which way to turn. Behind him, another man screamed, and the kat roared. In front of him, Marsh pulled flickering shadow to her hand. All color drained from his face, but he raised his sword.
Marsh pulled her hand back, preparing to flick the lightning around her opponent, but she didn’t get the chance. The man dropped to the ground, a crossbow quarrel protruding from his throat. Marsh sent the lightning into the next man instead, only to watch him fall to another bolt just before it hit.
At the other end of the line, Mordan screamed in outrage, and Marsh felt her gut twist with worry. She looked toward the kat, seeing raiders block more quarrels with their shields as they repositioned to face the new threats. The move also blocked Marsh’s view of the kat, but it didn’t matter. On the other side of the cluster, one of the men suddenly dropped out of sight with a startled cry that rapidly descended into terrified screams.
The men closest broke formation to attack the kat and were promptly downed by a small swarm of crossbow bolts. Marsh advanced on the men closest to her, pulling a spear from the shadows and trying to stab past their shields. As she did, she heard the barn doors open and s
houting as Luka’s mercenaries broke cover to join the melee.
The fight didn’t last very long after that. Marsh found the gap she was looking for and the raider went down. Instead of pulling the spear free, she left it to dissipate and drew a second one from the dark. Mordan took another raider and bounded out of reach of his companions’ avenging blades. Two mercenaries filled the space she had taken while Marsh took down another attacker.
When he fell, she found herself facing men in Luka’s colors, and as hard as it was, she released her sword to the shadows.
“Kat your familiar?”
Marsh had no idea what a familiar was, but the kat was definitely hers. She figured she could claim that and ask for specifics later.
“Yup.”
The speaker looked around at his comrades.
“Hear that, boys? Kat’s on our side.” He looked back at Marsh. “Where to next?”
Relieved she wasn’t going to have to fight them or find some way of proving her friendship, Marsh studied the battlefield. In the end, she pointed to the nearest skirmish.
“Let’s clean up out here, then head inside and see if there are any Piermonts left to protect.”
“Or rotisserie the bastards. Let these scum-sucking surface-dwellers in through the back like they were allies, then barricaded themselves in when the mongrels turned. Left the rest of us out in the cold.”
“We’ll get to them. Luka will have to decide how he wants to deal with it.”
“Luka’s here?”
“He came for you.”
This caused an exchange of glances between them and brief warlike smiles.
“Hear that, boys? The boss is here. Let’s not let him down!”
His statement was met with a soft chorus of “Hoo-ras” and they jogged briskly toward the fight Marsh had indicated. Marsh found her place next to their leader, pulling another blade from the shadows as she ran. She’d only gone a few strides before Mordan bounded over to run beside her.
The kat’s appearance drew gasps of surprise from some of the men, but none of them made a move against her. Marsh couldn’t blame them. She hadn’t realized just how big the kat was, but she now reached Marsh’s chest in height. Her size and the fact she was covered in blood made her seem fiercer than usual.
Magic Below Paris Complete Series Boxed Set (Books 1 - 8): Trading Into Shadow, Trading Into Darkness, Trading Close to Light, Trading By Firelight, Trading by Shroomlight, plus 3 more Page 94