A Hollow Mountain (The Brightest Shadow Book 2), page 10
"Slaten... this is the right path, isn't it? If we don't help the Hero, the war will just go on and on, and the Deathspawn will kill everyone... we need to stay with Melal, right?"
"I..." He knew that he should offer some comfort, but instead only shook his head. "All we can do is the best we can."
"You're right! I'll heal your arm, and I'll help Melal if I can! We can't give up!"
Somehow his hollow words encouraged Laeri. She left his arm hurting much worse than before, but he could move it without injuring himself. According to her, she would do the rest of the healing in careful stages as they continued their journey. Though Slaten would have preferred an immediate healing, regardless of the consequences, doing her work properly seemed to matter a great deal to her.
The newly smaller group gathered together and prepared to march again after they'd had their fun. To Slaten's surprise, they didn't take the wagons. Instead most of the useful supplies were repackaged into massive bundles which the Bloodskin warriors managed to balance on their backs. Gatoda tore off the most ornate part of the box-like wagon, filled it with unusual items, and hefted it on one shoulder as they returned.
As they began traveling again, Slaten ran over the events in his mind repeatedly. There were no answers and he often found himself remembering the pain on the boy's face as he died. Even the deaths of the soldiers likely meant nothing in the scheme of the overall war.
What could he have done? There were no words that he could have spoken to reach the Bloodskins. If he carried the Legend with him like the Hero, perhaps he could have influenced them, but he was only a man. His meager skills in other arts could not possibly have stopped the raw acts of violence. As before, he had only one thing to offer...
"Now, we head back to the Bloodskin village!" Melal leapt onto a rock ahead of the group and thrust his sword to the east. "We journey to your home, then to Mount Tmil! Onward, into the Legend!"
A chorus of cheers went up from the crowd. As he silently marched on, Slaten gripped the hilt of his sword with his broken arm.
Chapter 7
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"Text: North of the three Maenhu nations lie frozen frontiers of fascination where even I could travel for only a few years before dire necessity forced me to turn back. There can be found humans who have only two more legs instead of arms, trees that bear fruit of human heads, palaces carved from snowflakes the size of mountains, and far more! Dear reader, please await the second volume of my travels in which I will reveal these mysteries and much and more!
Gloss: The borders of the Maenhu are defined by the Sotunn mountains and where each of the three nations meets the world's northernmost sea, beyond which there is little except in the imagination of Telekrainas. The inhospitable Chilgaan Islands do lie north of Portant and Wahleen, but they did not suit his narratives. Telekrainas was arrested attempting another scam in Nol Ulcense before he could write his second volume and spent the rest of his life attempting to escape from prison."
- excerpt from The Annotated Travels of Telekrainas the Great
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Below, the camp buzzed with excitement. Above, almost complete silence. Though that was the plan, Celivia still found it unnerving. Her life was unlikely to be at stake during the upcoming battle, but if it failed, all the blame would be placed on her head. She was almost completely new to this region and still struggled to believe she had managed to arrange it.
Of course, as a mere band leader there was no chance that she would be allowed to lead the attempt. Captain Raghin was in charge and he had lieutenants to govern every other aspect of the process. She felt a bit of pride that they seemed to have essentially stuck to her original plan, but beyond that, she had no control.
She wandered around the edges of the lower camp, unsure as to her exact role. In her mind, everything should have been more organized, though she had to admit that she knew nothing about organizing an entire cohort of men. Perhaps she should be glad if it worked at all.
Her confusion was finally interrupted by Lieutenant Tamanin, who marched up to her with an odd expression. "When I sent you out there, Nin, I didn't expect for you to come back with so much trouble."
"I'm sorry, Kaen." She turned fully to him and gave a respectful bow. "I only hoped that we could be rid of the Redbranches once and for all."
"Maybe. Or maybe this will be a debacle that will make Captain Raghin regret giving it his attention, much less so many soldiers. If this fails, it will be your ass on the line, not mine."
Celivia lowered her eyes as if humbled, though she was inwardly pleased. That hadn't been even vaguely part of her plan, but in retrospect she should have anticipated that someone like Lieutenant Tamanin would avoid responsibility. If this plan failed, it would likely ruin her military career. But remaining in a position like this for an extended period of time would ruin her career just as surely.
"That being said..." Having vented his nervousness, Tamanin straightened his uniform and looked over at her. "The reason I'm here is that you need to make sure your band is in order, but you also need to be part of the hammer. We'll begin to move soon, so you should hurry."
"I understand, Kaen. I'll begin immediately."
"I wish you luck, band leader."
With that, he moved away, no doubt to coordinate the other groups. Since he hadn't given an exact time frame, Celivia assumed that she should hurry as he'd said. Her band had set up on one edge of the overall war camp, so she headed toward them.
The fort did not have a substantial number of soldiers by overall standards, and she had seen multiple cohorts arrayed to do battle on Orphos. Still, standing next to an entire cohort preparing was no small thing. Over seven hundred soldiers spoke to one another, sharpened weapons, and fastened on armor. She looked carefully as she walked and didn't see any other women, though she hoped that was a sign that they held higher positions.
Soon she found her band, fully equipped and ready. For several days after their return to the fort, they had been rather surly, then for several days they had been drunk. But it seemed that they had recovered in the time it took her to coordinate with her superiors, because now they sat ready. Splinters scowled and left when she arrived, but the others greeted her.
"Your orders, Kaen?" Ghasfik rose and put a fist to his chest, stiffer than usual. Given that they were beginning a major military operation, that seemed appropriate, so she formally gestured for him to be at ease.
"I've just been told that I won't be able to fight with you in the battle, so these will be my final orders until after we've won. For the most part, your orders will come from a company leader. But my orders are for you to fight cautiously until the hammer arrives."
They nodded at that, and Fijn spoke up. "Where are they going to set up the command tent?"
"The command tent?" She wanted to seem entirely in control, but the question baffled her. Fijn reflected her surprise right back at her.
"You said that you'd be with the other commanders, right?"
"No, I will be fighting with the Catai in the hammer." Celivia had welcomed that order, since she thought it would help to have her band associate her with Catai. To her surprise, the group seemed uncomfortable with the fact, though no one said anything.
Keeping her face neutral, Celivia gestured for Ghasfik to follow her a short distance away, then merely glanced her question at him. He didn't understand immediately, though he eventually caught her meaning. "Kaen Celivia, did you expect to fight with the Catai?"
"I may not have that rank, but why wouldn't I fight with the hammer?"
"It may be that way where you come from, Kaen, but not here." Ghasfik hesitated for a time, but when she gestured at him to speak, he hurried on. "Dangerous positions in combat are sought by those seeking warrior, first class... those who seek to command rarely take such roles, even if they can fight. The fact that you were sent with them was meant to be a reprimand, if not to expose you to risk as a punishment."
"Ah. I understand." And she did see the logic, it was simply irrelevant to her. Earning command promotions was only a stepping stone toward the promotions she truly needed. Better to join the risky part of the fight and learn something than to receive more honor in the command tent.
"Is there anything else, Kaen?"
"No, that will be all. Keep them as safe as you can, Ghasfik."
He simply nodded in response, leaving her to look over her band one last time, then ascend the wooded hills toward the upper camp.
That group was smaller, more disciplined, and far more powerful. Celivia spotted no less than three Towd Catai towering over the others. She recognized a familiar social dynamic, where warriors crowded around them, flattering the Catai in an attempt to draw closer to their own rebirths. Though she felt superior for a moment, Celivia had to admit that many of the warriors possessed strength similar to her own. She still had a long path to tread.
None of them were likely to want to speak to her, so she sought a place to wait without disturbing anyone. As she did, however, she noticed someone out of place. A man with ornate shoulder armor attempting to swallow his head sat at the edge of one clearing, apparently meditating. She frowned and approached him carefully.
As she drew closer, her skin began to tingle, then she felt a familiar sensation as if her flesh was splitting apart. She had long sensed sein in that manner, but it was rare that someone registered to her via the sensation of touch. When she took another step closer, he opened his eyes sharply.
"What do you want?"
"Unless I miss my guess," Celivia said carefully, "you are not one of the local warriors here."
"No. And neither are you." The man rose to his feet smoothly, crossing the distance between them with troubling speed. Fortunately, he also smiled. "My name is Zeriin, and I am here on behalf of the First Northern Legion."
"The one stationed in Wahleen? I thought this was a small operation."
"It is, but nothing of significance has happened here in some time. When there was a request for an operation that might change the balance, even against a small tribe, it attracted attention. Someone noticed that you had come to this region highly commended and thought it was worth investigating."
Celivia did her best not to let any discomfort show in her smile. "I see. I hope that our success meets your expectations."
"There are more dangerous tribes north of the Sotunns, but not many are addressing them. If you survive this, you might be moved. Not a promotion, you understand, but in the north there would be... more significant opportunities."
"Thank you for your attention."
"Oh, don't thank me. I'm here on orders." Zeriin shrugged and gestured northward. "You haven't ever visited the far north of Breilin, have you?"
"No, not yet."
"You will find the mansthein armies there a strange collection of fiefdoms. Zeitai Kreue, powerful though he may be, is not interested in running an organized campaign. That is why all three human nations have persisted for so long."
Though it distracted her from the critical upcoming conflict, inside information about the north was rare enough that Celivia had to focus on it. "Is that why the campaign out here is so disorganized?"
"Exactly so. Regardless of one's formal rank, what matters here is how close they are to the Zeitai and his court in Castle Wahles. All authority filters down from him through lesser circles of influence, until far off matters might as well not exist to him. You are fortunate that some of us from those circles took notice of your... aggressive request."
"And just what circle do you occupy?"
"Not so close. I have strength, but not influence." Zeriin gave an exaggerated sigh. "I am here to ensure the success of this operation, not your personal success. But if I have one word of advice for you, it is that in the north all that matters is who you know. If you seek a Catai rebirth, keep that in mind."
"I will, Kaen. Thank you."
That drew an odd smile from him. "You can thank me with a plan that ends this operation quickly, so that I can get back to civilization." Without another word, he returned to meditating in his place.
She no longer had any control, so Celivia could only hope her plan was executed properly. And that none of the many pieces ruined it. And that it had been a good plan in the first place. All that saved her from descending into worry was the fact that the operation started before she had a chance.
The lower camp set off first, forming a formidable guard around a small set of locked wagons. They contained nothing but rocks for weight, but that was not what had been leaked to local villages allied with the Redbranches. Allegedly important and valuable cargo now made its way directly through the heart of Redbranch territory.
What she hoped was the critical stroke of her plan was that the real bait - the army - was real. A cohort of soldiers without its warriors was a considerable force that few raiders would attack idly. Yet the fact that there were no Catai and only soldiers had been sent out was just arrogant enough to insult the Redbranches. If all went well, they would come in force to take advantage of their enemy's weakness and seize the wagons.
If things went wrong, they would wander through the wilderness for no reason and all the blame would fall on her.
Though it would have been useful to observe the movements from the sky, Celivia instead crawled through a small path staring at bushes and rocks. Occasionally a scout whispered that the main group had advanced to a certain position, but she was completely blind.
Had she been in the command tent, her circumstances would have been exactly the same. If this was what it meant to command an army, she disliked it. Fighting someone in person was a straightforward conflict of wills, one body of sein against another, but this was blind hoping while many soldiers lived or died based on choices made long ago. Yet she could no more stop it than she could stop an avalanche.
They were especially blind because they needed to avoid any detection by Redbranch scouts. By the time they reached their position, she could see nothing at all. Too nervous to talk or fight, Celivia merely waited in place, trying to consider it an exercise of raw willpower.
But when she heard that some were going to watch, she couldn't stop herself.
Their group hid on the other side of a local peak, where they now peered over the edge. Below, the cohort moved through the valley around the wagons. They looked nervous, and Celivia worried that they would be taken as obvious bait, but she told herself that any real group would be worried about moving through raider territory.
Chilling war cries echoed through the valley and Celivia breathed a sigh of relief. Spears rained down on the army and the Redbranches rushed down from the heights in force.
She had expected the strike order to be given almost immediately, yet no one in the upper camp moved. Soldiers were fighting and dying below, yet they waited. They had managed well enough against the spears, since they had been prepared, but as the raiders struck their lines, the humans' superior sein led to rapid casualties. It seemed wasteful to her, but she had to assume that it was a strategic decision.
Then a deep horn sounded and the hammer swept down from the heights.
The Redbranch forces were still turning in confusion when the three Catai smashed into them. Celivia rushed after them as quickly as she could, but she couldn't run straight down a cliff as recklessly, even if she could keep up. That gave her precious moments to see her plan come together from above.
Cheered by the sight of their elites, the main body of soldiers dug in and raised their shields, forming the anvil. The Redbranches tried to fight against the Catai, but broke apart against the incoming hammer. Lacking discipline, they scattered, some of them falling into the main army and being mobbed by soldiers while others scrambled in other directions.
Many spilled out from around the Catai, who had encountered warriors capable of stopping them, but that was when the body of the hammer caught up. She had hoped that they would have enough powerful warriors to execute a maneuver such as the Hammer of Orphos, but it seemed unnecessary. The Redbranches might have been able to fight against the warriors under normal circumstances... resisting while disoriented and fleeing was another matter.
Then she reached the lines herself and all thought of strategy dissolved into pure chaos.
Though Celivia tried to exert every scrap of strength she possessed, the melee was nothing like real combat. She lashed out with her whip against one opponent who caught it with a contemptuous look, but just as she began to prepare for a difficult fight, he was bowled over by a charging Catai. She tried to buy time to get her whip back by stabbing at the nearest raider and was shocked when her strike punched straight into his heart. Once she nearly struck one of her own allies, despite how easy it was to tell mansthein from human.
Celivia had planned her behavior during the battle, but those plans became irrelevant immediately. She treated every brief encounter as if it was her last, gaining whatever advantage she could in those flickering moments. An axe struck her in the back and sent her into the ground, though her skin managed to hold against the attack.
When she struggled back to her feet, she found that the battle was nearly over. Whoever had struck her was already gone. Almost all the humans she saw were either dead, surrounded, or fleeing. According to the plan the mansthein were supposed to stay in formation and pen in the remaining humans, but she saw how that was impossible in the chaos of battle.
For the most part, it didn't matter, but it meant that one Catai was chasing down fleeing warriors while the other two struggled against one of the last Redbranches. The man was truly enormous and absolutely covered in hair. What was most remarkable was that he seemed to be trading blows with one Catai even as he prevented the other from flanking him.
Her instincts told her to enter the battle, but she held herself back. Her true motivation wasn't to help, just to gain glory for herself. She had already done enough, and she saw the corpses of several other warriors around them.
