the same, as fractured bone ground together. Kal nearly blacked out, but she took a strained breath and forced herself up.
Leaning heavily on her makeshift cane, Kal panted for breath and surveyed the battlefield. Bodies and blood and broken weapons were all that remained. A few more crows hopped to and fro, pecking at the corpses. The other scavengers and carrion birds had retreated when night fell, but she knew they would return with daybreak.
The fires had burnt out. All that remained of the Archon’s carriage was a pile of blackened wood and ashes.
They had been beaten. It was worse than Kal had ever imagined. The defeat was total.
But she was alive.
A low moan rose shivering on the night air. Kal turned toward the sound, and her leg responded with another insistent wave of agony. Kal stumbled forward, momentarily blinded by the pain washing over her. The moan sounded again.
“Hello?” she called. “Who is it?”
“Kal?” The voice was anguished, twisted by pain. It was hoarse and broken but she recognized that voice.
“Maul!” The giant was still alive.
“Here…” He was fading though. Hobbling as quickly as she dared, Kal made her way slowly over and around the piled corpses until she found the big man. He had a spear through the guts, and a dozen other wounds still seeping blood, but he was alive.
“Maul!” When she saw the extent of his injuries, Kal nearly gave in to a rising tide of despair. “Merciful Dunmir,” she breathed. “How are you still living?”
“Stubborn…as…I am…big,” Maul struggled to say. Bloodless lips turned up in what might have been a smile. “Can’t…kill…me…so easily.”
Kal smiled in spite of the situation. “Oh, Maul,” she whispered. “You never did know when to quit.”
Maul’s response was a dry, cracked laugh that sounded more like a death rattle. She had no idea how the giant was clinging to life, but she didn’t think he could manage it much longer.
“The others?” She didn’t want to ask, but she had to.
Maul’s head moved left, then back to the right.
“What about…” Kal broke off. The words seemed to hurt as they rose in her throat. The lump remained even when she stopped. Her eyes burned with tears. “Rez?” she forced herself to ask. “Shel?”
“Taken…” Maul closed his eyes and heaved a struggling breath. “The Archon…got them…took them…caged…like animals.”
“But they're alive,” said Kal, clinging desperately to the thin hope. “They're still alive, Maul.”
“For…now.”
Kal bit down on her reply. They were alive. She knew they were. They must be. But Maul was dying. There wasn’thing she could do to stop it. Just like she hadn’t been able to save any of the others. They had thought it was an ambush; they just hadn’t realized whose ambush it was. The others were dead, and Maul would join them in minutes. But she was alive. Rez was alive. That sweet child Shel was alive.
Kal brushed a thick strand of hair back from her face. Its honeyed color was stained dark, the strands clotted together with her own dried blood. She looked sadly down at the giant. Her friend.
“I'm so sorry, Maul,” she whispered. “Oh, Maul. I'm sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Maul grunted softly, wincing at some twinge of pain. “Find…find them.”
“I will,” she promised. It was a vow to her dying friend, and a vow to herself. She would find Rez and Shel. She’d rescue them from Thorne, or die trying.
The second outcome seemed more likely at the moment. Kal realized she had to get back to the fortress. She’d need the rest of the gang. But would they follow her, a woman? Especially after they learned what had happened?
Kal resolved herself. She’d make them follow her. She’d tell them all the truth, if she had to. They were good men, and most of them would follow if they knew what was really at stake. Rez would be furious with her. Rez, with all his secrets. Sometimes she thought the fool man believed
Leaning heavily on her makeshift cane, Kal panted for breath and surveyed the battlefield. Bodies and blood and broken weapons were all that remained. A few more crows hopped to and fro, pecking at the corpses. The other scavengers and carrion birds had retreated when night fell, but she knew they would return with daybreak.
The fires had burnt out. All that remained of the Archon’s carriage was a pile of blackened wood and ashes.
They had been beaten. It was worse than Kal had ever imagined. The defeat was total.
But she was alive.
A low moan rose shivering on the night air. Kal turned toward the sound, and her leg responded with another insistent wave of agony. Kal stumbled forward, momentarily blinded by the pain washing over her. The moan sounded again.
“Hello?” she called. “Who is it?”
“Kal?” The voice was anguished, twisted by pain. It was hoarse and broken but she recognized that voice.
“Maul!” The giant was still alive.
“Here…” He was fading though. Hobbling as quickly as she dared, Kal made her way slowly over and around the piled corpses until she found the big man. He had a spear through the guts, and a dozen other wounds still seeping blood, but he was alive.
“Maul!” When she saw the extent of his injuries, Kal nearly gave in to a rising tide of despair. “Merciful Dunmir,” she breathed. “How are you still living?”
“Stubborn…as…I am…big,” Maul struggled to say. Bloodless lips turned up in what might have been a smile. “Can’t…kill…me…so easily.”
Kal smiled in spite of the situation. “Oh, Maul,” she whispered. “You never did know when to quit.”
Maul’s response was a dry, cracked laugh that sounded more like a death rattle. She had no idea how the giant was clinging to life, but she didn’t think he could manage it much longer.
“The others?” She didn’t want to ask, but she had to.
Maul’s head moved left, then back to the right.
“What about…” Kal broke off. The words seemed to hurt as they rose in her throat. The lump remained even when she stopped. Her eyes burned with tears. “Rez?” she forced herself to ask. “Shel?”
“Taken…” Maul closed his eyes and heaved a struggling breath. “The Archon…got them…took them…caged…like animals.”
“But they're alive,” said Kal, clinging desperately to the thin hope. “They're still alive, Maul.”
“For…now.”
Kal bit down on her reply. They were alive. She knew they were. They must be. But Maul was dying. There wasn’thing she could do to stop it. Just like she hadn’t been able to save any of the others. They had thought it was an ambush; they just hadn’t realized whose ambush it was. The others were dead, and Maul would join them in minutes. But she was alive. Rez was alive. That sweet child Shel was alive.
Kal brushed a thick strand of hair back from her face. Its honeyed color was stained dark, the strands clotted together with her own dried blood. She looked sadly down at the giant. Her friend.
“I'm so sorry, Maul,” she whispered. “Oh, Maul. I'm sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Maul grunted softly, wincing at some twinge of pain. “Find…find them.”
“I will,” she promised. It was a vow to her dying friend, and a vow to herself. She would find Rez and Shel. She’d rescue them from Thorne, or die trying.
The second outcome seemed more likely at the moment. Kal realized she had to get back to the fortress. She’d need the rest of the gang. But would they follow her, a woman? Especially after they learned what had happened?
Kal resolved herself. She’d make them follow her. She’d tell them all the truth, if she had to. They were good men, and most of them would follow if they knew what was really at stake. Rez would be furious with her. Rez, with all his secrets. Sometimes she thought the fool man believed
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