Death Wind Read online

  Essie eyed Edmund. Drilling and blasting? Simple? What had Edmund been doing on all those spy missions?

  The elven and Escarlish generals gathered around Lance, discussing the best ways to construct the magic-and-gunpowder bomb and plant it at the base of the gates.

  Weylind and Averett edged around the table until they had joined Edmund, Julien, and Essie.

  Averett rested an arm on Essie’s shoulders. “I really wish you didn’t have to go with the rescue party. If something happens to you, I would never forgive myself. Neither would Farrendel.”

  “I know.” Essie didn’t want to imagine what Farrendel would do if he lost her after suffering that torture. Farrendel had never lost control of his magic, but that might do it. Still, she couldn’t leave him there. “I’m our best hope for getting to him in time. You could end up wandering that fortress for days trying to find him, and King Charvod would kill him long before that.”

  “I know.” Averett’s arm tightened around her shoulders before he released her.

  “We’ll be with her.” Julien gestured between him and Edmund. “And I’m sure our small group will still have plenty of handpicked, elite soldiers along. Maybe even a few elf warriors?” He glanced at Weylind.

  Weylind crossed his arms. “Of course. I will be going as well.”

  Essie’s brothers shared a look before Averett faced Weylind, jaw set. “No, you won’t. You and I will be with those attacking the main gate.”

  “Farrendel is my brother. I cannot...” Weylind’s voice cracked, and he cleared his throat as if to pretend that moment of emotion hadn’t just occurred. “I cannot leave him there.”

  “I understand. But it’s what the troll king will expect. If he doesn’t see you attacking the main gate, he will know you are elsewhere trying to sneak into the castle. It would place Farrendel and those sneaking into Gror Grar in danger.” Averett met Weylind stare for stare. “But if the troll king sees you attacking the front gate, he will think that is the main attack. Instead, we are the diversion.”

  Weylind’s shoulders slumped. “Very well.” After a moment, he straightened, his gaze hardening as he focused on first Julien, then Edmund. “I am once again trusting you with my brother’s life. Do not fail to protect him a second time.”

  “We won’t.” Julien nodded sharply.

  Jalissa stepped closer, her face drawn. “And if Melantha is there...I know what she did, and she might not want to leave. But if she is locked in that dungeon with Farrendel, could you please rescue her, too? She is still our sister.”

  If Essie closed her eyes, she could still hear the sharp stab of Melantha coldly telling Farrendel, You are not my brother.

  Yet, Farrendel seemed to believe Melantha had been helping him. If Melantha was helping him now, then Essie would rescue her, if just for Farrendel’s sake.

  Essie rested a hand on Jalissa’s arm. “If she’s there with Farrendel, we’ll get her out with us.”

  “But Farrendel will be the priority.” Julien grimaced and glanced between Weylind and Jalissa. “I don’t think we’ll have time to search the dungeon looking for Melantha if she isn’t kept near Farrendel. Essie should lead us to Farrendel, but we won’t have a way to find Melantha.”

  “I understand.” Jalissa hugged her arms over her stomach. After the week of fighting across Kostaria, her dark brown hair hung limply over her shoulders. Essie had offered to braid it, but Jalissa hadn’t yet been ready to tie back her hair.

  Averett glanced around at them. “Edmund, Julien, Essie. You should try to get some rest. You’ll need to leave several hours before we begin the attack to reach the far side of Gror Grar at the right time.”

  Essie resisted the urge to swipe her palms against her trousers. Soon. Just a few more hours, and then she would finally be on her way to rescue Farrendel. Hold on just a little longer, Farrendel. Just a few more hours.

  She wasn’t sure Farrendel sensed what she was telling him. He was blocking her again, the heart bond cold as icy steel between them.

  Essie adjusted the strap of her rifle where it lay across her chest. The rifle’s weight settled against her shoulder, a reminder that this mission was dangerous. Her mouth was dry, her heart racing. They hadn’t even left the encampment yet, much less reached Gror Grar. How did Farrendel face this kind of fear walking into battle again and again? Did it get easier after the first time?

  She stifled a yawn. The stars still twinkled overhead on this clear, cold night, and would remain there in the dark sky for several more hours until dawn broke.

  Averett and Weylind exited the command shelter, where they had been consulting with the generals one last time. Averett strode over to Essie and hugged her, tight and long.

  Essie leaned into him, drawing on his strength. It was tempting to stay there in camp, as her brothers wanted her to do. It would be safer. Less frightening.

  But Farrendel was in that looming fortress ahead, and she was their best chance to get him out alive. Not to mention, it would be safer for the rescuers to move quickly through the dungeon tunnels.

  She forced herself to step out of Averett’s embrace and smile. “I’ll be fine, Avie. Julien and Edmund will look after me. And, once we find Farrendel, he won’t allow anything to happen to me.”

  Averett returned her smile, though his was strained as if the action pained him. He didn’t remind her that Farrendel most likely wouldn’t be in any shape to help them. He didn’t have to. She could feel Farrendel’s pain even as he slept fitfully.

  Julien and Edmund strolled toward them, packs slung over their backs and ropes hanging over their shoulders.

  Averett patted Essie’s shoulder, his eyes glinting in the starlight. “Stay safe, Essie.”

  “I will.” Essie blamed the cold night air for the husky, choked sound of her voice.

  Averett moved off to Julien and Edmund. There was a lot of grinning and back-slapping. No emotional goodbyes or anything like that. But it didn’t need to be said. They knew.

  With a cleared throat, Weylind approached Essie. His dark eyes were filled with more emotion than Essie could remember seeing on him. He gripped Essie’s shoulders. “Bring my brother home. Please.”

  Essie patted his hands, but that didn’t seem like enough. She stepped forward and gave Weylind a quick hug. He remained as stiff as a tree through it, but hopefully he understood that it was the best human gesture she could give him at that moment. “We will.”

  Three Escarlish soldiers jogged out of the darkness, bowed to Averett, then saluted Julien. After Julien returned the salute, all three of them relaxed. Something in their smiles said they had worked with Julien before. Good. If Julien trusted them, then Essie could too.

  A few moments later, three elves glided from the darkness. They nodded to Weylind before glancing toward Edmund. Essie was pretty sure they were the elven scouts who had gone with Edmund scouting the border.

  Julien glanced at the group. “Looks like everyone is here. Let’s move out.”

  “We will give you two hours until we start the bombardment.” Averett patted Julien’s shoulder one last time. The information was nothing new. They had gone over this mission several times over the past few hours. All of the details were drilled into their heads.

  “We’ll be in place.” Julien nodded first to Averett, then Weylind. Then he shouldered his pack and led the way. The Escarlish soldiers fell into step behind him.

  Essie hurried to fall into line. She didn’t want to take up the rear, even if she was the slowest of all of them. Not that her brothers were likely to let her lag behind.

  Edmund came after Essie, with the elven scouts after him. At this time in the morning, few were moving about the encampment yet. Most of the soldiers were still sleeping, catching the last bit of rest before they were roused for battle. A few of the commanders were already up, going over the last few items for the plan while the artillery men were also awake, quietly moving their cannons and stores of ammunition into place under the cover of
darkness.

  Julien led the way to the faint trail going down the plateau, out of sight of Gror Grar. Still, they didn’t talk as they wound their way into the gorge.

  Essie tried to keep from kicking stones loose or making noise, a difficult task in the near darkness. She tried not to glance to the edge, where nothing stood between her and a long drop to the bottom, a bottom she couldn’t even see in the darkness. Only the stars provided illumination.

  Edmund and the elves behind her glided down the trail without a sound. The soldiers ahead of her crunched on the gravel, but even they didn’t make a lot of noise compared to the usual Escarlish soldier. They must be specially trained. Not surprising, given they were on this mission.

  By the time they reached the bottom, Essie’s thighs burned from holding herself back against the steep downward incline. But she would not complain. They still had a long way to hike that night, and that was just the beginning. Who knew what would be demanded of them once they reached Gror Grar?

  At the bottom, Edmund took the lead. He led them in the shadow of the cliff wall, sticking as close to the jagged stone as possible. Since they couldn’t light a lamp or a candle or any light that would give them away to any trolls watching from the walls of Gror Grar, they were left to stumble in the dark.

  At least, Essie was stumbling over rocks and pitfalls she couldn’t see in the near darkness. This whole sneaking into the fortress was a lot less glamorous than she had expected. She struggled to keep her breathing steady. Edmund was setting a fast pace, and she was breathing hard. She might have to join Farrendel in his morning exercise sessions, if she was going to participate in sneak attacks.

  Though, once she got Farrendel back, hopefully she wouldn’t have to. He would be safe, and Weylind and Averett would have taken the fortress and forced the trolls to surrender.

  She would focus on that. Not on the winding gorge or the deep darkness shrouding them. Tonight, they would get Farrendel back.

  After hiking for what felt like three hours, though was probably more like one, Essie glanced up and caught her breath. The jagged towers of Gror Grar loomed far above, the wall a flat, menacing presence far above them.

  Essie swallowed. It had looked formidable facing it across the gorge. But she had been surrounded by two armies. Now, it was just the nine of them, hiding in this gorge like mice compared to the might of Gror Grar above.

  She reached back and gripped the stock of her rifle where it rested by her thigh. No matter how intimidating, she had to go in there, for Farrendel.

  Edmund led them around the mountain where Gror Grar perched until the wall disappeared as it melded into the mountain itself with the mountain’s peak forming the tallest tower of the fortress.

  Finally, Edmund halted and pointed upward. “Here.” He kept his voice low, even if they appeared to be alone.

  Were they alone? Would the trolls have someone watching this back entrance?

  Essie pressed her back to the cliff, trying to hide her panting breaths. For once, the cold seeping through her coat felt good.

  Julien halted next to her, pulled out a pocket watch, and checked the time in the faint light. “We have about forty-five minutes until the bombardment starts. Essie, you should rest.”

  She didn’t want to be the weak member...but she was. There wasn’t anything she could do to change that. But, she could at least not be a burden.

  Resting was the sensible thing to do. She would only get in the way of those trained for things like this, and she would need her strength for the next part of their mission.

  Edmund talked quietly for a moment with the three elven scouts. Moments later, he and the elves melted into the darkness, probably to scout the area.

  Julien and the three Escarlish soldiers set to work opening packs and laying out equipment. One soldier set out a large bundle and unrolled it, revealing numerous iron spikes tied to the canvas and padded to keep them from rattling. Julien took their various lengths of rope and began sorting through them.

  Essie found a seat on a nearby rock. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Not at the moment.” Julien pulled a bundle of paper-wrapped sticks from his pack. “Unless you want to help me inspect these blasting sticks?”

  “Blasting sticks?” Essie’s voice squeaked, and she cleared her throat. “Are those for the back door, if the trolls have it locked up tight?”

  “Yes. These will blast it to pebbles.” Julien turned over each stick in his hands. Essie wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he must have been satisfied for he gently set each stick onto the padding of his pack.

  Good thing she hadn’t realized her brother had been toting around volatile explosives while they had been hiking through that gorge in complete darkness. She might have been a lot less bored and a whole lot more worried.

  This was why they had to wait for the bombardment to start before they made their move. The sounds of hammering the spikes into the rock to climb the cliff would be audible on the quiet night, and blowing off the door definitely would be. Hopefully the trolls wouldn’t realize that one of the explosions had come from the back instead of the front.

  Edmund appeared out of the darkness, followed by his three elven shadows. He pointed over his shoulder. “No one’s around, and they couldn’t detect any recent use of troll magic that would indicate someone is hiding nearby. Arlanor here found a place a few yards down where he thinks he can scale the cliff and reach the ledge by the hidden door without needing the spikes.”

  Julien glanced past Edmund toward the elf he’d pointed at, a shorter elf with lighter hair, though Essie couldn’t make out the exact color in the darkness. “Are you sure? If you fall, you won’t have a rope to catch you.”

  Edmund turned and repeated the words in elvish.

  Arlanor glanced up at the cliff, then shrugged. “It is not that tall.”

  Even after living in their treetop palace for three months, Essie wasn’t quite that cavalier about heights. But she could see how the elves wouldn’t find a hundred-foot cliff that daunting after they had grown up wandering treetops hundreds of feet in the air.

  “If he is willing to risk it, then let’s try it. If we could have the line secured and start planning where to place the blasting sticks, we’ll be able to start drilling as soon as the bombardment starts.” Julien glanced at Essie. “Even fifteen minutes might make a difference.”

  Essie clenched her fists, trying to breathe normally. It was a risk, waiting to enter until the cannons started firing. The troll king might order Farrendel killed the moment the bombardment started. Or he might have Farrendel brought from his cell and used as a shield to stop Weylind and Averett from firing on Gror Grar. If either of those things happened, they would never get to Farrendel before the trolls did.

  They were gambling that the troll king would wait to either kill or fetch Farrendel until the actual fighting at the gate started, trusting the walls of Gror Grar to hold against puny cannon fire in the meantime.

  Essie reached deep inside for the heart bond, but Farrendel was either asleep or unconscious. Would she even be able to tell if the trolls took him from his cell if he remained unconscious?

  “Yes. I think we need to hurry.” She didn’t try to explain. Perhaps she didn’t have to. The glints of expression on the elven faces grew more sober.

  “Here, take this.” Julien held up one of the coils of rope in one hand, then a hammer and spike in the other. “And these if there isn’t a good place to secure the rope up there.”

  Arlanor’s mouth twisted, like he wanted to grimace at all the stuff he’d have to carry with him, but whatever emotion he had been about to express, he stifled it beneath a hard mask. He looped the rope over his shoulder, then secured the spike and hammer under his belt at the small of his back.

  After studying the cliff for a few moments, Arlanor selected a section a few yards down and started climbing.

  Essie held her breath. She’d seen Farrendel climb trees easier
than she climbed stairs, but she didn’t know Arlanor well enough to trust his abilities.

  For the first twenty feet, Arlanor scurried up the cliff like a squirrel. After that, he took a few more seconds before he made each choice of handhold and foothold. Some of the grips were nothing but tiny fingerholds.

  In less than five minutes, Arlanor reached the ledge. He edged along it until he reached the section above the smoothed over stairs. After several moments of inspection, he disappeared from view from below.

  Did that mean the door had been left open? Or had he simply crouched on the ledge and they could no longer see him because of the angle?

  A few moments later, the soft thunks of the hammer hitting the stake echoed down to them. It wasn’t as sharp as Essie would have expected, so Arlanor must have muffled the hammer strikes somehow. Perhaps he’d used his tunic or something to pad the stake.

  The hammer strikes ended, and a minute later, the rope launched over the edge and dropped down to them. Arlanor reappeared, and he descended the rope hand over hand.

  When he settled on the ground, he turned to Edmund. “The door is sealed.”

  “Not unexpected.” Edmund nodded, then turned to Julien. “We’ll need the blasting sticks.”

  Julien nodded and tugged on the rope. “I hope that rope is secure enough to hold me.”

  After a quick consultation, Arlanor scampered up the rope, followed by Edmund and Julien, both carrying more ropes and gear. In a few minutes, more ropes dropped down from the ledge, rigged with climbing harnesses. The blasting sticks were secured in a padded pack and carefully carried up to the ledge.

  Edmund returned to the ground. “There’s enough room for everyone up there, and it might be dangerous to be down here once we set off the blasting sticks. Ready for this?”

  Not really, but Essie took a deep breath and faced the cliff. She could do this. It wasn’t like she would fall. Not once she was all harnessed up, and she had Julien at the top and Edmund at the bottom looking after her.