Page 125 of Lake of Sorrow

“No kidding,” Kaylina murmured, recognizing the word the plant had used for itself.

The taybarri passed on the far side of the street from the castle, maybe worried that they too would be targeted. Hopefully not with Kaylina riding among them. After all, the plant had marked her and wanted her alive.

When she glanced at her hand, she thought she glimpsed the brand glowing green, as it had in the vision, but when she blinked, the glow was gone. Maybe it had been her imagination.

The first sounds of battle drifted to their ears. They came from the plateau and the royal castle.

Seerathi roared in that direction as the herd crossed a final bridge. Young taybarri are up there.

“Rangers should be up there too,” Vlerion said. “Defending the king and queen.”

None opposed them as the herd traveled up the road to the plateau. At the top, the portcullis at the gate was not only down but blocked on the far side. By furniture? Crates? Doors? Maybe all. The jumble of wood denied view of the courtyard on the other side.

Outside the walls, uniformed guards crouched behind shields and hastily erected barricades. Using bows and crossbows, they fired at the top of the crenellated walls. The rangers and their taybarri had to be in the courtyard or the castle, but why wouldn’t they unblock the gate to let help in?

Kaylina didn’t see anyone on the walls and wondered what the men were shooting at.

Two guards with ropes ran forward, swinging grappling hooks upward to catch them on crenelations. As the men started climbing, swords belted at their waists bumping against the stone wall, the archers covered them, shooting arrows through the empty air above.

It was a confusing sight until two horned Kar’ruk heads poked into view, their outlines blurry and wavering but visible. At least to Kaylina. The archers, she realized, couldn’t see them and were guessing where their enemies might appear.

Shields toward the archers and axes raised, the Kar’ruk advanced on the climbers.

“Look out!” Vlerion barked.

One Kar’ruk lifted an axe to cut a rope. The other raised a ranged weapon that looked like a mix of a blunderbuss and a crossbow. Both wore the hide tabards of the diplomatic party.

“Some diplomats.” Sling already loaded, Kaylina took aim.

The Kar’ruk with the axe succeeded in cutting the rope as the climbers glanced back at Vlerion’s warning. The blade sliced through, and one man fell.

Kaylina’s round struck the other Kar’ruk in the hand before he shot his firearm, and he jerked back. Unfortunately, he didn’t drop the weapon. Scowling, he swung it toward Kaylina.

She hurried to load another round. But Vlerion had a knife, and he hurled it at the Kar’ruk. Thanks to the berries, he could also see the foe, and he struck with accuracy, the blade landing in the invader’s throat. The ranged weapon fell from the Kar’ruk’s grip a moment before he tumbled off the wall. He hit the ground next to the climber, who’d managed to land on his feet. The man cursed and leaped back, probably close enough now to see through the camouflaging powder.

“Thank you,” Kaylina said to Vlerion, shifting her aim to the remaining Kar’ruk on the wall.

The invader was ready this time and ducked. Her round whistled past his horn, disappearing into the courtyard.

“Cover me,” Vlerion told her.

“Okay.” Later, Kaylina would remind him that she didn’t love taking orders from people, but this wasn’t the time.

Vlerion leaped from the taybarri’s back and sprinted toward the remaining rope dangling from its hook. The climber had jumped down when his comrade fell.

After a glance back at Kaylina, Vlerion skimmed up the rope. The remaining axe-wielder sprang into view again, ready to cut it.

Kaylina hurled a round. Behind the barricade, the archers also loosed arrows. Even though they couldn’t see the warrior, they could guess where he was. Not only the sling round but two arrows caught the Kar’ruk in the chest. Under the assault, he staggered, but he clenched his jaw with determination and swung downward with the axe.

Kaylina swore as it cut through the rope, but Vlerion lunged, catching the wall before it gave way. As he pulled himself up, the wounded Kar’ruk hefted his blade to aim for his head. Kaylina loosed another round. It caught the warrior in the ear, making him hesitate for a split second.

That was all Vlerion needed. He rolled onto the wall, springing to his feet with his sword in hand.

The cracks of firearms rang out from inside the courtyard. Since the rangers usually stuck to swords and bows, Kaylina worried those weapons belonged to more enemies, enemies who might be aiming at Vlerion as he faced off against the Kar’ruk on the wall.

“We need to get inside,” Kaylina called to the taybarri, the guards, or anyone who would listen.

“We’ve been trying,” one of the guards growled. “They blocked the gate before we knew there was trouble inside, and they keep shooting down our climbers.”

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