“We made it through this. The Maarlai will catch up to us soon, and we will protect one another on the way to Darathar. We will get through this, I promise you.”
“How can you promise something like that?” one of the older women asked in a tremulous voice.
“Because the alternative is unacceptable. One was or another, we will get through this. I know it is dark, and everything feels helpless. We have lost so many. And I will not lie to you: we will lose more before this is all over. We face an enemy none of us could have dreamed of, even in our worst nightmares. But we are going to try, and we are going to do everything we can to stay alive. It is all we can do. I am not ready to give up. Are you?”
The question was met by the shaking of heads, straightening of spines.
“You have survived through wars, through drought, and famine, and my uncle’s idiotic rule,” she said, glancing toward where Laird had shackled Edwell to a post at the side of the building. “You will survive this as well, and I will do everything I can to make sure that you do.”
“You are the idiot,” Edwell shouted. “We could have all been killed!”
“Yes. Several times. What would you have done about that, uncle?” Edwell glared at her, and Shannen answered for him. “I know what you would have done. You would have sat in your palace, surrounded by your riches and your plentiful kitchen and your family, and you would have let all of us perish. I already know. They already know. So be silent, or I will give Camille her wish and allow her to remove your tongue.”
Edwell clamped his mouth shut, but continued to glare at her with absolute hatred in his eyes.
That settled, Shannen walked over to the bodies of the fallen Sarlene, where a few of the warriors had already gathered. Laird was crouched beside one of them, carefully going through the pockets and pouches on his uniform. She noticed that the weapons they had used were already piled off to the side and nodded with approval.
“Do you think we can use those?” Shannen asked Laird, gesturing toward the weapons.
“I think so. They seem simple enough. Unless there is something special we need to do to make them work, I suppose. I don’t think we should try them out here, though.”
“No. We will wait for that. We’ll need to be moving soon. Anything else?”
Laird pulled a few small objects out of one of the male Sarlene’s pockets and set them aside. “I have no idea what these are,” he muttered, and Shannen nodded. “I’m tempted to take the suits, but it seems that if I had the technology they do, I would put some kind of tracker in the uniform to be able to find anyone who ended up lost or injured.”
Shannen nodded. She had read of such things.
“Good point. We will leave the uniforms. Janara and Camille are trying to figure out what to do with the ship. They think there is probably a self-destruct mode they can activate so they will no longer be able to use this ship against us, at least.”
Laird looked up at the ship. “Seems a shame. Maybe we could try to use it against them.”
“If the suits have a tracker, I would bet the ship does as well,” Shannen reminded him.
“True.” He smiled, and Shannen watched him in confusion.
“What?”
“Maybe we can take care of a few problems at once, Your Highness.”
“What do you mean?”
“Assuming Janara can find the self-destruct mechanism, maybe we can set a trap. Put these Sarlene back in their ship, and when their friends land to check it out and they board the ship…”
“Set it to self-destruct then,” Shannen said, finishing his thought. “We would have to do that from farther away, though.”
He nodded. “Really, I don’t know that we would need the ship’s self-destruct mode for that. I brought some of the blast powder we use for mining around Ashwall. Thought it might come in useful,” he explained at Shannen’s dubious look. “We could set a wire to ignite the powder. It would work from a distance, and it is powerful stuff.”
Shannen nodded. “All right. Set it up as quickly as you can. We need to get moving.”
Laird bowed and went to work, and Shannen went back to the ship and relayed the plan to Janara and Camille. Janara immediately stepped out to work with Laird, curious as always about anything she had no direct experience with. Camille and some of the men loaded the Sarlene bodies back onto the ship.
“We found nothing of use. I don’t doubt that there is important information on the screens, but Janara couldn’t read it and there was no time to transcribe it. Janara sketched some of it in a book and she’ll try to figure it out later.”
Shannen nodded. She would work on that with her friend. It would be like old times, except instead of Shannen trying to decipher the Maarlai language, they would be working together to figure out something unknown to both of them. The only thing missing would be Daarik sitting across from them, trying to distract her from her work.
She shook her head. Mooning over her husband now was absolutely ridiculous.
She went back to where most of her people were gathered, waiting while Laird set his explosives and the Maidens gathered the Sarlene weapons.
“I know you are tired,” Shannen said to her people. The children especially looked like all they wanted to do was sleep. “But the Sarlene will be back, and when they arrive, we need to be long gone. We are setting a little greeting for them,” she said, nodding toward the Sarlene ship, “and Laird and Janara are going to stay and monitor the situation. They will catch up with us when they can.”
“Where are we going?”
“We will continue our trek to Ashwall. I was trying to make sure we were not traveling at night, because it is so much harder, but we have no choice. We need to get moving, and Ashwall is our best bet. Our rations are running very low and there is not much left to glean from the area. Any fruit has long been picked. Even seeds are scarce, and I have not seen an animal in days. Have you?” she asked, and they shook their heads. ”All right. So we need to move. We need shelter and safety. The Maarlai will meet us there, and we will figure out our next moves together. Gather anything you can and meet back here.”
They dispersed, and Shannen glanced up at the sky, subtly baring her arm.
“Too cloudy,” Janara said behind her, and Shannen jumped, hastily pulling her sleeve back down. Janara laughed. “He’ll be flattered that you want to speak to him so badly. He is just as devoted to being with you via the bond.”
Shannen did not answer, face flushing.
“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I have to confess that when you two were married, I did not expect much. I certainly never expected you to love each other as you do. And the mating marks… that opens up a world of possibilities.”
“Will I really be able to help Daarik protect Darathar?” Shannen asked.
“Yes. It is hard to explain, but I can feel the difference without you there. There are very few of us left who are sensitive to the old magic. Faerlah feels it, too. It was as if the city was more alive, more vibrant, more secure when you were there. None of us could have imagined that Daarik’s human wife could bring that to us. We mourned for all the things he was giving up when he married you, all the things he would never have the chance to experience. It turns out that we were wrong about everything.”
“I am glad,” Shannen said.
“So am I.” Janara gestured toward the Sarlene craft. “We are ready here. Laird and I will stay behind and set off the explosion when it’s time. You’re heading for Ashwall?”
Shannen nodded.
“Good. We’ll catch up with you.” Janara glanced back toward Laird. “It was actually a rather clever idea on his part,” she said, a hint of surprise and respect in her voice. “I’m excited to see how it comes off.”
“All right. Be careful,” Shannen said. She and Janara hugged, and then Shannen headed toward her people. She and Camille took the lead, making sure that an adult or teenager held the hands of the young ones, and then they set out t
hrough the pitch-black countryside. They made their way back to the small stream they had stopped at earlier that day, knowing that if they just followed its course, it would take them fairly close to Ashwall.
It was a tense, silent trek. A few of the children whined at first, but quieted quickly. The silence and darkness had them all jumping at every little sound, sure that the Sarlene would sneak up on them. When they heard the now-familiar buzzing overhead, they knew the Sarlene were returning to check on the ship they had left behind. A few paused, and Shannen urged them forward, even as she hoped with all her heart that Janara and Laird would be safe, that their plan would work. If the Sarlene discovered them first…
She could not think about that, now. She got the line moving again, shooting regular glances toward where she knew Janara and Laird had stationed themselves, back near the facility and the Sarlene ship.
As it happened, she could not have missed the explosion if she’d tried. A deafening “boom” shook the very earth around them, and an enormous orange fireball lit the sky in the distance. The group oohed over the sight, and a few laughed. It was a morbid relief, but it was something. Now all they had to do was wait, hoping and praying that Janara and Laird reached them without incident.
Despite how much she wanted to stop and wait for her friend, Shannen urged the group onward. As the sky lightened near dawn, she could just make out the sight of Ashwall’s tall towers looming in the distance.
It was still there. She felt like sobbing with relief. The sight of Ashwall seemed to invigorate the entire group, and the pace picked up as they drew nearer. The sun was almost completely up when they heard the clip-clop of hooves behind them, and they stopped, cheering raucously when they recognized Janara and Laird atop the horse. Janara leaped down as soon as she’d brought the horse to a halt and ran to Shannen.
“Did you see it?” she asked, her face split in a wide grin.
“I think the entire country saw that,” Shannen said with a laugh. She pulled her friend in for a hug.
“We got at least ten more,” Laird said. “Five walked onto the ship, and another five stood right outside, keeping guard. The blast went off, it was so big it ended up damaging the other two ships as well. They won’t be using any of them again,” he finished with a smile.
“Well done,” Shannen said, and he bowed to her, still smiling.
“Thank you for letting me try that. I wasn’t completely sure it would work, but I couldn’t think of any other way,” he said.
“Thank you for coming up with it,” Shannen said, laughing. “Come on! We are almost there!”
The column of refugees practically ran to the gates of Ashwall, only slowing when they drew near enough for the guards to come out and question them. Shannen ran to the front of the line.
“Oh. You again,” the guard who had escorted her when she had visited Renn before said with a grin.
“Me again. Are your gates open to your countrymen?”
He was about to say something when he noticed the crown on her head, and then Edwell shackled behind her.
“Your Highness,” he said quickly, falling into a low bow in front of her.
“Rise. Thank you,” Shannen said.
“You did it,” he said in a dazed voice.
“Indeed.”
“Please, come in. Lord Kinari is out at the moment, but he should be back soon.”
“Thank you. Is Harledon still here?”
“He is. Lord Kinari put him in more secure accommodations before he left. He did not want him interfering in your quest.”
“Perfect. I know this will be a stress on Lord Kinari’s stores, but we have no alternative,” she said. She watched him as he finally looked at the large crowd of people behind her.
“What…”
“Tanris has fallen,” she said quietly. “There is nothing left.”
He paled, and the guards around him, who had been listening in, looked sick. Shannen did not blame them.
“Those things?” the first guard asked, pointing at the sky. It was clear what he meant.
“Yes. I can fill you in once our people get settled,” she said. The guard remembered himself and ordered the gates open. As the former residents of Tanris filed into Ashwall, Shannen caught the sorrow on more than one of their faces. They were in a safe place, but they would very likely never be in their own city again.
Very soon, they were being offered food, and room was being made in suites and barracks for them. As the members of Renn’s household bustled around them, Shannen filled the head guard, whose name was Byrne, in on all that had happened. Janara, Camille, Reena, and Laird stood nearby, as did several of Renn’s other guardsmen. When she had finished, Byrne sat wordlessly, as if trying to let it all sink in.
“This is insane,” he finally said.
“I agree.”
“Lord Kinari should be back soon. I wasn’t clear on where he was going exactly, but I suspect it had something to do with you. He did not like refusing you, Your Highness,” he added.
“I know. It is fine.”
“You can stay in Lord Kinari’s rooms. He would insist upon that,” the guard said.
“I will stay with her,” Janara said.
“As will I,” Camille added, and Shannen nodded.
“Excellent. I will see what we can scrounge up in terms of blankets and such. Excuse me a moment.”
“Oh, wait,” Shannen said, and he turned around.
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“Do we have accommodations for Edwell?”
The guard shot a look at Edwell and nodded. “Only the very best. He can become reacquainted with Harledon.” He paused. “We also captured a Maarlai who was poking around nearby. He attacked one of our patrols.”
Shannen caught Janara’s eye. “I’ll check it out,” Janara said. Then she took Edwell’s arm. “Let’s go, pretender.”
Shannen looked around in gratitude once she was alone again, watching the bustle of activity their arrival had caused. They had made it this far. They had suffered losses and setbacks, to be sure, and she was still not all that sure of her ability to lead them, but they were here. It was something.
Chapter Eleven
The next two days passed in a flurry. Shannen slept deeply her first night at Ashwall, even though she was frustrated that the sky was still too cloudy for her to use the mating marks to speak to Daarik. It was a relief to see her people safe and settled, though it was clear that they were all on edge. Nearly everyone shot occasional glances up at the sky. This many of them, gathered in one place, would lure the Sarlene if they caught wind of it.
They prepared as best as they could. Ashwall, because it was a fortress and military outpost, had a long series of underground tunnels, a dungeon, multiple underground cellars, and a few larger holding cells. If the worst happened, they could pack themselves into the tunnels and dungeon. Getting out would be another question, but it would at least give them a chance to survive an attack.
The immediate issue was taking in more provisions for the extra residents of Ashwall. Many of her people volunteered to help the nearby farmers with the extra harvesting. Even with the new harvests, they would have to be cautious in their rationing. They did not plan to stay long, but she also did not want to leave Renn with a huge shortage for his own people when they left.
In between harvesting and resting and healing and watching the sky, Shannen’s people trained. Shannen spent quite a lot of time with a couple of Renn’s archers, taking instruction on her aim and practicing shooting at targets over and over again. Many of the townspeople, including the teenagers, began training with more of Renn’s men, learning how to use swords, spears, knives, and bows.
But the most exciting moment came when Laird, Janara, and a couple of Renn’s more experienced guards decided to see if they ould get the Sarlene weapons to work. It was clear how they were meant to be held; a handle fit perfectly in their palms, and a small shiny area at the opposite end was obviously where the w
eapons discharged. A trigger mechanism on the handle should make them work. It was a fairly straightforward design, but they were all understandably nervous about actually trying to use them.
Finally, after much debate and uncertainty, Janara stepped forward. “Let’s just see what happens.” She pointed the weapon at one of the archery targets, aiming carefully. The crowd held a collective breath as her finger tightened on the trigger. There was a strange, crackly sound, a flash of light, and smoke. Once it cleared, there was a large hole burnt through the center of the target.
“Handy,” Laird said, taking aim in front o this own target. “I wonder how they work. Will we have to refill them, or will they keep shooting indefinitely?” he asked as he pulled the trigger, burning a hole in his target as well.
“And what would we even refill them with? This is well beyond anything I’ve ever seen,” Janara added.
They each let off a few more shots, and agreed to put the weapons in a secure location until they were needed. Shannen felt nominally better having them on hand, and knowing that they would not hurt those who wielded them.
The second day, to all of their shock, it rained. Large, warm, murky drops of water fell from the sky, leaving a grayish residue on everything it touched and leaving the air humid and smelling of sulfur. It was irritating to the skin, so they all ended up in Renn’s small castle. The dining hall was packed, as was the parlor, the kitchen, and even the hallways between rooms. Shannen and Janara sat in Renn’s room, which was now their temporary headquarters, and bent over the notes Janara had taken on the Sarlene ship. They had been staring at them for hours, and they were no clearer than they had been before.
Riven (Exile Book 2) Page 12
