Bleary-eyed, I dragged through the grass behind Andrin. I would never get used to waking up exhausted. As an Animaré, sleep was always refreshing. I batted a particularly tall stalk aside and bit my lip, scowling. The hardy plant cut me.
"Doing okay back there Sedris?" Andrin glanced over his shoulder.
"Remember what happened last time you lagged behind," Koren added from the front.
I scowled. It's not like the dogs catching up to us was my fault.
Andrin gave me a few more looks and I shrugged. It was hard to move on from Koren's lack of faith in me, to pretend I hadn't heard it.
They didn't mean any harm. He was just being honest.
I sighed and squinted up at the sky. The sun was peeking through the clouds again. The two had fought all morning, one to cast the world in the shadow, the other in light. It seemed the brighter of the two was going to win out as the puffy clouds grew patchier. At least it helped raise my spirits.
With a jolt, I stopped short of walking straight off a six-foot boulder. My mind was so unfocused I could barely look where I was going.
"Sedris let's go, we're not out of this yet."
Biting back an angry retort, I carefully stepped around the side of the rock. These boulders were more like scales of stone that started dotting the landscape as it became less of a flat expanse. This was good for two reasons. First, it meant we were nearing the foothills of lower Corvelen, where we would finally find some civilization. Hot meals, warm beds, and hopefully a crowd to hide us from the Ska'al and Corvel Guard alike. Second, since the rocks weren't difficult to weave between and provided some much-needed cover, we would be hard to spot from any distance, even if someone was looking out for us.
Which they were.
"You know, if you stop and just enjoy the day, you can almost forget about the bloodthirsty dogs probably hunting us as we speak, right?" Andrin tried to break the silence, but I wasn't helping him out.
At least Koren was more responsive. "We won't have to pretend soon. I doubt the Corvel will love those feral things running freely around the settled countryside. Reflects poorly on the crown to let dogs rip apart the farmers."
"Grim way to look at it, but fair enough." Andrin latched onto the conversation. "I'm just ready to..."
"... ready to?" I smirked as he lost his train of thought.
Andrin cocked his head to one side. "...to... Koren what is that?"
Now Koren stopped short too.
"What is it guys?"
Koren shushed me.
My blood went cold.
A long, low note, barely perceptible, drifted lazily on the wind and settled on the rocks. I only caught it for a second, but that was enough. Andrin had gone pale too. It was a Corvel battle horn.
"Drop!" Koren hissed, pulling me down beside him. I fell like a sack of rocks, my heart pounding. We could only cheat death so many times.
"Do you think they know we're here?" Andrin's voice shook.
Koren held up a hand, cautiously peeking over the grass. He shook his head slightly. "I can't be sure. There's nothing on the horizon."
I risked taking a look as well, raising my head so I could just barely see the rocks in the distance. Nothing. No black dots in the distance, no figures parting the grass.
I wasn't reassured.
Andrin wasn't either. "I don't feel anything in the currents, that's good at least right?"
"They probably know we'll see them in the currents anyway, so the horn just set us on edge."
"You feel anything Sed?"
I flushed and looked at the ground. "I don't... I mean I can't..."
"You can't see the currents anymore," Koren said bluntly. Andrin opened his mouth, eyes full of pity, but Koren cut him off. "The plan is still the same. Keep in cover, single file, head for the foothills. We have to assume the Ska'al are here too, and they won't be able to move as freely there as out here, especially with the Corvel soldiers slowing them down."
I was glad to fall in line and follow Koren's plan. The less I had to talk about being Solace, the better.
The grass grew patchy, fast, and soon only the rocks served for cover. We ducked quickly from one to the next, rushing across open spaces one by one. My eyes constantly scanned the horizon, but my main focus was keeping us heading in the right direction. The Animaré were both focused more on the currents than the rocks, knowing we could see our enemies that way before ever needing our eyes.
They did begin to find patrols, one crossing east-west, another coming toward us from behind, but the Animaré always steered us around, Koren softly calling out directions as we went. After the second group overtook us and passed by, there was another large gap in cover. I was ready to make a run for it when Koren stopped me, pulling a dagger from his pack.
"You're crossing every big gap first, by yourself. So if you see someone, anyone, you throw this. It's something you can afford to leave behind. You're attacked, you throw this... and you aim to kill." My fist closed around the dagger and he went on. "Then run. Run first, ask questions later."
"I know how to stay alive," I snapped.
"Just be safe Sedris." Andrin's voice was softer.
Thanks for the concern.
I tucked the dagger away and spun on my heel, taking off across the stones. It wasn't fair to leave Andrin hanging like that, but I was losing patience for this. Koren watched me take care of myself our whole lives, but suddenly now I needed treated like a child?
I know I'm not an Animaré anymore Koren, no need to rub it in. I shook my head. They're still relying on me to focus.
We kept at it for a few more hours. The flat plains started to tumble and roll, the boulder-littered landscape slowing our trek. The sky was tinged pink turning to blood red when we stopped in the mouth of a miniature cave. Ahead, a short shale incline led up to the biggest flat space we'd come across yet. Eight feet above our heads, the stone plateaued and stretched out, covered in shattered rocks and short shrubs, but zero real cover. It was maybe a mile across to rockier terrain, and the width was probably twice that. If we were going to be spotted at all before night fell, this was it.
I crouched in the shadow of the rock, the Animaré right beside me. We all took a moment to steel our nerves.
"We shouldn't have much farther to go once we cross this gap," Koren murmured. "The Daelyni road should be close, which is hopefully the end of the Ska'al's free movement. The Corvel soldiers couldn't let them patrol the road alone."
"But if the Ska'al look out anywhere over this plateau, there's no way we can hide."
"Can we wait until dark?"
"Maybe, but I can feel more Ska'al at our backs every minute. Right Andrin?"
The Baldük nodded. His gray face was paler than usual.
I peeked over the ledge across the field. "Guys, do you see that?" A pinprick of light appeared at the far edge, then another.
"It's them." Koren pulled me back down and shoved us all back to the shadow of the rock. It wasn't really a cave, but it hid us well.
I opened my mouth to ask how they were moving, but Koren held up a hand. He pressed one finger to his lips and closed his eyes, Andrin already doing the same.
We waited. Five minutes passed and I tapped Koren's shoulder. He waved me off. Five turned to fifteen. I was just about to ask again when voices came within earshot—for my ears, at least.
"...this Solace, the better. Your prince can receive his reward, and we can go home."
I shot a look at the Animaré. That voice wasn't native to Baldük-kre. Corvel? I mouthed to Andrin. He nodded.
"...may need to travel the roadways to find this common enemy of ours. We are sure Aelridia would kindly welcome our protection of its country," came a slimy reply. The guttural tone was unmistakable—the Ska'al were here too.
"That's in the Commander's hands. Our own Animaré are protection enough for the people."
The crunch of boots on stone. They we were approaching the rim of the plateau, but slightly off from our hiding place.
"Rhas'sagal to Rhas'sagal, an even match makes. We Ska'al will dispose of the Solace threat." This voice was deep, final—a much different Ska'al than the first.
The clink of armor as another Corvel soldier spoke briskly. "We'll believe in the Baldük ability to eliminate the Solace when we see it. For weeks now your prince has torn apart the wilderness, with many good men lost in the process—even a few of you Ska'al too. Seems like this Solace and its Animaré followers are more trouble than your prince first thought."
Weeks? Even Koren looked confused. They couldn't have been tracking us for weeks, we haven't even been in Corvelen that long. Weeks ago Lylisia was... I stopped myself.
"...fruith ghakesh'skar myantick!"
"Insult us all you like, Baldük, but facts are facts. You turn up one lousy Animaré instead of a Solace, you don't get a pat on the back in the Corvel Guard."
The slimy Ska'al broke cut off another string of Baldük insults from his partner. "We might remind you of your troubles before the Ska'al were summoned. Stealing, burning, death. The girl was just the beginning, a first success to precede the larger one."
The girl? My head spun. They found her body? These ruthless warriors, these bloodthirsty monsters parading as men, took her body as... as a trophy?
"But the girl's Bond? Seems awful weird you didn't find the other one lying around somewhere."
"The first pair of Rhas'sagal are dead. She is the only proof the prince needs of that. The second pair will be of no consequence. We will then eliminate your Solace."
They have her. This time the anger was my own. The magic roiling inside didn't need to push it up, it just happened. The four men were coming into view now, meandering along the rim of the plateau, torches held high to light up the shadows.
"...more than some consequence, huh? Another Ska'al dead! The girl went down without a fight at least, one lousy arrow killing an Animaré?"
It was fuel to the fire. Andrin noticed my quivering fists and laid a hand across my arm. His eyes were wide.
"It's true, you must've picked off the weakest link by far, your Solace couldn't even have been around for that one! An Animaré shot in the chest, I never thought you could do it. When they've got a shield at the drop of a hat, you'd think they'd come in handy at a time like that!" The Baldük had long fallen silent, but now the Corvel soldiers were egging each other on.
"We were always taught, never even try to shoot 'em, but now we've got a new story to bring back home to the boys. Two pathetic little birds with one stone, literally."
Andrin was gripping my arm tightly now. Through the fog of angry magic I glimpsed his other hand on Koren's shoulder.
"It'll be a training technique, you know? Weed out the weak ones for the Guard, just hit 'em straight on with a bow and see which ones are too stupid to—" He was interrupted by a surprised exclamation from the big Ska'al.
The armored warrior clutched his thigh, Koren's knife buried deep in his flesh. I opened my eyes and looked up, breathing heavily, standing right beneath the stunned warriors. Did I really just...? I whirled around to find myself outside the cave, knees trembling, a maelstrom raging in my chest. I flexed my fingers, the ghost of the knife's edge flying from my hand, aimed to kill the Corvel, launched in blind anger. I missed my mark by a mile.
The other Ska'al didn't waste a moment, dropping straight off the ledge, black sword drawn. Koren and Andrin were on him in a flash, Naem-shul ringing against the warrior's armor. As he turned to counter his new opponents, I felt a ripple in the air as Naem-shul met Ska'al blade. The glittering black swords still packed a punch on the Naem-shul, and it definitely evened the playing field.
The big Ska'al grunted as he landed heavily on the rocks in front of me, and I turned to face him head on, energy building in my soul, mounting ever more pressure in my chest. The Solace magic was hungry, and I didn't have any intention of pushing it down.
The warrior straightened up slowly. He was huge, nearly a foot taller than me or Koren, with a chest as broad as ours combined. In one hand he gripped a torch, which he immediately cast off to the side. The handle of Koren's knife stuck out of his thigh, buried up to the hilt, but he wrenched it free with a laugh, throwing it aside as well.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Andrin and Koren both occupied with the other Ska'al. His sword made their fight that much harder—they could barely use their Naem-shul at all, having to keep even those out of his reach. I set my jaw and swung at my Ska'al before I thought he could recover from the fall, but his arm came up lazily to block the swing. It was like hitting a stone statue. I saw his other arm swing a moment too late and could only twist away so my shoulder absorbed the punch instead of my chest.
Even so, the blow sent me flying. Somehow, I held onto Lylisia's knife, the weapon my only hope while all else slipped quickly away. The Solace magic was angry, but I wasn't sure how it would really help me. I was lucky before—today my luck was running out.
Rising warily to my feet, I blocked out the sound of the other battle. The huge Ska'al advanced, his mask leering at me in the hazy light. I feinted left and made a swipe right, but he dodged nimbly aside, quicker than I thought possible. I dove away from his huge fist and popped up again to the side, only for his other punch to connect to my temple.
The world spun. I landed hard in a clump of grass, my vision blurry and head ringing. The Ska'al laughed again. I made to push myself up, but the moment I raised my head the ground flipped vertical again and I collapsed. He hit me hard.
The Ska'al casually turned his attention to the other fight now, not seeming to care that his comrade was starting to lose his edge to the Animaré. The Corvel had long since fled, one look at the flashing Naem-shul and angry Solace apparently too rich for their blood.
I hauled myself once again to my feet, my head still reeling. The magic roared again in my chest as I let it strengthen my weak limbs just enough to get me off the ground. I wanted desperately to let it fuel me into a frenzy, but against Ska'al, what good would it even do?
The shadows danced quicker than the fighters, the flickering torch quickly replacing the sun as it sunk farther below the horizon. I wobbled a bit and shook my head, the uncertain light merging with the stars popping up in my vision. For a moment I stood hypnotized by the jumping shadows, the spinning silhouettes. The Naem-shul whirled and wove through the darkness, following the Animaré movements in fluid motions.
One flickered as Andrin blocked a swipe, and the sound left my ears ringing. I broke out of my trance. I scooped up Koren's bloody knife, which lay beside a fist-sized chunk of rock.
My knives weren't much good against the giant Ska'al swords, so I attacked the best way I could think of. I hurled the rock and hit the smaller Ska'al right in the side of the head, sending him stumbling right into Koren's waiting blade. We didn't waste a moment before turning back to Andrin.
We were still a moment too late.
Andrin landed a hit on the big Ska'al's already injured thigh and the warrior dropped to one knee with a grunt of pain. Thinking he had the advantage, the Animaré stepped forward, only to get a dagger to the stomach.
Our screams mingled into one.
Blood trickling down his side, Andrin collapsed into the waiting arms of the Ska'al, who quickly straightened up, sword to the Animaré's neck.
"Drop it, or you end up like him." He locked eyes with Koren, jerking his head to me as he spoke. The Naem-shul instantly disappeared. "You too. Drop it."
"Drop it Sedris."
White knuckles gripped Koren's knife in one hand, Lylisia's in the other. I didn't budge.
It's my fault we're here.
"Sedris."
My fault. Lylisia would know what to do.
"Put it down, Solace, or we see if your friend is just as weak as you are. They don't know," he jerked his head to the ledge where the Corvel had fled, "but we're all sure you don't know a damn thing about your magic. And you won't kill a man at your mercy?" He laughed. "Untifrai ek krassath. Cowards reap death."
I could hit him this time. I wouldn't miss. He needs me. I tightened my grip on the weapons.
Koren's hand closed around my left fist, the one with Lylisia's knife. "You know you won't do it Sedris."
There it was. He wanted me to give up. This was how our journey ended.
As my own heart sunk, the Solace magic took control. Lylisia's knife clanked on the rocks where I tossed it, harmlessly, right as the other weapon drew back to aim. The picture of the Ska'al pressed into my mind—him laughing, holding a bleeding, unconscious Andrin.
I sent a prayer to the heavens and let the blade fly.