aWhat in the blazes is that?a King Longwell cried out, half-laughing. aA rotted goat?a Briyce Unger looked down at the festering corpse then back at Aron Longwell, who was still chortling. aDoes that look like a goat to you, Longwell? Is your vision so poor and your wits so dulled from sitting your throne these last years, not feeling the song of blades in your bones, that you donat know something unearthly when you see it?a Aron Longwell stiffened. aYou insult me, sir.a Briyce Unger drew up short. aI suppose I did, at that. It was not my intention when I started, but I got there, sure enough. I apologize. But surely you must see that this is no man, no beast that weave ever seen.a aIave seen one before,a Cyrus said, standing. He looked down the benches toward the center of the amphitheater as faces turned toward him. aOne of them attacked us after the battle of Harrowas Crossing. Theyare fast, theyare mean, not too tough, but enough that it gave us a fight.a aIave never seen such a thing,a Aron Longwell said with a shake of his head. aRidiculous creature.a aSire,a Count Ranson spoke from next to him. aI told you of this when I returned. Lord Davidon brought the body of one of these things back to us at the crossing, but I scarcely believed it was real. I have heard reports of similar creatures, sporadic, herds being culled, disappearances throughout the Kingdom, and a few indescribable a things a found responsible.a aI still do not believe it to be real,a King Longwell. aThat could be some other sort of creature, a farm animal, dressed up to look like something aa He stared at it, as though trying to discern its nature, aa something else entirely. This is a distraction, meant to muddy the issues before us at a time when we should be addressing grievances.a Briyce Unger let out a bellowing sigh that turned into a grunt. aOnce youare quite finished reporting your grievances, then will you be willing to listen to me about these creatures?a aI disbelieve that this threat you name even exists.a King Longwell shook his hand in the direction of the corpse. aYou are playing at something, Briyce Unger, but I know not what.a Ungeras eyes narrowed and the man seemed to grow another foot as he swelled with anger, dark clouds gathering across his countenance. aYou and I have known each other for a great amount of time, Aron Longwell, and you know full well that I am not one to move about treacherously. If I want something, I go straight at it until I get it or Iam too badly beaten to go onward. I am telling you that something is devouring my Kingdom whole. A pestilencea"a scourge of these things, is sweeping down out of the mountains of the north, taking whole villages and leaving only the survivors who can outrun their grasp before they move again. If you choose not to believe me, thatas your prerogative, but understand thisa"they are coming, and I doubt seriously that once theyave run across all the lands of Syloreas theyall simply stop at your borders, bow to your greatness, and hold their line.a aI am of a mind to listen to King Briyce,a said Milos Tiernan. aAt least insofar as maneuvering goes, he shows little of the taste for it that you and I have, King Aron.a Tiernan raised a goblet at Longwell, who seethed. aPerhaps there might be something to his claim; I have my doubts that he would wait until this late stage in his life to develop a knack for treachery.a aI think I might have heard an echo of an aold mana joke in there somewhere,a Briyce Unger said, voice dripping with irony, aand yet I donat care. What will it take to convince you that we need action?a aThere have been reports from the northern reaches of my Kingdom as well,a Tiernan said shrewdly, astrange news, strange occurrences, odd creatures blamed, but not in such numbers as you claim. I would like to send an observer to see these things with his own eyes and report back to me with the veracity of your assertions.a Milos Tiernan finished, taking another sip from the goblet that was held by one of his courtiers. aIf what you say is true, there should be no shortage of places where they could witness your Kingdom under siege from these creatures.a aAye,a Unger said, ano shortage. We can do that, arrange for someone to come north with us, see some of the carnage these things leave. But weall need to hurry.a aWhat is the great hurry, Unger?a Aron Longwell sneered with disdain. aAfraid that your mystery creatures will vanish by the time his observer gets there?a aNo, you great dolt,a Unger said, bitterness dripping from his words, aIam afraid that by the time they see the truth of my words, we return and your man motivates your slow-spinning arse into action that my Kingdom will be naught but ashes and blood.a He drew himself up again. aEvery Sylorean, we men of the north, know battle in our souls, quest for it in our lives, but this scourge that sweeps across our lands spares not women nor children, and is unmerciful in every way.a He looked around. aI see in these things the death of all I hold dear, of my lands, of my people aa he seemed to grind out the last words, aa even of the rest of Luukessia. And I donat mean to have it happen while Iam lying about. Give me your observers and Iall take them north, Iall show them the right of it, and weall come backa"but when we do, I want your word that youall move your armies to action, because if you donata"if you donat mean to do anythinga"then Iall be leading all my armies in a last charge. Something, anything to stem the tide of these creatures,a he spat onto the grey skinned rotting body at his feet, aand try to save my people.a

Chapter 29.

The moot went on for a bit after that, a few more grievances aired (by King Longwell onlya"every time he was offered the opportunity to speak, Unger demurred and Tiernan did the same), petty concerns, mostly, dealing with small matters.

Cyrus turned to Odau Genner as Grenwald Ivess took to his feet once more. aWhat about Cattrine?a Cyrus asked. aI must have missed the resolution of what was to happen with regard to her.a Genner shook his head. aThere was little argument because the discussion was tabled as unresolved, destined to be debated further in the coming days. The reporting of grievances can only end with accession or dispute; in larger matters, accession is the rarer course.a Genner smiled faintly. aI suspect it will be hotly debated on the morrow in session.a aThe King wants me to turn her over, doesnat he?a Cyrus asked, prompting Genner to hem and haw. aI wonat. I will not send her back to the arms of that coward so she can be whipped and beaten.a Genneras face became slack. aThen youall need to fight for her, else youall be placing our Kingdom in the midst of another war, one I have doubts we could win at present.a He looked away. aItas not something we need to worry about yet, anyway.a aWho will the King send north?a Cyrus asked, causing Genner to cough.

aI suspect Count Ranson will be our envoy,a Genner said. aIf I had to guess.a aI want to go with him,a Cyrus said, feeling a stir inside. The moon shone down overhead; long ago the sun had set and it was deep in the night. The stars were barely visible against the blue-black of the sky, and the torches burning on sconces around them lent the garden a smoky scent, reminding Cyrus once again that he was not in Sanctuary, with her smokeless torches and bright hallways. aI want to go north, to see this threat for myself.a Genner nodded. aYou are in charge of your own army. I canat see the King refusing you, especially while we are still encamped here at Enrant Mongea"and it seems unlikely we will be leaving until this expedition returns from the north.a The benches cleared a few at a time; some of the delegates remained to chat with others in their own party, and in a few cases, with other delegates. aThere looks to be some crossover,a Cyrus said. aSome of them know each other?a aOh, yes,a Genner said. aIt has been over a decade since the last moot, but the older among us know each other. Between you and me,a he said with a smile, athis is how the diplomacy gets done, the deals worked out. Itas not presented in session, but haggled by lower level intermediaries, argued back and forth, until something amenable comes to be discussed in the garden.a Genner shifted his weight from one foot to the other. aWe have discussions, surely, but all the real work is done when the session ends or on a break. In these meetings all we do is shout our position at the top of our lungs, never changing it until weave privately agreed with the other side on concessions. With Actaluere, anyway,a Genner amended. aBriyce Unger is usually not so subtle in his negotiations.a aSounds like a lot of bullshit to me,a Cyrus said. aI think I prefer Ungeras method.a aThere is no finesse, no subtlety to it,a Genner said. aHe is a brute, a man who leads with his sword and follows with whatever is left.a aAye,a Cyrus said with a smile. aI like him already.a aEh?a Genner looked at Cyrus, mystified. aIall communicate your desire to go north with Count Ranson, old boy. I wouldnat presume to tell you exactly how it has to be, but if theyare in as great a hurry as Unger appears, theyall likely leave tonight or early on the morrow, and youall be restricted to taking only horsed men with you. I doubt theyall want to wait for men on foot given the urgency of this mission.a aThat shouldnat be a problem,a Cyrus said, and turned to look at the others, now folded into a group behind him. aI mean to go north with Unger,a he told them. aWeall only take those on horseback, and I need a good, solid corps of veteransa"somewhere between twenty and thirty, but not so many that the army is crippled without us.a He nodded at Curatio. aYou and Jaanda, for certain. Longwell, Iad like you to be your fatheras eyes on this, in case he doesnat trust Ranson.a Cyrus turned to Terian. aYou, I think will need to stay and keep an eye on things around here.a aNo,a Terian said. aIall be coming with you; send for Odellan to keep an eye on things in the castle here if you must, but Iam coming along.a Cyrus raised an eyebrow at him. aIs that so? All right. Iall need you three to go to the army. I donat want Odellan to leave them; heas proven himself far too apt at commanding them to pull him away from that now. Have Ryin and Nyad come here to watch the proceedings for us. Iall want Mendicant and Aisling going north with us as well as a druid or two as can be spared. Make sure you leave at least a couple healers behind.a aYouall be needing to send a messenger to Alaric,a Curatio said. aWeave been gone for over four months now.a aWeare about to split our forces rather dramatically,a Cyrus said. aLetas wait until we get back to send word. I donat want anyone to have to anchor their soul here on Luukessia just yet; they may need the return spell to carry them back to Sanctuary at an inconvenient moment.a aVery well,a Curatio said shrewdly, but Cyrus could see the argument in his eyes that the healer was saving for later. aIf youall excuse me, Iall start culling a force out of our army to go north.a Cyrus nodded, and watched Jaanda and Terian follow the healer. aIall confer with my father, if it pleases you,a Longwell said, still somewhat despondent. aMake certain he doesnat take our desire to go north the wrong way.a aI could certainly use some help in that department, young Longwell,a Genner said. aBetween you and me, King Aron seems quite changed from the days when he rode at the fore of the dragoons. More quick to anger, less quick to listen.a aAye,a Longwell said. aMy motheras effect on him is sorely missed. Let us go.a He gestured to Genner, who followed him. Aron Longwell was already making his way toward the tunnel which they had entered through hours earlier, leaving Cyrus alone with Cattrine and a few remaining delegates. Briyce Unger waited too, speaking with two of his men at the bench he had been sitting upon during the moot, his white robe colored orange by the tint of the torchlight.

Cyrus glanced at Cattrine and then walked away from her, stepping over the benches in front of him in a clumsy descent, avoiding the stairs and the line of people filing up them toward Actaluere and Galbadienas gates. He stepped over the last and looked at Cattrine again; she was frozen, all but her eyes, standing in the place where he had left her, looking from him to where the Grand Duke Hoygraf watched her, standing with his walking stick, his face twisted in a smile that made Cyrus want to snatch away the cane and batter him with it until the man moved no more.

Instead, Cyrus continued on across the center of the amphitheater until he reached Briyce Unger, who had watched him during his approach. The smell from the corpse of the thing that waited at Ungeras feet permeated the air. The King stood at Cyrusas eye level, and when Cyrus approached, the big man stopped speaking with his subordinates, eyeing Cyrus with cold brown eyes.

aBriyce Unger?a Cyrus asked. aMy name isa"a aCyrus Davidon of the guild Sanctuary,a the King of Syloreas said, unmoved. aI heard your name announced when you came in. My men who survived tell me itas you thatas the hero of Harrowas Crossing, not Ranson.a aIt was me,a Cyrus said. aDoes that gall you, sir?a aCanat pretend it tickles me overmuch,a Unger said, still not registering much in the way of emotions on his bearded face. aSix months agoa"hell, even three months agoa"if Harrowas Crossing had happened, I would have come after you with everything to avenge my men. Nothing personal, you understanda"well, as impersonal as the heat of battle getsa"but no one does that to my army and gets away with it.a The big man shrugged. aNow, with all this,a he nudged the remains of the creature wrapped in cloth at his feet, aI find myself hoping you and your army of western magicians will be on our side.a aIad like to be,a Cyrus said. aI want to go north with you, get a look at these things for myself.a aI thought you said you already saw one,a Unger said, regarding Cyrus with some suspicion.

aI did,a Cyrus said. aWhen we went out to capture Partus after Harrowas Crossing, we found him being attacked by one of them. If thereas more,a he leaned in closer to Unger, aI want to see them for myself.a aThereas more,a Unger said. aPlenty more. Youare more than welcome to come along; especially if you bring your western magics.a Unger cocked his head, and Cyrus saw the regret channel through the man.a We could use more than a little of it in Syloreas right now.a aI take it youall be leaving soon?a Cyrus asked.

aRight now, if I could swing it,a Unger said with a laugh that sounded like a bark. aMost likely at first light.a aIave already got my people assembling a force to ride out with you,a Cyrus said. aAbout thirty or so, all veterans.a aGood enough,a Unger said, nodding. aAnd your King wonat be providing a problem?a aHeas not my King,a Cyrus said. aI came to render aid because his son is my friend and an officer of my guild.a aHeh,a Unger said with something that didnat sound anything like a laugh. aHonor bound, is that it? To a fellow warrior?a aSomething like that,a Cyrus said. aHonor is pretty important in my guild.a aFeh!a Unger waved him off. aHonor. I donat begrudge anyone their honor, but I hear it come from the mouths of the dishonorable more often than those who truly show it. Victory is whatas important now, and Iad trade all my honor if it kept my Kingdom from falling to these beasts. Show me a man whoas obsessed with only his honor and Iall show you a man whoall be defeated time after time. Honor! Tell me about honor on the day you see your enemies marching into your towns, slaughtering your people.a aDefending your people is a kind of honor,a Cyrus said. aThese things are beasts, so the only honor here is protecting those who canat protect themselves from these things.a aFair enough,a Unger said. aI suppose I was still thinking of it the way Aron Longwell cries about it. Wraps himself up in the word as though it could shield you from a thousand swords. But it doesnat shield you from the reality of war, weare seeing that now.a He nodded at Cyrus. aIam going to go get myself an hour or so of sleep before I start having to make preparations again. Come to the north gate with your people at sunrise, and weall be off.a aCount on it,a Cyrus said.

aOh, I will,a Briyce Unger said with a toothy grin as he began to ascend the amphitheater stairs behind him. aIam already planning my strategy around having some of your mystics to help save us from our troubles.a Cyrus gave the man a nod as he left with the rest of his delegation, and watched him disappear from sight into the tunnel. When he turned, he saw that the amphitheater was empty, and the garden around him was quiet, save for the buzz of crickets in the night air. There was a very slight movement across from him and he realized that the last person in the amphitheater besides him was Cattrine. She sat on the bench in the same place she had been throughout the ceremony, watching him, as gravely as if someone had died.

Her skin held a certain flush in the torchlight, a warm, browned hue from all the travel of the last months. Her auburn hair was perfectly matched to the lighting, and he saw the slightest flicker of her eyes as he crossed the center of the amphitheater, heading toward the tunnel through which he had entered. aGoing to stay here all night?a he asked her, pausing at the end of her row.

aPerhaps,a she said, quiet, calm. aI a canat believe heas still alive.a Cyrus felt a sharp pain within. aIam sorry.a She looked up at him in surprise. aWhatever else has happened between us, Iam sorry I didnat free you from him. I may not care for the fact that you lied to me,a he felt his body tense as the anger came back to him, aabout your brother and who you were, but I wouldnat wish being married to him upon you, no matter what.a aI donat wish to go with him,a she said, and lowered her head. aI donat wish to ever be subject to a to that man, ever again.a aYou wonat have to,a Cyrus said. aI wonat let him take you.a aYou would fight your way through the whole Kingdom of Actaluere to spare me?a she asked with a subtle smile. aYou would go into the heart of the sea country, into the city of Caenalys and fight your way through the streets and over the bridges, and do so on my behalf?a Cyrus felt the clench of his jaw and hated it. aIf I have to, I will.a She stood, then, and turned to him, watching him, her green eyes hard like emeralds and unrelenting in their pursuit of him. aEven though I didnat tell you who I was?a She took a step closer to him. aEven though I lied by omission, as you say? Even still?a She stepped closer yet, and was now only a few feet away from him.

aI would.a He nodded. aAll the way to their capital if necessary, all the way to their throne room, I would fight my way to your brother himself, crush all his guards and pry a promise from his lips to never pursue you or attempt to make war to honor his own name, under penalty of my return.a She stared at him, still as a statue. aWhat a man are you, Cyrus Davidon. How deep must your conviction run, that you would do that for a near-stranger?a He flushed, and swallowed hard. aYouare not a stranger, weave beena"a aI know,a she said, and took another step toward him, reaching out and running a palm down his cheek. aI almost thought you had forgotten, in your anger, as though you wanted to disavow ever knowing me, ever holding me aa aWhat happened, happened,a Cyrus said, feeling the touch of her hand on his face. He could feel the roughness, where once it had been soft and smooth, now calloused from the ride and practice with her blade. aBut itas done now.a He felt a great pressure in his chest, a warmth within him at her touch, at the remembrance of nights and days in Vernadam. aYou saw to that when you didnat tell me the honest truth.a aI didnat lie,a she said, coming closer, her forehead nearly on his. aI wouldnat have lied to you. But I feared that you would not fight that hard for me, for a near-stranger, or even for a lover, had you known who my brother was and what complications it would bring. How was I to know?a aBecause you know me now. Because you got to know me, the real me.a He couldnat look at her. aYou could have told me at Vernadam. Any time in the days we spent together, the infinity of blissful days that we held together.a aI was afraid,a she said, holding her hand awkwardly, still touching his face. He leaned into her as she stroked his cheek. His breathing became suddenly slightly heavier, his heart thumped in his ears. aAfraid youad be a upset. A fear that turned out to be accurate, I would point out.a aBut it wouldnat have been,a he said, his voice low, his eyes now on hers, gazing into them. aNot if youad told the truth before all the hell broke loose. Before there was threat of war. I wouldnat have been angry if youad told me then. If youad been honest and not tried to hide forevera"and we could have aa He took a breath, felt a pulse within him, the deep thrum of his desire. How can it have been less than a month? I wasnat so on fire with need after years, but now a aWe still could,a she said, slipping closer, drawing her forehead to his with her hands then slipping her arms around him. aI still want you. Iave missed you a the touch of you, the feel of you against me in the cold night air aa Her hands ran down his robes, clung tight to him, pulled him against her. aI want you,a she whispered in his ear, and her mouth found his earlobe and sucked on it gently, her soft breath against the side of his neck causing Cyrusas entire mind to blot out any thought but her a He was both acutely aware of every moment and yet it blurred around him as though he were in a stupor of tiredness. She pulled him down, onto the nearest bench, and he felt her hands lifting the hem of his robe, felt the rustle of cloth as she tugged her breeches down and he heard the sound of her leather boots echo on the floor of the amphitheater. Her kisses were tender yet forceful, and every one of them seemed to awaken some beast within him that had been locked away for the last month, clamoring quietly to get out, chambered in a room of bleakness and despair but now afforded a view of the sky and charging toward it with all its strength.

He kissed her back, roughly, and it was just as it had been at Vernadam. He craved her, kissed her on the side of her neck, sucked on the sweet skin there and heard her moan as he unlaced her cloth shirtas collar and slid it up. She kicked off her breeches underneath him and it turned loose his animal excitement. Something froze him, for just a beat. aWonat somebody see us?a aTheyare all gone,a she said. aOff to bed, and wonat be back to the garden until tomorrow afternoon.a aBut aa He sat there, feeling foolish but still wanting her, held back by an invisible tether. aYouare still a married woman.a Her eyes were on his, and he could see that she wanted it too, wanted him. aThat never stopped you before.a aI thought you were a widow before.a aSo did I,a she said, pulling him closer, abut so little is my regard for the man that this almost seems more delicious than before.a She pulled him close and kissed him, and they melted together into action and activity, the cold night air made warmer by Cyrusas skin pressed against hers, held by her embrace until they had finished.

aYouare a man of commendable vigor,a she said, her voice muffled from her face being pressed against his chest. She reached a hand up and brushed her hair back so he could see her face, glowing, almost resplendent. Her shirt had been lost in the moments between her initiation of their second lovemaking and his arrival on the floor. He felt the stone chill against his back and bottom, but it seemed to soothe his hot flesh. aThe Baron could never manage to satiate me in such a way as you have.a aDonat talk about him when youare with me,a Cyrus said, but it came off snappish, and he saw her flinch from his words. aItas been a month; of course Iad have some pent-up desire.a aYou have years of desire, my love,a she said with a sigh. aAnd your vigor is hardly something new; how many times did we engage in such things at Vernadam? Iam only pleased that you havenat grown tired of me quite yet.a One of her hands slipped down as she smiled.

aStop,a he whispered, imploring her. aNot here. Not again.a aWhy not?a she asked. aI used to come here as a child, you know. With Milos and my father, whenever a convocation was held. We had three of them, two within a year of each other. This is a sacred place to us, here in Luukessia, because of the connection Enrant Monge has to our ancestors.a She lifted herself off him, exposing her upper body, and causing him to bristle as she got to her knees, causing him to tremble at the sight of her nakedness, the scars that crisscrossed her body still visible to him now, obvious, inescapable signs of her torment, almost as though they were marks of her guilt. aI used to wonder if the man I would marry was in the crowd of nobles who would come with us to the moots.a She became ashen as she tucked her hair behind her shoulders. aAs it turned out, he wasa"though not the man I would have picked for myself.a aYouare talking about him again,a Cyrus said, sitting upright. Now the stone underneath his buttocks simply felt cold, uncomfortable to his touch. Cattrine remained on her knees, leaning back to rest her haunches on his thighs.

aIam sorry,a she said gently. aI meant to say that I hoped back then that I would meet a man like youa"strong, brave, noble and true, one that would treat me decently, more decently than many of the ladies I knew in court were treated by their husbands.a aSo were you looking for a man to take care of you?a He eyed her warily.

aI was taught to take care of a man and heall take care of youa"something of a lie, I realize now, but at the time it seemed reasonable enough.a He felt bile rise in his throat, heat on his face, and he recoiled from her, pulling himself free of her grasp. The sweat and the smell made him feel only dirty now, as though any clothing he touched would be soiled, ruined, unusable at any time in the future. The stickiness of his skin as it pulled away from the stones that he had sat upon felt as though his flesh had to be peeled from it the way the skin of an apple is removed, and the grittiness remained as he rose to his knees and clutched at the robes that lay only a few feet away.

aDid I not please you, malord?a Cattrineas eyes were upon him, but the slight mocking undertone in her voice made him ill, made him feel dirtier still. aIs your tireless drive such that I need convince you of my affections once more?a She pressed close to him again, laying her head upon his shoulder from behind as he leaned over.

She still felt good against his skin as she pressed herself to his back, and he felt a momentary urge to turn, to hold her, but he pulled away instead, the fight won at last by that nagging sense of disgust that had welled up within him. It overcame the last of his desire, spent finally from all her efforts, and he felt the monster withinas clutches let loose of him, and a fearful anger took hold. aGet off me,a he said, and let his robe cover him and his shame.

Her face was a mask. There was no kindness upon it as there had been in the past, but some fear or anger crept out in slow measure, revealing itself subtly through the tilt of her eyes, the thinness of her lips as she regarded him. aDid I do something to make you angry?a she asked with the subtlest hint of insincerity. aDo you wish to hurt me now? Because if so, I do request you keep it below the collar and above the sleeves.a Her fingers traced lines over the flawless skin just above her neckline down to the jagged scars that ran across her breasts and along her arms, and down to her left thigh where a particularly heinous wound had left a half-inch indentation in her inner thigh where the skin was simply missing, as though someone had gouged a small cube of it out.

aIam not going to hurt you,a he said, almost spitting the words at her. aYouare still the same woman who came before the man who she thought killed her husband and immediately offered herself to him.a The deep disgust welled within him. aHave you been manipulating me all along? Taking advantage of my a desperation, my heartbreak, my naivete?a He saw the flicker of hurt in her eyes at his words, and her skin reddened around her neck, turning the same fiery red as it always had post-coitus, little blotches, like fall leaves on the palest parts of her flesh. aI wouldnat call you naive. Youare a man grown, and youave known the touch and seduction of a woman before. I came to you in your hour of need in Vernadam, willingly, as you aided me in mine by taking me away from Green Hill. I see nothing to be ashamed of in that. You offered your help to my escape, but gave me no guarantee that such aid would continue forever. I took what you gave, and drew closer to youa"but do not ascribe my motives to selfishness, Cyrus. That would be unkind. I did nothing with you that I did not want to, that I did not wish to do wholeheartedly.a aFunny,a Cyrus said, slipping his feet back into his footcovers. aYou just used my bodya"my appetitesa"to try and sway me back to you,a he said, the rage filling him. aIs this nothing but a game to you? Like your brother plays with Luukessia? Am I just a piece to move around the board to your best advantage?a He saw her face tighten, harden, as though the mask had solidified in stone and there was nothing left but it. aMy best advantage would be to rule Actaluere, but alas, even as the eldest child, I am a daughter, and thus ineligible to be in the line of succession. The best I can do is to get out of this forsaken land, where being born a girl gives you less chance than a mutt of finding a man who wonat beat you or lord his power over you. You offered that. Donat fault me for accepting it.a aAnd everything else?a Cyrus asked, staring at her pinched expression. aThat was all a what? Sugar on top? A gift to me for making good my promise and freeing you?a aIt was aa her voice cut out, but the coolness of her gaze remained, aa whatever you wish to think it was.a aI think it was manipulation,a Cyrus said. aI think behind your eyes is a fearsome calculator, someone as subtle and wicked as Milos Tiernan ever has been. I think you saw a chance to solidify your power, and you saw me as a chance to do it, so you took it. I think you saw a man at the head of an army who had the ability to give you what you wanted and you went for it, clumsily at first, then recovered and came about it a different way, and in my moment of weakness you found your opportunity.a aSee it however you like,a she said. aBut remember, it was you who invited me into your bed, not vice versa.a aOh, I see it now,a Cyrus said, quelling the anger within. aI see it all, now, all youave hidden.a He reached down and took hold of her riding breeches from the ground and the shirt next to them and tossed them to her. She caught them, flinching as her hands curled around the cloth and pulled the shirt over her head. He watched the scars disappear beneath it, along with all else. aI think your scars are your excuse; that there are other things that mar you far worse than anything so surface-level as those. I think you are cunning, far more cunning than I would have given you credit for.a aMy goodness,a she said, aall this thinking will come to a bitter end for you.a She remained fixed, unexpressive, save for the coldness that radiated off her in waves, reminding Cyrus of the Northlands of Arkaria, the frozen tundra that even in summer remained frosted. aYouall spin about for quite a bit longer I suspect, weaving more and more suspicions.a She tugged on her pants, sliding into them and lacing them tight. He watched as the drawstring dug against her flesh, biting into her skin, leaving a red line where it hugged her waist before disappearing under her shirt. aDraw whatever conclusion youad like, Lord Davidon,a she said coldly. aBut tell me thisa"what do you mean to do with me now? Would you still defend me to the death? Would you march your armies into the land of Actaluere to save me from having to go back to my husband? Or do you hold me in such low regard that you would throw me back to him, as a plains cat would toss aside the remains of a meal it is finished with?a aAs tempting as that would be, discarding you back to the tender hands of the Grand Duke Hoygraf,a he said spitefully, watching her stiffen as he said it, aI am not so cruel as you and would not use that bastard merely to hurt you as you have hurt me.a He shook his head. aEven after all else, Iall honor my pledge.a He looked away from her. aI suppose itas the least I can do, as payment for what youave done toa"and fora"me.a Her eyes flared. aYou think me a doxy, now?a He watched, waiting to see if she would strike at him. aYou consider me a whore because I gave myself to you? More the fool you are, Cyrus Davidon.a She tied the neck of her shirt together, but he could still see the redness at her collarbones. aHave it your own way, then. Iall take your safe passage from this land as payment. And Iall thank you, once itas all over, for teaching me once again a lesson I should have learned before.a aOh?a Cyrus asked, as she turned from him, grabbing her boots and starting up the stairs. aWhatas that?a aThat no man can be trusted,a she said, looking back at him, eyes flashing in the light of the torch next to her. aNot even the one who appears as a heroa"a knight, shininga"who says he will save you. All men are the same, with their own barbs, and swords, and their own ways of inflicting scars.a Her flush carried all the way to her face this time, and she left, her bare feet slapping on the stone up the steps, and when she reached the flat ground at the top he heard her stride turn to a run until she was gone.

Chapter 30.

The dawn found him sleepless, in his tower room, with his armor already strapped on. He left as the first rays came over the horizon. The stableboy, a red-haired, freckled lad, yawned and handed over the reins to Windrider. Cyrus took them and mounted up, riding the long way around the castle, through the southern courtyard and the western one, until he reached the northern one and its gate, taking particular note of the southern gate as he passed it, the portcullis down and rusted, ominous in the silence pouring forth from beyond it.

Cyrus rode out the north gate of Enrant Monge, and found an assemblage waiting. Curatio and Jaanda, Terian and Longwell, along with Aisling, who rode next to Mendicant. Not far from them waited another figure, smaller, and Cyrus called out when he saw him.

aWhat is he doing unbound?a Cyrus asked, pointing at Partus, who sat upon his horse, his warhammer slung behind him.

aIt seemed the thing to do,a Curatio said, drawing Cyrusas attention.

aThe suicidal thing to do, you mean,a Cyrus said. aHe killed me.a aNow, now,a Jaanda said, ayouave died several times. Whatas the harm in one more?a aI donat know,a Cyrus said, irritable. aWhat was your name again? Iam having trouble remembering.a The enchanter shrugged and smiled, then loosed an illusion upon himself that made him look like Cyrus, armor and all. aDo you think you could remember my name now, you handsome devil?a aThatas pretty damned disturbing,a Terian said, trying not to look at the two of them. aIf the two of you touch each other, will you become one massive Cyrus, like, twelve feet tall?a aNo,a Jaanda-Cyrus said, awe would simply touch, just as would happen with anyone else.a aAre you sure?a Aisling said, staring at the two of them with undisguised amusement. aTry giving each other a hug and a kiss, just to be certain.a aThatas revolting,a Terian said.

aI could stand to watch it a little while,a Aisling said with a coy smile. aAnd then maybe participatea"a aUgh, ugh, ugh,a Terian said, shaking his head and speaking so loudly that it drowned out the rest of Aislingas sentence.

aYou know,a Jaanda said with a raised eyebrow at Cyrus, aif you wanted to really disturb Teriana"a aNo,a Cyrus said, and then looked his doppelganger up and down. aItas not that youare not pretty enough,a he said with more lightness than he actually felt, abut I find that this morning Iam simply not in the mood.a aHah,a Jaanda-Cy said as Terian gagged in the background. aThe way you say that would seem to indicate that later you woulda"a aNo.a Cyrus shook his head. aBut you do look good like that.a Cyrus looked over the space before them. They were on a dusty road, assembling with a few others. Cyrus saw Count Ranson and another man, clad in the surcoat Cyrus had seen on the men of Actaluere, speaking with Briyce Unger, who seemed to be watching them both with little interest. A guard posse of thirty or so was assembled near Unger, and Cyrus urged Windrider forward toward the King of Syloreas, catching Ungeras attention when he neared.

aWeall be riding at a fair clip,a Briyce Unger said with a nod of acknowledgment to Cyrus. aNot so hard as to kill the horses, but weall be pushing them. Likely need some time to rest and care for them between rides, but I hope your animals are up to a hard pace, because weall be traveling north for at least the next month to get to Scylax.a The King looked at them soberly.

Without another word, Unger turned his horse around and yelled while spurring it, causing the horse to whinny and charge ahead at a gallop. Ungeras guard began to trot forward as well, following their King. Cyrus waited for Count Ranson and the Actaluere envoy to fall in and he waved a hand directing the Sanctuary force, numbering somewhere around twenty-five, he estimated, to fall in behind them.

They rode hard for the rest of the day, taking breaks every few hours to care for the horses and feed the men. Unger marveled when Cyrus had Mendicant conjure oats for the animals, shaking his massive, shaggy head. aYou westerners and your magicians,a he said as his horse fed, aour ancestors had the right of it; your land is one in which our men do not belong.a aIam a man,a Cyrus said, raising his eyebrow at Unger. aAnd I have no magic. You saying I donat belong?a aDonat know,a Unger said. aCan you fight those fellows that use it?a aIave fought a few,a Cyrus said. aKilled a few, too.a aAll the better for you,a Unger said with a smirk. aPerhaps Iall get the chance one of these days.a The Kingas smirk faded. aNot anytime soon, though, I hope. We need all the help we can get now, magical and otherwise.a aWhatas it been like?a Cyrus asked as he ran a brush along Windrideras side.

Briyce Unger didnat answer for a moment. They stood under a tree that was ten times the height of a man, and Cyrus could see the sun shine through the boughs, casting leaf-shaped shadows on the King of Syloreasas face which moved subtly as the leaves swayed in the wind. The shadows moved, the shifting patches of darkness giving Ungeras face the tint of a man uncertain, greyed out, cast in shadow. aThey come in great numbers. One or two of them is no challenge; like fighting any man or perhaps a cunning bear or mountain lion.a A very slight smile crept over his lips. aI rode back from Galbadien, from the war, when I got the message from one of my nobles in the mountains saying his hall and the villages around him had been overrun by beasts he could scarce describea"that it was like things out of our old mountain legends, the things that would bring about the end of all men. This man was brave and old and rode with my father in wars that could only be described as fearful. I went home, as fast as I could, and made it only in time to fight one battle with this scourge, this plague.

aIave fought battles,a Unger said, his face haunted. aYou know, I can tell by your face youave been in a melee or twelve. You donat fear the battle, you thrill to it. I do, anyway. But this battle was different. Iave been overmatched before, no shame in that. Being outnumbered is a northmanas lot, itas the way of Syloreas. We fight harder because we have fewer men, thatas the way of things.

aBut these a creatures,a he pronounced with disgust, athey keep coming. We met them in a village in a pass. They came at us, and the battle was good at first; I was up to my knees in their dead by the end of the first hour, as it should be. The second hour, I was up to my chest in a pile of my own dead, and still they came. They do not bend with the chaos, they do not ebb with loss; they are implacable, unstoppable, insatiable in their desire to destroy all around them, and they gave me a taste of fear, I am not ashamed to say.a The King of Syloreas stopped, and looked at Cyrus, shaking his head. aMy first taste in a long, long while. I have never, not in battles where my men were outnumbered ten to one, not even on the day I found myself alone in a pack of wolves, ever felt so afraid and surrounded by the odds arrayed against me.a The King of Syloreas swallowed hard. aI confess I thought myself a coward after that. Retreat against poor odds is acceptable; sometimes a strategic retreat is the only way you can win a war later, or preserve a Kingdom to fight through another day. But when I ran from that village, I did not do it strategically or in the name of preserving anything but my own arse against a foe that seemed unstoppable, a scourge that looked to take everything, and fill the land from end to end with my dead and theirs until I could see no more ground.a Cyrus listened and watched the King as he shook his head once more in amazement, or consternation at his own story, and walked away from Cyrus still shaking his head.

The next days were long and hard on the horses. Cyrus, for his part, had been riding on horseback so heavily for the last few months that it seemed almost as though he would live the rest of his life there. It was almost as if he had known no other life but this, save for a brief spell in the castle of Vernadam, when he slept in a bed and received all the blessings of civilization, and all the affections a woman could give.

By the time the second week of their ride had rolled around, the days were long again for riding, and Cyrus found his mind weary. Sleep did not come easily at night, and his restless slumber was punctuated by evenings when he thought of Cattrine, of their encounter at Enrant Monge, and he tossed and turned in his bedroll near the fire, unable to find any relief.

His eyes wandered frequently during the ride, as the fatigue conspired to wear him down. Aisling always seemed to be about, though she kept her distance from him. He found himself looking for her, especially when he rode near the back of the group. He watched her on her horse, his eyes drinking in the curves of her body, and he let his mind drift, thinking of her and Cattrine and Vara, interchanging the three of them in his mind and memory, imagining himself in bed in his quarters at Vernadam with Aisling, her blue skin pressed against him. Then it was Vara, her blond hair glistening in the light cast by the fire in the hearth, scars on her back and legs reminding him that it was in fact Cattrine that had been there with him, satiating his hunger, not Vara or Aisling.

He tried to shake the thoughts out of his mind, but neither the water he splashed on his face nor the rest he tried to take at night could keep them at bay for long. He spent long days thinking, not of what waited for him ahead nor of his companion travelers (save for when they spoke to him, which was more than they had in the last few months when he had a constant black cloud around him) but of Vara and her betrayal, and of Cattrine and her betrayal, and of Aisling, and the three of them, and all the things that he and Cattrine had done, all the little pleasures, of how he wanted to feel them again.

They journeyed across flat lands, plains, through forests that grew more lush and leafy as they went north. Summer was beginning to set in hard upon them, the sun beating down and warming the land. A week of vicious heat after leaving Enrant Monge became milder as they went on, easing into beautiful traveling weather.

Cyrus could see mountains in the distance after three weeks, foothills just ahead that made him remember Fertiss and the halls of the dwarven capital back in Arkaria. He could see snow-capped peaks, something that looked singularly out of place after the heat they had experienced only scant weeks earlier. The plains became greener as they went, nursed by flowing streams that came from the mountains. The land was verdant, reminding Cyrus of everything that Vernadam had been when they arrived, and even, vaguely, of the Plains of Perdamun, where he was certain it was now hot, hotter than what they had experienced at Enrant Monge or after it as they headed north.

The foothills became steeper as the mountains drew closer. Women remained the only thing on Cyrusas mind, and in rapid succession they came and went in his head, Aisling, Vara, Cattrine. He wondered why Aisling would fit into his thoughts, and realized that she was one of the only women on the expedition with him, and the only one he truly knew other than in passing. At last he realized with a shock one night while staring at her as she sat at another fire, her back to him, that she was the only woman with them that he found remotely attractive. She had made suggestions to him in the past, things that made him warm in the night when he recalled the words. Now she said nothing to him, as though he were not even there.

I feel like a teenage boy, he admitted to himself one night by the fire, long after the others had gone to sleep, and he had tossed in his bedroll for hours. Just as confused and alone as I did back at the Society, unsure of anything, and even more conflicted. He shook his head, as though he could somehow jar loose contemplations of either Vara or Cattrine, both of whom dominated his thoughts. I am a warrior. I need battle, I need the clarity of it. To go this long without combat is a drain, and I obsess over these a lustful, useless thoughts.

aYou may be setting some sort of record for sleeplessness.a The dry voice of Terian came from behind him and he turned to see the dark elf, sitting once more with his sword across his lap, a rag polishing the edge of the blade. aI remain amazed that you donat fall unconscious on your horse each day as we ride.a aAnd you?a Cyrus asked. aDo you linger, sleepless each night as I do? You must, if you see how little rest I get.a aAye,a Terian said. aI suspect I get a bit more sleep than you do, but perhaps not by much.a aAnd whatas on your mind that keeps you from rest?a Cyrus asked, trying to turn aside the dark knightas inevitable inquiry before it was made. aWhat halts the repose of the great Terian Lepos, isolates him from the nocturnal peace he craves?a aPerhaps I worry about you,a Terian said with a wicked smile. aAfter all, the wheel has turned for you, my friend. After Harrowas Crossing you seemed to be at an apex of happiness, such a contrast to the horror that was your glum state of mind on our journey leading up to that point. Then, with one little revelation, all your happiness was swept into the gutter like all the other rubbish and you were in the darkness of Yartraakas despair again. One could almost feel sorry for you.a He shrugged. aIf one didnat know better, one might think that you were beginning to get as jaded as I am, as youave started to stare at our roguish ranger somewhat hungrily,a he nodded his head in the direction of Aislingas bedroll, and Cyrus saw a shock of her white hair sticking out of the top of it. aYou have the look of a man on a diet of barley corn who hungers desperately for meat. Or are you merely switching your affections once more?a aI am aa Cyrus let his voice trail off, aa not certain of much of anything, but I doubt I have any genuine affection left in me at this point.a aSo rampant lust, then?a Terian said coolly. aI understand that all too well. I hope to find a soothing balm for that at the whorehouse in Scylax.a He rubbed the pommel of his sword. aIam told they have quite a good one, at least according to a couple of the Syloreans I spoke with.a aHow lovely,a Cyrus said with only a dash of sarcasm.

aDonat be so high and mighty with me, Lord Davidon,a Terian said, his face falling into shadow. aNow that youave awakened to what youave been missing all these years, I sense a craven desperation in you. Give you a few more days of staring at the dark elf girl and soon enough youall be thinking that a brothel would seem a sweet release.a aI certainly hope not,a Cyrus said. aI donat care what you do, Terian, but Iam not you. I donat begrudge you your entertainments, but donat fall into the trap of thinking that Iall make the same decisions you do simply because Iam feeling unsatisfied.a aYouall see, soon enough,a Terian said with a small smile, a bitter one. aYou could ignore it before, when you channeled everything into battle and into your idiotic feelings for Vara. Now that thatas all done, the Baroness opened your eyes. Sure, she stabbed you good, in the heart, but now youare awake. You know people will betray you, that women will betray you, but you know what you want from thema"at least part of it. She did you a favor, helping you get out of your chains and reminding you that you have a a pulse,a he said with a salacious grin. aGive you a month more of suffering in silence, bedding in common areas and youall either go crawling off into the woods to take hold of your own release or youall get smart and realize that the coin of the realm will buy you the same relief, and itall be that much better for being real.a aI doubt thereas much areala about what you do in a whorehouse,a Cyrus said. aOther than feel really, truly cheated afterward.a aAh, thereas that sanctimoniousness again,a Terian said. aYou think youare better than me, I know, but youare not, and the sooner you realize it the better off youall be. Iave never had a whore betray me nor lie to me in a way that could hurt my feelings, bruise my ego, or stab me in the heart. Iave never had a harlot turn down my coin nor send me running dejected to fight another manas war in another manas land, and Iave certainly not had it happen twice in a row. If you lie down with dogs, you get fleas.a His smile disappeared, replaced by a thin look of malice coupled with warning. aAnd when you lie down with a woman and give her your heart, you get swallowed up, lost. Youave seen it, youave felt it, youave lived ita"what? Three times now?a"yet still you ignore the lessons of your own experience. That makes you more a fool than any fool Iave met, motley or otherwise.a aSuch a friend you are to me, Terian,a Cyrus said, aand so wise is your counsel. I wonat deny that after my time with the Baroness, I am a awakened a to possibilities again, as you put it. But Iam a man, not a beast, and my wounds are my own concern, as is satisfying my cravings, whatever they might be. Iad rather have some feeling to go along with that satisfaction, as a man, so I donat simply rut in the dark with a stranger, like a beast.a aPush comes to shove,a Terian said, awhen youare cold and alone after this long ride and the warmth of a friendly bed beckons to you, youall go to it, unquestioning, stranger or not, gold exchanging hands or not. I know you, even more so now, and I know what youall do.a aYou donat know me, Terian,a Cyrus said as he settled back onto his bedroll. aYou may think you do, but you donata"not a thing about me, really. And Iam beginning to wonder if you ever did.a

Chapter 31.

The ride got harder as the mountains rose before them. They cut across winding trails, over rough ground, and their pace slowed. Cyrus was thankful for Windrideras sure footing, especially after one of his own warriors went plummeting over an embankment by accident two days from Scylax. With the aid of the druid spell Falconas Essence, the body was retrieved and revived, but extra care was taken from then on. The fall drew the scorn of the experienced Syloreans, until a small rockslide sent two of their own to death, and Briyce Unger admitted, while Cyrus and he retrieved the bodies, that many a visitor to their city fell victim to the mountain roads.

aItas a good defense,a Unger said. aScylax has never been laid siege to, not in the six thousand years itas stood.a He and Cyrus each carried a body over their shoulders, walking on air back up a steep embankment to where their party waited above. aBut itas rubbish for travel. My fatheras grandfather had walked this path a thousand times but died to a rockslide on a summer day without even seeing it coming. Got him and his whole hunting party in a good slide, carried his corpse halfway down a mountain. They found the horses sticking out by their feet.a aNot a good death,a Cyrus said, letting the curious sensation of his feet on solid ground carry him up, even though he knew his feet were neither on something solid, nor strictly speaking, were they on the ground at all.

aNot for a warrior like him,a Unger agreed. aA death in battle, thatas the way we go in Syloreas. An axe to the face, a chop to the neck, a greatsword through the belly, a dagger to the throat, all fine ways to go. A landslide? In your bed with a cough?a The big man spit, as they began to crest the edge of the road. aIad sooner die of my heart collapsing in my old age, a woman rocking atop me.a The King seemed to consider that one for a long moment. aActually, that one doesnat sound too bad.a They both laughed, and Cyrus gently put down the body on the ground before Curatio. The expedition was spread out along the road, a few of the Syloreans already working to push the fallen rocks from the slide over the edge of the mountain. Cyrus watched them roll, one by one, stirring a few more and then looked up. Snow capped peaks were above him some great distance, too far for him to fairly judge. The white was striking against the blue skies, almost looking like clouds that crowned the mountain, merging with the sky where the two kissed.

Cyrus caught sight of Aisling leaning against one of the rocks, giving it a hearty shove. He could see the sinews of her arm muscles straining, displayed by her sleeveless shirt, to push as a few of the Sylorean warriors stood back and watched, seemingly in awe of the blue-skinned girl who was less than half their mass and at least two feet shorter than they rolling a boulder by herself, albeit somewhat slowly. He watched her boots dig into the path as she put her bare shoulder to the rock and pushed. He saw her pants tighten as she bent to give it all her strength and he felt the heat within him and turned away as she launched it over the edge to a muted cheer of those observing. He turned away not quite in time, though, as she looked over, flushed with the triumph of her efforts, her skin a darker hue, and caught him looking for just a beat before he managed to turn away. Her look only changed a little, cooling slightly when she locked eyes with him, as though she knew the very thoughts within him and wished she didnat.

He felt the scarlet of embarrassment on his face and grabbed his helm off Windrider, snugging it onto his head, letting the metal hide part of his cheeks as they blushed. The road was cleared moments later, and after the two dead were raised, he climbed back into the saddle, trying to focus his thoughts on the ride, on the road, on the perils of mountain travel.

After an hour of reflecting on the way the dark elven woman looked when exerting herself, moaning as she pushed the rock over the edge, he had to concede that somewhere, deep inside, Terian may have had something of a point. It was as though the Baroness had introduced a poison into his system. Fever and delirium were following it, a heat under his skin that Cyrus could scarcely control as it overran his thoughts and drove them from Vara to Cattrine to the nearest woman at hand. Aisling is pleasant enough to the eyes. And fit, gods know. Dexterous, agile, and amusing in her way a He shook his head again, rattling it inside his helm. And has lusted after you for nearly two years, only to turn cold in the last months. You could have had her freely any time, yet you have desire for her now, when she is the only woman of interest in view, and after being spurned and betrayed by two other women. This is petty lust, the basest of emotions, and unworthy of her, as a true and skilled guildmate who has saved your life more than once.

Yet thoughts of her lingered, interspersed once more with Vara and Cattrine, tormenting him, robbing him of sleep, causing him agonizing bouts that did not subside quickly or without pain. By the time the gates of Scylax were in sight he was grateful and deeply considering Terianas advice, wondering if by a simple exchange of coins he could somehow purge the poison from his system, even if only for a few days or a week, and be done with it, clear-headed once more and ready for battle. I donat remember it being this bad after Imina. But then, Imina never did anything quite like what Cattrine did, and certainly not with as much enthusiasm a nor as often a They came around a bend in the road to see Scylax laid out before them. It was carved into the mountainside like villages he had seen when visiting the Dwarven Alliance but larger in scale than anything he could imagine dwarves building and less reliant on caves. There were multiple streets built into the mountain, some fifteen or twenty levels that were joined by stair-like rises in place of cross streets. It was as though someone had laid out a city map into the side of a mountain and turned the houses and notched the buildings into the mountainas side. Cyrus could see houses exposed to the elements out front, on the face of the cliff, but they were carved into the rock toward the back of each level. There was even some greenery on the streets, from trees that could weather dry, frigid winters. Farther around the sheer surface of the mountain were paddocks for animals, huge numbers of them, and granaries carved into place on one of the levels.

Above it all, toward the peak, was the castle Scylax, squat and constructed on the edge of a plateau that looked down upon the city and up to the mountain behind it. It lacked the towering spires of Vernadam, instead using rounded construction for the masonry, bending with the curves of the cliff, the half dozen or so structures within the massive curtain wall being broad and circular, reminding Cyrus just slightly of a temple he had visited years earlier in the bandit land southeast of the Endless Bridge, back in Arkaria.

aYou got something against building on level ground?a Terian asked Briyce Unger as they took in the city.

aToo easy to attack on flat ground, as our ancestors discovered,a Unger said with a wide grin. aWhen we Syloreans make an enemy, we tend to make it a good one. This town and castle can be defended by our women and children while the men are away, if need be, and can be held against a siege of ten thousand by only a few hundred.a aGreat, so why are we here to help you again?a Terian asked with a smirk. aGet all your people together, crowd them inside the damned castle and keep killing these creatures until they stop coming.a aDoesnat work that way,a Unger said with a shake of the head. aWe could hold off a siege here for a few years, maybe, if need be, but not with the whole city in our gates. If it were men at our gates, I would consider it. Men can be beaten back, they weary, they fall to death and eventually wisen to the notion that holding a siege in a place like this is a poor idea. Itas not as though thereas an abundance of food or water to feed an army just lying about in the hills, especially not over a long period. But these things aa He shook his head. aI donat know that they need food and water, they donat seem to weary or fatigue, they just keep cominga"relentlessa"when you kill them by the hundred. Lock ourselves in tight, even if we lasted five years, I think theyad still be waiting when we came back out. Theyare beasts, not men.a The road straightened along the cliffas edge until they eventually reached the gates of the city. The path led them through into the middle of the town, where they were greeted by curious children, clapping at the approach of their King, and joined by washerwomen and men with pickaxes, covered in dust. Cyrus watched the men, and realized that whatever they were doing must involve digging into the mountain, as they were, every one of them, caked in earth.

aMiners,a Partus said, drawing Cyrusas startled attention to the dwarf, whom he had not realized was by his side. aI didnat know you humans had it in you before I came here.a aThere arenat a lot of men who do it, thatas for certain,a Cyrus agreed. aNot many have a taste for rooting about in the guts of the earth the way dwarves do.a aNot me,a Partus proclaimed. aI left Fertiss when I came of age, happy to get out of the dark. Never would have liked to go back to anything like it, if I could have avoided it.a aWhat brought you here?a Cyrus asked. aTo Scylax? Your hammer is more powerful than almost any Iave fought, able to stand up to my blade. You know how to fight, at least well enough to get into one of the big three. So why Luukessia?a aBecause I didnat want to be in Arkaria anymore,a Partus said with a grim shrug. aShouldnat come as a surprise to you. After all, you loaded up your horses and traveled for months on a roundabout course to get herea"why wouldnat somebody else do the same? And for money, no less, rather than the simple nobility you preach.a aThere were plenty of places to make money in Arkaria,a Cyrus said. aA dwarf with your skills could have had a place in any armya"the Elven Kingdom, the Human Confederation, the Dark Elven Sovereignty, even your people in the Dwarven Alliance would have fallen over themselves to add your power to their cause, and they would have paid, too.a Cyrus waved vaguely toward Briyce Unger. aMore than youad know you were getting out of Unger, wandering blindly over here.a aWho said anything about blindly or wandering?a Partus asked with a scowl. aOne of my associates, one of the ones your lot killed, he was from here originally, came to Arkaria on a trading expedition a few years ago. He knew that Unger would pay good gold for help from Western mercenaries, so I came.a aMercenaries,a Cyrus said. aYou used to be the leader of the Daring. They had ideals, beliefs, at least the ones of them I knewa"Erith, Cass, Elisabetha"youare telling me you wanted to give that up for mercenary work in another land?a Cyrus shook his head. aSmells like bullshit to me, Partus. What happened with you and Goliath that sent you scrambling? Did you get caught up in the exile?a aI was gone long before that,a he said with a shake of his craggy head. aI heard about it, though. I was in the Gnomish Dominions, gathering moss on a garrison detail that had gotten quite a bit easier once your crew,a he waved at the Sanctuary force around them, awiped out the Goblin Imperium. My busy guard duty, escorting convoys and whatnot, got pretty simple after that.a The dwarf seemed almost upset about it. aOnly got to kill a few highwaymen, and that got old quickly.a aSo why leave Goliath?a Cyrus watched the dwarf for his reaction.

Partus played it cool, returning Cyrus a grin. aI had something of a a personality conflict with Malpravus and another of his officers. Caused us to go our separate ways not long after that clash in the Mountains of Nartanis with the Dragonlord.a aYou were there for that?a Cyrus asked.

aHah! I was, but Iam not surprised you didnat see me, covered as you were in the glory of the kill. I was there the day you killed Kalam, too, and the day you went into the Realm of Death with the allies and we all got caught up by the skeleton.a Partus smirked. aCourse you wouldnat notice, would you? Iam not exactly of a height thatad catch your eye. Besides,a he said, slightly surly, aIam told all my people look alike to you tallfolk. Same gripe the gnomes got.a aMy best friend was a dwarf,a Cyrus said. aIave got no problem telling one dwarf from another. Besides, youare bald, kind of fat, and youave got a braided beard.a He shrugged. aHard to miss.a aYou had a friend who was a dwarf?a Partus watched him. aAll right, Iall bite. Who was it?a aWhat, do all you dwarves know each other?a aYeah, weare all members of the same club,a Partus snapped. aWhat was his name?a Cyrus looked back to the road, watching the townsfolk watch him as they rode past. aHis name was Narstron.a aOh, him,a Partus said with a nod. aYeah, I knew him.a aWhat?a Cyrus cast a look at him, and the way he said it was almost mocking. aYou did not. There are millions of dwarves, and youare telling me you know Narstron? Donat lie.a aNo, itas true,a Partus said. aI didnat know him well, but I knew him in passing. He was my motheras youngest sisteras fourth son. Went to the Society of Arms in Fertiss, and he died down in the depths of Enterra.a aI didnat see you at his funeral,a Cyrus said coldly.

aIave got a lot of cousins,a Partus said with a shrug. aOne hundred and twelve, I think? A hundred and twenty by now, for all I know. I said I knew him in passing. Itas not like we were best of friends. I could pick him out of a crowd and he could likely do the same for me. I remember when he died, and youare right, I didnat go to the funeral. I thought, awhat a shame for his mother,a and then I went on living my life.a He shrugged again. aNo reason to get all fussed about a near-stranger shuffling off; if I did, Iad spend all my days in mourning, because I know a lot of strangers that got kicked loose just a month ago as your army rode right through thema"a aYeah, all right,a Cyrus said, aso you donat have to get broken up by every person youave ever met thatas died. Still, heas your blood, you might have shown a little compassion.a aPerhaps you missed that number,a Partus said. aOne hundred and twelve first cousins. Ten brothers and sisters. aCourse theyare all still living back home, but me, Iam out. If I was to worry about attending funerals for people just one generation back from me and those related to me like your friend, Iad be forever going to funerals.a The dwarf straightened in his saddle. aAnd get damn near nothing else done, like folk back home do.a aWow,a Cyrus said. aYouare a real wellspring of humanity.a aI sense your sarcasm,a Partus said with unconcern, abut you should hardly be surprised. After all,a the dwarf said with a glint in his eyes, aIam not human at all.a They came to a crossroad. To Cyrusas right, the cliffas edge loomed. When Cyrus looked over it he saw the next level down carved into the mountain, only fifty or so feet below, and the next below that. It looks much steeper from this perspective than it did on the approach. Cyrus followed Briyce Ungeras lead as the road sloped steeply, and a herd of goats was moved out of their way by a shepherd who drove them down a side street. The road rose at a steep grade, and Cyrus worried he would fall out of the saddle, or worse still, that his horse would buck slightly and they would both tumble end over end off the mountain, but somehow he hung on, as did Windrider.

aUnforgiving avenue,a Mendicant said from somewhere behind him. aWhat happens if someone slips on this?a aThey fall,a Terian said. aAll the way down.a aAll the way?a Mendicant looked over his shoulder, and his green scales seemed to dim in color. aOh.a They made their way up the hill to the front gates of the castle Scylax, and Briyce Unger waved them forward. aWeall stay here for the night, enjoy my hospitality, and tomorrow weall be on our way north again.a aHow far are we going?a Cyrus asked.

Ungeras smile faded slightly. aNot as far as Iad like. It seems that this scourge has moved south rather quickly. Theyare only a week north now. Seem to have stopped their forward movement for a bit, for whatever reason.a aConsolidating power?a Longwell asked, looking around from horseback down the hill. aAwaiting reinforcements of some kind?a aHard to know if theyare awaiting reinforcements when we donat have a bloody clue where these things are coming from,a Unger said with a shrug. aPerhaps if we can drive them back, far enough north, weall find the source of their numbers.a aHow far north does your territory stretch?a Cyrus asked.

aA good ways,a Unger said. aAll the way until the land gets too inhospitable, where the weather is bitter cold, even in the summertime. Our farthest town north used to be a village called Mountaintop, nestled in the last valley before a terribly tall peak with sheer slopes. There were trails where you could go farther from there, but between the wolves and all else, if you struck out to go farther your odds of coming back became exceedingly poor.a aSo the real wonder,a Cyrus said, ais if these creatures came from north of there.a They followed Unger up to the castle Scylax, which was even more impressive upon Cyrusas inspection. A steward offered a tour, taking them through the grand entry (which was not so grand as Vernadamas) and around. The curtain wall extended around the cliffas edge, providing a fine look off the side of the mountain below. The only direction one could assault the castle from, Cyrus conceded, was the town of Scylax below, and even that would be a disastrous feat to attempt for any army. Any assault up a steep road would come under an approach covered by bowmen as the gates to the castle were surrounded on both sides by two long protrusions of the wall. The last fifty yards in particular were totally exposed to arrow fire from both sides of the approach.

Within the keep Cyrus found the towers to his liking. They were more wood than stone, and furs were used for decoration far more than cloth. Instead of blankets on Cyrusas bed, he found a bearskin, big, shaggy, and comfortable. Wood floors, wood furnishings and a chest decorated the room. He sat on the bed after being showed to his quarters and reflected that although it wasnat nearly as comfortable as the one at Vernadam, it was good and somehow reminded him of the Society of Arms.

Dinner was a raucous affair, with mead and ale flowing far more generously than they ever had at any of the other, more formal meals that Cyrus had taken. The Syloreans laughed and bellowed, all activity in the room stopping when a fight broke out. Briyce Unger presided over two young men as they proceeded to punch the snot out of each other to the cheers of the crowd. When one of them finally stayed down from a blow that made Cyrusas jaw hurt to watch it, Unger raised the young manas hand in victory to the cheers of the crowd.

Terian had left, Cyrus knew, after dinner, disappearing out of the room, heading toward the town, he suspected, and the brothel somewhere below. A raw, aching sensation bothered Cyrus, something unsettled about Terian, about women, about everything, but he ignored it by taking frequent drinks from his flagon of mead, which was constantly refilled by a serving woman, a middle-aged one who began to look better and better as the drinking continued. Which was to say she was passable by the time Cyrus found the motivation to get back to his bedchambera"alone.

Cyrus drifted off that night under the influence of too much mead, too much ale, and too many thoughts of Cattrine and Vara. They became some sort of demonic swirl in his head, the two of them, and were joined by a third before he finally fell asleep, the vision of the three women in his mind spinning with the room around him.

Chapter 32.

The next day dawned with a knock on his door, and when Cyrus stumbled out of bed to answer it, he found a steward waiting, a young boy no more than twelve. aHot bath, sir?a aWhat?a Cyrus asked, squinting his eyes.

aWould you like me to lead you to the hot springs under the castle so you can have a bath, sir?a Cyrus felt the throbbing under his forehead and wondered if a bath would even be a good idea at the moment. aNo, thank you, Iad rather sleep for a while longer.a aVery good, sir,a the boy said, his mousy brown-haired head bobbing up and down. aIall wake you for breakfast, then. The King gave orders that the expedition will leave an hour after that.a aGood enough,a Cyrus said, and meant it. aJust fetch me some bread or a chicken leg or something, right before we go.a He rubbed his eyes. aLet me sleep as long as possible, Iall eat on the run.a And he did so, as the boy returned to him an hour later with a mutton leg, and Cyrus ate it on his way out of the keep. His horse was saddled, cleaned, and waiting for him when he arrived, Briyce Unger himself holding the reins.

aHello, Windrider,a Cyrus said with a burp, running a hand along the horseas flank as he approached.

aWindrider?a Unger asked. aWhat kind of name is that for a horse? A bit girly, wouldnat you say?a aI donat know,a Cyrus said, uncaring. aI didnat name him.a aLetas be off, then, shall we?a Unger said, starting his horse toward the gate. aI trust you rested well.a aI have a hangover,a Cyrus said, abut the sleep was fine.a aNo complaints with the hospitality?a aI wish your servants had brought me less mead and ale,a Cyrus said, feeling a vein pulsing in his temple. aBut thatas less a hospitality complaint and more one related to your servants helping me to curb my own bad instincts.a Unger laughed, a deep bellowing one that grew deeper as they went out of the gate and found Terian working his way gingerly up the slope, looking incredibly uncomfortable in the saddle. aYou look like youare going to have a long day of riding ahead of you, lad.a Terian grimaced, shifting himself awkwardly. aWhat happened to you?a Cyrus asked, drawing a pained expression from the dark knight.

aLet me tell you something about Sylorean women,a Terian said, bringing his horse into line next to Briyce Ungeras. aYou may think this looks like a small town, and that perhaps their whores would be ignorant mountain wenches, unsure of which direction to ride a man. And youad be wrong.a He shifted again in his saddle. aI have never in my life met a woman who did to me what that woman did to me last night. I hurt in places I didnat know could hurt, was bent into positions I didnat know I could be contorted into, like a braid of hair.a He shook his head. aAnd Iad love to go back, but Iam not sure Iad survive the experience.a Unger let out another bellow of laughter. aYou met Muna, did you?a aWas that her name?a the dark knight asked mildly. aI didnat hear it over the sound of my own screaming.a Unger laughed again, and reached over to slap Terian on the back. aIf you think sheas rough,a Unger said, ayou should avoid Ashini. Muna takes it gentle on you folk from out of town as a rule.a aThe word gentle is not in her vocabulary,a Terian said with a cringe, aand not because sheas some ignorant mountain wench, but because she actually used a riding crop on me.a aIave heard enough,a Cyrus said, blanching. aKeep your experiences to yourself.a aWhy?a Terian wore a nasty grin. aYou starting to regret not coming with me?a aI regret a lot of things in my life,a Cyrus said, abut not going with you last night doesnat look to be one of them. I mean, it looks like youare going to be walking bow-legged for a few days, which a maybe Iam old fashioned, but I thought it was supposed to be the woman who walks like that afterward, not the man.a They rode down the mountain and out another gate, this one on the opposite end of town from the one that they entered the day before. Cyrus rode next to Briyce Unger, and they traveled in a companionable silence for almost an hour before Unger broke it. aYouave come a long way to get here.a Cyrus shook himself out of the daze of thought he had been in. aAye. This is a five months? I think five months since we left home.a aThatas not only what I meant,a Unger said. aYou came here for your own reasons, but it was a long trek. At least I understood Partusas motives. He wanted coin, and it was easy enough to part with gold for the sake of his use. But you? You come all this way for your friend,a he gestured to Longwell. aYou help his Kingdom outa"yeah, I know itas his fatheras, but that old buzzard will die some day and your friend will take the thronea"but then you stick around and come north with us?a Unger shrugged. aBit strange, you ask me.a aI caused another problem for Aron Longwell,a Cyrus said. aI stayed to sort it out, came to Enrant Monge to help fix it. But when this aa he thought about it, and was unable to come up with a suitable word of his own to describe the creatures they were riding to find, aa scourge, came up, I suppose I aa He thought about it. aI donat know, I felt obligated to come for some reason.a aAre you a crusader of some sort?a Unger asked him, reserved. aDid you come here to spread the message of your gods? Because weave had that kind come through here before, trying to evangelize, get us to worship your western deities, and it doesnat hold much interest for us in Luukessia. Our ancestors didnat buy into it, and we donat buy it either.a aNo,a Cyrus said. aI follow the God of War, but I donat tend to do much evangelizing.a aGod of War?a Unger said, thoughtful. aBellarum. That was his name, wasnat it?a aYeah,a Cyrus said with a nod. aThat is his name.a aThat one I could understand,a Unger said. aGod of War makes sense to me. But the others? Goddess of Love? Mischief? Earth, Air, Water and Fire? Feh!a He made a motion with his hand as though he were brushing them all away. aDonat need gods for those things. Iave got my father, and his father, and the line of their fathers all the way back to the beginning. They watch over us, keep the stars in the night sky, and the sun up in the day. Who needs your cold, uncaring gods when youave got your ancestors, people who strained in their lives along a line so far back itas impossible to see to the end of it. All of them looking out for you, because youare the one whoall carry their legacy forward. No, Iall take my ancestors to your gods any day. Gods donat give a damn for you; with ancestors, youare what theyave left to the world.a aWhat if theyave got more than just you to worry about?a Cyrus asked, with wry amusement. aWhat if your father has several kids? Wouldnat he be limited on how much time he can spend helping you?a aNo,a Unger said with a broad grin, giving Cyrus the feeling he was part of an inside joke by the Kingas grace. aHeas dead, stupid. Heas got all the time he needs, itas not like when youare living.a He let out a barking laugh. aThis is why I donat discuss religion with westerners. Someone always comes out looking the arse.a Unger straightened up, turned serious. aSo you didnat come here to be a crusader for your gods. Did you come for the glory, then, to further the greatness of your name?a aNo,a Cyrus said. aThereas a war going on back home. If that interested me, I could make a hell of a name for myself in Arkaria about now.a aAh,a Unger said, nodding sagely. aItas the other thing, then.a aWhat?a aWhen a man leaves his home behind to travel a world awaya"as far as yours is from Luukessiaa"heas either running to something or running from something. For you, itad be the latter, it seems.a aWhere I come from,a Cyrus said, feeling the shame creep across his cheeks, aa man doesnat run from anything. Not a warrior, at least.a aWhere I come from,a Unger said, ait doesnat matter if you run away for a bit, retreat, you know? Stay in every fight and lose, and what does it get you if you get ground under and lose the war? But a strategic retreat,a Ungeras eyes lit up, athatas saved an army or two. But thatas not you, Iad wager. Not coming at the head of an army. So what are you running from?a There was a pause, a long one, before Cyrus answered. aA woman.a aCouldnat have been anything else, I suppose,a Unger said with a chuckle. aOnly thing that can make a man run this far.a aI donat like to run,a Cyrus said. aIad rather not have.a aIad rather not have an army of beasts ripping apart my Kingdom and its peoples,a Unger said darkly. aSo if itas all the same to you, Iam rather glad you ran and ran here. It may end up doing me more good in the long run than that army you wiped out at Harrowas Crossing would have in your stead.a They rode north for another few days, the ground getting higher and the air colder. Snow-capped peaks became more and more commonplace, and they passed through villages built on the sides of mountains, where people greeted them with all the fanfare due an allied army on the march. Cyrus looked into their faces, the men dressed in the garb of farmers and goat herders, the women drab, wearing skins that were faded and worn, and the children dirty from their day of activity. He looked upon them all and saw himself somewhere else, with a woman of his own, and children, and he wondered where that could possibly be, the place he saw.

On fourth day after they left Scylax, they passed through a village with gates of wood, each post carved into a spike as a fortification. aThis is the village of Shaheer,a Unger told him. Over their days of travel theyad spoken at some length, and Cyrus had managed to keep his emotions at bay thanks to Unger, who kept his mind focused on other things. aItas the next village ahead that weare going to. This scourge seems to have stopped in the valley over the next mountain; they only took four or five villages, one keep that we know of.a Ungeras face darkened. aOf course there are other towns north that we canat hear from; likely as not, they all fell firsta"if these things came from the north.a Deep in the mountains, they had reached a point where going outside at night, the temperature would fall enough for Cyrus to see his breath. During the days, the air had picked up a chill that Cyrus knew had nothing to do with the seasona"summer was in full bloom back at Enrant Monge, after all. The altitude and the cold together conspired to remind Cyrus of times long agoa"and best forgotten, he thought.

The ride got harder. They went north again, this time over a pass that was relatively clear, a contrast to the times when theyad trudged their animals up hills and winding roads. When they reached the crest of the pass, they stopped. To either side of them were mountains, one double peak to Cyrusas left, and a particularly tall mountain to his right, one that seemed miles high. Looking ahead of them, he could see hints of snow still patchy on the ground in the valley below, some of it obvious and hiding in the shadows of little forests that dotted the valley. The smell of pine needles was strong in the air.

aThere,a Unger said, his finger extended, pointing to a collection of houses in the distance, miles away and nestled in an uneven fold of green ground next to one of the patches of woods. aThatas the village thatas held by this scourge. Itas called Pinrade, and it used to have about five hundred people living in and around it.a aDo you think theyare all dead?a Cyrus asked. aThat these monsters killed them all?a aMy instincts from fighting these beasts when we clashed with them tells me yes,a Unger said with a nod, aevery man, woman, child and animal that remained in that village is dead.a He kept an even expression. aBut Iad surely like to be proven wrong.a aYou intend us to move directly toward it?a Cyrus asked. aOr perhaps have something more subtle in mind?a aWe have an army in place in the valley east of here,a Unger said. aNot the full force available to mea"thatas lurking a little south of Scylax, gathering along with additional conscripts weare pulling from the reaches of the Kingdoma"but a decent-sized force of five thousand or so that is battle-hardened. Weall meet up with them and probe north a little, see how firmly dug in these blighters are.a aThey didnat look capable of doing much digging,a Cyrus said wryly.

aAye, but they come in force, making digging in irrelevant. They overwhelm you with numbers, crush you under the weight of so many of them.a Unger shook his head. aI have my doubts about doing this with five thousand, but itas a fraction of what weave thrown at them so far.a aHow many men have died thus far?a Cyrus asked.

aI fought them with ten thousand men,a Unger said. aWe met them on bad grounda"for them, not us. They kept coming until I called the retreat, and never once did they show hesitation, even when the ground was covered with their dead.a They moved east once out of the pass, down to some even ground, using a forest for cover as they left the road, the pace slowing as they made their way along a line avoiding the village by giving it a wide berth.

aOur men will be encamped a few miles from here,a Unger said.

aAre you sure theyare still there?a Cyrus asked. aI mean, if these things are as bad as you say they are, whatas to stop them from sortieing out and slaughtering your men?a Unger chuckled. aNothing, I suppose, but they wonat have gotten this army without a fight. So far they donat seem to do much sortieing; they come in force, move in on a town, and swarm it. They sit there for a while after, like nothingas happening a if you look at the town from a distance, youall see them a not exactly making merry, because these things donat ever look happy, but they wander the streets, almost as though theyare strutting around their new conquest.a Unger bared his teeth in a feral grimace. aBastards.a They came up over a rise and stopped, all in a line, and Cyrusas eyes widened in shock. Unger cursed, again, louder this time, and Cyrus made a gesture for him to shut up, which the King of Syloreas did, oddly enough. aBastards,a Unger said quietly. aBloody bastards. It would appear you were right.a aI donat want to be right,a Cyrus said. aI want to be wrong.a The rise led down to an empty, flat plain, hidden from the sight of the village of Pinrade, still several miles away. A full-fledged camp had been set up in the areaa"and it was completely, utterly destroyed. Tents were shredded, pieces of their occupants strewn over bloody ground. Bodies were scattered all over the site, both humans and the creatures that Unger called the scourge, their grey, pallid and naked flesh obvious against the clothed and more pink human bodies.

aNo campfires,a Terian said from next to Cyrus.

aThey were told not to build any,a Unger said, still seething. aThese were experienced men. They knew how to keep out of sight.a aIf that was a village of men in the distance,a Cyrus said, ayou wouldnat have thought it possible to keep an army out of their sight, not for weeks at a time. What made you think you could do it with these creatures?a aBecause theyare animals!a Unger shouted, his words echoing across the slaughter below. aTheyare not men, these things, theyare less than criminals, theyare beasts, fit to be harnessed to a plow and forced to rip the ground of our fields. Theyare mindless, thoughtless animals, lower in mean intelligence than a dog, and worth less in value of life than fifty mutts.a aAnd apparently possessed of the same instincts,a Terian said, aif they tracked your people down and wiped them out.a aAye,a Unger said. aAnd Iall kill them like a rabid one, without mercy or emotion.a They wandered down the hill among the dead. Cyrus watched as the horses snorted, their exhalations sending little clouds of breath into the cold air. Thatas life, the surest sign in this chill, someoneas breath fogging the air around them. He looked at the destruction around them. And thereas none here. aCuratio?a Cyrus called.

aI will try,a the healer said as they reached the bottom of the hill, abut donat hold out much hope; it looks as if theyave been dead for some time.a aAnswer me this question, then,a Terian said, awithout an army at our backs, whatas the likelihood weall be able to take on whatever horde of beasts did this to them?a aNot as good as if we had an army at our backs,a Cyrus said as Windrider picked his way around the debris and bodies. aWhy do you ask questions that you already know the answer to?a aRhetorical,a Terian said. aWell, rhetorical and practical. Because, you see, those things,a and the dark knight raised his hand and pointed to the ridgeline above them, athey seem to be watching us.a Cyrus cursed and drew his sword, dismounting from Windrider and slapping the horse on the backside after aiming him in a direction where there were no visible signs of the scourge. aOldest trick in the book, isnat it? They set a trap for us.a aStupid creatures,a Briyce Unger said, unslinging a mighty spiked mace from his back, so grand in scale that it looked to Cyrus almost as tall as the man himself and with spikes longer than a childas forearm, atheyare not smart enough to do anything so sinister. They must have heard us approach.a aYou keep denigrating their intelligence,a Cyrus said, abut weare the fools, the hundred of us, up against however many of them.a They were situated in a neat bowl-shaped depression in the ground, with hills surrounding them and the mountain rising behind them. The only avenue of retreat was the way they had come. To their left was an oppressive rise, a hill that backed to a steep series of cliffs, behind them was the north slope of the mountain they had just avoided by taking the pass back to the east. Before them, strung along the hillside for a mile or more, was a waiting line of the scourge, the creatures on all fours, moving only slightly, in position, watching from the top of the hill. They could be here in thirty seconds, fall upon us in great number and force a conflict, Cyrus thought. aWhy do they wait?a aThey fear us,a Unger said, clutching his mace and remaining atop his steed. aAnd they rightly should. Their numbers look small, weak. Perhaps theyare all that remains after my men destroyed many of them.a aYou seem far too sharp a battlefield commander to be taken in by bluster,a Cyrus said, trying to keep any recrimination or reproach from his tone. aWhy donat we assume the worst, and if itas better than we think, weall be no worse off?a Unger cursed behind him, and Cyrus heard the King of Syloreas let out a grim hiss. aToo right. Assume the worst. Perhaps theyare surrounding us? Setting us up for another hammer to fall?a aThey could be trying to draw us in,a Longwell said from beside Cyrus, still atop his horse, spear in hand. aYou might do better fighting from horseback, especially with their disadvantage in height.a aIave always been rubbish at fighting on horseback,a Cyrus said, aand with Praelior, believe me when I say you want me on the ground. Iam more dexterous and maneuverable than Windrider and faster to boot.a aYouare also more vulnerable,a Terian said, abut thatas really more your issue than mine.a aI will try to keep you all healed and protected,a Curatio said, abut against these numbers and with only one other healer to aid me, this could get fairly dirty, fairly fast.a Cyrus twirled Praelior in a circle from his hand, catching hold of it and pointing it toward the hilltop where the scourge still waited, making little noise and moving even less. aI didnat think keeping it clean was going to be an option.a Cyrus felt movement behind him and turned to see Aisling dismounted, standing just behind his shoulder. aIam not much use on horseback, either.a aWe could use a wizard or five right now,a Cyrus said, and then saw Mendicantas pony step into line next to Curatio, the goblinas scaly skin glistening in the cold morning light. aI suspect youall do well enough, Mendicant.a aAs well as I can,a the small goblin said, his claws looking particularly pointed. aI can put up a wall of flame twenty feet across when they charge, but I wonat be able to maintain it for more than thirty seconds or so; after that, Iall be forced to engage one on onea"or perhaps heave some fireballs into dense concentrations of the enemy.a aDo what you can,a Cyrus said, feeling the tension flood him. aIt seems theyare waiting for something, and that concerns me.a aAnother wave to flank us?a Terian asked, areinforcements from the village? I wish theyad get to it.a The sun was too bright, Cyrus thought, seeing the light shine off the armor in the formation around him. Only a few had chosen to dismount; Briyce Ungeras men remained on horseback, and besides Aisling, two veteran warriors of Sanctuary as well as Scuddar Inashara were the only others who had chosen to fight on foot. Scuddar looked particularly lethal, his robes a crimson red, his scimitar spinning in his hands in a display of swordsmanship that Cyrus never found less than impressive.

A wind kicked up around them as they stared across the hilly no manas land between them and the scourge on the hill. Cyrus kept his eyes moving, looking left to the ridgeline, then behind him again, for any sign of another attack, for any idea of what might be delaying the creatures charge.

aWill anyone feel bad if we just charge them and get it over with?a Briyce Unger asked.