Part 48 (1/2)
Blaine leaned toward her, his face darkened with streaks of mud, just like her own. ”What now?”
”Now we wait for Danya.”
Darkness fell like a scythe, slaying the last of the twilight. Kath huddled beneath her sheepskin cloak, desperate for warmth. Time seemed to crawl. Waiting proved hard, giving her too much time to think. Nightmares plagued her mind, memories from inside the gargoyles, images of h.e.l.l. Souls bound for centuries inside stone statues, trapped in unspeakable torment, a fate she could have shared. Shuddering, she gripped her sword hilt, fighting to banish the memories. She needed to focus on the battle ahead. So many things could go wrong. The biggest risk was the enemy's numbers. She had no way of knowing how many soldiers lurked within the dark walls. But if her army breached the gates and fought within the narrow streets of the citadel, then the numbers might be negated. And then there was Duncan, a worry of another sort. She prayed her dreams were only nightmares, not a warning from the G.o.ds.
The night wore on and the darkness deepened, not a sound upon the land. Even the stars were reluctant to s.h.i.+ne. Valin gifted her with a moonless night, so dark and absolute that the sky seemed like the vault of a grave and all the world a tomb.
”Svala, look!”
And then she saw them. Lights crept across the land, thirty thousand or more, moving up from the south. Spread out across the fields, they swept forward like a tide of starlight, as if a vast army marched toward the citadel, each soldier holding a lighted taper.
Blaine gripped her arm. ”It works! Danya's done it!”
”The awesome power of a Beastmaster.” Kath could only imagine the strength of Danya's magic to hold so many to her will. She'd asked the wolf-girl to bring the mountain sheep out of Ghost Hills and march them across the steppes. Thirty thousand sheep with glow crystals tied to their horns, they moved across the steppes like a vast eldritch army. Superst.i.tion and the dark moon completed the illusion, as if an attacking horde swarmed toward the citadel. The ghost army gave Kath the deceit of numbers she so desperately needed. ”Now we wait to see if they believe it.”
Huddled at the base of the citadel, Kath was close enough to hear the cries of alarm raised along the walls. Horns blared from the ramparts and drums pounded a warning. Shouts rang out, echoing against the stone walls. The distinctive whump of catapults and trebuchets shook the night, hurling boulders into the steppes. And all the boulders fell toward the south.
Blaine's voice leaped with eagerness. ”You've done it! They've bought the ruse!”
”Wait.” Kath held her forces back, giving the citadel time to s.h.i.+ft the bulk of their men toward the southern gate.
Out on the southern fields, the army of lights kept their distance, a bright swarm dancing just beyond the reach of the defenders, yet the rain of boulders never slowed.
A clash of steel shattered the night, the distant battle sounds heightening the sense of danger. Flames erupted to the east, tongues of fire licking the barracks. A bright orange glow lit the ma.s.sive wooden structures of the Pit, making them seem like flame-breathing dragons. ”Fanggold.” Kath released a long held breath. ”Almost time.”
The time for battle was nearly upon them, but she was not afraid, as if she'd finally found her true destiny.
”Stay low and keep quiet.” Kath led her band of thirty-four warriors toward the northern gate, the same men who'd battled the h.e.l.lhounds, every one wearing a swath of maroon tied to their sword arm. To a man, they'd insisted on following her into the citadel. If they failed, the rest of the army had orders to retreat.
Faces blackened, they crept across the frozen ground to the stone ramp, a broad roadway leading up to the northern gate. Torchlight flickered along the battlement but the ramp remained sheathed in darkness. Kath shed her sheepskin cloak, leaving it in the snow, trusting the maroon cloak to hide her against the dark stone. Slow and stealthy, she crept up the ramp, a thin line of marauders following behind. Halfway up, her shoulder's blades itched. Fearing an arrow or a crossbow bolt, she hugged the ground, afraid to breathe. When no bolt came, she scurried forward, relieved to reach the ironbound gate.
The gate was immense, timber reinforced with iron plates, thrice the height of a tall man. Wood was impervious to her magic, so Kath avoided the gate, seeking the stone wall on the far side of the gatehouse. Slipping around the corner, she pressed her back against the cold stone. Blaine, Bear and Boar kept close. The others hugged the darkness, an ambush waiting for an open gate.
Kath reached for the amber pyramid lodged deep in her pocket. Breaching the wall would be risky. Anything could lurk on the other side, including a legion of soldiers. Kath knew she was just as likely to walk into a trap, as to succeed, but it was too late for doubt. She sidled close to Blaine. ”If I don't return, take the others back and warn the painted people.”
Kath held her breath, expecting another argument, but he just gave her a curt nod. ”I'll be waiting for you.”
She gripped his arm in thanks. Sending a quick prayer to Valin, she looked at Bear and Boar. ”Ready?”
Both men nodded, gently easing their swords from their scabbards.
”Then take a deep breath, and whatever happens, don't let go.”
She stood between them, linking her arms through theirs, pulling them close. Taking a deep breath, she summoned her magic and stepped into the wall.
Evil a.s.saulted her. Like plunging headfirst into a frozen sea, she writhed in shock. Stone surrounded her, seeking to steal her breath, pulling her down like a dark malignant tide. Panic threatened, like nothing she'd ever experienced. The stone itself was corrupt, imbued with evil. Kath flailed against the dark current, desperate to keep her bearings. Disoriented, her lungs burned with need. She tightened her fist on the small amber pyramid. A light flamed within her mind and the panic eased. Forcing herself forward, she battled against the dark tide...and then she was through, stepping into air. Gasping for breath, she doubled over, convulsing like a drowned sailor.
Firm hands seized her arms.
She looked up, relieved the two men had made it.
They pulled her back against the wall, into the shadows. Her mind snapped back into focus; they were inside the citadel. Excitement laced with fear s.h.i.+vered through her. She'd half expected a legion of soldiers to be lurking just inside the gate but the street was nearly empty. She strained to listen for the tramp of boots. Drums and trumpets echoed through the night, but the sounds were distant, somewhere toward the southern gate.
Torches fluttered along the far wall, drawing her gaze. Kath gasped in shock, recognizing the small statue carved into the wall like a wayfarer's shrine. Three creatures sitting in a row with rounded ears and long tails, but the carvings had very human gestures. One covered his ears, another his eyes, and the third his mouth, a crude version of the statue in the Kiralynn monastery. The creatures seemed to mock her. She staggered back against the wall, there was more evil here than she'd ever imagined.
”Are you all right?” Bear gripped her arm, staring into her face. ”You're as pale as death.”
Kath nodded. ”I'm fine,” but she knew she wasted valuable time. She gripped her sword, desperate to clear her mind. A pair of guards patrolled the gate, but otherwise the street was empty.
A door burst open and a dozen armor-clad guards emerged, half of them carrying crossbows. They clattered up the stairs to the barbican over the gate.
Kath shook her head. ”We need more men.” The plan called for her to slip back into the wall, ferrying her men through two at a time. She shuddered, reluctant to re-enter the stone, but she had no choice. ”Wait here.”
Taking a deep breath, she gripped the amber pyramid and stepped back into the wall. Evil struck like a cold wave, battering against her, but this time she was ready. Holding her breath, she forged a path against the dark tide, refusing to be swept away. Head down, she battled forward, holding a blaze of light in her mind. And then she was through, staggering into the air.
Hands caught her, strong and sure, pulling her back against the wall. ”Svala!”
Blaine and Sidhorn stared down at her, big men bristling with weapons.
Just for a moment, she sagged against them, gulping air and warmth, and then she took a steadying breath. ”You're needed on the far side.”
They did not hesitate. Linking arms with her, they turned to face the wall. Kath wished she had their certainty. Taking deep breath, she sent a prayer to Valin and plunged back into the dark stone.
Thrice more, she made the perilous pa.s.sage. Each time, the men were unaffected, but the dark stone took its toll. Shaking, Kath leaned against the inner wall. ”No more,” she shook her head, ”I can't do it again.”
Blaine took charge. ”Then we'll have to make do.” He whispered orders to the others. Bear and Boar would open the gate while the rest charged the stairs, attacking the bowmen on the battlement. ”Kath, can you take out the two guards with your axes?”
Her hands shook. ”Not yet.” She hated admitting the weakness but she'd not spoil the plan, not when they were so close.
Bear said, ”We'll take them with our slings.”
Kath grinned at the irony. The simplest of weapons would open the gates to the Dark Citadel.
Blaine nodded to the big warrior. ”When you're ready.”
Kath slipped her sword from its scabbard. They crouched in the shadows, tensed for battle. Bear and Boar loosed their slings, a quick whirl followed by a sharp crack. The two guards dropped, felled in their tracks, and then everything erupted in a blur of motion. Bear and Boar raced for the gate while Kath guarded their backs. The big men put their shoulders to the ma.s.sive crossbeam, straining to open the gate. Blaine led the others up the stairwell, attacking the archers on the barbican.
”Who's there?” A shout rang from the ramparts, followed by a scream.
A crossbow bolt whistled into the courtyard, but it struck only stone.
”Hurry!” Kath stood in a crouch, holding her blade at the ready, searching the shadows for enemies.
Boar grunted, struggling to lift the ma.s.sive beam.
Shouts rang from the ramparts. A man screamed and a body tumbled from the walls, landing with a thud on the cobblestones. Kath flicked a glance toward the corpse, relieved to see a stranger's face. ”Hurry!”