Sara Douglass – The Axis Trilogy 2 – Enchanter

“A Corolean unit was passing through Nor?” Axis asked sharply. “How many, and where to?”

The trader felt the shift in mood. “Over the past several months Corolean troops have been moving through Nor and catching river transports for Jervois Landing, Great Lord. Many of them. How many?” He shrugged. “I do not know. Several dozen units, at the least.”

Axis’ eyes caught Azhure s and she turned to Dru. “I thank you for bringing us the horse, Dru-Beorh.”

Dru bowed, recognising the dismissal, and led the horse back into the Keep.

Azhure turned to Axis. “Borneheld has Coroleans fighting for him?”

Axis watched the horse disappear back into Sigholt, but his thoughts were far away. “Apparently so. Has he concluded a treaty with them? A military alliance?” He did not have to go on. If Borneheld had the weight of the Corolean military behind him, Axis would find it all but impossible to defeat Borneheld.

Beside him, Azhure started. “Axis!”

Alarmed by her tone, Axis snapped out of his reverie and looked to where she pointed. Walking slowly up the road that led to HoldHard Pass was a group of several hundred women and children, but the oddest women and children Azhure had ever seen. All of their faces were so heavily tattooed that they seemed dark blue from this distance, and their black hair was oiled and plaited into tiny braids. Many of them rode ugly and stunted yellow-haired small horses, almost ponies. The sound of myriad soft bells and chimes drifted to meet them. “They are Ravensbund!” Axis cried, and Azhure wondered at the gladness in his voice.

The next day, after Sa’Kuya had sufficiently rested, Axis invited her to attend the daily conference he held with his commanders in the map-room.

Sa’Kuya had taken almost three weeks to lead her party northwards to Sigholt. They had evaded discovery leaving Jervois Landing, and had met none of Borneheld’s patrols south of the Nordra.

“We crossed the Nordra at Gundealga Ford,” she said to Axis, “where you met with my husband, Ho’Demi.” Axis inclined his head.

“Then we travelled the southern Urqhart Hills, joining HoldHard Pass just before its final bend towards Sigholt.” She shook her head a little, the beads and bells jingling merrily, and looked to Magariz and FarSight. “We passed two of your mounted patrols,” she said, “and sighted five of your winged people in the skies. But we remained silent and unseen.”

“Then I am glad you came as friends and not to cut our throats in the night,” Axis said, with a sharp glance at hiscommanders.

“If we had come to cut your throats in the night, you would already be dead,” said Sa’Kuya tardy.

“Your husband said he would be here with the first winter snows,” Axis said, changing the topic. He waved out the window, “Though the Lake of Life keeps Sigholt and its surrounding hills free of snow, the rest of northern Achar is thigh-deep in it. Where is Ho’Demi?”

And why can he speak to me with the mind voice? Axis thought. What is he?

Sa’Kuya explained Ho’Demi’s dilemma. “He wants with his heart and soul to join you, but he knows that to do so would leave Jervois Landing so stripped of soldiers that Gorgrael would almost certainly win through. No-one wants to see that happen.”

Belial spoke up. “Sa’Kuya, my intelligence told me that your husband brought some eleven thousand men into Jervois Landing. Is that correct?”

Sa’Kuya nodded. “Eleven thousand, save those already dead at Skraeling hands. Plus a further nine or ten thousand women and children. All will join you as soon as possible.”

Axis caught Belial’s glance. Twenty thousand? Where would they put them all?

“Azhure,” he said finally, “have you seen to the Ravensbund already arrived?”

She nodded, knowing what Axis was thinking. Eleven thousand fighters would be welcome indeed, but with many thousands of refugees already, how would they feed them and their families?

Axis sighed, and turned back to Sa’Kuya. “I hear that Corolean forces join Borneheld at Jervois Landing. What can you tell me of them? Has Borneheld forged an alliance with the Corolean Empire?”

“No, he has not managed to forge an alliance with them, although he would like to do so. He hires mercenaries from the Coroleans. He has perhaps some three or four thousand with him at the moment, and more are on the way.”

Axis’ shoulders slumped with relief.

“Corolean mercenaries are expensive,” noted Magariz. “For that many Borneheld must be draining his treasury.”

Axis nodded, then spoke to Sa’Kuya again. “Tell me about the Skraeling attacks on Jervois Landing, and of the defences Borneheld has constructed there.”

Sa’Kuya described the viciousness of the Skraeling attacks, how they were deflected only by the system of canals Borneheld had built. “The Skraelings, hating open water as they do, are herded like cattle in a run. Wherever the Skraelings attack along the line between the Azle and the Nordra, they meet these canals, and their attack is splintered and fragmented by the twists and turns they are forced to make. Gorgrael throws hundreds of thousands of Skraelings at the defences, but at the moment they hold.”

“No IceWorms yet?”

“No. Only Skraelings.”

Axis looked at Belial and Magariz. If the IceWorms arrived, when they arrived, would they be able to bypass the traps by vomiting their repulsive cargo completely over the canals? He turned his gaze back to Sa’Kuya. “When will Ho’Demi join me, Sa’Kuya?”

“By spring at the latest, Great Lord.” She had picked up the title from Dru-Beorh last night. “Borneheld will not have the use of the Ravensbund people if he moves againstyou.”

“Thank the Stars for that,” Axis began, but the next instant everyone was on their feet as the bridge screamed.

“To the roof! To the roof! Woe! Woe!”

“Stay stilll” Axis yelled, as everyone headed for the door. “Belial, FarSight, you come with me. Azhure, send for your archers. Magariz, Arne, prepare Sigholt for attack as we planned. Spear Wing, get the Strike Force in the air. Sa’Kuya, stay here.”

SpearWmg went straight out the window, while die others let Axis and the three he had named through the door first, then hurried to their tasks. Axis had long planned the defence of Sigholt – now it appeared that they were going to stand in good need of the countless drills they had practised.

“Woe! Woe!” the bridge wailed. “To the roof! To theroof!”

“It can hardly be an attack,” Azhure said as she scurried up the stairs after Axis, the Wolven already unslung and an arrow notched, “if the bridge is screaming for us to go to the roof.”

“Nevertheless,” Axis grunted, “the bridge is hardly screaming for us to come and look at the view. Something is wrong, very wrong.”

SpikeFeather TrueSong spiralled out of the sky towards the roof of Sigholt, only barely managing to hold on to life. By his side flew EvenSong, calling out encouragement even as she wept. Beside them, almost wingtip to wingtip with EvenSong, flew the snow eagle.

The rest of their Wing was dead.

The group watching from the roof of Sigholt realised how badly SpikeFeather was injured the instant his blood spattered down in great drops about them.

Hurriedly, FarSight launched into the air.

“SpikeFeather,” Azhure whispered as she lowered the Wolven, “EvenSong.” They were her closest friends among the Icarii.

A group of archers clattered out of the doorway to the stairwell, closely followed by StarDrifter and the three Sentinels.

SpikeFeather lost consciousness some five wingspans from the roof, and FarSight and EvenSong could not contain his fall. He landed with a sickening crunch, his form apparently lifeless, dreadful injuries marking his wings and torso. Blood pooled about him.

Azhure took one look and almost vomited with shock. His belly had been ripped open, and ropes of bowel glistened in the sun; his left arm had been torn almost completely oft, and now hung only by tendons and blood vessels.

Axis dropped to his knees by SpikeFeather. The Wing-Leader was a close friend.

Then EvenSong landed, and Azhure rushed to her side. She had obviously also been attacked by whatever had all but killed SpikeFeather; one cheek lay open, and both arms and hands were cut horribly. But she was not dying.

Axis was determined not to lose SpikeFeather like he had FreeFall. This time he would not fail. He gathered the bird-man into his arms, spreading his wings to either side.

StarDrifter started to step forward, butVeremund held him back. “Behold your son, StarDrifter.”

All three Sentinels were very calm amid the cries of horror about them. They moved about the roof quickly, pulling everyone save EvenSong and Axis back from SpikeFeather.

Ogden put an arm about Azhure. “Watch, pretty mother,” he whispered in her ear. “Believe in Axis.”

Of all present, it was StarDrifter who appreciated the power of the Song of Recreation that Axis sang most of all. This was a Song so powerful, so extraordinarily hard to sing, so difficult to control the power of the Star Dance as it flooded through the music, that few Enchanters had ever been able to wield it properly.