Elfsorrow

Auum placed a hand on the elf's shoulder. Elsewhere, the fight was done, the Xeteskians disengaging and ru

'I am sorry,' said Auum. 'That blade was meant for me.'

The elf looked up at him, paint streaked with his tears, eyes red and glistening. 'It was vital you lived,' he said, then he let his head drop in prayer. He would be buried with his panther.

Auum backed away and rejoined his Tai. The war was not yet won. Tendjorn had been moved to command the Dordovan forces south of Xetesk and took it as a rebuke for his failure to lure the Xeteskians into an incursion across the River Dord. It had been a one-sided affair, he had lost far too many men and perhaps he was right to be shamed. The thought, though, did not improve his mood.

It was early evening, and in the camp between the south and north lines he was debating what to have for supper. He was bored with thick soups and stews and wondered if he could persuade some of the men to go out hunting deer. It was against regulations to leave the front but a forest two miles to the east was said to be home to a few. It could hardly hurt.

He was in charge of two hundred foot soldiers and mages spread thinly against an attack he didn't believe would come; not now Lystern had joined the blockade. And they had been effective in reducing supply to Xetesk to a trickle at best. The Lysternan leader, Heryst, was engaged in diplomacy which Vuldaroq was determined would fail. And though part of Tendjorn wanted it to fail too, so he could avenge his earlier poor showing, most of him wanted to go home, put his feet up and continue his research.

Tendjorn ambled out of his command tent and wandered over to one of the perimeter guards to the south of the camp. The majority of his men were north, well dug in against a Protector force he knew was out there. But he had stationed as many as he could spare in his south-facing line because command said Xeteskian researchers were heading home and would try to break the blockade. He didn't believe that either.

'Anything to report?'

The guard saluted then smiled and shook his head. 'Still nothing, sir.'

'Have they checked in?'

'A couple of hours ago, nothing to-'

FlameOrbs appeared in the sky perhaps three miles south, maybe less, quickly followed by the unmistakable sparkle of HotRain.

'What on earth?' he said. 'Have we got anyone that far south?'

'No, sir.'

'The Lysternans?'

'Not as far as I'm aware, sir,' said the guard.

They watched for a while, seeing spell after spell crack across the sky, getting no nearer.

'Get out to the first watcher,' ordered Tendjorn. 'Get me some information.'

'No need,' said the guard, pointing.

Someone was ru

'I can't hear you!' he shouted, and beckoned him on. 'Get closer.'

The man was screaming his words out. Tendjorn frowned. Someone else was shouting too, but from behind. The watcher got within earshot.

'Protectors!' he gasped. 'Twenty-five, ru

Tendjorn nodded and turned, ru

'Captain, I need a defence south. Protector force coming this way. Twenty-five. Mages, FlameOrbs and DeathHail. Now move!'

But there was something else. While some ran to do the Captain's bidding, more were ru

'Gods, what is happening?'

Tendjorn hurried up to his north line, cresting a rise that looked out across a long plain. They had chosen this position as an ideal battlefield. Coming across it were more Protectors. A hundred more at least. They would have their battle.

'Shit,' he rasped. 'Keep them back as long as you can. Beware our south! More coming from the south.'

He turned and ran back towards his tent. From the south line, the ring of steel and the crump of spells had begun. Tendjorn slipped inside the tent and lay back on his cot, trying desperately to calm himself enough for a Communion. Vuldaroq had better be receptive. Tendjorn didn't have long to live.

Chapter 40

Hirad saw the bloom of spells above the treeline back to his right and urged his horse to greater speed, The Raven hard in his wake. Echoes of voices rose above the sporadic detonations, the battle itself hidden by forest and hill.

'Ru

But they'd travelled as fast as they could. Keeping away from settlements of any size had been difficult enough and the route they'd taken had been made even less direct by their need to keep Aeb in the dark about their direction for as long as possible. Xetesk now knew their destination – that was a given – but in the lattice of valleys, crag formations and plains that made up the lands to the immediate east of the Blackthorne Mountains, it was easy enough to lose yourself if, like The Unknown and Darrick, you knew how.

It had worked thus far but now the hiding was over. Riding at the rear of the party, Aeb could sense Protectors close by. The Unknown and Darrick were at Hirad's shoulders with Erie

The light was fading fast, the haloes of spells bright in the sky for a long time. Hirad felt a thrill as he hunched over his horse's neck, The Raven with him, travelling fast over Balaian ground, heading for the fight. This was why he was alive.

They galloped up a very shallow slope, rounding a stand of trees that had somehow survived the elemental devastation of two seasons before, and saw it all mapped out before them. To the right, the elven army was tackling a Protector force augmented by mages and cavalry. The elves had been halted by the positioning of the experienced Xeteskian forces, which had allowed a group of over twenty-five to get away; they were charging north at a hard gallop.

Hirad swung north to give chase, The Raven following. They were perhaps a hundred yards behind and closing quickly enough to catch them before they hit the Dordovan lines. With any luck, they would be enough to stop them.

With a mile to go, spells flared into the night directly ahead and the distant roar of voices followed soon after. Hirad pushed harder still, eating up the distance. It didn't take much to work out was what going on ahead but The Unknown confirmed it anyway.

'Protectors backed by mage support,' he shouted across to Hirad as they galloped. 'I can feel them. So can Aeb.'

'We've got to catch them fast.' Hirad turned. 'Ready, Ilkar?'

The Julatsan nodded, the SpellShield already formed, just waiting to be cast. Either side of him, Denser and Erie

'It's got to be now! Go Raven!'

Ilkar deployed the shield as weapons were hauled from scabbards and The Raven spread to a line, charging at the rear of the fleeing Xeteskians. Wings sprouted at Denser's back and he left his saddle, plucking Erie

Ahead a group of cavalry swung back to face them. Denser tore down for Erie