“Good.” Koltun released his grip on the youth’s shirt. “Now, we’ve got until this storm ends to turn you into a proper Screaming Howler, so that’s exactly what we’re going to do, even if it kills you.” He thrust the crossbow into the young man’s hand and the goat’s foot lever with it. “So try again, and keep trying until you can finally get it! When the time comes to fight, we’ll both need you to be ready.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“All due respect, Captain Hadrick,” Lieutenant Enthrak was saying as Koltun shouldered his way into the circle of officers that clustered around Captain Hadrick, “but our chances of holding Hafoldarholl aren’t good.”
“He’s right, sir,” Lieutenant Rearden joined in. “The walls here can’t hold out the enemy for long. And even if they could, we’ve no supplies to keep us alive for a long siege.” He gestured to the room around them—a small square room adjoining the largest of the living quarters in the fortress, doubtless the chieftain’s audience chamber. “All the Eirdkilrs have to do is surround us with enough men to keep us bottled up in here, and they don’t have to lift a finger to kill us. We’ll starve to death or be too weak to put up any real kind of fight.”
“Not to mention all the people north of the Cliffpass that’ll be in serious trouble when the Eirdkilrs invade eastern Fehl,” Koltun added. He pushed to the front of the circle and now planted himself squarely in front of Captain Hadrick, who sat in an old throne-looking chair. “We’re supposed to stop them from getting through the Cliffpass. Even if we have to bring down the pass behind us like we did.”
“And how exactly did that work out for you, Sergeant?” Captain Hadrick’s face revealed his utter disdain for Koltun. “Last I checked, the enemy is still hot on our heels. Seems your delaying efforts did little to stop them.”
“It kept you alive long enough to get here!” Koltun felt the anger rising within him. Captain Hadrick was precisely the wrong person to be in command in a situation like this—the fact that he was too pig-headed to realize that was half the problem. “Not to mention all the women, children, and wounded that have a chance of surviving, too. We even gave you time enough to send a messenger off to warn the garrison at Kaldrborg of what was happening. Did you at least do that?”
“Private Ardem will reach our garrisons with a message for—”
“Private Ardem deserted!” Koltun snapped. “You really think he’ll run to the nearest Legion outpost to let them know what’s going on when he knows he’ll be court-martialed for his cowardice?” He stepped forward, snarling at the Captain. “So I ask you again, did you send off a messenger?”
Captain Hadrick’s face stiffened. “We hadn’t a horse to spare. They were needed to haul the wounded and elderly.”
And your fat arse! Fury simmered deep in Koltun’s gut, and he bit down on a furious retort. It took him a long second to regain his composure enough to speak without snarling. “Then all the more reason we have to get moving the second this storm blows over. We’ve got to warn the Legion what’s coming. We’re the only hope of stopping the Eirdkilrs from flooding southeastern Fehl.” He turned his back on Captain Hadrick and fixed his gaze on the Lieutenants around him. “At any cost!”
Grim looks met his—all in the room knew what would happen if that horde of Eirdkilrs ran amok north of the Sawtooth Mountains. Casualties among the allied Fehlan clans—those considered traitors by the savage Eirdkilrs—would skyrocket into the tens of thousands before the Legion could summon reinforcements enough to repel this invasion.
“We cannot fight them on open ground!” Captain Hadrick insisted. “If your estimate of their numbers is correct, there are simply too many to face in battle.”
“So we run our asses off until we find a place where we can make a proper stand.” Koltun whipped around to face the Captain. “Or, until we get far enough ahead of the Eirdkilrs that they give up on catching us.”
The chance of that happening was slim, but not exactly nonexistent. The Eirdkilrs might have only attacked for the purpose of capturing Highcliff Motte—the only truly defensible position in the Cliffpass—and they’d hold the fortress as they planned their next move. The ferocity and speed of the attack on the stronghold told him it was unlikely, but he had to cling to that faint shred of hope. It was their only hope of getting out of the situation alive.
He said as much to Captain Hadrick and the Lieutenants. “If they’re going to dig in and hold the fortress for real, it’s going to take a damned lot of Legionnaires to get them out. So we need to send word to General Traighan and make sure he knows what’s waiting the moment he sends Ruby Battalion marching over the mountains to retake the fortress.”
For a moment, Captain Hadrick looked ready to argue. Not because he actually had a valid tactical opinion on the matter—the man couldn’t strategize his way out of a burlap sack—but for the sake of sheer pig-headedness. Koltun prepared for a fight.
Captain Hadrick opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment, the howling of the wind grew suddenly silent. The world around them quietened, the storm fading into stillness, with not a sound outside the room. Long seconds passed and a hush descended over the officers in the chieftain’s chamber. All eyes went to Captain Hadrick, expectant. They all knew what was coming the moment the storm ended.
Then the storm resumed, the wind howling its fury around them with renewed vigor. An almost palpable relief filled the room. The soldiers standing around Koltun knew they had a little more time.
When Koltun turned back to Captain Hadrick, he found the man’s attitude had miraculously changed. “So be it,” the officer said, with a nod that set his jowls wobbling. “The moment the storm passes, we move out like the demons from the frozen hell are after us. And we don’t stop until we reach safety.”
“Or until we find a place for the Secret Keeper to bring the cliffs down behind us,” Koltun put in. Despite what Arch-Guardian Dayn had said, he held out hope that he could convince the man to part with enough flarequartz to seal off the Cliffpass.
“I might know of a place that could work,” Lieutenant Enthrak spoke up. “About five miles from the southern end of the pass, the trail narrows to little more than five yards across. The cliffs there are high and steep enough that the Eirdkilrs won’t be able to climb around.” He glanced sidelong at his fellow Lieutenants. “And, from what I’ve picked up from listening to the miners talking, the stone there is brittle enough that it should crack. It’s our best chance of cutting off their advance.”
Koltun’s brow furrowed. Sealing the Cliffpass behind their retreat would make it difficult to retake Highcliff Motte, and would deprive the Legion of a valuable access route to reach the enemy beyond the Sawtooth Mountains. But if it meant they could cut off the Eirdkilrs’ advance—and guarantee the survival of every man, woman, and child they guarded—it would be their best worst option.
“No.” Captain Hadrick’s lips pulled into a sour frown. “There must be another way to—”
“All due respect, sir,” Koltun cut off the officer, “but unless you know of some strategy that will allow the few hundred of us to defeat upwards of two thousand Eirdkilrs in pitched battle, then it’s the only way. Not only to get out of this alive, but to make sure the enemy doesn’t have another way to enter Fehl.”
The Captain looked ready to argue, but Koltun drove on. “Think about it, Captain. Right now, the majority of the Legion forces are concentrated on southwestern Fehl, keeping the enemy as bottled-up in the Snowpass as possible. And you said it yourself, our strength in eastern Fehl is minimal—more hasn’t been needed until now. That means there are maybe a few hundred Legionnaires between us and Spear Garrison. But how many allied Fehlans? Tens of thousands? A hundred thousand? How many of the Fjall and Jarnleikr end up dead if the Eirdkilrs get through here?”
“The Jarnleikr are our allies,” Captain Hadrick snapped. “And the Fjall know that going to war with the Legion is folly.”
“Perhaps.” Koltun inclined his head. “B
ut when they have thousands of Eirdkilrs howling through their lands and only a few hundred Legionnaires to help them protect their borders, who do you think they’ll side with?”
The sourness of Captain Hadrick’s expression deepened.
“Our only option,” Koltun emphasized the word, “is to seal off the Cliffpass. We do enough damage to the Eirdkilr army that they think twice about trying to push the point, well that’d just be gravy. But first and foremost, we need to cut off the Eirdkilr advance. At any cost.” He leaned forward. “Any cost.”
Captain Hadrick’s eyes narrowed. “What are you implying, Sergeant?”
“I’m not implying a Keeper-damned thing, sir.” Koltun’s expression hardened. “I’m straight-up telling you that nothing is more important than for us to seal off the Cliffpass. Even if it costs us our lives, we’ve damned well got to do it.”
Long seconds passed in contemplative silence, and Captain Hadrick’s bitter scowl twisted the muscles of his rotund face so fiercely it seemed he was all frowns. “I will not countenance it,” he finally said, with a shake of his head. He held up a hand to forestall Koltun’s argument. “I can understand your point about the Cliffpass, but I will not even begin to consider sacrificing the lives of my Legionnaires to do it.” A sneer tugged at his lips. “I don’t know how you learned to do things in the Screaming Howlers, but no officer worth his metal throws his men’s lives away on a whim.”
On a whim?! White-hot rage burned in Koltun’s chest, and he had to clench his fists to stop them from shaking—or from punching the Captain across his fat jaw. He knew exactly what he was considering, but he knew what would happen if they didn’t stop the Eirdkilrs. There was no whim about it. They had no other choice.
Before he opened his mouth to snarl a furious reply, Captain Hadrick continued speaking. “We will make for the spot where Lieutenant Enthrak says we have a chance of bringing down the Cliffpass.” He nodded to the junior officer that had come up with the suggestion. “Once there, we will consider the best course of action. You believe your Secret Keeper capable of doing what needs to be done, Sergeant?”
Koltun was too furious to speak; he could barely nod without ripping off the Captain’s head. Every shred of self-discipline went into holding himself in place.
“Then those are your orders.” A self-congratulatory smile broadened Captain Hadrick’s face, as if mentally applauding himself for his brilliant strategy. “We will do what needs to be done—” His smile disappeared, replaced by a stern frown for Koltun. “—without sacrificing valuable lives.”
That last jab was too much for Koltun. He spun on his heel and stalked away from the circle of officers, fury burning so hot within him that those around him fell back, clearing a path for him. Whatever Captain Hadrick said next, Koltun never heard. The thundering of his heartbeat and the blood rushing in his ears consumed his world.
Koltun felt none of the bitter chill, for rage burned bright and hot within him as he stalked back through the stone halls and drafty corridors toward the kitchen where his Screaming Howlers were quartered.
“Bloody hell!” Thog’s face darkened as he caught sight of Koltun. “That bad?”
Every fiber of Koltun’s being begged to be let loose, to hurl a stream of blistering invectives at the arrogant, pig-headed Captain Hadrick. He might not be able to strike the man, but he needed some way to release the fury building within him.
But, with a supreme effort of will, he managed to keep a lid on the boiling kettle of his anger. Captain Hadrick deserved every curse he could imagine, but that wouldn’t help his men now. It fell to him to do everything he could to counterbalance the Captain’s stupidity—it was the only way he kept his soldiers, and as many Legionnaires as possible, alive.
“The moment the snow stops,” he growled, “we head out.” His gaze swept the faces of his Screaming Howlers—including the newest recruit, young Lingram, who clutched Koltun’s crossbow to his chest like a talisman. “Be ready.”
That was all he could allow himself to say. Any more, and the flood of anger might break loose.
He turned and stalked away, heading into a darkened section of the crumbling fortress, in the direction of the empty chieftain’s hall where he’d sent Lingram to practice.
“Sarge!” Thog’s rumbling voice echoed behind him. The Praamian caught up to him in a few steps and planted his massive frame in Koltun’s path.
“Move, Thog.” Koltun bared his teeth in a snarl. “I’m not in the mood for—”
“No shite, Sarge.” Thog rolled his eyes. “But your being pissed off doesn’t give the rest of us any clue what’s going on. So tell me what happened, and I’ll relay the sanitized version to the others so we can be ready for whatever comes next.”
Koltun fixed the looming giant of a man with a hard stare. Thog’s rocky expression made his face look even more boulder-like, and he could see there was no way he’d get around, past, or through the man that had become one of his unofficial seconds-in-command.
With a growl, Koltun finally let loose the fury that had been building within him. A blistering stream of curses burst from his lips, a torrent of invectives dripping with vitriol and rage. More than a minute passed before the flood of profanity slowed and he managed to find real words. “It took some effort, but I managed to convince Captain Hadrick not to try and hold this position.”
Thog’s eyebrows rose. “He thought that would work? Against so many Eirdkilrs?”
“You see the problem then.” Koltun struggled to regain control of his temper. Now that he’d let out his anger, he had to get ahold of himself, find a way to turn the situation around. “And I talked him into sealing the Cliffpass to keep the Eirdkilrs out of southeastern Fehl.”
“But?” Thog cocked his head.
Koltun threw up his hands. “But the man’s an arrogant, stubborn idiot who’s more concerned about his reputation than actually getting the job done!”
Thog’s rocky face creased into a frown. “What do you mean by getting the job done?”
“Exactly that,” Koltun snapped. “The place where we can bring down the Cliffpass is more than forty miles away. How long do you think it’ll take us to get there, moving at our speed? And how long before the Eirdkilrs catch up?”
Thog’s frown deepened. “Damn,” he rumbled.
“You know me, Thog.” Koltun’s fists clenched at his sides. “You know exactly how I feel about protecting those under my command. Hell, all the Legionnaires we’ve ever fought beside.”
“I do.” Thog nodded. “And I also know that you’re the kind of Sergeant who will consider worst-case scenarios if it means saving more lives.” He reached a huge hand down and gripped Koltun’s shoulder. “But that’s not an easy thing for most people to swallow. Fiery hell, I don’t even know if I’m actually good with it. On an intellectual level, sure. It’s what we do, put ourselves in the line of fire to keep people safe. But when it comes down to it, when I come face to face with the prospect of certain death, it’s not exactly going to make me smile.”
“You think I want it?” Koltun’s voice rose to a shout. “You think I’m not desperately racking my brain for any other solution? Any way out, no matter how insane? But given what we face—”
“We don’t have a lot of options,” Thog finished.
“Exactly.” Koltun shook his head. “And any time I think we’ve got a bit of hope, we run into one stupid, arrogant roadblock. We’ve barely got an icicle’s chance in the fiery hell of surviving, and he just makes it even more impossible!”
“He does.” Thog’s expression grew pensive. “But I’ve been watching you, Sarge, and I think you’ve been going about it all wrong.”
Koltun’s eyes narrowed. “What?” he spat.
Thog held up his hands in a placating gesture. “You’re a damned fine Sergeant, Sarge, but you tend to think in one direction. Straight forward, facing the enemy head-on. That tends to work out more often than not, but this time, it’s working against you. But
ting heads with Captain Hadrick isn’t the way to go here.”
Anger flared within Koltun’s chest, this time aimed at Thog. Yet he bit back his snarl. The big man was just trying to help. And, Koltun realized on some level, he wasn’t exactly wrong.
“What do you suggest?” he growled.
A grin tugged at Thog’s lips. “We go to the one man who can help us figure out the best way to get past the roadblock.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Koltun was surprised to find a handful of Ninth Company’s Lieutenants clustered around the spot where Vorris—no longer an officer—had set up his bedroll and gear, in a corner away from his Legionnaires. The Lieutenants sat far enough away from Vorris to maintain distance—doubtless intended to appear convincing to Captain Hadrick—while still being within earshot. The low mutterings echoing from the high-domed room told Koltun something was going on.
A sudden, tense silence fell over the officers as Koltun and Thog marched into the room. But at the sight of the Screaming Howlers, the tension diminished and the Lieutenants relaxed.
Koltun hid a smile. Thog’s suspicion had proven correct. None of the other officers had been present when Captain Hadrick stripped Lieutenant Vorris of his rank, but word of his demotion had spread quickly through Ninth Company. It appeared that just because Vorris no longer bore the title, he hadn’t lost the respect of his fellow Lieutenants. They’d come to him, likely with the same concerns Koltun had just unleashed on Thog.
Vorris looked up at his approach and gave Koltun a nod. “Sergeant.” He wore a stoic façade, but Koltun had come to know the man well enough over the last weeks to recognize a hint of despondency in his dark eyes. Either at his demotion or the desperate situation, Koltun didn’t know. But it didn’t matter. The former Lieutenant needed a mission, and Koltun had one for him.
Koltun stopped in front of the man, planting his feet in a firm stance, and fixed Vorris with a stern gaze. “You’re going to help us keep everyone alive. We’ve got the slimmest of chances to get out of this ahead of the enemy, but we can’t let anything—or anyone—slow us down. Which means you’ll need to keep everything moving smoothly forward.”
The Last March: A Grimdark Epic Military Fantasy Novel (The Silent Champions Book 6) Page 17