Page 19 of Light Up the Night

Chapter Seven

The First Wave

Keif

The temperature outside was ridiculous. I was built for this type of terrain, born of the Forrest Wilds, but even I was miserable in this frozen shit hole. The Scouts left two weeks ago, and for all we knew, they were frozen to the top of the mountain or fallen down the other side of it.

“I hate this shit hole,” I called, echoing my sentiments over the chatter of my teeth.

“Maybe this shit hole doesn’t like you either,” Fish quipped. I gawked momentarily at the bold youth, who merely shrugged in response. “The truth is the truth.

I wasn’t sure if I should clip him or laugh, so I coughed to cover the chuckle and hurried after him. The traps were empty. The water was choppy and a degree away from ice.

“How much grain did you say?” I had to clear my throat to get the words out.

Winter was over. This bizarre weather front had caught the Fallen Gods by surprise on the tail end of season rations. Harvest wasn’t for months, so the dependence on bread and porridge had nearly wiped them out.

“There has to be something we can do,” Fish exclaimed on a sigh. His little hand swept his forehead, brushing his hair away from his face. He didn’t seem to mind that it was sticking up in three different directions when he finished.

“Even when there is ice on the water, there are still fish and muscles to be had!” he insisted.

I raised a shoulder in a lopsided shrug and placed my hand over my rumbling gut. “Let’s go home and see if Ender has any ideas. He’s the brains.”

“Clearly.” Fish snorted with a playful grin. “He is a physician, that doesn’t really help us. We aren’t seeking a mold farmer, and I ain’t nibbling on leeches…”

I stared at him without comment until he bugged his eyes at me, threw both hands out and stomped off toward the Great Hall.

Kids…

I was so lost in my amusement that I tuned out the low bellowing sound that rolled off the hillside. Until the sound registered with my brain and my heart did a somersault.

War horn. That was a fucking war horn!

I pivoted toward the area I had last seen Fish, but he was gone. I shifted, taking a quick inventory of the cliffs below but saw neither the boy nor any cause for concern. Indecision left me twisting and stumbling for a moment before I flew toward the front yard.

The warriors would be there awaiting orders, I was sure of it. The sound bellowed long and low. An ominous echoing sound that I felt in my chest when it wasn’t burning from all the deep rugged breaths I was taking. I couldn’t make my legs move quickly enough. Luckily, I didn’t have to. Chalice met me on the back ramp with her flail-like staff gripped tightly in her hand.

“I’ve sent a raven for Messiah, but I don’t know if it will reach him. If he is too far out, the bird will return,” she shrieked over the wind. “The Savages have arrived. Spotted twenty miles up the mountain. Scouts say she’s struggling to bring elephants over with her. They must have torn up the trail on their last trip up.”

I jogged alongside her until frustration caused me to grab her arm and stop her.

“Don’t you think we should hold a council or something? Ender, he always has a plan,” I babbled.

“Good.” She nodded giving my arm a squeeze. “Go have a sit down with him and figure it out.”

I nodded and almost found a smile before she started off in the other direction again.

“Wait! Where are you going?” I called trotting after her again.

“To the front lines,” she yelled, pulling her arm away before I had a chance to grab it again. “I’m not Isabella. I won’t be like her and Atticus, hiding in the shadows while others risk life and limb for what I waged war over.”

My heart hammered in my chest, and I licked my lips, searching for words that might sway her back to safety. “Chalice…”

She jerked me towards her and planted a kiss roughly on my lips. I’d never been so emasculated, but I didn’t have time to be pissed over it. She was already on the move, leaving me without any choice but to follow.

Hooves rang behind me. The sound, coupled with the wind, left my hair standing on end. I turned to confront it just as Ender slid from a saddle and passed the reigns to Chalice.

“We have to get rid of them elephants, they’ll ruin everything but the fucking Hall if they make it up here,” he grunted while boosting her up to the saddle. Rather than race off, she dawdled alongside us and appeared to be contemplating something.

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