or maybe, Beel. Malja couldn't recall.
"They don't know how many of us there are. They certainly don't know how few. Look at the size of that army. They got word that I had come and assumed I brought some kind of army with me. So, they're being sensibly cautious."
"But with that many, it doesn't matter how large our force is."
"Don't forget, they still plan to conquer Corlin. They can't afford to lose too many lives messing around here."
Mocking her words, a loud, raspy barking noise rolled in from the distance. Malja pulled out her spyglass. "Crap," she said under her breath.
Three muscular men led in a green sodik. The army parted for the massive beast with its rock hard skull and wooly hair. It had six thick legs like ancient tree trunks and a hide that took no notice of gunshots. Twelve feet high, the beast had only one clear purpose — a giant battering ram.
"Don't look scared," Malja said, though she knew it was a futile command.
In unison, the three muscular men dropped the chains. From behind the sodik, soldiers fired their guns into the air. The noise scared the creature into a blind run straight for the wall. Its legs thundered into the ground as it lowered its head, putting its hard-boned skull into a battering position.
"Clear out!" Malja called.
Three Guards and two magicians hurried out of the way. The sodik galloped ahead, crushing anyone stupid enough to get in its path. It let out another raspy cry.
And it hit the wall. The far left corner. Shattered concrete and glass sprayed into the air. Stone and wood and every little bit of scavenged metal crumbled to the ground in an avalanche of debris. Because Malja's forces were so small, nobody was hurt, but had her army been properly sized, the creature would have taken many lives.
The wall breach was damage enough.
The sodik pulled free from the rubble and snorted. The jolt appeared to have calmed the creature for it settled down against the wall and groomed itself.
Master Kee stepped into the courtyard, scanned the area until he found Malja, and rushed toward her. His fast, agile motions continued to impress Malja, and she let her lips curl up briefly. He wasn't even breathing hard when he reached her.
Before he spoke, Master Kee peered over the wall. With a grim face, he placed his hands on his knees. Malja thought he might vomit, but then, with a sharp inhale, he straightened.
"It still hurts to see my former pupil on that side of the wall," he said.
"The giant sodik and the hole in the wall don't bother you?" Malja asked.
Master Kee ran his forefinger across his brow. "He was family." Then, with a triumphant glow covering him, he said, "We found the book."
"Finally some good news."
"Your boy found it, actually."
Malja couldn't have stopped the warmth of pride filling her chest. "Good for him," she said. "I should go down and see what we can do with this."
Master Kee must have caught the way she looked at the magicians and then Brother X's army. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll take care of things up here."
"Make sure that gate is reinforced with whatever you can find."
"I'll make sure."
"And have those three men over there build two more barriers so we can retreat into the buildings when it becomes necessary. Once that sodik clears out, they'll attack."
"I've fought in armies before. I know what to do. You go see the book."
"I only meant—"
"I appreciate what you've done. Now let me show you something." Master Kee stepped around Malja and whispered to the portly magician. She turned to him, her brow drawn deep, but he urged her toward the edge of the wall. Licking her lips, the magician stepped closer and lifted her robe to reveal her tattooed belly. She concentrated on the tattoo for just a moment.
"Cover your ears," Master Kee said loud enough that all on the wall could hear.
Malja did as told. The magician inhaled for a long moment. Like a blowing the seeds of a twirl-flower into the wind, the magician puffed out her
"They don't know how many of us there are. They certainly don't know how few. Look at the size of that army. They got word that I had come and assumed I brought some kind of army with me. So, they're being sensibly cautious."
"But with that many, it doesn't matter how large our force is."
"Don't forget, they still plan to conquer Corlin. They can't afford to lose too many lives messing around here."
Mocking her words, a loud, raspy barking noise rolled in from the distance. Malja pulled out her spyglass. "Crap," she said under her breath.
Three muscular men led in a green sodik. The army parted for the massive beast with its rock hard skull and wooly hair. It had six thick legs like ancient tree trunks and a hide that took no notice of gunshots. Twelve feet high, the beast had only one clear purpose — a giant battering ram.
"Don't look scared," Malja said, though she knew it was a futile command.
In unison, the three muscular men dropped the chains. From behind the sodik, soldiers fired their guns into the air. The noise scared the creature into a blind run straight for the wall. Its legs thundered into the ground as it lowered its head, putting its hard-boned skull into a battering position.
"Clear out!" Malja called.
Three Guards and two magicians hurried out of the way. The sodik galloped ahead, crushing anyone stupid enough to get in its path. It let out another raspy cry.
And it hit the wall. The far left corner. Shattered concrete and glass sprayed into the air. Stone and wood and every little bit of scavenged metal crumbled to the ground in an avalanche of debris. Because Malja's forces were so small, nobody was hurt, but had her army been properly sized, the creature would have taken many lives.
The wall breach was damage enough.
The sodik pulled free from the rubble and snorted. The jolt appeared to have calmed the creature for it settled down against the wall and groomed itself.
Master Kee stepped into the courtyard, scanned the area until he found Malja, and rushed toward her. His fast, agile motions continued to impress Malja, and she let her lips curl up briefly. He wasn't even breathing hard when he reached her.
Before he spoke, Master Kee peered over the wall. With a grim face, he placed his hands on his knees. Malja thought he might vomit, but then, with a sharp inhale, he straightened.
"It still hurts to see my former pupil on that side of the wall," he said.
"The giant sodik and the hole in the wall don't bother you?" Malja asked.
Master Kee ran his forefinger across his brow. "He was family." Then, with a triumphant glow covering him, he said, "We found the book."
"Finally some good news."
"Your boy found it, actually."
Malja couldn't have stopped the warmth of pride filling her chest. "Good for him," she said. "I should go down and see what we can do with this."
Master Kee must have caught the way she looked at the magicians and then Brother X's army. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll take care of things up here."
"Make sure that gate is reinforced with whatever you can find."
"I'll make sure."
"And have those three men over there build two more barriers so we can retreat into the buildings when it becomes necessary. Once that sodik clears out, they'll attack."
"I've fought in armies before. I know what to do. You go see the book."
"I only meant—"
"I appreciate what you've done. Now let me show you something." Master Kee stepped around Malja and whispered to the portly magician. She turned to him, her brow drawn deep, but he urged her toward the edge of the wall. Licking her lips, the magician stepped closer and lifted her robe to reveal her tattooed belly. She concentrated on the tattoo for just a moment.
"Cover your ears," Master Kee said loud enough that all on the wall could hear.
Malja did as told. The magician inhaled for a long moment. Like a blowing the seeds of a twirl-flower into the wind, the magician puffed out her
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