Fallen Ward (Deepwoods Saga Book 3) by Honor Raconteur

decided they’d had enough, and at four o’clock in the afternoon, they tried to escape Goldschmidt. Of course, with every gate guarded, they didn’t get very far.
    Rune caught up with Wolf and Tran at the southern gate, the one he had originally used to get into Goldschmidt. Both were bellowing orders left and right, directing people on what to do with the captives. Wolf acted as if he hadn’t really seen him, but when Rune stopped, the man took a water flask from his belt and handed it over.
    Not about to ask questions, Rune took it from him and drained it dry with one long pull. After fighting all day, he was beyond thirsty. Lowering it, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and asked, “How goes it?”
    “We estimate they’re down to about nine hundred,” Tran responded absently, not facing his direction. “We’ve whittled down their numbers easily, with them running in between one gate and another. They’re not resisting anymore, just letting us take them, which is good. If we knew what to do with them.”
    Rune was all for tying a stone to their ankles and throwing them into the channel, but he had a feeling that no one would support this idea. Curse the luck.
    Looking about, he frowned when he couldn’t find a certain set of red heads. “Siobhan and Beirly?”
    “Beirly took a blow to the head. Siobhan’s tending to it.”
    Concerned, he asked, “Bad?”
    “Naw, not really. He just can’t stand up without wanting to empty his stomach. A few days’ rest will put him to rights.”
    Conli would probably have a very different opinion on that. Tran seemed to think that if you weren’t bleeding to death, or poisoned, then odds were you’d survive it fine. It was one of the reasons why Rune suspected that the black bag was never, ever, left with Tran. “Where are they?”
    Tran jerked a chin toward the wall.
    Rune absently tapped his heart twice in understanding and thanks before brushing past, looking for his people. He found Beirly lying flat on his back, a cloth over his eyes, and Siobhan kneeling next to him. She had a worried set to her jaw and the way her hands moved, it was clear she was hovering without really intending to hover.
    “Siobhan.”
    Her head jerked up, taking him in, then she broke out in a relieved smile. “Rune. You’re not hurt?”
    “I’m fine,” he negated with a wave of the hand. “Heard Beirly was, though.”
    “Beirly was,” Beirly said drolly. “And while his head is ringing, his hearing is just fine.”
    “Glad to hear it,” Rune responded dryly. “I thought, I can take you to Conli? Or bring Conli here?”
    “Bring Conli here,” Siobhan said firmly. “He’s in no condition to travel by path. Just standing is making him dizzy and nauseated, I can’t imagine what a path will do to him.”
    Good point. “I’ll fetch him, then. Anything else while I’m making the trip?”
    “Ask Darrens what he wants us to do with all of these enemy soldiers. The plans we laid in place won’t work for this many people.”
    Rune nodded, understanding. “That it?”
    “Anyone that wants to come back with you, can. We’ve got things in hand here.”
    Now that, he wasn’t sure he agreed with. He wasn’t too keen about letting Denney come back into Goldschmidt, not yet, anyway. But he gave her a sloppy salute with two fingers before turning and trotting off, heading for the eastern gate and the ready-made path just outside of it.
    “And if you see Knesek, tell him to do undo the dam on the canal!” Siobhan called after him.
    Come to think of it, he’d have to do that anyway, otherwise he wouldn’t have any water to turn the pathway on. Changing directions mid-step, he went hunting for the man.

Siobhan wanted it explained to her why they could win the battle of Goldschmidt in a day, but even after two weeks of cleanup, they still weren’t allowed back into their homes. There was some sort of irony there that escaped her.
    The main problem they faced was the