She felt for the fires surrounding her, and swept her arms forwards. Gouts of flame peeled off from the carriages towards the forest. Despite the recent rain, the trees were dry, and their branches took up the flames. She pushed her hands out, forcing the fire onwards, and the flames spread down the hillside, leaping from tree to tree. Flames were pouring from the carriages, and she hurled them down to join the raging inferno devouring the forest.

  Screams arose, Rahain screams. Keira lowered her arms, and sank to the ground. Her efforts had reduced the four carriages to smouldering piles of ash, the metal bands that had held them together glowing red-hot. The screams grew in intensity as the fire ripped through the forest. A soldier burst from the treeline, his uniform on fire, and took a step towards them before falling to the earth. Another emerged, and another, and her squad brought them down with crossbow bolts.

  It started to rain again, the soft drops sizzling where they landed on the ashes of the carriages. The rain grew heavier, and the fires in the forest began to die down.

  Keira got to her feet. A mist was forming from the swirling mixture of fire and water, and she drew her sword.

  ‘Follow me,’ she said, entering the forest. Smoke, mist and steam billowed through the air between the blackened trunks. Fires were still burning among the undergrowth, but the rain was turning the burnt pine needles to a thick grey sludge underfoot. Dozens of scorched Rahain bodies lay scattered on the ground. They passed the ditch where they had sheltered before, and carried on, further down the slope. Through a gap in the mist she glimpsed the steep banks of a river, where bodies were piled in groups of twos and threes, blackened and burnt.

  Keira spotted movement, and edged forwards. Out of the murk, a Rahain soldier raced towards her, unarmed and panicking. He fell a yard before her, a long feathered arrow in his back.

  ‘Don’t shoot,’ Keira cried, as her squad slowed behind her.

  Figures emerged from the mists by the riverbank.

  A large woman stepped forward, an enormous mace grasped in her big arms.

  ‘Are you the fuckers that torched the forest?’ she yelled.

  ‘Aye,’ Keira said, ‘that was me.’

  The woman stared at her.

  ‘A Mage of Pyre? What’s yer name?’

  ‘Keira.’

  The woman grinned. ‘Thank fuck for that. I’d never forgive myself if I’d been rescued by a Domm or Brig wanker.’ She stuck out her hand. ‘I’m Big Lynn.’

  Keira kept her face straight as her fingers were squeezed in the woman’s grip.

  ‘Ye killed a whole company of lizards,’ Big Lynn said. ‘Nice one. Though it means we’ll have to move camp. Fuck knows how many they’ll send when they hear about this. Where did you guys come from anyway?’

  ‘Brig Pass,’ Keira said.

  Big Lynn frowned. ‘Is that close?’

  ‘Three or four hours to the Crags,’ Keira said. ‘Ye coming? If we head back now, we’ll be back before it gets dark.’

  ‘How many clansfolk are down there?’

  ‘There’s three hundred warriors at Netherfarm.’

  ‘Many Lach?’

  Keira shook her head. ‘Only one or two. My fire-starter here, Lacey, is one of them. It’s the same with the Kell. They’re pretty much all Brig and Domm.’

  The rain grew torrential, drenching them all.

  ‘Come on,’ Keira said, as the water poured down her face. ‘We’re standing here like numpties. Ye coming or not?’

  Big Lynn glanced back at her band of Lach, and rubbed her chin.

  ‘All right,’ she said, ‘we’ll come, but we won’t be taking any shit from the Brig or Domm. They might have forgotten how they betrayed Lach to the lizards, but we haven’t.’

  Keira shrugged. She raised her hand, and the squad started climbing the slope towards the clearing, the Lach following.

  ‘Turnip-munching arseholes,’ Doreen muttered. ‘Brendan’s going to flip his fucking lid.’

  Chapter 3

  Unfit

  The Crags, Brig Pass – 27th Day, Last Third Spring 504

  Keira felt a hand on her shoulder. Her fingers grasped the knife under her pillow as her eyes opened, squinting in the darkness of the hut.

  ‘Steady, girl,’ said Big Lynn.

  Keira released the hilt of the blade. ‘I nearly stabbed ye in the fucking eye.’

  Big Lynn chuckled. ‘Come with me.’

  Keira frowned, and rolled her legs off the low mattress. The space beside her was empty, but the rest of her squad were still sleeping. She pulled on her boots, and staggered to the door. Big Lynn opened it, sending in a ray of morning sunshine. Keira blinked, and realised that, for once, she wasn’t hungover. It felt strange to see the dawn without a headache.

  They emerged onto the grassy meadow by the rubble of the ruined fortress. The Lach tents spread all the way to the side of the burn.

  ‘There’s more of you turnip-munchers than I thought,’ she said.

  ‘Aye, well,’ Big Lynn said, ‘it was dark and still pouring with rain when we arrived last night. Four hours, you said. Took us nearly eight.’

  ‘Not my fault yer slow bastards,’ Keira shrugged. ‘Anyway, why did ye get me up? I was enjoying my kip.’

  Big Lynn strolled to the front of a tent where a few Lach were sitting round a small campfire. Their eyes gazed up at Keira as she approached.

  ‘This morning when I got up,’ Big Lynn said, ‘I realised that I hadn’t properly thanked you for saving our arses yesterday, so here, in front of my captains, I want to do so.’ She tilted her head at Keira. ‘Thank you, mage.’

  ‘Aye,’ said a man by the fire, ‘and that goes for all of us. Have a seat. We’ve got whisky.’

  Keira grinned. ‘Real Lach whisky?’

  ‘Aye.’

  ‘Ya fucking beauty,’ Keira said as she sat. ‘I’ve not had a drop of the proper stuff since winter, just the shite the Brig make. And fuck me, it’s rank.’

  A tall, blonde woman glanced at her.

  ‘I’m Leah,’ she said. ‘You been up here long?’

  ‘We arrived about ten days ago,’ Keira said, as the man passed her a mug of whisky. ‘The rest of them are down at Netherfarm. It’s just me and my squad, and what’s left of the burial detail up here at the Crags.’

  She took a sip, and smiled.

  ‘Who’s in charge at Netherfarm?’ Leah asked.

  ‘Brendan,’ Keira said. ‘A right prick.’

  ‘Brendan?’ said Big Lynn. ‘The only Brendan I’ve heard of is the coward of Marchside.’

  ‘The very same,’ Keira said. ‘That’s probably why he hates me so much. I saw him at the battle, and he knows it.’

  ‘Wait,’ said Leah, ‘are you the mage who fought at Marchside?’

  ‘Aye.’

  ‘I knew it,’ said the Lach man from across the fire, ‘you’re a fucking hero, girl.’

  ‘Aye,’ Big Lynn said, ‘and it should be you giving the orders, not that sack of shit Brendan. Pyre’s sweaty crotch, the world’s turned upside down.’

  ‘Ye’ve heard of me in Lach, eh?’ Keira said.

  Big Lynn nodded. ‘The army that came home after the Brig and Domm abandoned us, they told us about you, and your brother, about how you’d destroyed the lizard stone-throwing machines that were pounding the Lach lines. They also told us how Brendan stood aside, and kept his Brig warriors out of the battle.’

  ‘All true,’ Keira said.

  Big Lynn glanced at her. ‘Your brother?’

  ‘Dead,’ Keira said. ‘Killed by the lizards under the fire temple.’

  The Lach around the fire quietened.

  Keira finished her whisky, and the man leaned over and re-filled her mug.

  Big Lynn stared at her, her eyes narrow.

  ‘The lizards took the fire temple?’

  Keira frowned. ‘What? You don’t know?’

  ‘All we know is that thousands of Lach climbed the pass to the Fire Mountain last winter when the lizards invaded. And then, in spring, nothing. I’ve not seen it with my own eyes, but folk who’ve been up there say that the pass is now completely blocked. Half the hillside was brought down apparently, sealing it off. There’s no way through from Lach to the Fire Mountain any more.’

  ‘Fuck,’ Keira muttered.

  Leah’s expression hardened. ‘Did the lizards take the fire temple?’

  ‘Aye,’ Keira said, ‘they did. Killed or enslaved every poor bastard that was there. But that’s not all. Shit, I hate to be the one to tell you, but the lizards destroyed Fire Mountain.’

  The Lach stared at her, their mouths hanging open.

  ‘Their stone-mages,’ she said, ‘brought the entire summit of the mountain down, fucking pulverised it. It’s gone. The home of the mighty Pyre,’ she said, letting out a laugh, ‘crushed by earthquakes and landslides and buried under a million tonnes of rock.’

  Big Lynn swallowed. ‘Did you see it?’

  ‘Aye,’ Keira said. ‘Me and a couple of others were on the northern side of the mountain when it happened.’

  ‘But you escaped?’

  Keira nodded. ‘Fled through a tunnel when the lizards over-ran the temple.’

  ‘And all the Lach there?’

  ‘As I said, killed or enslaved.’

  Big Lynn stood, clenching and unclenching her large fists, her face a mask of rage.

  ‘You,’ she said, ‘probably the most powerful fire mage alive, ran away?’

  ‘Fuck you,’ Keira said. ‘I was carried out. I’d used my powers until I was exhausted. I had no fucking say in the matter. And once I was out, and the Fire Mountain was reduced to rubble, do you think I should have tried to get back in?’

  Big Lynn lowered her eyes. ‘Sorry. I thought the Lach up there were still alive. Their survival was the only thing that kept me going during the winter. And now I find out they’ve been dead for thirds.’ She sat, and picked up her mug. ‘The Lach are finished.’

  They drank their whisky in silence. Others in the camp began to waken, and Bedig strode from the hut, stretching his arms. Baillie emerged behind him, followed by Doreen.

  ‘Brig and Domm,’ Leah muttered to Keira, ‘everywhere ye look.’

  Keira glanced at her.

  ‘So,’ the blonde woman said, ‘what have Brendan’s tactics been?’

  ‘Fuck all,’ Keira shrugged. ‘Occupy Netherfarm, and sit tight. He says he’ll only fight if the Rahain send soldiers up the Brig Pass.’

  ‘The lizards have built a huge palisade wall around the whole entrance to the pass,’ Leah said.

  ‘Aye, I know,’ Keira said, ‘they built it last year. Brendan’s using it as the excuse not to attack.’

  Leah scowled. ‘He might be right. There’s thousands of lizards guarding that wall, with crossbows and stone-throwers, but there must be other ways across. Shit, our last camp was in one, and we didn’t even know it.’

  ‘Aye,’ Big Lynn said, lifting her head, ‘but the lizards know about it now.’

  Keira glanced up as Bedig approached.

  ‘What are our orders, mage?’ he said.

  ‘Assemble the survivors of Dee’s team,’ she said. ‘I want to see how many are left.’

  ‘Aye, boss,’ he said, turning and striding away.

  ‘You took losses yesterday,’ Big Lynn said, her eyes dark. ‘We’re grateful.’

  Keira took a long sip of whisky. ‘It was mostly the burial squad,’ she said. ‘I probably shouldn’t have taken them up the mountain.’

  ‘Is that what you’ve been doing?’ Leah said, looking around. ‘You’ve been assigned burial detail?’

  Keira nodded.

  Leah sat up, her cheeks flushing. ‘That bellend Brendan sends our best mage to bury old corpses? The fucking cheek. Brig arsehole.’

  ‘Eh, mage?’ said Bedig, gesturing to Keira. ‘Dee’s team are ready.’

  Keira drained her mug and got to her feet. Her head spun a little, and she squinted at the line of workers standing in front of her.

  ‘Seven?’ she said. ‘There’s only seven of you?’

  ‘Four are too injured to leave their huts,’ said one, ‘and we lost twelve in the ravine yesterday.’

  ‘Fuck,’ Keira muttered.

  ‘That leaves one,’ Doreen said, frowning. ‘There were twenty-four of ye when we set out.’

  ‘Aye,’ said the worker. ‘The other one’s gone to send a message to Netherfarm.’

  ‘What?’ Keira cried.

  ‘Just following procedure, mage.’

  ‘Well that’s just fucking marvellous,’ Keira said. ‘Right, get back to work, everybody. I’m in charge of the Crags until Brendan says otherwise.’

  Big Lynn stepped forward. ‘My folk will help,’ she said. She turned to Leah. ‘Get the warriors together, tell them to assist in the burials.’

  ‘Aye, boss,’ Leah said.

  The crowd began to disperse.

  ‘With that lot helping,’ Bedig said, ‘we could be finished today.’

  ‘How many Lach are there?’ said Doreen.

  ‘Fifty-two,’ said Big Lynn. ‘Lost nine yesterday.’

  ‘Aye?’ Doreen said. ‘Remember that Domm and Brig died rescuing you.’

  Big Lynn frowned, but said nothing.

  When they stopped for lunch, the job was nearly finished. The Lach had worked hard all morning, without complaint. Having run low on bodies, squads were cutting strips of turf from the far riverbank, in readiness for covering the mound.

  As food was being passed out to the hungry warriors, Kylon arrived with the four Rahain captives, walking side by side with Baoryn.

  Keira narrowed her eyes as Big Lynn spat out her food.

  ‘What the fuck?’ the Lach woman said. ‘Yer keeping lizards?’

  ‘This is Kylon,’ Keira said, ‘my, uh, second-in-command.’

  ‘You must be Big Lynn,’ Kylon said, his face dark.

  ‘Where the fuck have ye been?’ Keira said.

  ‘Talking,’ he said, ‘with Baoryn.’

  ‘I’ve been teaching Kylon my language,’ the Rahain man said.

  Big Lynn and the other Lach commanders glanced at each other, frowning.

  ‘What is this, Mage Keira?’ Big Lynn said. ‘Consorting with the lizards?’

  ‘No,’ Keira scowled, ‘just seeing if they can be useful.’

  ‘Useful?’ cried Big Lynn, her face reddening. ‘Those bastards killed my husband and twin sister in front of me, and took my children, loaded them onto wagons while I lay bleeding in the snow, my house burning behind me.’ She reached for her heavy mace. ‘I’m going to cave their lizard skulls in,’ she said, getting to her feet. ‘Is anyone going to stop me?’

  The gathered warriors sat in silence. Kylon stepped in front of Baoryn.

  ‘I am,’ he said.

  Big Lynn laughed, though her frown remained. ‘You? Some lank-haired skinny lad? Go on, tell me why.’

  ‘Because this Rahain saved your life.’

  Baoryn got down onto his knees. The younger captives huddled close behind, their tongues flickering in fear.

  ‘I beg for our lives,’ Baoryn cried.

  The Lach stared.

  ‘He told us what those winged gaien were doing,’ Kylon said. ‘Without him, Keira would never have rescued you.’

  Big Lynn said nothing for a long while, her eyes never leaving the Rahain. She lowered her mace.

  Before she could say anything, a young man ran into the centre of the camp.

  ‘I’m looking for the mage,’ he said, panting, his hands on his knees.

  ‘Aye?’ Keira said. ‘Who’s asking?’

  The messenger turned to face her.

  ‘Commander Brendan orders you to return to Netherfarm immediately, mage.’

  For some reason Keira felt no anger, just a rising sense of amusement. Around her the Lach leadership bristled, and she thought she could hear a low growl come from Big Lynn. She got to her feet, brushing the remains of lunch from her clothes.

  Big Lynn raised an eyebrow. ‘Yer not actually going, are ye?’

  ‘Aye,’ Keira said, ‘might as well.’

  ‘It boils my blood,’ Big Lynn said, ‘to hear that Brig wanker ordering you about, like ye were a wee lassie.’

  ‘Are you staying here, aye?’

  ‘We are,’ Big Lynn said. ‘Someone needs to finish the burial mound.’

  ‘Then what?’

  ‘Then we might come to Netherfarm,’ she shrugged, ‘or we might not.’

  Keira nodded, then yelled, ‘Squad! Get yer arses up, and get yer shit together. We’ve been called back to Netherfarm.’

  Her warriors picked up all the food they could hold, and made for the huts.

  Big Lynn watched in silence as Kylon led the Rahain captives away, then she faced Keira.

  ‘Don’t be taking any crap from those fuckers at Netherfarm,’ she said.

  Keira smirked. ‘No chance.’

  The big Lach woman leant over by her tent’s campfire, and lifted a jug.

  ‘Here,’ she said, handing it to Keira. ‘Some whisky for tonight. And remember hen, if it all turns to shit, we’ve got yer back.’

  ‘Cheers’, Keira said, ‘but don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.’

  ‘You are a fucking disgrace,’ said Brendan, his cheeks red. ‘You’re not fit to command.’ He glared at Keira, who kept her features expressionless. ‘I’m taking your squad. You can hang on to a couple of guards, as your mage’s privilege, but you won’t be leading any more expeditions.’

  Keira smirked. ‘Yawn. That it?’

  Brendan shook his head. ‘You reveal yourself,’ he said. ‘Your attitude proves how little you care about what happened to Dee and her team. A burial detail, and you led them to be slaughtered by a company of Rahain.’

  ‘Fuck you,’ Keira said. ‘At least Dee’s lot proved they weren’t cowards. Ye should be proud of them, they helped rescue fifty Lach.’

  ‘A warband that’s spent the last third carrying out reckless attacks on the Rahain, endangering us all. And now, with you foolishly destroying a whole company, you have not only provoked them, you have screamed to the heavens that we have a Mage of Pyre. Were you not under the strictest orders not to reveal your powers to them unless they attacked first? The council in Domm will have to be informed.’

 

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