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Authors: Brian Fuller
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for the wise decision to return to Eldaloth’s embrace. I am afraid we must depart rather hastily. Some of Mikkik’s creatures still have the will to fight on without him. I had intended less confined accommodations for you, but I am afraid you must bear a little discomfort for your own protection, as during the caravan to your wedding.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Mirelle said, the Chalaine’s voice still feeling strange in her throat. “We’re doomed no matter what we do.”
Athan furrowed his brow in concern. “You are mistaken, Chalaine. When you see Eldaloth, you will understand your error and feel of his kindness and mercy. Then you will find hope again.”
Mirelle mounted the prison wagon, and Dason tried to follow, only to have the Eldephaere guards rebuff him.
“Dason, you are dismissed,” Athan said. “Return to your people.”
“I will not leave her!” he exclaimed, and Mirelle was impressed by the sincerity of his voice. Lord Kildan’s son was quite an actor, after all.
“Go, Dason,” Mirelle said, keeping the despair at the forefront of her voice. “You can do me no more service, now. Go help my mother. Keep her safe, and you will be rewarded.”
He bowed stiffly. “Your will.” He mounted the horse and took the other by the reins, leading them away.
Padra Nolan approached as the Eldephaere bolted her in. “If we are to avoid the vanguard of Mikkik’s host, we must leave now. We will barely make it to Echo Hold as it is.”
“Is there time for the tent?” Athan asked.
“Leave it,” Nolan replied.
Mikkik’s host? Mirelle thought. From where?
The small contingent they had destroyed on the canyon floor was the only body of Mikkik’s army not attacking Echo Hold that the scouts had run across. Athan had made it seem like Mikkik’s forces were scattered and leaderless, but if the army of six thousand that had chased them south could be put to flight by whatever was coming, then something had gone wrong. Her daughter might have been safer going to Echo Hold after all. Mirelle peered out the bars as the wagon rumbled north, wanting to scream a warning to those she left behind. But she was just as powerless to help them as she had felt holding Gen’s lifeless body to her breast. Desolate, she slumped against the sides of the carriage as the only thing left in the world she wanted to fight for disappeared beyond the horizon.
Chapter 73 - Driven and Bled
“We’ve got half a day, Lord Kildan, and then we’ll be in their power,” Maewen reported after dismounting her lathered horse. “It seems they’ve no interest in Athan’s party heading toward Echo Hold. They come for us alone, and we must press on.”
The late afternoon sun hung over the plain where they had thought to encamp for the night, the heat sucking sweat from their skin while the warm light painted their faces the color of flame. After Athan’s party had departed, Lord Kildan had ordered a more leisurely pace south to rest the horses, but Maewen smelled something on the breeze blown in from the east and returned with the poor news—an army of Mikkik’s creatures of unknown number moved across the plain, coming directly for them.
“We can’t rest,” Maewen said. “We ride south as fast as we can to the Blackwood, even if it kills the horses. The forest is dense and dark and will give us some advantage. If we’re caught out here on the plain, and if that army is the size I think it is, we will be slaughtered. If we ride through the night, we’ll make the Blackwood by dawn and have several hours to rest before they fall upon us.”
Lord Kildan swallowed hard at the news. His son Gerand stood next to him, every inch the soldier his father was.
“Father, let me take a group of a hundred of our heaviest cavalry and ride along the eastern flank some distance from the main party so we can sound the alarm if some group of the host catches us early.”
“Do it,” Kildan agreed.
“I’ll send
“It doesn’t matter,” Mirelle said, the Chalaine’s voice still feeling strange in her throat. “We’re doomed no matter what we do.”
Athan furrowed his brow in concern. “You are mistaken, Chalaine. When you see Eldaloth, you will understand your error and feel of his kindness and mercy. Then you will find hope again.”
Mirelle mounted the prison wagon, and Dason tried to follow, only to have the Eldephaere guards rebuff him.
“Dason, you are dismissed,” Athan said. “Return to your people.”
“I will not leave her!” he exclaimed, and Mirelle was impressed by the sincerity of his voice. Lord Kildan’s son was quite an actor, after all.
“Go, Dason,” Mirelle said, keeping the despair at the forefront of her voice. “You can do me no more service, now. Go help my mother. Keep her safe, and you will be rewarded.”
He bowed stiffly. “Your will.” He mounted the horse and took the other by the reins, leading them away.
Padra Nolan approached as the Eldephaere bolted her in. “If we are to avoid the vanguard of Mikkik’s host, we must leave now. We will barely make it to Echo Hold as it is.”
“Is there time for the tent?” Athan asked.
“Leave it,” Nolan replied.
Mikkik’s host? Mirelle thought. From where?
The small contingent they had destroyed on the canyon floor was the only body of Mikkik’s army not attacking Echo Hold that the scouts had run across. Athan had made it seem like Mikkik’s forces were scattered and leaderless, but if the army of six thousand that had chased them south could be put to flight by whatever was coming, then something had gone wrong. Her daughter might have been safer going to Echo Hold after all. Mirelle peered out the bars as the wagon rumbled north, wanting to scream a warning to those she left behind. But she was just as powerless to help them as she had felt holding Gen’s lifeless body to her breast. Desolate, she slumped against the sides of the carriage as the only thing left in the world she wanted to fight for disappeared beyond the horizon.
Chapter 73 - Driven and Bled
“We’ve got half a day, Lord Kildan, and then we’ll be in their power,” Maewen reported after dismounting her lathered horse. “It seems they’ve no interest in Athan’s party heading toward Echo Hold. They come for us alone, and we must press on.”
The late afternoon sun hung over the plain where they had thought to encamp for the night, the heat sucking sweat from their skin while the warm light painted their faces the color of flame. After Athan’s party had departed, Lord Kildan had ordered a more leisurely pace south to rest the horses, but Maewen smelled something on the breeze blown in from the east and returned with the poor news—an army of Mikkik’s creatures of unknown number moved across the plain, coming directly for them.
“We can’t rest,” Maewen said. “We ride south as fast as we can to the Blackwood, even if it kills the horses. The forest is dense and dark and will give us some advantage. If we’re caught out here on the plain, and if that army is the size I think it is, we will be slaughtered. If we ride through the night, we’ll make the Blackwood by dawn and have several hours to rest before they fall upon us.”
Lord Kildan swallowed hard at the news. His son Gerand stood next to him, every inch the soldier his father was.
“Father, let me take a group of a hundred of our heaviest cavalry and ride along the eastern flank some distance from the main party so we can sound the alarm if some group of the host catches us early.”
“Do it,” Kildan agreed.
“I’ll send
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