Page 32 of Of Empires and Dust

“Five will do. With the ten thousand sent with Joros to retake Myrefall, Alina needs as many spears as she can muster to hold her position, lest Loren try to overwhelm her.” It had been Dayne’s plan. With the remnants of House Thebal’s forces leaving Myrefall to join Aldon, the city would be vulnerable. A two-pronged attack, with Alina and the bulk of the free Valtaran forces holding position three days’ march from Achyron’s Keep. They needed to secure their rear before moving forward. But just because it had been his plan didn’t mean he liked the idea of being so far from his sister, especially after what had happened the night of the betrayal.

“I like the sound of ten thousand a lot more than I do five. Oh, also, I have to admit, that armour looks good on you. Though I’m not sure how I feel about the skirts and those white crests.” She nodded at the bronzed helmet Dayne held in the crook of his arm, the white horsehair crest of the Andurii running from front to back. “They do kind of break the first rule of ambushes.”

“The first rule of ambushes?” one of Dayne’s captains, Iloen, asked, raising his eyebrow curiously.

“Ignore her.” Dayne shook his head.

The smile that spread across Belina’s face was one which Dayne had grown far too accustomed to across the years. “Be a bush.”

Iloen narrowed his eyes. “What?”

Dayne pressed his face into his palm. There would be no stopping her now.

“Where do you find these people, Dayne?” Belina looked at Iloen as though he were an idiot. “The first rule of ambushes, Ilan?—”

“Iloen.”

“Yes, Ilopen, like I said. Anyway, the word ambush comes from being able to say ‘I am a bush’, as in to blend in with your natural surroundings. So the first rule of ambushes is tobea bush. What bush wears white and orange skirts with a crest of white horsehair? That sounds a lot more like a flower to me. Damn attention seekers.”

Iloen opened his mouth as though he were about to say something but thought better of it and pursed his lips.

“Sometimes it’s best just to pretend she isn’t there, Iloen.”

“That’s a lie,” Belina whispered in Dayne’s ear. “You missed me.”

“Like a horse misses a flea.”

“You’re calling yourself a horse,” Belina said with a shrug.

Dayne ran his free hand through his hair and let out a long, exasperated sigh.

“She’s not entirely wrong.” Dayne hadn’t heard Mera approach. Alina had given her the command of twelve Wyndarii to assist in the ambush. She moved to Dayne’s right, running her hand along the small of his back, giving him a soft smile. Her blue eyes stared into his for a moment before she looked out at the valley. “Once they enter the valley and we break through the trees, every second will count. The skirts and the helmets should stay behind.”

“I told you.” Belina shrugged again, holding her open palms out. “I can’t help but be right. It’s a curse.”

Dayne just grunted, biting at the inside of his lip. As much as he appreciated the brief moment of levity around him, he could not share in it. He had no doubts that with the Andurii and the wyverns, his five thousand would carve through the Thebalans’ numerical advantage. But still, many would die.

He hunkered down, running his fingers through the dry grass and pressing into the cracked earth beneath. It hadn’t rained in weeks. He narrowed his eyes, surveying the valley, all the while rubbing dry dirt between his fingertips. “Mera, your scouts reported that the Thebalan ranks comprised vast numbers of cavalry, yes?”

“They did.”

“How many?”

“Three thousand heavy horse with lances and shields, another six hundred light cavalry. Enough to turn the tide of any battle.”

Belina crouched beside Dayne, looking at the dirt between his fingers. “What are you thinking?” She lowered her voice. “And why are we crouching?”

Dayne frowned at her. “You remember south of Elkenrim, about six years back?”

The smile on Belina’s face vanished, replaced by a grim line. “Where I killed my father.”

Dayne drew a slow breath and nodded in return. “The armies that march here wear thick armour and carry heavy ordos and valynas. They’ve been marching double for days on end and through the Lost Hills for the past two nights. They’re completely exhausted. Add three thousand heavy cavalry to that…” Dayne pulled on threads of Earth and Water, feeling the elemental strands pulsate in his mind. He pressed his hand to the earth and pushed the threads into the ground, loosening theclay and pulling the moisture from the depths. Within seconds, the soil was thick and gloopy.

“It will be chaos,” Belina said, her lips twisting into a grin. “My favourite.”

“What are we doing?” Mera asked, staring down at Dayne and Belina.

“We’re going to trap them like rats in a bucket,” Dayne said, rising. He turned to Iloen. “Bring me the other captains and my bow. And Iloen?”

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