“What?” he spluttered, turning to an equally wan-faced Gautier. “How?”
Gautier simply stood and shook his head slowly, unable to speak for several minutes. “The Coroleans ringed the camp late last night, Sire. It – and the Ravensbund people – was there then. But this morning, when we moved in…gone …” He shook his head again. How could they have disappeared so silently, so completely?
Back in Jervois Landing Jorge, as he did every morning, checked his friend’s bed to make sure he was still alive.
Roland had disappeared.
The Skraeling Nest
It will work! I know it can!” Azhure s eyes were.bright with conviction. “You have heard the Icarii flight reports!”
Axis glanced at Belial and Magariz – FarSight was still with the final Crests in the southern Urqhart Hills and would not be back at Sigholt for a week or more.
Since the Ravensbundmen had disappeared from Jervois Landing Axis had cut back on the Icarii support for Borne-held. They had done enough. The Skraelings had been severely curtailed and most of the Ice Worms destroyed. With his Corolean mercenaries, Borneheld still had almost eighteen thousand at Jervois Landing to man his defences. Axis believed Gorgrael had reached his limits for this winter campaign. It was the first week in Hungry-month, the last month of winter. Spring would shortly be here, and with it, promises would have to be fulfilled further south in Achar. But now Azhure had conceived of a final strike against the Skraelings.
“I’m not sure, Axis,” Belial said, avoiding Azhure’s stare. “Is it worth the effort?”
“Worth the effort?” Azhure cried. “What do you mean, worth the effort? You have heard the Icarii reports, Belial. This would be our best chance yet to attack Hsingard.”
Over the past several weeks, as Crests of Icarii had flown between Jervois Landing and Sigholt, many of them had passed over the ruins of the former capital of Ichtar, Hsingard. Once-proud Hsingard now lay in ruins, torn to rubble by the wraiths and the Ice Worms. The Skraelings were using its rubble as shelter, possibly even as their base.
Azhure turned back to Axis. “We might even find a SkraeBold there, Axis. Or the nest of the Gryphon pack. It is worth the effort!”
“Azhure.” Magariz, quiet until now, stepped forward. “Hsingard is a large place. There is no way that a small force like ours could cover the entire city – and the place is now nothing but rubble! It would be a trap! Axis, I beg of you, remember Gorkentown.”
Axis’ face froze. “But this time we would be die attacking force, and the Skraelings would not be expecting us. We could do some damage.”
“We could ride there in a day,” Azhure argued. Hsingard was only some two leagues beyond die furthest reaches of the Lake of Life, but they would need a day for the attack because of die need to approach carefully and circumspectly, through die Urqhart Hills, instead of directly across die plain. “A day to attack, men less home. We could do it.”
“There are not die numbers of Skraelings in Hsingard that diere used to be,” Axis said slowly, thinking it dirough. “Most of die Skraelings are further south, making a last push against Jervois Landing. The Icarii have seen very litde activity among the ruins, even at night when the Skraelings are usually the most active. This could be our last chance to hit die main Skraeling base in Ichtar while both Borneheld and Skraelings are busy in Jervois Landing. I have to admit a fancy to see what it is die Skraelings have been doing in Hsingard.” “We have the Alaunt,” Azhure added. “They can both warn of impending attack and track within the rubble. Icarii scouts can keep watch overhead.”
“Axis,” Belial pleaded, “you cannot think of doing this! Leave well enough alone.”
Axis looked up from the map in front of him. “I have sat on the rooftop of this Keep for the past month, Belial, and watched through the eyes of the eagle as the Icarii Strike Force saved Jervois Landing. I have done nothing but sit. / want to see some action, and this could be a good preparation for the mounted soldiers and archers before the summer campaign against Borneheld.”
“They are already hardened,” Belial snapped. “They do not have to be sent on some foolish mission to Hsingard to harden them further.”
Azhure’s mouth dropped open. Foolish? An opportunity to attack what could be the Skraeling main base while it was almost empty?
“Azhure,” Axis said. “What force would you take?”
She didn’t even have to think about it. “All six of my squads of archers, and two hundred mounted men —just over four hundred on the ground altogether. One Crest of Icarii -I don’t need that many for scouting purposes, but they need the safety of the numbers in case we rouse the Gryphon. And I take the Alaunt. They can scout out the hiding places of the Skraelings among the rubble, and with four hundred men we can do some damage. We would strike during the day, when the Skraelings are the least active.”
“Good,” Axis said, before Belial objected again. “Azhure, you have command.”
“What\” Belial and Magariz exploded together.
A muscle in Axis’ jaw jumped, the only sign that he was angry, and he looked past Belial at Azhure. “Of course, Azhure, if you don’t feel that you are capable of it, I will assume command myself.”
“I can do it,” she said, meeting Axis’ eyes steadily. She had not even allowed herself to think that Axis might give her command, but she knew she could lead this mission.
Belial spun about. “You don’t know what you are doing, Azhure.”
“I can do it, Belial,” she said softly. “Do not worry for me or for the men I lead.”
Axis watched Belial and Azhure carefully. He thought he understood why Belial had lost his temper. Axis suspected that Belial felt more for Azhure than simple comradeship, and that made him wonder what had happened in Sigholt in those months before he had arrived.
“Belial,” Axis forced a light tone into his voice. “Do not concern yourself too much. I intend to ride along as support. Azhure should enjoy giving me orders for a change. You have overall command here in Sigholt. Magariz can back you up.” “You are mad, Axis,” Belial said tonelessly, “to risk yourself and your command for what is nothing more than a foolhardy adventure.”
“Belial, I want to see what the Skraelings have been doing among the rubble of Hsingard. And I want the opportunity to skewer a few more of the wraiths.”
Axis had sent the eagle over Hsingard on several occasions over the past weeks, and something strange was going on in the rubble. Axis glanced at Azhure. This mission would be a good test of her abilities.
“You leave Caelum behind, Azhure. This is no gentle patrol through the Urqhart Hills. He has Imibe to care for him.” Imibe was one of the younger Ravensbundwomen. She had a baby herself and plenty of milk, and already helped Rivkah with the task of caring for Caelum when Azhure and Axis were both busy.
Although the sun had just risen, the clouds were so thick overhead that the light was grey and insubstantial. “Well?” Azhure demanded, her voice low. Her hair was pulled back from her face and braided tightly about the crown of her head. She wore the usual outfit of the SunSoar command, grey wool tunic with the blood-red sun, buttoned to her neck against the cold, and white breeches. The Wolven was slung over her shoulder and two quivers of arrows hung down her back. Axis suspected she also had several knives secreted about her body.
Axis blinked and his eyes refocused. “There is no activity, Azhure ,** he replied. “The eagle sees nothing.”
Azhure had kept the Icarii back from Hsingard, not wanting to give the Skraelings any hint of impending action.
“They must be buried in the rubble, gone to their nests,” Azhure said. About her the Alaunt lay silent and watchful.
Axis watched her, waiting to see what she would do next. The force was hunched among the tumbled and deserted masonry of a once large and proud Retreat of the Seneschal near the outer ruins of Hsingard.
“They would surely be well within the ruins of the city,” Azhure thought aloud. “Where they felt safe.” She squinted, checking the piles of masonry that marked the fallen walls of Hsingard. “Axis use your Enchanter eyes or those of your eagle. Is that the roadway the map showed us to the north? Is it blocked with rubble, or will we be able to move down it?”
Few among the SunSoar command had ever been to Hsingard, and Azhure had been forced to rely on maps to learn the layout of the city and the position of its main buildings and squares. According to the map, this road should be one of the main avenues leading to the heart of die city.