This was difficult for both Axis and the bowmen. They had to shoot blind, or, at least, shoot their arrows by trusting implicitly in the vision that Axis gave them.
It was such trust that was the hardest thing to achieve, but in the hours before dawn, they finally managed it.
In the meantime, arrows had peppered the inside of the stairwell’s ceiling, down the walls and into several sections of various squads’ shield covers, but finally the arrows had shot well and true.
They were ready, and Axis sent everyone off to grab a few hours sleep.
He met with Isaiah at the top of the staircase before he went to his own chamber.
“Ten thousand won’t be enough, Axis,” Isaiah said, very quietly. “Not really. You know it and I know it. You’ll surprise the Lealfast initially, but they’ll fight back instantly. And they’ll fight back with Infinity.”
“We have to do something, Isaiah,” Axis said. “And I am willing to risk Infinity’s wrath to do it. All these men know in their hearts what is at stake. They are all volunteers.”
Isaiah nodded, rested his hand on Axis’ shoulder briefly, then left him to his rest.
Chapter 17
Elcho Falling
Axis sat on the edge of StarDrifter’s bed and looked at his father. StarDrifter was still very weak and his vision was poor, but at least he was alive and improving.
“What is happening?” StarDrifter said, his voice hoarse.
“Elcho Falling continues to crumble,” Axis said, “but Maxel has agreed to my plan to attack the Lealfast. I am having men stationed in here later, just in case some Lealfast wanders in.”
“The plan is shaky,” Salome said.
“So is Elcho Falling,” Axis said.
“And the One?” StarDrifter said.
“Maximilian and Ishbel have agreed to StarDancer’s plan,” Axis said, glancing across to the cot where his infant brother lay.
StarDancer was awake and lay smiling at Axis, and Axis could feel the boy’s satisfaction emanating out in great waves.
He was already thinking of the day when he would be Enchanter-Talon.
“Good,” said StarDrifter. “Good.” Then he reached out a hand and fumbled for Axis’. “Be careful,” he said.
“Being careful was never my great strength,” Axis said. He rose from the bed. “The Lealfast are gathering. I must join Isaiah and Maxel.” He gave his father’s hand a squeeze, then kissed Salome’s cheek. “Be well.”
Maximilian and Ishbel hesitated before the locked door to Ravenna’s chamber. Maximilian nodded at the guard to unlock it, then spoke to him. “You can leave the lady unguarded and unlocked from this point,” he said.
Are you sure that is wise? Ishbel said in his mind, and Maximilian gave her a slight nod.
We must. We must trust her now.
Ishbel sighed and nodded herself, and then the door was open and Ravenna stood waiting for them within her chamber.
“This won’t take long,” Ishbel said, moving to stand by Ravenna.
Ravenna could feel the other woman’s tenseness. Ishbel didn’t want to be doing this.
Ishbel raised a hand to the top of Ravenna’s head. “Turn about slowly,” Ishbel said, and Ravenna complied, revolving on her feet.
As she moved about, so Ishbel began to twist her hands in a complex dance, occasionally moving them close to Ravenna to snatch at the thin air.
And Ravenna could feel the triple curses Ishbel had bound her with begin to unravel. It was if a constriction about her brow and her chest began very slowly to fade. Ravenna felt a sense of warmth and wholeness creep back into her being, as if she had been locked for a long, long time in a cold and barren place.
As she had, indeed.
Then, very suddenly, Ishbel made an abrupt movement with her hands and Ravenna felt, smelt, her connection with the marshes restored and power flood back into her being.
Almost instantly, certainly well before Ravenna could say or do anything, a goblet materialised in Ishbel’s hands.
“I am sorry,” Ishbel said, “but I need to be sure,” and with that she dipped the fingers of one hand into the goblet, and she flicked dark, dank blood over Ravenna.
None of it stuck, and Ishbel and Maximilian shared a look.
“I will not betray you,” Ravenna said quietly. “Not this time.” Within herself, she smiled. The blood test had not worked, because the betrayal, if such it could be called, had not yet been effected.
And might not. At least, not for decades. Ravenna knew she would need to watch for her and her son’s chance with the utmost care. Then Ravenna looked to Maximilian. “But you still control your powers as Lord of Elcho Falling? You will need to —”
“Those he shall have until the last moment,” Ishbel said. “You may think yourself trustworthy, witch, but I am leaving nothing to chance.”
“But you may leave it too late!” Ravenna said. “What if the One emerges and Maximilian still controls his powers as —”
“Not yet,” Ishbel said and, stiffening her entire body, she turned on her heel and left the chamber.
A moment later Maximilian followed her and Ravenna was left staring at the open door.
She rested a hand on her swollen belly.
“Soon,” she whispered. “Soon.”
The Lealfast assembled into their circles. Eleanon began his clapping. Today, as yesterday, after every seventh clap all the Lealfast clapped, leapt and thudded down. The small group on the balcony waited for something new, but there was nothing.
“Elcho Falling barely survived yesterday’s attempts,” Maximilian said. “I don’t know if it will survive the day. Axis, where is this eagle of yours?”
“Still flying in,” Axis said.
“Can you fight without him?” Isaiah said.
Thump and another shudder ran through Elcho Falling; somewhere in the distance the three men heard a slab of masonry fall into the lake.
Inardle, who had been inside the command chamber, came out to the balcony and peered over the railing.
“If I have to,” Axis said.
“I’ll ask Egalion to —” Isaiah began, then was halted by Inardle’s cry.
“Look! Below, below!”
The three men peered over.
The lake’s surface churned. For a moment none of them could make out what was happening. Axis looked briefly at the Lealfast to see if they’d reacted, but they were continuing their encircling march.
He looked below again, then reflexively reeled back from the railing as one of the Dark Spire’s roots reared high into the sky, paused, then slammed into the wall of Elcho Falling about a quarter of the way up, burying its tip into the heart of one of the bloodied web of cracks.
As it pulled back, so a large piece of masonry materialised out of the water wall and fell into the water.
“There’s another!” Inardle cried, pointing, and then suddenly, appallingly, hundreds of the roots were rearing out of the water, seeking cracks within the walls of Elcho Falling, burying themselves inside and tearing out large chunks of masonry.
“This is going to tear apart in an hour!” Inardle said, and Axis whipped about to Isaiah. “Fuck waiting for the eagle,” he said. “We’ve got to go as soon as we can!”
“Are your men ready?” Isaiah said.
“They’ll be ready within a heartbeat,” Axis said. “All they have to do is to pick up their weapons. They’re already assembled.”
Isaiah looked at Maximilian, who gave a nod. “Go,” he said. “Elcho Falling is not going to withstand this onslaught.”
Axis and Isaiah turned as one, striding toward the door leading to the command chamber.
But in the instant before they reached it, Inardle cried out again, more urgently this time.
“No! No! Wait!”
They halted, turning to stare at her.
Inardle was back at the balcony railing, but this time she was staring wildly out at the countryside beyond the Lealfast circles.
“The Skraelings are here,” she said. “I can’t see them but I can feel them. I —”
“Look!” Maximilian said, pointing toward the hill on which Eleanon stood.
Eleanon, who had to this point kept perfect time with his hands, now faltered, looking about as if confused.
Then, in the next heartbeat, millions upon millions of Skraelings materialised out of nowhere, filling the landscape as far as the eye could see.
Chapter 18
Elcho Falling
One moment Eleanon was standing clapping rhythmically, grinning as he watched the roots of the Dark Spire begin to tear apart Elcho Falling, the next moment he was being jostled by scores of Skraelings, packed tightly together. It took Eleanon several heartbeats to overcome the sense of disorientation and shock, then another several to free his wings from the packed bodies and manage to lift into the air.
What was happening? What were all these . . . millions . . . of Skraelings doing here?
Eleanon could not believe it. Where had they come from? How had they materialised right within the midst of the Lealfast circles without anyone realising?
And what were they doing? Why did they look so different? Were they here as friend, or as foe?