Jaya made her way along the line until the camp was just a skip across the grass. Here the troops seemed more vigilant, and lightfists stood scrutinising the distant shadow army. It was comforting to know that Bel was watched over. She left the army to make the short journey over the grass to his camp, but as soon as she did, vines shot up from the grass to entwine her legs.
‘Hold, miss.’
She managed to twist her torso around, and found a grizzled lightfist with a hand raised at her.
‘Release me,’ she said.
‘What business do you have in Blade Bel’s camp?’
‘The first thing,’ she said, ‘will be telling him to make it known that I can come and go as I please.’
‘There you are!’ came his voice. ‘I was wondering what was taking you so long.’
She smiled sweetly at the lightfist, who shrugged, and the vines fell away. She turned to find Bel hurrying towards her, his blue hair shimmering in the moonlight. Almost she could not help herself from running to him, grabbing him tightly …but then he did it instead. As his strong arms enclosed her, it felt like coming home.
‘Damn you,’ she whispered.
‘Why?’ he said with genuine concern.
‘Never mind.’ She kissed him fiercely.
‘Come,’ he said, taking her hand. ‘I do not like to be away from my camp, even so short a distance. I missed you,’ he added, giving her hand a squeeze.
At the camp, the mage called Querrus sat by a fire roasting a possum on a stick. Nearby his sleek horse was standing head down, maybe asleep. It seemed oddly prosaic here, considering the surrounds.
‘I must keep close watch on Losara,’ explained Bel, looking out into the night.
Jaya could make out ice lanterns across the field, and a few vague outlines, but that was all.
‘Can you see him?’ she asked dubiously.
‘Not right now,’ said Bel. ‘But I can see that.’ He pointed at a dark shape moving across the field. ‘He may try to take his creature elsewhere. If he does, he can move swiftly, and I must be ready to move just as swiftly if I’m to continue standing in his way.’
‘Want some possum?’ said Querrus, waving the stick at her.
‘Sure,’ she said, sitting down by the fire. Querrus handed her a smoking leg.
‘Bel,’ said Querrus, rising, ‘I shall watch the mander for a while. You sit down with your lady if you like.’
‘Hmm?’ said Bel. ‘Oh, yes.’ He sent one final glare into the dark, then came over to sit next to Jaya. Querrus moved off, chewing on his possum as if it required great concentration.
Bel placed his hand on her knee. ‘How has it been for you?’
‘As you might expect,’ she said. ‘We rejoined the army after you left, and it’s been a march ever since. Brahl pushed them hard after receiving word that you wished to converge here.’
‘I see.’
‘And for you?’ She swept her hand to encompass everything around them. ‘What have you been doing?’
Bel smiled and settled into updating her, telling her how he had reached the Shining Mines too late, then circled around to halt Losara’s advance. ‘He cannot attack with the mander while I wait here,’ he said, then glanced off towards Querrus. ‘And I had to tell the mage the reason why.’
Jaya frowned. It was dangerous, people knowing that killing Bel would kill Losara also.
‘You should be more guarded with that knowledge,’ she said.
‘I had no choice. I had to convince the man to stand with me alone against all Fenvarrow. What was I supposed to tell him?’
‘But you have not made it common?’
‘Of course not.’
‘I heard the troops talking …there is open speculation over how you managed to hold back the shadow by yourself, and why they do not use the mander against us now.’
‘I’m sure there is,’ said Bel. ‘I have told Brahl that the Stone wards them off. I’m hoping he will put it about.’
‘That seems rather general,’ murmured Jaya.
‘Why should they doubt me?’ asked Bel. ‘The situation does not call me a liar.’
‘I suppose not.’
She realised she still held some of the possum in her hand, now gone cold.
‘Want some?’ she asked, holding it out.
‘Thanks,’ he said. As he sat munching slowly with shoulders hunched, for a moment he seemed very tired.
‘It is a shame,’ she said, ‘that we’re in plain view of so many. There are things I have missed about you besides your conversation.’ She nuzzled his neck. ‘You should get yourself a better shelter.’
‘Maybe I will.’
‘Walls would be a good start.’
Querrus appeared back by the fireside. ‘Sorry, but I thought you’d want to know – I just felt a great many of our mages start channelling.’
‘What goes on?’
‘Hard to say,’ said Querrus. ‘But …’ He trailed off, looking to the sky. From high above came the sound of wind, though on the ground things remained unruffled. Several horses clomped up next to the camp – Brahl and some of his guards. With the sudden influx of people, the illusion of serenity was quickly dispelled.
Brahl dismounted. ‘Ah,’ he said, glancing at Jaya, ‘so you found your way, mistress Jaya.’
There was no accusation in his voice, though they both knew she had disobeyed him when she’d abandoned her protectors.
‘Yes,’ she replied, giving him a cheeky grin. ‘Thank you for your help getting me here.’
‘A pleasure,’ he said blandly. ‘You must have been one step ahead of the man I sent to guide you to this camp.’
‘It was easy enough to find myself.’
‘Of course.’
‘ Excuse me,’ said Bel snippily, ‘but what is going on? Why does the sky sound like it’s full of the howling dead?’
‘Ah,’ said Brahl. ‘Well, it seems the shadow is trying to do something about the weather. See?’ He pointed at the moon, which was beginning to be obscured by wispy clouds.
‘This far from the Cloud, they seek to create their own?’ asked Bel.
‘Yes,’ said Brahl. ‘It would give them relief during the day, and make it easier for their mages to replenish their power.’
‘And weaken ours in the diminished light,’ said Bel.
‘Well,’ finished Brahl in a jolly tone, ‘luckily we have plentiful mages of our own, to blow away their efforts. Easier to summon wind, I’m told, than create vapour out of the air.’ He cast a glance at Querrus, who gave a nod of confirmation.
Jaya took heart at Brahl’s demeanour. The man spoke with such confidence that for a moment he made the situation seem less overwhelming.
‘Mind if I sit by your fire?’ asked Brahl.
Bel gestured for Brahl to join them. Despite the gerent’s apparent ease, he could not forget the roaring wind above them.
‘You don’t seem worried,’ he said.
‘There’s not much I can do,’ said Brahl. ‘Nor you. A plain old sword-wielding soldier must sometimes realise that mages’ work is mages’ work.’
‘Aye,’ said Bel darkly.
‘Take heart,’ said Brahl. ‘I am told the shadow mages were trying to hide their conjuring. Chances are they knew we’d have the advantage if we realised in time what they attempted. Which we did.’ He leaned forward. ‘And now we must talk about our next move. You said before that the Stone you wear keeps back the shadow?’
Bel wondered how he was going to keep the truth from Brahl. He had only given the man a brief explanation when he’d first arrived and, with much to organise, Brahl had asked no more. Now it seemed as if greater lies would be required.
‘Yes,’ Bel said. ‘The Stone is a way to defeat Losara, and thus he fears it.’
‘Can you be more specific?’ said Brahl, neatly cutting through Bel’s attempt to be vague.
He glanced at Jaya who, unseen by Brahl, gave a little shake of her head. He well understood why she didn’t want people knowing the truth, and he was inclined to agree. Having Losara floating about in the world already made him feel vulnerable, exposed in a way he could not control. On the other hand it seemed wrong that he had told Querrus the truth and yet withheld it from the gerent of the army.