Shadow of the Raven (The Reckoning Book 1)

by Ward, Matthew

  It seemed that my precaution was justified. No sooner had Jaspyr and Fredrik disappeared into the mists than there was a dull metallic clank, closely followed by a familiar voice berating the shooter for a fool. We had found Quintus.

  *******

  I think Quintus was pleased to see us, but if he were, he went to great lengths to hide it. In point of fact, his first words upon clapping eyes on us had been 'It's about bloody time,' closely followed by 'Aren't you supposed to be dead?' when he saw Jamar. For his part, the havildar had politely replied that there was a lot of that going around at the moment.

  Quintus had left it at that and waved us over the barricade which was larger and far sturdier than the one at the Estrina. But then, they'd had more time to build it. I looked closely as we passed through the tangle of wood and metal, but there were no signs of any battle having been fought here. The face of the barricade was unscuffed, and no blood stained its timbers.

  When we reached the top, I could see that there was even a makeshift fire-step below the crest. A half-dozen sentries kept watch there when we arrived. One in particular watched the guardians nervously as they spryly clambered past – presumably he'd taken the errant shot. A score or so tired and bedraggled men and women waited fitfully on the road beyond. I assumed there were others taking what ease they could in the houses beyond.

  As we'd descended the barricade, I caught sight of a familiar face. Kiel, the erstwhile bartender of the Silverway tavern, was sleeping fitfully in a nook between two buildings. He had been unshaven, filthy and had a sword buckled at his side – clearly not all of the Lionhead's defenders were soldiers. I wondered briefly as to the fate of his family, but there had seemed no sense in waking him to ask the question. I wasn't sure I'd like the answer. A little while later, Quintus had ushered us into a lantern-lit tavern.

  Other than Quintus and my companions, the room held only three others: Nierev, Karov and Solomon. Nierev greeted us warmly, Karov practically ignored us and Solomon just smiled a thin, knowing smile.

  Arianwyn stiffened at the latter's presence, and only relaxed when I put a hand on her shoulder. Solomon didn't notice, or likely decided that any remark he made would only prove antagonistic. Either way, the grey eternal kept his mouth shut and contented himself with toying with his amulet. I noticed he was a little worn around the edges. His clothes were creased, torn and smeared with grime. It seemed that Solomon had been in the Pit long enough to appreciate its charms before Quintus had ordered his release.

  "Well, I'm glad someone's had a little success," Quintus said heavily.

  "What do you mean?" I asked.

  Karov answered my question. "The commander didn't want to wait for help, and made another attempt at getting to the cathedral."

  I looked sharply at Constans. He'd not told me any of this. "I assume it didn't go well."

  "It was folly," said Karov bleakly. "We lost much, and for no gain."

  Quintus got to his feet and rounded on Karov. "Aye, well maybe we'd have had more success if you hadn't insisted on holding most of our troops north of the river. With greater numbers..."

  Karov cut him off. "We'd have suffered even more deaths. And if that had happened, who'd have kept the crossings secure?"

  Quintus opened his mouth to speak, but Jamar got there first. "You've not yet been attacked, have you?" Clearly he'd also noticed the barricade's pristine condition.

  "No," Karov admitted, "but we weren't to know that. The lives of the citizens in the Northern Quarter..."

  "Citizens be damned," bellowed Quintus. "You were more concerned about saving your rich friends."

  "We've been over this, commander," Karov replied with strained patience. "I saw no point in risking what little foothold we had, not for a foolish scheme with little hope of success."

  "This gets us nowhere," said Solomon, his voice coldly and clearly rational. "What is done can't be undone, no matter how foolish the act or unfortunate the consequences."

  I couldn't tell whether the eternal was siding with Quintus or Karov, and that was probably his intention.

  "Aye, you're right," said Quintus grudgingly. "We're wasting time we could be using to end this. I'll get the troops together."

  "No." Karov spoke flatly, with no chink of doubt.

  "What do you mean, no?" demanded Arianwyn. "This is our only chance. If the mist reaches Fellhallow, it won't matter who died attacking the cathedral and who died elsewhere. Death will have won."

  "I'm sorry, but I can't take the chance," Karov said. "We evacuated only a fraction of the Northern Quarter before the harbour fell. That's thousands of people depending on us to keep them safe. I can't and won't have their deaths on my conscience. We'll wait here until the armies you've so efficiently procured can link up with us. Then, and only then, will we make our attack."

  "I don't believe this," Arianwyn said coldly.

  "What Lord Karov is trying to say, is that he doesn't believe you," Solomon put in smoothly. "Or rather, he doesn't believe you can do what you suggest. He's like a child on the beach when the tide comes in. He's clinging to the last rock in the bay, hoping he won't be swept out to sea. He could swim for it, of course, and might even make it if he did, but with each passing moment the decision becomes more difficult as the danger grows more intimidating. He'll drown without ever knowing if his feet could have touched the bottom."

  Karov glared daggers at Solomon.

  "And what about you?" I asked. "Do you believe?"

  "Oh, absolutely, ambassador. Not that it helps you. Thanks to your efforts I'm now a criminal, tolerated perhaps, but with no real power. I can't issue orders, and I won't be coming with you."

  I quite believed Solomon's lack of enthusiasm for joining the fight. Putting others at risk was a skill he'd honed over the course of many years. Putting his own life on the line was a concept more alien to him than kindness. The rest confused me though. Morecet's seal had been effective enough in ordering Tressians around in Solomon's name, so why was the lord himself so powerless to act? Then I realised that even in these desperate times, the news of Solomon's incarceration would have spread like wildfire through Karov's mismatched army, and would soon find purchase amongst the late General Marlon's troops. While his reputation hadn't yet eroded far enough to place him in danger of a knife in the back, Solomon's authority was now worth nothing if Karov countermanded his orders.

  "Why not?" Arianwyn fixed Solomon with a look that should have withered him on the spot.

  Solomon remained stubbornly unwithered. "Two reasons, dear lady. First, as I'm sure you've noticed, we eternals don't appear quite so resilient in this turgid world that Death has created. I've no desire to die, hence I refuse this delightful invitation to oblivion. Second, I don't believe there's so much as one of you who wouldn't like to stick something sharp in my back at the first opportunity. No, I think I'll stay here and take my chances."

  I looked at Quintus. "Of course I'm bloody coming with you," he said gruffly. "Let this useless pair cower if they like. It'll be worth it just to be out of their company."

  With that, he stomped from the room, his face locked in a murderous scowl. A moment later, Nierev got awkwardly to her feet and limped after him.

  Arianwyn stared at Karov. "I expected better of you, Mikel," she said coldly, and stalked off.

  "A burden I shall bear with fortitude," Karov called. If he'd had been aiming for aristocratic aloofness, he'd failed, and by no small margin. He was desperately unhappy with the situation, but hadn't the courage to choose a wiser path. "Take Quintus with you, by all means," he said. "But understand that I'll see you all dead before I let you drag anyone else into this madness."

  "Please reconsider."

  For all the effect I had, I might have been talking to myself. Karov didn't even grant me the courtesy of a reply. Solomon looked on with amusement. I was certain that if either lord had sided with me, the other wouldn't have dared do otherwise. Unfortunately, I couldn't think of a way to make either of the
m change their minds. Conceding defeat, I nodded towards the door.

  Constans left immediately, his anger at the situation plain on his face. Jamar did not, but stepped towards Karov.

  "Stay here if you must," he said quietly. "Brave men and women will do what you can't, and perhaps die in the attempt. But understand that if you seek to profit from their deeds, I will find you, and we shall talk about what gives a man the right to rule." The havildar had not touched his sword, nor so much as raised a hand, but there was no mistaking the threat in his words. "Many men live their whole lives waiting for a chance such as the one you have turned down. Think on that, after we are gone."

  Karov looked away. "Just go."

  Nierev waited in the next room. "I'm coming with you. I'm not sitting here waiting to die."

  I shook my head. "You can't. You're in no condition to go where we're going."

  "You mean I'd be a burden," she said bitterly.

  I shook my head. "There's something more important you can do here. Change Karov's mind, or change Solomon's. Even a little extra help will make all the difference. Will you do that for me?"

  She nodded. "I'll try. We'll be with you before you know."

  "That's all I ask. Thank you, lieutenant."

  It was a gloomy company that passed over the barricade and crossed the Lionhead bridge. Nobody said much of anything. We'd come north in search of help, and were heading south again with precisely one person more than we'd arrived with.

  It didn't help that Quintus was lost in a black mood, one fed by far more than recent events. I asked him about it after we re-entered the sewers and he laughed darkly. "What's wrong with me? I've become the very thing I left the army to avoid: one of those foolish bastards who leads warriors to their deaths in order to salve his own wounded pride. Do you know how many men and women have died under my command these last few days? More than I can count. I don't know, maybe Karov was right."

  "You don't believe that."

  "No? And what makes you so sure of that?"

  "You're here, aren't you?"

  "Only because I can't trust you to do it right, my lord."

  I adopted a hurt expression, but inwardly sighed with relief. If Quintus was back to mocking me, then his spirits had raised a little. There was more to his mood than he'd told me, of that I was sure, but the rest would only come in its own time. My own spirits were decidedly mixed. I only hoped Morecet had fared better in his recruiting efforts than we had, otherwise this wasn't going to work out at all well – even with the surprise Constans and I had planned.

  Fortunately, it was soon obvious that Morecet had come through for me, and in a manner far beyond my wildest expectations. Before we'd even reached our destination, we became aware of still figures lining the walls. They quietly made way for us as we travelled, and I soon found my spirits rising as I took a tally of their number.

  There were at least two hundred of them, a roguish mix of Hadari and Tressians. Few carried shields, and none at all carried polearms, for the confines of the sewers wouldn't permit it, but every man or woman had a sword or axe and, better still, a determined look.

  Morecet waited at the outlet. "Will this do?" he asked quietly.

  "It's incredible," I whispered back. "How did you manage it?"

  He shrugged. "I happened upon Commander Torev. The rest was easy. He'd be here himself, but he had some notion that he'd do more good by making as much noise as possible. He asked that you wait for his signal before attacking."

  "And what is his signal?"

  Morecet smiled. "He said it'd be a surprise, and that you'd know it when it happened.

  I was about to tell Morecet how useless that answer was, when I felt Arianwyn's eyes boring into the back of my head. "Understood," I said instead.

  Morecet's expression flickered. "It might also interest you to know that Warleader Cadvar, broken arm and all, is not here only because the Emperor practically had her restrained. He did, however, insist on sending along fifty of his royal guard by way of compensation. I don't know if you passed them in the tunnel?"

  I hadn't and was speechless. It was unheard of for the Emperor to send any of his bodyguard from his side.

  "It would seem he has a lot of confidence in you."

  It would indeed. It was time to see if that confidence was misplaced. "Jamar?" I hissed, my eyes searching the darkness.

  "Yes, my prince?"

  "Constans, Arianwyn and I are going outside. I need you to bring the royal guard up behind us, but quietly."

  "Of course," Jamar seemed mildly offended that I'd felt the need to say anything, and vanished back along the tunnel.

  I turned to Morecet. "The royal guard will lead the attack. You've got the job of bringing the rest along afterwards. Assuming, that is, that you're staying around?"

  The other sniffed at so unworthy a thought. "Miss this? Not a chance. Besides, I've still a fee to collect from Miss Trelan."

  I led Constans and Arianwyn further down the tunnel and to the steel grill that blocked the end of the outlet pipe. After a few moments of Constans fiddling with the skeleton keys, the securing chain fell away and the grill swung inward.

  The next part was tricky. The nature of the pipe meant there was a slight downward slope as it passed the grate. That, combined with the slippery footing, made the chances of shooting over the edge far higher than I cared to contemplate. If that happened, I'd batter myself to death on the cliffs long before I hit water. Fortunately, such was not to be my fate. Three steps and I'd made it to the stone stairway that ran along the cliff face. I climbed the stairs up to the streets above, and waited quietly at the end of an alleyway.

  I heard whispers of movement as Constans, Arianwyn and her lion guardians made their way up the steps. Trying not to worry about the possibility of any fallen hearing them, I peered out the alley and down towards the square.

  For several long moments I couldn't see anything – or at least I couldn't see anything worth seeing. Then the mists shifted and I glimpsed the gnarled form of the Shaddra, a great host of fallen clustered beneath her twisted branches. As I'd expected, the evil-looking tree had now taken on the same enormous aspect it had possessed in Otherworld, and it towered over all the square's buildings, save for the cathedral itself.

  This was the first time I'd seen the outside of the cathedral since Malgyne had claimed the portalstone, and even prepared for the possibility of it having changed, I was taken aback. The spires and steeples were twisted and crooked, the statues of angels replaced with sneering skeletons. Most telling of all, however, was the change to the stained glass panel overlooking the square. No longer did it show Sidara, but an enormous spread-winged raven with hooked talons and burning green eyes. The panel was lit from within, and its baleful green light played the square. With the shifting mists, it was hard to tell how many fallen were present, but there were at least a thousand. A thousand fallen, and I had perhaps two hundred men and women. I'd just have to hope it was enough.

  "Now?" hissed Constans.

  "No." I shook my head. "We'll wait for Torev's signal."

  "Let's hope it's not long coming."

  Scarcely had he spoken when there was a flat crack from somewhere to the south. It was followed by an ear-splitting whine, and then an almighty crash. A second later, another followed.

  "Cannons," Arianwyn whispered in wonder. "He's brought up the cannons."

  I remembered Torev complaining about the delays the cannons had foisted on the marching army. They'd have been no use in the mist-shrouded chaos at the gates, and I honestly didn't see them being more effective here – but I couldn't deny their effectiveness as a signal.

  As the third cannon shot rumbled through the air, a great cheer rolled through the mist. As a battle cry it was unintelligible, but it didn't matter – there was only one thing it could mean. Our allies were attacking across the Estrina.

  This fact could hardly have been lost on the fallen and, with another look towards the square, I saw t
hat it wasn't. As I watched, banners rose and black-clad warbands marched southward. Torev hadn't just given us a signal, he'd also bought us much more favourable odds.

  "Change of plan," I hissed. "Arianwyn, tell Jamar to bring the guard up and form them at the end of the alley." She nodded and I turned to Constans. "Come on. It's time." He grinned and followed me from the end of the alley.

  We advanced as cautiously as we could, taking cover first behind an abandoned cart, and then in the lee of a buttress. We needn't have worried. There were no fallen in the street, and those in the square either had their attention fixed on the commotion to the south, or were already moving in that direction.

  With one last look at the square, Constans closed his eyes. As I watched, the air around him came alive with hazy green wisps. They twisted and turned in the air, weaving patterns gone as soon as formed. Then, at some unseen signal, they arced towards the square and their target within.

  Nothing happened.

  Another cannon split the air. Constans' eyes flickered open.

  "Is it done?" I asked quietly.

  {{It is done.}}

  I recoiled in surprise.

  He frowned "What?" he asked, his voice back to normal.

  "For a moment, you sounded..."

  I suppressed a shudder. Those few buzzing words were my first real proof that Jack was more than simply a voice in Constans' head. The Lord of Fellhallow was definitely able to take control if he wished. On the other hand, Jack had yet to break any promise he'd given, so I had to assume he could be trusted for now. Not that I had much choice.

  One problem at a time, I told myself firmly.

  I looked back at the square. "Nothing's happening."

  "Patience, Edric, patience," Constans whispered. "She's been asleep a long time."

  All at once, the ground rumbled. It began quietly, as if coming from a long way off, but swiftly grew in force and volume. The fallen in the square looked around in confusion as they sought the source of the tremors. Not one of them guessed correctly.