Read Online A Realm of Shadows by Morgan Rice - Free Book Online Page B

we must face the Pandesian army?” Bramthos called
out.
    “We must first
and foremost kill those men who betrayed us, who betrayed their homeland,”
Duncan replied. “Who lay at our flank. Otherwise, we will never be safe. Then, with
Bant’s men dead, we can lure the Pandesians to us.”
    “Yet they will
have the high ground,” Seavig said.
    “Which is why we
will lure them down, inside the canyon,” Duncan replied.
    They all seemed
baffled.
    “And then what?”
Bramthos asked.
    Duncan looked back,
cold and hard.
    “Flood it,” Duncan replied.
    They all stared
back in shock.
    “Flood it?” Seavig
finally asked. “How?”
    Duncan raised his
sword and continued drawing his line in the sand, until finally he drew three
short marks.
    “Everfall,” he
stated. “We will redirect the falls. Its waters will flow north, and flood the canyon.”
    He stared at the
men, who looked down, shocked.
    “A few hundred of
us cannot kill Pandesia’s thousands,” he replied. “Yet nature can.”
    A long silence
fell over the men as they looked at Duncan, all rubbing their beards, all deep
in thought.
    “Risky,” Kavos
finally said. “It is a long stretch between here and Baris. Anything could happen.”
    “And the canyon
has never been flooded before,” Seavig added. “What if it doesn’t work?”
    “And if we lose
against Baris?” Bramthos asked. “That itself could be a deadly battle.”
    “Not to mention,
Leptus controls the falls,” Anvin added. “We’d need to enlist their help if we
stand any chance.”
    Duncan nodded to him.
    “Precisely, my
friend,” he replied. “And that is why I am dispatching you at once.”
    Anvin’s eyes
widened as he looked back with surprise and pride.
    “Leave at once
for Leptus,” Duncan added, “and enlist them in our plan.”
    A long silence
filled the air, the men on the fence, until finally Kavos stepped forward. All
the others looked at him with respect, and Aidan knew that whatever he said
would mean their agreement or not.
    “A daring plan,”
Kavos said. “A risky plan, a bold plan. A plan that will most likely fail. Yet
one which is valorous. And foolhardy. I like it. I am with Duncan.”
    One at a time
all the men looked up and shouted in agreement, raising their swords.
    “I AM WITH
DUNCAN!” they all cried out.
    And Aidan’s
heart soared with pride.
    *
    Aidan walked beside
Duncan, his father’s strong hand on his shoulder, their boots crunching gravel
as they crossed the cave, past all the warriors donning armor, sharpening
swords, preparing for their next battle. Aidan had never felt more proud than at
this moment. His father, owning the respect of all the men in this cave after
his stirring speech, had come not to join his commanders, but to Aidan, all
eyes on them. He had pulled Aidan aside and walked with him, alone. As all the
men watched them, Aidan took it as a great sign of respect; he hadn’t even
realized his father was aware of him amongst all these men, let alone at this
critical time.
    They walked in
silence, Aidan waiting, eager to hear what his father had to say.
    “I never forget,”
his father said, as they finally crossed out of earshot of the other men. He
stopped and looked at Aidan meaningfully, and Aidan stared back, his heart
pounding. “I know what you did back there. You came for me, all the way from
Volis. You trekked alone, all the way to the capital, a dangerous journey even
for a hard warrior. You survived, and you even managed to find men to help you.”
    His father grinned,
and Aidan, welling with pride, smiled back.
    “You managed to
make your way into the dungeons,” his father continued, “in a city occupied,
and to help free me in my bleakest hour. If it weren’t for you, I would still
be chained there—if not already at the executioner’s hand. I owe you my life,
son,” he said, and Aidan felt his eyes well. “You have proved on this day that
you are not only a valued son, but a fine, budding warrior. One