by Claire Frank
Her face softened and she nodded again. “You too.”
The shots came in a steady rhythm and Pathius counted a dozen trebuchets in a long line. They all seemed to be aiming for roughly the same place, attacking the arches above the gates. He watched as a huge stone hurtled toward the stronghold. Reaching out toward it, he Absorbed its energy in a rush. Power surged through him as the rock angled downward, falling harmlessly into the chasm.
Another stone followed close behind, but a rush of air pushed it down so it narrowly missed the bridge as it plummeted. Pathius stopped the next payload, sucking out its energy to make it drop from the air, but another was close behind. Cecily redirected it enough that it hit the base of the stronghold and tumbled down into the chasm.
As the assault continued, Pathius felt alive with power. Standing atop the wall with his arm outstretched, he stopped the stones from impacting, one after another. The barrage was thick, and the stronghold reverberated with the shock of the ones that got through. Archers lined the wall, taking shots when they could, but the enemy remained just out of range.
When Pathius felt so full he feared he might lose control, he took aim at the next stone and pushed energy out in a rush. The rock burst in midair, showering the bridge with a rain of broken pieces. His body still buzzed with power, so he shattered more, hitting them with a blast of heat and light as they came close.
His breath came fast and he leaned against the edge of the wall, suddenly drained. The trebuchets kept firing, lobbing their payloads across the chasm. Dashal hurled one sideways with a gust of air, and another veered down to crash off the side of the bridge before it could hit the stronghold. Absorbing the next shot that raced toward them, Pathius straightened as its energy poured through him.
The wall shook as it took a hit, and Pathius gritted his teeth in frustration. There were too many. He sent one plunging into the canyon as another raced for the wall. Cecily angled it down with a wide sweep of her hands, but two more followed close behind. Pathius Absorbed, their energy surging through him, and sent them into the wall of the chasm below.
The day wore on in a blur as the bombardment continued. For every payload they deflected, two more were in its wake. They couldn’t stop them all, and the stronghold shook with each hit. Pathius hurled blasts of energy at the stones, rage holding his exhaustion at bay.
He looked over at Cecily as she ducked behind a parapet and lowered herself down, her back against the wall. Her breathing was fast, as if she’d been running, and her face was smudged with dirt from the dust in the air.
“I just need a minute,” she said, her voice barely audible above the din.
Pathius nodded and looked over at Dashal. Although Dashal’s shoulders were set, his face was drawn. They were all getting tired. Pathius glanced up at the sun. It was past midday, but they had several hours before sunset. Three payloads smashed the wall in quick succession, and he could hear the stone of the stronghold cracking.
A chunk broke off and fell to the bridge in front of the gates as a hit got through. Pathius deflected another, its heat searing through him. Dashal’s wind pushed the next off course, but the trebuchets continued in merciless succession. A fracture ran up the side of the stronghold, the cracking sound echoing off the canyon walls.
Pathius roared in frustration as he pulled the energy from the next payload. The stronghold rumbled with each hit and more chunks of rock plummeted to the bridge. He looked at Cecily, back on her feet, straining as she tried to deflect another stone. Dashal leaned against the wall, his head lowered. Pathius didn’t know how much longer they could hold out, and the Attalonian barrage showed no signs of slowing.
The general be damned.
“I’ll be right back,” he called and ran for the stairs.
The guards outside Daro’s cell were wide-eyed, flinching at every boom as the trebuchets pounded the stronghold. They straightened as Pathius approached.
“I’m here for the prisoner,” Pathius said.
The two men exchanged puzzled looks. “I’m sorry, my lord,” one said. “We have strict instructions from the general. He’s not to be released except on her orders.”
“Do you hear that?” Pathius asked, as another boom reverberated through the stone. “They’re going to smash our gates to pieces. We need him.”
The guards glanced at each other again, shifting on their feet. “You’ll have to take it up with General Coryn, my lord.”
Pathius pressed his lips together and Absorbed a shock of heat from both men. It was only enough to knock them out temporarily, and they slumped to the ground on either side of the door. Placing his hand over the lock, Pathius pulled its heat, and ice spread out over the door as it froze.
“Let’s go,” Pathius said, pitching his voice to be heard through the door, and stood aside. The door opened with a crash, smashing off its hinges and banging against the wall across the corridor.
Daro stood in the empty doorway, his clothes dirty and his hair unkempt. “What’s happening?”
“Trebuchets,” Pathius said, and gestured toward the outer door. Daro nodded and followed him out and up the stairs to the top of the wall.
Relief flooded Cecily’s face as they approached, and they retreated back from the edge to the far side.
“They’ve been bombarding us all day,” Pathius said.
Daro shook his head as he put an arm around Cecily’s shoulders. “I know. I’ve been waiting for someone to come let me out. I was about to break the door down on my own when you showed up. I can’t believe it took this long for General Coryn to relent.”
“She didn’t,” Pathius said and Daro’s eyebrows lifted. “We’ll probably both be locked up by tonight, but for now I’m more concerned with surviving the day with the gates intact.”
The stronghold shook as the trebuchets continued their assault and Daro glanced around, then looked back at Pathius. “What’s the plan?”
“We’ve been deflecting as much of the bombardment as we can, but we can’t keep it up indefinitely. Our catapults are more or less useless. I don’t know how they have machines that can throw that far. Do you think you can hit them with that bow of yours?”
Daro looked across the wall and nodded. “I think so. I’ll find Stoker so we can start doing some damage.”
Pathius could help but crack a smile. “Good. Cecily, Dashal, and I will keep deflecting their volley. If you can damage even one of those trebuchets, we’ll be better off.”
Daro turned to Cecily and placed his hands alongside her face. Her eyes widened and she sucked in a quick breath. After leaning in to kiss her forehead, Daro left to find Stoker, and Cecily turned back to Pathius. She stood straight and her eyes were bright.
“Ready?” she said.
A boom and crunching of stone rang out, and Pathius nodded. They walked to the other side of the wall as the trebuchets hurled more stones toward the gates. Pathius stopped one in midair and it plummeted to the ground, bouncing off the bridge to topple into the chasm. Cecily swept her arms in an arc and two more payloads went soaring off course, falling into the depths before they could hit the stronghold.
Daro returned with Stoker and Shale, all three men carrying armloads of spear-thick arrows. Stoker loaded one with a glowing stone and handed it to Daro. Daro took aim and shot, the projectile slicing through the air toward one of the distant trebuchets. Pathius held his breath, waiting for the arrow to find its mark.
The explosion echoed across the canyon and Daro took aim again. The trebuchets were well protected by barricades, but Daro’s arrow cut through the gaps in their defenses and a burst of flame shot up from one of the machines.
Cheers went up from the wall and Pathius shot out his accumulated energy in a rush, bursting the next stone that hurtled through the air. Cecily took the stones down two at a time, sending them flying sideways with arcing sweeps of her hands. Daro and Stoker worked in a steady rhythm, concentrating on one trebuchet until Pathius could see it engulfed in flames.
Two trebuchets burned, sending plumes of black smoke into the air when the last stones soared over the chasm. Cecily and Pathius stopped them both, leaving them to plummet away harmlessly. For a moment, the air was heavy was silence as they held their collective breath, waiting to see if the volley would continue. Pathius leaned against the wall, breathing heavily, and waited.
A cheer rose from the wall, spreading down into the encampment beyond, as the last rays of sun vanished beyond the horizon and the air was bereft of the violence of the day. The barrage ceased, and the gates still stood.
57. I HAVE A PLAN
Daro stood on the wall, watching the trebuchet burn. The bruises on his back ached and his arms were loose and shaky. It had taken a considerable number of arrows to ignite the huge machines, but he and Stoker had finally succeeded; although there were at least ten left standing. The Attalonians appeared to have rescued one, but abandoned the other machine to the fire, leaving it to glow bright orange in the darkening night, coughing up clouds of black smoke into the sky.
Pathius leaned heavily against the parapet, his face drawn. “The gates held.”
“Until they start again at dawn,” Daro said.
Frost spread from Pathius’s hands, crackling along the stone, and he shook his head slowly. “We need those reinforcements.”
“It won’t matter,” Daro said. “They’ll sit back there, just out of range, and keep lobbing stones. Our Stone Shapers won’t be able to keep up with repairs. Eventually they’ll break through.”
Pathius rubbed his jaw and turned away. Daro shared his frustration. As Cecily stood next to him and leaned on his arm, her fatigue melding with his, he wondered what more they could do. Unless Attalon advanced, there was little the Halthians could do offensively. He could continue with his volley of arrows, but it was maddeningly difficult to hit the trebuchets. They were protected by barricades, designed to let the throwing arm through, but keep enemy fire away from both the structure and the men operating the machines. Daro was no expert in siege weaponry, but it surprised him that their trebuchets had such range; something the Halthian catapults couldn’t match. Pathius, Cecily, and Dashal had bought them time by deflecting much of the barrage, but the four of them couldn’t defend the fortress single handedly. Not for very long.
The sound of a throat clearing made him turn. General Coryn stood behind him, her arms crossed and cheeks flushed, wisps of hair breaking away from her usually neat bun.
“You broke out of your cell,” Coryn said.
Daro held her gaze. “I was needed here.”
“I let him out,” Pathius said.
Coryn’s eyes flicked to Pathius. “Indeed.” She took a deep breath and pursed her lips. “Your point is well taken, Commander Pathius. Daro has served his sentence and his presence here is valuable.”
“Thank you, General,” Pathius said.
Coryn gave them a brisk nod and walked farther down the wall.
“Was that what passes for an apology?” Cecily asked.
“I don’t think you’ll get more out of her,” Pathius said. “But at least she isn’t trying to have him arrested again.”
Daro shook his head. “I wouldn’t stay in once the volley started in the morning if she did. Listening to those stones hit the fortress for half the day was enough to drive me mad. However, I don’t think we’re going to be able to hold out here much longer.”
“The general is determined to hold the bridge until reinforcements arrive,” Pathius said. “I’m not sure what more we can do.”
“Even if the reinforcements come, Attalon is going to break through those gates,” Daro said. “We will lose the bridge.”
“What happens if we lose the stronghold?” Cecily asked. “Obviously we’ll cede ground to them, but if we retreat and make a stand elsewhere, with the rest of Rogan’s army, would we have a better chance of success?”
Pathius answered, but Daro didn’t hear his response. An idea was coalescing in his mind. It would be dangerous, but it might afford them a chance.
“I have an idea,” Daro said, turning toward Pathius and Cecily. “But the general isn’t going to like it.”
***
They found General Coryn in her war room, absent the usual bustle of uniformed officers. Her eyes were bloodshot and her uniform uncharacteristically rumpled, but she straightened as they entered. Daro had gone over his plan with the others, and although they agreed it bore a high degree of risk, the alternative was no less daunting.
“You should all get some rest,” Coryn said as they entered. “We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”
“That’s actually what we wanted to discuss with you,” Pathius said. She nodded and he continued. “We can’t hold off Attalon’s assault much longer. I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but we’re going to lose the bridge. We can give you a few more days, at most, but enough of those boulders are getting through that they’re going to crush the gates.”
“Commander, I believe we’ve been over this,” Coryn said. “Our orders are to hold the bridge. I have men working as we speak to repair the damage.”
Daro stepped forward. “General, please hear us out. We can’t hold the bridge against this assault. If they’re determined to break through that gatehouse, they will eventually succeed.”
“Are you suggesting we retreat?” Coryn asked.
“Yes,” Daro said and her eyes widened. “But not without a fight. I’m suggesting we destroy the bridge.”
Coryn’s mouth dropped open. “That’s not possible. We have very specific orders—”
“Those orders are going to get us all killed, and Attalon will still have the stronghold,” Pathius said. “Our orders are to protect Halthas. We can’t do that if we’re dead.”
“If we take down the bridge, we can cut them off from their supply lines and limit their access to Halthas by the southern route,” Daro said. “If they want in, they’ll have to come upriver, where our defenses are strongest.”
“We cannot retreat,” Coryn said. “I will not be the general who turned and ran.”
“This won’t be a simple retreat, General,” Daro said. “We’re going to weaken the bridge, but let them have the gates. After we let a portion of their force cross, we’ll take down the bridge, cutting their army in half, not to mention the number of men they’ll lose in the fall when the bridge collapses. We don’t have the numbers to take on even half their army, but if we retreat just enough to regroup with Rogan’s reinforcements, we can turn around and attack what’s left of them here. They’ll be cut off from their ranged weapons and siege equipment, as well as their supply lines; that will all be stuck on the other side of the chasm, with no way across. It will be the last thing they expect and, given our disadvantages here, it might be our only chance at victory.”
“How can you possibly destroy the bridge?” Coryn asked. “It’s ancient. Even our Shapers don’t know how it was built. And you’d be under heavy fire the entire time.”
Daro continued, spurred on by a certain satisfaction at her questions. She wasn’t saying no. “Dashal can kick up enough dust to dampen their visibility and provide cover, at least for a while. Between Shale, Stoker, Pathius, and myself, we should be able to sufficiently weaken the bridge. Then we let Attalon finish off the gates. Shale can dig below the stronghold, and create a ledge beneath the bridge, where Stoker and I can fire at the weak points. We wait until half of their army is across, and then we bring the bridge down.”
Coryn pressed her lips together and her nostrils flared. “You said yourself we don’t have the numbers to face even half their force.”
“The rest of you won’t be here when At
talon comes through,” Pathius said. “You’ll take the bulk of your force north, to Solinde. With any luck, Rogan will already be there. You can regroup and launch an assault on what’s left of their army here, once you have the numbers to do so.”
“What of you?” Coryn asked, looking at Daro. “I assume you won’t be falling into the chasm with the bridge.”
“Once the bridge is destroyed, those of us left will climb down the chasm wall and retreat downriver toward the sea,” Daro said. “We’ll have some of our men retrieve the Attalonian vessel we left at anchor in the cove. Once they pick us up, we can sail up the coast to the Watchtower. From there, we’ll have a direct route overland to Solinde.”
Coryn opened her mouth as if to speak, but shook her head. “There are some very large holes in this plan. What if the ship is no longer there?”
“Then we have a long walk up the coast,” Daro said. “Not ideal, but it won’t kill us. I can’t say the same for staying here.”
“And if you can’t destroy the bridge?”
“Honestly, we won’t be much worse off than we will be in a few days anyway,” Daro said. “General, the gates aren’t going to hold against their volley, and we can’t stop enough of their trebuchets. Either way, we’re handing them the stronghold. The question is, whether we do so on our terms, or theirs.”
Coryn’s eyes tightened and she stared at Daro for a long moment, her mouth in a thin line. “You actually think you can do this, don’t you?”
“I think we have to try,” Daro said.
“Very well. I’ll leave enough men to give you cover, and fall back with the rest of the force to Solinde.” Coryn shook her head. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but destroy that bridge and take as many of those bastards with you as you can.”
58. ABOMINATION
The dark night air was still as Daro hoisted himself over the top of the wall. He descended quickly down a thick rope, and landed on the bridge with soft feet. Stoker, Shale, and Pathius followed close behind, lowering themselves with care.
