surrounded by Jager and Camorak and Zhorlacht and Qhazulak and a half-dozen of the Queen’s Guard.
Ridmark stepped closer, and as one, they all turned to look at him.
He kept the grimace from his face.
There was news, and almost certainly it was bad.
“Something is wrong?” he said, stopping a few paces from the others.
“We’ve had a message,” said Mara.
“Do you remember Magistrius Tulliarius?” said Camorak.
“Aye,” said Ridmark. “Old man, missing an arm. The Frostborn killed the knight he was sworn to serve, but he led the survivors here.”
“We settled him in the southern portion of the Forest,” said Mara. “Last night he received a message, passed through the loyalist Magistri sworn to Arandar. The Keeper is coming to Nightmane Forest.”
Ridmark blinked. “What? Why?”
“The distance was too great, even for Master Kurastus’s powers,” said Camorak, “and Magistrius Tulliarius is even less skilled at receiving messages than I am. Yet it seems the Keeper needs our help and is coming north to meet with Queen Mara.”
“She should stay with Prince Arandar,” said Ridmark with more heat than he intended. “He needs her help. She would be safer with…” He made himself stop talking, and collected his thoughts. “When is she arriving?”
“Not for some days yet, I think,” said Camorak. “It seems she departed either yesterday or this morning.”
“When Calliande does come,” said Mara, “she will pass through territory controlled by the Frostborn.”
Qhazulak grunted. “Likely she will have a strong guard. Sir Gavin and other Swordbearers, and that fire-flinging madwoman of hers.” Antenora had killed a lot of Anathgrimm during the Traveler’s fight against Mournacht and the Mhorites in the Vale of Stone Death.
“But if the Frostborn learn she is coming,” said Ridmark, “they will stop at nothing to kill her. If the locusari scouts find her, the Frostborn will send a force after her. They may even abandon the Moradel fortifications or the siege of Castra Marcaine to kill her.”
A wave of anger and fear went through Ridmark. God and the apostles, what was she doing? Why was she coming here? Did she not see the danger?
Zhorlacht frowned behind his tusks. “That would set back their efforts by years.”
“The delay would be worth it,” said Ridmark, “if they killed the Keeper of Andomhaim.”
“Then you must find her at once,” said Mara, “and bring her to safety in Nightmane Forest.”
“Yes,” said Ridmark. He looked at Qhazulak. “Gather the others. We are leaving immediately. We will move south along the Moradel road, and we will find the Keeper before the Frostborn kill her.”
Chapter 5: Shadow Cage
They rode north along the Moradel road, and Calliande saw a familiar sight.
The Northerland had been ravaged.
She had seen it before, centuries ago, during the first war against the Frostborn. The Frostborn had conquered most of the Northerland and much of Khaluusk and Caerdracon, but Andomhaim had been unified in those days, and the realm had held the Frostborn at bay. Yet every year the Frostborn had expanded a little further. Her predecessor as Keeper had started building a system of alliances against the Frostborn, and Calliande had finished the work, helping to create the army that drove the Frostborn back to their world gate.
So she had seen the Northerland in ruins before…and now she saw it again.
Most of the villages and towns of the Northerland clustered around the Moradel road or the shore of the Lake of Mourning, but the Moradel road led to the valley of Dun Licinia, and the Frostborn had marched south along that path. Consequently, every town and village they passed was in ruins or else held by the medvarth and the khaldjari. Dun Calpurnia had once been a prosperous town with a strong castra, but Arandar had been forced to abandon it, and the khaldjari had seized the emptied town, fortifying the walls with
Ridmark stepped closer, and as one, they all turned to look at him.
He kept the grimace from his face.
There was news, and almost certainly it was bad.
“Something is wrong?” he said, stopping a few paces from the others.
“We’ve had a message,” said Mara.
“Do you remember Magistrius Tulliarius?” said Camorak.
“Aye,” said Ridmark. “Old man, missing an arm. The Frostborn killed the knight he was sworn to serve, but he led the survivors here.”
“We settled him in the southern portion of the Forest,” said Mara. “Last night he received a message, passed through the loyalist Magistri sworn to Arandar. The Keeper is coming to Nightmane Forest.”
Ridmark blinked. “What? Why?”
“The distance was too great, even for Master Kurastus’s powers,” said Camorak, “and Magistrius Tulliarius is even less skilled at receiving messages than I am. Yet it seems the Keeper needs our help and is coming north to meet with Queen Mara.”
“She should stay with Prince Arandar,” said Ridmark with more heat than he intended. “He needs her help. She would be safer with…” He made himself stop talking, and collected his thoughts. “When is she arriving?”
“Not for some days yet, I think,” said Camorak. “It seems she departed either yesterday or this morning.”
“When Calliande does come,” said Mara, “she will pass through territory controlled by the Frostborn.”
Qhazulak grunted. “Likely she will have a strong guard. Sir Gavin and other Swordbearers, and that fire-flinging madwoman of hers.” Antenora had killed a lot of Anathgrimm during the Traveler’s fight against Mournacht and the Mhorites in the Vale of Stone Death.
“But if the Frostborn learn she is coming,” said Ridmark, “they will stop at nothing to kill her. If the locusari scouts find her, the Frostborn will send a force after her. They may even abandon the Moradel fortifications or the siege of Castra Marcaine to kill her.”
A wave of anger and fear went through Ridmark. God and the apostles, what was she doing? Why was she coming here? Did she not see the danger?
Zhorlacht frowned behind his tusks. “That would set back their efforts by years.”
“The delay would be worth it,” said Ridmark, “if they killed the Keeper of Andomhaim.”
“Then you must find her at once,” said Mara, “and bring her to safety in Nightmane Forest.”
“Yes,” said Ridmark. He looked at Qhazulak. “Gather the others. We are leaving immediately. We will move south along the Moradel road, and we will find the Keeper before the Frostborn kill her.”
Chapter 5: Shadow Cage
They rode north along the Moradel road, and Calliande saw a familiar sight.
The Northerland had been ravaged.
She had seen it before, centuries ago, during the first war against the Frostborn. The Frostborn had conquered most of the Northerland and much of Khaluusk and Caerdracon, but Andomhaim had been unified in those days, and the realm had held the Frostborn at bay. Yet every year the Frostborn had expanded a little further. Her predecessor as Keeper had started building a system of alliances against the Frostborn, and Calliande had finished the work, helping to create the army that drove the Frostborn back to their world gate.
So she had seen the Northerland in ruins before…and now she saw it again.
Most of the villages and towns of the Northerland clustered around the Moradel road or the shore of the Lake of Mourning, but the Moradel road led to the valley of Dun Licinia, and the Frostborn had marched south along that path. Consequently, every town and village they passed was in ruins or else held by the medvarth and the khaldjari. Dun Calpurnia had once been a prosperous town with a strong castra, but Arandar had been forced to abandon it, and the khaldjari had seized the emptied town, fortifying the walls with
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