Page 97 of An Archer's Reckoning

My simple black cloak, its heavy furs draped across my shoulders, blew with the swirling wind as I walked among my troops. I needed no symbol of office or gold trim. I wore no helmet or officer’s cap. This wasmyarmy. They knew me well.

Now, they knew their General held no fear.

Orshowedno fear, at least.

Men shot to their feet and offered crisp salutes as I passed. I tried to wave them to ease before the ritual could complete but failed most of the time. Our journey through the mountains, then from Grove’s Pass to Saltstone, was long, cold, and uneventful.

Despite the eternal march, morale was high.

Men joked and laughed as they sharpened sword and axe. They sang around campfires and told tales of their heroism to come. Their voices held no fear, though I knew that would change with the first volley.

I lost count of the number of times I heard a soldier declare that he would be the one to avenge the King or Prince. Isabel’s propaganda was now deeply rooted.

Above all, the men were excited to finally reach their destination, to finally see an end to their monotony.

But I knew better.

I stood at the edge of our encampment behind a solid wall of shields. I stared down at the bulky leather straps that would soon be used by men to push our line forward. The front of each shield was painted brightly, covered in images of flames. Isabel had added that touch while we were still in Grove’s Pass, thinking a wall of flame would send her message more clearly to the citizens of Saltstone.

The sharp ends of snow-covered pikes rose from the ground in salute to the approaching invaders. The land before and behind each ring was bumpy, somehow disturbed. The snow sat unevenly beneath the pickets. Trenches? Disguised by frozen water and snow?

“Is that . . . what is that glow?” I asked no one in particular as I shielded my eyes and squinted at the tips of the pikes. They shimmered—and I was certain the effect had nothing to do with the rising sun.

Is that magic?

I hated magic, knowing how much stronger Melucia’s Mages were than our own. Give me a powerful arm and well-made sword over mystical powers any day.

So much changed in the time it took us to get here.

My eyes rose to survey the wall ringing the capital. The sheer scale of the logs was astounding. Towers loomed where guardspeered back across the field. My trebuchets had a lot of work ahead, but wooden walls wouldn’t keep my army at bay. I shook my head as my military mind thought of the foolishness of this great mercantile nation hiding behind toothpicks before their enemy’s indomitable force.

Why had their Mages not used stone?

Another trick? More Enchantments?

The thought made me shudder.

I turned back toward the camp.

Chapter 36

Jess

Ireined Dittler to a halt, and my head spun toward every compass point, desperate for any landmark that might help my befuddled sense of direction. Clouds had obscured the moon and stars, leaving me alone in the dark with my stallion. Dittler’s heavy breathing and the chirping of a chorus of crickets were the only sounds to be heard.

I patted Dittler’s neck. He looked back with eyes wide and labored breaths, still exhilarated from the burst of speed he’d just displayed.

“Where are we, boy?”

After a moment of searching the land around, I decided to keep moving forward. It was as good as any direction in this wilderness.

As Dittler cantered forward, my racing heart and fear began to ease. I tried to roll my shoulders and stretch the tension from my neck, but my balance faltered as Dittler navigated the terrain.

There were still men hunting me, but I wouldn’t be a scared mouse anymore. I would find a way through all this, just like my father taught me.

Then my mind wandered to Keelan.

Had he and Atikus slowed to distract the men?

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