Eventually, he’d pushed himself up on to his elbows, his body a little calmer, the pain throbbing down to a dull ache. Reality had intruded harshly. They were hidden in a bank of thick gorse, scattered with bracken as Myx had described. The thorny bushes offered a solid barrier around the small clearing in which the vent was situated and provided some break from the wind. Low tunnels ran away through the bank in three directions.
In the small space, Thraun cradled Erienne in his arms while Denser, Auum and Duele crowded round the prone Evunn. Paint was smeared and running over their faces, anguish plain beneath the spoiled camouflage.
Darrick was standing close by, his feet edging into the illusion that so comprehensively hid the vent grille that even close inspection might reveal nothing to the eye. Sian’erei sat under the gorse, trying in vain to keep herself dry. Of Rebraal and The Unknown, there was no sign though he could hear one or both of them approaching through the gorse.
‘How far does it extend?’ asked Hirad when The Unknown appeared.
‘Well, this vent certainly wasn’t positioned here by accident,’ said The Unknown. ‘Fifty or so yards east towards the city, there’s a short crag. Twenty feet down, no more but no one’s going to ride this way. South it extends probably a mile along a shallow slope, north probably the same and given that Rebraal isn’t back yet, I’d say west, the way the Xeteskians bring in their supplies, the gorse will extend a couple of hundred yards. It’s neat, I’ll give them that.’
‘Sounds like an ideal place to rest up,’ said Hirad. Darrick didn’t see his knowing smile.
‘I think that would be an extraordinarily bad idea,’ said the general. ‘Dystran knows our exit points. He wants to stop us. I can see us suffering familiar attacks any time. Just as soon as he gets organised.’
‘So you think we should throw ourselves on the mercy of the Lysternans or Dordovans instead?’ asked Hirad.
‘No,’ began Darrick.
‘Or perhaps whatever’s left of the Black Wings’ army of the righteous.’
‘Hirad you aren’t helping,’ said Darrick.
Hirad winked at The Unknown. ‘Actually, we’re probably strong enough to take them on. Couple of spent mages, several injured warriors and the seriously ill. No problem.’
‘Hirad, stop now,’ said The Unknown. He held up a hand to Darrick. ‘What our barbarian is trying to say in his bludgeoning, tactless way is that we need a place to hole up, at least for a few hours. We’re too sick to travel to the Al-Arynaar camp right now. But we can’t afford to be behind the Xeteskians when they break the siege.’
‘I know all that,’ said Darrick rather testily.
‘Yes,’ said Hirad. ‘And you’re carrying a wound more serious than you are admitting.’
‘I’ll live,’ said the general.
‘That’s not good enough,’ said Hirad.
‘Meaning?’
‘Meaning you’re no good to us crippled. You could help yourself by sitting down for a start. Then turn that mind of yours to where we can rest relatively safely.’
Darrick glared at Hirad but sat next to him anyway. ‘A lot depends on Denser,’ he said.
‘Doesn’t it always?’ replied Hirad.
‘And on Sian,’ added Darrick. The elven mage looked up. ‘Are you able to cast?’
‘It is difficult,’ she said, feeling for the words. ‘The mana is dark. Weak.’
‘That does not sound encouraging,’ said The Unknown. ‘Denser, what’s your situation?’
Denser pushed himself to his feet, giving Auum’s shoulder a consoling squeeze as he did so.
‘I have nothing left,’ he said, walking across to stand by The Unknown. ‘Evunn is not as bad as I feared but he needs a mage soon who understands MindMelt to undo the damage. It’s a senior spell. And my spell around Erienne’s mind is bleeding away. I have to rest and I have to seek the demon gateway to get my stamina back quickly. But there doesn’t seem much prospect of that. There’s more. I did have some time to look at a few of the theories back there in the Laryon hub. It’s dimensional connectivity and power they’re looking at and I didn’t like the look of the way the research was headed.
‘We should warn the allies, because if you remember the DimensionConnect spell Xetesk used at Understone a few years back, they’ll need to be prepared. So, all in all, I’d say the situation is somewhere between dismal and desperate. The only bright spot is that the familiars won’t be able to fly in this. There’s too much power in this storm, it’ll upset their senses.’
‘So where do we go right now?’ asked Hirad. ‘None of us is fit to fight, we don’t have a mage that can cast and we’re carrying Erienne.’
‘Like I said . . .’ Denser glanced across at Erienne. Thraun was hunched over her, keeping the rain from her face. ‘Erienne is the real worry. She’s battling the One on her own until Cleress wakes. This storm will seem like nothing if Cleress can’t help her and I dread to think what damage is being caused to her mind.’
‘She is strong,’ said Thraun, looking up for a moment. ‘She fights.’
‘I know Thraun but I can’t be there with her. It’s not . . .’ Denser trailed off and the desperation he’d been trying to hide burst on to his face. He stood helplessly, the rain pounding down harder now, and gestured uselessly. ‘She’s alone in there. What if I’ve lost her?’
Hirad scrambled to his feet and stood in front of Denser, grabbing his shoulders.
‘No one’s losing anyone,’ he said. ‘Not this time. We can beat this, all of it. We’re—’
‘I know,’ said Denser, his smile weak but genuine. ‘The Raven.’
‘And don’t you forget it. She’s not alone and neither are you.’
Rebraal had returned during the exchange and was checking on Evunn.
‘Here’s what we do,’ said The Unknown. ‘The elves go back to their lines. Evunn needs help and maybe he’ll get it there. We have to get ourselves away from here and hidden. Darrick, how far can you walk? Hirad, Thraun, you too. No exaggeration.’
‘It’s a question of where, not how far,’ said Darrick. ‘We’re the opposite side of the city to where we need to be. And we’re too close to the walls. I’d say the walk back for us under normal conditions would be about three hours. It’s four ’til dawn. There’s nothing I’d call good cover without taking a massive detour. We either head for the Al-Arynaar, or burrow in here. Getting halfway and being captured in the daylight won’t help us.’
He was right and they all knew it. Hirad felt his chest. The bleeding had stopped but he’d lost a fair bit of blood. He couldn’t fight again until the cut was at least partially healed. Darrick’s limp was pronounced and Thraun’s trouser leg was stained dark with blood. Four hours wouldn’t be enough.
‘Then we have to stay here.’
‘No,’ said Rebraal, joining them. ‘It’s too dangerous here. Supplies come here every night.’
‘So what do you suggest?’
‘We will run back with Evunn. Sian will stay with you and you walk as far as you can. The ClawBound will find you. We will send help. Elven help.’
‘We can’t afford to be caught in the open,’ said The Unknown.
‘The ClawBound will find you first.’
Hirad shrugged. ‘What choice do we have?’
Dystran had changed his blood-soaked shoes and washed the sweat and grime from his face and hands before joining the survivors of his top team. None of them looked any better than Ranyl who had also made the early-hours meeting in the minor banqueting hall.
He surveyed the tired, drawn pale faces in front of him. The Circle Seven was broken. Two had died, one in the corridors under attack from the TaiGethen, one by The Raven. Kestys was dead too, so was Gylac, removing his most senior dimensional and elven archive expertise. The mages who had been researching the connectivity spells were gone too, slaughtered in Laryon’s hub. The Gods knew how many others had fallen. Suarav and Chandyr had yet to confirm the number of dead college guard and reservists but it had to run close to three figures.