Shouts. Screams. Clashing steel.
The cacophony rang through Nathan's head, threatening to break his focus. Above him, a ball of flame swirled, fighting the water that threatened to cocoon it. Steam hissed where the two elements met, sending drops of scalding liquid down to catch soldiers, Ferann and Agaithian, unawares.
The threat of the boiling downpour had the advantage of dissuading any Agaithian soldiers from attacking him. Unfortunately, it also stopped any Ferann soldiers from striking against the two Agaithian Manipulators who controlled the water.
For its first fifteen minutes, their raid had gone to plan. Nathan and Ash, leading a party of forty well-armed, highly trained veteran volunteers, had circled the Agaithian encampment and struck at its eastern edge. Taken by surprise, the Agaithians had fallen back, running towards the relative safety of the camp's centre.
The Feranns had been more than happy to join them. Following their orders to the letter, they had begun grabbing anything of value and destroying anything that could not be taken easily. Ada, with three members of her unit, had left the main group, heading in the direction of the horse pens. From the raucous that erupted soon after, Nathan knew they had successfully freed the animals. With luck, more than a few of the Agaithian mounts would find their way back into Ferann hands.
It was only when Nathan, Ash and the troops not already engaged in plundering and pillaging ran into the armed and organised line of Agaithian soldiers that Nathan realised that Erik was not, perhaps, as predictable as he had thought.
That little show of force had put an end to any further attempts at sowing chaos, and Nathan had given the order to fall back. That had gone well too, up until Ash found herself a handy hostage to claim. That had brought all of Síoch's blooded hounds down on them.
At least we know she chose well, Nathan thought. Gritting his teeth, he rammed his hand hard into the air, directing the blazing ball forwards and downwards. It crashed towards the Agaithian line but stopped short as the Agaithian mages caught the blast. The soldiers did not escape unscathed – more than a few curses filtered through Nathan's haze as they got caught by the jetting water.
Still, better to be burned than stand at the centre of a pyre.
Behind him, Ash was issuing curses of her own as she forced her unwilling hostage backwards. Tom's voice issued out, giving orders to the remaining Ferann forces, keeping the retreat controlled and ensuring that no Agaithians would be able to slip in from behind.
Taking advantage of the momentary distraction in front, Nathan stepped backwards to keep his distance with Tom's voice.
Whoever the bastard is had damn well better be worth this, Nathan thought, as a third Manipulator joined the Agaithian power surge. The massed water grew as streams poured from all available water supplies.
Somewhere, Nathan could just about make out Erik's voice yelling at the mages to stop drawing from the water sources.
Nathan grinned. No matter how this skirmish worked out, the Agaithians were going to have to move camp if they were to get enough water to replenish their supplies. Which meant they would be forced to either attack the Ferann's in order to get to the river that lay behind their lines, or they would have to fall back. Either way, it put the Feranns on the upper foot.
Not a bad outcome, all things consid-. His thought stopped in its tracks as the resistance he was fighting disappeared. He stumbled, falling to one knee as the sudden loss of pressure released the tension in his muscles. He leapt up almost immediately as the water, now in the shape of a horizontal bar, blasted towards them.
"Shields!" Nathan yelled, on the off chance that any member of his force had been stupid enough to venture into an enemy encampment without activating their shield. He dropped the fire ball, brought his hands together and spread them wide. The faint shimmer of the generated shield appeared just as the wall of water slammed into it.
Under the onslaught, the shield broke. Watching the showering mist soak the Feranns, Nathan shrugged. Could have been worse, he thought. They needed a shower anyway.
He broke into a grin as he watched the mist. Three against one was very unsporting, and Nathan was getting tired. He knew he would not last long with another direct attack. The Feranns were close to the camp edge now. They would be able to run soon enough. And that would be when the Agaithian arrows found them.
A little bit of mist would go a long way.
He gestured, willing the water vapour to gather around the two groups, drawing the water from the ground back into the air. Smoking tents, caught from the sparks of Nathan's forgotten fireball, added to the growing blackout that swirled to surround the Agaithian lines.
A glance behind told Nathan that his people were well on their way back. He sidestepped after them; taking his eyes of his foe was suicide, but Fates be damned if he would walk backwards through an enemy encampment.
The smog followed them as they crossed the few miles to the Ferann camp. With the darkness of night, it probably was not necessary, but Nathan refused to take the risk. Besides, the night would do nothing to protect Nathan from the sharp eyes of the Agaithian archers. The power of his magic lit him up like a full moon in a cloudless sky; if he were still in range when he dropped the smog... well, he would provide excellent target practice.
Cheers guided them the last few metres back to the camp. Mugs of ale greeted them the moment they passed the sentries. Nathan gulped his gratefully and sagged onto the first barrel he saw.
Ash handed off her prisoner, safely unconscious after a hasty blow to the head, to waiting soldiers and joined him.
"Not a bad show," she said, "although I must ask, were the theatrics really necessary?"
Nathan frowned at her over his tankard. "Got you back in one piece, didn't it?"
She grinned and saluted him with her cup.
"Who did you get?" Nathan asked. "Must have been good for Erik to put so much into getting them back."
Ash's grin faded into something much more calculating. "Lael Lovat."
Nathan lowered his drink and stared at her. How in the Eternal Darkness did she manage that?
Ash's grin returned as she registered his shock. "Impressed yet?"
"I always knew you were good, cousin, but that's a new bar you've set."
She laughed and bowed low. Straightening up, she sighed. "I can't take much credit really. I just checked a tent, hoping to find an arrow or two, and there he was." She sipped, her eyes focusing on something beyond the tent in front of them. "I think we were equally shocked by the suddenness of our introduction," she smiled, returning to the present, "but I recovered first."
Nathan studied her. "You mentioned you met Lowe on the road. Think his father can tell us more?"
Her eyebrow raised slighted as she considered him. "Lowe Lovat is a fool who thinks he's a genius. Lael Lovat, however..."
"He's hardly a genius, Ash."
She laughed. "Remember his attempt at negotiating summer before last? He kept insisting on talking to Her Royal Highness."
"Of course," Nathan said, laughing at her impression. "Thank the Fates Erik turned up when he did, or we'd still be there trying to convince him you were you."
"He's an idiot, for sure," Ash said, "but he's not a fool. If Lowe was telling us the truth, and if the Agaithians really were behind the Fade outbreaks, then Lael will confirm it."
Nathan nodded slowly. "This isn't just about confirmation though, is it? You know something."
Ash glanced at him and then focused on the cup resting in her lap. Long seconds passed before she spoke again.
"Can I trust you, cousin?"
Nathan started at the question and stared at her. "Have I ever given you reason not to?" he asked quietly.
She met his gaze and held it. Whatever she saw there convinced her and she smiled sadly.
"No. Never. I think you're the only one though."
Nathan caught her hand, squeezing it gently. "What is it, Aislinn?"
Ash sighed. "I don't know. Perhaps it's nothing. I overheard Owain speaking to someone, shortly before I left. It wasn't much, but I heard Owain mention the Lovats, and something about my father."
Silence passed over them, cold and heavy. They had both been involved in the political quagmire of Tir Brenin's royal court for long enough to recognise that those were not names that had any reason to be heard together. If Owain's involved in this... Nathan could not bring himself to complete the thought.
Desperate to break the sombre silence, Nathan said, "I'm almost grateful you insisted on coming on the raid. Who knew you could be so useful?"
She hit him gently, smiling her gratitude. "It's all Ada's influence. Ever the capable woman, is Ada."
Nathan nodded.
"Did I hear my name?"
Nathan just managed to keep his seat as he and Ash both whirled around to locate the voice's owner.
Ada stood watching them, arms crossed and eyebrow arched. When neither Nathan nor Ash answered her, she turned to the man beside her. "What do you say, Callum? Got any special Wild mage trickery up your sleeves?" She turned back to Nathan and Ash. "You'd make a wonderful pair of toads, sitting on top of the barrel like that."
"I've heard that threat before, Ada," Nathan said, "And you should know yours was not half as scary as the original."
Ada sighed. "I guess I'm just too capable."
Ash stood up and hugged her. "You know we meant it as a compliment, dear."
"Hmm. If I didn't, you would both be toads already," Ada muttered, refusing to return Ash's hug.
She turned to Callum, jerking her head in Nathan's direction. "Well then, lad, go ahead with your message. It's not like you two need an introduction."
Nathan almost questioned Ada at that. Sure enough, he recognised Callum, but the young man had changed a lot since Nathan had last seen him. Better food and a bit more rest had made their mark, but it was the square shoulders, straight back and steady hands that truly showed the difference in him. Callum had found a place where he could be himself, no matter the danger, and the confidence that brought shone through him.
Nathan, not quite managing to hide the pride in his smile, nodded a greeting to the man. Callum returned it and then some, bowing low to him. When he straightened, Nathan raised a hand to stop any gratitude that Callum so clearly wanted to express. Just seeing him was enough.
"What's the message, Callum?"
Callum pointed skyward. "There's a bird looking for you."
Getting a letter from Elaine was always an adventure.
Callum had directed him to the southern edge of the camp, and so that was where Nathan went. Once he was sure he was out of sight of the sentries, and shivering slightly from exhaustion, he waited.
The bird came quickly, flying low over the land and straight towards him. In the half-light of the coming dawn, its ungainly shape made little sense to Nathan. When it slowed, wings beating hard and long, spindly legs reaching for the ground, it came together. A heron.
Elaine had sworn, once, that the birds she sent were entirely based on availability and willingness. Despite that, Nathan was all but certain that Elaine's choice had more to do with finding the birds that could cause the most trouble. She'd sent a fox eagle once. As beautiful a creature as it was, it was not the friendliest of birds. Nathan had paid for the letter on its ankle with several nice chunks from his shoulder. If ever there was a time to wish for Wild magic, it was when fending off an armed wild predator half your size.
The heron, thank the Fates, was much more docile. The bird allowed Nathan to untie the scroll without injury and was even magnanimous enough to allow Nathan to scratch its shoulder gently, right at the neck join. Satisfied, it shook itself, unfolded its wings and catapulted itself back into the sky.
Nathan was always relieved when the birds left immediately. When Elaine wanted an immediate response, she would tell the birds to wait. Lacking both patience and a verbal way of communicating the immediate requirement of a response, they generally resorted to pecking. Writing a note while fending off an angry pheasant is no easy task. Nathan was forever grateful that the fox eagle had been happy to leave without a reply.
Bird gone, Nathan gently opened the tightly rolled scroll. A gesture with one hand produced a tiny ball of white light. It hung, unmoving, just above his eyeline. With its light he studied the letter. The paper was of better quality than normal, thick and strong, and the ink fully opaque, rather than the weaker grey usually used. Elaine's writing, small and precise, covered the first three-quarters.
Nathan scanned the first few sentences, eager for news. As the words filtered through, his reading slowed and stopped. His thumb brushed lightly over the inked letters as he considered their meaning.
So, Eban met my father. He sighed. He had always known, hoped, that it would happen someday, but in his fantasy it had been as reunited family, not enraged strangers. Still, perhaps it's for the best. At least now they know each other. And they know about Elaine. Nathan grinned. From her description, the first meeting had been less than cordial. Having been on the receiving end of Elaine's fury, Nathan almost felt sorry for his father.
Smiling to himself, he returned to her letter. Beyond the meeting, Elaine's comments were mainly focused on the Fade. She was his biggest source of information about the spread of the disease; between Elaine and the information he had gotten from Lowe Lovat, Nathan had a good idea of how, where and why the Fade had reappeared in Ferann. The Agaithians were truly desperate if they were willing to take the risk of turning to biological warfare.
Nathan froze as he came to the last words.
'Nathan, Eban joined the King's army. He's on his way to Tir Brenin as I write this. I know who he is. I know what he is. But still, he's only a boy, Nathan, and I fear for him.
'Watch for him, my love.
'Elaine.'
Nathan stared at the words.
No. It's too soon. He's too young.
"Another letter?"
Tom, little more than a shadow against the thin light of the camp behind him, broke Nathan from the letter.
Nathan pushed the paper into Tom's hands. The light above him flew to occupy a position above Tom's head.
Tom frowned at Nathan but bent his head to read without further questions. His expression remained neutral throughout the letter, but there was sympathy in his eyes when he lifted his head again. "What are you going to do?"
Nathan sighed. "Anything I do will make it worse." He looked up, gazing at the moonlit clouds that breathed across the sky. "Eban's always walked Fates' Road. This was his choice. So, for now, I'll do nothing."
"And later?"
Nathan's jaw tightened. "That will depend on the Fates."