"He's fine," she said simply while nodding. "At least I know that."

"And so, Lord," Myron continued with a bowed head, "we say farewell to our king, our brother, and our good friend. May the light of a new dawn rise upon his soul."

Myron then began the song of final blessing, and all of them, even Magnus, joined in.

Unto Maribor, I beseech thee Into the hands of G.o.d, I send thee Grant him peace, I beg thee Give him rest, I ask thee May the G.o.d of men watch over your journey.

Mauvin stepped out of the tomb into the crypt and returned with a dusty crown, which he lay upon Alric's chest. "Sometimes the price of dreams is achieving them."

Arista could not stay any longer. She felt like she was suffocating and walked out into the crypt. Entering one of the alcoves, she crouched down and hid behind one of the sarcophagi. She sat with her back in the crux of the corner. Her knees were up, and once settled, she let herself cry. She shook so hard that her back bounced against the wall. Tears ran down her face. She let them run unabated, dripping onto the robe, which dimmed until it went out.

She wanted to believe that when Gaunt blew the horn it had stopped the elves, that perhaps they had heard and were coming to dig them out, but it felt like a lie. She was deluding herself because there was nothing else to hope for, nothing to expect beyond despair. In the darkness, she laid her head down on her arms and cried until she fell asleep.

CHAPTER 23.

THE SKY SWIRLS.

The booming thunder continued shaking the walls and the floors beneath their feet as the metalsmith hammered the last rivet into the helm. The old man's face was etched with deep lines partially hidden behind a ma.s.s of gray bristles, a beard he had no time to shave away. "There you are, lad. As fine a helm as you'll find. It will take care of you. Protect that noggin of yours right well. War is upon us, my boy, but don't worry-that's only thunder yer hearing."

"It's their thunder," Renwick replied.

The metalsmith looked at him curiously for a moment; then Renwick saw fear cross the man's face as he put the pieces together.

"Yer the boy, aren't you? The one who warned us? The one who rode up ahead of the elven army. You've seen 'em, haven't you?"

Renwick shook his head. "Not me, but yes, my friend did."

"Did he tell you what the devils look like? Rumor has it anyone seeing an elf turns to stone."

"No, but I wouldn't turn an ear to their music."

"You're Breckton's squire now, eh? Aide-de-camp to the marshal-at-arms?"

Renwick shrugged. "I don't even know what an aide-de-camp is."

The old smith chuckled, wiping the sweat from his face with a filthy cloth as overhead an especially loud roll of thunder boomed. Renwick felt it in his chest.

"An adjutant," the smith told him. Renwick shrugged again. "You're like his butler, messenger, and squire all rolled into one, except you're more like an a.s.sistant than a servant, which means you'll get some respect."

"But what am I supposed to do?"

"Whatever he says, lad-whatever he says."

Renwick placed the helm on his head. It fit snug around the forehead and the thick batten felt soft and cushioning. He banged his head with the heel of his fist. The helm absorbed the blow. He felt almost nothing.

"It's good."

"You'll be all right. Now get back to Breckton. I have more work to do, as I suspect you do too."

Outside, the streets were wet; warmer air had melted some of the snow. Icicles dripped, sounding like rain, as overhead the sky swirled and thunder crashed.

He jumped a large puddle but did not account for the added weight of the armor. He had never worn any before. It was only a breastplate and helm, but with the shield and sword added, it was enough to throw off his balance. He came up short and splashed in the middle, soaking his foot with ice-cold water. He felt foolish holding the shield as if he expected to be attacked at any moment. The other soldiers wore shields slung on their backs. He paused in the street, examining the straps and trying to determine how to do that, when a flash of lightning arced across the sky and he heard a terrible crack. People on the street ducked into doorways, their eyes skyward. This got him moving again and he jogged the rest of the way to Imperial Square.

Men filled the open area. Soldiers and knights sat on the dry sections of cobblestone or stood in puddles. He worked his way in, trying not to hit anyone with either his shield or his sword. Renwick felt conspicuous. Men with missing teeth and scarred faces glared at him as he picked his way through the crowd. He felt a heat building on his skin, his face flushing with embarra.s.sment as he realized how ridiculous he must look. Renwick knew he did not belong there and so did they.

"Renwick! Over here, lad!" He heard a familiar voice and saw Sir Elgar waving from the center of the square. Never before had he been happy to see him.

"Make room!" Elgar bellowed, and kicked Sir Gilbert and Sir Murthas until they shifted over. Renwick quickly sat down, trying to become invisible.

"Here, lad." Elgar took the shield from him. "Carry it like this." He pulled his arm out roughly and slipped the long strap over his shoulder. "A lot easier that way."

"Thanks," he said, making sure his sword lay flat behind him and was not in anyone's way. Suddenly he felt a jolt as Elgar struck him hard in the chest with his fist like a hammer. Renwick rocked back and looked up, stunned.

"Good armor!" The knight grinned at him and nodded.

A moment later Murthas drew his dagger and hit him hard with the pommel. The sound rang and again Renwick rocked back, shocked, but unharmed. "Excellent."

"Stop!" Renwick shouted, looking at them fearfully.

The two laughed.

"Tradition, boy," Elgar told him. "It is good luck to have new armor tested by friends before enemies. Just praise Novron we're sitting down!"

"Aye!" Sir Gilbert said. "When I got my first helm, Sir Biffard rang it so hard I pa.s.sed out, but I woke up in the care of Lady Bethany, so I can attest to the good luck of a sound beating on new armor!"

The knights all laughed again.

"Who is this pup?" the man seated across from Renwick asked. His blond hair came nearly to his shoulders, his blue eyes as bright as sapphires. He wore ornate armor inlaid with gold designs of ivy and roses. Over his shoulders he wore a purple velvet cape, held by a solid-gold broach.

"This is Renwick, Your Highness," Murthas replied. "I don't know if he has any other name. He was a page in the palace until recently. Now he is aide-de-camp to Sir Breckton."

"Ah!" the man said. "The fearless rider!"

"Indeed, Your Highness-the same."

"You've done a great service for us, Renwick. I shall be pleased to fight beside you."

"Ah-thank you-ah-"

"You have no idea who I am, do you?" he chuckled, and the rest followed him.

"This is Prince Rudolf of Alburn, son of King Armand," Murthas told him.

"Oh!" Renwick said. "I am honored, Your Highness."

"And well you should be," Murthas said. "There are precious few princes willing to fight beside their knights these days, much less sit with us before the battle."

"Ha!" Rudolf laughed. "Don't flatter me, Murthas. I'm here only to get away from the smothering chatter of women and children. There's a stuffiness to the castle these days. She has them filling the corridors, packed like sausage. You can't p.i.s.s without a child or woman pa.s.sing by. And they don't appreciate fine liquor!"

The prince drew forth a crystal decanter of amber liquid, which he sloshed about merrily. He took the first swallow, smacked his lips loudly, then pa.s.sed it to Sir Elgar on his right. "From the empress's private stash," the prince told them in an exaggerated whisper. "But I hear she doesn't drink and I'm certain she will not begrudge her knights a bit of warmth on this day."

Elgar took a mouthful and handed Renwick the bottle, which he held but did not drink from.

"Ha-ha!" Elgar said, looking at him. "The lad is afraid of getting drunk before his first fight! Drink up, lad, I guarantee that won't be a problem. You could down two such bottles and the fire in your belly would burn up that liquor before it ever reached your head."

Renwick tipped the bottle, swallowed, and felt the liquor burn its way down his throat.

"That-a-boy!" Elgar cheered. "We'll make a man of you today, that's for sure!"

He pa.s.sed the bottle on to Murthas as overhead huge black clouds swirled and the sky grew dark until it appeared as if dusk had fallen at midday. What light remained cast an eerie green radiance. Lightning continued to flash and thunder cracked. Yet sitting shoulder to shoulder among the stable of men, smelling their sweat, listening to their carefree laughter and the sounds of their belches, curses, and dirty jokes, Renwick felt safe. The liquor warmed him, relaxed him. He placed his hand on the grip of his new sword and squeezed. He thought they could win this battle. He felt that they would win, and he would stand among the victors.

"Hide the bottle!" the prince shouted, and Sir Gilbert guiltily stowed it under his shield with a comical look on his face just as Sir Breckton arrived and walked into the center of the circle.

"So there you are!" he said, spotting Renwick. "Got your armor and sword, I see. Good." He raised his hands to quiet the crowd. "Men! I have called you together here on behalf of the empress. Everyone take a knee!"

The soldiers made a loud shuffling of feet and swords. Renwick saw the small, slender figure of the empress Modina dressed all in white enter the ma.s.s of men like a flake of snow amidst a mound of mud and ash. She stepped up on a box placed at the center and looked around her, smiling. Several of the men bowed their heads, but Renwick could not; it was impossible to take his eyes off her. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever beheld and he still felt the kiss she had left on his cheeks. Before that day, he had seen her only once, when she had addressed the city from the balcony. That day he had stood in awe like the rest, marveling at her-so impressive, so powerful. Now, like in the fourth-floor office, what he saw before him was a woman. The picture of innocence wrapped in a pristine white dress that hung from her as if she were bathed in light. Modina wore no coat or cloak. Her unbound hair, glimmering like gold, fell to her shoulders. She appeared so young, not much older than him, and yet in her eyes was the aging from years of pain and hard-won wisdom.

"The elves are coming," she began, her voice soft and faint against the wind. "Reports tell of a host moving up the road from the south. No one has yet provided an accurate number or a.s.sessment of troops." She looked to the sky and took a breath. "We are the last stronghold of mankind. You are the last army, the last warriors, the last defenders of our race. If they should take this city..." She hesitated and a few bowed heads looked up.

She looked back as if taking in each face.

"None of you know me," she said, her voice changing, losing its formal tone. "Some have seen me on a balcony or in a corridor. Some have heard stories about me, of me being a G.o.ddess and the daughter of Novron-your savior. But you don't know me." She raised her arms out at her sides and slowly turned around. "I am Thrace Wood of Dahlgren Village, daughter of Theron and Addie. I was but a poor peasant from a family of farmers. My brother Thaddeus-Thad-was going to be a cooper until one night I left the door to my home open when I went to find my father. The light..." She hesitated and the pause gripped Renwick's heart. "The light through the open door attracted an elven monster. It ripped my home apart and killed my family. It killed the boy I hoped that I might one day marry. It killed my best friends, their parents, even the livestock. Then it killed my father-the last reason I had to live. But it did not kill me. I survived. I did not want to. My family-my life-was gone."

She looked out at them and he watched as her soft chin hardened as she gritted her teeth.

"But then I found a new family-a new life." She held her hands out to them and tears glistened in her eyes even as her voice grew stronger, louder. "You are my family now, my fathers, my brothers, my sons, and I will never leave the door open again. I will not let the beast in. I will never let it win again! It has taken too much from me, from you, from all of us! It has destroyed Dunmore, Ghent, Melengar, Trent, and Alburn. Many of you have lost your homes, your land, your families and now it comes here, but it shall go no farther! Here we stop it! Here we fight! Here we face our enemy without running, without flinching, without bending. Here we stand our ground and here we kill it!"

The knights cheered; the soldiers rose to their feet and beat their swords on their shields.

"The enemy comes, Sir Breckton," she shouted over the clamor. "Sound the alarm."

Breckton waved a hand and men on the roofs of shops stood up and blared fanfares of long bra.s.s horns. The sound was repeated throughout the city as other horns echoed the call. Soon Renwick could hear the bells of the churches ringing. People in the streets quickly heeded the signal and headed for the shelters.

"To the walls, men!" Breckton ordered, and they all rose.

Lightning cracked again; this time Renwick saw the crooked finger of light strike the grain silo on Coswall Avenue. There were a flash and then flame as the roof exploded in fire.

"Everyone into the dungeon!" Amilia shouted, standing on top of the wagon in the center of the courtyard as, overhead, lightning flashed and tower roofs exploded.

Only minutes before, a strike had hit something not too far behind her in the city. She felt a strange tingle on her skin and her hair rose as if lifted by dozens of invisible fingers. There was the taste of metal in her mouth; then a blinding light was followed instantly by a deafening crack. Something exploded and nearly threw her from the cart. Shaking, like a bird on a rock in the middle of a surging river, she remained on the wagon, shouting to the throng of people exiting the castle. She pointed them toward the north tower and the entrance to the old dungeon. They all had the same expression, terror imprinted over bewilderment. Poor and rich, peasant and n.o.ble, they filed out pushing and crowding, heads tilted toward the sky, cringing with each flash, screaming with each boom of thunder.

"Inside the tower! Move to your left! Don't push!" She swept her arms to the side in frustration, as if this would somehow move the crowd where she wanted them to go.

The attack came all too suddenly. They had expected horns. They had expected drums. They had expected to see an army coming up the road. They had expected plenty of time to move the population of the city underground-they had never expected this.

At least Amilia's family was already in the dungeon. They had all been lingering in the courtyard, having just seen Modina off to her troop address, when the storm began and the alarm sounded. But now she worried about Modina and Breckton. The empress would be gone only a short time, she knew, but Breckton would be going to the fight. She ached the moment he had left her side, and she worried for his safety all the time. Even while they were together, even when he had stood before her father asking for her hand in marriage, there was a shadow, a fear. It hovered and spoke to her of dangers that awaited him-dangers she would not be allowed to share. Fate had a way of making men like him into heroes, and heroes did not die quietly in bed while holding their wife's hand after a long and happy life.

Crack!

She cringed as a flash blinded her. The silver necklace-an engagement gift from Sir Breckton-buzzed around her throat like a living thing and then the roof of the south tower exploded. Chips of slate rained on the ward, the tower became a flaming torch. A sea of screams surrounded her as people scattered or fell to their knees, throwing hands over their heads and wailing at the sky. Amilia watched a young boy collapse under the push of the crowd. A woman, struck in the face with a slate shingle, fell in a burst of blood.

All around the city, lightning struck as if the G.o.ds themselves made war upon them. Smoke rose and flames terrified people who struggled to reach the safety of the shelters.

"Amilia! It's no good!" Nimbus called to her as he forced his way with a pair of soldiers against the human current, pushing out of the tower toward her. "The dungeon is filled!"

"How can that be? Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes, all those refugees, we didn't account for them. The cells and corridors are packed solid. We have to send the rest back inside."

"Oh dear Novron," she said, and began waving her arms over her head. "Listen to me! Listen to me. Stop and listen. You need to go back inside!"

No one responded. Maybe they could not hear her, or maybe it did not matter as they continued to be swept forward by the current. Another loud boom of thunder sounded and the people pushed all that much harder. A thick forest of bodies pressed up against the tower and the stables. She could see women and old men being crushed against the stone.

"Stop! Stop!" she cried, but the mob was deaf. Like a herd of mindless sheep, they pushed and shoved. A man tried to climb over the woman in front of him in an attempt to get past the ma.s.s of people. He was thrown down and did not come up again.

Bodies pressed against the sides of the cart and shook it. Amilia staggered and gripped the side in fear. A hand grabbed her wrist. "Help me!" an elderly woman with b.l.o.o.d.y scratch marks down the side of her face screamed at her.

A trumpet blared and a drum rolled. Amilia spun to look back at the courtyard's gate. There she saw a white horse and on it was Modina in her equally white dress. She was a vision, riding straight and tall. Her hair and dress billowed behind her. Arms reached out of the swarm of bodies with fingers pointing and Amilia heard shouts of "The empress! The empress!"

"There is no more room in the dungeon," Amilia shouted to her, and saw Modina nod calmly as she urged her mount forward, parting the crowd.

She raised a hand. "Those of you who can hear my voice, do not fear, do not despair," she shouted. "Return quietly to the castle. Go to the great hall and await me there."

Amilia watched in amazement at the magical effect her words had on the mob. She could feel a collective sigh, a relief pa.s.s across the courtyard. The tide changed and the herd reversed direction, moving back into the palace, moving slower, some pausing to help others.

"You should come inside too," Modina told Amilia, and soldiers helped the empress dismount and Amilia climb down from the wagon.

"Breckton? Is he..."

"He's doing his job," she said, handing her reins over to a young boy. "And we need to do ours."

"And what is our job?"

"Right now it is to get everyone inside and keep them as calm as possible. After that, we'll see."

"How do you do it?" Amilia slapped her sides in frustration. "How?"

"What?" Modina asked.

"How can you remain so calm, so unaffected, when the world is coming to an end?"